maye be detter vnto God because y t by y e dedes of the lawe no flesh maye be iustified in his sighte For by the lawe commeth but the knowlege of synne But now without addinge to of y e lawe is the righteousnes which avayleth before God declared hauynge witnesse of y e lawe and the prophetes but I speake of y e righteousnes before God which cōmeth by the faith on Iesus Christ vnto all and vpō all them that beleue For here is no difference For they are all synners and wāte the prayse that God shulde haue of thē but without deseruynge are they made righteous euē by his grace thorow the redempcion that is done by Christ Iesu whom God hath set forth for a Mercyseate thorow faith in his bloude to shewe the righteousnes which avayleth before him in that he forgeueth the synnes which were done before vnder the sufferaunce of God which he suffred that at this tyme he mighte shewe y e righteousnes which avayleth before him y t he onely mighte be righteous the righteous maker of him which is of the faith on Iesus Where is now then thy reioysinge It is excluded By what lawe By the lawe of workes Nay but by the lawe of faith We holde therfore that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the lawe Or is God the God of the Iewes onely Is he not also the God of the Heythen Yes verely the God of the Heythen also for so moch as he is the God onely that iustifieth the circumcision which is of faith and the vncircūcision thorow faith Destroys we then the lawe thorow faith God forbyd But we mantayne the lawe The fourth Chapter WHat shal we saye thē that Abrahā o father as pertayninge to y e flesh dyd fynde This we saye Yf Abraham were made righteous thorow workes then hath he wherin to reioyse but not before God But what sayeth y e scripture Abrahā beleued God y t was counted vnto him for righteousnes Vnto hī y t goeth aboute w t workes is the rewarde not rekened of fauoure but of dutye Howbeit vnto him y t goeth not aboute with workes but beleueth on him y t iustifieth the vngodly is his faith counted for righteousnes Euen as Dauid sayeth also that blessednes is onely that mans vnto whō God counteth righteousnes without addinge to of workes where he sayeth Blessed are they whose vnrighteousnesses are forgeuen and whose synnes are couered Blessed is the man vnto whom the LORDE imputeth no synne Now this blessednes goeth it ouer the circūcision or ouer the vncircumcision We must nedes graunte y t Abrahās faith was coūted vnto hī for righteousnes How was it thē rekened vnto him In the circūcision or in the vncircumcision Doutles not in the circūcision but in the vncircumcision As for the tokē of circūcision he receaued it for a seale off the righteousnes off faith which he had yet in y e vncircūcision y t he shulde be a father of all thē y t beleue beinge in y e vncircūcisiō y t it might be coūted vnto thē also for righteousnes that he might be a father of circumcision not onely of thē that are of y e circumcision but of them also that walke in the fotesteppes of the faith which was in the vncircumcision of oure father Abraham For the promes that he shulde be y e heyre of the worlde was not made vnto Abraham or to his sede thorow the lawe but thorow the righteousnes of faith For yf they which are of the lawe be heyres thē is faith vayne and the promes of none effecte for so moch as the lawe causeth but wrath For where the lawe is not there is also no transgression Therfore was the promes made thorow fayth that it myght come off fauoure wherby the promesse myghte be made sure vnto all the sede not onely vnto him which is off the lawe but also vnto him that is of the faith of Abrahā which is the father of vs all As it is wrytten I haue made the a father of many Heythē before God whom thou hast beleued which quyckeneth the deed and calleth it which is not that it maye be And he beleued vpō hope where nothinge was to hope that he shulde be a father of many Heythen Acordinge as it was sayde vnto him Euen so shal thy sede be And he was not faynte in faith nether cōsidred his awne body which was deed allready whyle he was almost an hundreth yeare olde nether the deed wombe of Sara For he douted not in the promes of God thorow vnbeleue but was strōge in faith and gaue God the prayse was sure that loke what God promyseth he is able to make it good And therfore was it rekened vnto him for righteousnes But this is not wryttē onely for his sake y t it was counted vnto him but also for oure sakes vnto whō it shal be counted yf we beleue on him that raysed vp oure LORDE Iesus from the deed Which was geuen for oure synnes and raysed vp for oure righteousnesse sake The V. Chapter BEcause therfore that we are iustified by faith we haue peace with God thorow oure LORDE Iesus Christ by whō also we haue an intraunce in faith vnto this grace wherin we stonde reioyse in the hope of y e glorye for to come which God shal geue Not onely y t but we reioyse also ī troubles for so moch as we knowe y t trouble bryngeth paciēce paciēce bryngeth experiēce experiēce bryngeth hope As for hope is letteth vs not come to cōfusion because the loue of God is shed abrode in oure hertes by the holy goost which is geuen vnto vs. For whan we were yet weake acordinge to the tyme Christ dyed for vs vngodly Now dyeth there scace eny man for the righteous sake Peraduenture for a good man durst one dye Therfore doth God set forth his loue towarde vs in y t Christ dyed for vs whan we were yet synners Moch more then shal we be saued from wrath by him seynge we are now made righteous thorow his bloude For yf we were recōcyled vnto God by y e death of his sōne whā we were yet enemies moch more shal we be saued by him now y t we are reconcyled Not onely that but we reioyse also in God thorow oure LORDE Iesus Christ by whom we haue now receaued the attonement Wherfore as by one man synned entred in to the worlde and death by y e meanes off synne euen so wente death also ouer all men in so moch as they all haue synned For synne was in y e worlde vnto the lawe but where no lawe is there is not synne regarded Neuertheles death reigned from Adam vnto Moses euen ouer them also that synned not with like transgression as dyd Adam which is y e ymage of him y t was to come But it is not with the gifte as
forbyd that I shulde reioyse saue onely in the crosse of oure LORDE Iesus Christ wherby the worlde is crucified vnto me and I vnto the worlde For in Christ Iesu nether circūcision avayleth eny thinge ner vncircumcision but a new creature And as many as walke acordynge to this rule peace and mercy be vpon thē and vpon Israel of God From hence forth let no man put me to busynesse for I beare in my body the markes of the LORDE Iesu. Brethren the grace of oure LORDE Iesu Christ be with youre sprete Amen Vnto the Galathians sent from Rome The Epistle of the Apostle S. Paul to the Ephesians The summe of this Epistle Chap. I. The euerlastinge ordinaunce and eleccion of God in sauynge all men thorow Christ Iesus his sonne We are ordened vnto good workes The dominion of Christ. Chap. II. Paul sheweth them what maner of people they were before their conuersion and what they are now in Christ. Chap. III. He sheweth the cause of his presonment desyreth them not to faynte because of his trouble and prayeth God to make thē stedfast in his sprete Chap. IIII. He exhorteth them vnto mekenes longe sufferinge vnto loue and peace euery one to serue and edifie another with the gifte that God hath geuē him to bewarre of straunge doctrine to laye asyde the olde conuersacion of gredy lustes and to walke in a new life Chap. V. He exhorteth them vnto loue warneth them to bewarre of vnclennes cuvetounesse foolish talkynge and false doctryne to be circumspecte to avoyde dronkennesse to reioyse and to be thankfull towarde God to submytt thēselues one to another He teacheth how wemen shulde obeye their huszbōdes and how louyngly men ought to intreate their wyues Chap. VI. How children shulde behaue themselues towarde their fathers and mothers Likewyse fathers towarde their children Seruauntes towarde their masters Agayne masters towarde their seruaūtes An exhortacion to the spirituall battayll and what weapens christen men shulde fight withall The Epistle of the Apostle S. Paul to the Ephesians The first Chapter PAul an Apostle of Iesus Christ by the will of God To y e sayntes which are Ephesus to thē that beleue on Iesus Christ. Grace be with you and peace from God oure father frō the LORDE Iesus Christ. Blessed be God the father of oure LORDE Iesus Christ which hath blessed vs w t all maner of spirituall blessynge in heauenly thynges by Christ acordinge as he had chosen vs by him or euer the foundacion of the worlde was layed that we shulde be holy and without blame before him in loue ordeyned vs before to receaue vs as children thorow Iesus Christ acordinge to the pleasure of his will vnto the prayse of the glory of his grace wherby he hath made vs accepted in the Beloued in whom we haue redempcion thorow his bloude namely the forgeuenes of synnes acordynge to y e riches of his grace which he hath shed vpon vs abundauntly in all wyszdome and prudēce and hath opened vnto vs the mystery of his wil acordinge to his pleasure which he had purposed in himselfe y t it shulde be preached whā the tyme was fullcome that all thinges shulde be gathered together by Christ both the thinges which are in heauen and also the thinges that are vpon earth euen by him by whom also we are come to the inheritaunce we that were therto predestinate before acordinge to y e purpose of him which worketh all thinges after y e councell of his owne wyll that we mighte be to the prayse of his glory euen we that before beleued on Christ on whō also ye beleued after that ye herde the worde of trueth namely y e Gospell of youre saluacion wherin whan ye beleued ye were sealed with the holy sprete of promes which is the ernest of oure inheritaunce to oure redempcion that we mighte be his owne to the prayse off his glory Wherfore I also in so moch as I haue herde of the faith which ye haue in y e LORDE Iesu and of youre loue vnto all y e sayntes ceasse not to geue thankes for you and make mencion of you in my prayers that y e God of oure LORDE Iesus Christ the father of glory maye geue vnto you the sprete of wyszdome and open vnto you the knowlege of himselfe and lighten the eyes of youre vnderstondinge that ye maye knowe what is the hope of youre callynge and what the riches of his glorious enheritaunce is vpon the sayntes what is the exceadinge greatnesse of his power towarde vs which beleue acordinge to y e workynge of his mightie power which he wroughte in Christ whan he raysed him vp frō the deed and set him on his righte hāde ī heauēly thinges aboue all rule power and mighte and dominaciō and aboue all that maye be named not onely in this worlde but also in y e worlde to come And hath put all thinges vnder his fete and hath made him aboue all thinges the heade of the cōgregacion which is his body and the fulnesse of him that fylleth all in all The II. Chapter ANd quyckened you also whan ye were deed thorow trespaces and synnes in the which in tyme past ye walked acordinge to the course off this worlde and after the prynce that ruleth in the ayre namely after y e sprete which now worketh in the children of vnbeleue amonge whom we also had oure conuersacion in tyme past in the lustes of oure flesh and dyd the wyll of the flesh and of the mynde and were naturally the children of wrath euen as well as other But God which is riche in mercy thorow his greate loue wherwith he loued vs euē whā we were deed in synnes hath quyckened vs in Christ for by grace are ye saued and hath raysed vs vp with him and set vs with him in heauēly thinges thorow Christ Iesus y t in tymes to come he mighte shewe the exceadinge riches of his grace in kyndnesse to vs warde in Christ Iesu. For by grace are ye saued thorow faith and that not of youre selues For it is y e gifte of God not of workes lest eny mā shulde boast him selfe For we are his workmanshippe created in Christ Iesu vnto good workes to y t which God ordeyned vs before that we shulde walke in them Wherfore remēbre that ye which afore tyme were Gentyles after the flesh and were called vncircumcision of thē that are called circumcision after the flesh which circumcision is made with the hande that ye at the same tyme were without Christ and reputed aleauntes from the comen welth of Israel and were straungers from the Testamentes of promes therfore had ye no hope and were without God in this worlde But now ye that be in Christ Iesu and afore tyme were farre of are now made nye by the bloude of Christ. For he is o peace which of both hath made one and hath broken downe the
a shyne of wyszdome thorow chosen spiritualtie and humblenes and in that they spare not the body and do the flesh no worshipe vnto his nede The III. Chapter YF ye be rysen now with Christ seke those thinges then which are aboue where Christ is syttinge on the righte hande of God Set youre mynde on the thinges which are aboue not on y e thingeâ— that are vpon earth For ye are deed * 〈◊〉 youre life is hyd with Christ in God * 〈◊〉 whan Christ o r life shal shewe himselfe theÌ„ shal ye also appeare with him in glory Mortifye therfore youre meÌ„bres which are vpon earth whordome vnclennes vnnaturall lust euell concupisceÌ„ce and couetousnes which is a worshippynge of Idols for which thinges sakes the wrath of God commeth vpon the children of vnbeleue in the which thinges ye walked some tyme whan ye lyued in them But now put all awaye froÌ„ you wrath fearcenesse maliciousnes cursed speakynge fylthie wordes out of youre mouth Lye not one to another Put of y e olde maÌ„ with his workes and put on y e newe which is renued in knowlege after y e ymage of him that made him where there is no Greke Iewe circumcision vncircumcision Barbarous Sithian boÌ„de fre but Christ is all and in all Now therfore as the electe of God holy and beloued put on tender mercye kyndnes humblenes of mynde mekenesse longe sufferynge forbearinge one another and forgenynge one another yf eny man haue a quarell agaynst another Like as Christ hath forgeuen you euen so do ye also But aboue all thinges put on loue which is the bonde of perfectnesse And the peace of God rule in youre hertes to the which peace ye are called also in one body and se y t ye be thanfull Let y e worde of Christ dwell in you plenteously in all wyszdome Teach and exhorte youre awne selues with psalmes and ymnes and spirituall songes which haue fauoure with them synginge in youre hertes to the LORDE And what soeuer ye do in worde or worke do all in the name of the LORDE Iesu and geue thankes vnto God the father by him Ye wyues submytte youre selues vnto youre huszbandes as it is comly in the LORDE Ye huszbandes loue youre wyues and be not bytter vnto them Ye children obeye youre elders in all thinges for that is well pleasynge vnto the LORDE Ye fathers rate not yo r children lest they be of a desperate mynde Ye seruauntes be obedient vnto youre bodely masters in all thinges not with eye seruyce as men pleasers but in synglenes of â—ert fearinge God What so euer ye do do it â—â—rtely euen as vnto the LORDE and not 〈…〉 And be sure that of the LORDE 〈…〉 the rewarde of y e enheritaunâ—◠〈…〉 LORDE Christ. But he that doth 〈◊〉 shal receaue for the wronge that he hath done for there is no respecte of persons with God Ye masters do vnto youre seruauntes that which is iust and equall and knowe y t ye also haue a master in heauen The IIII. Chapter COntynue in prayer and watch in the same with thankesgeuynge and praye also together for vs that God open vnto vs the dore of the worde to speake the mystery of Christ wherfore I am also in boÌ„des that I maye vtter y e same as it becommeth me to speake Walke wysely towarde them that are without and redeme y e tyme. Let youre speach be allwaye fauorable seasoned with salt that ye maye knowe how to answere euery man Tichicus the deare brother and faithfull mynister felowe seruauÌ„t in y e LORDE shal tell you what case I am in Whom I haue sent vnto you for the same purpose that he mighte knowe how ye do that he mighte comforte youre hertes with one Onesimus a faithfull and beloued brother which is one of you they shal shewe you of all thinges which are adoynge here Aristarchus my preson felowe saluteth you and Marcus Barnabasses sisters sonne touchinge whom ye receaued commaundementes Yf he come vnto you receaue him and Iesus which is called Iustus which are of the circumcision These onely are my helpers in the kyngdome of God which were to my consolacion Epaphras a seruaunt of Christ which is one of you saluteth you allwaye laboureth feruently for you in prayers y t ye maye stonde perfecte and full in all that is the wil of God I beare him recorde that he hath a feruent mynde for you and for theÌ„ at Laodicea and at Hierapolis Deare Lucas the Phisician saluteth you and so doth Demas Salute the brethreÌ„ which are at Laodicea and salute Nymphas and the coÌ„gregacion which is in his house And whan the epistle is red of you cause it to be red also in the coÌ„gregacioÌ„ at Laodicea that ye likewyse reade the epistle of Laodicea And saye to Archippus Take hede to the office which thou hast receaued in the LORDE that thou fulfyll it My salutacion with the hnade of me Paul Remembre my boÌ„des Grace be with you Amen Sent from Rome by Tichicus and Onesimus The first Epistle of the Apostle S. Paul to the Tessalonians The summe of this Epistle Chap. I. He thanketh God for them that they are so stedfast in faith and good workes and receaue the gospell with soch earnest Chap. II. He putteth them in mynde of the godly conuersacion that he led amonge them when he preached the gospell vnto them thanketh God that they receaue his worde so frutefully and excuseth his absence Chap. III. He sheweth how greatly he was reioysed whaÌ„ Timothy tolde him of their faith and loue Chap. IIII. He exhorteth them to stedfastnesse to kepe them selues from synne and vnclenly coÌ„uersacion to loue one another rebuketh ydilnesse and speaketh of the resurreccion Chap. V. He enfourmeth them of the daye of dome and coÌ„mynge of the LORDE exhorteth them to watch and to regarde soch as preach Gods worde amonge them The first Chapter PAVL and Siluanus and Timotheus Vnto the coÌ„gregacion of the Tessalonyans in God the father and in the LORDE Iesus Christ. Grace be with you and peace from God oure father and from the LORDE Iesus Christ. We geue thankes vnto God allwaye for you all makynge meÌ„sion of you in o r prayers without ceassynge and call to remembraunce youre worke in the faith and youre laboure in loue youre pacience in hope which is oure LORDE Iesus Christ before God oure father Because we knowe brethren beloued of God how that ye are electe for oure Gospell hath not bene with you in worde onely but both in power and in the holy goost and in moch certayntie as ye knowe after what maner we were amonge you for youre sakes And ye became the folowers of vs and of the LORDE and receaued the worde in moch affliccion with ioye of the holy goost so that ye were an example to all that beleued in Macedonia and
honestie For that is good and accepted in y e sighte of God oure Sauioure which wil haue all men saued and to come vnto the knowlege of y e trueth For there is one God and one mediatour betwene God and men namely the man Christ Iesus which gaue him selfe a raunsome for all men that at his tyme it shulde be preached wherevnto I am ordeyned a preacher an Apostle I tell y e trueth in Christ and lye not a teacher of the Heythē in faith and in the trueth I wil therfore that men praye in all places liftinge vp pure hādes without wrath or dowtynge Likewyse also the wemen that they araye them selues in comly apparell with shamfastnes and discrete behaueo r not with broyded heer or golde or perles or costly araye but with soch as it becommeth wemē that professe godlynes thorow good workes Let the woman lerne in sylēce with all subieccion I suffre not a womā to teach ner to haue auctorite ouer the man but for to be in sylence For Adam was first formed and thē Eue Adam also was not disceaued but the woman was disceaued and hath brought in the trāsgression Notwitstondynge thorow bearynge of children she shal be saued yf she contynue in faith and in loue in the sanctifyenge with discrecion The III. Chapter THis is a true sayēge Yf a mā covet y e office of a Biszhoppe he desyreth a good worke But a Biszhoppe must be blamelesse the huszbāde of one wife sober discrete manerly harberous apte to teach Not geuen to moch wyne no fighter not geuen to filthy lucre but gentle abhorrynge stryfe abhorrynge couetousnes one that ruleth his awne house honestly hauynge obedient children with all honestye But yf a man can not rule his owne house how shal he care for the congregacion of God He maye not be a yōge scolar left he be puft vp and fall in to the iudgment of y e euell speaker He must also haue a good reporte of them which are without lest he fall in to the rebuke and snare of the euell speaker Likewyse must the mynisters be honest not double tonged not geuen to moch wyne nether vnto fylthie lucre but hauynge the mystery of faith in pure conscience And let them first be proued and then let them mynister yf they be blamelesse Euen so must their wyues be honest not euell speakers but sober and faithfull in all thinges Let the mynisters be euery one the huszbāde of one wyfe and soch as rule their children well and their owne housholdes For they that mynister well get them selues a good degree and greate libertye in the faith which is in Christ Iesu. These thinges wryte I vnto the trustinge shortly to come vnto the but yf I tary lōge that then thou mayest yet haue knowlege how thou oughtest to behaue thy selfe in Gods house which is the congregacion of the lyuynge God the piler and grounde of trueth and without naye greate is that mystery of godlynes God was shewed in the flesh was iustified in the sprete was sene of angels was preached vnto the Heythen was beleued on in the worlde was receaued vp in glory The IIII. Chapter THe sprete speaketh euydently that in y e latter tymes some shal departe from the faith and shal geue hede vnto spretes of erroure and deuelish doctrynes of them which speake false thorow ypocrysie and haue their cōscience marked with an whote yron forbyddinge to mary and cōmaundynge to abstayne frō the meates which God hath created to be receaued w t geuynge thankes of them which beleue and knowe the trueth For euery creature off God is good and nothinge to be refused y t is receaued with thankesgeuynge for it is sanctifyed by the worde of God and prayer Yf thou shalt put the brethren in remembraunce of these thinges thou shalt be a good mynister of Iesu Christ which hast bene norished vp in the wordes of faith and of good doctryne which thou hast folowed hither to As for vngoostly and olde wyuesh fables cast them awaye but exercyse thy selfe vnto godlynes For bodely exercyse profyteth litle but godlynes is profytable vnto all thinges as a thinge which hath promyses of the life that is now and of the life for to come This is a sure sayenge of all partes worthy to be receaued For therfore we laboure and suffre rebuke because we hope in the lyuynge God which is the Sauioure of all men but specially of those that beleue Soch thinges commaunde thou and teach Let no man despyse y e youth but be thou vnto them that beleue an ensample in worde in cōuersacion in loue in y e sprete in faith in purenesse Geue attendaunce to readynge to exhortacion to doctryne vntyll I come Be not necligent in the gifte that is geuen the thorow prophecye with layēge on of the handes of the Elders These thinges exercyse and geue thy selfe vnto them that thine increace maye be manifest vnto euery man Take hede vnto thy selfe and to learnynge cōtynue in these thinges For yf thou so do thou shalt saue thy selfe and them that hearethe The V. Chapter EEbuke not an Elder but exhorte him as a father and the yōger men as brethren the elder wemen as mothers the yonger as sisters with all purenes Hono r wedowes which are true wedowes Yf eny wedowe haue children or neves let them lerne first to rule their awne houses godly and to recompence their elders For y t is good acceptable before God But she that is a right wedowe desolate putteth hir trust in God cōtynueth in prayer and supplicacion nighte and daye But she that lyueth in pleasures is deed euen yet a lyne And these thinges commaunde that they maye be without blame But yf there be eny man that prouydeth not for his awne and specially for them of his houszholde the same hath denyed the faith and is worse then an infydele Let no wedowe be chosen vnder thre score yeare olde and soch one as was y e wife of one man and well reported of in good workes yf she haue brought vp children well yf she haue bene harberous yf she haue wasshed the sayntes fete yf she haue mynistred vnto thē which were in aduersite yf she were continually geuen to all maner of good workes But y e yonger wedowes refuse For whan they haue begonne to waxe wanton agaynst Christ then wil they mary hauynge their damnacion because they haue brokē y e first faith Besydes this they are ydell and lerne to runne aboute frō house to house Not onely are they ydell but also tryflinge busy bodies speakynge thinges which are not comly I wil therfore that the yonger wemen mary beare children gyde the house to geue y e aduersary no occasion to speake euell For some are turned back allready after Sathā Yf eny man or woman that beleueth
fro me of which sorte are Phigelus and Hermogenes The LORDE geue mercy vnto the house of Onesiphorus for he oft refreszhed me and was not aszhamed of my cheyne but whan he was at Rome he soughte me out very diligently and founde me The LORDE graunte vnto him that he maye fynde mercy with the LORDE in that daye And how moch he mynistred vnto me at Ephesus thou knowest very well The II. Chapter THou therfore my sonne be stronge thorow the grace which is in Christ Iesu. And what thinges thou hast herde of me by many witnesses the same commytte thou vnto faithfull men which are apte to teach other Thou therfore suffre affliccion as a good soudyer off Iesu Christ. No maÌ„ that warreth tangleth himselfe with wordly busynesses that because he wolde please him which hath chosen him to be a soudyer And though a man stryue for a mastrye yet is he not crowned excepte he stryue laufully The huszbandman that laboureth must first enioye the frutes Consydre what I saye The LORDE shal geue the vnderstondynge in all thinges Remembre that Iesus Christ beynge of the sede of Dauid rose agayne froÌ„ the deed acordynge to my Gospell wherein I suffre as an euell doer euen vnto bandes but the worde of God is not bounde Therfore suffre I all for the electes sakes that they also mighte optayne the saluacion in Christ Iesu with eternall glory This is a true sayenge Yf we be deed w t him we shal lyue with him also Yf we be pacient we shal also raigne with him Yf we denye him he also shal denye vs Yf we beleue not yet abydeth he faithfull he can not denye himselfe Of these thinges put thou them in remeÌ„braunce and testifye before the LORDE that they stryue not aboute wordes which is to no profit but to peruerte the hearers Study to shewe thy selfe vnto God a laudable workman that nedeth not to be ashamed deuydynge the worde of trueth iustly As for vngoostly and vayne talkynges eschue them for they helpe moch to vngodlynes and their worde fretteth as doth a canker Of whose nombre is Hymeneos Philetus which as concernynge the trueth haue erred sayenge that the resurreccion is past allready and haue destroyed the faith of dyuerse personnes But y e sure grounde of God stondeth fast and hath this seale The LORDE knoweth them that are his and let euery maÌ„ that calleth vpon the name of Christ departe from iniquyte Notwithstondynge in a greate house are not onely vessels of golde and of syluer but also of wod and of earth some for honoure and some to dishonoure But yf a man pourge himselfe from soch felowes he shal be a vessell sanctified vnto honoure mete for the LORDE and prepared vnto all good workes Fle thou the lustes of youth â–ª but folowe righteousnes faith loue peace â–ª with all them that call vpon the LORDâ— with pure hert As for folish questions anâ— soch as teach not put them froÌ„ the for thoâ— knowest that they do but geÌ„der stryfe Thâ— seruaunt of the LORDE ought not to stryue but to be gentle vnto euery man apte to teach one that can forbeare the euell one y t can with mekenesse enfourme â—hem y t 〈◊〉 yf God at eny tyme wyl geue 〈…〉 for to knowe the trueth 〈…〉 agayne from the snare of 〈…〉 are holden in preson of him 〈…〉 The III. Chapter BVT this shalt thou knowe that in the last dayes shal come parelous tymes For there shal be meÌ„ which shal holde of theÌ„ selues couetous boasters proude cursed speakers dishobedient to their elders vnthankfull vngoostly vnkynde truce breakers false accusers ryatours fearce despysers of them which are good traytours heady hye mynded gredy vpon voluptuousnes more then the louers of God hauynge a shyne off godly lyuynge but denyenge the power therof And soch avoyde Of this sorte are they which ruÌ„ne froÌ„ house to house brynge in to bondage wemeÌ„ ladeÌ„ w t synne which wemen are led with dyuerse lustes euer lernynge and are neuer able to come vnto the knowlege of the trueth But like as Iamnes and IaÌ„bres withstode Moses euen so do these also resist the trueth meÌ„ they are of corrupte myndes and lewde as coÌ„cernynge y e faith but they shal preuayle no longer For their folishnes shal be manifest vnto all men as theirs was But thou hast sene the experience of my doctryne my faszhion of lyuynge my purpose my faith my longsufferynge my loue my pacience my persecucions my affliccions which happened vnto me at Antioche at Iconium at Lystra which persecucions I suffred paciently and from theÌ„ all the LORDE delyuered me Yee and all they that wil lyue godly in Christ Iesu must suffre persecucion But the euell men and disceauers shal waxe worse and worse disceauynge and beynge disceaued But contynue thou in the thinges that thou hast lerned which also were coÌ„mytted vnto the seynge thou knowest of whoÌ„ thou hast learned them And for so moch as thou hast knowne holy scripture of a childe the same is able to make y e wyse vnto saluacion thorow the faith in Christ Iesu. For all scripture geueÌ„ by inspiracion of God is profitable to teach to improue to amende and to instructe in righteousnes that a man off God maye be perfecte and prepared vnto all good workes The IIII. Chapter I Testifye therfore before God before the LORDE Iesu Christ which shal come to iudge the lyuynge and â—he deed at â—is appearynge in his kyngdoâ—◠〈…〉 each â—hou the worde be feruent be it 〈…〉 out of season Improue rebuke 〈…〉 all longe sufferynge and 〈…〉 wil come whan they shal not suffre wholsome doctryne but after their awne lustes shal they whose eares ytche get them an heape of teachers and shal turne their eares from the trueth and shal be geuen vnto fables But watch thou in all thinges suffre aduersite do the worke of a preacher of the Gospell fulfyll thine office vnto the vttemost For I am now ready to be offered and the tyme of my departinge is at honde I haue foughte a good fighte I haue fulfylled the course I haue kepte the faith From hence forth there is layed vp for me a crowne of righteousnes which the LORDE the righteous iudge shal geue me in y t daye Howbeit not vnto me onely but vnto all them that loue his coÌ„mynge Make spede to come vnto me at once For Demas hath lefte me and loueth this present worlde and is departed vnto Tessalonica Crescens in to Galacia Titus vnto Dalmacia Onely Lucas is with me Take Marke brynge him with the for he is profitable vnto me to the mynistracion Tichicus haue I sent to Ephesus The cloke that I lefte at Troada with Carpus brynge with the whan thou commest and the bokes but specially the parchemeÌ„t AlexaÌ„der the coppersmyth dyd me moch euell the LORDE rewarde him
wyl geue my lawes in their hertes and 〈…〉 myndes wyl I wryte them and their synnes and iniquities wil I remēbre nomore And where remyssion of these thinges is there is nomore offerynge for synne Seynge now brethrē that we haue a fresure intraunce in to that Holy place by the bloude of Iesu which he hath prepared vnto vs for a new and lyuynge waye thorow the vayle that is to saye by his flesh and seynge also that we haue an hye prest ouer the house of God let vs drawe nye with a true hert in a full faith sprenkled in oure hertes from an euell conscience and washed in oure bodies with pure water and let vs kepe the profession of oure hope without wauerynge for he is faith full that hath promysed and let vs considre one another to y e prouokinge of loue and of good workes and let vs not forsake the fellishippe that we haue amōge oure selues as the maner of some is but let vs exhorte one another and that so moch the more because ye se that the daye draweth nye For yf we synne wylfully after that we haue receaued the knowlege of the trueth there remayneth vnto vs nomore sacrifice for synnes but a fearfull lokynge for iudgment and violente fyre which shal deuoure y e aduersaries He y t despyseth Moses lawe dyeth without mercy vnder two or thre witnesses Of how moch sorer punyshment suppose ye shal he be counted worthy which treadeth vnder fote the sonne of God and coūteth the bloude of y e Testamēt wherby he is sanctified an vnwholy thinge doth dishonoure to the sprete of grace For we knowe him that hath sayde Vengeaunce is myne I wil recompence sayeth the LORDE And agayne The LORDE shal iudge his people It is a fearfull thinge to fall in to the handes of the lyuynge God But call ye to remēbraūce y e dayes y t are past ī y t which after ye had receaued lighte ye endured a greate fighte off aduersities partly whyle all mē wōdred gased at you for the shame and tribulacion that was done vnto you and partly whyle ye became cōpanyons of them which so passed their tyme For ye haue suffred with my bōdes and toke a worth y e spoylinge of youre goodes and that with gladnes knowynge in youre selues how that ye haue in heauen a better an enduringe substaunce Cast not awaye therfore yo r confidence which hath so greate a rewarde For ye haue nede of pacience that after ye haue done the wil of God ye mighte receaue the promes For yet ouer a litle whyle and then he that shal come wyl come and wyl not tary But the iust shal lyue by his faith And yf he withdrawe himselfe awaye my soule shal haue no pleasure in him As for vs we are not of those which withdrawe them selues to damnacion but of them that beleue to the wynnynge of the soule The XI Chapter FAith is a sure confidence of thinges which are hoped for and a certaynte of thinges which are not sene By it y e Elders were well reported of Thorow faith we vnderstonde that the worlde and all the thinges which are sene were made of naughte by the worde of God By faith offered Abell vnto God a more plenteous sacrifice by the which he optayned wytnesse that he was righteous God testifyenge of his giftes by the which also he beynge deed yet speaketh By faith was Enoch takē awaye that he shulde not se death and was not founde because God had taken him awaye For afore he was taken awaye he had recorde that he pleased God But without faith it is vnpossible to please God For he that commeth vnto God must beleue that God is y t he is a rewarder of them that seke him By faith Noe honoured God after y t he was warned of thinges which were not sene prepared the Arke to y e sauinge of his housholde thorow the which Arke he condemned the worlde and became heyre of the righteousnes which commeth by faith By faith Abraham whā he was called obeyed to go out in to the place which he shulde afterwarde receaue to inheritaunce and he wente out not knowynge whither he shulde go By faith was he a straunger in the lōde of promes as in a straunge countre dwelt in tabernacles and so dyd Isaac Iacob heyres with him of the same promes for he loked for a cite which hath a foundacion whose buylder and maker is God By faith Sara also receaued strength to be with childe and was delyuered of a childe whan she was past age because she iudged him to be faithfull which had promysed And therfore spronge there of one yee euen off one which was as good as deed concernynge the body so many in multitude as the starres off the skye and as the sonde off the See shore which is innumerable All these dyed acordinge to faith and receaued not the promyses but sawe thē afarre off and beleued them and saluted them and cōfessed that they were straungers pilgrems vpō earth For they that saye soch thinges declare that they seke a naturall countre And doutles yf they had bene myndefull off that countre from whence they came out they had leysure to haue returned agayne But now they desyre a better that is to saye a heauēly Wherfore God is not ashamed of thē euē to be called their God for he hath prepared a cite for them By faith Abrahā offered vp Isaac whā he was tempted and gaue ouer his onely begotten sonne in whom he had receaued the promyses of whom it was sayde In Isaac shal thy sede be called For he considered y t God was able to rayse vp agayne from the deed Therfore receaued he him for an ensample By faith Isaac blessed Iacob and Esau concernynge thinges to come By faith Iacob whan he was a dyenge blessed both the sonnes off Ioseph bowed himselfe towarde the toppe of his cepter By faith Ioseph whan he dyed remembred y e departynge of the childrē of Israel gaue cōmaundemēt concernynge his bones By faith Moses whā he was borne was hyd thre monethes of his Elders because they sawe that he was a proper childe nether feared they the kynges cōmaundemēt By faith Moses whan he was greate◠refused to be called the sonne of Pharao◠doughter and chose rather to suffre aduersite with the people of God then to enioye y e pleasures of synne for a season and estemed the rebuke of Christ greater riches then the treasure of Egipte for he had respecte vnto the rewarde By faith he forsoke Egipte and feared not the fearcenes of the kynge for he endured euē as though he had sene him which is inuisible By faith he helde Easter and the effusion of bloude lest he which slewe the firstborne shulde touche them By faith they passed thorow the reed See as by
those beestes whose bloude is broughte in to the holy place by y e hye prest to pourge synne are brent without the tētes Therfore Iesus also to sanctifye y e people by his awne bloude suffred without y e gate Let vs go forth therfore out of the tentes and suffre rebuke with him for here haue we no contynuynge cite but we seke one to come Let vs therfore by him offre allwayes vnto God the sacrifice of prayse that is to saye the frute of those lippes which confesse his name To do good and to destribute forget not for w t soch sacrifices God is pleased Obey them that haue the ouersighte off you and submytte youre selues vnto them for they watch for youre soules euen as they that must geue accōptes therfore that they maye do it with ioye and not with grefe for that is an vnprofitable thinge for you Praye for vs. We haue confidence because we haue a good cōscience in all thinges and desyre to lyue honestly But I desyre you y e more abundauntly that ye so do y t I maye be restored vnto you the more quyckly The God of peace that broughte agayne frō the deed oure LORDE Iesus the greate shepherde of the shepe thorow the bloude of the euerlastinge Testament make you perfecte in all good workes to do his wyll workynge in you that which is pleasaunt in his sighte thorow Iesus Christ to whom be prayse for euer and euer Amen I beseke you brethren suffre the worde of exhortacion for I haue wrytten vnto you in few wordes Knowe o r brother Timotheus whom we haue sent from vs with whom yf he come shortly I wil se you Salute thē that haue the ouersighte of you and all y e sayntes The brethren of Italy salute you Grace be with you all Amen Sent from Italy by Timotheus The Epistle of S. Iames. The summe of this epistle Chap. I. He exhorteth to reioyse in trouble to be feruent in prayer with stedfast beleue to loke for all good thinges from aboue to forsake all vyce and thankfully to receaue the worde of God not onely hearynge it and speakynge of it but to do therafter in dede True religion or deuocion what it is Chap. II. He forbyddeth to haue eny respecte of personnes but to regarde the poore as wel as the ryche to be louynge and mercifull and not to boast of faith where no dedes are for it is but a deed faith where good workes folowe not Chap III. What good and euell commeth thorow the tonge The dutye of soch as be lerned The difference betwixte the wyszdome of the gospell and the wyszdome of the worlde Chap. IIII. Warre and fightinge commeth of volupteousnesse The frendishipe of the worlde is enemyte before God An exhortacion to flye slaunder and the vanite of this life Chap. V. He threateneth the wicked rych mē exhorteth vnto pacience to bewarre of swearynge one to knowlege his fautes to another one to praye for another and one to laboure to brynge another to the trueth The first Chapter IAmes the seruaunt of God and of the LORDE Iesus Christ sendeth gretinge to the xij trybes which are scatered here there My brethren counte it exceadynge ioye whē ye fall in to diuers temptacions for as moche as ye knowe how y t the tryinge of youre faith bringeth pacience and let pacience haue her parfect worke y t ye maye be parfecte and sounde lakinge nothinge Yf eny of you lacke wyszdome let him axe of God which geueth to all men indifferentlie and casteth no man in the teth and it shal be geuē him But let him axe in faith and wauer not For he that douteth is lyke the wawes of y e See tost of the wynde and caried w t violence Nether let y t man thinke that he shal receaue eny thīge of y e LORDE A wauerynge mynded mā ys vnstable in all his waies Let the brother of lowe degre reioyce in y t he is exalted and the rich in y t he is made lowe For euē as the flo r of y e grasse shal he vanyshe awaye The Sonne ryseth w t heat and the grasse wydereth his floure falleth awaye and the beautie of the fassion of it periszheth euen so shal the ryche man perisshe with his abundaunce Happy is the man that endureth in tēptacion for when he is tryed he shal receaue the crowne of life which the LORDE hath promised to them that loue him Let no man saye when he is tempted y t he is tempted of God For God tēpteth not vnto euell nether tēpteth he eny man But euery mā is tēpted drawne awaye entysed of his awne cōcupiscēce Thē whē lust hath conceaued she bringeth forth synne synne when it is fynished bringeth forth deeth Erre not my deare brethrē Euery good gifte euery parfait gift is from aboue and cōmeth downe from y e father of light with whom is no variablenes nether is he chaunged vnto darcknes Of his awne will begat he vs with the worde of life that we shulde be the fyrst frutes of his creatures Wherfore deare brethren let euery man beswifte to heare slowe to speake and slowe to wrath For the wrath of mā worketh not that which is righteous before God Wherfore laye aparte all fylthines all superfluite of maliciousnes receaue with meknes y e worde y t is grafted in you which is able to saue youre soules And se that ye be doers of y e worde not heares only deceauinge youre awne selues For yf eny heare the worde and do it not he is like vnto a mā that beholdeth his bodily face in a glasse For assone as he hath loked on him selfe he goeth his waye and forgetteth immediatly what his faszhion was But who so loketh in y e perfect lawe of libertie and continueth therin yf he be not a forgetfull hearer but a doar of the worke the same shal be happie in his dede Yf eny man amonge you seme deuoute refrayne not his tōge but deceaue his awne herte this mannes deuocion is in vayne Pure deuocion and vndefiled before God the father is this to visit the frendlesse and widdowes in their aduersite and to kepe him selfe vnspotted of the worlde The II. Chapter BRethren haue not the faith of oure LORDE Iesus Christ y e LORDE of glory in respecte of persons Yf ther come in to yo r cōpany a mā w t a goldē rynge and in goodly aparell ther come in also a poore man in vyle raymēt ye haue a respecte to him y t weareth the gaye clothinge saye vnto hī Sit thou here ī a good place saye vnto y e poore stonde thou there or sit here vnder my fote stole are ye not parciall in youre selues and haue iudged after euyll thoughtes Harken my deare beloued brethrē Hath not God chosen the poore of this worlde which are ryche in
remayne And after seueÌ„ dayes the worlde that yet awaketh not shal be raysed vp shal dye corrupte And the earth shal restore those that haue slepte in her and so shall the dust those that dwell in syleÌ„ce and the secrete places shal delyuer those that be committed vnto them And yeâ—ost hyest shal be openly declared vpon the seate of iudgment all misery shal vanysh awaye and loÌ„ge suffringe shal be gathered together But the iudgment shall contynue y e trueth shal remayne and faith shal waxe stroÌ„ge the worke shal folowe and the rewarde shall be shewed the righteousnesses shall watch and the vnrighteousnesses shall beare no rule Then sayde I Abraham prayed first for the Sodomites Moses for the fathers y t synned in the wyldernes he y t came after him for Israel in y e tyme of Achas and Samuel and Dauid for y e destruccion and Salomon for them that came in to the Sanctuary Helias for those that receaued rayne and for the deed that he might lyue and Ezechias for y e people in the tyme of Senna cherib dyuerse other in like maner which haue prayed for many EueÌ„ so now seynge y e corrupte is growne vp and wickednes increased and the righteous haue prayed for the vngodly wherfore shal it not be so now also He answered me and sayde This present worlde is not y e ende there remayneth moch honoure in it therfore haue they prayed for the weake But the daye of dome shal be the ende of this tyme and y e begynnynge of the immortalite for to come wherin all corrupcion vanysheth all volupteousnes is lowsed all myszbeleue taken awaye righteousnes growne and the verite spronge vp Then shall no man be able to saue him that is destroyed ner to oppresse him y t hath gotteÌ„ y e victory I answered theÌ„ sayde This is my first last sayenge y t it had bene better not to haue geuen the earth vnto Adam or els whan it was geueÌ„ him to kepe him that he shulde not synne For what profit is it for men now in this present tyme to lyue in heuynes after death to loke for punyszment O thou AdaÌ„ what hast thou done For though it was thou y t synned thou art not falleÌ„ alone but we all y t come of the. For what profit is it vnto vs yf there be promysed vs an immortall tyme where as we medle w t deadly workes that there is promysed vs an euerlastinge hope where as we o r selues are euell vayne y t there are layed vp for vs dwellynges of health fredome where as we haue lyued euell and that the worshipe of y e Hyest is kepte to defende them which haue led a pacient life where as we haue walked in y e most wicked wayes of all and that there shal be shewed a paradyse whose frute endureth for euer wherin is fredome and medycyne where as we shal not go in for we haue walked in vnpleasaunt places And that the faces of them which haue absteyned shal shyne aboue the starres where as oure faces shal be black and darcke For whyle we lyued and dyd vnrighteously we considered not that we shulde suffre therfore after death TheÌ„ answered he me and sayde This is the consideracion thought of the battayl which man hath vpon earth that yf he be ouercome he shall suffre as thou hast sayde But yf he gett the victory he shall receaue the thinge that I saye For this is the life wherof Moses spake vnto the people whyle he lyued sayenge Chose the life that thou mayest lyue Neuertheles they beleued him not nether the prophetes after him No ner me which haue spoken vnto them that heuynes shulde not reach vnto them to their destruccion like as ioye is for to come ouer those that haue suffred theÌ„ selues to be enfourmed in saluacion I answered then sayde I knowe LORDE that the Hyest is mercyfull in y t he hath mercy vpon them which are not yet in the worlde and vpon those also that walke in his lawe and that he is pacient and longe sufferinge towarde those that haue synned in their workes and that he is liberall to geue where as it requyreth and that he is of greate mercy for he multiplieth his louynge kyndnesses towarde those that are present and that are past and to them which are for to come For yf he multiplie not his mercies the worlde shal not be made lyuynge with those that dwell therin He geueth also for yf he gaue not of his goodnesse that they which haue done euell might be eased the ten thousande parte of men shulde not be made lyuynge And yf the iudge forgaue not those y t be healed with his worde and yf he wolde destroye y e multitude that stryueth there shulde be very few left in an innumerable multitude The VIII Chapter ANd he answered me sayeÌ„ge The most hyest made this worlde for many but the worlde to come for few I wyl tell the a symilitude Eszdras As whan thou axest the earth it shal saye vnto the that it geueth moch moulde wherof erthen vessels are made but litle of it y t golde coÌ„meth of Euen so is it with the worke of this worlde There be many created but few shall be preserued Then answered I sayde Then swalowe vp the witt thou soule and deuoure the vnderstondinge for thou art agreed to herken and to geue eare and wyllinge to prophecie for thou hast no longer space geuen the but only to lyue O LORDE wilt thou not geue thy seruaunt leue y t we maye praye before the and that thou mayest geue sede vnto oure hert and buylde oure vnderstondinge that there maye come frute of it and that euery one which is corrupte and beareth the state and place of a man maye lyue For thou art alone and we all are one workmanshipe of thy handes like as thou hast sayde and like as the body is fashioned now in the childeszbed and thou geuest the membres and thy creature is preserued in fyre and water ix monethes doth thy worke suffre thy creature which is fashioned in her but the thinge that preserueth and it y t is preserued shal both be kepte together whan tyme is the childeszbedd delyuereth y e thinge that is kepte and growne in her For thou hast commaunded the brestes to geue mylck vnto the frute that the thinge which is created and fashioned maye be norished for a tyme and then thou disposest and ordrest it with thy mercy bryngest it vp with thy righteousnes nurturest it in thy lawe and refourmest it with thy vnderstondinge mortifiest it as thy creature and makest it lyuynge as thy worke Seinge then that thou destroyest him which w t so greate labours is created and fashioned thorow thy commaundement thou coudest lyghtly ordene also that the thinge which is made might be preserued And this I speake now of all men in generall as thou knowest
agaynst And whā they had appoynted hī adaye there came many vnto hī in to his lodginge vnto whō he expoūded y e kyngdome of God preached vnto thē of Iesu out of y e lawe and out of the prophetes euē frō mornynge vntyll the euē And some beleued y e thinge y t he sayde but some beleued not But whā they agreed not amōge thē selues they departed whā Paul had spokē one worde Full well hath the holy goost spokē by y e prophet Esay vnto o fathers sayde Go vnto this people and saye With eares ye shal heare not vnderstōde with eyes shal ye se not perceaue For y e hert of this people is waxed grosse they heare hardly w t their eares their eyes haue they closed y t they shulde not once se w t their eyes heare w t their eares vnderstōde ī their hertes and be cōuerted y t I mighte heale thē Be it knowne therfore vnto you y t this saluaciō of God is sent vnto y e Heythē and they shal heare it And whā he sayde y t y e Iewes departed had a greate disputacion amonge thēselues But Paul abode two whole yeares in his owne hyred dwellinge receaued all thē y t came in vnto hī preachinge y e kyngdome of God and teachinge those thinges which concerne the LORDE Iesus with all boldnesse vnforbydden The ende of the Actes of the Apostles wrytten by S. Luke which was present at y e doynges of them The Epistle of the Apostle S. Paul to the Romaynes The Summe of this Epistle Chap. I. Paul declareth his loue towarde the Romaynes sheweth what the gospell is with the frute therof and rebuketh the beestlynesse of the flesh Chap. II. He rebuketh the Iewes which as touchinge synne are like the Heythē yee worse then they Chap. III. He sheweth what preferment the Iewes haue and that both the Iewes and Gētiles are vnder synne and are iustified only by the grace of God in Christ. Chap. IIII. He declareth by the exāple of Abrahā that faith iustifieth and not the lawe ner the workes therof Chap. V. The power of faith hope and loue ▪ and how death raigned frō Adā vnto Christ ▪ by whō only we haue forgeuenesse of synnes Chap. VI. For so moch as we be delyuered thorow christ from synne we must fashion oure selues to lyue as the seruauntes of God and not after oure awne lustes The vnlike rewarde of righteousnes and synne Chap. VII Christ hath delyuered vs from the lawe and death Paul sheweth what the flesh and outwarde man is and calleth it the lawe of the membres Chap. VIII The lawe of the sprete geueth life The sprete of God maketh vs Gods children and heyres with Christ. The abundaunt loue of God can not be separated Chap. IX Paul complayneth vpon the hard hertes of the Iewes that wolde not receaue Christ and how the Heythē are chosen in their steade Chap. X. The vnfaithfulnes of the Iewes Two maner of righteousnesses Chap. XI All the Iewes are not cast awaye therfore Paul warneth the Gentiles that be called not to be hye mynded ner to despyse the Iewes for the iudgmētes of God are depe and secrete Chap. XII The swete conuersacion loue and workes of soch as beleue in Christ. Chap. XIII The obedience of men vnto their rulers Loue fulfilleth the lawe It is now no tyme to folowe the workes of darknesse Chap. XIIII The weake ought not to be despysed No man shulde offende anothers conscience Agayne for outward thinges shulde no man condemne another Chap. XV. The infirmite and fraylnesse of the weake ought to be borne with all loue and kyndnesse after the ensample of Christ. Chap. XVI A chapter of salutacions He warneth them to bewarre of mens doctryne and commendeth vnto them certayne godly men that were louers and brethren in the trueth The Epistle of the Apostle S. Paul to the Romaynes The first Chapter PAVL the seruaunte of Iesus Christ called to be an Apostle put aparte to preach the Gospell of God which he promysed afore by his prophetes in y e holy scriptures off his sonne which was begottē of y e sede of Dauid after the flesh and mightely declared to be the sonne of God after the sprete which sanctifieth sence the tyme that he rose agayne from the deed namely Iesus Christ oure LORDE by whom we haue receaued grace and Apostelshippe amonge all Heythen to set vp the obedience of faith vnder his name of whom ye are a parte also which are called of Iesus Christ. To all you that be at Rome beloued of God and sayntes by callynge Grace be w t you and peace frō God oure father and the LORDE Iesus Christ. First I thanke my God thorow Iesus Christ for you all that youre faith is spoken of thorow out all the worlde For God is my witnesse whom I serue in my sprete in the Gospell of his sonne that without ceassynge I make mencion of you besekinge allwayes in my prayers that I mighte once haue a prosperous iourney by the will off God to come vnto you For I longe to se you that I mighte bestowe vpon you some spirituall gifte to strēgth you that is that I mighte be conforted with you thorow yo faith myne which we haue together But I wolde ye shulde knowe brethren how that I haue often tymes purposed to come vnto you but haue bene let hither to that I mighte do some good amonge you like as amonge other Gentyles I am detter both to the Grekes and to the vngrekes to the wyse and to the vnwyse Wherfore as moch as ī me is I am ready to preach the Gospell vnto you at Rome also For I am not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ for it is the power of God which saueth all that beleue theron the Iewe first also the Greke for in it y e righteousnes that is of value before God is opened which cōmeth out of faith ī to faith As it is wryttē The iust shal lyue by his faith For y e wrath of God is declared from heauen vpon all vngodlynes and vnrighteousnes of mē which witholde the trueth of God in vnrighteousnes because that it which maye be knowne of God is manifest with thē For God hath shewed it vnto thē that the inuisible thinges of God that is his euerlastinge power and Godheade mighte be sene whyle they are considered by the workes from the creacion of the worlde so that they are without excuse in as moch as they knewe that there is a God and haue not praysed him as God ner thanked him but became vayne in their ymaginacions and their foolish hert was blynded Whan they counted them selues wyse they became fooles and turned y e glory of the incorruptible God in to y e symilitude of y e ymage of a corruptible mā of byrdes of foure foted of crepinge
where he sayeth Aboute this tyme wyl I come and Sara shal haue a sonne Howbeit it is not so with this onely but also whan Rebecca was with childe by one namely by oure father Isaac or euer the childrē were borne had done nether good ner bad that the purpose of God might stōde acordinge to the eleccion not by the deseruynge of workes but by the grace of the caller it was sayde thus vnto her The greater shal serue the lesse As it is wrytten Iacob haue I loued but Esau haue I hated What shal we saye then Is God then vnrighteous God forbyd For he sayeth vnto Moses I shewe mercy to whom I shewe mercy and haue cōpassion on whō I haue compassion So lyeth it not then in eny mans wyll or runnynge but in the mercy of God For the scripture sayeth vnto Pharao For this cause haue I stered the vp euen to shewe my power on the that my name mighte be declared in all lōdes Thus hath he mercy on whom he wyl and whom he wyl he hardeneth Thou wilt saye then vnto me Why blameth he vs yet For who can resiste his will O thou man who art thou that disputest with God Sayeth the worke to his workman Why hast thou made me on this fashion Hath not the potter power out of one lompe of claye to make one vessell vnto honoure and another vnto dishonoure Therfore whan God wolde shewe wrath and to make his power knowne he broughte forth with greate pacience the vessels off wrath which are ordeyned to damnacion that he mighte declare the riches off his glorye on y e vessels of mercy which he hath prepared vnto glorye whom he hath called namely vs not onely of the Iewes but also of the Gentyles As he sayeth also by Osee I wil call that my people which is not my people and my beloued which is not y e beloued And it shal come to passe in y e place where it was sayde vnto them Ye are not my people there shal they be called the children of the lyuynge God But Esay crieth ouer Israel Though the nombre of the children of Israel be as the sonde of the see yet shal there but a remnaunt be saued For there is the worde that fynisheth and shorteneth in righteousnes for a shorte worde shal God make vpon earth And as Esay sayde before Excepte the LORDE of Sabbaoth had lefte vs fede we shulde haue bene as Sodoma and like vnto Gomorra What shal we saye then This wil we saye The Heythen which folowed not righteousnes haue ouertaken righteousnes but I speake of the righteousnes that commeth of faith Agayne Israel folowed the lawe of righteousnes and attayned not vnto the lawe of righteousnes Why so Euen because they soughte it not out of faith but as it were out of the deseruynge of workes For they haue stombled at the stomblinge stone As it is wrytten Beholde I laye in Sion a stone to stōble at and a rocke to be offended at and who so euer beleueth on him shal not be confounded The X. Chapter BRethren my hertes desyre prayer vnto God for Israel is that they might be saued For I beare them recorde that they are zelous for Gods cause but not w t vnderstondinge For they knowe not the righteousnes which auayleth before God and go aboute to manteyne their awne righteousnes and thus they are not subdued vnto the righteousnes that is off value before God For Christ is the ende of the lawe vnto righteousnes for euery one y t beleueth Moses wryteth of y e righteousnes which commeth of the lawe that the man which doth y e same shal lyue therin But y e righteousnes which cōmeth of faith speaketh on this wyse Saye not in thine hert Who wil go vp in to heauē that is nothinge els then to fetch Christ downe Or who wyl go downe in to y e depe that is nothinge els thē to fetch vp Christ from the deed But what sayeth the scripture The worde is nye the euen in thy mouth and in thine hert This is y e worde of faith y t we preach For yf thou knowlegest Iesus with thy mouth that he is the LORDE and beleuest in thine hert that God hath raysed him vp from the deed thou shalt be saued For yf a man beleue from the hert he shal be made righteous and yf a mā knowlege with the mouth he shal be saued For the scripture sayeth Who so euer beleueth on him shal not be confounded Here is no difference nether of the Iewe ner of the Gentyle For one is LORDE of all which is riche vnto all y t call vpō him * For who so euer shal call vpon the name of the LORDE shal be saued But how shal they call vpō him on whō they beleue not How shal they beleue on him of whō they haue not herde How shal they heare without a preacher But how shal they preach excepte they be sent As it is wryttē How beutyfull are the fete of thē y t preach peace y t brynge good tidinges But they are not all obedient vnto the Gospell For Esaye sayeth LORDE who beleueth oure preachinge So thē faith cōmeth by hearynge but hearinge cōmeth by the worde of God But I saye Haue they not herde No doute their sounde wēte out in to all londes and their wordes in to the endes of the worlde But I saye Hath not Israel knowne First Moses sayeth I wil prouoke you to enuye by them that are not my people by a foolish nacion wyl I anger you Esaye after him is bolde and sayeth I am founde of them that sought me not haue appeared vnto them that axed not after me But vnto Israel he sayeth All the daye lōge haue I stretched forth my handes vnto a people y t beleueth not but speaketh agaynst me The XI Chapter I Saye then Hath God thrust out his people God forbyd for I also am an Israelite of the sede of Abraham out of the trybe of Ben Iamin God hath not thrust out his people whom he knewe before Or wote ye not what the scripture sayeth of Elias how he maketh intercession vnto God agaynst Israel and sayeth LORDE they haue slayne thy prophetes dydged downe thine altares and I am lefte ouer onely and they seke my life But what sayeth the answere of God vnto him I haue reserued vnto me seuen thousande men which haue not bowed their knee before Baal Euē so goeth it now at this tyme also w t this remnaunt after y e eleccion of grace Yf it be done of grace thē is it not of deseruynge els were grace no grace But yf it be of deseruynge then is grace nothinge els were deseruynge no deseruynge What thē Israel hath not optayned y t which he soughte but the eleccion hath optayned it As for y e other they are blynded As
remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of me For as oft as ye shal eate of this bred drynke of this cuppe ye shal shewe the LORDES death vntyll he come Wherfore who soeuer shal eate off this bred and drynke off this cuppe of the LORDE vnworthely shal be giltye of the body and bloude of the LORDE But let a man examen himselfe and so let him eate of this bred and drynke of this cuppe For he that eateth and drynketh vnworthely eateth drynketh his awne damnacion because he maketh no differeÌ„ce of the LORDES body Therfore are there so many weake and sicke amoÌ„ge you and many slepe For yf we iudged oure selues we shulde not be iudged But whan we are iudged we are chastened of y e LORDE that we shulde not be dâ—ned with the worlde Wherfore my brethren whan ye come together to eate tary one for another But yf eny man honger let him eate at home that ye come not together vnto coÌ„dempnacion As for other thinges I wil set them in order whan I come The XII Chapter AS concernynge spirituall giftes brethren I wolde not that ye were ignoraunt Ye knowe that ye were HeytheÌ„ and wente youre wayes vnto doÌ„me Idols eueÌ„ as ye were led Wherfore I declare vnto you that no man speakynge thorow the sprete of God defyeth Iesus And no man can saye that Iesus is the LORDE but by the holy goost There are dyuerse giftes yet but one sprete and there are dyuerse offices yet but one LORDE and there are dyuerse operacions yet is there but one God which worketh all in all The giftes of the sprete are geuen vnto euery man to profit the coÌ„gregacion To one is geuen thorow the sprete the vtteraunce of wiszdome to another is geuen the vtteraunce of knowlege acordinge to the same sprete to another faith in the same sprete to another the giftes of healinge in the same sprete to another power to do miracles to another prophecienge to another iudgment to discerne spretes to another dyuerse tunges to another the interpretacion of tunges These all doth y e same onely sprete worke and distributeth vnto euery man acordinge as he will For as the body is one and hath yet many membres neuertheles all the membres of the body though they be many are yet but one body euen so Christ also For we are all baptysed in one sprete to be one body whether we be Iewes or Gentyles whether we be bonde or fre and haue all dronkeÌ„ of one sprete For the body also is not one membre but many Yf the fote saye I am not y e hande therfore am I not a membre of the body is he therfore not a membre of y e body And yf the eare saye I am not the eye therfore am I not a membre of the body is he therfore not a membre of the body Yf all the body were an eye where were then the hearinge Yf all were hearinge where then the smellinge But now hath God set the membres euery one seuerally in the body as it hath pleased him Neuertheles yf all the meÌ„bres were one membre where were then the body But now are the membres many yet is the body but one The eye can not saye vnto the hande I haue no nede of the or agayne the heade vnto the fete I haue no nede of you but rather a greate deale the meÌ„bres of the body which seme to be most feble are most necessary and vpon those membres of the body which we thinke least honest put we most honestie on and oure vncomly partes haue most beutye on For oure honest membres neade it not But God hath so measured y e body and geuen most honoure vnto that meÌ„bre which had nede that there shulde be no stryfe in the body but that the membres shulde indifferently care one for another And yf one membre suffre all the membres suffre with him and yf one membre be had in honoure all the membres are glad with him also But ye are the body of Christ and membres euery one of another And God hath ordeyned in the congregacion first the Apostles secoÌ„dly prophetes thirdly teachers then doers of miracles after that the giftes of healinge helpers gouerners dyuerse tunges Are they all Apostles Are they all prophetes Are they all teachers Are they all doers of miracles Haue they all the giftes of healinge Speake they all with tunges Can they all interprete But covet ye the best giftes And yet shewe I you a more excellent waye The XIII Chapter THough I spake with the tunges of men and angels and yet had not loue I were euen as sowndinge brasse or as a tynklinge Cymball * And though I coulde prophecy vnderstode all secretes and all knowlege and had all faith â–ª so * that I coulde moue mouÌ„taynes out of their places and yet had not loue I were nothinge And though I bestowed all my goodes to fede y e poore and though I gaue my body euen that I burned and yet haue not loue it profiteth me nothinge Loue is pacient curteous loue envyeth not loue doth not frowardly is not puft vp dealeth not dishonestly seketh not hir awne is not prouoked vnto anger thynketh not euell reioyseth not ouer iniquytâ— but reioyseth in the trueth beareth all thinges beleueth all thinges hopeth all thinges suffreth all thinges Though prophecienges fayle or tunges ceasse or knowlege perishe yet loue falleth neuer awaye For oure knowlege is vnparfecte and oure prophecienge is vnparfecte But whaÌ„ that which is perfecte commeth then shal the vnparfecte be done awaye Whan I was a childe I spake as a childe I vnderstode as a childe I ymagined as a childe But as soone as I was a man I put awaye childishnes Now we se thorow a glasse in a darke speakynge but theÌ„ shal we se face to face Now I knowe vnperfectly but theÌ„ shal I knowe eueÌ„ as I am knowne Now abydeth faith hope loue these thre but the greatest of these is loue The XIIII Chapter LAboure for loue Couet spirituall giftes but specially that ye maye prophecye For he y t speaketh with tunges speaketh not vnto men but vnto God for no man heareth him Howbeit in y e sprete he speaketh misteries But he that prophecieth speaketh vnto men to edifienge to exhortacion and to coÌ„forte He that speaketh with tunges edifieth himselfe but he that prophecieth edifieth the coÌ„gregacion I wolde that ye all spake with tunges but rather that ye prophecied For greater is he that prophecieth then he that speaketh w t tuÌ„ges excepte he also expounde it that the congregacion maye haue edifienge But now brethren yf I come vnto you and speake with tunges what shal I profet you excepte I speake vnto you ether by reuelacion or by knowlege or by prophecienge or by doctryne Likewyse is it also in y e thinges that geue sounde and yet lyue not whether it be a pype or an harpe excepte they geue distyncte soundes from
was cōmytted vnto me as y e Gospell ouer y e circūcision was commytted vnto Peter For he y t was mightie with Peter to the Apostleshippe ouer the circumcision the same was mightie with me also amōge the Heythen they perceaued the grace that was geuen vnto me Iames and Cephas and Ihon which semed to be pilers gaue me and Barnabas y e righte handes and agreed with vs that we shulde preach amonge the Heythē and they amonge the Iewes onely that we shulde remēbre the poore which thinge also I was diligent to do But whā Peter was come to Antioche I withstode him in y e face for he was worthy to be blamed For afore there came certayne from Iames he ate with the Heythē But whā they were come he withdrue and separated himselfe fearinge thē which were of the circumcision And the other Iewes dyssembled with him likewyse in so moch y t Barnabas was brought in to their symulacion also But whan I sawe that they walked not right after y e trueth of the Gospell I sayde vnto Peter openly before all Yf thou beynge a Iewe lyuest after the maner of the Gentyles and not as do the Iewes why causest thou the Gentyles then to lyue as do the Iewes Though we be Iewes by nature and not synners of the Gentyles yet in so moch as we knowe that a man is not made righteous by the dedes off the lawe but by the faith on Iesus Christ we haue beleued also on Iesus Christ y t we might be made righteous by the faith of Christ and not by the dedes of the lawe because that by the dedes of the lawe no flesh shal be iustified Yf we then which seke to be made righteous by christ shulde be yet founde synners o r selues is not Christ then the mynister of synne God forbyd For yf I buylde agayne y t which I haue destroyed then make I my selfe a trespacer But I thorow the lawe am deed vnto the lawe that I might lyue vnto God I am crucified with Christ yet do I lyue neuerthelesse now not I but Christ lyueth in me For y e life which I now lyue in y e fleszhe I lyue in the faith of y e sonne of God which loued me and gaue himselfe for me I cast not awaye the grace of God For yf righteousnes come by the lawe then dyed Christ in vayne The III. Chapter O Ye folishe Galathiās who hath bewitched you that ye shulde not beleue the trueth To whō Iesus Christ was descrybed before the eyes and amonge you crucified This onely wolde I lerne of you Receaued ye the sprete by the dedes of the lawe or by the preachinge of the faith Are ye so vnwyse Ye beganne in the sprete wolde ye ende now thē in the flesh Haue ye suffred so moch in vayne Yf it be els in vayne He that geueth you the sprete and doth soch greate actes amōge you doth he it thorow the dedes of the lawe or by y e preachinge of the faith Euen as Abrahā beleued God and it was counted vnto him for righteousnes Thus ye knowe that they which are of faith are Abrahams children The scripture sawe afore hāde that God iustifieth the Heythen thorow faith Therfore shewed it glad tydinges afore vnto Abraham and sayde In the shal all the Heythen be blessed So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham For as many as go aboute with the workes of the lawe are vnder y e curse For it is wryttē Cursed be euery man which cōtynueth not in all thinges that are wryttē in the boke of the lawe to do them That no man is iustified by the lawe in the sighte of God it is euydēt For y t iust shal lyue by his faith The lawe is not of faith but the mā that doth y e same shal lyue therin But Christ hath delyuered vs from y e curse of the lawe whan he became a curse for vs. For it is wryttē Cursed is euery man that hangeth on tre y t the blessynge of Abraham mighte come on the Gentyles in Christ Iesu and y t we might so receaue y e promysed sprete thorow faith Brethren I wil speake after the maner of men Though it be but a mās Testamēt yet no man despyseth it or addeth eny thinge therto whan it is confirmed To Abraham and his sede were the promyses made He sayeth not In the sedes as in many but in thy sede as in one which is Christ. This Testament I saye which afore was confirmed to Christ warde is not disanulled that the promes shulde be made of none affecte by the lawe which was geuen beyonde foure hundreth thirtie yeares therafter For yf the enheritaunce be gotten by the lawe then is it not geuen by promes But God gaue it frely vnto Abraham by promes Wherfore thē serueth the lawe It was added because of trangression tyll the sede came to the which the promes was made And it was geuen of angels by the hande of the mediatoure A mediatour is not a mediatour of one onely but God is one Is the lawe then agaynst the promyses of God God forbyd Howbeit yf there had bene geuen a lawe which coulde haue geuē life thē no doute righteousnes shulde come of the lawe But y e scripture hath shut vp all vnder synne that y e promes shulde come by the faith on Iesus Christ geuē vnto thē that beleue Before faith came we were kepte and shut vp vnder the lawe vnto the faith which shulde afterwarde be declared Thus y e lawe was o r scolemaster vnto Christ that we might be made righteous by faith But now that faith is come we are nomore vnder the scolemaster For ye all are the children of God by the faith in Christ Iesu. For as many of you as are baptysed haue put on Christ. Here is nether Iewe ner Greke here is nether bōde ner fre here is nether man ner woman for ye are all one in Christ Iesu. Yf ye be Christes thē are ye Abrahās sede and heyres acordynge to the promes The IIII. Chapter BVt I saye As longe as the heyre is a childe there is no difference betwene him and a seruaunt though he be lorde of all y e goodes but he is vnder tuters and gouerners vntyll the tyme appoynted of the father Euen so we also whā we were children were in bondage vnder the outwarde tradicions But whan the tyme was fulfylled God sent his sonne borne of a womā and put vnder the lawe to redeme them which were vnder the lawe that we mighte receaue y e childshippe For so moch thē as ye are children God hath sent the sprete of his sonne in to oure hertes which cryeth Abba deare father Wherfore now thou art not a seruaunt but a sonne Yf thou be a sonne then art thou the heyre of God thorow Christ. Notwithstondinge
faith and heyres of the kyngdom which he promysed to theÌ„ that loue him But ye haue despised the poore Are not the rych they which oppresse you they which drawe you before iudges Do not they speake euell of that good name after which ye be named Yf ye fulfill the royall lawe acordinge to the scripture which saith Thou shalt loue thyne neghbour as thy selfe ye do well But yf ye regarde one person more then another ye coÌ„mit synne and are rebuked of the lawe as trâ—aÌ„gressours Whosoeuer shal kepe the whole lawe and yet fayle in one poynt he is gyltie in all For he that sayde Thou shalt not commit adulterie sayed also thou shalt not kyll Though thou do none adulterie yet yf thou kill thou art a transgresser of the lawe So speake ye and so do as they that shal be iudged by the lawe of libertie For ther shal be iudgement merciles to him that sheweth no mercy mercy reioiseth against iudgment What a vayleth it my brethreÌ„ though a man saye he hath faith when he hath no dedes Can faith saue him If a brother or a sister be naked or destitute of dayly fode one of you saye vnto them Departe in peace God sende you warmnes and fode not withstoÌ„dinge ye geue them not tho thinges which are nedfull to the body what helpeth it them Euen so faith yf it haue no dedes is deed in it selfe Ye a man might saye Thou hast faith and I haue dedes Shewe me thy faith by thy dedes and I wil shewe the my faith by my dedes Beleuest thou y t ther is one God Thou doest well The deuils also beleue and tremble Wilt thou vnderstoÌ„de o thou vayne man that faith with out dedes is deed Was not Abraham oure father iustified thorow workes when he offered Isaac his sonne vpon the aulter Thou seist how y t faith wrought with his dedes and through y e dedes was the faith made perfect the scripture was fulfilled which faith AbrahaÌ„ beleued God and it was reputed vnto him for rightewesnes and he was called y e frende of God Ye se then how that of dedes a man is iustified and not of faith only Likewise also was not Raab the harlot iustified thorow workes when she receaued the messengers and sent them out another waye For as the body with oute the sprete is deed euen so faith w t out dedes is deed The III. Chapter MY brethreÌ„ be not euery man a master remeÌ„brynge how that we shall receaue the more damnacion for in many thinges we synne all Yf a man synne not in worde the same is a parfecte man able to tame all the body Beholde we put bittes into the horses mouthes y t they shulde obeye vs and we turne aboute all the body Beholde also y e shyppes which though they be so gret and are dryuen of fearce windes yet are they turned about with a very smale helme whither soeuer the violence of the gouerner wyll Euen so the toÌ„ge is a lyttell member and bosteth great thinges Beholde how gret a thinge a lyttell fyre kyndleth and the tonge is fyre and a worlde of wyckednes So is the tonge set amonge oure membres that it defileth the whole body and setteth a fyre all that we haue of nature and is it selfe set a fyre euen of hell All the natures of beastes and of byrdes and of serpentes and thinges of the see are meked and tamed of the nature of maÌ„ But the toÌ„ge can no man tame Yt is an vnruely euell full of deedly poyson Therwith blesse we God the father and therwith cursse wemen which are made after the similitude of God Out of one mouth proceadeth blessynge and cursynge My brethreÌ„ these thinges ought not so to be Doth a fountayne sende forth at one place swete water and bytter also Can the fygge tree my Brethren beare oliue beries ether a vyne beare fygges So can no fountayne geue bothe salt water and freszhe also If eny man be wyse and endued with learnynge amonge you let him shewe the workes of his good coÌ„uersacion in meknes that is coupled with wiszdome But yf ye haue bitter enuyenge and stryfe in yo r hertes reioyce not nether belyars agaynst the trueth This wiszdome descendeth not from aboue but is erthy and naturall and dyuelishe For where enuyenge and stryfe is there is vnstablenes and all maÌ„ner of euell workes But the wiszdom that is froÌ„ aboue is fyrst pure theÌ„ peasable gentle and easy to be entreated full of mercy and good frutes without iudgynge and without simulacion yee and the frute of rightewesnes is sowen in peace of theÌ„ that mayntene peace The IIII. Chapter FRom whence commeth warre and fightynge amonge you come they not here hence euen of yo r volupteousnesses that rayne in youre meÌ„bres Ye lust and haue not Ye envie and haue indignacion and can not obtayne Ye fight warre and haue not because ye axe not Ye axe receaue not because ye axe amysse eueÌ„ to coÌ„sume it vpoÌ„ yo r voluptuousnes Ye aduouterars wemeÌ„ that breke matrimonie knowe ye not how that the frenshippe of y e worlde is ennimite to godwarde Whosoeuer wil be a frende of the worlde is made y e enemie of god Ether do ye thinke y t the scripture sayth in vayne The sprete y t dwelleth in you lusteth euen contrary to enuie but geueth more grace Submit youre selues to God and resist the deuell he wil flye froÌ„ you Drawe nye to God he wil drawe nye to you Clense yo r hondes ye synners and pourge youre hertes ye wauerynge mynded Suffre affliccions sorowe ye and wepe Let youre laughter be turned to mornynge and youre ioye to heuynes Cast downe youre selues before the LORDE and he shal lift you vp Backbyte not one another brethren He that backbyteth his brother and he y t iudgeth his brother backbyteth the lawe and iudgeth the lawe But and yf thou iudge the lawe thou art not an obseruer of the lawe but a iudge There is one lawe geuer which is able to saue and to distroye What art thou that iudgest another man Go to now ye that saye to daye to morow let vs go into soche a citie and continue there a yeare and bye and sell and wynne yet caÌ„ not tell what shal happeÌ„ to morowe For what thinge is youre life It is euen a vapoure that apereth for a lytell tyme and theÌ„ vanysheth awaye For that ye ought to say yf the LORDE wil and yf we liue let vs do this or that But nowe ye reioyce in youre bostinges All soche reioysynge is euell Therfore to him that knoweth how to do good and doth it not to him it is synne The V. Chapter BOo to now ye riche men Wepe and howle on yo wretchednes that shal come vpon you You re riches is corrupte youre garmeÌ„tes are motheaten Youre golde
his mouth water after the womā as it had bene a ryuer that he might cause her to be caught of y e floud And the earth holpe the woman and the earth opened her mouth and swalowed vp the ryuer which the dragon cast out of his mouth And the dragon was wroth with the womā and went and made warre with the remnaunt of hyr sede which kepe the cōmaundementes of God and haue the testimony of Iesus Christ. And I stode on the see sonde The XIII Chapter ANd I sawe a beest rise out of the see hauinge seuen heades and x. hornes and vpon his hornes x. crownes and vpō his heed the names of blasphemy And the beest which I sawe was lyke a catt of the mountayne and his fete were as the fete of a bear and his mouth as the mouthe of a lyon And y e dragō gaue him his power and his seate and greate auctorite and I sawe one of his heades as it were wounded to death and his dedly wounde was healed And all the worlde wōdred at the beest and they worshipped the dragon which gaue power vnto the beest and they worshipped the beest sayenge who is like vnto the beest who is able to warre with him And there was geuen vnto him a mouth to speake greate thinges blasphemies and power was geuen vnto him to do xlij monethes And he opened his mouth vnto blasphemy agaynst God to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle and them that dwell in heauen And it was geuen vnto him to make warre with the sayntes and to ouercome them And power was geuen him ouer all kynred tonge and nacion and all that dwell vpon the earth worshipt him whose names are not wrytten in the boke of life of the lambe which was kylled from the beginnynge of the worlde Yf eny man haue an eare let him heare He that leadeth in to captiuite shal go in to captiuite he that killeth with a swearde must be killed with y e swearde Heare is the pacience and the faith of the saynctes And I behelde another beest commynge vp out of the earth and he had two hornes like a lambe and he spake as dyd the dragō And he dyd all that the first beest coulde do in his presence and he caused the earth and them which dwell therin to worshippe the fyrst beest whose deedly woūde was healed And he dyd greate wonders so that he made fyre come downe from heauē in the sight of men And deceaued them that dwelt on the earth by y e meanes of those signes which he had power to do in the sight of the beest sayenge to them that dwelt on the earth that they shulde make an ymage vnto the beest which had the wounde of a swearde and dyd liue And he had power to geue a sprete vnto the ymage of the beest and that the ymage of the beest shulde speake and shulde cause that as many as wolde not worshippe the ymage of the beest shulde be kylled And he made all bothe smale and greate ryche and poore fre and bond to receaue a marke in their right hondes or in their forheades And that noman might by or sell saue he y t had y e marke or the name of the beest ether the nombre of his name Here is wiszdome Let him that hath wyt count the nombre of the beest For it is the nombre of a man and his nombre is sixe hondred thre score and sixe The XIIII Chapter ANd I loked and lo a lambe stode on the moūt Syon and with him C. and xliiij thousande hauynge his fathers name wrytten in their forheades And I herde a voyce from heauen as the sounde of many waters and as the voyce of a greate thondre And the voyce that I herde was as the harpers that playe vpon their harpers And they songe as it were a newe songe before the seate before y e foure beestes and the elders and no man coulde learne y t songe but the hondred and xliiij M. which were redemed from the earth These are they which were not defyled with wemen for they are virgyns These folowe the lambe whither soeuer he goeth These were redemed from men beynge the fyrst frutes vnto God and to the lambe and in their mouthes was founde no gyle For they are withoutē spot before the trone of God And I sawe an angell flye in the myddes of heauen hauinge an euerlastinge Gospell to preache vnto them that syt and dwell on the earth and to all nacions kinreddes and tōges and people sayēge with a lowde voyce Feare God and geue honour to him for the houre of his iudgement is come and worshippe him that made heauen and earth and the see and the fountaynes off water And there folowed another angell sayenge She is fallen she is fallen euē Babilon that greate cite for she made all nacions drynke off the wyne off hyr whordome And the thyrde angel folowed thē sayenge with a loude voyce Yf eny man worshippe the beest and his ymage and receaue his marke in his forhed or on his honde the same shall drynke of the wyne of the wrath of God which is powred in the cuppe of his wrath And he shal be punyszhed in fyre and brymstone before the holy Angels and before the lambe And the smoke of their torment ascendeth vp euermore And they haue no res◠daye ner nyght which worshippe the beast and his ymage and whosoeuer receaueth the prynt of his name Here is the pacience of sayntes Heare are they that kepe the commaundementes and the faith off Iesu. And I herde a voyce from heauen sayenge vnto me wryte Blessed are y e deed which here after dye in the LORDE Yee the sprete sayeth that they rest from their laboures for their workes folowe them And I loked and beholde a whyte cloude and vpō y e cloude one syttynge like vnto the sonne of man hauinge on his heed a golden crowne and in his hōde a sharpe sykle And another angell came out of the temple cryenge with a loude voyce to him that sat on the cloude Thruste in thy sycle and reepe for the tyme is come to reepe for the corne of the earth is rype And he that sat on y e cloude thrust in his sykle on the earth and the earth was reeped And another angell came out of the temple which is in heauen hauinge also a sharpe sykle And another angel came out from the aultre which had power ouer fyre and cryed with a loude crye vnto hym that had the sharpe syckle and sayde Thruste in thy sharpe syckle and gather the clusters of y e earth for hir grapes are rype And the angell thrust in his syckle on the erthe and cut downe the grapes of the vynyarde of the earth and cast them in to the greate wynefat of y e wrath of God the wynefat was trodden without the cite and bloude came out of the fat euen vnto the