on the sonne hath euerlastinge life he that beleueth not the sonne shal not se the life but y e wrath of God abydeth vpon him The IIII. Chapter NOw whan Iesus had knowlege y t it was come to the eares of the Pharises that Iesus made and baptised mo disciples thē Ihon howbeit Iesus himself baptysed not but his disciples he left the londe of Iewry and departed agayne in to Galile But he must nedes go thorow Samaria Then came he in to a cite of Samaria called Sichar nye vnto y e pece of lōde y t Iacob gaue vnto Ioseph his sonne And there was Iacobs well Now whan Iesus was weerye of his iourney he satt hī downe so vpō the well And it was aboute the sixte houre Then came there a woman of Samaria to drawe water Iesus sayde vnto her Geue me drynke For his disciples were gone their waye in to y e cite to bye meate So the woman of Samaria sayde vnto him How is it that thou axest drynke of me seynge thou art a Iewe and I a woman of Samaria For the Iewes medle not with the Samaritans Iesus answered and sayde vnto her Yf thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that sayeth vnto the geue me drynke thou woldest axe of him and he wolde geue the the water of life The woman sayde vnto him Syr thou hast nothinge to drawe withall and the well is depe from whence hast thou then that water of life Art thou greater then oure father Iacob which gaue vs this well And he himself dranke therof and his children and his catell Iesus answered and sayde vnto her Who so euer drynketh of this water shal thyrst agayne But whosoeuer shal drynke of the water that I shal geue him shal neuer be more a thyrst but the water that I shal geue him shal be in him a well of water which spryngeth vp in to euerlastinge life The woman sayde vnto him Syr geue me that same water that I thyrst not nether nede to come hither to drawe Iesus sayde vnto her Go call they huszbande and come hither The woman answered and sayde vnto him I haue no huszbande Iesus sayde vnto her Thou hast sayde well I haue no huszbande for thou hast had fyue huszbandes and he whom thou hast now is not thine huszbande there saydest thou right The womā sayde vnto him Syr I se that thou art a prophet Oure father 's worshipped vpon this mountayne and ye saye that at Ierusalem is the place where men ought to worshippe Iesus sayde vnto her Woman beleue me the tyme commeth that ye shal nether vpon this mountayne ner at Ierusalem worshippe the father Ye wote not what ye worshippe but we knowe what we worshippe for Saluacion commeth of the Iewes But the tyme commeth and is now allready that the true worshippers shal worshippe the father in sprete and in the trueth For the father wil haue soch so to worshippe him God is a sprete and they that worshippe him must worshippe in sprete and in the trueth The womā sayde vnto him I wote that Messias shal come which is called Christ. Whan he commeth he shal tell vs all thinges Iesus sayde vnto her I that speake vnto the am he And in the meane season came his disciples and they marueyled that he talked with the woman Yet sayde no man What axest thou or what talkest thou with her Then the woman let hir pot stonde and wente in to the cite and sayde vnto the people Come se a man which hath tolde me all that euer ▪ I dyd Is not he Christ Then wente they out of the cite and came vnto him In the meane whyle his disciples prayed him and sayde Master eate But he sayde vnto them I haue meate to eate that ye knowe not of Then sayde the disciples amōge them selues Hath eny man brought him meate Iesus sayde vnto thē My meate is this that I do the wyll of him that sent me and to fynish his worke Saye not ye youre selues There are yet foure monethes and then commeth the haruest Beholde I saye vnto you lift vp youre eyes and loke vpon the felde for it is whyte allready vnto the haruest And he that reapeth receaueth rewarde and gathereth frute to euerlastinge life that both he that soweth and he that reapeth maye reioyse together For herin is the prouerbe true One soweth another reapeth I haue sent you to reape that wheron ye bestowed no laboure Other haue laboured and ye are come in to their laboures Many Samaritans of the same cite beleued on him for the sayenge of the woman which testified He hath tolde me all that euer I dyd Now whan the Samaritans came to him they besought him that he wolde tary with them And he abode there two dayes and many mo beleued because of his worde and sayde vnto the woman We beleue now hence forth not because of thy sayenge we haue herde him oureselues and knowe that this of a trueth is Christ the Sauioure of the worlde After two dayes he departed thence and wente in to Galile For Iesus himself testified that a prophet is nothinge set by at home Now whā he came in to Galile the Galileās receaued him which had sene all that he dyd at Ierusalem in the feast for they also were come thither in the feast And Iesus came agayne vnto Cana in Galile where he turned the water vnto wyne And there was a certayne ruler whose sonne laye sicke at Capernaum This herde that Iesus came out of Iewry in to Galile and wente vnto him and besought him that he wolde come downe and helpe his sonne for he laye deed sicke And Iesus sayde vnto him Excepte ye se tokens and wonders ye beleue not The ruler sayde vnto him Come downe Syr or euer my childe dye Iesus sayde vnto him Go thy waye thy sonne lyueth The man beleued the worde that Iesus sayde vnto him and wente his waye And as he was goinge downe his seruauntes mett him and tolde him and sayde Thy childe lyueth Then enquyred he of them the houre wherin he beganne to amende And they sayde vnto him Yesterdaye aboute the seuēth houre the feuer left him Then the father perceaued that it was aboute the same houre wherin Iesus sayde vnto him Thy sonne lyueth And he beleued with his whole house This is now the seconde token that Iesus dyd whan he came from Iewry in to Galile The V. Chapter AFterwarde there was a feast of the Iewes and Iesus wente vp to Ierusalem There is at Ierusalem by the slaughter house a pole which in Hebrue is called Bethseda hath fyue porches wherin laye many sicke blynde lame wythred which wayted whan the water shulde moue For the angell wente downe at his tyme in to the pole and stered the water Who so euer now wente downe first after that the water was stered y e same was made whole what soeuer disease he had And
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
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
I will sende you 〈◊〉 y ◠prophet before the cōmynge off the daye of the great and fearfull LORDE He shall 〈◊〉 the hertes of the fathers to their children and the hertes of the children to their fathers that I come not and smyte the earth with cursynge The ende of the prophet Malachy APOCRIPHA The bokes and treatises which amonge the fathers of olde are not rekened to be of like authorite with the other bokes of the byble nether are they foūde in the Canon of the Hebrue The thirde boke of Eszdras The fourth boke of Eszdras The boke of Tobias The boke of Iudith Certayne chapters of Hester The boke of Wyszdome Ecclesiasticus The Storye of Susanna The Storye of Bell. The first boke of the Machabees The seconde boke of the Machabees Vnto these also belongeth Baruc whom we haue set amōge the prophetes next vnto Ieremy because he was his scrybe and in his tyme. The transzlatoure vnto the reader THese bokes good reader which be called Apocrypha are not iudged amonge the doctours to be of like reputacion with the other scripture as thou mayest perceaue by S. Ierome in epistola ad Paulinum And the chefe cause therof is this there be many places in them that seme to be repugnaunt vnto the open and manyfest trueth in the other bokes of the byble Neuertheles I haue not gathered them together to the intent that I wolde haue them despysed or litle sett by or that I shulde thinke them false for I am not able to proue it Yee I doute not verely yf they were equally conferred with the other open scripture tyme place and circumstaunce in all thinges considered they shulde nether seme contrary ner be vntruly peruersly aledged Treuth it is A mās face can not be sene so wel in a water as in a fayre glasse nether cā it be shewed so clearly in a water that is stered or moued as in a styll water These many other darck places of scripture haue bene sore stered and myxte with blynde and cuvetous opynions of men which haue cast soch a myst afore the eyes of y e symple that as longe as they be not cōferred with the other places of scripture they shall not seme other wyse to be vnderstonde then as cuvetousnes expoundeth them But who so euer thou be that readest scripture let the holy goost be thy teacher and let one text expounde another vnto the As for soch dreames visions and darck sentences as be hyd from thy vnderstondinge commytte them vnto God and make no articles of them But let the playne text be thy gyde and the sprete of God which is the author therof shal lede the in all trueth As for the prayer of Salomō which thou findest not herin y e prayer of Azarias and the swete songe that he and his two felowes songe in the fyre the first namely the prayer of Salomon readest thou in the eight chapter of the thirde boke of the kynges so that it appeareth not to be Apocryphum The other prayer and songe namely of the thre children haue I not founde amonge eny of the interpreters but onely in the olde latyn texte which reporteth it to be of Theodotios translacion Neuertheles both because of those y t be weake and scrupulous and for their sakes also that loue soch swete songes of thankesgeuinge I haue not left them out to the intent that the one shulde haue no cause to complayne and that the other also might haue the more occasion to geue thankes vnto God in aduersite as the thre children dyd in the fyre Grace be with the. Amen The thirde boke of Eszdras What this boke conteyneth Chap. I. The vertuous kynge Osias renueth the seruyce of God setteth the prestes in their ordre and holdeth the feast of Easter Of his death Of Iechonias his sonne Of kynge Ioachim and Sedechias Chap. II. God moueth kinge Cyrus to delyuer the presoners like as he promysed by the prophet Ieremy Of kynge Artaxerses by whose auctorite the Iewes are forbydden to buylde vp Ierusalem Chap. III. Of the feast that kinge Darius made and of the thre yonge men that wrote euery one his sentence to proue who might saye the best The first sheweth his mynde Chap. IIII. The seconde goeth aboute to proue his sentence the wisest but Zorobabel getteth the victory for the trueth beareth euer the bell Darius cōmaundeth to buylde vp Ierusalem agayne Chap. V. What they be how many that come agayne to Ierusalem out of the captiuyte of Babilon The tēple and the altare are buylded agayne The Heithen withstonde them Chap. VI. The officers in Syria laboure vnto kynge Darius to forbyd the buyldinge of the temple at Ierusalem but he commaundeth to kepe the ordinaunce that kynge Cyrus made before Chap. VII The aduersaries myndes are satisfied the buyldinge is fynished and the Passeouer holden Chap. VIII How Eszdras and the other beinge discharged by the letters and commaūdemēt of kinge Artaxerses go vp to Ierusalem The complaynte concernynge those that were defyled and vncleane Chap. IX Of the councell that was taken as touchinge the vncleane mariage The first Chapter ANd Iosias helde the feast of Easter in Ierusalem vnto the LORDE and slewe y e Passeouer the xiiij daye of the first moneth He set y e prestes also in ordre acordīge to their daylie courses beynge arayed in longe garmētes in the tēple of the LORDE And he spake vnto the Leuites the holy ministers of Israel that they shulde halowe them selues vnto the LORDE to set the holy arke of the LORDE in the house that kynge Salomō the sonne of Dauid had buylded and sayde Ye shal nomore beare the Arke vpon yo r shulders Now serue yoo r LORDE take the charge of his people of Israel after youre vyllagies and youre trybes acordinge as kynge Dauid the kynge of Israel hath ordened acordinge as Salomon his sonne hath honorably prepared Yee loke y t ye all do seruyce in the temple acordinge to the ordringe and distribucion of the pryncipall mē which are appoynted out of the trybes to do seruyce for the childrē of Israel Kyll y e Passeouer prepare offeringes for yo r brethren and do accordinge to the commaundemēt of y e LORDE which he gaue vnto Moses And vnto y e people y t was foūde Iosias gaue xxx thousande of shepe lambes kyddes and goates thre thousande oxē These the kynge of his kyngly liberalite gaue vnto the people acordinge as he had promysed to the prestes for the Passeouer he gaue two thousande shepe an hundreth oxē Morouer Iechonias Semeias and Nathanael brethren Hasabias Iehiel and Iosabad gaue them to the Passeouer fyue thousande shepe and fyue hundreth bullockes And whan these thinges were brought to passe the prestes and the Leuites stode goodly in their ordre and had the vnleuended bred thorow out y e trybes And after the ordringe of the pryncipall men in the trybes they offred vnto the
speakynge vnto him she fell downe agayne for fayntnes for the which cause the kynge was afrayed and all his seruauntes comforted her The XVI Chapter A copye of the commaundement which kinge Artaxerses caused to be proclamed in all the countrees of his domynion for the wealth of the Iewes THe greate kynge Artaxerses which raigneth frō India vnto Ethiopia ouer an hundreth and xxvij londes sendeth vnto the prynces rulers of the same londes soch as loue him his frendly salutacion There be many that for the sondrye frendshipes and benefites which are diuersly don◠vnto them for their worshipe be euer y e more proude and hye mynded and vndertake not onely to hurte oure subiectes for plenteous benefites maye they not suffre and begynne to ymagin some thinge agaynst those that do them good and take not onely all vnthankfulnes awaye fro men but in pryde and presumpcion as they that be vnmyndefull and vnthākfull for the good dedes they go aboute to escape the iudgment of God y t seyth all thinges which iudgment hateth punysheth all wickednes It happeneth oft also y t they which be set in office by the hyer power and vnto whom the busynes and causes of the subiectes are cōmytted to be handled waxe proude and defyle thē selues with sheddynge of innocent bloude which bryngeth them to intollerable hurte Which also with false and disceatfull wordes and with lyenge tales disceaue and betraye the innocent goodnes of prynces Now is it profitable and good that we take hede make search therafter and consider not onely what hath happened vnto vs of olde but the shamefull vnhonest and noysome thinges that the debites haue now taken in hande before oure eyes and therby to bewarre in tyme to come that we maye make the kyngdome quyete peaceable for all men and that we might some tyme drawe it to a chaunge and as for y e thinge that now is present before oure eyes to withstande it and to put it downe after the most frendly maner What tyme now as Aman the sonne of Amadathu y e Macedonyan a straunger verely of the Persians bloude and farre from oure goodnes was come in amōge vs as an aleaunt and had optayned the frendshipe that we beare towarde all people so that he was called oure father and had in hye honoure of euery man as the next and pryncipall vnto the kynge he coude not forbeare him self from his pryde hath vndertaken not onely to robbe vs of the kyngdome but of oure life With manyfolde disceate also hath he desyred to destroye Mardocheus oure helper and preseruer which hath done vs good in all thinges and innocent Hester the like partaker of oure kyngdome with all hir people For his mynde was whan he had takē them out of the waye and robbed vs of them by this meanes to translate the kyngdome of the Persians vnto thē of Macedonia But we fynde that the Iewes which were accused of y e wicked y t they might be destroyed are no euell doers but vse reasonable right lawes and that they be the children of the most Hye lyuynge God by whom the kyngdome of vs and oure progenitours hath bene well ordred hither to Wherfore as for the letters and cōmaundementes that were put forth by Aman the sonne of Amadathu ye shal do well yf ye holde them of none effecte for he that set them vp and inuented thē hangeth at Susis before the porte with all his kinred and God which hath all thinges in his power hath rewarded him after his deseruynge And vpon this ye shal publish and set vp the copy of this letter in all places that the Iewes maye frely and without hinderaunce holde them selues after their owne statutes and that they maye be helped and that vpō y e xiij daye of y e xij moneth Adar they may◠be auenged of them which in the tyme of their anguysh and trouble wolde haue oppressed thē For the God that gouerneth all thinges hath turned to ioye the daye wherin y e chosen people shulde haue perished Morouer amōge the hye solempne dayes that ye haue ye shall holde this daye also w t all gladnesse that now and in tyme to come this daye maye be a remembraūce to good for all soch as loue the prosperite of the Persians but a remembraunce of destruccion to those that be sedicious vnto vs. All cities and lōdes that do not this shal horribly perish and be destroyed w t the swerde and fyre and shall not onely be nomore inhabited of men but be abhorred also of y e wilde beastes foules The boke of Wyszdome What this boke conteyneth Chap. I. An exortaciō for iudges and rulers to loue wyszdome The sprete of wyszdome hateth falsede disfimulacion and Ypocrysie rebuketh vnrighteousnesse and abhorreth wicked doers Chap. II. The ymaginaciōs and thoughtes of the vngodly how they geue thē selues ouer vnto synne and persecute all vertue and trueth Chap. III. The felicite and health of godly people though they be put here to trouble and heuynesse Agayne what sorow shall happen to the vngodly and their children Chap. IIII. To lyue chaist godly withall is cōmendable A disprayse of the wicked The honoure of verteous age The shamefull death of the vngodly Chap. V. How the iust men shal stōde against the wicked that haue put them here to trouble what sorowe shall come vpon the vngodly Agayne what ioye shal happen to the righteous which haue God himself for their defēce Chap. VI. An exortacion vnto soch as be in rule and auctorite to receaue wyszdome A commēdacion of wyszdome Chap. VII All men haue like intraūce in to the worlde yet who so calleth vpon God for wyszdome shal haue his desyre The profit that cōmeth by wyszdome passeth all other thinges Chap. VIII Wiszdome shulde be receaued in youth He that marieth himself vnto her shall optayne loue of God and men Chap. IX A prayer vnto God for the gift of wyszdome Chap. X. What profit and good came by wyszdome in the olde tyme. Chap. XI How wiszdome ledeth the righteous how the vngodly are punyshed thorow the mightie hande of God Chap. XII God is mercifull and suffreth longe to the intent that synners shulde amende Chap. XIII Vayne are they that haue not the knowlege of the lyuynge God but turne vnto to the creatures vnhappie are they that honoure ymages Chap. XIIII The worshippinge of ymages The power of God Punyshment of them that make ymages and of soch as worshipe them How ymages came vp first The honouringe of ymages is the cause begynnynge and ende of all myschefe Chap. XV. The faithfull haue respecte vnto God and not vnto ymages Chap. XVI God punisheth the wicked but defendeth the godly that by greate wonders Chap. XVII Of the greate darcknesse in Egipte and blyndnesse of the vngodly Chap. XVIII How God destroied the firstborne of Egipte Gods people eate the easter lambe ioyfully the Egiptians mourne God punysheth the synners in the
wash my fete Iesus answered him Yf I wash y e not thou shalt haue no parte with me Symon Peter sayde vnto him LORDE not the fete onely but the handes also and the heade Iesus sayde vnto him He that is waszheÌ„ nedeth not saue to washe y e fete but is cleane euery whytt And ye are cleane but not all For he knewe his betrayer therfore sayde he ye are not all cleane Now whan he had waszhen their fete and taken his clothes he sat him downe agayne and sayde vnto theÌ„ Wote ye what I haue done vnto you Ye call me master and LORDE and ye saye right therin for so I am Yf I then youre LORDE and master haue waszhen youre fete ye ought also to wash one anothers fete I haue geueÌ„ you an ensample that ye shulde do as I haue done vnto you Verely verely I saye vnto you the seruaunt is not greater then his lorde nether is the Apostell greater then he that sent him Yf ye knowe these thinges blessed are ye yf ye do them I speake not of you all I knowe whom I haue chosen but that the scripture might be fulfilled He y t eateth my bred hath lift vp his hele against me I tell it you now before it come that whan it is come to passe ye maye beleue that I am he Verely verely I saye vnto you He that receaueth whom so euer I sende receaueth me and he that receaueth me receaueth him that sent me Whan Iesus had thus sayde he was heuy in sprete and testified and sayde Verely verely I saye vnto you One amonge you shal betraye me Then the disciples loked one vpon another were in doute of whom he spake But there was one amoÌ„ge his disciples that leaned at the table on Iesus bosome whoÌ„ Iesus loued to him beckened Symon Peter that he shulde axe who it was of whom he spake For the same leaued vpoÌ„ Iesus brest and sayde vnto him LORDE who is it Iesus answered It is he vnto whom I dyppe the soppe geue it And he dypte in the soppe and gaue it vnto Iudas Iscarioth Symons sonne And after y e soppe the deuell entred in to him Then sayde Iesus vnto him That thou boest do quyckly But y e same wyst no man at the table for what intent he sayde it vnto him Some thought for so moch as Iudas had the bagge that Iesus had sayde vnto him Bye that is necessary for vs agaynst the feast Or that he shulde geue some thinge vnto the poore Whan he had receaued the soppe he wente out immediatly and it was night Whan he was gone forth Iesus sayde Now is the sonne of maÌ„ glorified and God is glorified in him Yf God be glorified in him theÌ„ shal god glorifie him also in hiÌ„self straight waye shal he glorifye him Deare childreÌ„ I am yet a litle whyle with you Ye shal seke me and as I sayde vnto y e Iewes whither I go thither can ye not come And now I saye vnto you A new coÌ„maundemeÌ„t geue I you that ye loue together as I haue loued you y t euen so ye loue one another By this shal euery man knowe that ye are my disciples yf ye haue loue one to another Symon Peter sayde vnto him LORDE whither goest thou Iesus answered him Whither I go thou canst not folowe me now but thou halt folowe me herafter Peter sayde vnto him LORDE why caÌ„not I folowe the â—ow I wil geue my life for y t sake Iesus answered him Wilt thou geue thy life for my sake Verely verely I saye vnto ye. The cock shal not crowe tyll thou haue denyed me thryse The XIIII Chapter ANd he sayde vnto his disciples Let not youre hert be afrayed Yf ye beleue on God theÌ„ beleue also on me In my fathers house are many dwellinges Yf it were not so I wolde haue tolde you I go to prepare the place for you And though I go to prepare the place for you yet wil I come agayne and receaue you vnto myself y t ye maye be where I am And whither I go ye knowe and the waye knowe ye also Thomas sayde vnto him LORDE we knowe not whither thou goest how can we knowe the waye Iesus sayde vnto him I am the waye and the trueth and the life Noman coÌ„meth to the father but by me Yf ye knewe me ye knewe my father also And froÌ„ heÌ„ce forth ye knowe hiÌ„ haue sene him Philippe sayde vnto him LORDE shewe vs the father and it sufficeth vs. Iesus sayde vnto him Thus longe am I with you and hast thou not knowne me Philippe he that seyth me seyth the father And how sayest thou then Shewe vs the father Beleuest thou not that I am in the father and that y e father is in me The wordes that I speake vnto you those speake not I of my self but the father that dwelleth in me he doth the workes Beleue me that I am in the father and that y e father is in me Or els beleue me at the leest for the workes sake Verely verely I saye vnto you He that beleueth on me shal do the workes that I do and shal do greater then these for I go to the father And what soeuer ye axe y e father in my name that wyl I do that the father maye be praysed in the sonne Yf ye axe eny thinge in my name I wyl do it Yf ye loue me kepe my commaundementes And I wyl praye the father and he shal geue you another comforter that he maye byde w t you for euer euen y e sprete of trueth whom y e worlde can not receaue for it seyth him not nether doth it knowe him but ye knowe him for he abydeth w t you shal be in you I wil not leaue you coÌ„fortles I come vnto you It is yet a litle whyle theÌ„ shal the worlde se me nomore but ye shal se me for I lyue and ye shal lyue also In y t daye shal ye knowe that I am in the father and ye in me and I in you He that hath my coÌ„maundementes and kepeth them the same is he that loueth me and he that loneth me shal be loued of my father I wyl loue him and wyl shewe myne owne self vnto him Iudas sayde vnto hiÌ„ not that Iscarioth LORDE What is the cause theÌ„ that thou wilt shewe thy self vnto vs and not vnto the worlde Iesus answered and sayde vnto him He that loueth me wyl kepe my worde and my father wyl loue him and we wyl come vnto him and wyll make oure dwellynge with him But he that loueth me not kepeth not my sayenges And the worde that ye heare is not myne but the fathers which hath sent me This haue I spoken vnto you whyle I was with you But that comforter euen y e holy goost whoÌ„ my father shal sende in
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
beestes Wherfore God likewyse gaue them vp vnto their hertes lustes in to vnclennes to defyle their awne bodies in them selues which turned the trueth of God vnto a lye worshipped and serued the creature more then the maker which is blessed for euer Amen Therfore God gaue theÌ„ vp vnto shamefull lustes For their wemen chaunged the naturall vse in to the vnnaturall likewyse y e meÌ„ also lefte the naturall vse of the woman and brent in their lustes one on another and man with man wrought fylthines and receaued in them selues the rewarde of their erroure as it was acordinge And as they regarded not to knowe God euen so God gaue theÌ„ vp in to a lewde mynde to do those thinges which were not comly beynge full of all vnrighteousnes whordome wickednes couetousnes maliciousnes full of enuye murthur strife disceate euell coÌ„dicioned whisperers backbyters despysers of God doers of wronge proude boosters bryngers vp of euell thinges disobedient to their Elders without vnderstondinge couenaunt breakers vnlouynge stubborne vnmercifull which men though they knowe the righteousnes of God that they which do soch are worthy of death yet not onely do the same but also haue pleasure in those that do theÌ„ The II. Chapter Therfore canst thou not excuse thy selfe O maÌ„ who soeuer thou be that iudgest for loke wherin thou iudgest another thou condemnest thy selfe in so moch as thou that iudgest doest euen the same For we are sure that the iudgment of God is acordinge to the trueth ouer them that do soch But thinkest thou this O thou man that iudgest them which do soch thinges and doest euen the very same thy selfe that thou shalt escape y t iudgmeÌ„t of God Or despysest thou the riches of his goodnesse pacience and loÌ„ge sufferinge Knowest thou not that y e louynge kyndnesse of God leadeth the to repentaunce But thou after thine harde and impenitent hert heapest vnto thy selfe a treasure of wrath agaynst the daye of wrath and of the openynge of the righteous iudgment of God which shal rewarde euery man acordinge to his dedes namely prayse honoure and vncorrupcion vnto them that with pacience in doinge good seke euerlastinge life But vnto them that are contencious not obedient vnto the trueth but obeye vnrighteousnes shal come indignacion and wrath trouble and anguysh vpoÌ„ all the soules of meÌ„ that do euell of the Iewe first and also of the Greke But vnto all theÌ„ that do good shal come prayse and honoure and peace vnto the Iewe first and also to the Greke For there is no respecte of personnes before God Who so euer haue synned without lawe shal perish also without lawe and whosoeuer haue synned in the lawe shal be iudged by the lawe For before God they are not righteous which heare y e lawe but they that do the lawe shal be iustified For yf the Gentyles which haue not the lawe do of nature the thinges conteyned in the lawe then they hauynge not the lawe are a lawe vnto them selues in that they shewe that the worke of y e lawe is wrytteÌ„ in their hertes whyle their conscience beareth witnesse vnto theÌ„ and also the thoughtes which accuse or excuse them amonge them selues in the daye whan God shal iudge the secretes of men by Iesus Christ acordinge to my Gospell But take hede thou art called a Iewe and trustest in the lawe makest thy boost of God and knowest his will for so moch as thou art enfourmed out of y e lawe thou prouest what is best to do and presumest to be a leader of the blynde a lighte of them y t are in darcknes an enformer of y e vnwyse a teacher of y e symple which hast the ensample of knowlege of the trueth in the lawe Now teachest thou other and teachest not thy selfe Thou preachest that a man shulde not steale and thou stealest Thou sayest that a man shulde not breake wedlocke and thou breakest wedlocke Thou abhorrest ymages and robbest God of his honoure Thou makest thy boost of the lawe and thorow breakynge of the lawe thou dishonorest God For thorow you is the name of God euell spoken of amonge the Gentyles * as it is wrytten The circuÌ„cision verely avayleth yf thou kepe the lawe but yf thou breake the lawe then is thy circumcision become vncircumcision Therfore yf the vncircumcision kepe the righte thinges conteyned in the lawe shal not his vncircumcision be counted for circumcision And so it that of nature is vncircumcision and fulfilleth the lawe shal iudge the which vnder the letter and circumcision traÌ„sgressest the lawe For he is not a Iew which is a Iewe outwaâ—de nether is that circuÌ„cision which is done outwardly in y e flesh But he is a Iewe which is hydd within And the circumcision of y e hert is the circumcision which is done in the sprete and not in the letter Whose prayse is not of men but of God The III. Chapter WHat furtheraunce then haue the Iewes Or what avauntageth circuÌ„cision Surely very moch First Vnto them was commytted what God spake But where as some of them dyd not beleue theron what then shulde their vnbeleue make the promes of God of none effecte God forbyd Let it rather be thus that God is true and all meÌ„ lyers As it is wrytten That thou mayest be iustified in thy sayenges and shuldest ouercome whaÌ„ thou art iudged But yf it be so that oure vnrighteousnes prayseth y e righteousnes of God what shal we saye Is God then vnrighteous that he is angrie therfore I speake thus after the maner off men God forbyd How mighte God theÌ„ iudge y e worlde For yf the trueth of God be thorow my lye the more excellent vnto his prayse why shulde I theÌ„ be iudged yet as a synner not rather to do thus as we are euell spoken of and as some reporte that we shulde saye Let vs do euell y t good maye come therof Whose daÌ„nacioÌ„ is inste What saye we then Are we better then they No in no wyse for we haue proued afore y t both the Iewes and Grekes are all vnder synne As it is wrytteÌ„ There is none righteous no not one There is none y t vnderstondeth there is none that seketh after God They are all gone out of the waye they are alltogether become vnprofitable there is none that doeth good no not one Their throte is an open sepulcre with their tunges they haue disceaued the poyson off Aspes is vnder their lippes Their mouth is full of cursynge and bytternesse Their fete are swifte to shed bloude Destruccion wrechidnes are in their wayes and y e waye of peace haue they not knowne There is no feare of God before their eyes But we knowe y t what soeuer the lawe sayeth it sayeth it vnto them which are vnder the lawe y t euery mouthe maye be stopped y t all the worlde
another I holde of Apollo are ye not thē fleshlye What is Paul What is ▪ Apollo Euē mynisters are they by whom ye are come to the beleue and the same acordinge as the LORDE hath geuen vnto euery man I haue planted Apollo hath watred but God hath geuen the increace So then nether is he that planteth eny thinge nether he that watreth but God which geueth the increace As for him that planteth and he that watreth y e one is as the other but yet shal euery one receaue his rewarde acordinge to his laboure For we are Gods labourers ye are Gods huszbandry ye are Gods buyldinge Acordinge to the grace of God which is geuen vnto me as a wyse buylder haue I layed the foundacion but another buyldeth theron Yet let euery man take hede how he buyldeth theron For other foūdacion can noman laye then that which is layed the which is Iesus Christ. But yf enyman buylde vpon this foundacion golde syluer precious stones tymber haye stobble euery mās worke shal be shewed For the daye of the LORDE shal declare it which shal be shewed with fyre and the fyre shal trye euery mās worke what it is Yf eny mans worke that he hath buylde theron abyde he shal receaue a rewarde Yf eny mans worke burne he shal suffre losse but he shal be saued himselfe neuertheles as thorow fyre Knowe ye not that ye are the temple of God and that the sprete of God dwelleth in you Yf eny man defyle the tēple of God him shal God destroye For the temple of God is holy which ye are Let no mā disceaue himselfe Yf eny man thinke himselfe wyse amōge you let him become a foole in this worlde that he maye be wyse For the wyszdome off this worlde is foolishnes with God For it is wrytten He compaseth the wyse in their craftynesse And agayne The LORDE knoweth the thoughtes of the wyse that they are vayne Therfore let no man reioyse in men For all is youres whether it be Paul or Apollo whether it be Cephas or ▪ the worlde whether it be life or death whether it be presente or for to come All is youres but ye are Christes and Christ is Gods The IIII. Chapter LEt euery man this wyse esteme vs euen for the mynisters of Christ and stewardes of the secretes of God Now is there no more requyred of the stewardes then that they be founde faithfull It is but a small thinge vnto me that I shulde be iudged of you or of mans daye nether iudge I myne awne selfe I knowe noughte by my selfe yet am I not therby iustified It is the LORDE that iudgeth me Therfore iudge ye nothinge before y e tyme vntyll the LORDE come which shal brynge it to lighte that is hyd in darknesse and opē the councels of y e hertes and thē shal euery one haue prayse of God These thinges brethren haue I described in myne awne preson in Apollos for youre sakes that ye mighte lerne by vs that noman counte hygher of him self then aboue is wrytten that one be not puft vp agaynst another for eny mans cause For who preferreth the What hast thou that thou hast not receaued Yf thou hast receaued it why makest thou thē thy boost as though thou haddest not receaued it Now ye are full now ye are made riche ye raigne without vs and wolde God ye dyd raigne that we might raigne with you Me thynketh that God hath set forth vs Apostles for the lowest off all euen as those that are appoynted vnto death For we are agasynge stocke vnto y e worlde and to the angels and vnto men We are fooles for Christes sake but ye are wyse in Christ We weake but ye strōge Ye honorable but we despysed Euen vnto this daye we hōger and thyrst and are naked and are boffetted with fystes and haue no certayne dwellinge place and laboure and worke with oure awne handes We are reuyled and yet we blesse we are persecuted and suffre it We are euell spoken of and we praye We are become as it were the very outswepinges of y e worlde yee the of scowringe of all men vnto this tyme. I wryte not this to shame you but as my deare childrē I warne you For though ye haue ten thousande instructours in Christ yet haue ye not many fathers For I haue begotten you in Christ Iesu thorow y e Gospell Wherfore I exhorte you be ye my folowers For this cause haue I sent vnto you Timotheus which is my deare sonne and faithfull in the LORDE that he maye put you in remembraunce of my wayes which are in Christ euē as I teach euery where in all congregacions Some are puft vp as though I wolde come nomore at you But I wil come to you shortly yf the LORDE wyl and wyl knowe not the wordes of thē that are puft vp but y e power For the kyngdome of God is not ī wordes but in power What wil ye Shal I come vnto you w t the rodd or with loue and the sprete of mekenesse The V. Chapter THere goeth a commen reporte that there is whordome amōge you and soch whordome as is not once named amōge the Heythen that one shulde haue his fathers wife And ye are puft vp and haue not rather sorowed that he which hath done this dede mighte be put frō amōge you For I verely as absent in body but present in sprete haue determyned allready as though I were present cōcernynge him that hath done this dede in y e name of oure LORDE Iesus Christ whā ye are gathered together with my sprete and with the power of oure LORDE Iesus Christ to delyuer him vnto Sathan for the destruccion of the flesh that the sprete maye be saued in the daye of the LORDE Iesus You re reioysinge is not good Knowe ye not that a litle leuen sowereth the whole lompe of dowe Pourge out therfore the olde leuen that ye maye be new dowe like as ye are swete bred For we also haue an Easter lambe which is Christ that is offred for vs. Wherfore let vs kepe Easter not in y e olde leuen ner in the leuen of maliciousnes and wickednes but in the swete bred of purenesse and of the trueth I wrote vnto you in the Epistle that ye shulde haue nothinge to do with whoremōgers that meant I not at all of the whoremongers of this worlde ether of the couetous or of extorcioners or of thē that worshippe ymages for then must ye nedes haue gone out of the worlde But now haue I wryttē vnto you y t ye shulde haue nothinge to do with them Namely yf there be eny man that is called a brother and is an whoremonger or couetous or a worshipper of ymages ether a raylar or a dronkarde or an extorcioner with soch shal ye not eate For what haue I to do to
in Christ. The III. Chapter· BEgynne we then agayne to prayse o selues Or nede we as some other of pistles of commēdacion vnto you or letters of commēdacion from you Ye are oure epistle wrytten in oure hertes which is vnderstonde and red of all mē in that ye are knowne how that ye are y e epistle of Christ mynistred by vs and wryttē not with ynke but with the sprete of the lyuynge God not in tables of stone but in fleshy tables of the hert Soch trust haue we thorow Christ to God warde not that we are sufficient of oure selues to thynke eny thinge as of oure selues but oure ablenesse commeth of God which hath made vs able to be mynisters of the new Testament not of the letter but of the sprete For the letter kylleth but the sprete geueth life But yf the mynistracion y t kylleth thorow the letter and was figured in stones was glorious so that the childrē of Israel mighte not beholde the face of Moses for y e clearnesse of his countenaūce which glory neuertheles is done awaye how shal not y e mynistracion of y e sprete be moch more glorious For yf the office that preacheth damnacion be glorious moch more doth the office that preacheth righteousnes exceade in glory For y e other parte that was glorified is nothinge glorified in respecte of this exceadinge glory For yf that which is done awaye be glorious moch more shal y t which remayneth be glorious Seynge then that we haue soch trust we vse greate boldnesse and do not as Moses which put a vayle before his face so that y e children of Israel mighte not se the ende of it that is done awaye But their myndes are blynded For vnto this daye remayneth the same coueringe vntakē awaye in the olde Testament whan they rede it which in Christ is put awaye But euen vnto this daye whan moses is red the vayle hangeth before their hertes Neuertheles whā they turne to the LORDE the vayle shal be taken awaye For the LORDE is a sprete where the sprete of the LORDE is there is libertye But now the glory of y e LORDE apeareth in vs all with open face and we are chaunged into the same ymage from one clearnes to another euē as of the sprete of the LORDE The IIII. Chapter THerfore seynge we haue soch an office euen as mercy is come vpon vs we faynte not but cast from vs the clokes of vnhonestye and walke not in craftines nether corruppe we the worde of God but open the trueth and reporte oure selues to euery mans conscyence in the sighte of God Yf oure Gospell be yet hyd it is hyd in them that are lost amonge whom the God of this worlde hath blynded y e myndes of them which beleue not that y e lighte of the Gospell of the glory of Christ which is the ymage of God shulde not shyne vnto them For we preach not o r selues but Iesus Christ to be the LORDE and oure selues youre seruauntes for Iesus sake For God that cōmaunded the light to shyne out of darcknesse hath geuen a cleare shyne in oure hertes y t by vs y e light of y e knowlege of the glory of God mighte come forth in the face of Iesus Christ. But this treasure haue we in earthen vessels that y e power which excelleth might be of God and not of vs. We are troubled on euery syde yet are we not without shift We are in pouertie but not vtterly without somwhat We are persecuted but we are not forsaken We are oppressed neuertheles we perish not We allwayes be are aboute in oure body the dyenge of the LORDE Iesus y t the life also of the LORDE Iesus might appeare in oure body For we which lyue are alwayes delyuered vnto death for Iesus sake that the life also of Iesus might appeare in oure mortall flesh Therfore is death now mightie in vs but life in you But seynge that we haue the same sprete of faith acordinge as it is wrytten I beleued and therfore haue I spokē we also beleue therfore we speake for we knowe that he which raysed vp y e LORDE Iesus shal rayse vs vp also by y e meanes of Iesus and shal set vs with you For all thinges do I for youre sakes that the plēteous grace by the thākesgeuynge of many maye redounde to the prayse of God Therfore are we not weery but though o r outwarde man be corrupte yet the inwarde is renewed daye by daye For oure trouble which is but temporall and lighte worketh an exceadinge and an eternall weighte of glorye vnto vs which loke not on the thinges that are sene but on them which are not sene For y e thinges which are sene are temporall but the thinges that are not sene are eternall The V. Chapter WE knowe surely y t yf oure earthy house of this dwellynge were destroyed we haue a buyldynge ordeyned of God an house not made with handes but euerlastynge in heauen And in the same sighe we also after oure māsion which is from heauen and longe to be clothed therwith so yet yf that we be founde clothed and not naked For as longe as we are in this tabernacle we sighe and are greued for we had rather not be vnclothed but to be clothed vpon that mortalite might be swalowed vp of life But he that hath ordeyned vs for this is God which hath geuen vs the earnest of the sprete Therfore are we allwaye of good cheare and knowe that as longe as we dwell here in the body we are not at home with the LORDE for we walke in faith and se him not Neuertheles we are of good comforte and had leuer to be absent from the body to be at home with the LORDE Wherfore whether we be at home or frō home we endeuoure oure selues to please him For we must all appeare before the iudgment seate of Christ y t euery one maye receaue in his body acordinge to y t he hath done whether it be good or bad Seynge then that we knowe how that the LORDE is to be feared we fare fayre with men but we are knowne well ynough vnto God I trust also that we are knowne in youre consciences We prayse not oure selues agayne vnto you but geue you an occasion to reioyse of vs y t ye maye haue to reioyse agaynst them which reioyse after the outwarde appearaunce and not after the hert For yf we do to moch we do it vnto God yf we kepe measure we do it for youre sakes For the loue of Christ constrayneth vs in as moch as we thus iudge that yf one be deed for all then are all deed And therfore dyed he for all that they which lyue shulde not hence forth lyue vnto them selues but vnto him which dyed for them and rose agayne Therfore hence forth knowe we noman after y
whan ye knewe not God ye dyd seruyce vnto them which by nature are no Goddes But now seynge ye knowe God yee rather are knowne off God how is iâ— that ye turne you backe agayne vnto the weake and beggerly tradicions wher vnto ye desyre agayne a fresh to be in bondage Ye obserue dayes and â—â—nethes and tymes and yeares I am in feare of you lest I haue bestowed laboure on you in vayne BrethreÌ„ I beseke you be ye as I am for I am as ye are Ye haue not hurte me at all For ye knowe how that in weaknes after y e flesh I preached y e Gospell vnto you at the first and my tentacion which I suffred after the flesh ye despysed not nether abhorred but receaued me as an angell of God yee euen as Christ Iesus How happy were ye then For I beare you recorde that yf it had bene possible ye had plucked out youre awne eyes and geueÌ„ them vnto me Am I therfore become yo r enemy because I tell you y e trueth They are gelous ouer you amysse Yee they wolde make you to fall backe that ye might be ferueÌ„t to theÌ„ warde It is good to be feruent so y t it be allwaye in a good thinge and not onely whan I am present w t you My litle children of whom I trauayle in byrth agayne vntyll Christ be fashioned in you I wolde I were w t you now and coulde chauÌ„ge my voyce for I stoÌ„deiÌ„ doute of you Tell me ye that wylbe vnder the lawe haue ye not herde the lawe For it is wrytten that Abraham had two sonnes the one by a bonde mayde the other by a fre woman As for him that was of the boÌ„de mayde he was borne after y e flesh but he which was of the fre woman was borne by promes These wordes betoken somwhat For these wemen are the two Testamentes The one from the mount Sina that gendreth vnto bondage which is Agar For Agar is called in Arabia y e mount Sina and reacheth vnto Ierusalem which now is and is in bondage with hir children But Ierusalem that is aboue is the fre woman which is the mother of vs all For it is wrytteÌ„ Reioyse thou baren that bearest no childreÌ„ breake forth and crye thou y t trauaylest not for the desolate hath many mo childreÌ„ then she which hath an huszbande As for vs brethren we are the children of Isaac acordinge to the promes But like as at that tyme he that was borne after the flesh persecuted him y t was borne after the sprete euen so is it now also But what sayeth the scripture Put awaye the bonde mayden and hir sonne for the sonne of y e bondmayde shal not be heyre with y e sonne of the fre woman So now brethren we are not children of the bonde mayde but of the fre woman The V. Chapter STonde fast therfore in the libertye wherwith Christ hath made vs fre and be not wrapped agayne in the yocke off bondage Beholde I Paul sayâ— vnto you Yf ye be circumcysed Christ profiteth you nothinge at all I testifye agaâ—â—ne vnto euery man which is circumcyse that he is bounde to kepe the whole larâ— Ye are gone quyte from Christ as many â— you as wylbe made righteous by the laâ—â— and are fallen from grace But we waâ— in the sprete off hope to 〈…〉 by faith For in Christ 〈…〉 circumcision eny thinge worth ner vncircumcision but faith which by loue is mightâ—e in operacion Ye ranne well who was a let vnto you that ye shulde not obeye the trueth Soch councell is not of him that hath called you A litle leuen sowreth the whole lompe of dowe I haue trust towarde you in y e LORDE that ye wylbe none otherwyse mynded But he that troubleth you shal beare his iudgment what so euer he be Brethren yf I yet preach circumcision why do I suffre persecucion then had the slaunder off the crosse ceassed Wolde God they were roted out froÌ„ amoÌ„ge you which trouble you But brethreÌ„ ye are called vnto liberty onely let not youre libertie be an occasion vnto the flesh but by loue serue one another For all the lawe is fulfylled in one worde namely in this loue thy neghboure as thy selfe But yf ye byte and deuoure one another take hede that ye be not consumed one of another I saye Walke in the sprete and so shal ye not fulfill the lustes off the fleshe For the flesh lusteth agaynst the sprete and the sprete agaynst the flesh These are contrary one to the other so that ye can not do that which ye wolde But and yf ye be led of the sprete then are ye not vnder the lawe The dedes of y e flesh are manifest which are these Aduoutrye whordome vncleÌ„nes wantaÌ„nes Idolatrye witchcraft hatred variaunce zele wrath stryfe sedicion sectes envyenge murthur dronkennes glotony and soch like of the which I tell you before as I haue tolde you in tyme past that they which commytte soch shal not inheret the kyngdome of God But the frute of the sprete is loue ioye peace longe sufferinge geÌ„tlenes goodnesse faithfulnes mekenesse teÌ„peraunce Agaynst soch is not y e lawe But they that are Christes haue crucified their flesh with the lustes and desyres The VI. Chapter YF we lyue in the sprete let vs walke also in the sprete Let vs not be vayne glorious prouokinge one another and envyenge another Brethren Yf eny maÌ„ be ouertaken of a faute ye which are spiriâ—uall enfourme him with a meke sprete and â—â—nsidre thine owne selfe that thou also be 〈◊〉 tempted Beare ye one anothers 〈…〉 and so shal ye fulfyll the lawe of Christ. 〈◊〉 yf eny man thinke himselfe to be 〈…〉 whan in dede he is nothinge the 〈…〉 hâ—mselfe Let euery man proue 〈◊〉 owne woâ—â—e and theÌ„ shal he haue reioysinge in his awne selfe and not in another For euery one shal beare his owne burthen But let him that is taughte with the worde mynister in all good thinges vnto him that teacheth him Be not disceaued God wil not be mocked For what soeuer a man soweth that shal he reape He that soweth vpon the flesh shal of the flesh reape destruccion But he that soweth vpon y e sprete shal of the sprete reape life euerlastinge Let vs not be weery of well doynge for whaÌ„ the tyme is come we shal reape without ceassinge Whyle we haue tyme therfore let vs do good vnto all men but specially vnto theÌ„ which are of y e housholde of faith Beholde with how many wordes I haue wrytten vnto you with myne awne hande They that wil please in the flesh constrayne you to be circumcysed onely lest they shulde be persecuted with the crosse of Christ. For eueÌ„ they them selues which are circumcysed kepe not the lawe but wolde haue you circuÌ„cysed that they mighte reioyse in youre flesh But God
roaringe cursed speakynge be farre froÌ„ you with all maliciousnes But be ye curteous one to another mercifull and forgeue one another eueÌ„ as God hath forgeuen you in Christ. The V. Chapter BE ye the folowers therfore of God as deare children and walke in loue euen as Christ loued vs and gaue him selfe for vs an offerynge and sacrifice of a swete sauoure vnto God As for whordome and all vnclennes or couetousnes let it not be named amoÌ„ge you as it becommeth sayntes nether fylthines ner folish talkynge ner ieastynge which are not comly but rather geuynge of thaÌ„kes For be sure that no whore monger or vncleane person or couetous person which is a worshipper off ymages hath inheritaunce in the kyngdome of Christ and of God Let no man disceaue you with vayne wordes for because of these commeth the wrath of God vpon the children of vnbeleue Be not ye therfore companions with them For sometyme ye were darknesse but now are ye lighte in the LORDE Walke as the children of lighte 〈◊〉 the frute of the sprete is all maner of goodnes and righteousnes and truâ—th and proue what is pleasinge vnto the LORDE and haue no fellishippe with y e vnfrutefull workes of darknes but rather rebuke theÌ„ For it is shame euen to name those thinges which are done of them in secrete But all thinges are manifest whan they are rebuked of the lighte For what so euer is manifest that same is lighte Therfore sayeth he Awake thou that slepest and stonde vp froÌ„ the deed and Christ shal geue the lighte Take hede therfore how ye walke circumspectly not as the vnwyse but as y e wyse and redeme the tyme for it is a miserable tyme. Wherfore be not ye vnwyse but vnderstonde what the wil of the LORDE is and be not dronken with wyne wherin is excesse but be full of the sprete and talke amoÌ„ge youre selues of Psalmes and ymnes and spirituall songes synginge and makynge melody vnto the LORDE in youre hertes geuynge thankes alwayes for all thinges vnto God the father in the name of oure LORDE Iesus Christ submyttinge youreselues one to another in the feare of God Let the wemen submytte them selues vnto their huszbandes as vnto the LORDE For the huszbande is the wyues heade eueÌ„ as Christ also is the heade of the congregacion and he is the Sauioure of his body Therfore as the congregacion is in subieccion to Christ likewyse let the wyues be in subieccion to their huszbandes in all thinges Ye huszbandes loue youre wyues even as Christ loued the congregacion and gaue himselfe for it to sanctifye it and clensed it in the fountayne of water by the worde to make it vnto himselfe a glorious congregacion hauynge no spot ner wrynkle ner eny soch thinge but that it shulde be holy and without blame So oughte men also to loue their wyues euen as their awne bodyes He that loueth his wife loueth himselfe For no maÌ„ euer yet hated his awne fleszhe but norisheth and cheriszheth it euen as the LORDE doth also the congregacion For we are membres of his body of his flesh and of his bones For this cause shal a man leaue father and mother and cleue vnto his wife and they two shal be one flesh This is a greate secrete but I speake of Christ and the congregacion Neuertheles do ye so that euery one of you loue his wife euen as himselfe but let the 〈…〉 huszbande The VI. Chapter YE children obey youre elders in the LORDE for that is righte Honoure thy father and thy mother That is the first commaundement that hath eny promes that thou mayest prospere and lyuelonge vpon earth And ye fathers prouoke not youre children vnto wrath but brynge theÌ„ vp in the nourtoure and informacion of the LORDE Ye seruauntes obey youre bodely masters with feare and tremblynge in synglenes of youre hert euen as vnto Christ not with seruyce onely in the eye sighte as men pleasers but as the seruauntes off Christ doynge the wyll off God from the hert with good wyll Thynke that ye serue the LORDE and not meÌ„ and be sure that what good soeuer a man doth he shal receaue it agayne of the LORDE whether he be bonde or fre And ye masters do euen the same vnto theÌ„ puttynge awaye threatenynges and knowe that euen youre master also is in heauen nether is there eny respecte of personnes with him Fynally my brethren be stronge in the LORDE and in the power of his mighte put on the armo of God that ye maye stonde stedfast agaynst the craftie assautes off the deuell For we wrestle not agaynst flesh and bloude but agaynst rule agaynst power namely agaynst the rulers of the worlde of the darknesse of this worlde agaynst y e spretes of wickednes vnder the heauen For this cause take ye the armoure of God y t ye maye be able to resiste in the euell daye and stonde perfecte in all thinges Stonde therfore and youre loynes gyrde aboute with the trueth hauynge on the brest plate of righteousnes and shod vpoÌ„ yo fete with the gospell of peace that ye maye be prepared Aboue all thinges take holde of the shylde of faith wherwith ye maye quenche all the fyrie dartes of the wicked And take the helmet of saluacion the swerde of the sprete which is the worde of God And praye allwayes with all maner of prayer and supplicacion in the sprete and watch there vnto with all instaunce and supplicacion for all sayntes and for me that the worde maye be geuen me that I maye open my mouth boldly to vtter the secretes of the Gospell wherof I am a messaunger in bondes that I maye speake therin frely as it becommeth me to speake But that ye maye also knowe what case I am in and what I do Tichicus my deare brother and faithfull mynister in the LORDE shal shewe you all whom I haue sent vnto you for the same cause that ye mighte knowe what case I stonde in and that he mighte comforte youre hertes Peace be vnto the brethreÌ„ and loue with faith from God the father from the LORDE Iesu Christ. Grace be with all them that loue oure LORDE Iesus Christ vnfaynedly Amen Sent from Rome vnto the Ephesians by Tichicus The Epistle of the Apostle S. Paul to the Philippians The summe of this epistle Chap. I. He exhorteth them to increace in loue in knowlege and experience of godly thinges maketh mencion of his presonment at Rome is glad to heare Christ preached is coÌ„tent ether to dye or lyue and prayeth them to lede a godly conuersacion to be of one mynde and to feare no persecucion Chap. II. He exhorteth them to vnite and brotherly loue and to bewarre of strife and vayne glory And for a sure ensample he layeth Christ before them Chap. III. He warneth theÌ„ to bewarre of false teachers
might be dāned which beleued not the trueth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnes But we are bounde to geue thankes allwaye vnto God for you brethren be loued of the LORDE because that God hath from the begynnynge chosen you to saluacion in the sanctifienge of the sprete and in beleuynge of the trueth whervnto he hath called you by oure Gospell to optayne the glory of oure LORDE Iesus Christ. Therfore brethren stonde fast and kepe the ordinaunces which ye haue lerned whether it were by oure preachinge or by epistle But oure LORDE Iesus Christ himselfe and God oure father which hath loued vs and geuen vs euerlastinge consolacion and a good hope thorow grace comforte youre hertes and stablysh you in all doctryne good doynge The III. Chapter FVrthermore brethren praye for vs that the worde of God maye haue fre passage and be glorified as it is with you and that we maye be delyuered from vnreasonable and euell mē For faith is not euery mās But the LORDE is faithfull which shal stablyshe you and kepe you from euell We haue confidence in the LORDE to you warde that ye both do and wyll do that which we cōmaunde you The LORDE gyde youre hertes vnto the loue of God and pacience of Christ. But we requyre you brethren in the name of oure LORDE Iesus Christ that ye withdrawe youre selues from euery brother that walketh inordinatly and not after the institucion which he receaued of vs. For ye yo r selues knowe how ye oughte to folowe vs for we behaued not oure selues inordinatly amonge you nether toke we bred of eny man for naughte but wrought w t laboure and trauayle night and daye lest we shulde be chargeable to eny of you Not but that we had auctorite but to geue oure selues for an ensample vnto you to folowe vs. And whan we were w t you this we warned you of that yf there were eny which wolde not worke y e same shulde not eate For we heare saye that there are some which walke amonge you inordinatly and worke not at all but are busy bodies But them that are soche we commaunde and exhorte by oure LORDE Iesus Christ that they worke with quyetnes and eate their awne bred Neuertheles brethren be not ye weery of well doynge But yf eny man obey not oure sayenges sende vs worde of him by a letter and haue nothinge to do with him y t he maye be ashamed Yet counte him not as an enemye but warne him as a brother The very LORDE of peace geue you peace allwayes by all meanes The LORDE be with you all The salutacion of me Paul with myne awne hande This is the token in all epistles So I wryte The grace of oure LORDE Iesus Christ be with you all Amen Sent from Athens The first Epistle of the Apostle S. Paul to Timothy The summe of this epistle Chap. I. He exhorteth Timothy to wayte vpō his office namely to se that nothīge be taughte but Gods worde c. He sheweth also wherfore the lawe is good and telleth these swete and glad tidinges that Christ Iesus came in to the worlde to saue synners example of himselfe Chap. II. He exhorteth to praye for all men He will not haue wemen to be ouer costly arayed ner to teach in the congregacion but to be in sylence and obeye their huszbandes Chap. III. What maner of man a byszhpppe or prest ought to be and what condicions his wife and children shulde haue The properties also requyred in a deacon or mynister and in his wife Chap. IIII. He prophecieth of the latter dayes and exhorteth Timothy to the diligēt readynge of the holy scripture Chap. V. He teacheth him how he shal behaue himselfe in rebukynge all degrees An ordre concernynge wyddowes Chap. VI. The dutye of seruauntes towarde their masters Agaynst soch as are not satisfied with the worde of God Agaynst cuvetousnes A good lesson for riche men The first Chapter PAul an Apostle of Iesus Christ acordinge to the commaundement of God oure Sauioure and of the LORDE Iesus Christ which is oure hope Vnto Timothy my naturall sonne in the faith Grace mercy and peace from God oure father and oure LORDE Iesus Christ. As I besoughte y e to abyde still at Ephesus whan I departed in to Macedonia euē so do that thou commaunde some that they teach none other wyse nether geue hede to fables and genealogies which are endlesse and brede doutes more then godly edifyenge which is by faith For y e chefe summe of the commaundement is loue of a pure hert and of a good cōscience and of faith vnfayned From the which some haue erred haue turned vnto vayne iangelynge wyllinge to be doctours of the scripture and vnderstonde not what they speake nether wherof they affirme But we knowe that the lawe is good yf a man vse it laufully vnderstōdinge this that the lawe is not geuen vnto the righteous but to the vnrighteous dishobedient to the vngodly to synners to the vnholy vncleane to murthurers of fathers and murthurers of mothers to manslayers to whoremongers to thē that defyle them selues with mankynde to menstealers to lyars to periured so forth yf there be eny other thinge y t is cōtrary to y e wholsome doctryne acordinge to y e Gospell of y e glory of the blessed God which Gospell is cōmytted vnto me And I thanke Christ Iesus o r LORDE which hath made me strōge for he counted me faithfull put me in office whā before I was a blasphemer a persecuter a tyraunt but I optayned mercy because I dyd it ignorauntly in vnbeleue Neuertheles the grace of o r LORDE was more abūdaunt thorow y e faith loue which is in Christ Iesu. For this is a true sayenge and by all meanes worthy to be receaued that Christ Iesus came in to y e worlde to saue synners of whom I am chefe Notwithstondynge for this cause optayned I mercy that Iesus Christ mighte pryncipally shewe in me all longe pacience to the ensample of them which shulde beleue in him vnto eternall life So then vnto God kynge euerlastinge immortall and invisible and wyse onely be honoure and prayse for euer and euer Amen This commaundement commytte I vnto the my sonne Timotheus acordinge to y e prophecies which in tyme past were prophecied of the that thou in them shuldest fighte a good fighte hauynge faith good conscience which some haue put awaye frō them and as concernynge faith haue made shypwrake of whose nombre is Hymeneos and Alexander whom I haue delyuered vnto Sathan that they might be taught nomore to blaspheme The II. Chapter I Exhorte therfore y t aboue all thinges prayers supplicacions intercessions and geuynge of thākes be had for all men for kynges and for all that are in auctorite that we maye lyue a quyete peaceable life in all godlynes and
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
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