the father which without respecte of personnes iudgeth acordynge to euery mans worke se y t ye passe y e tyme of youre pilgremage in feare and knowe that ye were not redemed w t corruptible syluer and golde from youre vayne conuersacion which ye receaued by the tradicioÌ„s of the fathers but with the precious bloude of Christ as of an innoceÌ„t and vndefyled lambe which was ordeyned before the worlde was made but is declared in these last tymes for youre sakes which thorow him beleue on God that raysed him vp from the deed and hath geueÌ„ him the glory that ye might haue faith hope in God Euen ye which haue purifyed youre soules in obeyenge the trueth thorow the sprete for to loue brotherly without faynynge feruently one to loue another w t a pure hert as they that are borne a new not of corruptible sede but of vncorruptible eueÌ„ by the lyuynge worde of God which endureth for euer For all flesh is as grasse and all the glory of man is as the floure of grasse The grasse withereth the flâ—ure falleth awaye but the worde of the LORDE endureth for euer This is the worde that is preached amonge you The II. Chapter WHerfore laye asyde all maliciousnes and all gyle and ypocrisye and envye and all bacbytinge as new borne babes desyre that reasonable mylke which is without corrupcion that ye maye growe therin yf so be that ye haue taisted how frendly the LORDE is Vnto whom ye are come as to the lyuynge stone which is disalowed of men but chosen of God and precious And ye also as lyuynge stones are made a spirituall house and an holy presthode to offre vp spirituall sacrifices acceptable vnto God by Iesus Christ. Wherfore it is conteyned in the scripture Beholde I put in Sion an heade corner stone electe precious and he that beleueth on him shal 〈◊〉 be coÌ„founded Vnto you therfore which 〈…〉 he is precious but vnto them that 〈…〉 is y e same stone which the 〈…〉 made the heade stone in the 〈…〉 one to stomble at and a rock to be offended at namely in theÌ„ which stomble at y e worde and beleue not that wheron they were set But ye are that chosen generacion that kyngly presthode that holy nacion that peculier people y t ye shulde shewe the vertues of him which hath called you out of darknesse in to his maruelous lighte Euen you which in tyme past were not a people but now are the people of God which were not vnder mercy but now haue optayned mercy Dearly beloued I beseke you as straungers and pilgrems absteyne froÌ„ the fleshly lustes which fighte agaynst the soule and lede an honest conuersacion amonge the Heythen that they which bacbyte you as euell doers maye se youre good workes and prayse God in the daye of visitacion Submytte youre selues vnto all maner ordinaunce of men for the LORDES sake whether it be vnto the kynge as vnto y e chefe heade or vnto rulers as vnto them that are sent of him for the punyshment of euell doers but for the prayse of theÌ„ that do well For so is the will of God that ye with well doynge shulde put to sylence the ignoraunce of folishmen as fre and not as hauynge the libertye for a cloke of wickednes but eueÌ„ as the seruauntes of God Honoure all men Loue brotherly fellishippe Feare God Honoure the kynge Ye seruauÌ„tes obey youre masters with all feare not onely yf they be good and curteous but also though they be frowarde For that is grace yf a man for conscience towarde God endure grefe and suffre wronge For what prayse is it yf whaÌ„ ye be buffeted for yo r fautes ye take it paciently But yf whan ye do well ye suffre wronge and take it paciently that is grace with God For herevnto are ye called for so moch as Christ also suffred for vs leauynge vs an ensample that ye shulde folowe his fotesteppes which dyd no synne nether was there gyle founde in his mouth which whan he was reuyled reuyled not agayne whaÌ„ he suffred he threatened not but commyted the cause vnto him that iudgeth righteously which his owne selfe bare oure synnes in his body vpon the tre that we shulde be delyuered from synne shulde lyue vnto righteousnes by whose strypes ye were healed For ye were as shepe goinge astraye but now are ye turned vnto the shepherde and Biszhoppe of youre soules The III. Chapter LIkewyse let the wyues be in subieccion to their huszbandes that euen they which beleue not the worde maye without the worde be wonne by y e coÌ„uersacion of the wyues whan they beholde yo pure conuersacion in feare Whose apparell shal not be outwarde w t broyded heer hanginge on of golde or in puttynge on of gorgious araye but let y e inwarde maÌ„ of y e hert be vncorrupte w t a meke a quyete sprete which before God is moch set by For after this maner in the olde tyme dyd y e holy wemeÌ„ which trusted in God tyer theÌ„selues were obedient vnto their huszbaÌ„des Euen as Sara obeyed Abraham and called him lorde whose doughters ye are as loÌ„ge as ye do well not beynge afrayed for eny trouble Likewyse ye men dwell with them acordinge vnto knowlege geuynge hono vnto the wife as to the weaker vessel as vnto theÌ„ y t are heyres with you of the grace of life that youre prayers be not let But in conclusion be ye all of one mynde one suffre with another loue as brethren be pitefull be curteous RecoÌ„pence not euell for euell nether rebuke for rebuke but coÌ„trary wyse blesse and knowe that ye are called therto euen y t ye shulde be heyres of y e blessynge For who so listeth to lyue and wolde fayne se good dayes Let him refrayne his tonge from euell and his lippes y t they speake no gyle Let him eschue euell do good Let him seke peace and ensue it For y e eyes of the LORDE are ouer the righteous his eares are open vnto their prayers But y e face of the LORDE beholdeth theÌ„ y t do euell And who is it that can harme you yf ye folowe that which is good Not withstoÌ„dinge blessed are ye yf ye suffre for righteousnes sake Feare not ye their threatnynge nether be troubled but sanctifye the LORDE God in youre hertes Be ready allwayes to geue an answere to euery maÌ„ that axeth you a reason of the hope that is in you and that with mekenes feare hauynge a good conscience that they which bacbyte you as euell doers maye be ashamed that they haue falsely accused youre good coÌ„uersacion in Christ. For it is better yf the wyll of God be so that ye suffre for well doynge theÌ„ for euell doynge For as moch as
Coudest thou not make those that haue bene made and that be now and that are fo◠to come in one that thou mightest shewe thy iudgment the sooner Then answered heme and sayde The creature maye not haist aboue the maker nether maye the worlde holde thē at once that shal be created And I sayde How hast thou sayde then vnto thy seruaunt that thou lyuynge maker hast made the creature lyuynge at once the creature bare it euē so might it now also beare them that be present at once And he sayde vnto me Axe the childeszbed of a womā and saye vnto her Yf thou bringest forth childrē why doest thou it not together but one after another Praye her therfore to brynge forth ten children at once And I sayde she can not but must do it one after another Then sayde he vnto me Euen so haue I geuen a childeszbed vnto the earth for those that be sowne vpon it by processe of tyme. For like as a yonge childe maye not brynge forth the thinges that belonge to the aged euen so haue I ordened the worlde which I made And I axed and sayde Seynge thou hast now geuē me a waye I wyl speake before y e for oure mother of whō thou hast tolde me is yet yonge now she draweth nye vnto age He answered me sayde Axe a woman that beareth children she shal tell the. Saye vnto her wherfore are not they whom thou hast now brought forth like those that were before the but lesse of stature And she shal answere the They y t be borne in the youth of strēgth are of one fashion and they that are borne in the tyme of age whan the childeszbed fayleth are other wyse Cōsidre now thyself how that ye are lesse of stature then those that were before you and so are they that come after you lesse then ye as the creatures which now begynne to be olde and haue passed ouer the strength of youth Then sayde I LORDE I beseke the yf I haue founde fauoure in thy sight shewe thy seruaunt by whom doest thou vyset thy creature The VI. Chapter ANd he sayde vnto me In the begynnynge whan the grounde was made before the worlde stode or euer y e wyndes blew before it thondred and lightened or euer the foundacions of Paradise were layed before the fayre floures were sene or euer the moueable powers were stablished before y e innumerable multitudes of angels were gathered together or euer y e highnesses of y e ayre were lifted vp afore y e measures of the firmament were named or euer y e chymneys in Sion were hote and or the presente yeares were sought out and or euer the invencions of them y t now synne were put asyde before they were sealed that now gather faith for a treasure then dyd I cōsidre and pondre all these thinges and they all were made thorow me and thorow none other by me also they be ended and by none other Then answered I and sayde which shal be the partynge asunder of the tymes Or whan shal be the ende of the first and the begynnynge of it that foloweth And he sayde vnto me From Abrahā vnto Isaac whā Iacob Esau were borne of him Iacobs hande helde first the hele of Esau for Esau is the ende of this worlde and Iacobis the begynnynge of it that foloweth The hande of man betwixte the hele and the hande Other question Eszdras axe thou not I answered then and sayde O LORDE LORDE yf I haue founde fauoure in thy sight I beseke the shewe thy seruaunt the ende of thy tokēs wherof thou shewdest me parte the last night So he answered and sayde vnto me Stōde vp vpon thy fete and heare the perfecte voyce and sounde There shal come a greate mocion but y e place where thou stōdest shal not be moued And therfore whan thou hearest the wordes be not afrayed for of the ende shal the worde and foundacion of y e earth be vnderstonde And why the worde therof trembleth and quaketh for it knoweth that it must be chaunged at the ende And it happened that whā I had herde it I stode vp vpon my fete and herkened and beholde there was a voyce y t spake and the sounde of it was like the sounde of many waters and it sayde Beholde y e dayes come y t I wyl begynne to drawe nye and to vyset them that dwell vpō earth and wyl begynne to make inquysicion of them what they be y t haue hurte equyte w t vnrighteousnes and whan the lowe estate of Sion shal be fulfylled and whan the worlde that shal vanish awaye shal be ouersealed then wyl I do these tokens The bokes shal be opened before the firmament and they shal se all together the children of a yeare olde shal speake w t their voyces the womē with childe shal brynge forth vntymely children of thre or foure monethes olde and they shall lyue and be raysed vp sodēly shal the sowne places appeare as the vnsowne the full store houses shal sodenly be founde emptie and the trompett shal geue a sounde which whā euery man heareth they shal be haistely afrayed At that tyme shall frendes fight one agaynst another like enemies and the earth shal stonde in feare with them The sprynges of the welles shal stonde styll and in thre houres they shal not renne Who so euer remayneth from all these thinge◠that I haue tolde the shal escape and se my saluacion and the ende of youre worlde And the men that are receaued shal se it they that haue not taisted death frō their byrth and the hert of the indwellers shal be chaunged and turned in to another meanynge for euell shal be put out and disceate shal be quenched As for faith it shal florish corrupcion shal be ouercome and the trueth which hath bene so longe without frute shal be declared And it happened whan he talked w t me that I loked demurely vpō him before whō I stode and these wordes sayde he vnto me I am come to shewe y e the tyme of y e night for to come Yf thou wilt praye yet more and fast seuē dayes agayne I shal tel the more thinges greater then before for thy voyce is herde before the Hyest for why the Mightie hath sene thy righteous dealynge he hath sene also thy chastite which thou hast had euer sence thy youth and therfore hath he sent me to shewe the all these thinges and to saye vnto the Be of good comforte and feare not and haist not with y e tymes that are past to thynke vayne thinges and make no haist of the latter tymes And it happened after this y t I wepte agayne and fasted seuen dayes in like maner that I might fulfill the thre wekes which he tolde me In the eight night was my hert vexed within me agayne and I beganne to speake before the Hyest for my sprete was greatly set on fyre and my soule was in distresse
seyth not And this coÌ„maundement haue we of him that he which loueth God shulde loue his brother also The V. Chapter WHo so euer beleueth that Iesus is Christ is borne of God And who soeuer loueth him that begat loueth him also which was begotten of him By this we knowe that we loue Gods children whan we loue God and kepe his commaundementes For this is the loue of God that we kepe his commaundementes and his commaundemeÌ„tes are not greuous For all that is borne of God ouer commeth the worlde and this is the victory that ouercommeth the worlde eueÌ„ oure faith Who is it y t ouercommeth the worlde but he which beleueth that Iesus is the sonne of God This is he that coÌ„meth with water and bloude euen Iesus Christ not with water onely but with water and bloude And it is the sprete that beareth wytnes for the sprete is the trueth For there are thre which beare recorde in heauen the father the worde and the holy goost these thre are one And there are thre which beare recorde in earth the sprete water and bloude and these thre are one Yf we receaue the witnesse of men the witnesse of God is greater for this is the wytnesse of God which he testifyed of his sonne He that beleueth on y e sonne of God hath the wytnes in him selfe He that beleueth not God hath made him a lyar And this is that recorde euen y t God hath geueÌ„ vs euerlastinge life And this life is in his sonne He that hath the sonne of God hath life He that hath not the sonne of God hath not life These thinges haue I wrytteÌ„ vnto you which beleue on the name of the sonne of God that ye maye knowe how that ye haue eternall life and that ye maye beleue on y e name of the sonne of God And this is the fre boldnesse which we haue towarde him that yf we axe eny thinge acordinge to his wyll he heareth vs. And yf we knowe that he heareth vs what so euer we axe then are we sure that we haue y e peticions which we haue desyred of him Yf eny man se his brother synne a synne not vnto death let him axe and he shal geue him life for theÌ„ y t synne not vnto death There is a synne vnto death for the which saye I not that a man shulde praye All vnrighteousnes is synne and there is synne not vnto death We knowe that whosoeuer is borne off God synneth not but he that is begotteÌ„ of God kepeth himselfe y t wicked toucheth him not We knowe that we are of God the worlde is set alltogether on wickednes But we knowe that the sonne of God is come and hath geuen vs a mynde to knowe him which is true and we are in him y t is true in his sonne Iesu Christ. This is the true God and euer lastinge life Babes kepe youre selues from ymage The seconde Epistle of S. Ihon. The summe of this epistle He wryteth vnto a certayne lady reioyseth that her children walke in the trueth exhorteth theÌ„ vnto loue warneth them to bewarre of soch disceauers as denye that Iesus Christ came in the flesh prayeth them to contynue in the doctryne of Christ and to haue nothinge to do with them that bringe not this lernynge THE Elder To y e electe lady and hir childreÌ„ whom I loue in the trueth not I onely but all they also that haue knowne the trueth for the truthes sake which dwelleth in vs and shal be with vs for euer Grace mercy and peace be with you froÌ„ the LORDE Iesus Christ y e sonne of the father in the trueth and in loue I am greatly reioysed that I haue founde amonge thy children them that walke in y e trueth as we haue receaued a commaundement of the father And now lady I beseke the not as though I wrote a new commaundement vnto the but the same which we haue had from the begynnynge that we loue one another And this is the loue that we walke after his commaundementes This is the commaundement as ye haue herde froÌ„ the begynnynge that we shulde walke therin For many disceauers are come in to the worlde which confesse not y t Iesus Christ is come in the flesh this is a disceauer and an Antechrist Take hede to youre selues that we lose not that which we haue wrought but that we maye receaue a full rewarde Who so euer transgresseth and abydeth not in the doctryne of Christ hath not God he that abydeth in y e doctryne of Christ hath both the father and the sonne Yf eny man come vnto you and brynge not this doctryne receaue him not in to the house nether salute him for he that saluteth him is partaker of his euell dedes I had 〈◊〉 any thinges to wryte vnto you neuertheâ—â—â—â— I wolde not wryte w t papyre and ynke 〈…〉 to come vnto you and to 〈…〉 mouth that oure ioye 〈…〉 â—hildren of thy electe sister The thirde Epistle of S. Ihon. The summe of this epistle He is glad of Gaius that he walketh in the trueth exhorteth him to be louynge vnto the poore christen in their persecucion sheweth the vnkynde dealynge of Diotrephes and the good reporte of Demetrius THE Elder To the beloued Gaius whom I loue in the trueth My beloued I wysshe in all thinges that thou prospere and fare well euen as thy soule prospereth I reioysed greatly whan the brethren came and testified of the trueth that is in y e how thou walkest in the trueth I haue no greater ioye theÌ„ to heare that my childreÌ„ walke in the trueth My beloued thou doest faithfully what so euer thou doest to the brethren and to strauÌ„gers which haue borne witnesse of thy loue before the congregacion and thou hast done well that thou dyddest brynge them forwarde on their iourney worthely before God For because of his names sake they wente forth and toke nothinge of the Heythen We therfore oughte to receaue soch that we mighte be helpers vnto the trueth I wrote to the congregacion but Diotriphes which loueth to haue the preemynence amonge them receaued vs not Wherfore yf I come I wil declare his dedes which he doeth ieastinge vpoÌ„ vs with malicious wordes nether is he therwith coÌ„tent Not onely he himselfe receaueth not the brethreÌ„ but also he forbyddeth them that wolde and thrusteth them out of the congregacion My beloued folowe not y t which is euell but that which is good He that doeth well is of God but he that doeth euell seyth not God Demetrius hath good reporte of all men and of the trueth yee and we oure selues also beare recorde and ye knowe that oure recorde is true I had many thinges to wryte but I wolde not with ynke and pen wryte vnto the. But I trust shortly to se the and so wyl we speake together mouth to mouth Peace be with the. The louers salute the. Grete the louers
¶ Because that whan thou goest to study in holy scripture thou shuldest do it with reuerence therfore for thy instruction louynge admonicion therto the Reuerende father in god Nicolas Bisshoppe of Salisbury hath prescrybed the this prayer folowynge taken out of the same O Lorde God almyghtye whiche longe agoo saydest by the mouthe of Iames thyn Apostle If any of you lacke wysdom let hym aske it of God whiche geueth it plenteously to all men and casteth no man in the tethe and it shal be geuen hym Heare my peticion for this thy promes sake Let my prayer ascende luckely in to thy syght lyke incense Let thy◠eare be attent vnto my depe desyre Geue me wysdome which is eue◠assistent about thy seate And put me not out from amonge 〈…〉 for I am thy seruaunt and y e sonne of thy handmayde ▪ 〈…〉 her I meane thy godly wysedome out of thyne holy heauens and from the trone of thy maiestye that she maye be with me and laboure with me y t I may knowe what is acceptable in thy syght Oh lerne me goodnes nurtoure and knowlege for I beleue thy commaundementes Thou art good and gracyous instructe me in thyne ordynaunces Let myne hertie besechynge ascende in to thy presence Geue me vnderstondynge accordynge to thy worde Oh geue me vnderstōdynge and I shall kepe thy lawe Yee I shall kepe it with all myne herte Shewe me thy wayes o Lorde teache me thy patthes Leade me in to thy trueth and lerne me for thou art the God of my helth And on the do I depende alway Heare now my voyce O Lorde with which I haue cryed vnto the. Haue mercy vpon me and gracyouslye heare me for Iesus Christes sake oure Lorde which lyueth and reygneth with the his father the holy goost worlde without ende Amen ¶ After the ende of any Chapter yf thou wylt thou mayest saye these verses folowynge LEade me o Lorde in thy waye and let me walke in thy trueth Oh let myne herte delyte in fearynge thy name Ordre my goynges after thy worde that no wyckednes reygne in me Kepe my steppes within thy patthes lest my fete turne in to any contrary waye Vnto the most victorious Prynce and oure most gracyous soueraigne Lorde kynge Henry the kynge of Englonde and of Fraunce lorde of Irlonde c. Defendour of the Fayth and vnder God the chefe and suppreme heade of the Church of Englonde ¶ The ryght iust administracyon of the lawes that God gaue vnto Moses and vnto Iosua the testimonye of faythfulnes that God gaue of Dauid the plenteous abundaunce of wysdome that God gaue vnto Salomon the lucky and prosperous age with the multiplicacyon of sede whiche God gaue vnto Abraham and Sara his wyfe be geuē vnto you most gracyous Prynce with your dearest iust wyfe and most vertuous Pryncesse Quene Anne Amen CAiphas beynge bysshope of that yeare lyke a blynde prophete not vnderstandyng what he sayd prophecied that it was better to put Christ vnto death then that all the people shulde perysshe he meanyng that Christ was an heretike a deceauer of the people a destroyer of the lawe and that it was better therfore to put Christ vnto death thā to suffre hym for to lyue and to deceaue the people c. where in very dede Christ was the true prophete the true Messias and the onely true Sauiour of the worlde sent of his heauenly father to suffre the moste cruell most shamefull and most necessary death for our redempcyon accordyng to y e meanynge of the prophecie truely vnderstonde Euen after the same maner y e blynde bysshoppe of Rome that blynde Baalam I saye not vnderstondynge what he dyd gaue vnto your grace this tytle Defendour of the fayth onely bycause your hyghnes suffred your bysshoppes to burne Gods worde the rote of fayth and to persecute the louers and mynisters of y e same where in very dede the blynde bysshoppe though he knewe not what he dyd prophecied that by the ryghteous admynistracyon and contynuall diligence of youre grace the fayth shulde so be defended that Gods worde the mother of Fayth with the frutes therof shulde haue his fre course thorowe out all Christendome but specyally in your realme Yf your hyghnesse now of your pryncely benignite wyll pardon me to compare these two bysshoppes I meane bysshoppe Caiphas and the bysshoppe of Rome theyr prophecies together I doute not but we shal fynde them agree lyke brethren though the one be a Iewe and the other a counterfayre Christian. Fyrst Caiphas prophecied that it was better to put Christ vnto death then that the people shulde perysshe The bysshoppe of Rome also not knowynge what he prophecied gaue youre grace this tytle Defendour of the fayth The trueth of both these prophecies is of the holy goost as was Baalams prophecie though they that spake thē knewe not what they sayd The trueth of Caiphas prophecie is that it was necessary for mans saluacyon that Christ by his death shulde ouercome death and redeme vs. And the trueth of oure Baalams prophecie is y t your grace in very dede shulde defende the Fayth Yee euen the true fayth of Christ no dreames no fables no heresie no papisticall inuencions but the vncorrupte fayth of Gods most holy worde which to set forth praysed be the goodnes of God and increace youre gracyous purpose your hyghnes with youre most honorable councell applyeth all his studye and endeuoure These two blynde bysshopes now agree in y e vnderstādyng of theyr prophecies for Caiphas taketh Christ for an heretike Oure Balaā taketh the worde of Christ for heresie Caiphas iudgeth it to be a good dede to put Christ vnto death that he shulde not deceaue the people Oure Balaam calleth defendynge of the fayth the suppressyng kepyng secrete and burnyng of the worde of fayth lest the lyght thereof shulde vtter his darknes lest his owne Decretales Decrees his owne lawes and constitucions his owne statutes and inuencions shulde come to none effecte lest his intollerable exactions and vsurpacions shulde lose theyr strengthe lest it shulde be knowen what a thefe and murtherer he is in the cause of Christ and how haynous a traytoure to God and man in defraudynge all Christen kynges prynces of theyr due obedience lest we youre graces subiectes shulde haue eyes in the worde of God at the last to spye out his crafty conueyaūce and iuglynges and lest men shulde se how sore he and his false Apostles haue deceaued all Christendome specyally youre noble realme of Englonde Thus your grace seyth how brotherly the Iewysh bysshoppe and oure Balaam agree together not onely in myter and outwarde appearaunce but as the one persecuted the Lorde Iesus in his owne persone so doth the other persecute his worde and resysteth his holy ordynaunce in the auctorite of his anoynted kynges For so moche nowe as the worde of God is the onely trueth that dryueth awaye all
admynistracion was nothyng tēporall but playne spiritual as he hym selfe affirmeth proueth in the fourth chapter of saynt Luke out of the prophete Esay where all bysshoppes and prestes maye se how farre theyr byndynge and lowsynge extendeth and where in theyr office consisteth namely in preachynge the Gospell c. wherfore most gracyous prynce there is no tonge I thynke that can fully expresse and declare the vntollerable iniuries which haue bene done vnto God to al prynces and to the comynalties of all christen realmes sence they which shulde be onely the ministers of Gods worde became lordes of the worlde and thrust y e true and iust prynces out of theyr rowmes whose herte wolde not pitie it yee euē with lamentacyon to remember but onely the vntollerable wronge done by that Antychrist of Rome vnto youre graces most noble predecessoure kynge Iohn̄ I passe ouer his pestilent pykynge of Peter pens out of youre realme his stealynge awaye of youre money for pardons benefices and bysshoprykes his disceauyng of youre subiectes soules with his deuelyshe doctrynes and sectes of his false religions his bloudsheddyng of so many of your graces people for bokes of the scripture ▪ whose herte wolde not be greued yee and that out of measure to call to remēbraūce how obstinate and disobedient how presumptuous stubburne that Antychrist made the bysshoppes of youre realme agaynst your graces noble predecessours in tymes past as it is manyfest in y e Cronicles I trust verely there be no suche now within youre realme ▪ Yf there be let them remembre these wordes of scripture Presumptuousnes goeth before destrucciō after a proude stomacke there foloweth a fall what is now the cause of all these vntollerable and nomore to be suffred abhominacions Truely euen the ignoraunce of the scripture of God For how had it els ben possyble that such blyndnes shulde haue come in to y e worlde had not y e lyghte of Gods worde bene extyncte How coulde men I saye haue bene so farre from the true seruyce of God and from the due obedience of theyr prynce had not the lawe of God bene clene shut vp depressed cast asyde and put out of remembraunce As it was afore the tyme of that noble kynge Iosias and as it hath bene also amonge vs vnto youre graces tyme by whose most ryghteous admynistracyon thorowe the mercyfull goodnes of God it is now founde agayne ✚ as it was in the dayes of that most vertuous kynge Iosias And praysed be the father the sonne and the holy goost worlde without ende which so excellently hath endewed youre Pryncely hert with such feruentnes to his honoure and to the welth of youre louyng subiectes that I maye ryghtuously by iust occasyons in youre persone cōpare youre hyghnes vnto that noble and gracyous kynge y t lanterne of lyghte amonge prynces that feruent protectour and defender of the lawes of God which cōmaunded straytly as youre grace doth that the lawe of God shulde be redde and taught vnto all y e people set the prestes to theyr office in the worde of god destroyed Idolatry and false ydols put downe all euell customes and abusyons set vp the true honoure of God applyed all his studye and endeuoure to the ryghtuous admynistracyon of the most vncorrupte lawe of God c. O what felicite was amonge y e people of Ierusalem in his dayes And what prosperous health both of soule body foloweth the lyke mynistracion in youre hyghnes we begynne now praysed be God to haue experience Foras false doctryne is the origenall cause of all euell plages and destruccyon so is y e true executynge of the lawe of God ād the preachyng of the same the mother of all godly prosperite The onely worde of god I saye is the cause of all felicite it bryngeth all goodnes with it it bryngeth lernynge it gēdreth vnderstondynge it causeth good workes it maketh chyldren of obedience breuely it teacheth all estates theyr office and duety Seynge then that the scripture of God teacheth vs euery thynge sufficiently both what we oughte to do and what we oughte to leaue vndone whome we are bounde to obey and whome we shulde not obeye therfore I saye it causeth all prosperite and setteth euery thyng in frame and where it is taught and knowen it lyghteneth all darkenesses cōforteth all sory hertes leaueth no poore man vnhelped suffreth nothynge amysse vnamended letteth no prynce be disobeyed permytteth no heresie to be preached but refourmeth all thinges amēdeth that is amysse and setteth euery thynge in order And why because it is geuen by the inspiracyon of God therfore is it euer bryngynge profyte and frute by teachynge by improuynge by amendynge and refourmyng all thē y t wyl receaue it to make them parfecte mete vnto all good workes Considerynge now most gracyous prynce the inestimable treasure frute prosperite euerlastynge that God geueth with his worde and trustynge in his infynite goodnes that he wolde brynge my symple and rude laboure herin to good effecte therfore as the holy goost moued other mē to do the cost herof so was I boldened in God to laboure in the same Agayne consyderynge youre Imperiall maiestye not onely to be my naturall soueraigne liege Lorde chefe heade of y e church of Englōde but also the true defender and maynteyner of Gods lawes I thought it my dutye and to belonge vnto my allegiaunce whan I had translated this Bible not onely to dedicate this translacyon vnto youre hyghnesse but wholy to commytte it vnto the same to the intent that yf any thynge therin be translated amysse for in many thynges we fayle euen whan we thynke so be sure it may stōde in youre graces handes to correcte it to amende it to improue it yee cleane to reiecte it yf youre godly wysdome shall thynke it necessary And as I do with all humblenes submitte myne vnderstondynge and my poore translacyon vnto y e spirite of trueth in your grace so make I this protestacyon hauyng God to recorde in my cōscience that I haue nether wrested nor altered so moch as one worde for the mayntenaūce of any maner of secte but haue with a cleare conscience purely faythfully translated this out of fyue sundry interpreters hauyng onely the manyfest trueth of the scripture before myne eyes Trustynge in the goodnes of God that it shal be vnto his worshippe quietnes and tranquilite vnto your hyghnes a perfecte stablyshment of all Gods ordynaunces within youre graces domynion a generall comforte to all Christen hertes and a continuall thankfulnesse both of olde and yonge vnto god and to youre grace for beynge oure Moses and for bringynge vs out of this olde Egypte from the cruell handes of our spirituall Pharao For where were the Iewes by ten thousande partes so moch bounde vnto Kynge Dauid for subduynge of greate Goliath and all theyr enemyes as we are to your grace for delyuerynge vs out of oure olde Babylonycall captiuyte For y t
in him and to herken vnto his voyce After the death of Moses doth Iosue brynge the people in to the loÌ„de of promes where God doth wonderous thynges for his people by Iosue which distributeth y e londe vnto them vnto euery trybe theyr possession But in theyr wealth they forgat the goodnes of God so that oft tymes he gaue theÌ„ ouer in to the hande of theyr enemies Neuertheles whan so euer they called faithfully vpon him and conuerted he delyuered them agayne as the boke of Iudges declareth In the bokes of the kynges is descrybed the regiment of good and euell prynces and how the decaye of all nacions commeth by euel kynges For in Ieroboam thou seyst what myschefe what ydolatrye soch like abhominacyon foloweth whaÌ„ the kynge is a maynteyner of false doctryne aÌ„d causeth the people to synne agaynst God which fallinge awaye from gods worde increased so sore amonge them that it was the cause of all theyr sorowe and misery the very occasion why Israel first and then Iuda were caryed awaye in to captyuite Agayne in Iosaphat in Ezechias and in Iosias thou seyst the nature of a vertuous kynge He putteth downe the houses of ydolatrye seyth that his prestes teach nothynge but y e lawe of God coÌ„maundeth his lordes to go with them and to se that they teach the people In these kynges I saye thou seyst the coÌ„dicyon of a true defender of y e fayth for he spareth nether cost ner laboure to manteyne the lawes of God to seke the welth prosperite of his people and to rote out the wicked And where soch a prince is thou seyst agayne how God defendeth him and his people though he haue neuer so many enemyes Thus wente it with theÌ„ in the olde tyme and euen after y e same maner goeth it now with vs God be praysed therfore aÌ„d graunte vs of his fatherly mercy that we be not vnthankfull lest where he now geueth vs a Iosaphat an Ezechias yee a very Iosias he sende vs a Pharao a Ieroboam or an Achab. In the two first bokes of Eâ—dras in Hester thou seyst the delyueraunce of the people which though they were but fewe yet is it vnto vs all a speciall coÌ„forte for so moch as God is not forgetfull of his promes but bryngeth them out of captiuite acordynge as he had tolde them before In the boke of Iob we lerne comforte and pacience in that God not onely punysheth the wicked but proueth tryeth the iust and righteous howbeit there is noman innocent in his sighte by dyuerse troubles in this lyfe declaryng therby y t they are not his bastardes but his deare sonnes and that he loueth them In the Psalmes we lerne how to resorte onely vnto God in all oure troubles to seke helpe at him to call onely vpon him to satle oure myndes by pacieÌ„ce how we ought in prosperite to be thankfull vnto him The Prouerbes and the Preacher of Salomon teach vs wysdome to knowe God oure owne selues and the worlde and how vayne all thynges are saue onely to cleue vnto God As for the doctryne of the Prophetes what is it els but an earnest exhortacion to eschue synne to turne vnto God a faythfull promes of the mercy aÌ„d pardon of God vnto all them y t turne vnto him and a threatenyng of his wrath to the vngodly sauynge that here and there they prophecye also manifestly of Christ of y e expulsion of the Iewes and callynge of the Heythen Thus moch thought I to speake of y e olde Testament wherin almyghtie God openeth vnto vs his myghtye power his wysdome his louynge mercy righteousnesse for the which cause it oughte of no man to be abhorred despysed or lyghtly regarded as though it were an olde scripture y t nothyng beloÌ„ged vnto vs or y t now were to be refused For it is Gods true scripture testimony which the Lorde Iesus commaundeth the Iewes to search who so euer beleueth not the scripture beleueth not Christ and who so refuseth it refuseth God also The New Testament or Gospell is a manyfest and cleare testymony of Christ how God perfourmeth his ooth and promes made in the olde Testament how the New is declared and included in the Olde and the Olde fulfylled and verifyed in the New Now where as the most famous interpreters of all geue sondrye iudgmentes of the texte so farre as it is done by y e sprete of knowlege in the holy goost me thynke noman shulde be offended there at for they referre theyr doinges in mekenes to the sprete of trueth in the congregacyon of god sure I am that there commeth more knowlege and vnderstondinge of the scripture by theyr sondrie translacyons then by all the gloses of oure sophisticall doctours For that one interpreteth somthynge obscurely in one place the same transâ—ateth another or els he him selfe more manifestly by a more playne vocable of the same meanyng in another place Be not thou offended therfore good Reader though one call a scrybe that another calleth a lawyer or elders that another calleth father mother or repentaunce that another calleth pennaunce or amendment For yf thou be not disceaued by mens tradicioÌ„s thou shalt fynde nomore dyuersite betwene these termes then betwene foure pens and a grote And this maner haue I vsed in my translacyon callyng it in some place pennaunce that in another place I call repentaunce and that not onely because the interpreters haue done so before me but that the aduersaries of the trueth maye se how that we abhorre not this worde peÌ„naunce as they vntruly reporte of vs no more then the interpreters of latyn abhorre penitere whan they reade resipiscere Onely oure hertes desyre vnto God is that his people be not blynded in theyr vnderstondyng lest they beleue pennaunce to be ought saue a very repeÌ„taunce ameÌ„dment or conuersyon vnto God and to be an vnfayned new creature in Christ and to lyue acordyng to his lawe For els shall they fal in to the olde blasphemy of Christes bloude and beleue that they theÌ„ selues are able to make satisfaccion vnto God for theyr awne synnes from the which erroure god of his mercy and pleÌ„teous goodnes preserue all his Now to conclude for so moch as all the scripture is wrytten for thy doctryne ensample it shal be necessary for the to take holde vpon it whyle it is offred the yee and with ten handes thankfully to receaue it And though it be not worthely ministred vnto the in this translacyon by reason of my rudnes Yet yf thou be ferueÌ„t in thy prayer God shal not onely sende it the in a better shappe by the mynistracyon of other that beganne it afore but shall also moue the hertes of them which as yet medled not withall to take it in hande and to bestowe the gifte of theyr vnderstondynge theron as well in oure language as other famous interpreters do in other languages And I praye God that
thorow my poore ministracyon here in I maye geue them that can do better some occasyon so to do exhortyng the most deare reader in the meane whyle on Gods behalfe yf thou be a heade a Iudge or ruler of y e people that thou let not the boke of this lawe departe out of thy mouth but exercise thyselfe therin both daye and nyghte and be euer readyng in it as longe as thou lyuest that thou mayest lerne to feare the Lorde thy God not to turne asyde from the commaundement nether to the right hande ner to the lefte left thou be a knower of personnes in iudgmēt and wrest the righte of the straunger of the fatherles or of the wedowe and so y e curse to come vpon the. But what office so euer thou hast wayte vpon it and execute it to the mayntenaunce of peace to the welth of thy people defendynge the lawes of God and the louers therof and to the destruccyon of the wicked Yf thou be a preacher and hast the ouersighte of the flocke of Christ awake and fede Christes shepe with a good herte spare no laboure to do them good seke not thy selfe bewarre of fylthy lucre but be vnto y e flocke an ensample in y e worde in cōuersacyon in loue in feruentnes of y e sprete and be euer readynge exhortynge teachynge in Gods worde that the people of God renne not vnto other doctrynes and lest thou thy selfe whan thou shuldest teach other be founde ignoraunt therin And rather then thou woldest teach the people eny other thynge then Gods worde take the boke in thyne hande reade the wordes euē as they stonde therin for it is no shame so to do it is more shame to make a lye This I saye for soch as are not yet experte in the scripture for I reproue no preachyng without the boke as longe as they saye the trueth Yf thou be a man that hast wyfe and childrē first loue thy wyfe acordynge to the ensample of the loue wherwith Christ loued the cōgregacion and remembre that so doynge thou louest euen thyselfe yf thou hate her thou hatest thine awne flesh yf thou cherishe her and make moch of her thou cherisest makest moch of thyselfe for she is bone of thy bones flesh of thy flesh And who so euer thou be that hast children bryng them vp in the nurtour and informacion of the Lorde And yf thou be ignoraunt or art otherwyse occupied laufully that thou canst not teach them thy selfe then be euen as diligent to seke a good master for thy childrē as thou wast to seke a mother to beare them for there lieth as great weight in the one as in y e other Yee better it were for thē to be vnborne then not to feare God or to be euel brought vp which thynge I meane bryngynge vp well of children yf it be diligently loked to it is the vpholdinge of all comon welthes and the negligence of the same the very decaye of all realmes Fynally who so euer thou be take these wordes of scripture in to thy herte and be not onely an outwarde hearer but a doer therafter and practyse thyselfe therin that thou mayest fele in thine hert the swete promyses therof for thy consolacion in all trouble for the sure stablyshinge of thy hope in Christ and haue euer an eye to y e wordes of scripture that yf thou be a teacher of other thou mayest be within the boundes of the trueth or at the leest though thou be but an hearer or reader of another mans doynges thou mayest yet haue knowlege to iudge all spretes and be fre from euery erroure to the vtter destruccion of all sedicious sectes straunge doctrynes that the holy scrypture maye haue fre passage and be had in reputacion to the worshippe of the author therof which is euen God himselfe to whom for his most blessed worde be glory domynion now euer Amen The bokes of the hole Byble ▪ how they are named in Englysh and Latyn how longe they are wrytten in the allegacions how many chapters euery boke hath and in what leafe euery one begynneth ¶ The bokes of the fyrst parte Abbreuiacion Boke Chapters Leafe Gen. Genesis the fyrst boke of Moses l. Fyrst Exo. Exodus the seconde boke of Moses xl xxiiii Leui. Leuiticus the thyrde boke of Moses xxvii xlii Num. Numerus the fourthe boke of Moses xxxvi lv Deut. Deuteronomion the fyfth boke of Moses xxxiiii lxxiiii ¶ The bokes of the seconde parte Abbreuiacion Boke Chapters Leafe Ios. Iosue the boke of Iosua xxiiii ii Iud. Iudicum the boke of the Iudges xxi xiii Ruth Ruth the boke of Ruth iiii xxiiii I. Reg. Regum the fyrst boke of the kynges xxxi xxvi II. Reg. Regum the seconde boke of the kynges xxiiii xl III. Reg. Regum the thyrde boke of the kynges xxii lii IIII. Reg. Regum the fourth boke of the kynges xxv lxvi I. Par. Paralipomenon y e I. boke of y e Cronicles xxx lxxix II. Par. Paralipomenon y e II. boke of y e Cronicles xxxvi xci I. Esd. Esdre the fyrst boke of Esdras x. cvii. II Esd. Esdre the seconde boke of Esdras xiii cxi Hester Hester the boke of Hester x. cxvii ¶ The bokes of the thyrde parte Abbreuiacion boke Chapters Leafe Iob. Iob the boke of Iob. xlii fyrst Psal. Psalterium the Psalter cl xii Pro. Prouerbia the prouerbes of Salomon xxxi xxxviii Eccle. Ecclesiastes the preacher of Salomon xii xlvii Cant. Cantica Canticorū Salomons balettes viii l. ¶ The Prophetes Abbreuiacion Boke Chapters Leafe Esa. Esaias Esay the prophete lxvi ii Iere. Ieremias Ieremy the prophete lii xxiiii Tren Trent the lamentacions of Ieremy v. xlix Bar. Baruc Baruc the prophete vi li. Eze. Ezechiel Ezechiel the prophete xlviii lv Dan. Daniel Daniel the prophete xii lxxvii Ose. Oseas Oseas the prophete xiiii lxxxiiii Ioel. Ioel Ioel the prophete iii. lxxxvii Amo. Amos Amos the prophete ix lxxxviii Abd. Abdias Abdy the prophete i. xc Ion. Ionas Ionas the prophete iiii xci Mich. Micheas Micheas the prophete vii xcii Na. Naum Naum the prophete iii. xciiii Aba Abacuc Abacuc the prophete ▪ iii xcv Soph. Sophonias Sophony the prophete iii. xcvi Agg. Aggeus Aggeus the prophete ii xcvii Zacha. Zacharias Zachary the prophete xiiii xcvii Mal Malachias Malachy the prophet iii. ci III. Esdre Esdre the thyrde boke of Esdras ix ii IIII. Esdre Esdre the fourth boke of Esdras xvi viii Tob. Tobias the boke of Tobias xiiii xx Iudith Iudith the boke of Iudith xvi xxiiii Certayne Chapiters of Hester vi xxx Sap. Sapientia the boke of wysdome xix xxxii Eccli Ecclesiasticus Iesus Syrac li. xxxix Sus. Susanna the storye of Susanna i lvii Bel. Bel the storye of Bell. i. lviii I. Mac. Machabeorum the fyrst boke of the Mach. xvi lix II. Mac. Machabeorū The secōde boke of the Mac. xv lxxiii The new Testament Abreuiacion Boke Chapters Leafe·
and fetched vp the Arke of God out of y e house of Obed Edom in to the cite of Dauid with ioye And whā they were gone sixe steppes in with the Arke of the LORDE they offered an oxe and a fat shepe And Dauid daunsed w t all his mighte before the LORDE and was girded with an ouerbody cote of lynnē And Dauid with all Israel brought vp y e Arke of the LORDE with tabrettes and trompettes And whan the Arke of the LORDE came in to the cite of Dauid Michol the doughte of Saul loked out at a window and sawe kynge Dauid leapynge sprynginge and daūsynge before the LORDE and despysed him in hir hert But whan they brought in y e Arke of the LORDE they set it in hir place in the myddes of the Tabernacle which Dauid had pitched for it And Dauid offred burnt offerynges and deed offeryges before y e LORDE And whan Dauid had made an ende of offerynge the burnt offerynges and deed offerynges he blessed the people in the name of the LORDE Zebaoth and dealte out vnto all the people and to the multitude of Israel both to man womā vnto euery one a cake of bred and a pece of flesh and a meece of potage Then wente all the people their waye euery one vnto his house Whan Dauid came agayne to blesse his house Michol the doughter of Saul wente forth to mete him and sayde How glorious hath the kynge of Israel bene to daye which hath vncouered himselfe before the maydēs of his seruauntes like as the rascall people discouer them selues But Dauid saide vnto Michol I wil playe before y e LORDE which hath chosen me afore y e father and afore all his house because he hath commaunded me to be the prynce ouer the people of the LORDE euen ouer Israel and yet wyl I be vyler then so and wyll be lowe in myne owne sighte and with the maydens wherof thou hast spoken wyll I be honoured As for Michol the doughter of Saul she had no childe vnto the daye of hir death The VII Chapter NOw whan the kynge sat in his house and the LORDE had geuen him rest from all his enemies on euery syde he sayde vnto the prophet Nathan Beholde I dwell in a house of Cedre and the Arke of God dwelleth amonge the curtaynes Nathan sayde vnto the kynge Go thy waye what so euer thou hast in thine hert y t do for the LORDE is w t the. But the same nighte came y e worde of the LORDE vnto Nathan sayde Go speake to my seruaūt Dauid Thus sayeth y e LORDE Shalt thou buylde me an house to dwell in I haue dwelt in no house sence the daye that I broughte the children of Israel vnto this daye but haue walked in the Tabernacle and Habitacion whither so euer I wente with the children of Israel Dyd I euer speake to eny of the trybes of Israel whom I commaunded to kepe my people of Israel sayde Wherfore do ye not buylde me an house of Ceder wodd So shalt thou speake now vnto my seruaunt Dauid Thus sayeth the LORDE Zebaoth I toke the from the pasture whan thou wentest behynde the shepe y t thou shuldest be y e prynce ouer my people of Israel haue bene w t the whither so euer thou wentest haue roted out all thine enemies before the haue made the a greate name acordinge to the name of the greate men vpon earth And for my people of Israel I wyll appoynte a place and wyll plante them that they maye remayne there nomore to be remoued and y t the childrē of wickednes oppresse them nomore like as afore and sence the tyme that I ordeyned Iudges ouer my people of Israel And I wyll geue the rest from all thine enemies And the LORDE sheweth the that the LORDE wyl make the a house Now whan y e tyme is fulfylled y t thou shalt slepe w t thy fathers I wil after y e rayse vp thy syde which shal come of thy body his kyngdome wyl I stablishe he shal buylde an house for my name and I wyll stablyshe y e seate of his kyngdome for euer I wyll be his father and he shall be my sonne Whan he doth a trespace I wyll reproue him with the rodd of men and with the plages of y e childrē of men But my mercy shal not be withdrawen frō him as I haue with drawē it frō Saul whō I haue takē awaye before the. As for y e house thy kyngdome it shal be stablished for euer before the thy seate shal endure fast for euermore Whan Nathan had tolde all these wordes all this vision vnto Dauid kynge Dauid came and sat him downe before the LORDE and sayde O LORDE God who am I and what is my house y t thou hast broughte me thus farre This O LORDE God hast thou thoughte to litle also but hast spoken of the house of thy seruaunt yet lōge for to come O LORDE God is that the lawe of men And what shall Dauid speake vnto the thou knowest thy seruaunt O LORDE God for thy wordes sake and acordinge to y e hert hast thou done all these greate thinges y t thou mightest shewe thē vnto thy seruaunt Therfore art thou greatly magnified O LORDE God for there is none like the there is no God but thou acordinge vnto all that we haue herde with o r eares For where is there a people vpon earth as thy people of Israel For whose sake God wente to delyuer him a people and to make him selfe a name and to do them soch greate and terrible thinges in thy lōde before y e people whom thou hast delyuered vnto thy selfe frō Egipte from the people and from their goddes And thy people of Israel hast thou prepared the to be a people vnto thyne owne selfe for euer and thou O LORDE art become their God Stablish now y e worde therfore for euer O LORDE God which thou hast spokē ouer thy seruaunt ouer his house do acordinge as thou hast sayde So shall thy name be greate for euer so that it shal be sayde The LORDE Zebaoth is the God ouer Israel the house of thy seruaunt Dauid shal be made sure before the. For thou LORDE Zebaoth thou God of Israel hast opened the eare of thy seruaunt and sayde I wil buylde the an house Therfore hath y e seruaunt founde his hert to praye this prayer vnto the. Now LORDE God thou thy selfe art God thy wordes shal be the trueth Thou hast spoken soch good ouer thy seruaunt Begynne now therfore and blesse y e seruauntes house that it maye be before the for euer for thou LORDE God thine awne selfe hast spoken it and with thy blessynge shal thy seruauntes house be blessed for euer The VIII Chapter ANd it fortuned after this y t Dauid smote y e Philistynes and discomfited them and toke the brydell of bondage out of
called the cite which he buylded after y e name of Semer y e owner of y e mount of Samaria And Amri dyd that which was euell in y e sighte of the LORDE and was worse then all they that were before him and walked in all y e wayes of Ieroboam y e sonne of Nebat and in his synnes wherwith he made Israel to synne so that they prouoked the LORDE God of Israel vnto wrath in their vanities What more there is to saye of Amri all that he dyd and his power that he exercysed beholde it is wrytten in the Cronicles of the kynges of Israel And Amri slepte with his fathers was buried in Samaria and Achab his sonne was kynge in his steade In the eight thirtieth yeare of Asa kynge of Iuda was Achab the sonne of Amri kynge ouer Israel raigned ouer Israel at Samaria two twentie yeare dyd euell in the sighte of the LORDE more thē all they y t were before him And he thoughte it but a small matter to walke in the synnes of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat and toke Iesabel the doughter of Eth Baal kynge of Sidon to wife and wente and serued Baal and worshiped him And vnto Baal he set vp an altare in Baals house which he buylded him in Samaria and made a groue so that Achab dyd more to prouoke the God of Israel vnto wrath then all the kynges y t were before him in Israel At y e same tyme dyd Hiel of Bethel buylde Iericho It cost him his first sonne Abiram y t he layed y e foundacion his yongest sonne Segub y t he set vp the portes Acordinge to the worde of the LORDE which he spake by Iosua the sonne of Nun. The XVII Chapter ANd Elias y e Theszbite one of the inhabiters of Gilead saide vnto Achab As truly as the LORDE God of Israel lyueth whose seruaunt I am there shal nether rayne ner dew come this yeare excepte I speake it And the worde of the LORDE came vnto him and sayde Get the hence and turne the towarde the east and hyde the bythe ryuer Crith which is ouer agaynst Iordane and thou shalt drynke of the ryuer and I haue commaunded the rauens that they shal fede the there He departed and dyd acordinge to the worde of the LORDE and wente his waye and sat him downe by the ryuer Crith which is ouer agaynst Iordane And the rauēs broughte him bred and flesh in the mornynge and in the euenynge and he dranke of the ryuer And it fortuned after cerayne dayes that the riuer was dryed vp for there was no rayne in the lōde Then came y e worde of y e LORDE vnto him and sayde Get y e vp and go vnto Sarepta which lieth by Sidō for there haue I commaunded a wedowe to make prouysion for the. And he gat him vp and wente vnto Sarepta And whan he came to the gate of y e cite beholde the wedowe was there and gathered stickes And he called her and sayde Fetch me a litle water in a vessell y t I maye drinke And as she was goinge to fetch it he cried vnto her sayde Brynge me a morsell of bred also in thine hande She sayde As truly as the LORDE y e God lyueth I haue no bred but an handfull of floure in a pitcher a curtesy oyle in a cruse and beholde I haue gathered vp one or two stickes wyll go and prepare it for me and my sonne that we maye eate and dye Elias sayde vnto her Feare not go thy waye do as thou hast sayde yet make me first a morsell of bred therof brynge it me forth afterwarde shalt thou make it for y e thy sonne For thus sayeth y e LORDE God of Israel The meell in the pitcher shall not be spent the oyle in y e cruse shall not fayll vnto the daye y t the LORDE shal cause it for to rayne vpō earth She wente dyd as Elias sayde And he ate she also and hir house a certayne season The meel in the pitcher was not mynished and the oyle in the cruse fayled not acordinge to the worde of y e LORDE which he spake by Elias And after these actes the sonne of the wife of y e house was sicke and his sicknes was so exceadinge sore that there remayned no breth in him And she sayde vnto Elias What haue I to do with the thou man of God Art thou come in vnto me y t my synne shulde be kepte in remembraunce that my sonne shulde be slayne He sayde vnto her Geue me thy sonne And he toke him frō hir lappe caried him vp in to y e chamber where he himselfe dwelt and layed him vpō his bed called vpon the LORDE and sayde O LORDE my God hast thou dealt so euell w t the wedow with whom I dwell y t thou woldest slaye hir sonne And he stretched out him selfe ouer the childe thre tymes called vpon the LORDE and saide O LORDE my God let the soule of this childe come agayne in to him And the LORDE herde the voyce of Elias And the soule of the childe came agayne vnto him he reuyued And Elias toke the childe and broughte him downe from the chamber in to the house and delyuered him vnto his mother and sayde Beholde thy sonne lyueth And the woman sayde vnto Elias Now knowe I that thou are a man of God that the worde of the LORDE is in thy mouth of a trueth The XVIII Chapter ANd after a longe season came y e worde of the LORDE vnto Elias in the thirde yeare sayde Go thy waye shewe y e selfe vnto Achab y t I maye cause it for to rayne vpon earth And Elias wente to shewe him selfe vnto Achab. But there was a greate derth ī Samaria And Achab called Abdia his chefe officer As for Abdia he feared y e LORDE greatly for whā Iesabel roted out y e prophetes of y e LORDE Abdia toke an C. prophetes and hyd them in caues here fiftye there fiftye prouyded for them w t bred and water Achab now sayde vnto Abdia Go thorow the londe vnto all the welles of water ryuers yf happlye we maye finde hay to saue y e horses mules y t all the catell perishe not And they parted thē selues in to the londe to go thorow it Achab departed the one waye alone and Abdia y e other waye alone Now whan Abdia was on y e waye Elias met him And whan he knewe him he fell downe vpon his face sayde Art not thou my lorde Elias He sayde yee go thy waye and tell y e lorde beholde Elias is here But he sayde What haue I offended that thou wilt delyuer thy seruaunt in to the handes of Achab that he maye slaye me As truly as the LORDE thy God lyueth there is no people ner kingdome but my lorde hath sent
What so euer he be that feareth the LORDE he shal shewe him the waye that he hath chosen His soule shall dwell at ease and his sede shall possesse the londe The secrete of the LORDE is amonge them that feare him and he sheweth them his couenaunt Myne eyes are euer lokynge vnto the LORDE for he shal plucke my fete out of y e nett Turnethe vnto me and haue mercy vpon me for I am desolate and in misery The sorowes of my herte are greate O brynge me out of my troubles Loke vpon my aduersite and misery and forgeue me all my synnes Considre how myne enemies are many and beare a malicious hate agaynst me O kepe my soule and delyuer me let me not be confounded for I haue put my trust in the. Let innocency and righteuous dealinge wayte vpon me for my hope is in the. Delyuer Israel O God out of all his trouble The XXV A psalme of Dauid BE thou my iudge O LORDE for I walke innocently my trust is in the LORDE therfore shall I not fall Examen me O LORDE and proue me trie out my reynes and my hert For thy louynge kyndnesse is before myne eyes and I walke in thy trueth I syt not amoÌ„ge vayne personnes and haue no fellishipe with the disceatfull I hate the congregacion of the wicked and I will not syt amonge the vngodly I waszshe my hondes with innocency O LORDE and so go I to thine aulter That I maye shewe the voyce of thy prayse and tell of all thy wonderous workes LORDE I loue the habitacion of thy house and y e place where thy honoure dwelleth O destroye not my soule with the synners ner my life with the bloud thurstie In whose hondes is wickednesse and their right honde is full of giftes But as for me I will walke innocently O delyuer me and be mercifull vnto me My fote stondeth right I wil prayse the O LORDE in the congregacions The XXVI A psalme of Dauid THe LORDE is my light and my health whom then shulde I feare the LORDE is the strength of my life for whom theÌ„ shulde I be afrayed Therfore when the wicked euen myne enemies my foes came vpon me to eate vp my flesh they stombled and fell Though an hoost of men were layed agaynst me yet shal not my hert be afrayed and though there rose vp warre against me yet wil I put my trust in him One thinge haue I desyred of the LORDE which I wil requyre namely that I maye dwell in the house of the LORDE all the dayes of my life to beholde the fayre beutie of the LORDE and to vyset his temple For in the tyme of trouble he hath hyde me in his tabernacle yee in the secrete place of his dwellinge hath he kepte and set me vp vpon a rocke of stone And now hath he lift vp my heade aboue myne enemies that coÌ„passed me rounde aboute Therfore wil I offre in his dwellinge the oblacion of thaÌ„kesgeuynge I wil both synge speake prayses vnto the LORDE HerkeÌ„ vnto my voyce O LORDE when I crie vnto the haue mercy vpon me heare me My hert speaketh vnto the my face seketh the yee LORDE thy face wil I seke O hyde not thou thy face fro me cast not thy seruaunt of in displeasure Thou art my succoure leaue me not nether forsake me O God my Sauioure For my father and my mother haue forsaken me but the LORDE hath taken me vp Shewe me thy waye O LORDE and lede me in the right path because of myne enemies Delyuer me not in to the wylles of myne aduersaries for there are false wytnesses rysen vp against me and they ymagyn myschefe Neuerthelesse I beleue verely to se the goodnesse of the LORDE in the londe of the lyuynge O tary thou y e LORDES leysure be stronge let thine hert be of good comforte and wayte thou still for the LORDE The XXVII A psalme of Dauid UNto the wil I crie o my stronge defence thinke no scorne of me lest yf thou make the as though thou herdest not I become like them that go downe in to y e pytte Heare the voyce of my humble peticion when I crie vnto the and holde vp my hondes towarde thy holy temple O plucke me not awaye amonge the vngodly and wicked doers which speake frendly to their neghboure but ymagin myschefe in their hertes Rewarde them acordinge to their dedes and wickednesse of their owne inuencions Recompense them after y e workes of theiâ—â—â—des paye them that they haue deserued For they regarde not the workes of the LORDE ner the operacion of his haÌ„des therfore shal he breake them downe and not buylde them vp Praysed be y e LORDE for he hath herde the voyce of my humble peticioÌ„ The LORDE is my streÌ„gth and my shylde my herte hoped in him I am helped therfore my hert dauÌ„seth for ioye and I will synge prayses vnto him The LORDE is the strength of his people he is the defender and Sauioure of his anoynted O helpe thy people geue thy blessynge vnto thy enheritaunce fede them and set them vp for euer The XXVIII A psalme of Dauid AScrybe vnto the LORDE o ye mightie ascribe vnto the LORDE worshipe and strength Geue the LORDE the honoure of his name bowe youre selues to the holy magesty of the LORDE It is the LORDE that commaundeth the waters It is the glorious God that maketh y e thonder it is the LORDE y t ruleth the see The voyce of the LORDE is mightie in operacion the voyce of the LORDE is a glorious voyce The voyce of the LORDE breaketh the Cedrâ— trees yee the LORDE breaketh the Ceders of Libanus He maketh them to skippe like a calfe Libanus and Sirion like a yonge vnycorne The voyce of the LORDE deuideth the flames of fyre the voyce of the LORDE shaketh the wildernesse yee the LORDE shaketh the wildernesse of Cades The voyce of the LORDE moueth y e hyndes discouereth the thicke buszshes in his temple shal euery man speake of his honoure The LORDE stilleth the water floude y e LORDE remayneth a kynge for euer The LORDE shall geue power vnto his people the LORDE shal geue his people the blessynge of peace The XXIX A psalme of Dauid I Wil magnifie y e O LORDE for thou hast set me vp not suffred my foes to triuÌ„phe ouer me O LORDE my God I cried vnto the and thou hast healed me Thou LORDE hast brought my soule out of hell thou hast kepte my life where as they go downe to the pytte Synge prayses vnto the LORDE o ye sayntes of his geue thankes vnto him for a remembraunce of his holynesse For his wrath endureth but the twincklinge of an eye and his pleasure is in life heuynesse maye well endure for a night but ioye commeth in the mornynge As forme wheÌ„ I was in prosperite I sayde Tush I shal neuer fall more And why
a dyssemblynge tonge hādes that shed innocent bloude an herte y t goeth aboute w t wicked ymaginaciōs fete that be swift in rennynge to do myschefe a false wytnesse y t bringeth vp lyes soch one as soweth discorde amonge brethren My sonne kepe thy fathers cōmaundemētes forsake not y e lawe of thy mother Put thē vp together in thine herte and bynde thē aboute thy necke That they maye lede the where thou goest preserue the when thou art aslepe y t when thou awakest thou mayest talke of thē For the commaundement is a lanterne and the lawe a light yee chastenynge nurtoure is y e waye of life that they maye kepe the frō the euell woman from the flaterynge tonge of the harlott y t thou lust not after her beuty in thine herte lest thou be takē w t hir fayre lokes An harlot wil make a mā to begg his bred but a maried woman wil hunt for y e precious life Maye a man take fyre in his bosome and his clothes not be brent Or can one go vpon hote coales and his fete not be hurte Euen so who so euer goeth in to his neghbours wife and toucheth her can not be vngiltie Men do not vtterly despyse a thefe that stealeth to satisfie his soule when he is hongerie but yf he maye be gotten he restoreth agayne seuen tymes asmoch or els he maketh recompence with all the good of his house But who so cōmitteth aduoutrie with a womā he is a foole and bryngeth his life to destruccion He getteth him self also shame dishono r soch as shal neuer be put out For the gelousy wrath of the mā will not be ītreated no though thou woldest ofre him greate giftes to make amendes he will not receaue them The VII Chapter MY sonne kepe my wordes laye vp my cōmaundemētes by the. Kepe my cōmaundemētes my lawe euē as the aple of thine eye thou shalt lyue Bynde them vpon thy fyngers wryte thē in the table of thine hert Saye vnto wysdome thou art my sister and call vnderstondinge thy kynswoman that she maye kepe y e frō y e straūge womā frō y e harlot which geueth swete wordes For out of the wyndowe of my house I loked thorow the trelies behelde the simple people amonge other yonge folkes I spyed one yonge foole goinge ouer the stretes by the corner in the waye towarde the harlottes house in the twylight of of the euenynge when it begāne now to be night and darcke And beholde there mett him a womā in an harlottes apparell a disceatfull wāton an vnstedfast womā whose fete coude not abyde in y e house now is she without now ī y e stretes lurketh ī euery corner she caught y e yōge mā kyssed him was not ashamed sayēge I had a vowe to paye this daye I perfourme it Therfore came I forth to mete the that I might seke thy face and so I haue founde the. I haue deckte my bed with coueringes clothes of Egipte My bed haue I made to smell of Myrre Aloes and Cynamom Come let vs lye together take oure pleasure till it be daye light For the good man is not at home he is gone farre of He hath taken the bagg of moneye with him who can tell whē he cōmeth home Thus with many swete wordes she ouercame him and with hir flateringe lippes she wanne him Immediatly he foloweth her as it were an oxeled to the slaughter and like as it were to the stockes where fooles are punyshed so longe till she hath wounded his lyuer with hir darte like as yf a byrde haisted to the snare not knowinge that the parell of his life lyeth there vpō Heare me now therfore o my sonne and marcke the wordes of my mouth Let not thine herte wandre in hir wayes be not thou disceaued in hir pathes For many one hath she woūded and cast downe yee many a stronge mā hath she slayne Hir house is the waye vnto hell where men go downe to the chambers of death The VIII Chapter DOth not wysdome crie doth not vnderstondinge put forth hir voyce Stondeth she not in the hye places in the stretes wayes doth she not crie before the whole cite in the gates where men go out in It is you o ye men sayeth she whom I call Vnto you o ye childrē of mē lift I vp my voyce Take hede vnto knowlege o ye ignoraūt be wyse in herte o ye fooles Geue eare for I wil speake of greate matters open my lippes to tell thinges that be right For my throte shal be talkynge of y e trueth my lippes abhorre vngodlynesse All the wordes of my mouth are rightuous there is no frowardnesse ner falsede therin They are all playne to soch as wil vnderstōde right to thē that fynde knowlege Receaue my doctryne therfore and not syluer knowlege more then fyne golde For wysdome is more worth then precious stones ye◠all the thinges that thou cāst desyre are not to be compared vnto it I wysdome haue my dwellynge w t knowlege and prudent councell is myne owne With me is the feare of the LORDE and y e eschuynge of euell As for pryde disdayne an euell waye a mouth that speaketh wicked thīges I vtterly abhorre thē I can geue councell and be a gyde I haue vnderstondinge I haue strength Thorow me kynges reigne thorow me paces make iust lawes Thorow me lordes beare rule and all iudges of y e earth execute iudgmēt I am louynge vnto those that loue me and they that seke me early shal fynde me Riches honoure are w t me yee excellent goodes rightuousnes My frute is better thē golde precious stone myne encrease more worth then fyne syluer I walke in y e waye of rightuousnes in the strete of iudgment That I maye sende prosperite to those that loue me to encrease their treasure The LORDE himself had me in possessiō in the begynnynge of his wayes or euer he begame his workes aforetyme I haue bene ordened frō euerlastīge frō y e beginnynge or euer the earth was made When I was borne there were nether depthes ner springes of water Before the foundacions of y e mountaynes ▪ were layed yee before all hilles was I borne The earth and all that is vpon the earth was not yet made no not the grounde it self For when he made the heauens I was present whā he set the depthes in ordre whan he hanged the cloudes aboue whan he fastened the sprynges of the depe Whan he shutt the see within certayne bowndes that y e waters shulde not go ouer their marckes When he layed the foundacions of the earth I was with him ordringe all thinges delytinge daylie reioysynge all waye before him As for the roūde cōpase of his worlde I make it ioyfull ▪ for my delyte is
aboute the stretes Or euer the syluer lace be taken awaye and or the golden bende be broken Or the pott be broken at the well the whele vpon the Cisterne Or dust be turned againe vnto earth from whence it came and or the sprete returne vnto God which gaue it All is but vanite sayeth the preacher all is but playne vanite The same preacher was not wyse alone but taught the people knowlege also he gaue good hede sought out the grouÌ„de and set forth many parables His diligence was to fynde out acceptable wordes right scripture and the wordes of trueth For the wordes of y e wyse are like prickes and nales that go thorow wherwith men are kepte together for they are geuen of one shepherde onely Therfore bewarre my sonne that aboue these thou make the not many innumerable bokes nor take dyuerse doctrynes in hande to weery thy body withall Lat vs heare the conclucion of all thinges Feare God and kepe his comaundementes for that toucheth all men For God shall iudge all workes and secrete thinges whether they be good or euell The ende of Ecclesiastes called the Preacher Salomons Balettes called Cantica Canticorum The first Chapter O That thy mouth wolde geue me a kysse for y e brestes are more pleasaunt then wyne that because of the good and pleasaunt sauoure Thy name is a swete smellynge oyntment therfore do the maydens loue the yee that same moueth me also to renne after the. The kynge hath brought me into his preuy chambre We wil be glad reioyce in the we thynke more of thy brestes then of wyne well is them that loue the. I am black o ye doughters of IerusaleÌ„ like as the tentes of the Cedarenes and as the hanginges of Salomon but yet am I faire wel fauoured withal Maruell not at me y t I am so black why y e Sonne hath shyned vpoÌ„ me For whan my mothers childreÌ„ had euell wil at me they made me y e keper of the vynyarde Thus was I fayne to kepe a vynyarde which was not myne owne Tell me o thou whom my soule loueth where thou fedest where thou restest at the noone daye lest I go wronge and come vnto the flockes of thy companyons Yf thou knowe not y i self o thou fayrest amoÌ„ge women thaÌ„ go y e waye forth after y e fotesteppes of the shepe as though thou woldest fede y e goates besyde y e shepherdes tentes There wil I tary for the my loue w t myne hoost with my charettes which shal be no fewer then Pharaos Then shal thy chekes thy neck be made fayre hanged w t spaÌ„ges goodly iewels a neck bande of golde wil we make y e w t syluer bottons When the kynge sytteth at the table he shal smell my Nardus for a boÌ„dell of Myrre o my beloued lyeth betwixte my brestes A cluster of grapes of Cypers or of the vynyardes of Engaddi art thou vnto me O my beloued O how fayre art thou my loue how fayre art thou â–ª thou hast doues eyes O how fayre art thou my beloued how well fauored art thou Oure bed is decte with floures y e sylinges of oure house are of Cedre tre ouâ—e balkes of Cypresse The II. Chapter I Am the floure of the felde and lylie of the valleys as the rose amonge the thornes so is my loue amonge the daughters Like as the aple tre amonge the trees of the wodd so is my beloued amonge the sonnes My delite is to sitt vnder his shadowe for his frute is swete vnto my throte He bryngeth me in to his wyne seller and loueth me specially well Refresh me w t grapes coÌ„forte me with apples for I am sick of loue His left haÌ„de lyeth vnder my heade his right hande enbraceth me I charge you o ye doughters of Ierusalem by the Roes hyndes of the felde y t ye wake not vp my loue ner touch her till she be content herself Me thynke I heare the voyce of my beloued lo there commeth he hoppinge vpon y e mountaynes and leapinge ouer the litle hilles My beloued is like a Roo or a yonge hart Beholde he stondeth behynde o r wall he loketh in at the wyndowe pepeth thorow the grate My beloued answered sayde vnto me O stoÌ„de vp my loue my doue my beutyfull come for lo the wynter is now past the rayne is awaie gone The floures are come vp in the felde the twystinge tyme is come the voyce of the turtle doue is herde in oure londe The fyge tre bryngeth forth hir fyges the vynes beare blossoms and haue a good smell O stoÌ„de vp my loue my beutyfull and come my doue out of the caues of the rockes out of the holes of the wall O let me se thy countenaunce and heare thy voyce for swete is thy voyce and fayre is thy face Gett vs the foxes yee the litle foxes that hurte y e vynes for oure vynes beare blossoms My loue is myne and I am his which fedeth amoÌ„ge the lylies vntill the daye breake and till the shadowes be gone Come agayne preuely o my beloued like as a Roo or a yonge harte vnto the mountaynes The III. Chapter BY night in my bedd I sought him whom my soule loueth yee diligently sought I him but I founde him not I wil get vp thought I and go aboute the cite vpon the market and in all y e stretes will I seke him whom my soule loueth but whan I sought him I founde him not The watchmen that go aboute y e cite founde me Sawe ye not him whom my soule loueth So whan I was a litle past them I fouÌ„de him whom my soule loueth I haue got ten holde vpon him and wyl not let him go vntill I brynge him in to my mothers house and in to hir chambre that bare me I charge you o ye doughters of IerusaleÌ„ by the Roes and hyndes of the felde that ye wake not vp my loue ner touch her till she be content herself Who is this that commeth out of y e wyldernesse like pilers of smoke as it were a smell of Myrre frankencense and all maner spyces of the Apotecary Beholde aboute SalomoÌ„s bedsteade there stonde LX. valeaunt men of the mightie in Israel They holde swerdes euery one are experte in warre Euery man hath his swerde vpoÌ„ his thee because of feare in the night Kynge Salomon hath made himself a bedsteade of the wodd of Libanus the pilers are of syluer the coueringe of golde y e seate of purple y e grounde pleasauntly paued for the doughters of Ierusalem Go forth o ye doughters of Sion and beholde kynge Salomon in the crowne wherwith his mother crowned him in the daye of his mariage and in the daye of the gladnesse of his hert The IIII. Chapter O How fayre art thou my loue how fayre art thou thou hast doues eyes besyde that which
t the wynde as y e remembraunce of a straūger y t tarieth for a daie thē departeth But y e righteous shal lyue for euermore their rewarde also is w t the LORDE their remembraunce w t the Hyest Therfore shal they receaue a glorious kyngdome a beutifull crowne of the LORDES hande for w t his right hande shal he couer thē w t his owne arme shall he defende thē His gelousy also shal take awaye the harnesse he shal wapē y e creature to be auēged of y e enemies He shal put on righteousnes for a brest plate take sure iudgment in steade of an helmett The invyncible shylde of equite shall he take his cruell wrath shal he sharpē for a speare the whole compase of the worlde shall fight with him agaynst the vnwyse Thē shal the thonder boltes go out of y e lighteninges come out of the rayne bowe of the cloudes to the place apoynted out of the hard stony indignacion there shall fall thick hales y e water of y e see shal be wroth agaynst thē the floudes shal renne roughly together Yee a mightie wynde shal stōde vp agaynst them a storme shall scater thē abrode Thus the vnrighteous dealinge of thē shal bringe all the lōde to a wyldernes wickednes shall ouerthrowe the dwellinges of the mightie The VI. Chapter WYszdome is better then strength a mā of vnderstādinge is more worth thē one y t is strōge Heare therfore O ye kinges vnderstonde O lerne ye y t be iudges of the endes of the earth Geue are ye y t rule y e multitudes delite in moch people For the power is geuē you of the LORDE the strēgth from the Hyest which shal trie yo r workes and search out yo r ymaginaciōs How that ye beynge officers of his kyngdome haue not executed true iudgment haue not kepte the lawe of righteousnes ner walked after his will Horribly that right soone shall he appeare vnto you for an harde iudgmēt shal they haue y t beare rule Mercy is graūted vnto the symple but they that be in auctorite shal be sore punyshed For God which is LORDE ouer all shall excepte no mās personne nether shal he stande in awe of eny mans greatnesse for he hath made y e small and greate careth for all alyke But the mightie shal haue y e sorer punyshmēt Vnto you therfore o ye kinges do I speake y t ye maye lerne wyszdome and not go amysse for they y t kepe righteousnes shal be righteously iudged and they y t are lerned in righteous thinges shal finde to make answere Wherfore set yo r lust vpon my wordes loue thē so shal ye come by nurtor. Wyszdome is a noble thinge neuer faydeth awaie yee she is easely sene of thē that loue her founde of soch as seke her She preuēteth them y t desyre her y t she maye first shewe herself vnto thē Who so awaketh vnto her by tymes shal haue no greate trauayle for he shal fynde her syttinge ready at his dores To thinke vpon her is parfecte vnderstandinge who so watcheth for her shal be safe that soone For she goeth aboute sekynge soch as are mete for her sheweth her self cherefully vnto them in their goynges meteth them w t all diligēce For y e vnfained desyre of refourmacion is hir begynnynge to care for nurto r is loue and loue is the kepinge of hir lawes Now the kepinge of y e lawes is perfeccion an vncorrupte life an vncorrupte life maketh a man familier w t God And so the desyre of wyszdome ledeth to y e kingdome euerlastinge Yf yo r delyte be thē in royall seates cepters o ye kynges of the people set youre lust vpō wyszdome y t ye maye raigne for euer more O loue the light of wyszdome all ye y t be rulers of the people As for wyszdome what she is and how she came vp I wil tell you and will not hyde the misteries of God from you but wil seke her out from y e begynnynge of the natiuyte and brynge the knowlege of her in to light and wil not kepe back the trueth Nether will I haue to do w t cōsumynge envye for soch a man shal not be partaker of wiszdome But the multitude of the wyse is the welfare of the worlde and a wyse kynge is the vpholdinge of the people O receaue nourtoure then thorow my wordes and it shal do you good The VII Chap. I Myself also am a mortall man like as all other am come of y e earthy generaciō of him y t was first made in my mothers wōbe was I fashioned to be flesh In the tyme of ten monethes was I brought together in bloude thorow the sede of man the cōmodious appetite of slepe Whan I was borne I receaued like ayre as other men fell vpon the earth which is my nature crienge wepinge at the first as all other do I was wrapped in swadlinge clothes brought vp w t greate cares For there is no kinge y t hath had eny other begynnynge of byrth All men then haue one intraunce vnto life one goinge out in like maner Wherfore I desyred and vnderstandinge was geuē me I called the sprete of wyszdome came in to me I set more by her thē by kingdomes royall seates counted riches nothinge in cōparison of her As for precious stone I compared it not vnto her for all golde is but grauell vnto her syluer shal be counted but claye before hir sight I loued her aboue welfare beutie purposed to take her for my light for hir shyne can not be quenched All good thinges came to me w t her innumerable riches thorow hir hādes I was glad in thē all for this wyszdome wēte before me I knew not y t she is the mother of all good thinges Now as I myself lerned vnfaynedly so do I make other men partakers of her hyde her riches from no man for she is an infinite treasure vnto men which who so vse become partakers of the loue frendshipe of God and are accepted vnto him for the giftes of wyszdome God hath graunted me to talke wysely conueniētly to hādle the thinges y t he hath graciously lent me For it is he y t ledeth vnto wyszdome teacheth to vse wyszdome a right In his hāde are we o r wordes yee all o r wyszdome o r vnderstandinge knowlege of all o r workes For he hath geuē me y e true sciēce of these thinges so that I knowe how y e worlde was made the powers of y e elemētes y e begynnynge endinge myddest of y e tymes how the tymes alter how one goeth after another and how they are fulfilled y e course of the yeare the ordinaunces of the
Iudas one of the twolue came and with him a greate multitude with swerdes and staues sent froÌ„ the hye prestes and elders of the people And he that betrayed him had geuen them a tokeÌ„ sayenge Whom so euer I kysse that same is he laye hoÌ„des vpoÌ„ him And forth withal he came to Iesus and sayde Hayle master and kyssed him And Iesus sayde vnto him Frende wherfore art thou come Then came they and layed hondes vpon Iesus and toke him And beholde one of them that were with Iesus stretched out his honde and drue his swerde and stroke a seruaunt of the hye prestes smote of his eare Then sayde Iesus vnto him Put vp y e swerde in to his place For all that take the swerde shal perish with the swerde Or thinkest thou that I can not praye my father now to sende me more then twolue legions of angels But how theÌ„ shulde the scriptures be fulfylled For thus must it be In the same houre sayde Iesus vnto the multitude Ye are come out as it were to a murthurer with swerdes and staues for to take me I sat daylie teachinge in the temple amonge you and ye toke me not But all this is done that the scriptures of the prophetes might be fulfylled TheÌ„ all the disciples left him and fled But they that toke Iesus led him to Caiphas the hye prest where the scrybes and the elders were gathered together As for Peter he folowed him a farre of vnto the hye prestes palace wente in and sat with the seruauntes that he might se the ende But the hye prestes and the elders and the whole councell sought false wytnesse ageynst Iesus that they might put him to death and founde none And though many false wytnesses stepte forth yet founde they none At the last there stepte forth two false wytnesses spake He sayde I can breake downe the temple of God and buylde it agayne in thre dayes And the hye prest stode vp and sayde vnto him Answerest thou nothinge vnto it that these testifie agaynst the Neuertheles Iesus helde his tonge And the hye prest answered and sayde vnto him I charge the by y e lyuynge God that thou tell us yf thou be Christ the sonne of God Iesus spake Thou hast sayde it Neuerthelesse I saye vnto you From this tyme forth it shal come to passe that ye shal se the sonne of man syttinge vpon the right hande of the power of God and commynge in the cloudes of the heauen Then the hye prest rente his clothes and sayde He hath blasphemed what nede we eny mo wytnesses Lo now haue ye herde his blasphemy What thinke ye They answered sayde He is gyltie of death Then spytted they in his face smote him with fistes Some smote him vpon the face and sayde Prophecie vnto vs thou Christ who is it that smote the As for Peter he sat without in the palace And there came vnto him a damsell and sayde And thou wast with Iesus of Galile also Neuertheles he denyed before theÌ„ all and sayde I can not tell what thou sayest But whan he weÌ„te out at the dore another damsell sawe him and sayde vnto them that were there This was also with Iesus of Nazareth And he denyed agayne and sware also I knowe not the maÌ„ And after a litle whyle they that stode there stepte forth and sayde vnto Peter Of a trueth thou art one of them also for thy speach be wrayeth the. Then begaÌ„ne he to curse and to sweare I knowe not the man And immediatly the cock crew Then thought Peter vpon the wordes of Iesus which sayde vnto him before the cock crow thou shalt denye me thryse And he wente out and wepte bytterly The XXVII Chapter VPon the morow all the hye prestes and elders of the people helde a councell agaynst Iesus that they might put him to death and bounde him and led him forth and delyuered him vnto Pontius Pilate the debyte When Iudas which betrayed him sawe this that he was condemned vnto death it repented him and brought agayne the thirtie syluer pens to the hye prestes and the elders and sayde I haue done euell in that I haue betrayed innoceÌ„t bloude They sayde What haue we to do with y t Se thou therto And he cast the syluer pens in the teÌ„ple and gat him awaye and wente and hanged him self So the hye prestes toke the syluer pens and sayde It is not laufull to put them in to the Gods chest for it is bloudmoney Neuertheles they helde a councell and bought with theÌ„ a potters felde for to burye strauÌ„gers in Wherfore the same felde is called the bloudfelde vnto this daye Then was that fulfylled which was spoken by Ieremy the prophet sayenge And they toke thirtie syluer pens the pryce of him that was solde whom they bought of the children of Israell and these they gaue for a potters felde as the LORDE commaunded me As for Iesus he stode before the debyte and the debyte axed him and sayde Art thou the kynge of the Iewes And Iesus sayde vnto him Thou sayest it And whaÌ„ he was accused of the hye prestes and elders he answered nothinge Then sayde Pylate vnto him Hearest thou not how sore they accuse the And he answered him not one worde in so moch that the debyte marueled exceadingly At that feast the debyte was woÌ„te to delyuer a presoner fre vnto the people whom they wolde And at the same tyme he had a notable presoner called Barrabas And whan they were gathered together Pylate sayde vnto them Whether wil ye that I geue lowse vnto you Barrabas or Iesus which is called Christ For he knewe well that they had delyuered him of enuye And whaÌ„ he sat vpoÌ„ the iudgmeÌ„t seate his wife sent vnto him sayenge Haue thou nothinge to do with that righteous man for I haue suffred many thinges this daye in a dreame because of him But the hye prestes and the elders persuaded the people that they shulde axe Barrabas and destroye Iesus Then answered the debyte sayde vnto theÌ„ Whether of these two wyl ye y t I geue lowse vnto you They sayde Barrabas Pylate sayâ—â— vnto them What shal I do then with Iesus which is called Christ They sayde all let him be crucified The debyte saide What euell hath he done theÌ„ Neuertheles they cried yet more and sayde let him be crucified So whan Pilate sawe that he coude not helpe but that there was a greater vproure he toke water and waszhed his handes before the people and sayde I am vngiltie of y e bloude of this righteous man Se ye therto Then answered all the people and sayde His bloude come vpon vs and vpon oure children Then gaue he Barrabas lowse vnto theÌ„ but caused Iesus be scourged and delyuered him to be crucified â–ª Then the debites soudyers toke Iesus in to the comon
vnto them and founde thē slepynge and sayde vnto Peter Symon slepest thou Couldest thou not watch with me one houre Watch and praye that ye fal not in to temptacion The sprete is wyllinge but y e flesh is weake And he wēte forth agayne and prayde and spake the same wordes and returned and founde them slepynge agayne for their eyes were heuy they knewe not what they shulde answere him And he came the thirde tyme and sayde vnto them Slepe on now and take youre rest It is ynough the houre is come beholde y e sonne of man shal be delyuered into the handes of synners aryse let vs be goynge Beholde he is at hande that betrayeth me And immediatly whyle he yet spake came Iudas one of the twolue and with him a greate multitude with swerdes and staues from the hye prestes and scrybes and elders And the traytoure had geuen them a tokē and sayde Whom so euer I kysse that same is he laye handes vpon him and lede him awaye warely And whā he was come he wente straight waye vnto him and sayde vnto him O master master and kyssed him Then layed they their handes vpon him toke him But one of thē that stode by drew out his swerde and smote the hye prestes seruaunt and cut of his eare And Iesus answered and sayde vnto thē Ye are come forth as it were to a murthurer with swerdes and with staues to take me I was daylie with you in the temple and taught and ye toke me not But this is done hat the scrypture maye be fulfilled And all the disciples forsoke him and fled And there folowed him a yonge mā which was clothed in lynnen vpon the bare skynne and the yonge mē toke holde of him But he let the lynnen go and fled naked from them And they led Iesus vnto the hye prest where all y e hye prestes and elders and scrybes were come together As for Peter he folowed him afarre of into the hye prestes palace And he was there and sat with the seruauntes and warmed him But the hye prestes and the whole councell sought wytnesse agaynst Iesus y t they might brynge him to death and they founde none Many gaue false wytnesse agaynst him but their wytnesses agreed not together And some stode vp and gaue false wytnes agaynst him and sayde We herde him saye I wil breake downe this temple that is made with hōdes and in thre dayes buylde another not made w t handes But their wytnesse agreed not together And the hye prest stode vp amonge them and axed Iesus and sayde Answerest thou nothinge vnto it that these testifie agaynst the But he helde his tunge and answered nothinge Thē the hye prest axed him agayne and sayde vnto him Art thou Christ the sonne of the blessed Iesus sayde I am And ye shal se the sonne of man syt at the right hande of power and come in the cloudes of heauē Then the hye prest rent his clothes sayde What nede we eny mo wytnesses Ye haue herde the blasphemy What thynke ye They all cōdemned him that he was giltie of death Then beganne there some to spyt vpō him and to couer his face and to smyte him with fistes and to saye vnto him Prophecie vnto vs. And the seruauntes smote him on the face And Peter was beneth in y e palace Thē came one of the wenches of the hye prest And whā she sawe Peter warmynge him she loked vpō hī and sayde And thou wast with Iesus of Nazareth also But he denyed sayde I knowe him not nether can I tell what thou sayest And he wente out in to the fore courte and the cock crew And a damsell sawe him and beganne agayne to saye vnto them that stode by This is one of them And he denyed it agayne And after a litle whyle they y t stode by sayde agayne vnto him Of a trueth thou art one of them for thou art a Galilean and thy speach soundeth euen alike But he begāne to curse and sweare I knowe not the man that ye speabe of And the cock crew agayne Then thought Peter vpon the worde that Iesus sayde vnto him Before y e cock crow two tymes thou shalt denye me thryse And he beganne to wepe The XV. Chapter ANd soone in the mornynge the hye prestes helde a councell w t the elders and scrybes and the whole councell bounde Iesus and led him awaye and delyuered him vnto Pylate And Pylate axed him Art thou the kynge of the Iewes He answered and sayde vnto him Thou sayest it And the hye prestes accused him sore But Pylate axed him agayne and sayde Answerest thou nothinge Beholde how sore they laye to y e charge Neuertheles Iesus answered nomore in so moch y t Pylate marueyled At that feast of Easter he was wonte to delyuer vnto them a presoner whom so euer they wolde desyre There was ī preson with the sedicious one called Barrabas which in the vproure had committed murthur And the people wente vp and prayed him that he wolde do as he was wonte Pylate answered them wyl ye that I geue lowse vnto you the kynge of the Iewes For he knew that y e hye prestes had delyuered him of envye But the hye prestes moued y e people that he shulde rather geue Barrabas lowse vnto them Pylate answered agayne and sayde vnto them What wil ye thē that I do vnto him whom ye accuse to be kynge of the Iewes They cried agayne Crucifie hī Pylate sayde vnto thē What euell hath he done But they cried yet moch more Crucifie him So Pylate thought to satisfie the people and gaue Barrabas lowse vnto them and delyuered thē Iesus to be scourgd crucified And the soudyers led him in to the comō hall and called the whole multitude together and clothed him with purple and plated a crowne of thorne and crowned him withall and beganne to salute him Hayle kynge of the Iewes And smote him vpon the heade with a rede and spytted vpō him and fell vpō the kne worshipped him And whā they had mocked him they toke y e purple of him and put his clothes vpon him led him out that they might crucifye him And they compelled one that passed by called Symon of Cyren which came from the felde and was the father of Alexander and Ruffus to beare his crosse And they brought him to the place Golgatha which is by interpretacion a place of deed mens skulles And they gaue him wyne myxted w t myrre to drynke he toke it not And whan they had crucified him they parted his garmētes cast lottes therfore what euery one shulde take And it was aboute y e thirde houre they crucified him And the tytle of his cause was wryttē ouer aboue him namely The kynge of the Iewes And they crucified him w t two murthurers one at y e right hande and one
thus talkinge and reasonynge together Iesus himself drue nye and wente with them But their eyes were holden that they shulde not knowe hī And he sayde vnto them What maner of cōmunicacions are these that ye haue one to another as ye walke and are sad Then answered the one whose name was Cleophas and sayde vnto him Art thou onely a straunger at Ierusalē not knowinge what is come to passe there in these dayes And he sayde vnto thē What They sayde vnto him That of Iesus of Nazareth which was a prophet mightie in dede and worde before God and all y e people how oure hye prestes and rulers delyuered him to the condemnacion of death and crucified him But we hoped that he shulde haue delyuered Israel And besydes all this todaye is the thirde daye that this was done Yee certayne wemen also of oure company which were early at the Sepulcre and founde not his body came and tolde that they had sene a visiō of angels which sayde he was alyue And certayne of them that were with vs wente vnto the sepulcre and founde it euen so as y e wemē sayde but hī founde they not And he sayde vnto thē O ye fooles and slowe of hert to beleue all that the prophetes haue spokē Ought not Christ to haue suffred these thinges and to entre in to his glory And he beganne at Moses and at all the prophetes and expounded vnto them all the scriptures that were spoken of him And they drue nye vnto the towne which they wēte vnto and he made as though he wolde haue gone farther And they compelled him and sayde Abyde with vs for it draweth towardes night and the daye is farre passed And he wente in to tary with thē And it came to passe whan he sat at the table with thē he toke the bred gaue thankes brake it and gaue it them Then were their eyes opened and they knewe him And he vanyshed out of their sight And they sayde betwene thē selues Dyd not oure hert burne with in vs whan he talked with vs by the waye whyle he opened the scriptures vnto vs And they rose vp the same houre turned agayne to Ierusalem and founde y e eleuē gathered together and them that were with them which sayde The LORDE is rysen of a trueth and hath appeared vnto Symon And they tolde thē what had happened by y e waye and how they knewe him in breakynge of the bred But whyle they were talkynge therof Iesus himself stode in the myddes amonge thē and sayde Peace be with you But they were abashed and afrayed supposinge that they had sene a sprete And he saide vnto thē Why are ye abashed wherfore ryse there soch thoughtes in yo hertes Beholde my hādes my fete it is euen I my self Handle me and se for a sprete hath not flesh and bones as ye se me haue And whan he had thus spokē he shewed thē his hōdes and his fete But whyle they yet beleued not for ioye and wondred he sayde vnto them Haue ye eny thinge here to eate And they set before him a pece of a broyled fish and an hony combe And he toke it and ate it before thē And he sayde vnto them These are the wordes which I spake vnto you whyle I was yet with you For it must all be fulfilled that was wrytten of me in the lawe of Moses in the prophetes in the Psalmes Thē opened he their vnderstondinge that they might vnderstonde the scriptures and sayde vnto them Thus is it wryttē and thus it behoued Christ to suffre the thirde daye to ryse agayne frō the deed and to let repentaunce and remyssion of synnes be preached in his name amōge all nacions and to begynne at Ierusalē As for all these thinges ye are wytnesses of thē And beholde I wil sende vpon you the promes of my father but ye shal tary in the cite of Ierusalem tyll ye be endewed with power from aboue But he led them out vnto Bethany and lift vp his handes and blessed them And it came to passe whā he blessed them he departed from them and was caried vp in to heauen And they worshipped him and turned agayne to Ierusalem with greate ioye and were contynually in y e tēple geuynge prayse and thankes vnto God Amen The ende of the gospell of S. Luke The gospell of S. Ihon. What S. Ihons gospell conteyneth Chap. I. The euerlastinge byrth of the sonne of God and how he became man The testimony of Ihon and of his baptyme The callinge of Andrew Peter Philip and Nathanael Chap. II. Christ turneth the water vnto wyne at the mariage in Cana and dryueth the marchauntes out of the temple Chap. III. The swete talkinge of Christ with Nicodemus The doctryne baptyme of Ihō and what wytnesse he beareth of Christ. Chap. IIII. The louynge communicacion of Christ with the woman of Samaria by the welles syde How he commeth into Galile and healeth the rulers sonne Chap. V. He healeth the man that was sicke eight thirtie yeare The Iewes accuse him as a breaker of the Sabbath he answereth for himself and reproueth them Chap. VI. Iesus fedeth fyue thousande me◠with fyue barlye Loaues departeth awaye that they shulde not make him kynge goeth vpō the see and reproueth the fleshly hearers of his worde The carnall are offended at hī and forsake him Chap. VII Iesus commeth to Ierusalē at the feast teacheth the Iewes and reproueth thē The pharises the hye prestes hearinge that the people begynne to fauour Christ and to beleue in him sende out officers to take hī There are dyuerse opinions of him amōge the people The pharises rebuke the officers because they haue not taken him and chyde with Nicodemus for takinge his parte Chap. VIII A woman is taken in aduoutrie Christ delyuereth her The fredome of soch as folowe Christ whom they accuse to haue the deuel within him and go aboute to stone him Chap. IX Christ maketh the man to se that was borne blynde where thorow he getteth himself more displeasure amonge the Iewes and Pharises Chap. X. Christ is the true shepherde and the dore of the shepe Some saye Christ hath the deuell and is madd some saye he speaketh not the wordes of one that hath the deuell Because he telleth the trueth the Iewes take vp stones to cast at him call his preachinge blasphemy and go aboute to take him Chap. XI Christ rayseth Lazarus frō death The hye prestes the pharyses gather a councell and cast their heades together agaynst him therfore he getteth him out of the waye Chap. XII Mary anoynteth Christes fete Iudas murmureth Christ excuseth her rydeth in to Ierusalem and is louyngly receaued of the thankfull but vtterly despysed of the vngodly Chap. XIII Christ washeth the disciples fete telleth them of Iudas the traytour and commaundeth thē earnestly to loue one another Chap. XIIII He armeth his disciples with
consolacion agaynst trouble for to come taketh frō thē the heuynesse that they had because of his departinge and promiseth them the holy goost the spirite of comforte Chap. XV. The true vyne the huszbandman the braunches A doctryne of loue and a swete comforte agaynst persecucion Chap. XVI Cōsolacion agaynst trouble Prayers are herde thorow Christ. Chap. XVII The most hartely louinge prayer of Christ vnto his father for all soch as receaue the trueth and be his awne Chap. XVIII Christ is betrayed The wordes of his mouth smyte the officers to the grounde Peter smyteth of Malchus eare Iesus is brought before Anna Caiphas and Pilate Chap. XIX Christ is crucified He commendeth his mother vnto Ihon sheddeth his bloude and is buried Chap. XX. The resurreccion of Christ which appeareth to Mary Magdalene and to all his disciples to their greate comforte Chap. XXI He appeareth to his disciples agayne by the see of Tyberias and commaundeth peter earnestly to fede his shepe The gospell of S. Ihon. The first Chapter IN the begynnynge was the worde and the worde was with God and God was y e worde The same was in the begynnynge w t God All thinges were made by the same and without the same was made nothinge that was made In him was the life and the life was the light of men and the light shyneth in the darknesse and the darknesse comprehended it not There was sent from God a man whose name was Ihon. The same came for a witnesse to beare wytnesse of y e light that thorow him they all might beleue He was not that light but that he might beare witnesse of y e light That was the true light which lighteth all men that come in to this worlde He was in the worlde the worlde was made by him and y e worlde knewe him not He came in to his awne and his awne receaued him not But as many as receaued him to them gaue he power to be the children of God euen soch as beleue in his name Which are not borne of bloude ner of the wyl of the flesh ner of the wyl of man but of God And the worde became flesh and dwelt amonge vs and we sawe his glory a glory as of the onely begottē sonne of the father full of grace and trueth Ihon bare wytnesse of him cryed and sayde It was this of whom I spake After me shal he come that was before me For he was or euer I and of his fulnesse haue all we receaued grace for grace For the lawe was geuen by Moses grace and trueth came by Iesus Christ. No man hath sene God at eny tyme. The onely begottē sonne which is in the bosome of the father he hath declared the same vnto vs. And this is the recorde of Ihon whan the Iewes sent prestes and Leuites frō Ierusalem to axe him Who art thou And he confessed and denyed not And he confessed and sayde I am not Christ. And they axed him What thē Art thou Elias He sayde I am not Art thou the Prophet And he answered No. Then sayde they vnto him What art thou thē y t we maye geue answere vnto thē that sent vs What sayest thou of y e self He sayde I am y e voyce of a cryer in the wyldernesse Make straight y e waye of the LORDE As y e prophet Esay sayde And they that were sent were of y e Pharises And they axed him sayde vnto him Why baptysest thou then yf thou be not Christ ner Elias ner a prophet Ihon answered them and sayde I baptyse with water but there is one come in amonge you whom ye knowe not It is he that cōmeth after me which was before me whose shue lachet I am not worthy to vnlowse This was done at Bethabara beyonde Iordane where Ihon dyd baptyse The nexte daye after Ihon sawe Iesus commynge vnto him and sayde Beholde the lābe of God which taketh awaye the synne of the worlde This is he of whom I sayde vnto you After me commeth a man which was before me For he was or euer I and I knewe him not but that he shulde be declared in Israel therfore am I come to baptyse with water And Ihon bare recorde sayde I sawe the sprete descende from heauen like vnto a doue and abode vpon him I knewe him not But he that sent me to baptyse with water y e same sayde vnto me Vpon whom thou shalt se the sprete descende and tary styll on him the same is he that baptyseth with the holy goost And I sawe it and bare recorde that this is the sonne of God The nexte daye after Ihon stode agayne and two of his disciples And whā he sawe Iesus walkynge he sayde Beholde the lābe of God And two of his disciples herde him speake and folowed Iesus And Iesus turned him aboute and sawe them folowinge and sayde vnto thē What seke ye They sayde vnto him Rabbi which is to saye by interpretacion Master Where art thou at lodginge He sayde vnto them Come and se it They came and sawe it abode with him the same daye It was aboute the tenth houre One of the two which herde Ihon speake and folowed Iesus was Andrew the brother of Symon Peter the same founde first his brother Symon and sayde vnto him We haue founde Messias which is by interpretacion y e Anoynted and brought him to Iesus Whan Iesus behelde him he sayde Thou art Symon the sonne of Ionas thou shalt be called Cephas which is by interpretacion a stone The nexte daye after wolde Iesus go agayne in to Galile and founde Philippe and sayde vnto him Folowe me Philippe was of Bethsaida the cite of Andrew and Peter Philippe founde Nathanael and sayde vnto him We haue founde him of whō Moses in the lawe and y e prophetes haue wrytten euen Iesus the sonne of Ioseph of Nazareth And Nathanaell sayde vnto him What good can come out of Nazareth Philippe sayde vnto him Come and se. Iesus sawe Nathanael cōmynge to him and sayde of him Beholde a righte Israelite in whom is no gyle Nathanael sayde vnto him From whence knowest thou me Iesus answered and sayde vnto him Before y t Philippe called the whan thou wast vnder the fygge tre I sawe the. Nathanaell answered and sayde vnto hī Rabbi thou art y e sonne of God thou art y e kynge of Israel Iesus answered sayde vnto him Because I sayde vnto the that I sawe the vnder the fygge tre thou beleuest thou shalt se yet greater thinges thē these And he sayde vnto him Verely verely I saye vnto you Frō this tyme forth shal ye se the heauen open and the angels of God goinge vp downe ouer the sonne of man The II. Chapter ANd vpon the thirde daye there was a mariage at Cana in Galile and the mother of Iesus was there Iesus also and
I and the father that hath sent me It is wrytten also in youre lawe that the testimony of two men is true I am one that beare wytnesse of my self And the father that sent me beareth wytnes of me also Then sayde they vnto him Where is thy father Iesus answered Ye nether knowe me ner yet my father Yf ye knewe me ye shulde knowe my father also These wordes spake Iesus vpon the Gods chest as he taught in the tēple And noman toke him for his houre was not yet come Then sayde Iesus agayne vnto them I go my waye and ye shal seke me and shal dye in youre synnes whither I go thither can not ye come Then sayde y e Iewes Wyl he kyll him self then that he sayeth whither I go thither can not ye come And he sayde vnto them Ye are from beneth I am from aboue Ye are of this worlde I am not of this worlde Therfore haue I sayde vnto you that ye shal dye in youre synnes For yf ye beleue not that I am he ye shal dye in youre synnes Then sayde they vnto him Who art thou then And Iesus sayde vnto thē Euē the very same thinge that I saye vnto you I haue many thinges to saye and to iudge of you But he that sent me is true and loke what I haue herde of him that speake I before the worlde Howbeit they vnderstode not that he spake of the father Then sayde Iesus vnto them Whan ye haue lift vp an hye the sonne of man then shal ye knowe that I am he and that I do nothinge of my self but as my father hath taught me euen so I speake And he that sent me is with me The father leaueth me not alone for I do alwaie that pleaseth him Whan he thus spake many beleued on him Then sayde Iesus vnto the Iewes that beleued on him Yf ye contynue in my worde then are ye my very disciples and ye shall knowe the trueth and the trueth shal make you fre Then answered they him We are Abrahams sede we were neuer bonde to eny man how sayest thou then Ye shal be fre Iesus answered them and sayde Verely verely I saye vnto you Who so euer doth synne is the seruaunt of synne As for the seruaunt he abydeth not in the house for euer but the sonne abydeth euer Yf the sonne therfore make you fre then are ye fre in dede I knowe that ye are Abrahams sede but ye seke to kyll me For my worde taketh not amonge you I speake that I haue sene of my father ye do that ye haue sene of youre father They answered and sayde vnto him Abraham is oure father Iesus sayde vnto them Yf ye were Abrahams children ye wolde do the dedes of Abraham But now ye go aboute to kyll me a man that haue tolde you the trueth which I haue herde of God this dyd not Abraham Ye do the dedes of youre father Then sayde they vnto him We are not borne of fornicacion we haue one father euen God Iesus sayde vnto them Yf God were youre father then wolde ye loue me For I am proceaded forth and come from God For I am not come of my self but he hath sent me Why knowe ye not thē my speach Euē because ye can not abyde the hearinge of my worde Ye are of the father the deuell and after the lustes of youre father wyl ye do The same was a murthurer from the begynnynge and abode not in the trueth for the trueth is not in him Whan he speaketh a lye then speaketh he of his awne for he is a lyar and a father of the same But because I saye the trueth ye beleue me not Which of you can rebuke me of one synne Yf I saye the trueth why do ye not beleue me He that is of God heareth Gods worde Therfore heare ye not because ye are not of God Then answered the Iewes and sayde vnto him Saye we not right that thou art a Samaritane and hast the deuell Iesus answered I haue no deuell but I honoure my father and ye haue dishonoured me I seke not myne awne prayse but there is one that seketh it and iudgeth Verely verely I saye vnto you Yf eny man kepe my worde he shal neuer se death Then sayde the Iewes vnto him Now knowe me that thou hast the deuell Abraham is deed and the prophetes and thou sayest Yf eny mā kepe my worde he shal neuer taist of death Art thou greater then oure father Abraham which is deed and the prophetes are deed Whō makest thou thy self Iesus answered Yf I prayse my self then is my prayse nothinge But it is my father that prayseth me which ye saye is youre God and ye knowe hī not but I knowe him And yf I shulde saye I knowe him not ▪ I shulde be a lyar like vnto you But I knowe him and kepe his worde Abraham youre father was glad that he shulde se my daye And he sawe it and reioysed Then sayde the Iewes vnto him Thou art not yet fiftie yeare olde and hast thou sene Abraham Iesus sayde vnto thē Verely verely I saye vnto you Or euer Abraham was I am Then toke they vp stones to cast at him But Iesus hyd himself and wente out of the temple The IX Chapter ANd Iesus passed by and sawe a man that was borne blynde And his disciples axed him sayde Master Who hath synned this or his elders that he was borne blynde Iesus answered Nether hath this synned ner his elders but that y e workes of God shulde be shewed on him I must worke the workes of him that hath sent me whyle it is daye The night commeth whan no man can worke As longe as I am in the worlde I am the light of the worlde Whan he had thus sayde he spat on the grounde and made claye of the spetle and rubbed the claye on the eyes of the blynde and sayde vnto him Go thy waye to the pole of Syloha which is interpretated sent and wash the. Then wēte he his waye and waszhed him and came seynge The neghbours and they that had sene him before that he was a begger sayde Is not this he that sat and begged Some sayde It is he Other sayde he is like him But he himself sayde I am euen he Then sayde they vnto him How are thine eyes opened He answered and sayde The mā that is called Iesus made claye and anoynted myne eyes and sayde Go thy waye to the pole of Siloha and wash the. I wente my waye washed me and receaued my sight Then sayde they vnto him Where is he He sayde I can not tell Then brought they vnto the pharises him that a litle before was blynde It was the Sabbath whan Iesus made the claye and opened his eyes Then agayne the Pharises also axed him how he had receaued his sight He sayde vnto thē
my name he shal teache you all thinges bringe all to youre remembraunce what soeuer I haue tolde you Peace I leaue vnto you my peace I geue you I geue not vnto you as the worlde geueth Let not yo hert be troubled nether let it be afrayed Ye haue herde that I sayde vnto you I go come agayne vnto you Yf ye loued me ye wolde reioyse because I saide I go to the father for y e father is greater theÌ„ I. And now haue I tolde you before it come that whan it is come to passe ye maye beleue Here after wyl not I talke moch with you For the prynce of this worlde coÌ„meth and hath nothinge in me But that the worlde maye knowe that I loue y e father And as the father hath coÌ„maunded me so do I. Aryse let vs go hence The XV. Chapter I Am a true vyne and my father is an huszbande man Euery braunch that bringeth not forth frute in me shal he cut of and euery one that bryngeth forth frute shal he pourge y t it maye bringe forth more frute Now are ye cleane because of the worde that I haue spokeÌ„ vnto you Byde ye in me and I in you Like as y e braunch can not brynge forth frute of it self excepte it byde in the vyne Euen so nether ye also excepte ye abyde in me I am the vyne ye are the braunches He that abydeth in me and I in him the same bryngeth forth moch frute for without me can ye do nothinge He that abydeth not in me is cast out as a vyne braunche and it wythereth and men gather it vp and cast it in to the fyre and it burneth Yf ye abyde in me and my wordes abyde in you ye shal axe what ye wyl it shal be done vnto you Herin is my father praysed that ye brynge forth moch frute and become my disciples Like as my father hath loued me eueÌ„ so haue I loued you CoÌ„tynue ye iÌ„ my loue Yf ye kepe my coÌ„maundementes ye shal coÌ„tynue in my loue like as I haue kepte my fathers coÌ„maundementes and coÌ„tynue in his loue These thinges haue I spoken vnto you that my ioye might remayne in you and y t youre ioye might be perfecte This is my coÌ„maundement that ye loue together as I haue loued you No man hath greater loue then to set his life for his frende Ye are my frendes yf ye do that I commaunde you Hence forth call I you not seruauntes for a seruaunt knoweth not what his lorde doeth But I haue sayde that ye are frendes For all that I haue herde of my father haue I shewed vnto you Ye haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you and ordeyned you that ye go and bringe forth frute and that youre frute contynne that what soeuer ye axe the father in my name he shulde geue it you This I commaunde you that ye loue one another Yf the worlde hate you then knowe that it hath hated me before you Yf ye were of the worlde the worlde wolde loue his owne Howbeit because ye are not of the worlde but I haue chosen you from the worlde therfore the worlde hateth you Remembre my worde that I sayde vnto you The seruaunt iâ— not greater then his lorde Yf they haue persecuted me they shal persecute you also Yf they haue kepte my worde they shal kepe yours also But all this shal they do vnto you for my names sake because they knowe not him y t sent me Yf I had not come spokeÌ„ vnto theÌ„ theÌ„ shulde they haue no synne But now haue they nothinge to cloake their synne â—ithall He y t hateth me hateth my father also Yf I had not done amoÌ„ge theÌ„ the workes which no other maÌ„ dyd they shulde haue no synne But now haue they sene it and yet haue they hated both me my father Neuertheles that the sayenge might be fulfilled which is wrytten in their lawe They haue hated me without a cause But whaÌ„ the comforter commeth whoÌ„ I shal sende you from the father eueÌ„ the sprete of trueth which proceadeth of the father he shal testifie of me and ye shal beare wytnesse also for ye haue bene with me from the begynnynge The XVI Chapter THese thinges haue I sayde vnto you that ye shulde not be offended They shal excomunicate you The tyme commeth that who soeuer putteth you to death shal thynke that he doth seruyce vnto God And soch thinges shal they do vnto you because they haue nether knowne y e father ner yet me But these thinges haue I sayde vnto you that whan the tyme coÌ„meth ye maye thynke theron that I tolde you But these thinges haue I not sayde vnto you from the begynnynge For I was with you But now I go vnto him that sent me none of you axeth me Whither goest thou but because I haue sayde these thinges vnto you youre hert is full of sorowe Neuertheles I tell you the trueth It is better for you y t I go awaye For yf I go not awaye that comforter commeth not vnto you but yf I departe I wil sende hiÌ„ vnto you And whan he commeth he shal rebuke the worlde of synne and of righteousnes of iudgment Of synne because they beleue not on me O frighteousnes because I go to the father and ye shal se me nomore Of iudgmeÌ„t because the prynce of this worlde is iudged allready I haue yet moch to saye vnto you but ye can not now beare it awaye howbeit whan he the sprete of trueth commeth he shal lede you in to all trueth For he shal not speake of himself but what soeuer he shal heare that shal he speake and he shall shewe you what is for to come He shal glorifye me for he shal receaue of myne and shal shewe vnto you All that the father hath is myne Therfore haue I sayde he shal receaue of myne and shewe vnto you After a litle whyle and ye shal not se me and agayne after a litle whyle and ye shal se me for I go to the father TheÌ„ saide some of his disciples amonge themselues What is this that he sayeth vnto vs After a litle whyle and ye shal not se me agayne after a litle whyle ye shal se me for I go to the father Then sayde they What is this that he sayeth After a litle whyle We can not tell what he sayeth Then perceaued Iesus that they wolde axe him and he sayde vnto them Ye enquyre of this amonge youre selues that I sayde After a litle whyle and ye shal not se me agayne after a litle whyle and ye shal se me Verely verely I saye vnto you Ye shal wepe and lamente but the worlde shal reioyse Ye shal be sory but youre sorowe shal be turned in to ioye A woman whan she trauayleth hath sorowe for hir houre is come But whan she is delyuered of the
childe she thinketh nomore of the anguyshe for ioye that a man is borne in to the worlde And now haue ye sorowe also but I wil se you agayne and youre hert shal reioyse and you reioye shal noman take from you And in that daye shal ye axe me no question Verely verely I saye vnto you Yf ye axe y e father ought in my name he shal geue it you Hither to haue ye axed nothinge in my name Axe and ye shal receaue y t youre ioye maye be perfecte These thinges haue I spoken vnto you by prouerbes Neuertheles the tyme commeth that I shal speake nomore by prouerbes but I shal shewe you planely of my father In that daye shal ye axe in my name And I saye not vnto you that I wyl praye vnto the father for you for the father himself loueth you because ye haue loued me beleued that I am come out from God I wente out from the father and came into the worlde Agayne I leaue y e worlde and go to the father His disciples sayde vnto him Beholde now talkest thou planely and speakest no prouerbe Now are we sure y t thou knowest all thinges and nedest not that eny mā shulde axe the. Therfore beleue we that thou camest out from God Iesus answered them Now ye do beleue Beholde the houre draweth nye and is come allready that ye shal be scatred euery man in to his awne and shal leaue me alone and yet am I not alone for the father is with me These thinges haue I spoken vnto you that in me ye might haue peace In y e worlde haue ye trouble but be of good comforte I haue ouercome the worlde The XVII Chapter THese thinges spake Iesus and lift vp his eyes towarde heauen and sayde Father the houre is come that thou glorifye thy sonne that thy sonne also maye glorifye the. Like as thou hast geuen him power ouer all fleshe that he shulde geue euerlastinge life to as many as thou hast geuen him But this is the life euerlastinge that they knowe the that thou onely art the true God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ. I haue glorified y e vpō earth fynished y e worke y t thou gauest me to do And now glorifye me thou father by thine awne self with y e glory which I had or euer the worlde was I haue declared thy name vnto y e men whom thou gauest me from the worlde They were thine and thou gauest them vnto me and they haue kepte thy worde Now knowe they that all thinges what so euer thou hast geuen me are of the. For y e wordes which thou gauest me haue I geuē vnto them and they haue receaued them knowne of a trueth that I am come forth from the and haue beleued that thou hast sent me I praye for them and praye not for the worlde but for them whom thou hast geuen me for they are thine And all that is myne is thine and what thine is that is myne And I am glorifyed in them And now am I nomore in the worlde and they are in y e worlde and I come to the. Holy father kepe in thy name those whom thou hast geuē me that they maye be one like as we are Whyle I was with thē in the worlde I kepte them in thy name Those y t thou gauest me haue I kepte and none of them is lost but that lost childe that the scripture might be fulfylled But now come I vnto the and this I speake in the worlde that they maye haue my ioye perfecte in them I haue geuen them thy worde and the worlde hateth thē for they are not of the worlde euen as I also am not of the worlde I praye not that thou shuldest take them out of the worlde but that thou kepe thē frō euell They are not of the worlde as I also am not of the worlde Sanctifye them in thy trueth Thy worde is the trueth Like as thou hast sent me in to the worlde so haue I sent them in to the worlde and for their sakes I sanctifye my self that they also maye be sanctifyed in the trueth Neuertheles I praye not for them onely but also for those which thorow their worde shal beleue on me that they all maye be one like as thou father art in me and I in y e that they also maye be one in vs that the worlde maye beleue that thou hast sent me And the glory which thou gauest me haue I geuen them that they maye be one like as we are one I in thē and thou in me that they maye be perfecte in one and that the worlde maye knowe that thou hast sent me and hast loued them as thou hast loued me Father I wil that they whom thou hast geuen me be with me where I am y t they maye se my glory which thou hast geuē me for thou hast loued me or euer y e worlde was made Righteous father the worlde hath not knowne y t but I haue knowne y e and these haue knowne that thou hast sent me And I haue declared thy name vnto them wyl declare it y t the loue wherwith thou hast loued me maye be in thē I in them The XVIII Chapter WHan Iesus had thus spokē he wēte forth with his disciples ouer the broke Cedron where there was a gardē in to the which Iesus entred and his disciples But Iudas y t betrayed hī knewe the place also For Iesus resorted thither oft tymes w t his disciples Now whan Iudas had takē vnto him the cōpany mynisters of the hye prestes and Pharises he came thither with creshettes w t lanternes and with weapens Iesus now knowinge all y t shulde come vpon him wēte forth and sayde vnto thē Whom seke ye They answered him Iesus of Nazareth Iesus sayde vnto them I am he Iudas also which betrayed him stode with thē Now whan Iesus sayde vnto thē I am he they wēte bacwardes and fell to the grounde Then axed he thē agayne Whom seke ye They sayde Iesus of Nazareth Iesus answered I haue tolde you that I am he Yf ye seke me then let these go their waye That the worde might be fulfylled which he sayde Of them whō thou gauest me haue I not lost one Then had Symon Peter a swerde and drewe it out and smote the hye prestes seruaūt and cut of his right eare And y e seruaūtes name was Malchus Then sayde Iesus vnto Peter Put vp thy swerde in to the sheeth Shal I not drynke of y e cuppe which my father hath geuē me Then the company and the captayne the officers of the Iewes toke Iesus and bounde him led him awaye first vnto Annas that was fatherlawe vnto Caiphas which was hye prest y t same yeare It was Caiphas which gaue coūcell vnto y e Iewes that it were good
them how shal it be knowne what is pyped or harped And yf the trōpe geue an vncertayne sounde who wil prepare him selfe to the battayll Euen so ye like wyse whan ye speake with tunges excepte ye speake playne wordes how shal it be knowne what is spokē for ye shal but speake in y e ayre So many kyndes of voyces are in the worlde and none of them is without significacion Yf I knowe not now what y e voyce meaneth I shal be an aleaunt vnto him that speaketh he that speaketh shal be an aleaūt vnto me Euē so ye for so moch as ye couet spirituall giftes seke y t ye maye haue plentye to the edifienge of the congregacion Wherfore let him that speaketh w t tunges praye that he maye interprete also Yf I praye with tunges my sprete prayeth but my vnderstōdinge bryngeth no man frute How shal it be then Namely thus I wil praye with y e sprete and wil praye with the vnderstōdinge also I wil synge psalmes in the sprete and wil synge spalmes with y t vnderstondinge also But whan thou geuest thankes with y e sprete how shal he that occupieth the rowme of the vnlearned saye Amē at thy geuynge of thankes seynge he knoweth not what thou sayest Thou geuest well thankes but the other is not edifyed I thanke my God that I speake with tunges more then ye all Yet had I leuer in the cōgregacion to speake fyue wordes with my vnderstondinge y t I maye enfourme other also rather then ten thousande wordes with tunges Brethren be not children in vnderstondinge howbeit as concerninge maliciousnes be childrē but in vnderstondinge be parfecte In the lawe it is wrytten With other tunges and with other lippes wyl I speake vnto this people and yet shal they not so heare me sayeth the LORDE Therfore are tunges for a token not to thē that beleue but to them that beleue not Contrary wyse prophecienge not to them that beleue not but to them which beleue Yf the whole cōgregacion now came together in to one place spake all with tunges and there came in they that are vnlearned or they which beleue not shulde they not saye that ye were out of youre wyttes But yff all prophecied and there came in one y t beleueth not or one vnlerned he shulde be rebuked of them all and iudged of all and so shulde the secrete of his hert be opened and so shulde he fall downe vpon his face worshippinge God and knowleginge that of a trueth God is in you How is it then brethren Whan ye come together euery one hath a psalme hath doctryne hath a tunge hath a reuelacion hath an interpretacion Let all be done to edifyenge Yf eny mā speake with tunges let him do it him selfe beynge the seconde or at the most him selfe beynge y e thirde and one after another and let one interprete it But yf there be not an interpreter then let him kepe sylence in the congregacion howbeit let him speake to himselfe and to God As for the prophetes let two or thre speake and let the other iudge But yf eny reuelacion be made vnto another that sytteth then let the first holde his peace Ye maye all prophecye one after another that they all maye lerne and that all maye haue comforte And the spretes of the prophetes are subiecte vnto the prophetes For God is not a God off discension but off peace like as in all congregacions off the sayntes Let youre wyues kepe sylence in the cōgregacion for it shal not be permytted vnto thē to speake but to be vnder obedience as y e lawe sayeth also But yf they wyll lerne eny thinge let them axe their huszbādes at home For it becommeth not wemē to speake in the congregacion Or spronge the worde of God from amonge you Or is it come vnto you onely Yf eny man thynke himselfe to be a prophet or spirituall let him knowe what I wryte vnto you for they are the commaundementes of the LORDE But yf eny man be ignoraunt let him be ignoraunt Wherfore brethren couet to prophecye and forbyd not to speake with tunges Let all thinges be done honestly and in order The XV. Chapter I Declare vnto you brethren the Gospell that I haue preached vnto you which ye haue also accepted and in the which ye stōde by the which also ye are saued after what maner I preached it vnto you yf ye haue kepte it excepte ye haue beleued in vayne For first of all I delyuered vnto you that which I also receaued how that Christ dyed for oure synnes acordinge to the scriptures and that he was buried and that he rose agayne y e thirde daye acordinge to the scriptures and that he was sene of Cephas then of the twolue after that was he sene of mo then fyue hundreth brethren at once wherof there are yet many alyue but some are fallen aslepe Afterwarde was he sene of Iames then of all the Apostles Last of all was he sene of me also as of one borne out of due tyme. For I am y e leest of the Apostles which am not worthy to be called an Apostle because I persecuted the congregacion of God But by the grace of God I am that I am And his grace in me hath not bene vayne but I haue laboured more then they all howbeit not I but the grace of God which is w t me Now whether it be I or they thus haue we preached and thus haue ye beleued But yf Christ be preached that he is rysen from the deed how saye then some amōge you that there is no resurreccion of the deed Yf there be no resurrecciō of the deed then is Christ not rysen Yf Christ be not rysen then is oure preachinge in vayne and youre faith is also in vayne yee and we are founde false witnesses of God because we haue testified agaynst God that he hath raysed vp Christ whom he hath not raysed vp yf the deed ryse not agayne For yf the deed ryse not agayne thē is Christ also not rysen agayne But yf Christ be not rysen agayne then is youre faith in vayne and ye are yet in youre synnes they also that are fallē a slepe in Christ are perished Yf in this life onely we hope on Christ then are we of all men the most miserable But now is Christ rysen from the deed and is become y e first frutes of them that slepe For by one man commeth death and by one man the resurreccion of the deed For as they all dye in Adam so shal they all be made alyue in Christ but euery one in his order The first is Christ then they that belōge vnto Christ whan he commeth Then the ende whā he shal delyuer vp the kyngdome vnto God the father whan he shal put downe all rule and all superiorite power For he must raygne tyll he haue put all his enemies vnder his fete The
wall that was a stoppe betwene vs and hath also thorow his flesh put awaye the cause off hatred namely the lawe of the commaundemeÌ„tes contayned in the lawe wrytten that of twayne he mighte create one new man in him selfe and make peace and to reconcyle both vnto God in one body thorow the crosse and so he slewe y e hatred thorow his owne selfe and came and preached peace in the Gospell vnto you which were afarre of and to theÌ„ that were nye For thorow him we both haue intraunce in â—ne sprete vnto the father Now therfore ye are nomore gestes and straungers but citesins with the sayntes of the housholde of God buylded vpon y e foundacion of y e Apostles and prophetes where Iesus Christ is y e heade corner stone in whom euery buyldinge coupled together groweth to an holy temple in the LORDE in whom ye also are buylded together to be an habitacion of God in the sprete The III. Chapter FOr this cause I Paul am a presoner of Iesus Christ for you Heythen acordinge as ye haue herde of y e office of the grace of God which is geuen me to you warde For by reuelacion was this mystery shewed vnto me as I wrote abouâ— in fewe wordes wherby whan ye rede it 〈◊〉 maye perceaue myne vnderstondynge in y e mystery of Christ which mystery in tymes past was not opened vnto the childreÌ„ of meÌ„ as it is now declared to his holy Apostles and prophetes by the sprete namely that the Heythen shulde be inheritours also and of the same body and partakers of his promes in Christ by the Gospell wherof I am made a mynister acordynge to the gifte of the grace of God which is geueÌ„ me acordinge to the workynge of his power Vnto me the leest of all sayntes is this grace geuen that I shulde preach amonge the HeytheÌ„ y e vnsearcheable riches of Christ and to make all men se what is the fellishippe of the mystery which froÌ„ the begynnynge of the worlde hath bene hyd in God which made all thiÌ„ges thorow Iesus Christ to the intent that now vnto the rulers and powers in heaueÌ„ mighte be knowne by the congregacion the manifolde wyszdome off God acordinge to y e eternall purpose which he hath shewed in Christ Iesu oure LORDE by whom we haue boldnesse and intraunce in all confideÌ„ce thorow faith on him Wherfore I desyre that ye faynte not because of my tribulacions y t I suffre for you which is youre prayse For this cause I bowe my knees vnto the father of oure LORDE Iesus Christ which is the true father ouer all that is called father in heauen and in earth that he graunte you acordinge to y e riches of his glory to be strengthed with power by his sprete in y e inwarde maÌ„ that Christ maye dwell in youre hertes by faith that ye beynge roted and grounded in loue maye be able to coÌ„prehende with all sayntes what is the bredth and the length and the deepth and the heyth and to knowe the loue of Christ which loue yet passeth all knowlege that ye maye be fylled with all maner of fulnesse of God Vnto him that is able to do exceadinge abundauntly aboue all that we axe or vnderstonde acordinge to y e power that worketh in vs be prayse in the congregacion which is in Christ Iesu at all tymes for euer and euer Amen The IIII. Chapter I Therfore which am presoner in the LORDE exhorte you that ye walke as it becoÌ„meth yo r callinge wherin ye are called with all humblenes off mynde and mekenes and longe sufferinge forbearinge one another in loue and be diligent to kepe the vnite of the sprete thorow the bonde of peace One body and one sprete eueÌ„ as ye are called in one hope of youre callynge One LORDE one faith one baptyme one God and father of vs all which is aboue all and thorow all and in you all Vnto euery one of vs is geuen grace acordinge to the measure off the gifte off Christ. Therfore sayeth he He is gone vp an hye and hath led awaye captiuyte captyue and hath geueÌ„ giftes vnto men That he wente vp what is it but that he first came downe in to y e lowest partes of y e earth He that came downe is euen the same which is gone vp aboue all heauens to fulfill all And y e same hath set some to be Apostles some to be prophetes some to be Euangelistes some to be shepherdes teachers wherby the sayntes mighte be coupled together thorow comen seruyce to the edifienge of y e body of Christ tyll we all come vnto one maner of faith and knowlege of the sonne of God and become a perfecte man in to the measure of the perfecte age of Christ that we be nomore children waueringe caried aboute with euery wynde of doctryne thorow the wickednes of men and craftynes wherby they laye awayte for vs to disceaue vs. But let vs folowe the trueth in loue and in all thinges growe in him which is the heade euen Christ in whom all the body is coupled together and one membre hangeth by another thorow out all y e ioyntes Wherby one mynistreth vnto another acordinge to the operacion as euery membre hath his measure and maketh that y e body groweth to the edifienge of it selfe in loue This I saye therfore and testifye in the LORDE that ye walke nomore * as y e other Heythen walke in the vanite of their mynde blynded in their vnderstondinge beynge straungers froÌ„ the life which is in God thorow the ignoraunce that is in them because of the blyndnes of their hert which beynge past repentaunce haue geueÌ„ them selues ouer vnto wantonnes to worke all maner of vnclennes euen with gredynesse But ye haue not so learned Christ yf so be that ye haue herde of him are taught in him euen as the trueth is in Iesu. So then as concernynge the conuersacion in tyme past laye from you that olde man which marreth himselfe thorow disceauable lustes but be ye renued in the sprete of youre mynde and put on that new man which is shapen after God in true righteousnes and holynes Wherfore put awaye lyenge and speake euery man the trueth vnto his neghboure for as moch as we are membres one of another Be angrie but synne not Let not y e Sonne go downe vpoÌ„ youre wrath nether geue place to the bacbyter He that hath stollen let him steale nomore but let him laboure rather and do some good with his hondes that he maye haue to geue vnto him that nedeth Let no filthy communicacion proceade out of youre mouth but that which is good to edifye withall whaÌ„ nede is that it be gracious to heare And greue not the holy sprete of God wherwith ye are sealed vnto y e daye of redempcion Let all bytternes and fearsnes and wrath and
Achaia For froÌ„ you was the worde of the LORDE noysed out not onely in Macedonia Achaia but iÌ„ all quarters also is yo r faith iÌ„ God spred abrode so that it nedeth not vs to speake eny thinge at all For they them selues shewe of you what maner of entrynge in we had vnto you and how ye are turned vnto God from ymages for to serue the lyuynge and true God and to loke for his sonne from heaueÌ„ whom he raysed vp from the deed euen Iesus which hath delyuered vs froÌ„ the wrath to come The II. Chapter FOr ye youre selues brethren knowe of oure intrauÌ„ce vnto you how that it was not in vayne but as we had suffred afore were shamefully intreated at Philippos as ye knowe we were bolde in oure God to speake vnto you y e Gospel of God with moch stryuynge For oure exhortacion was not to brynge you to erroure ner yet to vnclennes nether was it with gyle but as we are alowed of God that the Gospell shulde be commytted vnto vs to preache euen so we speake not as though we wolde please meÌ„ but God which tryeth oure hertes For we haue not gone aboute with flateringe wordes as ye knowe ner wayted for oure owne profit God is recorde nether soughte we prayse of men nether of you ner of eny other whan we mighte haue bene chargeable vnto you as the Apostles off Christ but we were tender amonge you Like as a norsse cherisheth hir children euen so had we hartely affeccion towarde you and wolde with good wyl haue dealte vnto you not onely the Gospell of God but oure lyues also because ye were deare vnto vs. Ye remembre brethren oure laboure and trauayle For daye and nighte wroughte we because we wolde not be chargeable vnto eny of you and preached the Gospell of God amonge you Ye are witnesses and so is God how holyly and iustly and vnblameable we behaued oure selues amoÌ„ge you thaâ— beleue as ye knowe how that as a 〈…〉 his children euen so exhorte 〈…〉 and besoughte euery one 〈…〉 wolde walke worthely before God 〈…〉 hath called you vnto his kyngdome 〈…〉 For this cause thanke we God without ceassynge because that whaÌ„ ye receaued of vs the worde of the preachinge of God ye receaued it not as y e worde of men but eueÌ„ as it is of a trueth the worde of God which worketh in you that beleue For ye brethren are become the folowers off the congregacions off God which in Iewry are in Christ Iesu so that ye haue suffred euen like thinges of youre kynsmen as they haue suffred of the Iewes Which as they put the LORDE Iesus to death and their awne prophetes euen so haue they persecuted vs also and please not God and are coÌ„trary to all men forbyddinge vs to speake vnto the Heythen that they mighte be saued to fulfill their synnes allwaye for the wrath is come vpon them allready vnto y e vttemost But we brethren for as moch as we haue bene kepte from you for a season as concernynge the bodely presence but not in the hert we haue haisted the more with greate desyre to se you personally Therfore wolde we haue come vnto you I Paul two tymes but Sathan withstode vs. For who is oure hope or ioye or crowne of reioysinge are not ye it in y e sighte of oure LORDE Iesus Christ at his commynge Yes ye are oure prayse and ioye The III. Chapter WHerfore sence we coulde no longer forbeare we thoughte it good to remayne at Athens alone sent Timotheus oure brother and mynister of God and oure helper in y e gospell of Christ to stablysh you and to comforte you in youre faith that noman shulde be moued in these troubles for ye youre selues knowe that we are euen appoynted there vnto And whan we were with you we tolde you before that we shulde suffre tribulacion euen as it is come to passe as ye knowe For this cause seynge I coulde no longer forbeare I sent that I mighte haue knowlege of youre faith lest happly the tempter had tempted you and lest oure laboure had bene in vayne But now that Timotheus is come froÌ„ you vnto vs and hath shewed vs of youre faith and loue how that ye haue allwaye good remembraunce of vs desyringe to se vs 〈…〉 to se you therfore brethren 〈…〉 in you in all oure 〈…〉 thorow youre faith For 〈…〉 yf ye stonde stedfast in y e â—ORDE For what thankes can we recompeÌ„ce to God agayne for you because of this ioye that we haue concernynge you before oure God We praye exceadingly daye and nighte that we mighte se you presently and fulfill that which is lackynge in yo r faith God himselfe o r father o r LORDE Iesus Christ gyde oure iourney vnto you But the LORDE increace you make you flowe ouer in loue one towarde another and towarde all men euen as we do towarde you that yo r hertes maye be stable and vnblameable in holynes before God oure father at the commynge of oure LORDE Iesus Christ with all his sayntes The IIII. Chapter FVrthermore we beseke you brethren and exhorte you in the LORDE Iesus that ye increace more and more euen as ye haue receaued of vs how ye oughte to walke and to please God For ye knowe what commaundementes we gaâ—ue you by oure LORDE Iesus Christ. For this is the will of God euen youre sanctifienge that ye shulde absteyne from whordome y t euery one of you shulde knowe how to kepe his vessell in holynes and honoure not in the lust of concupiscence as the Heythen which knowe not God And that no man go to farre ner defraude his brother in bargayninge For the LORDE is the auenger of all soch thinges as we haue sayde testified vnto you afore tyme. For God hath not called vs to vnclennesse but vnto holynes He therfore that despyseth despyseth not man but God which hath geuen his holy sprete in to you But as touchinge brotherly loue ye nede not that I wryte vnto you for ye youre selues are taught of God to loue one another yee and that thinge ye do vnto all the brethreÌ„ which are thorow out all Macedonia But we beseke you brethren that ye increace yet more and more and that ye study to be quyete and to medle with youre awne busynesse and to worke with youre awne haÌ„des as we commaunded you that ye maye walke honestly towarde theÌ„ that are without and that nothinge be lackynge vnto you We wolde not brethren that ye shulde be ignoraunt concernynge them which are fallen a slepe that ye sorowe not as other do which haue no hope For yf we beleue that Iesus dyed and rose agayne euen so theÌ„ also which slepe by Iesus shal God brynge with him For this we saye vnto you in the worde of the LORDE that we which lyue and are remaynynge
honestie For that is good and accepted in y e sighte of God oure Sauioure which wil haue all men saued and to come vnto the knowlege of y e trueth For there is one God and one mediatour betwene God and men namely the man Christ Iesus which gaue him selfe a raunsome for all men that at his tyme it shulde be preached wherevnto I am ordeyned a preacher an Apostle I tell y e trueth in Christ and lye not a teacher of the Heythē in faith and in the trueth I wil therfore that men praye in all places liftinge vp pure hādes without wrath or dowtynge Likewyse also the wemen that they araye them selues in comly apparell with shamfastnes and discrete behaueo r not with broyded heer or golde or perles or costly araye but with soch as it becommeth wemē that professe godlynes thorow good workes Let the woman lerne in sylēce with all subieccion I suffre not a womā to teach ner to haue auctorite ouer the man but for to be in sylence For Adam was first formed and thē Eue Adam also was not disceaued but the woman was disceaued and hath brought in the trāsgression Notwitstondynge thorow bearynge of children she shal be saued yf she contynue in faith and in loue in the sanctifyenge with discrecion The III. Chapter THis is a true sayēge Yf a mā covet y e office of a Biszhoppe he desyreth a good worke But a Biszhoppe must be blamelesse the huszbāde of one wife sober discrete manerly harberous apte to teach Not geuen to moch wyne no fighter not geuen to filthy lucre but gentle abhorrynge stryfe abhorrynge couetousnes one that ruleth his awne house honestly hauynge obedient children with all honestye But yf a man can not rule his owne house how shal he care for the congregacion of God He maye not be a yōge scolar left he be puft vp and fall in to the iudgment of y e euell speaker He must also haue a good reporte of them which are without lest he fall in to the rebuke and snare of the euell speaker Likewyse must the mynisters be honest not double tonged not geuen to moch wyne nether vnto fylthie lucre but hauynge the mystery of faith in pure conscience And let them first be proued and then let them mynister yf they be blamelesse Euen so must their wyues be honest not euell speakers but sober and faithfull in all thinges Let the mynisters be euery one the huszbāde of one wyfe and soch as rule their children well and their owne housholdes For they that mynister well get them selues a good degree and greate libertye in the faith which is in Christ Iesu. These thinges wryte I vnto the trustinge shortly to come vnto the but yf I tary lōge that then thou mayest yet haue knowlege how thou oughtest to behaue thy selfe in Gods house which is the congregacion of the lyuynge God the piler and grounde of trueth and without naye greate is that mystery of godlynes God was shewed in the flesh was iustified in the sprete was sene of angels was preached vnto the Heythen was beleued on in the worlde was receaued vp in glory The IIII. Chapter THe sprete speaketh euydently that in y e latter tymes some shal departe from the faith and shal geue hede vnto spretes of erroure and deuelish doctrynes of them which speake false thorow ypocrysie and haue their cōscience marked with an whote yron forbyddinge to mary and cōmaundynge to abstayne frō the meates which God hath created to be receaued w t geuynge thankes of them which beleue and knowe the trueth For euery creature off God is good and nothinge to be refused y t is receaued with thankesgeuynge for it is sanctifyed by the worde of God and prayer Yf thou shalt put the brethren in remembraunce of these thinges thou shalt be a good mynister of Iesu Christ which hast bene norished vp in the wordes of faith and of good doctryne which thou hast folowed hither to As for vngoostly and olde wyuesh fables cast them awaye but exercyse thy selfe vnto godlynes For bodely exercyse profyteth litle but godlynes is profytable vnto all thinges as a thinge which hath promyses of the life that is now and of the life for to come This is a sure sayenge of all partes worthy to be receaued For therfore we laboure and suffre rebuke because we hope in the lyuynge God which is the Sauioure of all men but specially of those that beleue Soch thinges commaunde thou and teach Let no man despyse y e youth but be thou vnto them that beleue an ensample in worde in cōuersacion in loue in y e sprete in faith in purenesse Geue attendaunce to readynge to exhortacion to doctryne vntyll I come Be not necligent in the gifte that is geuen the thorow prophecye with layēge on of the handes of the Elders These thinges exercyse and geue thy selfe vnto them that thine increace maye be manifest vnto euery man Take hede vnto thy selfe and to learnynge cōtynue in these thinges For yf thou so do thou shalt saue thy selfe and them that hearethe The V. Chapter EEbuke not an Elder but exhorte him as a father and the yōger men as brethren the elder wemen as mothers the yonger as sisters with all purenes Hono r wedowes which are true wedowes Yf eny wedowe haue children or neves let them lerne first to rule their awne houses godly and to recompence their elders For y t is good acceptable before God But she that is a right wedowe desolate putteth hir trust in God cōtynueth in prayer and supplicacion nighte and daye But she that lyueth in pleasures is deed euen yet a lyne And these thinges commaunde that they maye be without blame But yf there be eny man that prouydeth not for his awne and specially for them of his houszholde the same hath denyed the faith and is worse then an infydele Let no wedowe be chosen vnder thre score yeare olde and soch one as was y e wife of one man and well reported of in good workes yf she haue brought vp children well yf she haue bene harberous yf she haue wasshed the sayntes fete yf she haue mynistred vnto thē which were in aduersite yf she were continually geuen to all maner of good workes But y e yonger wedowes refuse For whan they haue begonne to waxe wanton agaynst Christ then wil they mary hauynge their damnacion because they haue brokē y e first faith Besydes this they are ydell and lerne to runne aboute frō house to house Not onely are they ydell but also tryflinge busy bodies speakynge thinges which are not comly I wil therfore that the yonger wemen mary beare children gyde the house to geue y e aduersary no occasion to speake euell For some are turned back allready after Sathā Yf eny man or woman that beleueth
fro me of which sorte are Phigelus and Hermogenes The LORDE geue mercy vnto the house of Onesiphorus for he oft refreszhed me and was not aszhamed of my cheyne but whan he was at Rome he soughte me out very diligently and founde me The LORDE graunte vnto him that he maye fynde mercy with the LORDE in that daye And how moch he mynistred vnto me at Ephesus thou knowest very well The II. Chapter THou therfore my sonne be stronge thorow the grace which is in Christ Iesu. And what thinges thou hast herde of me by many witnesses the same commytte thou vnto faithfull men which are apte to teach other Thou therfore suffre affliccion as a good soudyer off Iesu Christ. No maÌ„ that warreth tangleth himselfe with wordly busynesses that because he wolde please him which hath chosen him to be a soudyer And though a man stryue for a mastrye yet is he not crowned excepte he stryue laufully The huszbandman that laboureth must first enioye the frutes Consydre what I saye The LORDE shal geue the vnderstondynge in all thinges Remembre that Iesus Christ beynge of the sede of Dauid rose agayne froÌ„ the deed acordynge to my Gospell wherein I suffre as an euell doer euen vnto bandes but the worde of God is not bounde Therfore suffre I all for the electes sakes that they also mighte optayne the saluacion in Christ Iesu with eternall glory This is a true sayenge Yf we be deed w t him we shal lyue with him also Yf we be pacient we shal also raigne with him Yf we denye him he also shal denye vs Yf we beleue not yet abydeth he faithfull he can not denye himselfe Of these thinges put thou them in remeÌ„braunce and testifye before the LORDE that they stryue not aboute wordes which is to no profit but to peruerte the hearers Study to shewe thy selfe vnto God a laudable workman that nedeth not to be ashamed deuydynge the worde of trueth iustly As for vngoostly and vayne talkynges eschue them for they helpe moch to vngodlynes and their worde fretteth as doth a canker Of whose nombre is Hymeneos Philetus which as concernynge the trueth haue erred sayenge that the resurreccion is past allready and haue destroyed the faith of dyuerse personnes But y e sure grounde of God stondeth fast and hath this seale The LORDE knoweth them that are his and let euery maÌ„ that calleth vpon the name of Christ departe from iniquyte Notwithstondynge in a greate house are not onely vessels of golde and of syluer but also of wod and of earth some for honoure and some to dishonoure But yf a man pourge himselfe from soch felowes he shal be a vessell sanctified vnto honoure mete for the LORDE and prepared vnto all good workes Fle thou the lustes of youth â–ª but folowe righteousnes faith loue peace â–ª with all them that call vpon the LORDâ— with pure hert As for folish questions anâ— soch as teach not put them froÌ„ the for thoâ— knowest that they do but geÌ„der stryfe Thâ— seruaunt of the LORDE ought not to stryue but to be gentle vnto euery man apte to teach one that can forbeare the euell one y t can with mekenesse enfourme â—hem y t 〈◊〉 yf God at eny tyme wyl geue 〈…〉 for to knowe the trueth 〈…〉 agayne from the snare of 〈…〉 are holden in preson of him 〈…〉 The III. Chapter BVT this shalt thou knowe that in the last dayes shal come parelous tymes For there shal be meÌ„ which shal holde of theÌ„ selues couetous boasters proude cursed speakers dishobedient to their elders vnthankfull vngoostly vnkynde truce breakers false accusers ryatours fearce despysers of them which are good traytours heady hye mynded gredy vpon voluptuousnes more then the louers of God hauynge a shyne off godly lyuynge but denyenge the power therof And soch avoyde Of this sorte are they which ruÌ„ne froÌ„ house to house brynge in to bondage wemeÌ„ ladeÌ„ w t synne which wemen are led with dyuerse lustes euer lernynge and are neuer able to come vnto the knowlege of the trueth But like as Iamnes and IaÌ„bres withstode Moses euen so do these also resist the trueth meÌ„ they are of corrupte myndes and lewde as coÌ„cernynge y e faith but they shal preuayle no longer For their folishnes shal be manifest vnto all men as theirs was But thou hast sene the experience of my doctryne my faszhion of lyuynge my purpose my faith my longsufferynge my loue my pacience my persecucions my affliccions which happened vnto me at Antioche at Iconium at Lystra which persecucions I suffred paciently and from theÌ„ all the LORDE delyuered me Yee and all they that wil lyue godly in Christ Iesu must suffre persecucion But the euell men and disceauers shal waxe worse and worse disceauynge and beynge disceaued But contynue thou in the thinges that thou hast lerned which also were coÌ„mytted vnto the seynge thou knowest of whoÌ„ thou hast learned them And for so moch as thou hast knowne holy scripture of a childe the same is able to make y e wyse vnto saluacion thorow the faith in Christ Iesu. For all scripture geueÌ„ by inspiracion of God is profitable to teach to improue to amende and to instructe in righteousnes that a man off God maye be perfecte and prepared vnto all good workes The IIII. Chapter I Testifye therfore before God before the LORDE Iesu Christ which shal come to iudge the lyuynge and â—he deed at â—is appearynge in his kyngdoâ—◠〈…〉 each â—hou the worde be feruent be it 〈…〉 out of season Improue rebuke 〈…〉 all longe sufferynge and 〈…〉 wil come whan they shal not suffre wholsome doctryne but after their awne lustes shal they whose eares ytche get them an heape of teachers and shal turne their eares from the trueth and shal be geuen vnto fables But watch thou in all thinges suffre aduersite do the worke of a preacher of the Gospell fulfyll thine office vnto the vttemost For I am now ready to be offered and the tyme of my departinge is at honde I haue foughte a good fighte I haue fulfylled the course I haue kepte the faith From hence forth there is layed vp for me a crowne of righteousnes which the LORDE the righteous iudge shal geue me in y t daye Howbeit not vnto me onely but vnto all them that loue his coÌ„mynge Make spede to come vnto me at once For Demas hath lefte me and loueth this present worlde and is departed vnto Tessalonica Crescens in to Galacia Titus vnto Dalmacia Onely Lucas is with me Take Marke brynge him with the for he is profitable vnto me to the mynistracion Tichicus haue I sent to Ephesus The cloke that I lefte at Troada with Carpus brynge with the whan thou commest and the bokes but specially the parchemeÌ„t AlexaÌ„der the coppersmyth dyd me moch euell the LORDE rewarde him
acordynge to his dedes of whom be thou ware also For he withstode oure wordes sore In my first answerynge no man assisted me but all forsoke me I praye God that it be not layed to their charges Notwitstondynge the LORDE stode by me streÌ„gthed me that by me the preachinge shulde be fulfylled to the vttemost and that all the HeytheÌ„ shulde heare And I was delyuered out of the mouth of the lyon And the LORDE shal delyuer me from all euell doynge and shal kepe me vnto his heauenly kyngdome To whom be prayse for euer and euer Amen Salute Prisca and Aquila and y e houszholde of Onesiphorus Erastus abode at Corinthum But Trophimus left I sicke at MiletuÌ„ Make spede to come before wynter Eubolus and Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brethren salute the. The LORDE Iesus Christ be with thy sprete Grace be with you Amen The seconde epistle vnto Timothy wrytten from Rome whaÌ„ Paul was presented the seconde tyme before the Emperoure Nero. The Epistle of of the Apostle S. Paul vnto Titus The summe of this epistle Chap. I. Paul exhorteth Titus to ordene prestes or biszhoppes in euery cite declareth what maner of men they ought to be that are chosen to that office and chargeth Titus to rebuke soch as withstonde the gospell Chap. II. He telleth him how he shal teach all degrees to behaue them selues Chap. III. Of obedience to soch as be in auctorite He warneth Titus to bewarre of foolish and vnprofitable questions The first Chapter PAUL the seruaunt of God and an Apostle off Iesus Christ to preach the faith off Gods electe and the knowlege of y e trueth which ledeth vnto god lynes vpon the hope of eternall life which God that can not lye hath promysed before the tymes of the worlde but at his tyme hath opened his worde thorow preachinge which is commytted vnto me acordinge to the commaundemeÌ„t of God oure Sauioure Vnto Titus my naturall sonne after y e comen faith Grace mercy and peace from God the father and froÌ„ the LORDE Iesu Christ oure Sauioure For this cause left I the in Creta that thou shuldest perfourme that which was lackynge and shuldest ordeyne Elders in euery cite as I appoynted ye. Yf eny be blamelesse the huszbande of one wife hauynge faithfull children which are not slaundred of ryote nether are dishobedient For a Bisshoppe must be blamelesse as the stewarde of God not wylfull not angrye not geuen vnto moch wyne no fyghter not gredye of filthye lucre but harbarous one that loueth goodnes sober mynded righteous holy temperate and soch one as cleueth vnto the true worde of doctryne that he maye be able to exhorte with wholsome lernynge to improue them that saye agaynst it For there are many dishobedient and talkers of vanite and disceauers of myndes namely they of the circuÌ„cision whose mouthes must be stopped which peruerte whole houses teachinge thinges which they oughte not because of filthye lucre One of them selues euen their awne prophet sayde The Cretayns are alwayes lyars euell beestes and slowe belies This witnesse is true Wherfore rebuke them sharply y t they maye be sounde in the faith and not to take hede vnto Iewes fables and commaundementes of men which turne them awaye from the trueth Vnto y e cleane are all thinges cleane but to the vncleane vnbeleuers there is nothinge cleane but both their mynde conscience is defyled They saye that they knowe God but with the dedes they denye him for so moch as they are abhominable and dishobedient and vnmete to all good workes The II. Chapter BVt speake thou that which becommeth wholsome learnynge That y e elder men be sober honest discrete sounde in the faith in loue in pacience And the elder wemen likewyse that they shewe them selues as it becommeth holynes that they be no false accusers not geuen to moch wyne that they teach honest thinges that they enfourme the yonge wemen to be sober mynded to loue their huszbandes to loue their childreÌ„ to be discrete chaste huszwyfly good obedient vnto their awne huszbandes that the worde of God be not euell spoken of Exhorte the yonge men likewyse that they be sober mynded Aboue all thinge shewe thy selfe an ensample off good workes with vncorrupte doctryne with honestye with the wholsome worde which can not be rebuked that he which withstoÌ„deth maye be ashamed hauynge nothinge in you that he maye disprayse Exhorte the seruauntes to be obedient vnto their masters to please in all thinges not answeringe agayne nether to be pykers but to shewe all good faithful◠〈…〉 in all thinges they maye do 〈…〉 to the doctryne off God oure 〈…〉 For the grace of God that bryngeth 〈…〉 vnto all men hath appeared and teacheth vs that we shulde denye vngodlynes and wordly lustes and that we shulde lyue discretly righteously and godly in this worlde lokynge for that blessed hope and appearynge of the glory of y e greate God and of oure Sauioure Iesu Christ which gaue him selfe for vs to redeme vs froÌ„ all vnrighteousnes and to pourge vs to be a peculiar people vnto himselfe to be feruently geuen vnto good workes These thinges speake and exhorte and rebuke with all earnest Se that no man despyse the. The III. Chapter WArne them that they submytte them selues vnto Prynces and to the hyer auctorite to obey the officers to be ready vnto all good workes that they speake euell of no man that they be no stryuers but soft shewynge all mekenes vnto all men For we oure selues also were in tymes past vnwyse dishobedient in erroure seruynge lustes and dyuerse maners of voluptuousnes lyuynge in maliciousnes and envye full of hate hatynge one another But after that y e kyndnesse and loue of God oure Sauioure to man warde appeared not for y e dedes of righteousnes which we wroughte but after his mercy he saued vs by the fountayne of the new byrth and renuynge of the holy goost which he shed on vs abundauntly thorow Iesus Christ oure Sauioure y t we beynge made righteous by his grace shulde be heyres of eternall life acordynge to hope This is a true sayeÌ„ge Of these thinges wolde I that thou shuldest speake earnestly that they which are become beleuers in God might be diligent to excell in good workes for these thinges are good and profitable vnto meÌ„ As for folish questions and genealogies and braulynges and stryuynges aboute y e lawe auoyde theÌ„ for they are vnprofitable and vayne A maÌ„ that is geuen vnto heresye after y e first and seconde monicion auoyde and knowe that he that is soch is peruerted synneth euen â—amned by his awne iudgment Whan I shal sende Artemas or Tichicus â—â—to y e make spede to come to me vnto Niâ—â—polis for I haue determyned there to â—â—ynter Brynge Zenas y e Scrybe and Apolâ—â—s on their iourney diligently
flye the corrupte lust of the worlde Geue ye all youre diligence therfore here vnto and in youre faith mynister vertue in vertue knowlege in knowlege temperancy in temperancy pacience in pacience godlynes in godlynes brotherly loue in brotherly loue generall loue For yf these thinges be plenteous in you they will not let you be ydle nor vnfrutefull in y e knowlege of oure LORDE Iesus Christ. But he that lacketh these thinges is blynde gropeth for the waye with the hāde and hath forgotten that he was clensed from his olde synnes Wherfore brethrē geue the more diligence to make youre callynge and eleccion sure for yf ye do soch thinges ye shal not fall and by this meanes shal there be plenteously mynistred vnto you an entrynge in vnto y e euerlastinge kyngdome of oure LORDE and Sauioure Iesus Christ. Therfore wil I not be necligēt to put you allwayes in remembraunce of soch thinges though ye knowe them youre selues and be stablished in the present trueth Notwithstondinge I thinke it mete as lōge as I am in this tabernacle to stere you vp by puttinge you in remembraunce For I am sure that I must shortly put of my tabernacle euen as oure LORDE Iesus Christ hath shewed vnto me Yet wyl I do my diligēce that allwaye after my departynge ye maye haue wherwith to kepe these thinges in remembraunce For we folowed not deceaueable fables whan we declared vnto you the power and commynge of oure LORDE Iesus Christ but with oure eyes we sawe his maiestie whan he receaued of God the father honoure prayse by a voyce that came vnto him from the excellent glory after this maner This is my deare sonne in whom I haue delyte And this voyce herde we broughte downe frō heauen whan we were with him on the holy mount We haue also a sure worde of prophecie and ye do well that ye take hede thervnto as vnto a lighte that shyneth in a darke place vntyll the daye dawne and the daye starre aryse in youre hertes And this shal ye knowe first that no prophecie in the scripture is done of eny priuate interpretacion For the prophecie was neuer broughte by the wyll of man but the holy men of God spake as they were moued of y e holy goost The II. Chapter BVt there were false prophetes also amonge the people euen as there shal be false teachers amonge you likewyse which preuely shal brynge in damnable sectes euen denyenge the LORDE that hath boughte them and shal brynge vpon them selues swift damnacion and many shal folowe their damnable wayes by whō the waye of the trueth shal be euell spokē of and thorow cuvetousnes shal they with fayned wordes make marchaundise of you vpō whō the iudgment is not necligēt in tarienge of olde and their damnacion slepeth not For yf God spared not the angels that synned but cast them downe with the cheynes of darknes in to hell and delyuered thē ouer to be kepte vnto iudgment Nether spared the olde worlde but saued Noe the preacher of righteousnes himselfe beynge y e eight and brought the floude vpō the worlde of the vngodly And turned the cities of Sodom and Gomor into aszhes ouerthrue them damned them and made on them an ensample vnto those that after shulde lyue vngodly And delyuered iust Loth which was vexed with the vngodly conuersacion of y e wicked For in so moch as he was righteous and dwelt amonge them so that he must nedes se it and heare it his righteous soule was greued from to daye to daye with their vnlaufull dedes The LORDE knoweth how to delyuer the godly out of tentacion and how to reserue the vniust vnto the daye of iudgment for to be punyshed but specially them that walke after the flesh in y e lust of vnclennes and despyse the rulers beynge presumptuous stubborne and feare not to speake euell of thē y t are in auctorite whā the angels yet which are greater both in power and might beare not that blasphemous iudgment agaynst them of the LORDE But these are as y e brute beestes which naturally are broughte forth to be takē and destroyed speakynge euell of y t they knowe not and shal perishe in their owne destruccion and so receaue y e rewarde of vnrighteousnes They counte it pleasure to lyue deliciously for a season Spottes are they and fylthynes lyuynge at pleasure and in disceaueable wayes feastynge w t that which is youres hauynge eyes full of aduoutrye and cā not ceasse from synne entysinge vnstable soules hauynge an hert exercysed w t couetousnes they are cursed children and haue forsaken the righte waye and are gone astraye folowinge the waye of Balaam the sonne of Bosor which loued the rewarde of vnrighteousnes but was rebuked of his iniquyte The tame and domme beast spake with mās voyce forbad the foolishnes of y e prophet These are welles without water cloudes caried aboute of a tēpest to whō y e myst of darknesse is reserued foreuer For they speake y e proude wordes of vanite vnto y e vttemost and entyse thorow wantannes vnto y e luste of the flesh euen them that were cleane escaped and now walke in erroure and promyse them libertye where as they them selues are seruauntes off corrupcion For off whom so euer a man is ouercome vnto the same is he in bondage For yf they after they haue escaped from the fylthynes of the worlde thorow the knowlege of y e LORDE and Sauioure Iesus Christ are yet tangled agayne therin and ouercome then is the latter ende worse vnto them then the begynnynge For it had bene better for them not to haue knowne the waye of righteousnes then after they haue knowne it to turne from the holy commaundemēt that was geuen vnto them It is happened vnto them acordynge vnto the true prouerbe y e dogg is turned to his vomyte agayne and y e sowe that was waszhed vnto hir walowynge in the myre The III. Chapter THis is the seconde Epistle that I now wryte vnto you ye dearly beloued wherin I stere vp and warne youre pure mynde that ye maye remembre the wordes which were tolde before of the holy prophetes and also the commaundement of vs that be the Apostles of the LORDE and Sauioure This first vnderstonde that in the last dayes there shal come mockers which wyll walke after their awne lustes saye Where is the promes of his commynge For sence the fathers fell on slepe euery thinge contynueth as it was from the begynnynge of y e creature This they knowe not and that wylfully how that the heauens were afore tyme also and the earth out of the water was in the water by the worde of God yet was the worlde at that tyme destroyed by the same with the floude But the heauens which are yet and y e earth are kepte in stoare by his worde to be
reserued vnto fyre agaynst the daye of iudgment and damnacion of vngodlymen Dearly beloued be not ignoraunt of this one thinge how that one daye is with the LORDE as a thousande yeare and a thousande yeare as one daye The LORDE is not slacke to fulfyll his promes as some mē counte slacknesse but is paciēt to vs warde and wyl not that eny mā shulde be lost but that euery man shulde amende himselfe Neuertheles the daye of the LORDE shal come euen as a these in the night in the which daye the heauens shal perishe with a greate noyse and the Elementes shal melte with heate and the earth and y e workes that are therin shal burne Yf all these thinges shal perishe what maner persons then ought ye to be in holy cōuersacion and godlynes lokynge for and hastynge vnto the commynge of the LORDE In the which the heauens shal perishe with fyre and the elementes shal melt with heate Neuertheles we loke for a new heauen and a new earth acordynge to his promes wherin dwelleth righteousnes Wherfore dearly beloued seynge that ye loke for soch thinges be diligent y t ye maye be founde before him in peace without spot and vndefyled and counte the long sufferynge of oure LORDE youre saluacion Euen as oure dearly beloued brother Paul acordinge to the wyszdome geuē vnto him wrote vnto you yee speakinge ther of allmost in all Epistles wherin are many thinges harde to be vnderstonde which they that are vnlerned and vnstable peruerte as they do the other scriptures also to their awne dānacion Ye therfore beloued seynge ye knowe it before hande bewarre lest ye also be plucte awaye thorow the erroure of y e wicked and fall from yo r owne sted fastnes But growe in grace and in the knowlege of oure LORDE and Sauioure Iesus Christ. To him be prayse now and for euer Amen The first Epistle of the Apostle and Euangelist S. Ihon. The summe of this epistle Chap. I. True wytnesse of the euerlastinge worde of God The bloude of Christ is the purgacion from synne No man is without synne Chap. II. Christ is oure aduocate Of true loue and how it is tryed Chap. III. The synguler loue of God to warde vs and how we agayne oughte to loue one another Chap. IIII. Difference of spretes and how the sprete of God maye be knowne from the sprete of erroure Of the loue of God and of oure neghbours Chap. V. To loue God is to kepe his commaundemētes Faith ouercommeth the worlde Euerlastinge life is in the sonne of God ▪ Of the synne vnto death The first Chapter THat which was from y e begynnynge which we haue herde which we haue sene with o r eyes which we haue loked vpon and o r handes haue handled of the worde of life and the life hath appeared and we haue sene and beare wytnes and shewe vnto you y e life that is euerlastinge which was with the father and hath apeared vnto vs. That which we haue sene herde declare we vnto you that ye also maye haue fellishippe with vs and that oure fellishippe maye be with the father and with his sonne Iesus Christ. And this wryte we vnto you that youre ioye maye be full And this is the tydinges which we haue herde of him declare vnto you that ▪ God is lighte and in him is no darknes at all Yf we saye that we haue fellishippe with him and yet walke in darknes we lye and do not the trueth But yf we walke in lighte euen as he is in lighte then haue we fellishippe together and the bloude of Iesus Christ his sonne clenseth vs from all synne Yf we saye that we haue no synne we disceaue oure selues and the trueth is not in vs. But yf we knowlege oure synnes he is faith full and iust to forgeue vs oure synnes to clense vs from all vnrighteousnes Yf we saye we haue not synned we make him a lyar and his worde is not in vs. The II. Chapter MY litle children these thinges wryte I vnto you that ye shulde not synne and yf eny man synne we haue an aduocate with the father euen Iesus Christ which is righteous and he it is that optayneth grace for oure synnes not for oure synnes onely but also for the synnes of all the worlde And hereby are we sure that we knowe him yf we kepe his cōmaundemētes He that sayeth I knowe him and kepeth not his cōmaundemētes is a lyar and the trueth is not in him But who so kepeth his worde in him is the loue of God perfecte in dede Hereby knowe we that we are in him He y t sayeth he abydeth in him oughte to walke euen as he walked Brethren I wryte no new commaundement vnto you but that olde commaundement which ye haue herde from the begynnynge The olde cōmaundement is the worde which ye haue herde from the begynnynge Agayne a new cōmaundemēt wryte I vnto you a thinge that is true in him also in you for the darknesse is past and the true lighte now shyneth He that sayeth he is in lighte and hateth his brother is yet in darknesse He y t loueth his brother abydeth in the lighte and there is none occasion of euell in him But he y t hateth his brother is in darknes and walketh in darknes and can not tell whither he goeth for y e darknes hath blynded his eyes Babes I wryte vnto you that yo r synnes are forgeuen you for his names sake I wryte vnto you fathers how that ye haue knowne him which is from y e begynnynge I wryte vnto you yonge mē how that ye haue euercome the wicked I wryte vnto you litle children how that ye haue knowne the father I haue wrytten vnto you fathers how that ye haue knowne him which is frō the begynnynge I haue wrytten vnto you yonge men how that ye are stronge and the worde of God abydeth in you and ye haue ouer come that wicked Se that ye loue not the worlde nether y e thinges that are in the worlde Yf eny man loue the worlde the loue of the father is not in him for all that is in the worlde namely the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pryde of life is not of the father but of the worlde And the worlde passeth awaye and the lust therof But he that fulfylleth the wyll of God abydeth for euer Litle children it is the last houre and as ye haue herde that Antechrist shal come euen now are there many become Antechristes allready wherby we knowe that it is y e last houre They wente out frō vs but they were not of vs for yf they had bene of vs they wolde no doute haue contynued with vs. But * that they maye be knowne 〈◊〉 that they are not all of vs. But ye haue the anoyntinge of 〈…〉 holy ye knowe all thīges
I haue 〈…〉 vnto you as though ye knewe not y e trâ—eth but ye knowe it are sure y t no lye coÌ„meth of y e trueth Who is a lyar but he y t denyeth y e Iesus is Christ The same is y e Antichrist y t denyeth the father y e sonne Whosoeuer denyeth the sonne the same hath not the father Loke what ye haue herde now from y e begynnynge let the same abyde in you Yf y t which he herde from the begynnynge shal remayne in you then shal ye also abyde in y e sonne and in the father And this is the promes y t he hath promysed vs eueÌ„ eternall life This haue I wrytteÌ„ vnto you coÌ„cerninge theÌ„ that disceaue you And the anoyntinge which ye haue receaued of him dwelleth in you ye nede not y t eny maÌ„ teach you but as the anoyntinge teacheth you all thiÌ„ges euen so is it true is no lye And as it hath taughte you eueÌ„ so abide ye therin And now babes abyde in hiÌ„ y t whaÌ„ he shal appeare we maye be bolde not be made ashamed of him at his commynge Yf ye knowe y t he is righteous knowe also that he which doth righteousnes is borne of him The III. Chapter BEholde what loue the father hath shewed on vs y t we shulde be called the childreÌ„ of God Therfore y e worlde knoweth you not because it knoweth not him Dearly beloued we are now y e childreÌ„ of God and yet hath it not appeared what we shal be But we knowe y t when he shal appeare we shal be like him for we shal se him as he is And euery man y t hath this hope in him pourgeth him selfe euen as he is pure Who so euer coÌ„mytteth synne coÌ„mytteth vnrighteousnes also and synne is vnrighteousnes And ye knowe that he appeared to take awaye oure synnes and in him is no synne Who so euer abydeth in him synneth not who soeuer synneth hath not sene him nether knowne him Babes let no man disceaue you He that doeth righteousnes is righteous euen as he is righteous He that commytteth synne is of the deuell for the deuell synneth sence y e begynnynge For this purpose appeared the sonne of God to lowse the workes of the deuell * Who so euer is borne of God synneth not for his * sede remayneth in him he caÌ„ not synne because he is borne of God * By this are the children of God knowne the children of the deuell Who so euer doeth not righteousnes is not of God nether he 〈◊〉 loueth not his brother 〈◊〉 this is the tydinges which ye haue 〈◊〉 the begynnynge that ye shulde 〈◊〉 one another * not as Cain â–ª which was of the wicked and slewe his brother And wherfore slewe he him euen because his awne workes were euell and his brothers righteous Maruayle not my brethren though the worlde hate you We knowe y t we are traÌ„slated from death vnto life because we loue the brethren He that loueth not his brother abydeth in death Who soeuer hateth his brother is a mansleyer And ye knowe that a mansleyer hath not eternall life abydinge in him Hereby haue we perceaued loue that he gaue his life for vs and therfore ought we also to geue oure lyues for the brethreÌ„ But he y t hath this worldes good seyth his brother haue nede and shutteth vp his hert froÌ„ him how dwelleth the loue of God in him My litle children let vs not loue with worde nether with tonge but with y e dede and with the trueth Hereby knowe we that we are of the verite and can quyete oure hertes before him But yf oure hert condemne vs God is greater theÌ„ oure hert and knoweth all thinges Dearly beloued yf oure hert condemne vs not then haue we a fre boldnes to God warde And what so euer we axe we shal receaue it because we kepe his coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes and do those thinges which are pleasaunt in his sighte And this is his coÌ„maundement that we beleue on y e name of his sonne Iesus Christ and loue one another as he gaue commaundement And he that kepeth his commaundementes dwelleth in him and he in him And hereby knowe we that he abydeth in vs euen by the sprete which he hath geuen vs. The IIII. Chapter DEarly beleued beleue not ye euery sprete but proue the spretes whether they be of God For many false prophetes are gone out in to the worlde Hereby shal ye knowe the sprete of God Euery sprete which confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God And euery sprete which confesseth not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is not off God And this is that sprete of Antechrist off whom ye haue herde how that he shal come and euen now allready is he in the worlde Litle children ye are off God and haue ouer come them for greater is he that is in you then he that is in the worlde They are off the worlde therfore speake they off the worlde and the worlde herkeneth vnto them We are of God and he that knoweth God herkeneth vnto vs he that is not of God heareth vs not Hereby knowe we the sprete of trueth and y e sprete of erroure Dearly beloued let vs loue one another for loue commeth of God And euery one y t loueth is borne of God and knoweth God He that loueth not knoweth not God for God is loue By this appeared the loue of God to vs warde because that God sent his onely begotten sonne in to this worlde that we mighte lyue thorow him Herein is loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs and sent his sonne to make agremeÌ„t for oure synnes Dearly beloued yf God so loued vs we oughte also to loue one another No man hath sene God at eny tyme. Yf we loue one another God dwelleth in vs and his loue is perfecte in vs. Hereby knowe we that we dwell in him and he in vs because he hath geuen vs of his sprete And we haue sene testifye that the father sent the sonne to be the Sauioure of the worlde Who soeuer now confesseth y t Iesus is the sonne of God in him dwelleth God and he in God and we haue knowne and beleued the loue that God hath to vs. God is loue and he that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God and God in him Here in is the loue perfecte with vs that we shulde haue a fre boldnesse in the daye of iudgment for as he is eueÌ„ so are we in this worlde Feare is not in loue but perfecte loue casteth out feare for feare hath paynefulnes He that feareth is not perfecte in loue Let vs loue him for he loued vs first Yf eny man saye I loue God yet hateth his brother he is a lyar For he that loueth not his brother whom he seyth how can he loue God whom he