¶ The fyrste chapiter of the Epistle to the Ephesians.

Grace be with you and peas from god our father and trom the lorde Iesus Chryste.

SAynte Paule out of prison wrote this Epistle to these Ephesians / whom he fyrste saluteth with a christiane salu­tacyon / and after the salutacyō he sheweth the causes wherfore he wrote this Epistle Saynte Paule in his Epystles vseth one christiane salutacyon of the whiche we christians may learne howe we shulde one salute and grete another / And what thyn­ges we oughte one to desyre and wyshe to another. In this salutacion is wryten the name of him that wryteth the Epystle / & the name of them to whom it was wrytē. In the begynnyng saynte Paule setteth his owne name that they myght knowe this Epystle to be wryten of Paule / that [Page] this Epystle myghte be better loued and more estemed amonges the Ephesyans / whē they shulde knowe the apostle Paule to haue wryten this Epistle to thē. Whom they knewe surely wolde wryte no thyng to them but that shulde be bothe for theyr comfort and profyte of theyr soules / & also to the glory of god. What man was saynt Paule before he was conuerted and tur­ned to the faythe of Christe Iesu / it is wryten in the Actes of the apostles .9. 22. and Philip. 3. Where it is euident that he was a persecuter of Christes churche / but of a persecutour god made him to be a defēder and a sure pyller of Christꝭ gospel. Which thynge god wrought nat for the merytes of Paule / but of his mere mercy and goodnes / that we shulde dispayre of no man / as longe as he lyueth / but god may call hym agayne to his grace and fauour and of an euyll man may make him a good man / as he made Paule of a persecutour of Christꝭ churche a faythfull preacher and a defen­der of the gospell of Christe that we shulde gloryfy god. Whiche maketh good men of the euyl / and faythful preachers of Christꝭ gospel of persecuters. Example in Paule. But if synners wyll be made good men of euyll men they muste folowe Paule / they [Page] may nat tary nor cōtynue in their nough­ty lyfe / but leue it / be sory for it / desyre mercy and pardon of god / folowe god when he calleth to amendement of lyfe to truste in the mercy of god / that god wyll be mercy­full to all penitent synners that wyll trust in his mercy that do beleue faythfully that Christe came to saue synners of the which I am one. And to be redy to do the wyll of god / what his pleasure is / without al fear of losse of goodꝭ of the worlde / of honours or dignities / or of this present lyfe / after the example of Paule actes .9. And so to walke al our lyfe tyme to goddes pleasure in our callynge .2. An apostle of Iesus Christe. Paule was an Apostle nat of men: but of Christe Iesus / he was sente nat to be a man pleaser but to please god / of whom he was sent nat to please mē / but god / to preache the wyll and pleasure of god and nat of man / excepte the wyll of man be accordyng to the wyl of god. And as he was sent of god to preache his wyll and pleasure and nat the pleasure of man / nor to synge to men Placebo and cōmen­dacion so he dyd / he preached goddes wyll boldly without all feare with muche ha­tred and enuy of men of thys worlde and with muche persecucyon and affliction / as [Page] it appereth thoroughout the actes of the apostles .3. in that Paule was an apo­stle. Apostolus is a Greke worde and be­tokenyth one that is sent furth of another to do a message. So Paule dyd nat sende him selfe to preache the gospell of Christe / but he was sent of god & appointed to that offyce by Ananias / as is wryten in the ac­tes .9. so it be cōmyth other to be called of god and by man that shalbe preachers. There is .iiii. maners of apostles as saynt Hierome sheweth Gala .1. Fyrste be they whiche be sende of god only / as the prophetes were. Secondly be they which be cal­led of god & sende also by man. As Paule / Titus / & Timotheꝰ was. Thirdly be they whiche be nat called of god but sende by man by fauour / loue / money / seruyce / fla­tery and suche lyke. Fourthly be they whiche be nother called of god nor of man / but they thruste them selues in that comon of­fyce sekyng theyr owne auantage / lucre / profyte / glory / ease / reste / and suche lyke.

In this place saynte Paule reproueth all them that wyll take on hande this comon offyce as to be the minister of god / and to be his legate / whiche be nat called of god to that offyce whiche seke rather the glory of men and theyr owne lucre thē the glory [Page] of god or the profyte of theyr neyghbour, what maner of men they shulde be / and what qualites they shulde haue that shulde be byshoppes saynte Paule declareth. 1. Timo. 3. ad Titū. 1. men well lerned in the scriptures of god / able for to teache hol­some doctryne / and by the same to ouer­come all them that wyll speake agaynste the truthe. Titū. 1. men that be sober / sad / & descrete that seke onely the glory of god / & the saluacyon of other. Therfore it becō ­meth euery man to tary hys vocacion be he neuer so well learned / leaste he for hys hastynes renne into dampnacyon / takyng vpon him and vsurpyng a comen power before he be called to it by the superior po­wer to whom the vocacion as touchynge the outwarde vocacyon belongeth. And if it be so that the hye powers ī this behalfe be necligente to seke for true ministers of goddes worde / & wolde nat haue faythfull preachers of the gospell / or care nat for thē or care n t whether the people be fed with gods worde or no. Which thyng principal­ly they shulde loke for / & prouyde that the people be fed with the worde of lyfe. That then he that is called of god / beyng well learned in the holy scriptures / intendyng nothyng els but goddes glory and the peoples [Page] saluacyon / may & ought to offer hym selfe to the hye powers and desyre theyr authorite and lycence to preache the gospell / as saynte Paule sayth .1. Timo. 3. He that desyreth y ^e offyce of a bishop he desyreth an honest labour. If the superior powers wyl nat gyue hym lycence in whom they fynde no faute / then may he whiche is called of god / walke in his callynge / & do the offyce that he is called to of god / for a mā is more boūde to obey god then man. Act. 4. wher­fore I wolde no man of his priuate autho­rite shulde take vpon hym this hye offyce of god / as to preache his worde openly be­fore he be called of god and by man / or at the leaste of god / and attempted by lawful meanes the vocaciō of man / shewyng him selfe alway obediente to the laufull cyuill ordinaunces. 4. The Apostle of Iesus Christ / Paule was the apostle nat of man but of Iesus Christe to preache Christes wyll and pleasure / and nat to please hym selfe or to be a man pleaser / nor to preache mennes phantasies and dreames / mānes inuencion or mannes doctrines. And here in these wordes he reproueth all pseudo apostles whiche study more to please men then God / whiche preache nat Goddes worde puerly and sincerly / but myxyng it [Page] with mānes fantasies and dreames seking lucre / honour / & profyte of men / all such S. Paule in these wordes reproueth and wylleth theym onely to be the messengers of Christe Iesus and to seke his wyll & plea­sure only. 5. By the wyll of god / here he sheweth howe he was made the apostle of Christe / nat by hys wyll nor yet by the wyll of men / or for fauour of any man / but by the wyll of god onely. Of these wordes two thynges we maye learne. Firste that synners do repente and leaue theyr synful lyfe / nat of them selfe by theyr free wyll / but by the grace and wyll of god / example here in Paule / that synners shulde gyue al laude and prayse to God only / for the re­tourninge from synne / to vertue / and no­thinge to them selues. The seconde that we shulde knowe trewe and faithful prea­chers / as Paule was to come to vs onely by the wyll of God / and nat of man / or by the prouisyon of man / althoughe mannes dilygence as muche as may be in this be­halfe is to be requyred / whiche thinge yf some men wolde consyder / and with them selfe deapely waye the matter / that trewe preachers come by the wyll of God / and nat of man / and whan it pleaseth god / and nat whan man wylleth / they wolde nat [Page] merueyle why God sendes nowe in oure tyme more trewer preachers of the gospel than in our fathers tyme / to whome the truthe was nat so puerly & syncerly shew­ed as nowe to vs in our daies by the good­nes of god of whome it commeth and nat of our merytes or deseruynges / or at the wyll of man / to god we shulde gyue than­kes for his truth shewed to vs more plain­ly then it was to our fathers / & to except it with all gladnes / & to folowe the true doc­tryne of Chryst / & expresse it in our lyuyng nothynge meruaylynge that goddes wyll shewed .6. To Saynctes at Ephe­sus that beleue in Chryste Iesus. These wordes sheweth to whome this Epystle was wrytten to the saynctes that were at Ephesus / and to the faythfull in Chryste the wordes that folowe expounde theym that go before / that is to saye / sayntes be the faithfull in Chryst that lyue at Ephe­sus / so the scryptures oftymes expounde them selfe / of this place we maye learne that saintes in the scripture be nat alway taken for sainctes departid that be deade / for saynt Paule wrote nat this Epistle to dead men but to men that be lyuing whōe he calleth saintes / whiche were faythfull men beleuyng in Christ Iesus / to whome [Page] he dedicated this Epystle of the which we may learne saintes in y ^e scrypture oftimes to be taken for the faythful lyuing Christianes / as here in this place. Also me thinke this place maketh agaynst them / y ^t wolde nat haue the scripture to be giuen to y ^e lay people in theyr cōmen tonge / for S. Paule wrote this Epystle to the faithful christy­ans at Ephesus / aswel to y ^e lay people as to the preestes and bishops / & wold this E­pistle to be red equally to them all / that e­uery one might haue profit of it red / heard or shewed / yf it shulde be red onely in laten to them / what profyte shulde the symple ignorant people haue had by it that doth nat vnderstande laten / saynt Paule wolde it shuld be red and shewid to al in that lan­gage / that euery one myght knowe what he wrote to them / and haue profyte by his wrytynge / and God the more gloryfyed. 7. Grace be with you / and peace from god our father / & from the lorde Iesus Chryst Nowe he sheweth what thynges he desy­reth and wyssheth to these Ephesyans / he desyreth and wyssheth them nat honors / nat hye dygnities in this worlde / nor yet plesures / or wordly riches / no benefice / no bysshopryke / no impyre / no kyngedome / no corruptible goodes / as carnal men doth [Page] wysshe to their chyldren & frendes / but he wisheth the grace of god & peace of conscyence with god / which peas only haue they that be iustifyed by faithe. Ro. v. And this grace / fauoure / and peace with god / it commeth nat of our selfe / of our mightes powers / or of free wyll / but it is of god the fa­ther and of our lorde Iesus Christe. This place checketh all them that desyreth euyl to other / as the pestylence fallynge sycke­nesse / frenche pockes / palseye / phranseye / soden death / or any suche lyke mysfortune it checketh also all them that wyssheth to them selues / theyr chyldren / or theyr fren­des worldely thynges rather than heuen­ly thynges. Also he reproueth them that thinketh the grace of god to come to them (ex merito congruo vel condigno) that is to saye of theyr iuste or deseruyd merytes / and nat of god the father frely by Chryste Iesus.

Nowe beginneth he the narracion and sheweth the cause of this Epystle / and be­gynneth of thankes and prayse of god for his benefytes specyally for his spyrytuall benefytes gyuen to vs for Iesus Christes sake. In this he teacheth vs in euery be­gynning to laude god / and gyue hym thankes for his spirytuall benefytes / as for our creacyon / and for the creacyon of all crea­tours in heauen and in earth necessary or profytable for man. And also that we shulde giue God thankes for our redemp­cyon from syn / death / hell / and the deuyll / and delyuerance from al thraldome of the deuyles powre / whiche benefytes we haue nat of our deseruinges / whiche deserued e­ternall dampnacyon / nor yet of the mery­tes of angelles / archangels / patryarkes / or prophetes / or by y ^e merytes of any man / but only by the merytes of Chryst and for Christes sake. This place commaundeth vs to kepe alwaye in memory y ^e benefytes of god / nat to forget them / to laude and thanke god for them. This place chec­keth those that forget god and his bene­fytes [Page] / or thynke they haue of them selfe of theyr laboures / paynes / merytes / these gooddes they haue / or thynke they haue some thynges of God / and other parte of sainctes / of all Images / & so deuyde god­des glory / parte to God / and parte to an Image of wode or of stone made by man­nes hande / as some ignorāt persons hath done in times paste / thanked god for their healthe and the blessed Lady of walsyng­game / of Ippyswiche / saint Edmonde of Bury / Etheldrede of Ely / the lady of Red bowne / the holy bloude of hayles / the holy Roode of Begles / of Chester / & so of other Images in this Realme / to the whiche hath bene muche pylgrymage / and muche Idolatrye / supposyng the deade Images coulde haue healed them / or haue done sōethyng for them to god / for the whiche the ignorant hathe crowched / kneled / kys­sed / bobbed / and lycked the Images / gy­uynge them cotes of clothe of golde / syl­uer / and of tysshu / veluet / damaske / and sa­ten / & suffred the lyuely membre of Chryst to be without a russet cote / or a sacke cloth to kepe hym warme / from the colde / leste for coulde he shulde perysshe / so we haue clothed stockes and stones / and suffered Chryst to perysshe for colde & dye without [Page] the house: and buyldeth goodly houses for an olde Idolle / a stocke or a stone / carued / and paynted for lucre sake .2. we may learne that we haue receyued nat one spi­rytuall blessynge / but all spyrytuall bles­singes: as our creacion / redempcion: iusti­fycacion / forgyuenes of syn / lyfe euerla­sting of no other but of Christ Iesus / and by no other meanes but for Christes sake throughe faythe / that we shulde gyue all prayse and thanke onely to god / and offer vp our selues thankfull sacryfyce / redy to obeye godes wyll aboue all thynges / redy to suffer with pacience all iniuryes / wron­ges and affliccyons for god & his worde.

And this is the true sacrifyce of christians dayly and hourely to be offered vp to god for his benefytes of all christyanes. 3. As he hath chosen vs before the foundacion of the world was layde / so he hath blessyd vs with al spirituall blessynges before the foū dacyon of y ^e world layde. And as this elec­cyon of God was only of the mere grace / wyll / & pleasure of god / so was all his bles­synges towarde vs intended of his onely goodnes / and nat of our merytes or deser­uynges / what thing coulde we deserue be­fore we were borne that prouoked God to loue vs / or was the cause why that god loued [Page] vs: nothynge. 4. That we shulde be holy and without blame before hym in loue. Nowe he shewith the cause why god elected vs in hym before the begynninge of the worlde / that we shulde be holy: and without faute or blame before him in loue We thynketh the Apostle dothe speake these wordes to stoppe the vngodly mou­thes of carnall men / whiche saye yf we be elected and chosen of god to immortal glorye / what maketh maier what we do / do what we wyll we shal at the laste come to that glory / and blysse / yf we be nat chosen and predestinat to be saued what skylleth of our workes / they shall nat profyte vs to optayne lyfe euerlastynge in ioye / yf we do al the cōmaundementes that god hath commaunded to be done / at the ende we shall be reiected and dampned yf we be nat predestynate of god to be saued by Chryst Iesus through faythe / that no man shuld speake so vngodly / or reason with hymselfe on this maner / and condemne Good workes / despyse to lyue holyly / care nat howe he lyue / whether he kepe godes commaundementes or no / saynt Paule sayth that god hath elected and chosen vs to be holy before hym in loue / that is to saye who so euer wyll be holy / and gyue themselues [Page] to serue god / to kepe his commaun­dementes / to lyue a lyfe puer and cleane from all vyce and synne / to beleue in god / to truste Chryste onely to be his sauyour / redemer / iustifyer / delyuerer from synne / deathe / hell / and eternal dampnacion / and gyue hym selfe to loue god aboue al thyn­ges in this worlde / preferryng godes glo­rye aboue all earthely thynges / and to de­serue good to euery man / studyinge alway to seke the glory of god and the profyte of other men / according to the wyll and pleasure of god for whose sake only good wor­kes that God commaundeth in scrypture are to be done / which workes they do that be chosen and elected of god to eternall saluacyon / who be elected of god to saluacy­on / who be nat / we can nat tell by the out­warde workes that they do. Sygnes of godes predestinacyon is these. Fyrste god of his goodnes elected / electeth and cho­seth whome he wyl only of his mere mer­cye and goodnes withoute all the deser­uynges of man / whome he hathe elected he calleth them for the most part by prea­chynge of the gospell / and by the hearyng of the worde of god to fayth in Chryst Ie­sus / & throughe faithe he iustifyeth them / forgyueth synnes / and maketh them obe­dyent [Page] to heare his worde with gladnes / to do that thynge that Goddes worde com­maundeth them to do in theyr state and callynge / wherfore to heare the worde of God with gladnes / to beleue it / to knowe that it is the meane by y ^e which god hath ordeyned to bring to saluacyon them that beleueth to order theyr liues accordyng to the commaundement of the worde of god to do all good workes commaunded in the scryptures to the vttermoste of your poure these be the sygnes of Saluacyon / of the contrarye parte who so euer be nat glad to heare the worde of God / but despyse it / condemne it / regarde it no more than Eso­pes fabules: or thynke the worde of God to be folysshenes: a vayne thing / of no pro­fyte ne pleasure / a thynge to be hated and set at noughte / and so gyue no credence to it / care nat for it: care nat to kepe Goddes commaundementes: al set to seke the pleasures and the glorye of this worlde: who so euer is so affected / it is a token that they be nat the chyldren of saluacion but of perdition and eternall dampnacyon: of these workes that folowe we maye haue a con­iecture who be ordeyned of God to be sa­ued and who to be damned.

Saynt Paule repeteth here with ma­ny playne wordes the thynges he had spoken [Page] before / that is to saye that we were e­lected of god in hym to be saued before the begynnynge of the worlde / that we shulde be holy and without blame before god by loue / the same thyng is repeted agayne in other wordes: whiche thynge the Apostle dothe bycause he wolde haue this thynge surely knowne and roted in euery mannes harte and minde: of the whiche preachers may learne to repete one sentence ones or twyse / whiche they wolde haue knowne moste chefely and moste suerly prynted in hart. 2. God hathe ordeyned vs that we shulde be his chyldrenne by adopcyon and that not of our deseruynge or merytes but onely by his mercye and grace / and by the merytes of Chrystes passyon / that all the prayse and thanke shulde be gyuen onely to God for it / and nothyng to our selfe he hathe made vs his chyldrenne by adopcy­on / that we shulde sue our father in all ho­lynes of lyfe / that we shulde followe hys fotesteppes in our lyfe. 3. accordyng to the plesure of his wyl / these he addeth lest any shulde saye that we be made y ^e chyldren of God by adopcyon for our merytes / or for the merites of our Lady / Peter / or Paule or of some other man / and not only for the pleasure of god of whome we haue al thinges [Page] that be good / and his wyll only alone is the cause of them and no other cause is to be asked why god hath elected and chosen vs to be his children by adopcyon and heyres of y ^e kyngdome of heauen but only his wyll / marcye / and pleasure / that all prayse and thanke myght alone be giuen to hym and to none other creature / worke dede nor man. 4. Vnto the praise of the glo­ry of his grace / here he declareth for what ende he hath elected vs to be his chyldren by adopcyon / that he myght be praysed / glorifyed of all men / whiche hathe made vs synners his welbeloued chyldren / and that by Iesus Christe alone / which hath pacifyed the ire of the father and reconcy­led vs to his fauour to whom we be made welbeloued throughe the death of Christ. 5. In whome we haue redempcyon tho­roughe his bloude: forgyuenes of synnes. Two thynges is here declared. One is that by Cyryste we are redemed from the malediccyon of the lawe: from syn: deathe hell / eternall dampnacyon: and from all captiuite and thraldome of the deuyl: and by Christe be restored to the lyberte of the spiryte of god. The other that we haue forgyuenes of our synnes onely be Chry­stes bloude shed for vs vpon the Crosse.

[Page]Marke the remissyon of synnes is gyuen to vs by the bloude of Christe: and nat by the popes pardons / masses and Scala ce­li: by pylgrymages to Paule / Peter: Io­han / or Iames / in the yere of Iubilei: by the brothered or fraternyte of Chrystof­for of yorke / or of our Lady of Boston: nor yet by saynte Fraunces coule: Benedictes habyt: cope or cote: by monkes bootes: or by the caruing of fryer obseruates shoyes or knotted gyrdles: nor by Syon beades: by holy water: ringynge of the greate ho­ly belle / or by any suche lyke outwarde ce­remony or sacrifyce: who so by these thin­ges thynketh to optayne forgyuenes of their sinnes before god: they decieue them selfe: they blaspheme Christ: they be iniu­ryous to his bloudeshed vpon the Crosse to take away our synnes to optayne par­don of God for our synnes: and to wasshe vs clere from syn: as saynt Iohan sayth. Apocalyp. 1. The bloude of Christe hath wasshed vs from our synnes: and Iohan 1. Ioh. 1. The bloude of Christ hath pour­ged vs from al iniquyte: yf forgyuenes of synne be by the bloude of Chryste: then it is nat by the Popes bulles / or pardons: masses: and Scala celi: and suche lyke of mannes inuencyons and dreames inuen­ted [Page] by mā: if by such workes sinnes might haue bene taken awaye then dyed Christ in vayne. Gaia. 1 If synnes myght haue bene pourged by suche meanes or workes of man: than was Chryst a fole that suffe­red so sharpe a death to saue vs / & to take awaye our synnes. I suppose Chrystes blessynge to haue bene as good as the by­shoppe of Romes blessynge / or any other byshoppes blessyng / but Christ taught vs nat to beleue by suche meanes our synnes to be purged / wherfore they be starke lyes ye blaspheme to Chryst and his holy blod to beleue our sinnes to be taken awaye by any other waye or meane then by Chryst and his holy bloude / wherfor they ar from the true waye that thynke by theyr wor­kes / merites of sayntes or of men alyue or departed / by the vertue of the masse heard or sayde thynkyng the masse to be a sacri­fyce to god to take awaye the synne of the people / for there is none other sacrifyce to take awaye synne but Christ whiche hath satisfyed for our synne: and is a full satys­faccyon for the synnes of the hole worlde. Iohannis. 2. and by one oblacyon ones offered vp for vs vpon the Crosse he hath made all them perfyte that shalbe sancti­fyed for euermore. Hebre. 10.

[Page]4. Accordynge to the ryches of his grace Redempcion and remissyon of sinne hath come vnto vs al by the ryche grace of god and nat by our merytes / dedes / or workes or for any saynt sake liuynge or departed but alone for Christes sake frely / without our merytes or any deseruynges of our parte that all laude and prayse with thankes myght onely be gyuen to God as the auctor of al goodnes. 7. whiche hath shed vpon vs aboundantly in all wysdome / al­so we haue receyued of godes goodnes all spirytuall wysdome / as touchynge the knowledge of godly thinges and all other knowledge necessary for the health of our foule. This place somthynge reproueth them that say there is many thynges ne­cessarye for the saluacyon of man that be nat wrytten in holy scrypture / nor yet can be gathered out of the holy scrypture. S. Paule. Ro. 1. sayth that the gospell is the power of god that workes all health to al them that beleueth. This place shewith all learnynge knowledge and godly wys­dome to come of god & nat of our study di­ligence and labour / althoughe our study & labour is required as lawfull meanes ne­cessarye by the whiche god gyueth know­ledge / learnynge / and wysdome / to them [Page] that with a pure harte requyreth of hym. This reproueth all theym that thynketh they get the learnynge they haue by their owne labour study and paynes / & thynke nat that it commeth of god / which giueth these gyftes to them that seke and labour in faythe desyrynge to haue learnynge to glorifye god to profyte them and other accordynge to their talentes .8. whiche hath opened vnto vs the mystery of his well accordynge to his wyll & pleasure. The time he sheweth whē god gaue to vs this know­ledge / and wysdome / by his grace / he dyd gyue it when it pleased hym to shewe the misterye of his wyll hyd longe from the worlde / but at the last shewed by his word declared playnely to the worlde when he pleased / and nat at the pleasure of man / of the whiche we maye learne that the word of god commeth to vs and is clerly shew­ed at the wyll of God / & nat at the wyll of man / or at mannes pleasure / althoughe god vse man as an Instrumente to shewe his wyll for our helth & profyte. But par­aduenture some wyll aske / what was this mysterye that god had hyd so longe from the worlde in hym selfe / & nowe had shew­ed it when the fulnes of tyme was come. In the which he sendeth his sonne Iesus [Page] Chryst to this worlde to be incarnate / by whome he hath restored all thinges in he­uen and in earth / and made them perfyte / to this saynt Paule maketh answere here sayinge this mystery was the misterye of the Gospell preached nowe openly to the Gentiles: as it was to the Iewes / that y ^e Gentyles shuld be saued by Chryst as the Iewes / and that the lyfe and the inhery­taunce of Heauen parteyned / aswell to the Gentyles / as to the Iewes / whiche mistery was hid from a greate part of the Gentyles to Chrystes commynge / to the preachynge of the Apostles after Christes ascencion to heuen / of this we may learne that God doth nat gyue all knowledge of his diuyne wyll at one tyme: or all toge­ther / but one thynge after an other after longe contynuaunce of tyme / as here you may se that the gospell was longe hyd fro the gentyles by longe tyme and many ye­res / that we shulde nothynge meruayle at goddes wyll and pleasure / yf god do shewe nowe in our tyme his gospell more clerely and open it more playnely to vs: than it was in our fathers tyme and daies of this we shuld not muse or maruayle / but rather glorifye god that gyueth this knowledge thanke hym hartely for it accepte the gos­pell [Page] with gladnes / gyue credence to it / leue our olde blyndnes / superstityousnes: false trustes / backwarde Iugementes: and o­ther lyke / by the whiche we haue bene de­ceyued for lacke of true knowledge of the word of god nowe shewed / thanked be god But yf any wyll be more curyouse than nedeth to aske / why god hath hyd this my­stery of his wyll so longe from the worlde and now sheweth it in these laste dayes? surely I haue nat to answere: but that it is the wyll and pleasure of God so to do: whiche hathe alwayes sene what thynge was most profytable for the Gentyles / or elles that he hathe sene that the gentyles before this tyme wolde nat haue beleued the gospell preached: that they shulde be lesse punysshed nat knowynge the gospell than yf they shulde haue knowen it / and nat folowed it / or els that he knewe they wolde haue persecuted the preachers of the Gospell: and so shulde haue deserued more greuouse punyshmente: or elles that it was decreed of God that all thynges shulde be shewed of god by Chryste and al thynges restored & made perfit by Christ.

Saynt Paule here repeteth these thynges that he hath shewed before gathering a somme of them all: that is to saye / that we are apoynted of God to eternall lyfe: thoroughe Iesus Christ / and he made the chyldren of God by adopcyon: not by our strengthe or merytes: or by the merytes of any man / but only by the grace of god and the merytes of Chryst. And that by the deliberate [Page] wyll of God / by whose myght and power all thynges are done / that be good / iuste / & laufull / for God wylleth none iniquytie / or synne / but is holy and iust in al his workes / and he wylleth all good thynges .2. That none shulde thinke our heuenly inheritance to come to vs by lote or by chance as God had not prepared yt for vs before the begynninge of the worlde / he saythe this heauenly inherytaunce to haue bene ordeyned for vs by the forewyll of god al­way intended of the father towardes vs of his goodnes / by whose wyll and power all good thynges are done / whose wyll no man can resyste or stope his workes / that they be not done / as he hath ordeined them to be done / whose wyll we can nat attaine vnto / and what shalbe the effectes of thin­ges tyl they be done .3. And althoughe al thynges are done by the power of god / yet god is nat y ^e auctor of euyl. Ia. 1. god wyl­leth no syn but he is iust in al his waies & holy in al his workes / he wyl that all men shalbe saued / & to come to the knowledge of the truth therfore they that peryshe & shall be dampned / by theyr owne faute / they pe­rysshe and be dampned / and nat by any faute in God / whiche wylleth euery man to be saued / and for that ende be com­maundeth [Page] the Gospell to be preached vn­to al creatures / that they shulde beleue / & folowe the Gospel in lyfe and be saued / therfore they that do nat beleue it: but contempne and despyse it and thynke it a fo­lyshe and a vayne thinge they be the cause of their owne deathe .4. that we myght be to the prayse of his glorie / we be predesty­nate of god made adn created nat for our selfe: but for the laude and prayse of God / that we shulde gyue all glory to god for al goodnes and prouoke all other to glorifye god and worshyp hym in spirite and truth as it is our offyce and dutye to do .5. euen we that before beleued after that we heard the worde of truthe the gospell of health: as who shulde saye / we y ^t beleued in Christ before the word was preached to the Gentyles our offyce is nat only to glorifie god in our selues / but to bryng all other to glorifye god with vs as muche as shall lye in our powre. This place reproueth them that dyswadeth men from the worde of god from learnynge of it / from readynge of it / from sermondes by the whiche mea­nes god hath ordeined men to be brought to glorify god in spirite and in meryte / as he wolde be gloryfyed of all men: also he sayth we beleued after that we hearde the [Page] worde of truth. In these wordes he shew­eth howe fayth commeth / that is to saye by hearynge of the worde of truthe accor­dynge to saynt Paules sayinge. Ro. 10. Fayth is of hearinge / and hearyng by the worde of god also he shewith here what is the word of truth: it is the gospell of helth and so it is called: bycause it bryngeth e­uerlastinge health to all them that fayth­fully beleueth shewyng their faith in good workes .4. in whome whan ye beleued / ye were sealed with the holy spirite of promes here is shewed what frute dothe come of hearyng of the worde of truthe that by it is gotten faythe / without the whiche no man can please God / and hauynge it all thynges pleaseth God / and these that be­leue receyue the spirite of God / as an ear­nest to put them in suretye that they shall receyue and haue all thynges that be pro­mysed them to haue by goddes word / that is to saye that they shall haue lyfe euerla­stynge and the inherytaunce of heauen / and for a suretye of that promise the bele­uers receyue the holy ghoste as an oblygacyon for the perfourmaunce of that pro­myse: by the whiche they be made as sure to haue the promyse of god as yf they had receyued it all ready. This place maketh [Page] agayne them that saye no man can know whether he is in the fauour of God or no / or whether they be worthy hatred or loue of god alledginge for them the sayenge of Ecclesyastes .9. to whome this aunswere I make that men can not knowe of them selfe whether they be in the fauour of god or no / but that they maye knowe by the holy spirite whome they haue that beleue faythfully / yf a man may knowe whether he hathe fayth or no / he may knowe whe­ther he be in the fauour of god or no? If he haue true fayth God fauoryth hym / yf he lacke faythe god fauoureth hym nat / so a man maye knowe by fayth the spirite of god gyuen to glorifye vs of goddes fa­uour and loue towardes vs / and that god fauoureth vs as longe as we shall haue fayth & the spiryte of god which faythfull beleuers haue and possesse / so a man may knowe whether he is now at this present time in the fauor of god or no: hated or be­loued / but what he shalbe to morowe / the next day or in time to come no man can tel Therfore he that stādeth in y ^e fauor of god by fayth / by the holy ghoste / let hym loke that he fal nat from god by vnfaithfulnes and incrudelite & by vnkindnes / contempnyng of godes word / & disobedient to goddes [Page] cōmandementes / and so fall from the fauour of god / lose fayth & the holy spirite of god / lose lyfe eternal. As for the wordes of Ecclesiastes .9. where it is written that no man can knowe whether he is worthy hatred or loue / the wordes are to be vnder­stande thus that of good or euil y ^t chance to men in this worlde / no man can knowe whether he is worthy hatred or loue / for goodes and euyls / prosperyte & aduersyte chaunce equal to good men and euyl men & oftymes it chaunceth that euyl men haue more prosperite then good men / euyl haue ryches / welth / & pleasure / good men haue pouertye nede / payne / and punysshmente / wherfore of prosperytie or aduersytie in this worlde is no man to be estemed more or lasse in the fauour of God / seynge these thynges chaunce equally to the good and the euyl / in this worlde / I wolde that euery man shulde not only thynke hym selfe y ^t he is in the fauour of god / but also knowe it surely y ^t god fauoureth hym: excepte he thinke so howe can he fauour god for loue yf he dout whether god loue hym or no / or in this thyng be waueryng / thynke some tyme god loue hym somtyme he loueth hī nat. The spirite of god is giuen vs to put vs in a suretye that God fauoureth vs / [Page] and yf we lacke this spirite / we be nat of Chryste. Ro. 8. we haue also receyued the spirite of adopcyon: by whome we call fa­ther father / and this spirite sheweth to our spirite that we are the chyldē of god. Ro. 8 therfore I wolde that euery man shulde certaynly thynke and persuade with hym selfe that he is in the fauour of God / and that god wyll gyue hym euerlastynge lyfe ioye & blysse in the worlde to come / which they that beleue nowe haue by fayth / and in the worlde to come shal possesse in dede / then I suppose they wolde contynewe in fayth and shewe theyr faythe by all good workes commaunded in the Scrypture. Some also here wyll aske howe shall we knowe whether we haue faith & the spirite of god or no / this thyng maye be knowen by the frutes / & by the wordes: mocyons that they shal perceyue in theyr hartes / yf they perceyue that they be glad to heare goddes worde / to reade it / study it / be glad it goth forwarde for Goddes glory onely / do beleue it to be true / and that God wyll performe and brynge to passe all thynges promysed or thretened in his worde / that he wyll rewarde good men / and punysshe euyll men in the worlde to come / yf they shall perceyue a redynes a towardnes to [Page] be obedyente to do Goddes commaunde­ment / ye to do it in dede for god only to the vttermost of theyr power / if these thinges they perceyue in them selues / they be sure sygnes that they be in the fauour of god / haue faith and the spyrite of god / and shal haue lyfe euerlasting / of y ^e contrary part if you perceyue in your selfe no desyre / luste / or wyll to heare the worde of god / to reade it / to studye it / ye thynke it is but folysshe­nes a vayne thing / an vnprofytable thing or that you care nothynge for it / or that you hate it and enuy it and the professors of it persecute them as auctors of deuyles doctryne / you feele your selfe nothyng re­dy to obey the commaundementes of god but ready to all pleasure of the flesshe and of the worlde / to do synne and noughtines these be sure tokens that you be out of the fauour of god / lacke fayth and the spiryte of god / and in the hie displeasure with god of these thynges and tokens shewed / you shall knowe whether you be in the fauour of god / more sure than by the fyght of the holy blode of hayles / or by the goyng tho­roughe saynt wylfredes nedle / and also yf you be oute of Goddes fauoure / you lacke faythe and the spiryte of god that moueth and stereth men alwaye to all good wor­kes [Page] for god only / alone regarding his wyl and pleasure. 7. That we might be his owne to the prayse of his glory / for what ende god hath chosen vs & made the word of god to be preached to vs / surely for this ende / that we shuld haue faith / receiue y ^e holy spirite / & be made sure of goddes fauour towardes vs and that he loueth vs / & that we shulde glorify hym agayn / by faith / by loue to hym & to our neyghbour to do the workes of god cōmaunded vs to do in the holy scrypture in our vocacyon and cal­lynge and that only for god / & haue no re­specte to our selfe. Thus we maye heare / knowe what frute commeth of the worde of god preached / y ^t is to saye / throughe the holy spirite is gyuen / certantye of goddes fauour / knowledge of goddes wyll / & of our offyce and dutye bothe to god and also to our neighbour and lyfe euerlasting.

Saynt Paule here sheweth y ^e offyce of one christen man toward an other / that it is to geue thankes to god for fayth / hope / charyte / other gyftes spirytuall geuen to other of god. And in this he teacheth christen men what they shulde do when they heare that y ^e worde of god is puerly & tru­ly preached without all dregges of mans inuentyon dreames / or phantasyes / and that other receyue faythe and exercyse the workes of charyte to the pore people / that they shuld gyue laude prayse and thankes to y ^e lorde for it / to desyre of god that they may continue in the truth & go forward in it / and encrease euery day more and more in all godly knowlege and spirytual wys­dome that they maye knowe what is the hope / that is to saye the thyng that they [Page] hoped for / whiche is the heuenly inhery­taunce whiche they hope and loke for, to y ^e whiche god hath called them / these be the dutyes of a chrysten man one to an other to wysshe and desyre of god / and nat to be sory that so muche spirytuall knowlege of God be shewed to the rude and ignoraunt people as is nowe shewed in our tyme.

And here Saynte Paule reproueth those that be sory that there is so muche know­ledge of goddes worde shewed and opened to the symple people as is / it checketh al­so all them that dysswadeth the laye peo­ple vnlearned / from the hearynge of the worde of god from the readyng of it / from the study of it. 22. Vertue can nat be byd where someuer it is but it wyll be knowen although they wolde it shuld nat be knowen that do vertuously to auoyde prayse of men / as the fayth and charyte of these E­phesians came to Paule in prison / for the whiche Saynt Paule praysed them / and vertue shal not lacke his prayse or reward in this worlde / or at the lesse in the worlde to come. 23. Saynt Paule commendeth these Ephesians / nat for theyr goodly temple / nor yet for their noble worshyppinge of Diane / nor yet for their religyouse men called of dyuers sectes / and of dyuerse ha­bytes [Page] / for theyr goodly syngynge in the queare / or theyr orgaynes and playeng in their churches / or for other goodly ceremonyes / nor for their tapers / torches / carued paynted / or gylded Images / or for theyr goodly greate belles or multitude of mas­ses or suche lyke / but for theyr fayth in Iesus Christ / and their charyte to the poore people that hathe nede of helpe and so­cour. And Paule cōmendeth them nat bi­cause he wolde make them proude / but bi­cause he wolde prouoke them to go for­warde and continue in faythe and chary­te / and encrease them euery day more and more / and that they shulde knowe good workes nat to lacke his reward with god in the world to come. 4. In this prayer he teacheth vs what thynges we shulde desyre of god in our prayers / that it wolde please God to gyue vs the spirite of spiry­tuall wysdome and knowledge / that we myght be lyghtened with all godly knowledge / that we myght knowe howe ryche is our hope in the thynge we hope for / the heauenly inherytaunce / vnto the whiche Christ hath bought vs with his preciouse bloude shed for vs / of this place we maye learne that we can not knowe what is our hope / glorye / and inheritaunce whiche we [Page] loke for after this present lyfe / except that God shewe it to vs by his spiryte of wys­dome and knowledge / and open our eyes that we may see and perceyue it. And to optayne this spiryte of God / and that we maye euery daye encrease more and more in this diuyne knowledge / saynt Paule moneth vs to praye to god which alone doth geue this spiryte. This place maketh a­gaynst them that wolde the ignorant symple people shulde haue no furder knowlege of god then be conteyned in the pater no­ster / and to be contented wtih that know­ledge / and desyre no furder / but to leue to hie dyuynes the furder knowledge in the scriptures of god / but let suche blynde gy­des and ignorāt teachers put away theyr blyndnes and ignoraunce / and learne bet­ter knowlege of god / desyre it in faythe by prayer / by study / by hearyng and reading of holy scriptures / that they may encrease in more knowledge and teache other bet­ter to seke to more knowledge / that they may come to the more knowledge of god / and of the celestyall kyngdome / whiche thinges they know better the more knowledge they haue in the holy scryptures of god. Also saynt Paule sheweth here that faythe / charyte / knowledge of godly wys­dome [Page] may be encreased in sayntes lyuing here in his world / and therfor he exorteth euery man to encrease theyr faythe / theyr charite / theyr knowledge / in the which he sheweth that there is no man so good but that he maye be better & encrease in good­nes / in the whiche he exorteth euery one to encrease / & euery day be better & better.

[Page]The Apostle goeth forth with his prayer for these Ephesyans and desyreth God that they myghte knowe by the spirite of wisdome and knowledge of god that they myght knowe the excellent power of god which god hath declared myghtely in the raisynge vp his sonne Iesus Chryst from deathe to lyfe / and made him to syt on his ryghte hande aboue all heauenly powers In Christ was shewed the excellent pow­er of god / aboue all thynges / whiche pow­er god wyl shewe to them that beleueth.

2. He sheweth here the glory of Christ to be aboue all the powers / domynyons / or potestates in heauen that we shulde put our truste in Christ / whiche wyll exalte to that place where he is al them that beleue in him and thynketh to come there where Christ is on the right hande of the father onely by Chryste / and nat by theyr owne merytes or deseruinges and to put men in a suretye of that thynge Christe hym selfe was exalted from deathe to lyfe eternal.

3. The power and the glory of Christ is shewed in that he sytteth on y ^e ryght hande of the father in heauen aboue all powers rule / dominyon / potestates / and vertues / and aboue all names that is in this world or in the worlde to come / and all thynges [Page] are subiected to him and vnder his domy­nion and power / and he is the heade of the congregatyon whiche is his body. Christ is the heade / in whome consisteth the per­feccyon of the hole bodye and he that ma­keth in the bodye all thynges parfyte.

4. This place reproueth the Bysshoppe of Rome and all his decrees that maketh hym heade of the Churche of Chryste / for the hed of the churche of Christ is nat the bysshop of Rome / but Christe whiche ma­keth all thynges vnparfyte parfite / & princes & Kinges in their kingdomes worlde­ly / be as heades of theyr subiectes vnder Christ to se euery one be in right order / to goddes wyll and pleasure / and that euery man in euery state and degree do his duty after his calling / for to the Kinges / Prin­ces / and other superior power / it becōmeth euery man to be obedyent / and from their power can no man exempte any of these subiectes by any profession of man / wher­fore byshops of Rome exemptyng religy­ouse men from due obedience to their kin­ges and Prynces haue done against god­des lawe and saynt Paules doctrine. Ro. 13. 1. Pe. 2. Hebre. 13. whiche places com­maundeth all subiectes to be obedient vn­to the hye powers / for they that resyste [Page] powers / they resyst the ordinance of God and these that resyste the ordynaunce of God they take to them selfe Iudgemente and dampnacyon. Ro. 13.

¶ The seconde Cha­pyter to the Ephe­syans.

The Apostell compareth the state of these Ephesyans that they were in nowe when he wrote this Epistle to them / with the state & condicion of lyfe that they were in before Chryst had called them to fayth by his word preached amonge them / that by the remembraunce of it / they might be prouoked with more gladnesse and harty loue to prayse and laude God / and gyue hym harty thankes that it hathe pleased hym to call them from darknes to lyghte from ignoraunce to knowledge / from syn to iustyce from deathe to lyfe / he saythe whan you knewe nat Chryste / you were deade by trespaces and synnes / beholde in what case they be in y ^e knowe nat Chryste and his holy worde / by trespaces and syn­nes he vnderstandeth all manner of vyces and synnes / whether they be in thought wyll / acte / or in outwarde dede / when they knewe nat Chryste they were deade by synnes / nowe they knowynge Chryste do lyue / and be called from deathe to the lyfe of grace and of glorye eternal / before they walked in vyce and in synne / nowe they walke in grace and in vertue / before they walked after the maners / lustes and pleasures of this worlde / that is to saye / [Page] after the lustes of the fleshe / the lustes of the eyes / and proudnes of lyfe. 1. Ioh. 2. Nowe they walke after the good wyll of god and after godes pleasure / before they folowed the prince of the ayre and was o­bedyente to his wyll (this Prynce of the ayre is that euyll spiryte that worketh in sturdy / frowarde / and disobedyent person­nes to goddes wyll and that doth nat be­leue God) but nowe they walke after the wyll of god the father of our Lorde Iesus Chryste lorde of heauen and earthe whose spiryte bryngeth and leadeth to all good workes of God who is he that knoweth he is called from synne / death / hel / & eter­nall dampnacion / to iustice / lyfe / heauen / & eternal ioy and blisse / & wyll nat giue thankes laude and praise to him that brought hym to this ioye and felicyte? Truely I thynke no man / but he wolde gyue greate thankes whan he remembreth the bene­fytes of his callynge / and for that cause saint Paule here compareth these two states to gether that euery one of vs may re­member in what case we were in before Christe called vs to his knowledge by his worde / for as these Ephesyans were / so were we / and the same thynge he wryteth to them he writeth to vs / it agreith aswel [Page] to vs as to them / and all one thynge / as touchynge our state.

2. This place sheweth that al men that came of Adam to be subiecte to synne / and for synne worthy eternall deathe / none a­ble to delyuer them selfe from deathe and dampnacion / of the which we may learne that no man by his owne nature / myght / power / or fre wyll / can saue hym selfe from death and hell / but who someuer be saued that they be saued by the only grace of god and nat by theyr owne merytes / or by the merytes of sayntes departed.

3. You see what foloweth syn / deathe / & punyshment foloweth syn / as the rewarde for synne / and that these that wante the grace of god can nat but fall to synne / and go from one synne to an other / and walke after the lustes of the fleshe / and applye them selues to the wyll of y ^e deuyll which worketh in euyl men and prouoketh to al vnhappynes vyce / & syn / as these Ephe­syans dyd before they were called by the worde of god to fayth & to knowe Christ.

4. In euyll men worketh the prynce of the ayre whiche is the deuyl that entyseth alwaye to euyll / and to do she workes of the deuyll. The deuyll is called the prince of the ayre / nat bycause he hathe dominy­on [Page] and power to rule the ayre at his plea­sure or wyl / for that to god doth pertayne / but that he hathe power only of euyl men that lyueth here in the ayre & gyue them selfe to serue the deuyll rather then God / and many mo there is that serue the deuil then god / for there is many mo vnfayth­full then faythfull / mo synners then good lyuers / mo that folowe the honours of the worlde / the pleasures of the flesshe / then that truely serueth god by true fayth and faythfull workes of charyte commaunded in the scrypture / mo that abuse the good­des of the worlde then that vse them as they shulde do / of all abusers of goodes of the worlde the deuyll is the Prynce and captayne / for they do the wyll of the deuyl so we maye learne of whome the deuyll is prynce / & what he maketh his seruauntes to do / workes of darcknes / and deathe / and where he vseth his power / here in the ayre where as euyl men lyueth folowyng the lustes of the flesshe / worldely honours / and pleasures of men / sekinge theyr owne pleasure more then goddes glorye / or the profyte of theyr neyghboure.

5. Amonge whome we also had our cōuersation / as he shulde say / nat only you Gentiles were deade by syn / going frome [Page] one synne to an other doynge the wyll of the prince of y ^e ayre / but also all we Iewes were dead by sinne / & had deserued euerla­styng death for our syn & worthye to haue bene for euermore excluded y ^e kingdom of heauen / wherfore insomuch y ^e we with you be delyuered from syn / death / hel / & eternal dampnacyon / it is is nat to be imputed to our merytes or deseruinges but only to y ^e goodnes of God / to whome we Iewes gyue thankes & glorifye god for it / as you Gentyles / for God by his sonne Iesus Christ hathe delyuered vs all from death.

6. Men that be out of the fauor of god walke frome one synne to an other / do the lustes of theyr flesshe / and of theyr owne wyll contrary to the wyll of god / here we maye learne what we can do of our selfe / leste to our owne myghtes and powers yf we lacke the grace of God / surely we can do nothing elles but sinne / and folowe the desyres of our corrupte fleshe / as adultery glotony / drunkennes / Enuy / malyce / tan­cor hatred / pride / couitousnes / error heresy Idolatry / & other suche lyke of the which commeth death & eternal dampnacion.

7. And were naturally the chyldren of wrath aswell as other. Saint Paule ex­tolethe the Iewes nothynge aboue the [Page] Gentyls as touchyng health iustifycacy­on and lyfe euerlastynge / but maketh the Iewes and the Gentyles equall shewing them doth by their owne nature to be children of wrath and of dampnacyon that al prayse and glorye myght be gyuen onely to God for our iustifycacyon / forgyuenes of synne / and the gyfte of lyfe euerlastyng in ioye and blysse: and no parte ascrybed to man to mannes myght or power meri­tes or deseruynges.

The Apostle nowe sheweth howe that bothe the Iewes and the Gentyles deade [Page] by synnes haue opteyned lyfe nat by their owne merites / but onely by the grace of god / and that whan all hope of lyfe was paste after mannes iudgement or by the myghtꝭ of mānes nature: for howe coulde there be any hope of lyfe of them whiche were by nature the chyldren of the wrathe of god / and condēned to deathe. But then god whiche is by nature good / gentyl and mercyfull / & ryche in mercy. Of his greate charite and loue towarde vs hathe resto­red vs deade by synne to lyfe agayne by Iesus Christe / and that nat of our good workes / but frely and for Christes sake only / by whome is our lyfe. The goodnes of god in this poynt is more to be noted towarde vs. That he hath loued vs whan we were his enemies euyll & wycked syn­ners that then he wolde nat suffre vs to perysshe in our synnes / but hath delyuered vs frome deathe to lyfe to be heyres of his kyngdome. 2. And that he wolde make vs sure of perpetuall healthe and lyfe.

He sayeth that god hath quyckened vs & raysed vs agayne with Christe and made vs to syt amonge the heauenly company with Christe / and that by the onely mercy & grace of god by the which we are saued. Here the Apostle speketh in the tyme past [Page] for the tyme to come / for the certayntie of the thynge to come by Christe. And leaste anye shulde be wauerynge in hope or doubtefull of the promysses of God to be fulfylled as at mannes promysses. God wylleth that men shulde be as sure of his ꝓmisses (as yf they were receyued in dede) by fayth and hope of them / whiche hope is neuer disceyued.

3. The raysyng vp of Christe from death to lyfe maketh vs sure that we shall aryse fromde deathe to lyfe. Ye we whiche are in this laste tymes in the whiche thynge is shewed the ryche grace of god / and his myghty power to all the worlde and for all tymes.

♣: Here we may lerne of Paule oftymes [Page] if nede be to repete one thynge whiche we wolde haue surely knowē / and prynted in mennes hertes / specially this thyng / that our saluation cōmeth nat of our selfe / of our workes or merites of man / but onely of the grace of god throughe faythe. In the which wordes saynt Paule reproueth all thē that thynke our iustification dothe come by other thynges then by the grace of god & by Christe: as by prayers / beades halowed at Syon / by masses of Scala ce­li / by rosaryes of our Lady / by saint Francis gyrdle / cote / coule or habit / hose / shoes or botes / gyrdeles / purse or knyfe / matyns masses or euen songe / or any other suche lyke without the grace of god & without fayth: of y ^e which cometh lyfe euerlastyng. 2. To fayth in the scripture is attributed our iustification / nat because fayth is the author of our iustification. For the author of our iustification is Christe / but iustification is attributed to fayth because faythe receyueth the mercy of god & beleueth the promysses of god made to iuste men and beleuers to be fulfylled. So faythe is the organe & the meane by the whiche we per­ceyue our iustification to come of the only mercy of god / and it maketh vs to beleue the scriptures that shewes that we are iu­stified [Page] by grace throughe faythe without all workes. Good workes go nat before fayth / but they folowe fayth and our iusti­fication by the faythe & maketh vs certayne that we be iustified as shalbe (god willing) more playnly here after declared.

3. Al be it that we be iustified by faythe & knowe we haue our synnes forgyuen of goddes goodnes throughe faythe / yet we haue no cause why we shulde glory in our selfe. For faythe is nat of vs / but it is the gyfte of god & nat the worke of our power as sayth saynt Paule. 2. Corin. 3. we are nat able of our sealfe to thynke any good thought / as of our selfe: but all our habi­lite is of the lorde. Also saynt Paule to the Rom̄. 2. sayeth. Yf by grace we be saued nowe it is nat of workes / for grace is then no grace: but yf it be of workes nowe it is no grace. ❧ : ⚹ : ❧

4. Nat of workes leaste any man shulde boste hym sealfe. Our healthe & iustice is nat of any workes. For yf it were of wor­kes / then myght men boste them sealfe in theyr workes: but man hath nat where in he may boste hym sealfe. For what haste thou o man that thou haste nat receyued? and yf thou hast receyued / why doste thou glory / as thoughe thou haddest nat recey­ued [Page] it Therfore he that wyl glory let hym glory in god / of whome cometh redēption iustification / healthe / saluation and lyfe euerlastynge in blysse. ❧ : ❧

5. But some parauēture wyll say. Yf our workes do nat iustifye vs / we wyll do no good workes / or what shulde it profite vs to do good workes yf by workes we be nat iustified? To this saynte Paule here ma­keth answere sayenge / that we are the creatures of god made to do good workes / whiche god hath prepared that we shulde walke ī them. So we may nat ceasse from doynge of good workes / althoughe good workes do nat iustifye vs. For good wor­kes are to be done to the glorye of god / & without blasphemye of god. It is blasphemye to god to attribute to workes that is to be attributed and gyuen onely to god. It is to be ascribed onely to god our iusti­fication / our saluation / forgyuenes of syn­nes ad lyfe euerlastynge. Wherefore good workes are nat to be done for this intent that they shulde iustifye vs / deserue the grace of god / take aware synnes & brynge lyfe euerlastyng by reason of the worke in it selfe. But good workes are to be done of christen men to shewe & declare our fayth to vs and to al the worlde. To declare our [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] loue and kyndenes of our herte towardes god for hꝭ benefites geuen to vs. To make our callynge certayne and sure so that we myght do the wyll of god / and auoyde his displeasure bothe in this worlde & also in the worlde to come. 1. Corin. 2. That we myght shewe our redynesse to do the wyll of god that we myght prouoke other men to glorifye god with vs. Math. 5. That we myght agree to our creacyon / & profite other men in goodes & gyftes gyuen vs of god for that ende. And that we shulde be alwayes to the glorye of god with out faute before hym by loue. Ephe. 1. For these causes & diuerse other / good workes are to be done. ❧ : ❧ ❧ : ❧

6. Some parauenture wyl say. If good workes do nat iustifye vs / take nat away synne & geue euerlastynge lyfe. Wherfore in the scriptures is iustificatiō / forgiuenes of synne and lyfe eternall attributed to good workes so ofte? To thys I answere that scripture oftymes speaketh after the maner of men. The father oftymes enty­seth his sōne to do his wyl by promyse of a rewarde. So the scripture speaketh after the maner of fathers or of men where as it promiseth iustification / forgeuenes of sinne / & lyfe euerlastyng to them that kepe [Page] the cōmandementes of god that be fayth­full: as Christe sayeth Math. 18. If thou wyll entre in to lyfe kepe the commaūde­mētes of god. Here the scripture speaketh after the maner of men entisynge euery man to kepe goddes cōmaūdemētes / pro­misyng them a rewarde / if they kepe god­des cōmaūdemētes. He meaneth nat here that the kepynge of the cōmaūdementes deserueth lyfe euerlastyng: but rather that lyfe euerlastyng is frely geuen to thē that kepe the cōmaūdementes of god / and they may be sure of lyfe in ioye & blysse to come that kepe the commaūdemētes. And they that kepe nat goddes cōmaūdemētes may be sure they shal haue no lyfe in the worlde to come / but shalbe dampned ꝑpetually in hel. Furthermore where as the scriptures do apere to geue to workes forgeuenes of synnes. The scriptures speaketh of suche workes that be done in fayth / which hath alway annexed forgeuenes of synnes / nat for the workꝭ sake / but rather for the fayth that they were done in / bycause they that worke these workes were iustified before god through fayth before they dyd worke Fynally sometyme in the scripture iusti­ficacyon is attributed to workes / because workes declareth men to them selues and [Page] to other that they haue a true and lyuely saythe by the whiche they be iustified be­fore god. And so iustification of workes is the declaracyon of a true faythe / and so is iustification takē some tymes in the scrip­ture as in Iames. 2. & Luce. 16. where Christe sayeth to the Phariseis. You are they whiche iustify your selues before men / god knoweth your hertes.

7. We be the creatures of god ordinated to do good workꝭ. Here in these wordes two thyngꝭ we be taught. Fyrste is that we be the creatures of god & his workemanshyp made of him. Of the whiche we may fully persuade to vs the loue of god / for no man hateth his owne worke but loueth it and wyll nat suffer it to peryshe / and if we be the worke of god (as we be ī dede) We may nat be proude agaynst our maker or be displeased with hym sayeng why haste thou made me after this fashyon or that fashyō it is nat mete that the pot shuld say to the potter / why hast thou made me to this vse or that fylthy vse / and another that deser­ueth no better then I to be had in honour & glory / of this thynge there is none other cause to be geuē but the wyl of the potter / and it is conuenient that euery pot shulde be content with the wyl of the potter / and [Page] nat that he shulde murmure agaynste the potter that hathe prefarred another be­fore hym sythe the pote is in nothers det / and both pottes haue that that they haue only of the wyll of the potter. The seconde thyng is that we shulde learne to knowe for what ende we were created of god / that is to say / nat that we shulde be ydle or lyue euyl and folowe the pleasures of our fleshe or of the worlde / but that we be created to do good workes & suche workes nat as we thynke good to vs but suche as god hathe ordynated that we shulde walke in them. And here he exorteth men to good workes leaste any shulde thynke faythe sufficient and cōdemne good workes / good workes I meane suche as god hathe appoynted vs to do by his holy worde and nat suche worke as men leuynge goddes worde hathe appoynted to serue and please god with all. And here in thys place maye fall away pylgrymages / offerynges of cādels / gyldyng of ymages / and religions of mē / whiche be workꝭ nat instituted of god but of man and inuented of man without goddes worde / for the whiche voluntary wor­kes many haue contempned and lefte on done the workes cōmaunded of god / and preferred wyll workes aboue them.

[Page]8. He moueth vs here nat to stande styll whē we haue done one good worke / but to go forwarde from one good worke to ano­ther apoynted of god and nat of our selfe of our good intēte thought of vs to honour & please god with all / when we can nat tell whether god wyll be honoured after that way whiche we haue ymagined to honour him. For hys honour do the nat consyst in workes foūde out by men / but in the wor­kes appoynted in the scripture. For if all our newe founde workes were taken a­way no parte of the workes assygned by God in the scriptures shulde be taken away. I meane if al pylgrimagꝭ to payn­ted stockes / or stones / all gyltyng of yma­ges / all offeryng vp of candels / al monkes & freers / al masses of Scala cesi / al trental masses were taken away / no parte of the workes cōmaunded by god shulde be takē away / no parte of goddes glory shulde be mynyshed / but rather promoted and set forwarde. For these workes foūde by man hathe hyndered muche the true honour of god that god hathe nat bene truely hono­red as he shulde be in spirite & in trewthe / these wyll workes hathe letted many to do theyr charite where they shulde haue done to the pore people (bought by the precious [Page] bloude of Christe) whiche hathe had nede of the helpe of man. Also in that saynte Paule exhorteth men only to do the wor­kes that god hathe cōmaūded in the scriptures and wylleth that we shall walke in them and go forwarde in them & encrease more & more / me thynke in these wordꝭ he teacheth workes cōmaunded of god to be sufficiēt to opteyne lyfe euerlasting if none of our newe foūde holy dayes or our wyll workes inuented of our good zeales onely without goddes worde be put to the wor­kes of god / we adde to the workes of god many workes of mānes inuēcion / as who shulde say goddes workes were nat perfeit excepte man shulde put to some thynge to make thē perfeyt / as god coulde nat gyue vs healthe and lyfe euerlastynge / excepte that we of our blynde zeales shulde put to some thyng of our addiciō. I do nat speke here agaynst any godly cyuyll ordynaūce or any godly ceremony yet vsed or may be vsed in tyme to come that be made to set furthe goddes glory / or for any descent or comely ordre to be had amonges men in the worlde / or for any polytyke ende to be vsed amonges christen men as charite re­quyreth the glory of god better promoted and his worde more regarded and set by / [Page] and the charite of the christians more en­creased to the cōmodyte of all good men.

¶ To this place saynt Paule hathe spokē generally of the grace gyuē to al mē nowe begynneth he to speake of the grace of god gyuen more specially to the gentyles when it pleased god onely of his goodnes and nat of the merites of the Gentyles to call them to grace & to fayth whiche iusti­fyeth them / and here the apostle teachithe all preachers after that they haue shewed the general grace of god gyuen frely to al [Page] men to apply the grace or the benefites of god more specially to perticuler men / as to them to whom it is spokē ti bryng thē to the remembrāce of the benefites of god towardes thē to geue god thankes for thē by the knowledge of whom came al good­nes / after the example of S. Paule here in thꝭ place which applyeth the grace of god gyuen to the Gētyles / to these Ephesiās. 2. He moueth these Ephesians to cal to theyr remembraunce the state of lyuynge they were in before the grace of god / and the state they be in nowe after the grace of god gyuen them / whiche thyng if they do they wyll with gladnes gyue harty thankes to god and gloryfy hym for hys goodnes and shewe them selfe thankful to god by all redynes to obey and do goddes commaundementes.

3. He sheweth what they were before the gospell was preached to them / and before they had receyued faythe in Iesus Christ Fyrste he sayeth that they had an odious name hated of al good men / that is to say / they were called Preputians which was amongest the Iues as opprobriꝰ a name as is amongest vs christen men / a Turke or a Sarazyn or vn christeined. And the Iues eschewed the company of the Pre­putians [Page] and wolde neyther eate dryncke nor speake with the Preputians and ab­horred theyr company as we do the o­ther people or Pagans / and he that wolde vse the company of the Prepu­tians was abhorred of the Iues / as they were angry with Peter that had preched at the cōmaundement of god to the Gen­tyles. Actes. 1. & .2. but nowe you haue an holy name landed & magnified of all good men / and also of god the father. Also be­fore you were without Christ / that is nat that Christ was nat your sayuour and redemer promysed / but that you knewe nat Christe to be your sauyour and redemer promysed as well to the Gentyles as to the Iues / as apereth in the promyse made to Abraham / that in his sede shulde al the Gentyles be blessed / and that Christ was the expectation of the Gentyles / but this mystery was hyd frome the worlde vnto Christes incarnation that Christe shulde be a sauyour to all men bothe to the Iues and to the Gentyles. This mystery was knowen to some bothe of the Iewes and Gētyles / but they were very fewe in com­paryson to them that were ignorant or els it may be sayde that the Iues and the gē ­tyles that were faythefull and beleued in [Page] Christe to come the onely sauyour of the worlde / by the whiche faythe they were saued that they knewe nat whan Christe shulde come / after what maner / howe / and by what meanes he shulde redeme & saue the worlde from euerlastyng deathe / so the Gentyles was counted without Christe that amongest the Gentyles the knowe­ledge of Christe was nat so comon before Christes incarnatiō as it was after. Whā the gospell was preached equally to the Gentyles as to the Iues. Also the Gen­tyles was counted aliantes from the co­mon wealthe of Israel / that is to say they were as foryners hauyng no clayme ne tytle to any prophet or cōmodyte gyuen or ꝓmysed of god to the Israeletes that they had or professed. Here he taketh his simi­litude of auncetry that hathe priuileges and greate cōmodities graunted to them whiche the Cytizens haue enioye and possesse / straungers and foreners haue no parte of these cōmodities that the cy­tizens haue / this priuilege of the which is spoken here is the inheritaūce of the kyngdome of heauen whiche was promysed to the faythfull that kepte goddes cōmaun­dementes as well of the Gentyles as of the Iues / although the Gentyles coulde [Page] nat chalenge it by no tytle gyuen to them as yet whā the gospell was hyd from thē. 4. And were straungers from the testa­ment of promyse / as who shulde saye / the promyses of lyfe euerlastyng was straūge to you / you knew nat y ^t they perteyned to you / you coulde clame nothyng of the lyfe nor inheritaūce in heauen. Also you were without hope of lyfe to come and wātyng god in the worlde / nat that they wanted God / or though there was no God / but that they beleued nat in the true god / and thought the god of heauen nat to be theyr god / a gentle / meke good / and a mercyfull god / theyr sauyour and redemer without al hope of lyfe to come in the other worlde Thys was the state of these Ephesyans before the gospell was preached to thē by the apostles and by other after Christes incarnation.

5. In the apostle speaketh of the cyrcumcision of the fleshe to whom the name of prepution was odiouse / the apostle she­weth two maner of cyrcumcisions / one is in the fleshe another is in the spirite or in the herte / all the Iewes was cyrcumcised in the fleshe / but nat cyrcumcised in the herte / for there was many vnfaythefull Iues rebelles to god murmuring against [Page] him disobedient to hys cōmaundementes whiche althoughe they were cyrcūcised in the fleshe yet in the spirite and in the herte they were nat cyrcumcised. Amonge the Gētyles that neuer harde of Christe none was cyrcumcised in the fleshe / but dyuerse was circumcised in spirite and in herte / as all they of the Gentyles that beleued in god & was obedient to hys worde as was Naaman / Cyrꝰ / Abimelech / Ietro father in lawe to Moyses / and other mo of the Gentyles / That some of the Gētyles vncircumcised in the fleshe but cyrcumcised in spirite & in herte / and was of the electe people of god to saluacyō / we may gather that there maye be of the electe of god a­mongest the Turkes & Pagans although they haue nat our outwarde christian profession as was amongest these Gentyles some bette christians then was many a­mongest the Iewes. Also me thynke the apostle in these wordꝭ that he sayeth some were cyrcūcised ī the fleshe checketh some of the Iewes cyrcumcised in the fleshe but nat in the spirite. Whiche was nat to be preferred before the Gētyles / and in these wordes he checketh some amōgest vs that be worse in lyuynge then the Turkes or Pagans / whiche thyng is a greate shame [Page] to all suche euyl and vnfaythful christiās.

¶Before these the apostle hathe shewed the state of thesed Ephesians & of all Gen­tyles before they receiued fayth / that they had an odiouse name that was in hatred / they were called vncyrcumcised Preputi­ans / without Christe / aleauntes from the comon wealthe of Israell / straungers frō the promyses of god that promysed lyfe / without hope of lyfe / wantyng god in the worlde / people gyuē to ydolatry / folowyng al pleasures of the fleshe / ygnorant of god. Nowe he sheweth that they be delyuered from that vngodly state and be receyued amōgest the people of god as of thē by the grace of god only / through fayth ī Christ. 2. By Christe you be receyued whiche were before aleaūtes / be made of the hous­holde and cytezins by the bloude of Christ shed on the crosse to saue all thē that were loste by synne / and that wyll beleue truly in Christe and knowe hym to be an hole sauyour / & no botcher / or a parte sauyour / but an hole sauyor / as I haue sayd before

¶Christe is our peace and our peace ma­ker with the father / and howe he was our peace here he sheweth. Fyrste in that he made of two people the Iues and the Gē ­tyles one people to hym agreynge in one thyng .s. in the true worhsyp of god and healthe by Christe. Secondely in that he toke away the wal of debate / that is to say the causes and the occasions of all stryfe [Page] and controuersy by twene the Iewes and the Gentyles / whiche was the lawe as cyrcumcision / ceremonies and other sacri­fices cōmaūded in the lawe to be kepte for a tyme to Christes comynge / whiche the Iues styfly defēded and wolde haue them kepte after Christe as they were before / or els they sayde no man coulde be saued / for without cyrcumcision they thought no man coulde be saued / and therfore they cō ­demned the Gentyles vncyrcumcised / and thought they coulde nat be saued by cause they were nat cyrcūcised / but Christe toke away this contēcion and shewed that cyr­cumcision was nat of necessite to saluaciō of the soule.

2. Christe hathe taken away the lawe as touchynge the ceremonials and iudiciall lawes. Ye and the morall lawe also that it shalbe done no more for feare seruyll and bounde feare as in tyme paste / but that it shalbe kepte for loue onely to god. Christe hathe taken away the lawe as touchyng the ceremonials and iudicials that it is nat nowe necessary to kepe them / but that health may be without them / nor yet they are nat to be kepte vnder the payne of dā ­nacyon of the soule. For lyfe euerlastynge may be without cyrcumcision and other [Page] suche lyke ceremonial and iudicial lawes whiche be abrogate and taken away / that it is in a mannes liberty to kepe them or nat kepe them. It is no vertue to kepe thē nor synne to omytte them. And contrary it is no synne to do thē excepte any shulde haue lyke opynion in them as the Iewes had / that they thynke they muste nedes kepe them orels they can nat be saued / to thynke they be iustified by the keypynge of suche ceremonial and iudiciall lawes and shall obtayne by the meanes of them for­gyuenes of synne and eternall lyfe / in that opinion to kepe these lawes is synne after the gospell preached by Christe and hys apostles / as touchynge morall preceptes Christe hathe nat taken them awaye / but that they shall nat be done for feare of the lawe / for feare of hell / and the punyshmēt therof / but for the loue of god / with al gladnes of herte.

3. That of twayne he myght create one newe man in hym selfe. For what ende & purpose Christe abrogated the ceremoni­als and iudicial lawes he sheweth / that is that he shulde make of two people one people eternall to him / that the one shulde nat contemne the other / as the Iues contem­ned the Gentyles before / and the Genty­les [Page] the Iues but that they shulde agree in one god Christe Iesus the sauyour of all / and in the true worshyp and faythe by the whiche bothe the Iues and the Gentyles shulde be saued & iustified before God and nat thorogh any obseruances of the lawe that all men shulde knowe the lyfe and healthe of man nat to be in cyrcumcision outwarde / in ceremonies / in sacrifices in inuencion and religyon or merites of men nor in the worshyp of ydoles / nor in super­sticiousnes of mānes religion / but alone in Christe that no man shulde reioyce in any other but in the lorde and in the crosse of Iesu Christe. Gala. 6. So Christe hathe reconcyled the Iues and the Gētyles ta­kyng from them bothe / parte of theyr pleasure / from the Iues cyrcumcision / ceremoniall and iudiciall lawes / from the Gen­tyles idolatry and lechery. In the whiche thynges bothe partes had greate pleasure in / so Christe hathe reconcyled the Iewes and the Gentyles in that he toke awaye the hatred and the cause of theyr hatred. So I thynke amonges vs nowe shall ha­tred cease and we shall all be made one / sythe the cause of our hatred is nowe ta­ken away by the kynges magestyes com­maūdement. The hatred that was amon­ges [Page] vs for the moste parte was for the worshyppynge of stockes / stones / blockes paynted and gylted / nowe these be taken away I soppose a greate parte of our ha­tred to cease and charite to encrease to the glory of god and the profite of many.

4. Howe Christ hath reconciled vs syn­ners to the fauour of the father agayne here is shewed that was by the crosse / that is to say by Christe a full sacrifice and a sufficient oblacion for al the synnes of the worlde / by the whiche oblation of Christꝭ body ones offred vp for all synners / al were made parfit reconciled / had forgeuenesse of syn̄es & made beloued to god the father and heyres of his kyndome by Christ that dyed on the crosse for our redemption sla­uation / iustification and lyfe eternall.

5. And came and preached peace in the gospell to you that were farre of / that is Christe preached peace and quietnesse in the hertes of the Gentiles whiche was counted farre frome the peace / fauour and loue of god. And this peace was wroghte by thre outwarde preachyng of the gospell and the inwardes workynge of the holy goste. So was peace broght bothe to the Iewes and the Gentiles throught Christ & by no other meanes thā by his death of the crosse.

[Page]6. If Christe hath take away these thyn­ges that was of a necessite cōmaunded of god to be kepte because they were no more profitable for the people. Howe muche more shuld no man merueyle nowe if some institutions and religions of men be now taken awaye by goddes worde / whiche be nat profitable to man / nor yet to the glory of god / which do cause muche false trustes suꝑstitiousnes / erronious opynions / false iudgementes / backwarde iudgemētes / ydo­latry / and hyndereth the trewe honour of god and faythe in Christe Iesꝰ / and hathe made men to put theyr truste of healthe & saluation in other then in Christe / and so brought men to death & damnation / from the whiche dānatiō to delyuer vs / Christe suffred death on the crosse / and brought to all beleuers and kepers of goddes cōmaū ­demētes lyfe euerlastyng in al ioy & blysse.

2. In that the waye is made open to all men by Christe and by none other / saynte Paule reproueth those that wolde men shulde go and desyre sayntes departed to praye for them that by the intercession of sayntes departed men myght come to the father without Christe. We thynke it is folyshnes to leue the waye to the father of heauen appoynted and assygned vs in the scripture and to seke another way not spoken of in the scripture / sythe it is so that we be vncertayne whether that sayntes departed be in that state that they wyll or be meane for vs to the father or no? Whether they here vs callynge to them or no? Whether they knowe our necessite or no? whether they be hard of the father and optayne theyr purpose or no? Of these thyn­ges we haue no certaynty by the scriptu­res / wherfore I thynke it mete in this be­halfe to be content with teachynges of the holy scripture which teacheth al necessary truthes for mannes saluacion / and nat to seke another waye to the father then the scripture teacheth. Saynte Paule sayeth [Page] here that the waye to the father is made open to all men nat by Petre / Paule / Io­han / or Iames / Mary / or Magdelene but by Christ which is the mediato ^r bytwene god and man. 1. Timo. 2. Saynte Paule sayeth there is but one mediato ^r bytwene vs & the father. we make many without the scriptures howe do we and S. Paule agree? Howe do lyght & darcknes agree? Forthermore I se as yet no cause nor ne­cessyte that shulde make vs to go to the sayntes departed and desyre them to be mediatours and meanes to the father for vs sythe there is no cōmaundement in the scripture / no example of holy men lefte vs to folowe / no promyse made to vs that we shalbe harde of these sayntes / or that we shall optayne our request the soner by the intercession of these sayntꝭ departed whō we call on and desyre to praye for vs. why shulde we leue Christe the only sōne of the father of heauen our dayly aduocate and mediatour whiche only opteyneth that is necessary for vs and go to other whom we knowe nat whether they ge in that state of lyuyng that they may heare vs callyng to thē or no / or whether they wyl here vs. Folyshnes it is to leue the certayne for the vncertayne. Certayne it is that Christe [Page] prayeth contynually to the father for vs / and Christe is the full satisfaction for our synnes. 1. Ioh. 1. and for the synnes of the whole worlde. If Christe be our aduocate as he is in dede and optayne of the father that is necessary for vs / what nede haue we of the prayer of sayntes nat cōmaūded in the scripture / that were as who shulde say / that god wolde nat here Christe pray­eng for vs / or that he wolde soner here the sayntꝭ departed prayeng for vs thē Christ his sōne / or that the prayer of Christ were nat suffyciēt to opteyne of the father / that is necessary for our saluation / then it were nede for vs to desyre the prayer of sayntes departed / but seyng God the father wyll here Christe his sonne before all sayntes / and Christes prayer is sufficiēt to opteyne all that we haue nede of for our saluation. I thynke we haue no nede that sayntꝭ de­parted shulde pray for vs. But peraduen­ture some wyll here obiecte and saye that this reason makes agaynste the prayer of thē that be alyue / to this I make answere that it is the wyl of god that these that be alyue shulde one pray for another. Iaco. 5 & Rom. 15. but so it is nat certayne by the scriptures / that these y ^t be departed shulde pray for vs / or that they may or wyll pray [Page] for vs. Also some wyll saye that they dare nat be so bolde as to go to Christe at the fyrste. Therfore they saye they wyll go to the sayntes that be in fauour with Christ that by theyr intercission they may come the soner to Christe / but I pray you / what opinion haue these men that so saythe and thynketh of Christe / do these thynke that Christe is more mercyfull / more gentle / more ready / more glad to heare thē when they cal then the sayntes be. Is there any of the sayntes departed more mercyfull then Christe? more louyng then Christe? is there any of the sayntes that wyll here vs before Christe? that loue vs better thē Christ? that caryth more for vs thē Christ If Christe loue vs better then sayntes for he hathe bought vs more deter then sayn­tes / he hathe bought vs by no corrupty­ble thynges as golde or syluer but by hys precious bloude / we maye be sure that he loueth that thyng that he bought so dere / better than sayntes that knowe nat the pryce / and that he hathe more care for vs then sayntes haue / therfore let vs nat be afrayde to go with fayth and mekenes to Christe so kynde / so louyng / so gentyll / so glad / so ready to receyue vs / ye more ready to receyue vs / then we be to come to hym. [Page] A praye you what thynge make they of Christe / that wyll go to sayntes departed that they maye come to Christe and so by Christe to the father / but Christe to be as a harde man that wyll nat suffer peticio­ners to come to hym without meanes / to be as a cruel man vn mercyful and vn gē ­tyll. And that none shulde thynke so of Christe / he calleth sayeng come vnto me all you that labour and bere heuy burdēs and I wyll refreshe you. Math. 2. He cal­leth all men to him / as wel the pore as the ryche / the subiecte as the kynge / the laymā as the preste. Saynte Paule oftymes ex­horteth men to come to Christ with great boldnes. Hebre. 4. If Christe do call vs and byd vs come to him / why shulde we be affrayde to come to Christe? me thynke it is agaynst good maner nat to come when we be called / ye me thynke it is folyshenes to deny to come to hym whom we desyre to speake with when he calleth vs and say we are nat worthy to come to hys presēce but we wyl desyre some of his belouyd ser­uauntes that we may come to his speache seyng the lorde dothe call vs and wylleth we shall come to him without spechemen. Seyng that Christe is the way to the fa­ther and that there is none other way nor [Page] meanes to the father without Christ. Io. 14. They labour in vayne that seke ano­ther waye to come to the father of heauen then by Christ / nor yet can obteyne of the father that that is necessary for vs so sone as Christe to whom god the father hathe promysed that he wyll deny vs nothynge that we shal aske of him worthely in fayth for Christes sake. Iohan. 14. Therfore let vs ꝑferre no saynt before Christe but aske of the father thynges mete to be asked for Christes sake and we shal obteyne our de­syre accordyng to the promyse of god. Io. 14. God dothe nat promyse to graunt our petition if we desyre of him in the name of any saynt departed / therfore me thynke it is folyshenes to forsake that is certayne & folowe that is vncertayne / certayne it is that we shalbe harde of the father if we aske for Christes sake & in Christes name. but whether we shalbe harde if we aske in the name of any other saynte departed / it is vncertayne by the scriptures / ye it is vnknowen whether the sayntes here vs cal­yng to thē or no? whether they knowe our necessite or no? whether they be in y ^e state that they do praye for vs or no? or can or may by theyr prayer obteyne any thing of the father for vs. The scripture wyll that [Page] we shulde pray to god. Math. 6. & Iaco. 1. in the name of Christe. Scripture wylleth that we shall praye to them in whome we shulde put out truste. Roma. 10. and haue hope to obteyne our peticion of / no truste nor hope is to be put in sayntes / wherfore me thynke prayer is nat to be made to sayntes departed / me thynke that prayer to sayntꝭ be a sygne of diffidence of Christ and of his goodnes / and therfore men run to sayntes to obteyne theyr fauour and helpe / and yet all goodnes cōmeth of god Iaco. 1. and nat of sayntꝭ departed / of an euyll parsuasion of Christe I thynke men leue Christe & run to sayntes parsuadyng with them selfe that Christe wyl heare no synners / therfore they run to the sayntes desyryng theyr healpe as who shulde saye there were more mercyfulnes / more gen­tylnes and loue in sayntes then in Christ / whiche opinion to haue in Christe is euyl and damnable. Some there be defenders of prayeng to sayntes moued by dyuers reasons / one reason is this / they saye that sayntes departed be membres of the same body of Christe that we be of / and al membres are profitable one to another. Sayn­tes departed can nat profite vs lyuynge mēbres nowe but by theyr prayers / wher­fore [Page] they thynke that sayntes departed praye for vs / & that we be helped by theyr prayer / to this reasō may be answered thꝰ fyrste to the maior / that sayntes departed are membres of the same body that we be of to obteyne lyfe and glory euerlasting in heauen with Christe / but whether they be membres to profite other mēbres by wor­kes of charite as lyuyng membres shulde profite one another I am vncertayne by the holy scriptures. I suppose they haue done theyr worke appoynted thē to do of god / and this sayeng me thynke S. Paule dothe confyrme. Ro. 12. & Ephe. 4. Where he sheweth the workes of the membres / & also Gala. 6. sayeng. Whyle we haue tyme let vs worke good to all men / chefly to thē that be of the housholde of faythe / also if al membres be profitable one to another. I wolde gladly knowe howe profitable be the lyuyng membres to the holy sayntes in heauen that nedes nat our helpe / seyng we be mēbres of the same body of Christe that they be of / or howe profitable be one saynte to another. To the minor / they say that sayntes departed can nat profyte vs but by theyr prayer / thys reason may be denyed / for sayntes departed other waye profyte and do profyte vs / they confyrme [Page] our fayth to trust surely in god / and that our trust shal nat be deceaued / but that we shall haue the rewarde that we truste for they certifye vs of the goodnes of god / of the lyfe and glorye to come after this lyfe. They shewe vs the merite of goddes pro­mysses. They teache vs to folowe theyr fote stepes to haue faythe as they had / hope & charite / patience / nickenes / merci­fulnes and other vertues / in the whiche they gyue vs example to folowe them & make vs sure of lyfe and glorye after this lyfe / as they be in. After thꝭ facion I thīke the sayntes departed profyte vs / and this profyte maye be gathered oftymes in the scriptures / but that they profite vs nowe by theyr prayer I haue nat redde in the scriptures: I knowe nat by the scriptures that they pray for me no more then they do almosse dedes for me / seynge bothe he workes of charyte. Also they haue an other reason that moueth them to thynke that sayntes departed praye for them / whiche is this. They saye sayntes departed hath lost none of theyr charite that they had in this worlde / but rather hath theyr charite encrease more & more they of theyr charite prayed for vs beyng on lyue. Muche more they say nowe they [Page] praye for vs. To this I aunswere that theyr loue be encreased towardꝭ god more and more / but as towardes man I am in doubte. I wolde gladly of it be made cer­tayn. And where as they saye that they lyuynge of theyr charite prayed for vs / muche more nowe they pray for vs. So I may say that they lyuyng of theyr cha­rite preached to vs the worde of god / a worke of charite as necessary as prayer / ergo they preache to vs nowe. Heare is to be proued what workes of charite sayntes departed nowe in theyr state may do or do The holy scriptures sayth that workes muste be done in faythe that please god / saītes haue nat fayth / wherfore it semeth to folowe that sayntes do nat worke after this present lyfe / or els theyr worke shulde be done in faythe that they myght please god. Also scripture promyseth a rewarde for euery good worke / prayer is a good worke / prayer therfore doth nat want his rewarde before god. But for the prayer of sayntes departed I reade no rewarde pro­mysed of god / but euery man shall haue his rewarde for workes done in this pre­sent lyfe & in the body. Gal. 6. & 2. Cor. 5. sayth saynt Paule. All we shall stande be­fore the iustice of god / and shall euery one [Page] receyue accordynge to his doynges the tyme he was in his bodye / shall receyue good or euyl. Finably as thuchinge prayer to sayntes departed I thynke it no dam­nable thynge to pray to them / nor yet no neceessary thyng to pray to them. I thīke it shulde be more for the glorye of god to kepe sure trust and true confidence in god: and to knowe that all goodnes / healthe / lyfe / saluacion / glorye eternall cometh only of god & of his mere mercy towardes vs. If no prayer at al were made to sayn­tes departed. For by prayer made to sayntes goddes honor hath ben take awaye & his power mynyshed. Honor due for god gyuen to sayntes / trust & cōfidence taken from god and put in sayntes / & the blynde ignoraunt people more redy to go to sayntes / ye to the Images of sayntes then to god and desire helthe & socoure of them suche hath ben our blynde ignoraunce.

This prayenge to sayntes hath ben the cause of muche Idolatry / of muche false trust & confidence in sayntes and in Ima­ges / & that so many hath desyred healthe of sayntes rather then of god for theyr dyseases / as of saynt Loy for our horse / of saynt Anthony for our pyge / of Roch for the pestilēce / of Appoline for the tothache [Page] of Iohan Shorne for the axes: and in a maner for euery sycknes one saīt or other was the helper / so god was sette a syde / of whome all healthe doth come / and saintes called on in whome is no healthe nor no helpe can graunt without god. Therfore if all prayer to sayntes departed were set a syde: I thynke god shulde be better hono­red / more trust & confidence put in hym / al helpe / socour / confort / and all goodnes to come of god & of none other better knowen and belyued of the onlerned people / that haue ben longe in blyndnes for lacke of true teachers of the worde of god. One thynge in this matter I wolde gladly knowe what hurte shulde it be to christen men / if men shulde nat cal & desire sayntes departed to praye for them: But of saintꝭ shulde lerne to folowe theyr fotestepes in fayth / hope / charite / patiēce / mekenes / cō ­temnyng of honour / ryches / worldly ple­sures and in other suche lyke vertues / for the whiche thynges scripture putteth vs in remembraunce of holy men departed. I pray you what necessary thing dyd Chri­sten people wante before Popes ordeyned the Letanye to be songe and sayde in the Churches / but as for prayenge to sayntes departed / I wyll nat muche contende in [Page] this matter. I wyll nat condemne them that do desyre theyr prayers / nor yet com­mende them. I thynke it an indifferente thynge / that may be done well and omyt­tyd / and nat as a thyng necessaryly to be done / or that he shulde be counted as an heretyke that shulde nat pray to sayntes / or he a good christenman for that worke that shulde desyre the prayers of sayntes departed. I thinke it shuld be more for the honour of god / & for y ^e true fayth to be had amonges christen men / to withstande the opynyon of Sayntes nowe had / that no prayers shulde be made to sayntes depar­ted. Then if any shulde desyre Sayntes to pray with them / and for them. Yf this my mynde do agre with the scriptures take it / Yf nat refuse it. I wyll nat be obstinate in this matter / I wolde be glad to lerne the veryte by the holy scriptures. Whiche in al doutes is able to try out the trueth. yf we wyll be delygent to searche / and leue man­nes fantasyes and dreames / whiche hathe blynded vs longe that we coulde nat se the trueth. But nowe let vs retourne agayne to saynt Paule.

¶Before saynte Paule fayde they were gestes and straungers to the householde of God / nowe he sayeth they be no more straungers but of the householde of god & cytesyns of sayntes made by Christe / be­fore they were farre frome the householde of Israel / nowe they be receyued to be of the householde of Israel / that is to saye they be made felowes of sayntes (that is of the Iewes whiche counte them selfes sayntes in comparyson to the Gentyles) and parte takers of the heuenly inhery­taunce and of euerlastyng helth by Christ buylded vpon the fundation of the Apost­les & prophetes / that is to say vpon Christ vpon whome the Apostles and prophetes [Page] dyd buylde and made Christe to be theyr fundacion for as Saynte Paule sayeth. 1. Corin. 3. No man can set an other funda­cion besyde that fundacyon set whiche is Christe Iesus / and nat the Byshoppe of Rome. For Christe is the heade of the Churche and of all them that beleueth / & nat the byshoppe of Rome / and Christe is the corner stone that kepethe and ioyneth the buyldynges together that couples the Iewes and the Gentyles together / & by his spyryte kepeth them bothe in vnite and concorde / fayth / hope / and charite / & in al goodnes.

Saynte Paule sayenge the Gentyles beleuynge to be buylded vpon Christe the fundation of the Apostles and prophetes / reproueth al them that sayeth or thinketh the byshoppe of Rome to be the fundacion vpon whome Christe hathe buylded his Churche / for that fundacion is Christe & none other. Neyther the byshop of Rome nor yet no other man / creature / nor An­gell. But Christe is the fundacyon of all faythfull byleuers & the corner stone that wyl nat be remouid with no blast of wind 3 Euery buyldynge vpon Christe dothe growe and encrease in an holy temple to the Lorde. Here he sheweth the difference [Page] bytwene the buyldyng buylded vpō christ and vpon other thynges or creatures / yf it be buylded vpon Christe / it wyll stande and encrease. yf it be buylded vpon man / or vpon mānes inuentions / dreames and phantices it wyll fall and decaye at euery blaste of wynde or tempest whiche thyng dothe agre with Christes saynge. Ma. 15. Euery grafte that my father of heuē hath nat grafted shalbe plucked vp by the rotes Here we may lerne / pylgrimage / pardon / payntyng of Images to be honoured / nat to haue bene of god. Mōkes / Freers Cha­nons and suche lyke religion of men inuē ­ted / nat to haue ben of god / for they decay and fall awaye / and theyr fayned religion lytle set by. Also all these that go nat for­warde frome vertu to vertue and encrease dayly in vertue / nat to be buylded of god. For the buyldyng of Christ encreaseth day­ly and be made more and more the habitacle. 1. dwellynge place of God by the holy Ghoste by whome they encrease / whiche wyll nat suffer them to be idle / vnprofita­ble to other / or euyl occupyed / but moueth and styrryth alwayes to do the wyll and pleasure of god / and suffreth nat his to be idle or euyll occupyed.

¶ The thyrd chapiter to the Ephesyans.

SAynt Paule here merueylously doth bryng and get to hym the fauour and the beneuolence of these Ephesyans / in that he sayeth and truely sayeth that he suffered prisonment / and was in stockes & in fetters for theyr sakes & for theyr helth and saluacion / that is to saye because he preached to the Ephesians and to other Gentyles the Gospell of Iesus Christe / of the whiche Gospell preached the Ephesyans and the other Gentyles receyued fayth in Christ Iesu / and so through faith came to lyfe and eternall saluation. For this cause and for none other Paule was caste in prison in cheynes and in fetters at Rome by Nero the Emperour wher he was when he wrote this Epystle / and in pryson / and therfore he sayeth. I Paule the prisoner of Iesus Christe bounde fast inprisone nat for myne owne sake or for my cause / but for Christe sake and for his Gospell / whiche was the helthe of the Gē tyles. When these Ephesyans shulde here [Page] these thynges / howe coulde it be but they muste nedes fauoure and loue Paule and embrase his doctryne whiche for Christes sake and for theyr healthe and saluacyon was in prison and suffred paynes for their cause. Kynde men can nat but they muste loue them agayn that suffreth for theyr sakes & for theyr helthe. Thus saynt Paule opteyned the fauoure of these Ephesyans and of the gentyles.

2 Paule caste in pryson nat for his syn­nes or any notable fautes or crymes / but because he preached to the Gentyles the Gospell of Christe by the whiche the Gē tyles were delyuered from synne / deathe / hell and eternall damnation and made good / iuste / and opteyned eternal lyfe and partakers of the heuenly inheritaunce / this Saynte Paule sheweth that it is no newe thynge that true preachers of god­des worde to be caste in prisone and suffer paynes for the Gospels sake of euyll men & he moueth thē to take paciētly theyr patnes in prysone and afflyccyons that they may be with Paule the prysoner of Christ suffrynge onely for the Gospels sake and nat for theyr owne fautes crimes / or deseruynges.

3 Learne here that a good and an holy [Page] man saynt Paule. ye an apostle of Christ was caste in prisone / nat for no euyll / but for good for preachynge of the Gospel to the saluacion of the people. He was caste in prisone of an euyll man and of a cruell tyrante called Nero an Emperour of Rome. At whose cōmaundement saynt Paul was caste in prison and leyd in fetters / so the good Apostle of God was in pryson / and the euyll tyrante Nero at libertie / so god suffereth in thys worlde the euyll mā to haue the vpper hande of the good man ye god suffreth that the good is punyshed in this worlde / and the euyll escapes pu­nyshemente / but in the worlde to come the good shalbe in ioye / and the euyll in payne This place sheweth playnly that saynte Paule was in pryson when he wrote this Epistle to these Ephesyans / whose helthe he more regarded then his delyueraunce out of prisone.

4 These that put saynte Paule in pry­son / peraduenture they thought they dyd an acceptable worke or sacrifice to god so doynge / thynkynge Paule a greate male­factour & a breker of y ^e [...]aw they thought it was nat laweful that the Gospel shulde be preached to the Gentyles / ye & agayne the lawe of god / that forbad the Iewes to [Page] haue company with the Gentyles / or to make mariages with the Gentiles / much more they thought it was nat lawfull to preache the Gospell to the Gentyles / whiche was a thynge hyd from the worlde / & neuer herde leson before / therfore they castynge Saynte Paule in pryson thought they dyd an hye sacrifice to god / suche mē full of theyr good zeales but without god­des worde hath ben amōges vs that hath caste men in prison for preachynge that it was lawfull for lay men or lay women to haue the new Testamente in Englyshe / we maye se what blynde zeales without goddes worde dothe / and howe it hathe euer caste the true seruātes of God in pry­son and brought to trouble / payne / puny­shement & infamy in the worlde / although they were the newe and faythfull seruan­tes of god. But at the laste god delyuered his seruantes / and punyshed these blynde [...]eales and so he wyll do nowe / if they wyl nat repent and amende.

5 Accordynge as you haue herde of the office of the grace of God gyuen to me to­warde you. Here the Apostle sheweth the disposition of the Gospel was commytted to him / nat of him selfe / nor yet of his wyl mynde / merites / or deseruynges but alone [Page] of the mere mercy and grace of god / and that when it pleased god to cal him by re­uelacion from his inquite and synne as is wryten Actes .9. & .22. that the hole prayse and lawde maye be gyuen nat to man / but to god alone / of the whiche we may lerne that true preachers of goddes worde be sente of God / for the saluacyon of men to whome the Gospell is purely preached & it is a sure token that god wyll saue those to whome he sendes true preachers of his worde / of the herers part is requyred that they shulde dylygently heare the worde of God / gyue credence to it / and lyue accor­dynge to goddes doctryne / or elles it pro­fiteth them nothynge / the Gospell truely preached of faythful men sende of god.

6 When ye rede it ye may perceyue myn vnderstande in the mystery of Christe / as he shulde saye. I haue shewed you before [...] I was called to be y ^e minister of god / & receyued the knowledge of the Gospel by reuelacion / and that office committed to me of God to preache the Gospell of Christe Iesus to the Gentiles / whiche thyng you may konwe yf you wyll rede that I haue wryten before in these wordes he gyueth them libertie to reade this Epistle / & wyl­lyth that they shuld perfectly knowe what [Page] thinges he had writen to them / this place maketh agaynst them that wolde nat the laye people shulde reade the scriptures in there vulgare tonge. Saynt Paule wolde haue had his wrytinges knowen of euery one / bothe prest lay man and lay woman / that euery one myght haue profyte by his wrytynge / what profyte I pray you shuld the lay man haue of it if it were nat lawe­full for hym to rede it in the language he vnderstandeth.

7 In tymes paste this mistery was nat opened to the chyldren of men. What was this mystery that was hyd from the chyl­dren of men in tymes paste? It was the o­pen preachynge of Christes gospel as wel to the Gētyles as to the Iewes and that the Gentyles shulde be saued by / Christe as the Iewes / and that the gentyles per­teyned to the heuenly inheritaunce as the Iewes / this mystery was nat knowen to the worlde to Christes incarnacion / and to after his death chefely / it was knowen to a fewe that beleued both of the Iewes and also of the Gentyles whiche was sa­ued by fayth in Christ to come before christes incarnacion / but they were sene in cō ­parison to them that dyd nat know it / and therfore it was coūted to be hyd from the [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] worlde / and also these that beleuyd & dyd knowe that the gospell shulde come to the Gentyles and by it there saluacyon / yet they knewe it nat so clerely howe it shulde come / and by what meanes / as these that were after Christes incarnacion and bele­ued in Christe / nor yet there was nat so many before Christes incarnacion that beleued in Christ as was after / for this mi­stery was shewed muche more playnlye / & more clerely & to mo after Christes passi­on then before his passion / for as Saynte Hierome sayeth / that it is another thyng in the spirite to knowe thynges to come / & rose them fulfylled in dede. This mystery of the gospel to be preached to the gētiles was so hyd frome men / that the Apostles of Christe dyd nat knowe it at the begyn­nynge / and dyd doute whether it were lawfull for them to preache the gospell to the Gentyles or no / and to call Gentyles to saluacion by the gospell without circum­sion and other ceremonies necessary to be obserued / to instructe y ^e Apostles of Christ in this matter was the holy Ghoste sente to them and gyuen in Pentecost / and also this mysserye was opened to them by vy­sions / as to Peter Actes. 10. and that by the wyll of God / and of goddes goodnes / [Page] of the whiche we maye learne to glorifie god nowe as the Apostles dyd when they sawe the mystery opened that was hyd frō the begynnynge of the worlde to theyr ty­me. So let vs nowe glorify god that hath now in our tyme opened and shewed more playnly and more clerely the trueth of his worde longe hyd / obserued and darkened by mannes traditions and inuentyons / then it was in our fathers tyme / and no­thynge meruayle at the goodnes of God / but shewe oure selues more thankefull to god gyuynge him thankes for his benefi­tes and prayse to hym as the author of all goodnes / and knowe surely that the truth comes nat to lyght / nat for our merites or deseruynges / but of the goodnes of god as after Christes passion came to the Gē ntyles the gospel and the trueth of it by the Apostles. yf mē wolde consydre this place wel / and deply wey it / they shulde se clerely howe lytle effecte and strength be reasons made of carnall men by the whiche some as yet can nat thynke or be persuaded in theyr hertes that this ys the trueth that is nowe adaies preached by true and faithfull preachers in this realme. They groū ­de theyr reasons ofte tymes / of men / and of customes / sayeng howe cā it be thought [Page] that god wolde suffer the trueth so longe to be hyd from his people / and suffer men so longe to be deceyued with falsed. To this I aunswere and saye / the Gentyles might so haue sayde to god. But none said so but those that wolde nat receyue the gospel / beleue it and be saued. The fayth­full asketh no cause of the wyll of god / but studye to knowe goddes wyll and to do it. Also they say / was theyr nat as holy men in tymes paste as is nowe / aswell learned as is nowe / as wyse men as now be / why wolde nat god shewe to them his trueth / as nowe. Of the wyll of god I wyl nat dispute / I can gyue no cause of his wyl / why he wyll this thinge / and why that thynge he wylleth all thynges to the beste / to his glory and to our profite. It is ynough for me to konwe that god wylleth this thyng and that he gyueth his gyftes of his mer­cye and goodnes / and nat for the merytes of men. The knowledge of the trueth / it is the gyfte of god gyuen at the wyl of god & nat of man / and gyuen when it please the god to gyue it / and when god seyth it most for his glory and for the profyte of man / So the w [...] of god is the cause of the truth now shewed to the worlde and nat the holynes of fathers the lerninge or wysdome [Page] of men / and of our partye is receyued that we shulde take the truth now shewed with gladnes gyuynge to god herty thankes & to lyue after y ^e trueth / as these Ephesyans that was faythfull dyd.

¶The Apostle repeteth the same thyng [Page] he hathe spoken before / but in other wor­des / of the whiche he teacheth that one sē tence may be spoken of the precher diuers tymes without a faute / specyally if it be suche a sentence as is mete to be surely fixed and rooted in the hertes of the hearers and be for theyr profyte to be knowen su­relye.

2 Lerne here mekenes and lowlynes of harte of this Apostle saynt Paule. Which so dyd humble him selfe and set him vnder other / that he called hym selfe leaste of all saitꝭ or Apostles / nat worthy be to callyd an Apostle of Iesus Christe / because he dyd persecute the Churche of Christe / as he sayth. 1. Corī. 15. But yet he was made the Apostle of Christe / althoughe he sum­tyme before his conuersion dyd persecute Christis churche. Of the whiche we maye lerne what a Lorde is god / whiche of hys goodnes doth make a faythfull preacher and defender of his worde / of a persecuter / A sure pyller of his Churche / of a plucker downe of it. Of the whiche we maye lerne the goodnes of god towardes sinners / his power / nat to dyspayre of no man as long as he shall lyue here in this worlde. But God maye by his grace tourne him from his synnes and noughtynes / and brynge [Page] him to goodnes / and make of an euyll mā a good man / and the true seruaunt of god and to condempne the olde sayenge / ones euyll alway euyll / whiche is an euyll say­enge and worthy to be condempned / and abolyshed.

3 The Apostle sayeth / it was gyuen to him of the grace of god that he shulde preache the vnsearcheable ryches of Christe amongeste the hethen. And these vnsear­cheable ryches was the mystery of the go­spell that Saynte Paule preached to the Gentyles by whose preachinge the Gen­tyles receyued fayth / and was brought to eternal saluacion. Beholde what the Apostle calleth the mystery that was hid from the world so long in god / he calleth it y ^e vnsearchable ryches of Christe. They be called vnsearcheable ryches bycause no man can come to the true knowledge of them of his owne myghtes / powers / workes / merites / or deseruinges without the grace of God. Or elles they be vnsercheable by­cause no man opteineth them al / but euery one that beleueth opteyne one parte or an other of the ryches of god / y ^t is sufficiēt for his saluacion. For if one mortal mā shulde possesse all the ryches of God / he wolde be to proude / he wolde condempne euery other [Page] man and thynke hym selfe to haue nede of no man / but euery man to haue nede of his helpe / and he: of no man / nor yet of goddes helpe / & wolde make him selfe equall with Christe and with God the father. Whiche thīges god wolde nat / therfore he gyueth to no mortal man all his riches as he dyd to Christe Iesus. After this waye the ry­ches of god be called vnsearcheable / for no man can haue all goddes ryches / or se all his glory / ye no man can perceyue the glorye that god hath ordayned for them that loue him. 1. Corin. 2.

4 Here also the Apostle teacheth al pre­chers to humylyate them selues and to exalte the worde of god / to gloryfie and magfye it aboue al thingꝭ in this worlde / aboue al ryches / honoures / pleasures / profytes / or other goodes mortall in this worlde. For there is no riches worldly / worthy to be compared with the worde of God / and be they reprouyd that preferreth wordely goodes ryches / honoures / before goddes worde / and in this manye be offenders / as appereth by outwarde tokens and sygnes that gyue more delygence / laboure & pay­ne / and more applyeth thē selfes to the stu­dye of suche sciences that maye brynge worldly ryches and honoures / then to the [Page] konwledge of goddes worde. whiche is to­kens that men more regardeth worldly ryches then goddes worde. This place checketh gentylmen ryche men in the worlde / that put theyr chyldren to the temporall lawe that they may get worldly riches rather then to the study of goddes worde to get heuenly ryches / theyr factes do shewe howe vnkynde they be to God of whome they haue theyr worldly ryches / and also it pertayneth to gentilmen to knowe god­des lawe / that they might rule accordyng to goddes wyll. Iosue. 1. I wyll nat speke of them whiche openly condemne and be mockers of goddes worde / thynkynge no thing profitable but that / that bryngeth worldly honoures and riches.

5 The mystery of god that was hyd frō the worlde / ye and from the powers in heuen / nowe God hathe made it open to all men / and Angels in heauen / whiche other dyd nat knowe this mistery / or yf they did knowe it / they knew it nat so perfectely before as they dyd after it was preched by y ^e Apostles called and send of god to do that message as by Paule / Peter / and other whiche here be called the Church because they were as the chiefe mynysters in the Churche.

[Page]6 In that he sayeth this mysterye was opened to the heuenly powers / as to the angels archangels and other in heuen / by the Apostles of Chrste / I thynke the Apostle meaneth nat that y ^e Apostles taught the Angels this mystery of the callyng of the Gentyles to the fayth by the Gospell preached / but rather the contrary / that y ^e Angels taught the Apostles / and brought it from god to the Apostles / for the angels be as seruynge spirites. Hebre. 1. And so when the Apostles dyd preache the gospel and by theyr preaching the Gētyles were cōuerted from theyr infidelyte to the faith of Christ they dyd se the conuersion of the Gentyles that they dyd nat se before so clerely & by what meanes / so by the Apo­stles this mysterye was made open to the heauenly powers / or elles this speakynge that the Apostle here vseth / is a maner of speakyng by the whiche he meaneth that this mystery was shewed and declared o­penly and playnly to all the worlde by the Apostles / to whom god shewed this iuystery whē hꝭ pleasure was it shuld be shewed and this mystery he also calleth the many folde wysdome of god / whiche god hathe determyned to be shewed by Christe Ie­sus by whome he made al thinges / and restored [Page] to their perfytnes when it was the wyll of the father they shulde be made per­fyte and restored to theyr perfitnesse.

7 He sheweth also that by Christe we haue boldenes and sure truste wyth al confidence to come to the father and to be partakers of his kyngedome and glorye / and that nat by Peter / Paul / Iohan / Iames or by our workes / dedes or merytes / but onely by Christe Iesus / and for his sake alone.

¶The Apostle semeth in these wordes to make answere to his aduersaries whiche spake euyll of him / and slaundered hym / & by theyr slaunders and euyl speakyng did plucke many from his doctrine / that they dyd nat gyue credence to him sayenge / yf Paule were the minyster of god and preached purely his Gospel / he shuld nat haue ben caste in pryson and in bondes / his bondes and prysonmente dothe proue hym to be euyll / and a deceyuer of the people / and that god is angry with him / or elles who wolde haue cast hī in prison? for who wold [Page] caste a good man in prison? as who shulde saye / no man. To these or suche lyke euyll speakynges the Apostle maketh answere exortyng these Ephesyans nat to shrynke from hym or forsake his doctrine for his emprisonment / in fetters bondes or other affliccions whiche he suffered / not for his fautes / but for these Ephesians & for their sakes / and for their helthe and saluacyon that he preached the gospell of god to thē of the which they receiued faith and helth wherfore he sayeth that they shulde nat be asshamed of him for his affliccions / but rather they shuld reioyse for his affliciōs whiche he suffred for theyr sakes / and for theyr profyte. Of these we maye se y ^t these that purely preache the worde of god that they suffer oftimes imprisonment / bondes fetters & the other affliccions / nat for none o­ther cause / but that they preache the word of god purely and sincerely.

2 Men shuld nat shrynke from the word of god or esteme it the worse or to be false doctrine because they that haue preached it haue ben persecuted / punyshed / caste in prison and put to deathe of the worlde as malefactours deceyuours of the people & false preachers. For other felycite / let nat true preachers loke for in this worlde of [Page] carnall men / then persecution and afflyc­cion this is the rewarde that they shall haue here where as carnall men do rule / but in the worlde to come / let them loke for an other rewarde in ioy and blysse / and in hope of it may be theyr comforte which hope doth take awaye the greuousnes of theyr myseries and paynfulnes of afflicci­ons here.

3 Affliccion or ꝑsecutiō prouyth whether mē trust surely in god & stycke to his word or no / for many there be that for feare of punyshemente and affliccyons do shrynke from god and his worde and biddeth them farwell / whiche beleued as longe as there was no persecutiō lyke to folow as Christ sayeth Math. 13. Many doth beleue for a tyme / but in tyme of tribulacyon they shrynke fearyng more man then god / and the losse of goodes of this worlde then the losse of heuenly ryches / fearinge more the losse of this presente lyfe then the losse of the lyfe to come / but let all suche repente and amende / for he that leseth hys lyfe in this worlde for me and my Gospel fayth Christe. Math. 16. in the worlde to come he shall fynde euerlastynge lyfe in ioy and blysse.

¶ Saynte Paule moueth and gyueth example to al Bishoppes / Pastoures / Curates / and to all whome cure of other is cōmytted / that they shulde praye for their flocke committed to theyr spirituall char­ge / and desyre of god that they shrynk nat [Page] from fayth and from goddes word for feare of persecution and affliction / or for loue of worldly goodes / pleasurꝭ or riches / whiche oftymes plucketh men frō god & from his worde / and that they maye haue true fayth and contynue in it / louynge God a­boue al thinges in this worlde / preferring his worde aboue all worldely ryches / ho­noures / or pleasures. In this prayer he sheweth that Byshoppes and Pastoures / haue nede to praye thus for there flocke / yee euery one of vs to pray for an other y ^t we shrynke nat from God and his worde by infidelite / vnkyndnes or by other syn­nes. Also in this prayer he sheweth that one of vs shulde desyre an other to praye for vs / and to whom our prayer shulde be made / nat to Peter or Paule Iohn̄ or Iames / but to god whiche is the gyuer of all goodnes / and for what thynge prayers at to be made for some certayne thynge that we haue nede of / and that is profitable to the helth of the soule / as here it was necessary / that Paule shulde praye that they myght contynue in fayth / and in the loue of god & nat shrynke from fayth for feare of affliccions / or for loue of worldly riches or pleasures. And this is to be desyred of god alway / and euery one shulde desyre thꝭ [Page] of God for an other as a thynge very ne­cessary for euery one. So was the comon prayers made to god / for necessities to be opteyned by prayer of god / to put awaye euyls that appeared to approche to men at the wyll of god / and when suche neces­sitie was: the people gathered togyther & desyred the helpe of god fastyng that ther prayers shulde be with more deuocion and more feruent / that they myght escape the euyll that was lyke to come and fal amonges them. They fasted without mete or drynke that theyr prayer myght be more deuoute / but nowe is true prayers & true fastynges almoste all put awaye / and our prayer and fastynge at full of superstition and fayned holines / for what an holy fast is it to absteyne frome flesshe / and fyll theyr bely with fysshe for flesshe / is fysshe more holyer then flesshe? who made that holynesse? yf fysshe be more holsome for mannes body then flesshe / euery man can iudge / I thīke that ther be few phesycyōs that wyll so saye. Therfore lette vs faste a true fast from al sinne and pray in fayth askyng thynges mete to be asked for Christes sake / and without doute we shall op­tayne our desyre of god / for so he hath promysed the performaunce of our desyre and [Page] he wyll perfourme his promyse.

2 In that Saynte Paule dyd bowe his knees to God / he sheweth the feruentnes of his mynde and of his prayer to God / whiche was shewed euer by this exterior gestour / of the whiche we maye lerne that it is lawefull to shewe our inwarde hertes and mynde by exterior gesture and sygnes whiche of tymes sheweth the good deuoti­on of the herte / but in these exterior signes in prayenge hipocrites do passe muche thē y ^t truely pray in fayth / in spirite / & in truth Therfore of these exterior signes is nat al wayes the herte to be Iudged.

3 Here we may lerne / that we haue nede of feruente prayer to God in fayth that we may cōtinue in fayth in charite in the fauoure of god / & in the truth of his worde and encrease ī it euery day more and more whiche thyng we can nat of our selfe with out the grace of God of whome we haue that we contynewe in fayth / in charite / in the fauour of god / whiche thinges god gyueth for the moste parte by faythful pray­er. Therfore let vs faythfully pray and of­tymes / that we maye contynewe and en­crease in al goodnes / but we be slacke and dull to praye faythfully to god / therfore it is no meruayle yf God take his grace frō [Page] & leue vs to oure selfes and suffer vs to fo­lowe our owne carnall and sensuall lustes and desyres and so to fall to all noughty­nes and synne / it is a token that our fayth is faynt and scarse luke warme / ye I feare me it is colde and almoste frosen vp hole / that it brynketh fourth no mo good wor­kes / specially nowe when it is shewed so playnely what maner of workes pleaseth god beste / and howe they shulde be done / for god onely.

4 In that he mouyth vs to pray to him of whome all thynges was made and are ruled and gouerned / whiche is our father he gyueth vs boldenes & maketh vs bolde to praye to hym trustyng our father wyll nat denye to vs that is profytable for vs / but wyll be muche more gladder to graunt our lawefull petition / then we be to praye and desyre of him that is for our helth and saluacyon.

5 What charite sainte Paul had / is here playnely shewed in that he desyred y ^t these Ephesians myght be encreased in the ry­ches of god that is to saye in fayth / hope / charite / patience / mekenes in the truth in the spirite of God / by whome they shulde be made stronge in fayth / that they refuse no persecution no affliccyon so that they [Page] myght promote goddes glory & the truth of his gospel / to the saluaciō of mē he desyreth also y ^t they myght be made so strong by the spirite ī the inward mā / that Christ myght dwell in theyre inwarde harte by fayth roted in charite that bryngeth forth good workes of the spirite of god at all occasion gyuen / he desireth that they myght know the length the bredth / y ^e heygth / the deapnes of god / that is to saye that they myght knowe god perfytely / as men kno­weth a thynge perfetly when they knowe the length / the bredth / the heyth / and the deapnes / and that they myght haue the loue of god / whiche passeth al knowledge and that they myght be fulfylled with all goodnes of God. Suche thynges charite wisheth to other / rather then any worldly goodes / and they be wrytten to teache vs what thinges we shulde desire in our faith full and feruente prayers one to an other as long as we be in this presente lyfe / and yf we do nat so as Paul here did / we lacke fayth and charite / & be out of the fauoure of god / and to monyshe vs to do our duetye

☞ Least any man shulde thynke god nat able to graunte these thynges that we de­syre of him in our faythfull prayers. He sayeth that God dothe gyue to vs aboue all thynges that we aske of hym / and mo thynges he gyueth to vs then we aske of him / or yet can thynke to be desyred of hī / for his might is omnipotent / and his ry­ches can nat be wasted or spente / for they be infinite and euer doth flowe and abunde with plentye to all men.

2 He sheweth also that god worketh in al good men by his myght and power mouynge them to good workes alwayes / as in euyll men the deuyl is nat idle / but moueth and styrreth them to euyll dedes and deadly workes that bringeth death.

3 The Apostle gyueth God thankes for his gyftes gyuen to hym and to all other faythfull christianes. In the whiche he moueth vs al to gyue god thankes for his benefites that he gyueth to vs and to all men euery day / & that we shulde nat be vnthankefull or forgetfull of the goodnes of god to whom be glory prayse and commē dacion for euer. Amen.

¶ The fourth chapiter to the Ephe­syans. ❧

[Page]IN Chapiters before this chapiter the Apostle hathe exhorted men to fayth. Nowe he desyreth them to garnysshe their fayth with good workes / and fyrste of al he exhorteth thē to vnite and cōcorde for by cōcorde smal thynges do encrease / & by discorde greate thynges are scatered a­brode and do peryshe / for in the congrega­tion of christianes nothynge is better thē vnitie and concorde / nor nothynge worse then discorde or debaite / stryfe or conten­tion. Therfore it becōmeth euery man to eschewe discorde and debate / and all vices that styrreth vp cōtention / and to seke for vnitie yf it be by losse of temporall pro­fites / and to gette all vertues that brynge vnitie / concorde / peace / and quietnes / and all suche be blessed / and shalbe called the chyldren of god. Math. 5. Sayeth Christ Blessed be you peace makers for you shall be called the children of god / and shal haue peace with god.

2 The maner of desyryng helpeth much to persuade men / as here Paule in pryson for their sake and their health by his praier did pearce their hertꝭ and mouyd them muche to graunte his peticion / & he spea­keth to them after this maner. Yf I do suf­fer prisonment and greuouse affliccion for [Page] your sake and your helth. I cā nat thynke no other but you wyll do some thynge at my requeste / and specially syth that thing I require of you / is nat for may profite / but for your profite / auauntage / glory / & helth and for the glory of god / and that thynge you be called to of god / and is your offyce to do withal diligence. Whiche is that you shulde walke as it becommeth christianes to walke / y ^t is nat to be idle but to go forth wardes from one vertue to another / in all mekenes of herte and minde / no man thinkynge of him selfe more then becommeth hym to thynke / farre from pryde and hye mynde / for what shulde make vs proud or hye mynded / thynkynge our selfes better then other / and extolle our selfes aboue o­ther / or thynke no man to be cōpared with vs / what haue we / that we haue nat recei­ued? And if we haue receyued? why do we glory and be proude as we had nat recey­ued it? it is in his wyll and pleasure howe longe we shall haue it / of whom we recey­ued that we haue / and when he pleaseth he may take it away from vs agayne. He wylleth also that we shall walke in meke­nes / whiche is a vertue by the whiche / yre angry / fury / malyce / enuye / and other lyke passion or affection of the myndes is quen­ched [Page] and put away from the hart we must haue also patience by the whiche all ad­uersitie / tribulation / affliccyon howe some euer they come they be patientely suffred / without murmure or grudge agaynst god or man / without all desyre to be auenged for iniuries done / but remlite the matter to god that wyl auenge iniuries and pray for them that hathe done iniuries that they might amende and so quenche the yre of god towardes them whiche god wyll powre vpon synners that wyll nat repent and amende and refourme theyr noughty lyuyng / make amendes for theyr iniuries 3 The Apostle sheweth wherfore he ex­horteth them to vnite of the spirite / for of vnite cōmeth many vertues / as mekenes patience / sobernes▪ long sufferaunce with other many mo / whiche be knyt togyther with charite the bounde of peace that coupleth and knytteth all vertues together & kepeth them that one shrynke nat from a­nother. Of discorde commeth many great vyces and synnes / that bryngeth to death as yre / hatred / enuye / malyce / furye / mad­hastynes / cauelnes / pryde / dyspysynge of other / stryfe / contencyon and / debate and many other vices mo that bringeth death Gal. 5. Therfore fle discorde / seke for vnite [Page] and peace / if it be to losse of your temporal goodes or pleasures. So doynge you shall wynne more heuenly riches then you lese temporall goodes / sekynge for vnitie and peace / and if you wil haue peace and other vertues / se that you studye fyrste to gette charite and haue hyr fauoure / whose fa­uoure yf you lacke / you shall lacke peace / vnite / and all other vertues and hauynge her fauour / you shall haue all vertues / and the spirite of god that moueth alway to al goodnes to workes of charite and mercy. 4. He sheweth the reasons why he hath exhorteth thē to concorde / and vntie of the spirite / and to kepe that vnite by charite the bonde of peace. One reason is this. It becommeth them nat to be at discorde to whome so many thynges be comon / yt be­commeth them nat to be of diuers mindes and affections / at debarte and stryfe that be of one body / one spyryte one callynge / one hope / one lorde / one fayth / one bapty­me / one God and father / whiche maketh al / in all / as who shulde say / it is nat mete that there shulde be variaunce amongeste them that be membres of one body / al we be membres of Christes body. Wherfore it is nat mete that amongeste chrysten men shulde be discorde and debate / but vnitie & [Page] concorde and euery one to seke as well for the profyte of another as membres in the body speketh & laboureth one for another howe deadly warre amongest christen mē for worldly honoures and pleasures / doth agree with saynt Paule here in this place I wolde lerne of other. Also yf we haue the spirite of god / as I truste we haue / or elles we be nat of Christ. Roma. 8. There shulde be no debate amongest vs / for thal spirite is nat the spirite of contencion / but of peace / we be called in one hope of y ^e heauenly inheritaunce / where as there shalbe no discorde nor contention. For contenti­ouse men opteyne nat the kyngedome of god / we be seruauntes to one Lorde / it be­commeth nat seruantes to be at contentiō amongest them selfes / there is one profes­sion of al christians by the which they professe to be seruauntes of god alone / to be­leue and trust in him to be obedient to his wyll alwaye / to loke for al necessary thyn­ges / lyfe and saluacion of hym alone / and one baptyme by the which we be made his seruauntes / receyue name and lyueray by the whiche we be knowen to be seruantes onely to god / whiche is our Lorde god / & father it becommeth nat seruauntes nor brethren to stryfe / but to haue all loue / peace [Page] vnitie / and concorde and euery one for his parte to endeuer hī selfe with all his power myght and diligence to do the wyll & pleasure of his lorde & father / that he may receyue the heuenly inheritaūce promised to obediente chyldren.

⚹Leaste any man shulde thynke or saye that the diuers gyftes of the spirite shulde hurte or hynder the vnite of the spiryte & be cause of debate / and sterre vp stryfe or contencion for the diuersite of the gyftes of god / the Apostle sayeth that these gyftꝭ gyuen frely shulde rather be cause of con­corde [Page] / then of discorde / seynge nat al gyf­tes be giuen to one / but to euery one after suche a fashyon and measure that euerye one hathe nede of the helpe of another. Therefore it becommeth euery man to be content with his gyfte and nat to contemne another that hathe nat so muche gy­uen to him he that hathe muche / muche shall be requyred of hym / and he that hath lesse / lesse shalbe requyred of hym / and he that hath moste / he hath nat so much but he hathe nede in some thynges the helpe of other / that none shulde contemne another.

2 The distribution of the gyftes of God is nat at mannes wyll / but at the wyl and pleasure of God / whiche geueth them as he pleaseth / to some more and some lesse as he seyth it expedient for his glorye and our saluation therfore let none be dispised because he hath lytle / nor no man proude because he hath much or more then other / let euery one exercise and vse there gyftes gyuen them / to the glory of god and to the profyte of other and so be thankefull to god the gyuer of all goodnes / whiche gyuethe his giftes nat al to one man least he shuld contemne all other men / and abuse the gyftes of god to lucre / to vayne glorye to [Page] pryde and arrogancie.

3 The Apostle proueth by the testymo­nye and recorde of Dauyd the prophete in the Psalme 67. That Christe hath ouer­commen his enemyes. s. synne / death / hell and the deuyll / and hathe ascended to he­uen and hathe gyuen gyftes to men / as appereth more playnly. Roma. 12.1. Cor̄ 12. Here he alludeth and foloweth the maner of conquerours whiche conquere and ouercome theyr enemye & get spoyles and ryches of theyr enymies / which they shew and blase thē abrode that euery man may se them / and then dystrybute them to the people in a triumphe and prayse of victo­rye. So Christe hauynge victory ouer his enemyes / synne / death / hell and the deuyll and robbed them of theyr captyues / he triumpheth ouer them and hath ascended to heauen and gyuen many gyftes of the holy ghoste to men / in laude and prayse of his victory ouer his enemyes.

4 In that he asketh / what is that ascended and discended in to lowe partes of the earthe / he expoundeth it him selfe sayenge it is he whiche discended before and ascended aboue all to fulfyll all / that is to saye it is Christe whiche came frome heuen in to the earthe and toke the nature of man [Page] vpon hym / and was be come as man and as an abiecte persone and suffred death / & ascended to heauen and fulfylled all thyn­ges / restored al thynges / and made al thinges perfyte / by whome we haue free pas­sage to the father & be made heyres of the celestiall inheritaunce.

¶ Of this place we may lerne howe god hath distributed his gyftes and set in hys church diuers ministers for diuers offices and wylleth that euery one shulde vse him selfe in his office accordynge to his offyce / callynge and gyfte. Some he calleth Apostles [Page] / some Prohetes / some Euangelystes some Doctoures / some teachers. Apostles they were called whiche were nat fixed to one place to one people / but wente frome place to place preachyng the Gospel both to the Iewes and the Gentyles. Prophe­tes were they that opened the mysteries of the scriptures and somtyme shewed thī nges to come. Euāgelystes were they that were deputed to teache the people the go­spell symply and and playnely. Doctours they taught the people the worde of God and dyd dryue a waye the wolfe frome the flocke of Christe / and so did Pastures / but these offyces be nat so deuyded but one mā may be an Apostle / a Pprophete / an Euā gelyste / a Pastoure / a Doctour / they haue diuerse names for the diuersite of there of­fyces and of their gyftes.

2 In that God hathe in his Church so many ministers / he wolde haue some to be heaters and nat all to be Pastoures. And in this he reproueth them that wold haue euery man to be preachers. Some muste be preachers and some hearers in the congregacion. The ministers in the Church they shulde eyther be Apostles / Prophetes or Doctours / or els Leuites decaynes to prouyde for the pore / for Purgatorye pre­stes [Page] or popishe prestes that can do nothing elles but momble or patter ouer a payre of popyshe Mattyns or Masse. I finde no place in the scripture / ignorant prestes nat lerned in the scriptures / nat able to teache and to edyfye other by holy doctryne ar nat alowed of saynte Paule to be counted as prestes or Byshoppes / as appereth. 1. Timo. 3. &. Titum. 1.

3 For what ende was these ministers in the Church ordayned is here shewed / that it was to instruct other in the trueth / and to edyfye other by holsome doctrine / and nat that they shulde deceyue any be er­rours / heryses / superstitions / fayned holy­nes / false trustes / backwarde or peruerse iudgmētes / the Churche is edifyed when it is instructed in treu fayth & good wor­kes approued by god / al erronious opini­ons / superstitions errours & heryses put awaye / it is distroyed by false opynyons / superstitiousnes / euyl iudgemētes errours and heresyes of minysters in the Churche that serue nat for the edyfycatyon of the bodye of Christe I can nat tell for what purpose they serue / as many Purgatorye popyshe priestes that knowe nat Goddes word nor wyl nat lerne it to edifye them selfe & other in the trueth / but wyl hynder [Page] and let is as much as they can / and speake euyll of Goddes worde as farre as they dare.

4. Here he sheweth howe longe it is ne­cessarye to haue Apostles preachers & tea­chers of goddes worde in the Churche of god / they be necessarye tyll we come all to the vnitie of fayth and ful knoweledge of god / and tyll we come to be perfite men in Christe whiche is nat in this worlde / but in the worlde to come / for nowe we haue vnperfyte knoweledge / then we shal haue perfyte knowledge / nowe we knowe by fayth / then we shal knowe face to face. He willeth that we shal encrease dayly more & more in the knowlege of god / which knowledge encreaseth as our fayth encreaseth as there is encreasynge in age / so there is encreasynge in fayth / of the whiche encre­synge is here a similitude taken. And he wylleth that men shulde encrease in fayth and in knoweledge of goddes worde / and go forwarde in good workes / as men do encrease in age / and this encreasynge in fayth is by the preachynge of the worde of God whyche maye nat ceasse as longe as we shall lyue in this worlde.

☞ The Apostle declareth hym selfe and sheweth when they shalbe made perfyte men & howe / that is / when they shall nat be chyldren and wauerynge with euerye blaste of doctryne and be drawyng this way and that way he wolde nat haue thē chyldren that be vnconstant / folyshe / mu­table [Page] and wauerynge hyther and thyther / but he wolde haue them children in malice and in knowledge men constante in the doctrine of trueth and in fayth / and that they wolde nat suffer them selfes to be de­ceyued by any doctryne of mē which shulde come in shepes clothynge and vnder pre­tence of holynes and vertue / whiche shulde be inwardly gredy wolfes. Here the Apo­stle reproueth these that be vnconstance in doctrine and in fayth / and lyght of cre­dence to euery doctryne nowe folowynge this waye / nowe that waye. Newe rather thē true doctrine pleaseth better for a time and suche there is many / whiche be better pleased with the doctrine of falsed / then with the olde doctrine of trueth / and ther­fore they get them newe masters of errour and beleueth them and contemneth the olde trueth. Maysters of errour be they that hath preached pylgrimage / painting of blockes and stockes offerynge vp of candels to ymages / perdons / and other wyll workes neyther commaunded of God nor of man / leuynge the workes of God com­maunded in holy scripture. And also these anabaptistes be maisters of errour & haue deceyued some by theyr newe doctryne of falsed errour and heresye.

[Page]2 He sheweth howe these maysters of errour haue deceyued men and broughte from the reueth of holy scripture / by falsed crafte and pretence of vertue and holy­nes / and of the worshyp of God, but these by there pretensed holynes haue deceyued many and brought from the trueth to er­rour and heresy. Suche was the doctrine of them that wolde haue the Byshoppe of Rome to be the heade corner of the Chur­che of Christe in earth makynge al holy­nes in fastynge prayeng / halowynge / ryn­gynge / fyngynge / relygiousnes / rites / ceremonies / customes / or otherwaies brought in by the byshoppe of Rome / and nat spo­kyng of in scripture. Such deceyuable doctrine was the doctrine of them that mo­ued men to put theyr truste and confidence in creatures / in theyr owne workes dedes merites / in sayntes. ye incarued and gra­uen ymages / in pardons / to pylgrimages in masses ad Scala celi / in cotes / coulles / habytes / voyse / showes / boutes / gyrldelles purses / knyfes / and in other such lyke bag gashe and inuentions of man inuented for lucre sake. Whiche inuentions hathe bene profytable so Byshoppes of Rome / inuentours and makers of this holines from al suche deceyuable doctrine the Apostle mouethe [Page] men to be waere / and take hede of theyr wylye craftynes and sleeth [...]g­lynge / by the whiche they haue deceyued simple men that trusted / no euyl nor falsed and wylleth that men shall take that truth and folowe the truthe by charite / and do forwardes by fayth and good workes ap­proued and appointed of god in holy scripture and nat to leue these workes and to folowe our owne dreames or fantases in­uention of man without goddes worde.

3 The Apostle here goeth furth in his metaphore of buyldynge / by the whiche he wylleth no other thynge but that he wolde mē buyldyng vpon Christ the sure fundacion shulde go forth in true fayth in true knowledge of Christe and in al good workes in charite by the which al vertues be coupled and knyte together / that they myght be a perfyte buyldynge in Christe and come to his glorye / of the whiche also we may lerne that it is the office of a preacher nat onely to reproue vyce and synne / but also to shewe the remedye for thē / how men shall gette true vertue to moue to go forwardes in vertue and in all good wor­kes and dedes commaunded in scripture / after the example of saynt Paule.

¶ That the Apostle maye more moue vs to holy lyfe / holy maners and conditions / he setteth before our eyes the fylthye and abominable lyfe of gentyles that knowe nat Christe nor his doctrine / and wylleth that we shulde walke no more after the wayes of gentyls which walke in vanite of theyr myndes folowynge theyr owne imaginaciōs phantises and dreames the lustes and pleasures of theyr owne myn­des / whiche be blynded with ignoraunce of the trueth / full of superstitiousnes / vay­ne holynes false trustes and vayne hopes corrupt iudgementes / so blinded that they [Page] can nat or wyll nat se the trueth / but con­tinewe styll in blyndnes / in ignoraunce / in supersticion and in al vyces vsed before and condempned by the holy scripture of God / and wyll nat admytte the trueth to entre theyre hartes / nor walke in the truth of goddes worde. They be also far frome god / frome eternal lyfe with god for ignoraunce that is in them / & blyndnes of hert by the whiche they knowe nat God nor yet wyll or desyre to knowe hym / whiche is moste blyndnes of al / and a greate tokē that god hathe vtterly reyected them and forsaken them / from the which ignorance I pray god saue vs / and from theyr igno­rance & blyndnes they come to that point that they wyl nat repente of their synnes nat leue them / but contynewe styll in all vnhappynes and myschefe / gyuynge thē selfes to all vnclennes pollutynge them selues with al fylthynes / with vnsaciable gredines with suche degrees and steppes goeth euyl men to all wyckednes / impiete and vngracyousnes / by the which we may knowe in what state they be in that know nat god nor his worde / nor wyl nat folow goddes worde but them selfes in vanite of mynde ignoraunce of God and blyndnes of herte without repentaunce gyue them [Page] selfes to all vnclennes.

2 The Apostle here vseth great wysdo­me in that he setteth the fautes of other before theyr face and make them abhomynable in theyr fyght and worthy to be re­proued and condēmned / although he might haue layde to theyr charge and haue re­proued these Ephesyans for thē that they seynge theyr fautes condempned in other muche more shulde thynke them worthy condempnatyon in them selfe that they condemne in other.

3 Marke the gentylnes of saynt Paule in that he desyred them when he myght haue commaunded thē / and his wysdome in that he affraeth them from synne vsed amonges them by the example of other / & wylleth they shall nat folowe the vanite of theyr owne mynde / leaste they runne in darkenes and in obstinate blyndes euer desyrynge to synne and contynewe in siue and neuer to forsake fynne and vnclennes whiche is the moste perilous vice that can be & a sure sygne that all suche be vtterlye reiected of god and frome his fauoure for euermore of this place we may lerne that these that gyue thē selfe to vanitie of theyr mynde and carnall pleasure and wyll do what fomeauer carnall luste moneth them [Page] doth go frō one synne to another and heape vp synne vpon synne / and at the lastes they come to this poynt that they wolde nat forsake synne / nor be sory for it / nor repent / but euer contynewe with vnsaciable luste and desyre to synne. Therfore folow nat the vanitie of your owne mynde / but goddes worde. Walke nat in ignoraunce but in the lyght of the gospell that so cle­rely shyneth that you may walke surelye / and in the truth.

¶ Before he sheweth in what vyces euyll men dyd walke in / as in vanite of theyr myndes in ignorance & darkenes in blyndnes [Page] of harte without al feare of god / without sory for synne or any repentaunce / but in luste and pleasure euer to contynewe in synne. Nowe he sheweth that they haue nat lerned Christ so / that they shulde wal­ke in sīne but that they shulde forsake sīne repente and synne no more / nor folowe no more theyr vanites of mynde or lustes or vnclennes of body / nor other vnlawful desyres of the olde man / but that they shulde put of the olde man and put on the newe mā / and be renued with the spirite of god whiche moueth to all vertu / as to fayth hope / charite / patience / mekenes / long sufferynge / vnite / concorde / peace / rightuousnes / equite / iustice / cleanes / and to all holy conuersacion of lyfe in al trueth.

2 This place sheweth / who hath truely lerned Christe / surely all they whiche be taught of Christ to forsake synne / to mor­tyfye theyr carnall affections / and do put away synne and the olde man with al his carnal lustes and affections / and mortifye thē by the trueth / and walke in the trueth accordynge to the trueth / these that do so it is a sygne that they haue lerned Christe and put awaye the olde man with all his concupiscence and put on the newe man which is made after god by iustice and holynes [Page] of the whiche we maye lerne that it is of God that synners repente them of theyr olde euyl and nowe take a newe lyfe and leade an holy conuersacion.

3 The true knowledge of Christ / which is the trueth / moueth vs to forsake synne in the whiche we haue walked in tymes paste for lacke of knowledge and in that we haue obeyed our olde man and his concupiscence to muche / whiche bryngeth to deathe. Gala. 5. and. Roma. 8. The affec­cion of the flesshe is death. Therfore let vs put awaye the olde man with all his car­nall desyres or lustes alway redy to synne and to swarne frome the trueth of goddes worde / and brynge to death / and let vs be renued in the spyryte and put on a newe man made after God in all iustice and vertue that moueth vs al alwaye to vertu and goodnes. By the putting away of the olde man he vnderstandeth the puttynge away of al sinne / as to put away vanite of minde darkenes / ignorance of god / blynde obsty­nacye of harte vnsorowfulnes for synne / vncleanes and al other vices / and in their places to putte on vertues / and de­syre to folowe goddes worde / knowledge of it / redynesse to apply hī selfe to do god­des wyll and pleasure in all trueth and iu­stice [Page] iustice / and suche doth appere to be renu­ed by the spirite of god / whose olde lyfe in sinne doth displease and a newe lyfe in vertue doth please / whose mynde is wyllynge and glad to knowe the trueth and to lyue after the trueth of goddes worde in al vertue and goodnes.

☞ The Apostle here exhortethe men to to put awaye certayne vyces and to take in theyr places vertue. Fyrst he exhorteth men to put away lyenge / by lyeng he vn­derstandeth all crafte / sotteltye / falsed / de­ceyte / in worde or in dede / by the which crafty men deceyueth other that be simple [Page] or osuche as feare no crafte / gyle or falsed / in bargaynynge / as in seilynge byenge or in other busynes of the worlde necessarely to be vsed amongeste men in this worlde / and vnderlyenge may be conteyned delayenge of matters to deceyue men / & to make them spende more monye for the expedytion of their matters. And in this is reproued lawers and all other that delaye matters for lucre sake. Here is also reproued all them that falslye accuse and sclaunder other / that go aboute to deceyue another by fayre speakynge / goodly wordes or ꝓmyses when they intende to do nothynge Here is also reproued all maner of flattery or dissemblynge. ye all periury in sellīge of theyr wayre / whiche vyce is so comonly vsed vnponyshed of god or of man / that in a maner it is counted a vertue / and he to be best seruaunte that can with most per­iurye and greateste swerynge deceyue his chapman. But let suche repent and amēde them selues / for god wyll nat suffre vnpo­nyshed his holy name so to be taken in vaine / so vnreuerently to be brought for a te­stimony in a false matter and a dissembled purpose / God wyll nat suffre periurye vn­ponished / but he wyl eyther punysh it here in this world / or els in the worlde to come [Page] or in both / in this worlde / and also in the worlde to come. And in this worlde suche periured persons god punysheth ofte with corporall punyshementes / as with pouer­tye sickenes / diseases / and with vnfayth­fulnes that they be leaste beleued / that be moste swerers / men were wonte to cry out of them that dyd eate egges butter / mylk chese / and other lyke white meate in lente seson / and helde their peace at periurye / vnreuerente takynge the name of God in vayne / and bryngynge in it to be wytnesse or recorde in a false matter / for the whiche god threateneth punyshemente Deulero. 5. Sayenge he that taketh the nayme of God in vayne shall nat be vnpunyshed / at the breakynge of Goddes lawe / we holde our peace / at the breaken of mannes lawe we crye out / and call them loosers and he­retykes that eate white meate in lent sea­son / whiche is a laweful thyng by goddes lawe / and maye lawfully be done / so it be nat done with contempte of the authory­te and with offendicle of wayke persons / and agaynste their conscience / thynkynge that thynge vnlaweful / and yet eate it a­gaynste conscyence / to take the name of god in vayne is alway vnlaweful / and forbydden by goodes lawe.

[Page]2 Also the Apostle nat onely forbyddeth lyenge / but he cōmaundeth that men shall speake the trueth / and that symply & plainly without all dissemblyng in wordes and in dedes / and to kepe the profitable trueth towardes all men alwaye as well in bar­gaynes as without byenge and sellynge choppynge or chanynge. And here the Apostle reachethe that it is the offyce of a faythfull preachers nat onely to reproue vyce vsed amongest men / but also to shewe a medsyne for euery vice / and to heale the vyce with his propre medsyne & to set vertu in the place of synne / synne clerely put awaye.

3 This place reproueth them that go aboute to deceyue theyr neyghboure by crafte / falsed surelty or by any crafty meanes / and specially these that be symple / & trusteth no falsed, beleuynge that no man wolde deceyue them / yf they myght / but alacke for petie / that crafte / falsed / and periury / is suffred of rulers and Magistrates vnpunysshed / as they were nat forbyd of God / but at mannes pleasure and wyll / so synne vnpunyshed / is counted oftymes to be no synne / or small synne / ye peraduē ­ture a vertue a worldely wysdome / and a good wordly polycye / & a sygne of a wyse [Page] felowe that wylt thryue so to vse crafte / & falsed is reckened to be thristey but howe someuer suche shryue before the worlde / they thryue nat before God almyghtye that forbyddeth suche thryfte / and cō ­dempneth all suche thryuers / ye ieyrers & brekers of his lawe.

4 He sheweth the cause why we shulde nat vse crafte or falsed one to deceyue another / the cause is that we be membres of one body / one membre doth nat decyue another / nor wyll nat hurte another / but laboureth for another / as the hande dothe nat hurte the heade the legge or the foote but wyll laboure for them and prouyde that they wante nothynge or that they be nat hurte / or any other wayes nooed / and wyll in no wyse deceyue them / so shuld we all do one to another / seynge we be mem­bres of Cstristes bodye / and one labour in trueth for another without deceyte / crafte or falsed as membres doth.

6 Be angry but synne nat. The Apostle wolde we shulde nat be angrye at all / but yf to be it that we be angry / as we be men obiecte to the infirmities of the flesshe / he moueth vs to pacyfie and put awaye this angrye / least it brust out in chidyngꝭ / hrau­lynges / contenciousnes / fyghtyngꝭ in hat [Page] bytynge / or detraction of other / or lest by angry nat pacyfyed / it bryng to wordes / & from wordes multiplyed to fyghtynge / & so to murdre as oftymes we do se to come to passe. Therfore the Apostle wolde that we shulde pacify the ire / & put away anger sterred vp by occasion or infirmite of the flesshe: clere awaye from our myndes / that no parte of yre or wrathe shulde remayne in herte or mynde or at the leaste it shulde nat remayne tyll sonne set / or go downe. Therfore he sayeth / let nat the sonne go downe vpon your wrath / that is pacyfy & put away anger and wrath as sone as cā be / by the helpe of God. and be reconcyled in loue with hym / with whome you were angry / and desyre of hym no vengeaunce but leue all vengeaunce to God that wyll punyshe al malefactours that wyl nat re­pente s. gyue no place to the backebyter. He sheweth why we shulde pacify y ^t yre & anger of mynde / leaste the deuyl seyng yre and anger remaynge in mynde or harte / shulde styrte vp men to auenge them felfes or moue men to chydyng / brawlyng fyghtynge and so to murdre / for the deuyl doth nat ceasse / but he goeth besylye about as a rampyng lyon searchynge whom he may deuoure and kyll / he ceasseth nat / but he [Page] diligently labours to brynge men to eter­nall deathe / and to death both of body and soule / therfore pacifye yre or wrath / leaste yt bruste vp and brynge mo euyls. To be angry some tymes it is lawfull / as with synne and euyll doers that they maye re­syst from euyll doynge / repent and amēde ye nat to be anry with synne is vnlawe­full / and oftymes cheresheth euyl doers in theyr noughty doynge and maketh them more bolde to contynewe in euilnesse / and so wynkyng at mēnes fautes is as it were approuynge of euyll doynge.

7 He that hath stolen / let hym steale no more. He mouyth men to fle thefte or ta­ken away other mennes goodes agaynst the wyll of the mayster. Theues be they nat onely that steale / and robbe openly by hye wayes / or other where taken away o­ther mennes goodes / but also al they whiche by crafte / falsed / vsury / myght / power maystershyppe take awaye other mennes goodes / the maysters of these goodes nat knowynge or elles / nat wyllynge / and al­though all these be nat counted for theues before the worlde / nor be nat punyshed of the worlde for theues / yet before god they be theues / and shalbe punysshed and han­ged in hell if they do nat repent & amende. [Page] There be other that be theues before god all they that be idle and wyll nat laboure in their callynge / but take the profyte and pleasure in idylnes fyllynge their belyes / whiche god wyl punyshe as theues if they do nat repent and amende / for they be theues before god / although they be counted nat theues of the worlde but honeste men or Goddes feruantes alwaye occupyed in goddes seruice / when god perauēture ney­ther knoweth them to be his seruantes / nor yet their seruice / to be his seruyce / to his honoure and glorye. Many suche bely beastes hath this realme founde and che­rysshed / and yet dothe. And theues of this sorte be in euery contrey / in euery state of men which take the profyte dewe to them and do nat theyr deutye agayne to them to whome they shulde. Therfore let euery one amende / and be no more theues before god / that they may scape punishment due for theues / and the wrath of god.

8 Let euery man laboure in his callyng that he may haue to gyue to them that nedeth. Here is shewed one cause why we shuld labour / that we might haue so helpe them that haue nede. But he sheweth nat howe we shulde laboure / in what workes after what facion / he wylleth euery one to [Page] worke in his callynge accordynge to hys gyftes giuen him of god. Some to labour with hande / some with mynde and studye or counsel or any other way occupie them selfes to the glorye of God and to the pro­fyte of theyr negyhbours / all suche do la­boure. There is some that thynke no man doth labour but they that do occupy hādycraftes or workes / but these do nat thynke well of workers / for they be called labou­rers that do worke to the glory of God / to the profyte of other whether it be by hāde fote / tonge / mynde / studye / counsell / or any other wayes in their callynge / for their is diuers membres in the body / and to euery one is gyuen his gyfte of god to the / profit of other / and to Goddes glorye. wherfore me thynke it is nat agaynste goddes lawe that prestes shulde laboure with hāde / specially such as cā nat preche goddes worde or if they coulde preache / it is nat agaynst goddes commaundement to laboure with hande after the example of Paule whiche laboured with his handes to get necessa­ries for hym selfe & for other / least he shuld be paynful to other / or be slaunder to the gospell lest any shulde thynke be preached for lucre sake / or for to get him a lyuynge rather then to wynne and brynge men to [Page] Christ / and also that he wolde gyue other example to laboure and nat to be idle / for these causes & other Paule laboured with his hande and dyd get his lyuynge for hī selfe and for other / when he myght iustely haue taken it of them to whome he preached / but of his gentylnes and for other causes aboue shewed he remytted his deu­tye due to him / although a preest / ye a pre­cher of goddes worde maye laboure with his hande and remytte his deuty dewe to him / yet y ^e specialll labour of preestes shulde be to be exercised in the study of the scrip­ture of god / whiche requireth al a mannes labour and diligence that they may haue lernyng / wherby they maye profyte other & shewe to the people on the sabboth day. The study of the scripture is re (que)red of prestes. 1. Timo. 4. rather then sayeng or mū ­blynge vp of a popyshe payre of Mattyns or Euynsonge without edyfyeng.

9 We muste laboure that we may haue to gyue to them that haue nede / and nat onely to gette necessaries for our selfes / or to get vs a quyet or a pleasante lyfe. This place maketh agaynst them that say they wolde neuer labour if they might get their lyuynge other wayes / and agaynst all thē that forsake laboure and giue them selfe to [Page] ydlenes / & wyl nat labour when they may labour to the glory of god & to the profyte of other. For what purpose and ende good workes are to be done it is shewed Ephe. 2 Where the Apostle sayeth. We are nat iu­stifyed of workes / leaste any shulde reioyse but by grace through fayth. There yf you please you may se my mynde.

❧The Apostle exhorteth men to flee al vncleane spekynge and all fylthy commu­nication / and wylleth thē to speake clenly [Page] & honest wordes to the edyfyenge of other in Christe / and nat to make sadde the ho­ly gooste whiche is greued at fylthy com­munication and vncleane wordes / whiche be sygnes of a fylthy and vnlceane harte / for of abundaunce of harte the tonge speaketh. The Apostle forbyddeth all fylthy communication or vncleane wordes in all companyes of men / as t dyner or souper or any other bankettes / and in these wor­des he reproueth mynstrels / gesters or raylers / that vse fylthy or vncleane wordes / songes / raylynge or gestynge to delyte the eares of the heaters / with baudye songes or rebaldry wordes / ye the Apostle repro­ueth all them that haue pleasure in suche vncleane wordes or songes / in the whiche many haue pleasure and can nat be mery without they haue a gester that can make hym and al gestes merye with fylthy wordes / and vncleane communycation / with the whiche great mennes rables be furnyshed / and theyr gestes made merye & glad at the whiche greate men do laughe. So the breakynge of goddes cōmaundemente is counted a pastyme and a pleasure. But let all suche take hede / for it wyl be no pastyme at the last day / when we shall make answere for euery idle worde. Math. 12. [Page] Muche more we shall make aunswere for euery noosome worde / and vnprofytable / therfore let euery man refrayne his longe from speakyng of fylthy wordes / and his eares from hearynge of vncleane commucacion / and from pleasure in the same / & in this poynt we shal nat prouoke God to powre his vengeaunce vpon vs / nor yet feare the reckeynynge at the laste daye for nosome and vncleane wordes / but let our cōmunication be to the glorye of god / & to the edyfyeng of another.

2 Fylthy communycatyon greueth the holy ghost gyuen to vs to be as surenes of the heauenly inheritaunce promysed to vs of god. Yf we faythfully beleue & walke in goddes commaundementes / accordyng to his pleasure.

3 He exhorteth men also to put awaye al bytternes / yre / wrathe / malyce / enuye / hatred / raylyng / and cursed speakyng one of another and al blasphemy agaynst god and al other vices with the affections and concupyscence of the flesshe / and wylleth that we shulde put vertue in theyr places as gētylnes / mekenes / mercifulnes & redynes one to forgyue another / y ^t they might opteyne of god mutuall mercy & forgyue­nes of theyr sinnes.

¶ The fyfthe Chapiter to the Ephe­syans. ❧

IN the ende of the Chapiter that go­eth before he exhorteth vs to mutuall forgyuenes by the example of god the father. Nowe goeth he forwardes with the same exhortacion mouyng vs to be folowers / nat of this world / the fleshe or y ^e deuyl nat of sayntes departed but in these thyn­ges that they were folowers of God / but that we shulde be folowers of God and to folowe his fote steppes. This place repro­ueth al them that wyll nat be folowers of god / but of them selfe / of theyr owne mind [Page] wyl and pleasure / folowers of the worlde of worldly honoures and pleasures / and gyue them selfe holy to the worlde and to worldely facions and maners / or wyll fo­lowe theyr sensual pleasures of theyr fles­she and the lustes or desyres of it. This place reproueth all them that wyl nat folow God / nor his holy worde / but wyl folowe them selfes / there wyl workes / there owne good zeales / or intentes / or workes inuē ­ted of them selfe or of men / and leue the workes commaunded of God vndone / as many hathe done prefertynge pardons / pylgrimage / payntynge of stockes or sto­nes / aboue workes commaunded of God to be done. This place also reproueth all them that wyll nat be folowers of God / but they wyll go before god or els wyll be felowes or rhecinat with god. Some their is that go before god / that preferreth men before God / or mennes lawe mennes de­crees traditiōs / statutes / religiousnes / ce­remonies or other lyke ordinaunces inuented by man preferrynge these thynges a­boue goddes lawe / or goddes commaun­demente / and wyll punysshe muche more greuously the breakyng of mannes lawe / mannes tradition / a dum ceremonye bro­kyng or omitted / thē the breakyng of goddes [Page] cammaundement / all suche do nat fo­low god / but go before god. There be some also that wyll go equall with god and be checkmate with hym / whiche he they that make mānes traditions / lawes or ceremonies inuented of man equall with goddes lawe / and thynke them selfe as well boūde to kepe mannes traditions or ceremonies as goddes lawe / suche there hath ben ma­ny in religion / and I feare there is as yet that so thynke / that thynk it is deadly sine to omytte any part of mannes traditions ceremonies / or customes vsed / this thynge maketh me so to beleue / because theyr is more punyshement for a tradition of man omytted then for breakynge of goddes cō maundementes / and more cryeng out of a mannes law broken: then for the breking of Goddes lawe / and many that thynke mannes lawe byndeth as well the consciē ce / as Goddes lawe / and all one thynge to omytte the one as the other. All suche fo­lowe nat god / but go cheke by cheke with god and make man equal with god. Al su­che the Apostle here reproueth / and al thē that wyl twyne to much on the ryght hād or left hāde & nat folowe Christe streight forthe declynynge to nother hande.

2 He wylleth that we shulde walke in [Page] loue as dere beloued children / yt behoueth chyldren to folowe their father & to shewe their father in maners / conditions & in al goodnes / and it is a shame for the sonne to shrynke frome the vertue of his father / in loue therfore it behoueth vs to folowe our father of heauen / whiche of his great loue to vs / dyd gyue his onely sonne for vs / to brynge vs to euerlastynge saluacyon. And also his sonne Christ Iesus dyd shewe the loue of his father towardes vs which was obedyent to the wyll of his father and wyllyngly dyd suffer death to delyuer vs from death / hell / and eternall dampnacion / and brought lyfe to vs. And this same Christe did gyue him selfe an oblation and a than­kefull sacrifice for vs to the Lorde / by the which one sacrifice he reconciled vs to the father and made vs wel beloued to hym. Here is allusiō to the sacrifices of the olde lawe whiche pacefied the yre or wrathe of god as Noe pacyfied the wrath of a god by an oblation or sacrifyce offered vp to god Gene. 8. And this sacrifice that Christ of­fered vp to god was a full and a suffycians sacrifice to pacyfie the wrath of God and to take awaye all the synnes of the worlde ones for euer / as saynte Paule sheweth.

Hebre. 10. By one ablation he hathe made [Page] them perfyte for euer that are sanctifyed. Therfore they offende that by other sacri­fyces then by Christe Iesu / go aboute to pacify the wrath of god / and to take away sinnes as by Masses and Scala celt / of the holy ghost / of the fyue woundes / of requiē or other lyke wayes or meanes / or by any workes of man to be done to swage the wrath of god to deserue the grace of God forgyuenes of synne and lyfe euerlastynge by the vertue of the worke in it selfe / for the which ende good workes are nat to be done / as I haue shewed before.

¶ The Apostle sheweth here certayne vy­ces that christiane men shulde flee and es­chewe. As whoredome / vnclennes / and couetousnes / whiche be vyces nat to be na­med / muche lesse to be done amongest christianes / that shulde be sayntes and al ho­ly in conuersation and lyuyng. The Apostle wolde haue bothe the names of these vyces and the vyces them selfe clerely abolyshed and put away / that no man shulde do them / nor yet so muche as name them ones for the vengeaunce of god doth come vpon all fornicatours / vnlcennes / and co­uetousnes. Example in them that perys­shed in Noes floude / and at Sodome and Gomorrhe / and of other many of the Is­raelytes that perysshed in the wyldernes for these synnes. Nume. 25. The punyshement of them may affraye all other frome these vices / lest they be ponyshed as these were with the plage of god.

2 He requyreth of vs an holy conuersation of lyfe / as it becommeth Sayntes. 1. [Page] faythfull men in Christe Iesu / whome it becommeth to be farre frome al whoredo­me / fornication / auoutrye or vnclennes in worde or in dede. And here the Apostle re­proueth all them that hath great pleasure to talke and speake them selfes of whoredome / fornycation / baundrye / or that dely­teth to here other speake / talke or rayse vnclensy and so to make thē mery and there gestes to laugh at fylthy and vnclean wordes or songes / & it is greatly to be lamen­ted amōgest christen men / that suche sause displeasyng god / shulde please christen mē and that the displeasure of god / shulde be a laughter amongest christyans. But these that haue pleasure in fylthy communyca­cion and delireth therin and wyl vse it or suffer it to be vsed where they maye set it / that they be whoremongers and vnclean in theyr hartes before God. Therfore yf they wyl nat so be coōted before mē / who­remongers or vncleane / and laughers at goddes displeasure / ye and auoyd the pla­ge and punyshement of god / let thē leue al fylthy cōmunication & filthy deyng / amēde and do no more so / haue pleasure therin no more / suffer these vyces in no other / repro­ue them / studye to amende youre selfe and other / that you maye auoyde the plage of [Page] god for these vyces.

3 The Apostle wolde christianes shulde auoyd al vncomely behauer both in word and in gesture that none shulde be prouo / ked to vncleane doynges by vnclean wor­des or gestures by the which he reprouith many vnclean songes / louers songes cal­led / that sounde and prouoke to vncleane loue or fylthy pleasure of the bodye he re­proueth also vncomly daunces vsed of womē / and al ther indissolute gestures that becommyth nat. He reproueth all folysshe speakynge / ydle talkynge / and fayned fa­bles of the whiche commyth no profyte / nor edifyeng to y ^e auditors. Also he reproueth all knauery in all scoldynge all ray­lynge / al vncomly gestynge and al vncomly behauoure / that be nat to the glorye of god / nor yet to the edyfyenge of the hea­rers nor to helpe to amende euyll doers & make them better to seke goddes glorye / and the profyte of other.

4 He dissuadeth christians from whoredome vnclennes / couetousnes / and fromē al vice that folowe of these / yf nat for loue of god / yet for feare of punyshementes that folowe these vices / that they shulde abstayne from them / He sayeth that no whore­monger / no fornicatours no vncleane persons [Page] / no couetous men shall haue the kingdome of heauen. This payne thretened whiche without doubte wyll fal vpon thē yf they do nat amende this payne shewed howe great synnes before god be fornica­cion / whoredome vnclennes / couetousnes vncomely raylynge or gestynge for the whiche synnes men be excluded from the kyngedume of Christe & of god / they must nedes be great synnes / that shit out from the kyngdome of heauen / howe some euer they be estemed of men in the worlde / gret or small.

5 The couetous man is called a wor­shypper of Images or Idolles / for as the ydolater do whorshyppe ydolles for God / & put hope and truste in ydoles so dothe the couetousmā worshyp riches for his God / making more of ryches / then of God lo­uynge ryches better then god / settyng his harte and mynde more vpon ryches then vpon god / puttynge truste and confidence in ryches more then in the prouydence of of god / extollyng hym selfe aboue other by reason of his ryches / substance / or goodes he hath aboue other.

6 After that he had monyshed them to flee vices / he byddeth them beware that they be nat deceyued by vayne wordes / of [Page] the whiche it aperethe that there was a­mōgest the Ephesyās some mē of corrupt myndes and iudgementes blynded with synne and obdurated in the same. As perauenture some desperate noughtye felow­es be amonges vs) that thought whoredome / fornycation / adultery / fylthye spea­kynge and vncomly raylynge / vncomely gesture couetousnes / to be no synnes / nor no displeasure to god / but fornication or lechery to be man hed or propre to man / fyl­thy raylynge or gestyng to be good pasty­me / and that God wolde nat be greately displeased with suche lytyl fautes / so they did extenuat and make lytle or no fautes these crymes and synnes that God called great fautes and obomynable synnes be­fore him / and so cared nothynge for god­des inhibition of these synnes / but played it awaye / laughynge / mockynge and scor­nynge at goddes commaundemente / that no man shulde do so / or thynke fornicatiō adulterye whoredome / couytousnes / to be no synnes before god but to knowe them for greate synnes for the whiche God threateneth so greuouse punyshemente as expulsion frome heauen and that none shulde thynke these vices / to be no synne before God. The Apostle sayeth that the [Page] vengeaūce of god to come for fornication adulterye / whoredome / couetousnes / and suche lyke vyces aboue rehersed / he threa­teneth payne and punishment that none shulde haue pleasure any more in thē / that none shulde commyt them for feare of pu­nyshement / and that none shulde commyt these synnes / and thynke to escape vnpu­nysshed / or that God wyll wynke at these fautes and suffer them vnpunysshed. And nat onely the vengeaunce of god wyl com vpon all them that commyt these fautes and vyces / but also vpon all them / that do consente or approue them any wayes / for lucre vantage / profyte / pleasure / or for feare of man / or that do knowe them to be v­sed / and wyl nat correcte and reproue / and studye to amende them that in these dam­nable synnes offende god / & punyshemente vpon these sinners and consēters to them for doers and consenters are worthy lyke payne. Roma. 1.

7 Let vs learne here for what thynges commeth the wrath of god vpon disobedi­ent chyldren. Nat for egges eatynge vpō the fryday / for eatyng of fleshe vpon same Laurence euen / for breakyng of Thomas Beckectes daye in Christenmasse / nat for [Page] eatynge whyte meate in lent / but for fornication adulterye / whoredome / vnclennes / couetousnes fylthy speakyng / and folyshe speakynge whiche often tymes be cause of noughtye maners / for by euyll speakynge the good is corrupted & made euyl by euyll cōpany or cōmunication of euyl.

¶Of the vocation of men / nowe he ex­horteth them to holynes of lyfe / sayenge you were some tyme darkenes / nowe you belyght in the lorde / and delyuered frome darkenes and from synne. Walke therfore as it becōmeth children of lyght to walke in all goodnes / iustice / equite / and trueth / whiche be fruites of the spirit of god / the Apostle willeth alway that we shuld haue before our eies / what we were / and what we are oure selfe without the grace of God / that we are darkenes of the whiche no lyghte dothe come but by the grace of God / we be made lyght in the Lorde and nat by our owne merytes or deseruynges that we shulde brynge furthe workes of lyght to the glorye of god / and to the pro­fyte of other. Math. 5.

2. He sheweth howe we shulde walke as chyldren of lyght / that is to brynge forth fruites of the spirite / in al goodnes / iustice and trueth / sekynge alway these thynges that maye please god / hauynge no cōpany with workes of darkenes / but reprouyng them and the doers of euyl that they may repent and amende.

[Page]3 He sheweth that he is ashamed to tell all there fautes that they secretly do thinkynge thē to be no synne / but after warde they be examined by the lyghte / they be knowen to be synne / and these that hathe done them are ashamed and repent & study to refourme and amende themselfes.

4 He moueth men to arise from sleepe and from synne and from deadly workes by repentaunce and amendemente of lyfe and he promyseth that God wyll be mer­cyfull to all penytente persons and that wyll amende theyre lyfe and lyue a newe lyfe.

⚹The Apostle monisheth mē to take hede with whome hey walke / with whom they vse company or be conuersaunt / and that the walke circumspectely nat as vnwyse men, but as wysemen / and as it becom­meth wyse men to do / yf they wyl reproue [Page] men / loke that they reproue thinges wor­thy to be reproued / and that in tyme and place / as becommeth wysemen to do / and as for there workes / loke they be suche as please God / nat of mannes inuention / but ordinated of god for vs to walke in.

2 Redemyng the tyme / that is watchīg all oportunite of tyme to do good / to reproue synne in tyme and place conuenient / or elles amendynge tyme paste / euyll spente in idlenes / in wyl workes omyttynge goddes workes / or in synnes and pleasures of the flesshe or in other euyll workes to the whiche moueth / the worlde / the fleshe / and the noughtye tyme / whiche moueth men to euyll.

3 For the dayes be euyl / the dayes be called euyll / because of the malyce of mā whiche is done vpon dayes / for the dayes are good for they are the creaturꝭ of god / and so are good.

4 Therfore be nat vnwyse / but vnder­stande what the wyll of the lorde is. They are vnwyse that do nat seke tyme & place to speake well and to do good / that seke more the glory of man then of God / that desyre to knowe the wyl of man more thē of god. This place sheweth many to be fo­les that thynke them selfe wyse men / that [Page] be more diligent to knowe the law of man then of God / that be well learned in man­nes lawe / and ignoraunt in goddes lawe / that be wysemen in mānes lawe / & ideote fooles in goddes lawe. This place repro­ueth all them that be very diligente in the studye and knowledge of mannes lawe to knowe the wyll of man and howe they shulde come to ryches and goodes in the worlde / but to knowe the wyll of god / and his lawe they be nothyng diligent / ye nor desyrous of yt / it is well yf they be nat ad­uersaries to Goddes worde / but all suche shewe them selues what they be / perauenture wyse men to the worlde but fooles before god / men that loue more this presente lyfe thē the lyfe to come. This place shulde moue al lawyers and iudges to be deligēt to knowe goddes lawe / least in there iud­gementes they do iudge other wayes then goddes lawe wyll / by the whiche al man­nes lawe shulde be ruled / & yf goddes lawe shulde be the rule of mannes lawe (as it is in dede) howe shall they rule well man­nes lawe that be ignoraunce in Goddes lawe. Surely after my mynde there is no­thynge more to the hynderaunce of God­des worde or more to the destructyon of men soules in this realme thē that the nobilite [Page] and lawers and other that haue ru­le ouer the people both in the spiritualtye & in the temporalty be ignoraunte in goddes lawe / in the whiche it becommeth thē most cheifely to be lerned / that they might ordre all causes and matters accordynge to Goddes lawe / geltylmen and a greate parte of lawyers be ignoraunt in Goddes lawe. And therefore seldome they do loue goddes worde / or the true teachers of yt / and the laye people folowe the gentylmen or rulers. As touchynge the spyrytualtye vnder the Byshoppes / rulers be lawyers brought vp in the Byshop of Romes law and for the most parte suche men that be ignoraunt in goddes worde be Chauncel­lours / Comysaries / Officials / which oftymes do hate Goddes worde and the true preachers of it / and fauoureth as muche as they darre the byshop of Romes lawes and his waies. It is a very seldome thing to haue a lawyer a Chancellour / a Com­myssary / a Preacher of Goddes worde / a setter forth of it / howe by thē that be ignoraunte it hathe ben hyndered and letted we haue experience enoughe. I pray God that all Byshoppes with al there offycers vnder them may be true fauourers of goddes worde / and ernestly set forwardes and [Page] moue and exhorte al men to goddes word and to lyue after yt that God may more & more be glorified of al men. Amen.

⚹The Apostle here forbiddeth dronkēnes as a cause of fornication or adultry / he monysheth to ware of drinkyng wyne whiche prouoketh to adultery or fornication. In these wordes he forbyddeth also al ex­cesse and ryot in eatyng and drynkyng or other bankettynge of the whiche cōmeth many incoueniences and greate diseases bothe to the body and soule / of vnreasonable drynkynge or riotynge we se daylye [Page] greate syckenes to come to the bodye / as the goute / dropsy / palsey / & other diseases many of the body. Also dronkennes / adul­try / fornication / chydynge / fyghtyng mā slaughter dothe come of greate drynkyn-whiche be destructyon and deathe of the soule. The Apostle here nat onely forbyd­deth synne and vyce / but also he forbyd­deth the occasion and causes of them.

2 Dronkennes oughte to be eschewed for many causes that commeth of it / that bryngeth men to deathe oftymes bothe of the body and of the soule it depriueth men of wytte wisdome and reason and maketh them worse then a brute beaste / yee then aswyne that walters ouer and ouer in the myre. Drokennes it causeth many desea­ses in the body / it bringeth with it idelnes chydynge / braulynge / fyghtyng / murder / ye what myscheife doth it nat bryng with it / death both to body & soule. It is ther­fore to be aborred of all men.

3 He nat onely reproueth vyce but he sheweth vertue to be taken in the place of vyce / as here he reproueth dronkennes / & wylleth me not be fulfylled with the holy ghoste and to synge in their hertes spiri­tual Psalmes and Hymnes / gyuyng thā ­kes to god alwayes for his benefytꝭ / these [Page] spirituall Psalmes and Hymnes he set­teth for the fruytes of dronkennes. And in this me thinke the Apostle willeth that lay men and lay women shulde synge spy­ritual Pslames and Hymnes as preestes and spirituall men / and gyue thankes to god for all his benefites gyuen to thē and and in this he sheweth playnely that it is lawefull for laye men and laye women to reade the holy scriptures / to haue them by harte / that they may talke of them / speke of them to theyr edyfieng / and synge spy­rituall Psalmes and Hymnes gyuynge thankes to the Lorde / howe shulde they synge spirituall Psalmes and Hympnes excepte that they knewe them before / and had redde them or lerned them. This pla­ce euidently sheweth that it is lawfull for laymen and lay womē to rede the scriptu­res of god / to talke of them to goddes glo­rye and to theyr edyfienge. The Apostle dothe nat heare speake onelye to my­nysters in the Churche / but to all men / to whome he forbyddeth dronkennes and hꝭ fruites / and for them the holy gooste and his fruytes to be receyued with spirituall thankes Psalmes and Hymnes gloryfy­enge god alwaye.

4. He wylleth that euery man shall be [Page] obediēt one to another in his state and degree and that in the feare of God / that none shulde contemne another thynkyng hym selfe better then other / but euery one humyle him vnder other / and thynke hym selfe worse in his owne syght / and in this he reproueth proude hartes and stomakes and moueth euerye one to mekenes and lowlynes in them selfe.

¶Before the Apostle hathe vniuersally taught euery man. Nowe he commeth to perticular persons as to the wyfe and the husbande he sheweth ther duetye on to y ^e other. But before I wyll shewe of their dewties. I thynke it expedient som thīge [Page] so entreate of matrymonye by the whiche the man and the wyfe be ioyned togyther and the one boūde to the other by the law of god / and that with suche knottes as cā nat be lowsed with out the breakynge of goddes law and displeasure of god / except it be for suche causes as by the scriptures may lowse the bounde of matrymony / as adultery whiche be a cause of deuource / as sayeth Christ. Math. 5. Fyrste it is to be shewed for what causes Matrimony was īstituted and ordinated of god. One cause was that mankynde shulde be multiplied to the honour and glory of god by a lawe­full meanes bytwene man and woman / thꝭ mene was by matrimony ordinated of god / as appereth. Gene. 1. where it is writen / that after god made man to his symylitude / he created y ^e male and the female & blessed them and sayd / growe and be mul­tiplied and fyll the earthe / and this was one of the cheife causes of matrymonye. Another cause wsa to auoyde adulterye & fornication / and that matrymonye shulde be a lawefull remedye agaynste adultery forbodden in the generall cōmaundement Thou shalte nat cōmyt aduoutry. Exo. 20 This cause saynt Paule sheweth. 1. Corin 7. Sayeng let euery mā haue his wyfe to [Page] auoyde fornication / & euery woman haue hyr husbande. Aduoutery of the harte is as well forboddē / as adultery in outwarde dede or acte / to auoyde all maner of adul­tery both of the harte & of outwarde acte / and for a remedy lawfull for the same it is cōmaunded that they shall marye & take a wyfe / that haue nat the gyfte of chastyte and of continence. The thyrde cause of matrimony is the charite might more be enlarged and amonge straungers more di­lated and scatered / & that these that were straungers shulde be more couple togy­ther by charite / as the frendes of the wyfe and the husbande by affinite more ioyned togyther in loue and charite / and for that cause it doth appere that certaine degrees of kinred was forbodden to mary togither amongest whom was loue all redy optey­ned & cōmaundemēt that mariage shulde be out of certayne degrees of kynne / to make more loue and to dylate charite as appereth. Leut. 18. and .10. And also this thing appereth in that / that there is more loue cōmaunded to be betwene the man & the wyfe / then bytwene the chyldren and the father. As it is wrytten. Gene. 2. and Nume. 18. For this (saieth god) let the mā forsake his father and mother / & cleaue to [Page] his wyfe / and they shalbe two in one fleshe To these maye be added many other cau­ses of matrymony / that the wyfe shulde be as an helper to the husbande / and the hus­bande to the wyfe / that they shulde lobour togyther to prouyde necessaries for them / and their housholde / to brynge vp theyr chyldren vertuously in loue and dreade of god / and in other holsome doctrene or craft for these & diuerse other causes that maye be gathered of scriptures was Matrymony ordinated of god / and nat of mā. Therefore he that speaketh agaynst Matrymony / or condemneth it as an euyl thyng / he speaketh agaynst goddes ordinaunce / and condemneth that / that God hym selfe or­dynated.

2 Nowe I wyl speake sumthinge of the duety bytwene the man & the wyfe / whose dueties Sayncte Paule here declareth. Fyrste the duety of the wyfe towardes hyr husbāde he sheweth. He sayth it is the deu­tye of the wyfe to be obedient to hyr hus­bande in all lawfull and honest thynges / and to be redy and diligent at his lawful cōmaundement / and in no wyse disobediēt to him and his lawful cōmaundementes / neyther in word nor yet in dede / nor in any behauour / neyther in mynde nor thought [Page] disobedient to hyr husbande. And here he ryproueth all women that be disobedient to theyr husbandes / and wyll nat obey thē but wyll haue theyr husbandes obediente to them / eyther for the nobylyte of theyr stocke they come of / or els for theyr riches or for proudnes of harte and mynde that they wyll [...] the rule and domynyon o­uer theyr husbandes / contrary to goddes ordynaunce [...]d here peraduenture some [...] aske / why shulde the woman [...] obedient to the man / then the mā [...]? To this I make aunswere & say that the wyfe shulde be obedient to hyr husbande for many causes / & nat the hus­bande to the wyfe. The fyrst & cheife cause is / for the ordinaunce of god whiche hath ordinated that the wyfe shulde be obedyēt to hyr husbande in all thynges lawefull. Eph. 5. And they that resyst the ordinaūce of God / they brynge iudgemente to them self. Roma. 13. Wherfore it is no lytle taut the wyfe to be disobedient to hyr husbāde vs to desyre the rule / domyniō / or maistery ouer hyr husbande / althoughe hyr husbād wold suffer it / for she that so doth / she doth resyste the ordinaunce of god / and taketh to hyr selfe dampnation. Therfore let womē beware they be nat disobediēt to their [Page] husbandes / nor desyre to be mayster ouer them / for in so doyenge they bryng iudge­ment & damnation to them self / although that faute is counted but a lytle faute / before men / yet before god it is a great faute and it must nedes be a greate faute / for the whiche iudgement and dānation doth folowe. The seconde cause why that we­men shulde be obeidiente to men / is for the transgressyon of Eue / whiche was puny­shed and al hyr posteryte after hyr / that is to saye all wemen / that they shulde be in subiection to men and the wyfe in obedi­ence to the husbande / for Eues thransgression / whiche payne remayneth styll in we­men & shall do for euer / in a sygne of Eues transgressyon as a payne for synne.

The thyrde cause is / for the infyrmite of wemen / whiche for the moste parte be nat so wyse / wyttye / constante / sobre / dyscrete / patient / sad / well reasoned / stronge in bo­dy and for other suche lyke infirmities of wemen / whiche be foolyshe / lyght / vncon­stant / hasty / angry / bablynge / full or wor­des lyght / of conditions / mutable / vnler­ned & other suche like infirmities which for the most parte be more in wemen then in men. Therfore it becommeth the wemen to be obedient to men and be ruled by mē / [Page] as of more wytte wysdome learnynge / iudgement / sadnes sobernes / and other good qualities / whiche for the mooste parte be more in men then ī wemē / for these and o­ther causes it becommeth the wyfe to be obedient to hyr husbande / & for a decente order to be had amongest men.

3 He sheweth howe the wyfe shulde be obediente to hyr husbande / euen as to the lorde for the wyfes seruynge theyr husbandes in al harty obedience with reuerēce / do serue the lord god / and do goddes seruyce / goddes cōmaundemente / and they please god so doyng / and no seruyce of the wyfe to god cā please god better / then when she obeyth hyr husbande lowely in harte / wyl mynde / worde and in dede / in all lawfull thinges. Therfore let the wyfe be obedy­ent to hyr husbande nat onely in outward thynges / but also in all inwarde thynges as in wyll / in mynde / in harte / in thought and without al murmure / shewe hyr wyl­lynge and glad obedience to hyr husbāde / as the wyll & cōmaundement of god is.

4 For the man is the heade of the wo­mā. Here he sheweth a cause why the wo­man shulde obeye the man / for the man is the head of the woman / it becōmeth euery one to be obedient to his heade / seyng the [Page] man is the heade of the woman / it becommeth the woman to be obedient to the mā as to hyr heade / the mā is called the heade of the woman / for as out of the head doth come all necessarye thynges to feade and cherysshe other partes of the bodye wher­by they lyue / so it perteyneth to the man to prouyde all necessaryes for the woman that shew maye lyue / the heade hath nat rule ouer the other partes that it shulde vse any tyranny or cruelnes ouer the other ꝓ­tes. So the man is the heade ouer the woman / nat that he shulde vse tyranny or cruelnes ouer the woman or vse the woman as they lyste / other wayes then becōmeth or after an vngodly facyon or maner / but that he shulde prouyde all necessaries for the woman / defende hyr / kepe hyr / and saue hyr.

5 As the congregacion is in subiectyon to Christe / lykewyse le the wyues be in subiection to their husbandes in all thyn­ges. The wyues must be obedient to their husbādes as the cōgregation is to Christ The congregation onely cleaue to Christ and to none other / onely loueth Christe / heareth Christe and seruyth Christe / and studyeth to please Chrise. So muste the wyfe onely cleaue to hyr husbande / be obedyent [Page] to hyr husbande / serue hyr husbande please hyr husbande / and kepe hyr selfe to hyr husbande & to no mo. This place reproueth all those that be disobedient / to their husbandes / do nat serue theyr husbandes wyllyngely and gladly / do nat loue theyr husbandes / but other better then them / or as well as them / that be complayners of their husbandes / nor kepe them onely to theyr husbandes / but wyll haue other be­sydes theyr husbandes. All suche the Apo­stle here reproueth and willeth they shuld amende.

☞: Nowe he sheweth the duetye of the husbande to his wyfe / whose deuty is nat to hapte to contemne or despise his wyfe / [Page] but to loue hyr as his owne flesshe and as his selfe to make of hyr / and cheryshe hyr / kepe hyr honestly and se that she want no thynge necessary. The Apostle prescribeth a faction or a fourme howe the man shulde loue his wyfe / euen as Christe hath loued his Churche / for the whiche wyllyngely he dyd dye / that he myght pourge / make cleane / and sanctyfie it to hym self / & make it a glorious & an holy Churche / without all spot or wrykle / and without all faute or blame. So ought the man to loue his wyfe euen as him selfe / and so with loue to embrase hyr that he wolde gladly dye / yf necessite so shulde constrayne hym for hyr sake rather then he wolde suffer hyr to pe­ryshe / he wolde put his lyfe in al ieoperdie and peryll. And if he shall at any tyume perceyue his wyfe wrynkled / spotted / or with any vices poluted with syckenes diseases or any other wayes troubled with vyce / synne / or syckenes. That then he shuld nat set at lytle or contemne his wyfe / seke to be ryd of hyr / and dyuorsed from hyr / but he shulde then seke all wayes and meanes for remedy for hyr / yf she be diseased with syckenesse / se that she lacke nothynge ne­cessarye for hyr / that hs is able eyther by labour or goodes to get for hyr. Prouyde [Page] remedies that maye be gotten by mannes helpe / conforte hyr in wordes and dedes / and say she shall lacke nothynge that may do hyr good as longe as you haue one peny / or may get by your labour / yf she be a­ged / wrinkled or nat fayre / she is nat to be dispised for hir age wrinckle or foulnes / but to be made of and cherysshed / because she is your wyfe gyuen to you of God / to be loued euē as you do loue your owne bodye / be she yonge or aged / wrynkled for vnwrynkled / fayre or full / good or badde. No man despiseth his owne body / be yt neuer So desformed / aged / wrynkled / foule / fat / wayke syckly or any other wayes deseased so man may nat dispyse his wyfe for hyr infirmities or diseases / but study to reme­dye them yf it be possible. yf thy wyfe be e­uyll / euyl tonged / spotted with synne and noughty lyuynge other wayes then god­des lawe wyll / it is the deutye of the hus­bande to correcte refourme and amende his wyfe by alwayes and meanes that is possible / & nat to contēne hir for hir noughtines / to forsake hyr and leue hyr and take another / to vpbrad hyr of hyr noughtines to blase abrode hyr synnes & vyces / to hyr and his rebuke and shame / but to couer & hyde hyr synnes and fautes as muche as [Page] shall lye in hym / to studye howe & by what meanes he maye amende hyr and make of on euyll woman a good woman / whiche thynge may be by gentle exhortation / coū sell and dissuasion frome synne yf nat for loue of god / yet for shame rebuke and confusion of the worlde / for feare of punyshe­mente of God eyther in this worlde or at leaste in the worlde to come / or els in both So it is the offyce of the husbande yf he haue an euyll wyfe / to studye by his wyse­dome to make hyr good / to correcte hyr fautes to remedye them / and to make hyr holy and vertuous as Christ pourgeth his churche spotted and polluted with synne, and made it holy and fautles in his syght 2 Here is shewed howe Christ hath purged his Churche / truely in the fountayne of water by his worde / althoughe God of his mere mercy and goodnes / without al mānes desertes or merites / onely for Christes sake hath wasshed and pourged man frome synne / yet he vseth a meane by the whiche he clenseth men frome sine which is by baptyme in water by the worde of god / and so in baptyme is our sinnes take awaye / and we frome synnes purged / clen­sed and regenerated in a new man / to lyue an holy lyfe accordynge to the spirite and [Page] wyll of god / it is nat y ^e water that wasshe vs frome out synnes / but Christe by his worde and his spirite gyuen to vs in bap­tyme that washeth away our synnes that we haue of Adam by carnall nature.

3 In that the Apostle sayth that Christ hath clenseth his Church in the fountaine of water by the worde / he sheweth playnely that baptyme is a mene wherby Christ taketh away origynall synne & maketh al them that be baptysed in the name of the father / the sonne / and the holy ghoste / accordynge to christes institution. Math. 28. to be clensed frome al synne of Adam and yf they be of age or they be baptysed throughe fayth in the promyse of God by his worde takyng vpon them baptyme as was many in the Apostles tyme / at the preachynge of the Apostles were conuer­ted frome theyr synnes beleued in Christe and were christened / and so deliuered from theyre synnes and were saued.

This place of sante Paul maketh against the Anabaptystes that wolde nat haue chyldren to be christened / whiche is a de­uyllysshe and a damnable heresye worthy great punyshement. yf we ve christen men our office is to bryng euery man as much as in vs is to Christe / & that synners may [Page] be clensed from theyr synne and be saued. Chyldren be borne in synne and shall be damned yf they be nat clensed from theyr synne / althoughe god do pourge vs frome synne onely / yet he vseth meanes wherby he taketh and wassheth away our synnes that meanes sayeth saynte Paule here is by the fountayne of water in the worde of God / by the whiche meanes Christe pur­geth his Church and his Congregacion. Chyldren are of the Churche or Congre­gation of God. Wherfore chyldren muste nedes be christened / or elles they are nat purged of theyr synnes / nor shall nat be saued without baptyme / whiche is the mea­ne to purge and wasshe them frome theyr synnes. And therfore baptyme is counted of saynte Paule to Tyt. 3. the fountayne of regeneration and renuynge of the holy ghoste whiche god hathe powred vpon vs abundantly by Iesus Christ our sauiour. This saynge of saynt Paul proueth that chyldren of necessytie muste be christened or elles they can nat be pourged of theyr synnes / nor yet saued by Christ and come to lyfe euerlastynge. Wherfore the Ana­baptistes that wolde nat haue chyldren to be christened / they shewe them selfes that they wolde nat haue chyldren to be pur­ged [Page] from their sinne and be saued / yf they wolde haue chyldren saued / they wold nat denye to them the meanes wherby Christ purgeth his Churche frome synnes and saueth it / which is by baptyme as here appereth.

Secondly / yt may be prouid by many pla­ces of the holy scripture that chyldrē must nedes be chrystened / or elles they can nat be saued / except god of this absolute power do saue them. Besides these places of Paul all redy brought whiche hath euydentely proued that chyldren muste nedes be chri­stened / it also proueth sayncte Iohan. 3. sayenge. Excepte a man be borne agayne of the holye ghost and of water / he can nat enter into the kyngdome of heauen. To be borne againe of the holy ghoste and of water / it is to be christened / as Paul sheweth to Titū. 3. where as baptyme is called the fountaine of regeneration and of renuyng of the holy ghost. Chryldren therfore must be christened / yf they shall entre in to the kyngedome of heauen / and be partakers of lyfe celestial. The thyrde reason to pro­ue this same thynge as there was none saued in the tyme of Noes flode / that was out of the shyppe of Noe / but onely those that w [...] within the shyp / so in our tyme [Page] none is sauyd with out baptyme / this sy­militude vseth S. Peter. 1. Pe. 3. Therfore chyldren yf they shal be sauyd must be baptised.

The fourth reason / what was the see and the cloude to the israelites when Moyses was theyr captayne and passed throughe the reade see / the same thynge to vs nowe is baptyme / as sayeth Paule. 1. Corin. 10. thyse was a figure of our baptysme / but none of the isriaelites was saued that dyd nat goo throughe the reade se and entred the cloude with Moyses / so shall none be saued nowe that haue nat ben christened / it pertayneth therfore to the saluacion of chyldren that they shalbe christened.

The fyfte reason he that hath nat the spi­rite of god he is nat of god / nor of Christe Roman̄. 3. Chyldren haue the spirite of Christe / yf they be of Christ and shalbe sa­ued / the spirite of Christe / and Christ him selfe they receyue by baptyme / wytnessing saynte Paule. Gala. 3. where he sayethe. Who soeuer are chrystened they haue put on Christe fyrst he sayeth ye that are christened / and then ye haue put on Christe so that christening goeth before the putting on of Christ / chyldren therfore before they receyue Christe they muste be christened.

[Page] ♣The syxt reason. They that wyl nat be obedient to the ordinaunce of God shalbe damned. Roma. 13. Christe hathe ordina­ted that all people and reasonable creatu­res shalbe christened. Math. 28. Marc. 16 chyldren are people and resonable creatu­res. Wherefore it foloweth that children muste be christened or elles they shall be damned ī hel for euermore. But that chil­dren shall nat dāned / it appereth. Mat 19. where Christe reproueth his disciples that wolde nat suffer chyldren to come to hym / where he sayeth to his dysciples / let nat these chyldren to come to me / he toke these chyldren in his armes and layde his hande vpon theyr heades and blessed thē and sayde / of suche is the kyngedome of god. Here is tokens that god loued these children / that they please him / & that they had fayth / for with out fayth no man can please god. Hebru. 11.

❧The seuenth reason. Circumcision in the olde law as a necessary ordinaūce w ^t out y ^e which no mā masculine was saued Gene. 17. baptyme for vs in the newe law is counted in the steade of circumcision / & as no man chylde was saued without circumcision / so none amongest vs shal be saued without baptyme. Chyldren therfore [Page] must of necessitie be christened / that bap­tysme to vs in the lawe is in the stede of circumcision / it appeareth in manye pla­ces of scripture / as Philippē. 3. where S. Paule saythe: that we are circumcision / which worshyp god in the sprete. This circumcisiō is that outwarde signe / whereby we shewe our selues to all the worlde that we be seruauntes of god / and that we wyll serue none other but god and Christe Ie­sus / whose bagge and name we haue / and promysed in baptysme onely to serue hym.

The eyght reason. No man can be par­taker of Christe resurreccion / ascension / and glory / except he dye with Christ and be buryed with him / and ryse with Christ. We can not dye with Christ / excepte we be fyrst christened in Christ / as sayth Saynt Paule. Roma. 6. Do you not knowe that all we that are christened in Christe Ie­sus / that in his deathe we are christened / buryed with Christe by baptysme in to death / that we myght aryse with Christ / and be partakers of his glory. Marke the ordre of Saynte Paule / and then se howe it foloweth consequently / that we must be christened of necessitie / yf we wyll be par­takers of his glorye and kyngdome.

[Page]The nynth reason. The Apostles chri­stened hole householdes / as Paule christened Lydiā a seller of purple and hyr hole householde. Actu. 18. He christened Chri­pum an hye ruler of the Synagoge / with his hole householde. Actu. 19. & Stephe householde. 1. Cor. 1. It is very lyke that amonges these hole householdes he chri­stened chyldren / seynge chyldren be of the householdes. The Apostles with all in­wardes instructions and outward signes dyd brynge men to Christe / as moche as laye in them / and wolde that euerye man shulde knowe them that were the seruauntes of God / and that seruauntes shulde be made certayne / that they were the ser­uauntes of Christe by some outwarde to­ken whiche was by baptysme. And ther­fore the Apostles baptysed all them that wolde become the seruauntes of Christe / and beleue in Christ / and take Christe for theyr Lorde and Mayster / whose out­warde bagge was baptysme / as appereth by Saynte Paule. Ephe. 4. wher he mo­ueth men to vnitie by reason of baptysme / sayeng: One god / one fayth / one baptyme / one Lorde god and father of all that worketh all in all.

The tenth reason. The trouth of god­des [Page] wordes / and the true vse of them hath ben alwayes in his churche / and in the cō gregacion of god / that chyldren shulde be christened hath euer ben vsed in Christes church sence Christes tyme / tyl these Anabaptistes dyd come / wherfore these Ana­baptistes denyenge baptysme to chyldren / greatly are to be blamed / seynge ther be so many scriptures that proueth euydente­ly that chyldren must be christened / as I haue here shewed by some scripture / and [...] places maye be brought for the pur­pose to proue the baptyme of childrē.

Nowe I wyll brynge in the reasons of the Anabaptistes / that they brynge for theyr purpose / and shewe howe weake and slender reasons they be / & how farre disa­greynge from the scriptures / that no man shulde be ouer come and broughte ī an er­roure or heresy by such reasons / that be of no weghtynes and withoute scripture / ye contrary to holy scripture. They say that these that shalbe christened must fyrste be­leue / and then be christened. Chyldrē they saye can not beleue / for fayth is gotten by hearynge / and hearynge by the worde of god. So chyldrē can not haue fayth / sayth these Anabaptistes / wherfor they say that chyldren shulde not be christened. To this [Page] reason I answere and saye / that chyldren maye haue fayth / althoughe they haue it not by hearynge / yet they haue faythe by infusion of the holy ghost as the holy pro­phetes hadde / and many holy men in the olde lawe had. Also saythe is the gyfte of God & the worke of the holy ghoste. Who shulde let God to gyue his gyftes where he wyll / seynge faythe is the gyft of God. Ephe. 2. Philip. 1. He maye gyue fayth aswell to chyldren as to olde men. Fayth also is the worke of God. Ihon. 6. & not of man of mannes wyll or reason. Who shall let god to worke where he [...]yst / ther­fore it is not vnpossible for chyldrē to ha­ue fayth as these anabaptistes falsely suppose. Also god regardeth no persons / but geueth his gyftes withoute all regarde of perosonnes / to be a chylde or olde man be counted as personnes in scriptures / wher­fore it foloweth playnely that god gyueth not fayth to an olde mā / or denyeth fayth to a chyld / because he is a chylde / for then god shuld regarde persōnes / which he doth nat. And where they say that they must expresse their fayth before they be christened what wyl they do with deie and dōme mē that get nat fayth by hearinge? nor cā nat expresse theyr fayth by wordes? wyll they [Page] exclude thē from baptysme / & condēne thē to hel pyt? And also sū aged peraduenture wyll dissēble and say they haue fayth / whē they haue nat fayth / and yf they wyl christen none without they be certayn of ther fayth / then shal they chrystē none / neyther yonge nor olde / seynge that olde may dis­sēble / and saye they haue faythe when they haue nat fayth. And where they say there is no exāple in scripture by expressed wor­des that children shuld be christenned. To this I answere that it is ynoughe that it may be iustly gathered of the holy scriptures truely vnderstanded / as of the scriptu­res I haue shewed before / & of many mo / as of that the Apostles christened hole housoldes that they chrystened some chyldren I suppose the Scripture doth nat brynge forth example of chyldren chrystened / nat because there was no chyldren chrystened of the Apostles / but because the scripture dothe nat muche speake of wemen nor of chyldren but vnderstande them in the mā For I suppose there was many mo womē christened of the Apostles then is mention made of in the scripture. Wemen and chyldren are vnderstande in men of the masculyne kīde / as Roma. 5. He sayth sīne came vpon all men by Adam / and by christ were [Page] all men iustified / that is all men / all womē al chyldren / were deade by the synne of A­dam / And all men / all women / all chyldrē made ryghtuous and iustified by Christe although it is spokē after the Greke tong in the masculyne gender and no mention made of the femynyne gender / nor of chil­dren / but they be bothe vnderstande in the masculyne gender / euen as well as menti­on were made of them bothe / and wemen / and chyldren be as wel redemed by Christ and wasshed from sinnes by Christ as mē So I thīke that scripture doth nat speke of chyldren / when it commaundeth bap­tyme but includeth all men of the mascu­lyne gendre al wemen / and chyldren to be christened / when it commaundeth that al creatures shuld be christened / chyldren are to be coūted amongest creatures / and people of God. These thinges I haue spoken as touchynge the baptyme of yonge chyl­dren / whose baptyme the scriptures dothe approue and allowe and codempneth the deuyllyshe & erronious opinion of the Anabaptistes whiche be fallen into an errour and an heresie / and hath brought other to theyr errour be reasons of no strength nor weyght / folyshe and contrary to the scrip­ture / whiche at the fyrst hath peraduēture [Page] semed apparentet to the ignoraunte in the Scripture / but to them that be learned in the scripture they be of no pythe nor effect nor proue the thīg they go about / therfore let euery man bewarre of these Anabaptistes and flee their errours / heresyes / and deceyuable doctrine / that brīgeth to death and receyue the true doctrine of Christe that brīgeth to lyfe. Now I wyl retourne agayne to saynt Paule.

♣ The Apostles here sheweth howe the mā shuld loue his wife euē as his owne body / for the man and the wyfe be one body coupled togyther by matrymony a knot nat to be lowsed at mānes pleasure / who hath euer ben so mad / of so lytle wyth that hath [Page] hated hys owne body / were it neuer so de­forme or out of facyon / so wayke / so lene / so syckely / so fylthy / and so full of noughtynes / but hath euer cherished & norished his owne bodye and hyd the fautes of it / and redy to amende it / so shulde a man be affected towardes his wyfe / as towardes his owne bodye / ye euen as Christe hathe lo­ued his Churche / whiche hath nat put it away when it was a brodel and polluted with fylthynes and synnes / but hath takē it to him and hath purged it and made it cleane holy and gay / and hath dissembled many thinges in it / and at the laste healed all hyr sores and diseases and wasshed cle­re away hyr spottes and sinnes. After the example of Christe towardes his churche let the husbande do to the wyfe / and euer haue before his eies what thyng he wolde shulde be done to hꝭ owne body / & the same thynge let him do to his wyfe. This place reproueth those husbandes that loue nat their wifes / that contēne and dispise their wyfes / whē they are sycke / nat prouyding for them necessaries / nat comfortynge thē with all comforte they can / ye this place checketh all them that wyl nat couer and hyde the fautꝭ of their wyues if they be no table crimes and do nat study to refourme [Page] and amende theyre wyues / and to make them good / vertuouse and holy.

2 For we are membres of one body / he sheweth why he called the wyfe the flesshe of the man / it was because the woman was made of the man / of a rybbe takē out of the syde of Adam / and the womannes bone was made of a bone of Adam as it is wryten. Gene. 2. to the whiche place saynte Paule dothe allude here. For this cause that the man shulde nat contēne the womā as a creature made of a vyler matter then he was of and to certifie the man that he shulde nat contemne his wyfe ex­cepte he shulde contemne hym selfe & his owne flesshe this thynge he sheweth that there shulde be more loue bytwene the mā and the wyfe / no stryfe / no contention / no debate / no contemnynge one another.

☞ Here the Apostle wylleth that there shulde be more loue bytwene the husbande and the wyfe / then bytwene the chyldren and the parentes he wylleth the sōne shall preferre the loue to his wyfe aboue the lo­ue to father or mother.

2 The Apostle speaketh here onelye of the loue that shulde be bytwene the man & the wyfe / of the other deuties of the man to the wyfe it is spoken in other place of scripture / as Peter. 1. Pe. 3. sheweth that it is the offyce of the man to dwell with his wyfe / to entreate hyr after knowledge and to liue togither as perpetual felowes of good and euyl / for al theyr lyfe tyme / in peace / concorde / vnite / loue / and dewe obedience accordynge to goddes lawe / prouy­dynge togyther necessaryes / that they myght lyue holyly and godly and bringe vp their children vertuously in the know­ledge of god in loue and feare of god / to order and rule theyr famylye accordynge to goddes wyll gyuynge them example of al goodnes to folowe. Peter addeth after knowledge / that is that the man shulde order his wyfe after knowledge & wysedome [Page] whiche be more in men then in women / for men muste beare the infirmitie of wo­men / and many thīges to pardone ī them and ouer se and wynke at / and dyssemble as they had nat knowē or elles there shal be lytle agremente betwene the man and the wyfe / and some tyme to exhorte gen­tylly / to rebuke sharpely and some time clerely to remyt the matter as he for his wysedome shall se mo he expedient to entreat hyr alway endeuerynge hym to make his wyfe gentle / lowly / obedient / louynge / ho­nest / good / holye / and vertuouse. In man it is to supply that lacketh in women / to haue more wytte / wysedome / reason / pru­dence / counsell / lernyng wayes to prouyde necessaries for theyr lyuynges / and to or­dre euery thynge well. Also it pertayneth to men sayeth Peter there / to gyue to we­mē deu honour / that is that the mā shulde nat contemne or despyce his wyfe / or vse hyr as his hande mayde or seruaunte / but to take hyr as felowe of his perpetual lyfe and as ioynte heyres of God. This place of Peter reproueth those men that contē ­ne and dyspyse there wyfes / wyll nat vse theyr company at bed or at borde and o­ther conuersacion of lyuynge / but leue thē forsake them / put them away from them / [Page] Also if reproueth all them that vse theyre wyfe as theyr hande mayde or seruaunte / that vse muche chydynge or brawlynge or fyghtynge with theyr wyues / or vse do bounch beate read vnder theyr fote their wyues as dogges or swyne / or any other vngodlye wayes do entreate are their wyfes / they be reproued of the Apostle. Therfore let all suche frowarde husbandes amende least the plage of god fal on thē for theyr vngodly entreatinge of their wyues / whō they shulde knowe to be felowes with thē and boughte with the precyous bloude of Chryste / and called to be partakers of the heuenly kyngedome asswell as they that be men. Fynally it is the offyce of husbandes to vse the company of theyr wyues & to paye deuty as saynt Paule calleth it. 1. Corin. 7. sayeng. Let the man gyue deuty to his wyfe for the man hathe nat power of his bodye / but the wyfe / lykewyse the wyfe hath nat power of hyr body / but the husbande / Sayncte Paule reproueth all these maryed men / that do nat theyr deu­tye to theyr wyfes / but wyll take hoores / harlottes / and drabbes / and kepe besydes theyr wyues / but let all suche aduiterers take hede / for the sworde of the vengeaūce of god hangeth ouer theyr heades / & god [Page] wyll smyte peraduenture soner then they suppose or beleue.

3 This is a great secrete or mystery as he shulde say this thinge that I haue here spoken of / is a great mistery / and more thē can be shewed / by wordes / that is that the loue of Christ towardes his Churche can no tonge expresse / ne harte thinke it / it passeth farre al eloquence of tong or thought or mānes harte / euen so shulde the loue bytwene man & wyfe be more then any tong by eloquence were able to expresse.

4 The Apostle to make an ende of the deuties bytwene the mā and the wyfe / he sayeth it is the deutye of the wyfe to be o­bedient to hyr husbande / to feare him / to haue him in honour and reuerence / & este­me him as hyr lorde & mayster / as Saray called Abraham hyr husbande lorde. 1. Pe 3. And this subiectyon of the wyfe to the husbande muste be with out murmure or grudge / but wyllyngly and with gladnes for it is inflicted to wemen of god / for the transgression of Eue as a payne for sinne Therefore let nat the woman loke at the husbande or at his deuties to hyr or whe­ther he be good or euyll / a Iewe or a Gentyle / a Scot or an Englysheman / a Frēch man or Ducheman / a fre man / a bondemā [Page] ryche or pore / a gentylman borne or yomā gentle or vngentle / meke or frowarde / but do hyr deuty to hyr husbande that god re­quireth of hyr handes / let hyr be obedient to him in all lawefull thynges / loue hym / feare him / haue him in honour and reue­rence / be he neuer so euyl vnkīde / noughty and pore / let the wyfe be of honest conuersacion and lyuing / that the husbande may espye in hyr nothynge but that is chaste / womanly / good / iuste / vertuous / holy and godly / no finders of fautes with theyr husbandes maners & conditions / but yf they fynde any thing to be reproued with their husbandes / to monyshe them of it secretly bytwene them alone / bearynge with pati­ence the infyrmities of theyr husbandes / nat wanton or lyght in wordes or condicions / no bablers or strayers abrode / but of fewe wordes / kepers of theyre houses at home / sobre / sad / & constant louers of theyr husbandes studyeng alway to please their husbandes & none other / that by this holy and chaste cōuersacion / they myght bring theyr husbandes that were heythen to the fayth of Christe / and by their goodnes refourme and amende the euylnes of euyll husbandes. And so gyue no place to the deuyl y ^t moueth them meruaylously that be [Page] maryed / to contention stryfe and debate / the one to cōtemne / dispise and abhorre the other and can nat beare the maners of the other / ne loue the other / nor do theyr deu­ties one to another / and so the wyfe desy­reth another husbande / and the husbande another wife / for the mā in his owne wife he seyth nothyng that pleaseth him. So y ^t the deuyll blyndeth his eies and setteth before the eies of the man al the spottes and fautes of his wyfe (as theyr is no man / ne woman without all fautes) and at his wyues vertue / goodnes and good proptetes worthy cōmendation he neuer remēbres / this thynge worketh the deuyl in the state of mariage oftymes bothe in the man and in the woman / and happy are they that do nat obey to the deuyll, nor gyue no place to thꝭ the deuyls worke / which thyng the deuyl worketh to make thē that be maried to breake goddes cōmaundemente and so to offende and displease God Also to this helpeth the nature of mā whiche is neuer consent with his state or lotte / whiche set­teth lytle by the thyng it hath at pleasure and desyreth euer the thynge it hath nat / or is nat lawfull to haue. Therfore it oftymes chaunces / that in the eye of the man euery woman is more fayrer / better / more [Page] pleasaunt then his owne wyfe. And ofty­mes it chaunceth that the man is so blyn­ded / that he forsaketh his owne lawefull wyfe gyuen hī of god / for whom he shulde forsake al other / and despyseth hyr / and loueth an harlot a drabe that is foule and e­uyll fauoured and huglye / so the noughty nature of man despiseth that it hathe and desyreth that it hath nat / whiche to haue is vnlawfull / and against goddes lawe / so laboureth the deuyll to kyll men in euery state / and no man or woman is sure from the temptation of the deuyll / but gyue no place nor consent to the deuyls temtation & thē his temtacion shal nat noy or hurte you. yf the deuyll shal tempte any man or woman as I haue sayde before / let hī giue no consent to the deuyll / let the man haue euer before his eies nat the fautes but the vertues of his wyfe / & hyr goodnes / what he is boūde to hyr by the law of god by reason of matrymony / let hym thynke euerye thing in his wyfe worthy to be cōmended Let hym thinke his wyfe aboue all other both better / fayrer / for so she is to him / by the ordinaunce of god. Whiche hath boūde hī to his wyfe alone / that for hyr he shuld forsake al other as long as she lyueth / y ^t he shulde loue none aboue hyr / or so wel / & put [Page] hyr away frō hī for none / or shuld kepe non other besides hir / y ^e same thīg the wife must thīke & do. The husbāde may vse vꝭ laufull wyfe with a clere conscience as a lawfull remedye agaynste adulterye and fornyca­tion / to vse other women then hys owne wyfe he can nat with a cleane and a clere conscience / for it is agaynst Goddes lawe and he that dothe so offendeth God / dis­pleaseth God / his conscience is spotted / for he commyt [...]eth deadely synne.

Therfore let the man thynke of his wyfe thus. This woman is she whiche God hathe gyuen to me / that I shulde embra­se alone / that I shulde loue hyr as longe as we shall lyue togyther / that I shulde thynke hyr to me moste fayrest of all wo­men / better and alone mete for me / gyuen of God to brynge forthe chyldren to con­tynewe the worlde to Goddes honoure and glorye / for a lawefull remedye aga­ynste adulterye and all kynde of adultery / to dylate charytie bytwene hyr and me / hyr frendes and my frendes / hyr consan­quinitye and mynde. And lykewyse the wyfe shulde thynke of hyr husbande / that he is gyuen to hyr of God that she shulde haue an eye nat to hys fautes / but to his vertues / to hyr deutye towardes him / [Page] that she shulde loue hym aboue all other / onely shulde to please hym / to make hyr bodye free to none other / but to hyr husbande alone / to be obedyente to hym with all lowelynes and gentylnes to haue him in feare / honour / and reuerē ce Thus I haue shewed accor­dyng to the doctryne of S. Paule part of the deuty of the man towardes his wife / & of the wife towardes hyr husbande.

¶ The syxte Chapy­ter to the Ep­hesyans.

NOwe the Apostle sheweth of the deu­tye of chyldren to theyr father and mother / it helpeth muche to obtay­ne godly vertues / that chyldrē from their cradel and from their yonge age be vertuously brought vp in nortoure in good / vertues and godlye learnynge / in loue and feare of god / in deu obedience to their pa­rentes in gentil and lowly maners / for as the olde sayenge is. The botell wyll kepe y ^e smel or sauour / of that liquore y ^t it first receyued. So men for the moste part smell euer of that facyon and maners / and loue [Page] waye that they haue bene brought vp in theyr yonge age. Therfore it is necessary that chyldren in their yonge age shulde be put to good scole maysters that may and wyll bryng them vp in good holy and vertuous doctryne / and godly maners that chyldren may learne to knowe God theyr creature and maker / of whom al goodnes doth come / to knowe the goodnes and be­nefites of god towardes them to laude and prayse God / to gyue hym thankes for his benefites to be obedient to father and mother / to gyue to them al honour / nat onely with outwarde gesture as bowynge their knees / puttynge of theyr cappe to their patentes / or askynge theyr blessynges or do­ynge theyr laufull cōmaundementes / and beynge obedient with al glad diligence to do theyr parentes cōmaundementes but also that they shulde honour theire paren­tes with all due honoure in gyuynge and prouydyng for them al necessaries yf they nede / or be pore / or haue nede of the helpe of theyr chyldren / for so this word honour is taken in the scripture nat onely for outwarde reuerence / but also for helpe or suffi­cience of liuing as Paul sheweth. 1. Timo 5. where he sayeth. The elders that rule well are worthy double honoure / cheyflye [Page] they that laboure in the worde of god.

2 In the lord. This worde sheweth how chyldren shulde be obediente to theyr elders and to their fathers and mothers / that is to say in the lorde / because the lorde hathe so commaunded / and it is the wyll of the lorde that chyldren shall obey to theyr pa­rentes / or elles in the lorde / that is to say ī all thynges that pleseth the lorde / that is in al lawful thinges. So chyldren obeing theyr parentes gyuyng them deu honour doth serue and please the lorde / and these chyldren that be disobedient to theyr parē tes do dysplease and offende god.

3 For this is iuste / that the chyldren shulde obey theyre parentes / helpe and so­cour their necessite gyuynge deu honoure to them seynge chyldren hathe receyued of theyr parentes theyr beynge / fode and coste of bryngyng vp when they were nat able to helpe them selfe. Therfore it is e­quite that they shuld helpe ther parentes 4 This is the fyrste commaundemente in promyse / to the whiche promyse of rewarde is made of longe lyfe eyther in this lyfe / or in the lyfe to come / or in bothe / as oftymes chaunceth to them that honoure their parentes in this worlde / and the cō ­trarye is oftymes shewed / that these chil­dren [Page] that do nat honoure theyr parentes in this worlde but be disobedient to them contēne / dispise and wyl nat acknowledge theire father and mother / or kynsfolke / or be so vnkynde & vnnaturall chyldren that desyre the [...]th of their parentes for their profyte / goodes / landes / or riches / it is of­tymes sene that these chyldren be of shorte lyfe in this worlde / or dye some euyl death by some myschaunce or euyll fortune cal­led of man / when it is the secrete wyl and workynge of God / whiche wyll nat suffre the contempte of parentes to be vnpunys­shed in this world / that al chyldren might learne to be obedient to their parentes / to honoure them / and nat to contemne or dis­pise them or to wysshe theyr death for any lucre sake / for any honoure or promotion or suche lyke thynge. The Apostle promy­seth two thynges to these chyldrē that honoure their parentes / the one is / that all thynges shalbe wel to them / and al thyn­ges prosperous. The other lēgth of lyfe / & contrary to them that dishonoureth there parentes thretteth two thynges / that all thynges shalbe euyl to them / and shortnes of lyfe / which thinges yf they chaunce nat alway in this lyfe / yet surely in the lyfe to come they wyl chaūce / & god wyl ꝑfourme [Page] his promyse / for god is true in his promyses and wyll perfourme thē / eyther in this worlde / or in the worlde to come or elles to bothe. And although it is red of some chyldren that disobeyed their parentes / that had great ryches or felicite in this worlde and of longe lyfe in whome this threte of god had no place in this worlde / yet with out doubte it had place after this lyfe in them / or elles such disobedient chyldren to theyr parentes was without all felicite & of shorte lyfe before god. Chyldren that do nat obey their parentes they offend agaīst the lawe of nature / of equite and iustice & againste goddes lawe wryten / whiche all require that children shulde gyue deu ho­noure to their fathers and mothers.

5 And ye fathers prouoke nat your children to wrathe. Nowe he cōmeth to parē ­rentes & sheweth what is their deutye to­wardes their chyldren. Fathers and mo­thers for the mooste parte eyther they are to tender / softe / gentle / or make to muche on them / or elles they are to harde / fel / cruel sharpe / or frowarde with them. Fewe or none of theyr parētes do knowe how they shulde order or brynge vp their chyldren / but eyther nature moueth them to be to tē der ouer them / and so they make the chyl­dren [Page] to wantonne / selfe wylly / frowarde, nat carynge for father or mother / ye diso­bedient to father and mother and so ofty­mes it is true that Mantuane sayeth. ‘Blanda patrum segnes facit indulgētia gnatos.’ To muche pamperynge of rathers ma­keth slowe and disobedient chyldrē. Therfore it is trewe that Salomon saythe. He y ^t spareth the rod, he hateth the child And of the contrary part there is some parētes that kepe theyr chyldren in to much awe or feare of them / by whose fiersnes & hastynes / the chyldren be almoste marred and broughte to suche feare that they be without al sence and for feare they cā nat tell what they shulde answere or do / ye for feare they can nat speake one worde right this thynge causeth the fiersnes or rygo­rousnes of some to muche seuere fathers towardes theyr chyldren whom by awe & feare they thynke to make wyse / & by that meanes they make them starke foles / and without senses / as they be that be angry or in a fury / whiche be paste them selfe for ire or fury / that for a tyme they can nat tel what they say or do / or what is spoken to them / to whose madnes or furye the Apostle doth appere to allude here whē he saith Ye fathers prouoke nat youre chyldren to [Page] wrath / as he wolde say / Ye fathers by your hardnes or rigorusnes prouoke nat youre chyldren to be without sense or in such fe­re that they can nat tell what to say or do for feare. Therfore let parentes take hede as they bryng vp theyr children / & let thē nat vse to muche tēdernes nor yet to much rigorousnes ouer theyr chyldren / brynge them vp in the knowledge of god / in loue and feare of God / in feare to breake God­des cōmaundementes / in the loue of god­des worde / of the whiche the chyldrē may learne what is the true worshyppe of god howe they shall truely honoure and wor­shyppe god / what is true vertue and holy­nes / what workes please god beste & what please him nat / it pertayneth to the paren­tes to teache their chyldren to loue vertu / and to hate vyce / to walke in vertu & go forwardes & encrease in vertu euery daye also to gyue to their chyldren holy exam­ples of lyuynge / that the children maye se in the parentes no fylthynes / vnclennes / nor euylnes to folowe. And also the chyl­dren may nat all togyther be without correction / but the rod must be had somtimes to correcte the wantonnes of children and there negligence to make them obediente to holsome admonitions and teachynges [Page] nor yet the rode of correctnon may nat be vsed to muche / leaste by to muche betynge the children be dulled and care nat for be­tynge. Therfore chyldren must be orde­red somtyme by fayre meanes / & somtyme by correctyon. And it chaunceth oftymes that a man shal do more amongest chyldrē with an apple then with a rod / so it becommeth the parentes to brynge vp theyr children in learnynge and in correction of the lorde / yf they can by them selfe / yf they can nat or wyl nat take the payne / then let thē put theyr chyldren to good scolemaysters that can and wyll brynge them vp vertu­ously in good learnynge and in correction as nede shall require to correcte theyr wā tonnes or neglygence. The cause and the fountayne of all euyl is that chyldren and the youth are nat wel brought vp in lear­nynge and sufficient chastmente / chyldren are brought vp in to muche tendernes / sof­nes / slouggyshenes / ydlenes / wantonnes / pryde of mynde / and elecion of harte / and in arrogācy / they are taught nat to know god but them selfes / to know them selues nat euyll the chyldren of ire and of darke­nes by nature / but ot be gentylmē & lordes to be preferred before other / and to ꝓferre them selues before other / and to contemne [Page] other. Children are nat brought vp in the learnynge of the lorde / as in the readynge of the holy scripture / & in the knowledge of god and of our lorde Iesus Christ / but if they be brought vp in learning they are for the moste parte brought vp in propha­ne learnynge and in the readynge of prophane authors / of the whiche they maye learne eloquence and worldely wysdome & for the ende prophane authors do serue / and nat to reache Christian fayth or ma­ners / and as chyldren be brought vp in prophane learnynge and of them lernes prophane maners / so they walke in pro­phane maners and conditions / and so contynewe & shewe in theyr leuynge prophan maners and conditions / and be so affected as the gentyle authors be that they haue red / and forme theyr iudgemētes after thē examples there be to many. Therfore let chyldren learne eloquence & worldly wise­dome of gentile authors if they wyl / and a christian fayth and godly maners to order theyr lyuynge accordynge to the doctryne of Christ and of the holy scripture which alone teacheth fayth / true iudgementes & good maners. I wyll nat speake of them that be so brought vp in learnynge / that nat onely they do nat rede the holy scriptures [Page] / but rather teache other to be ware of holye scriptures / nat to loke on them / nat to study them / as thynges vnmete to loke on for chyldren. I wyll nat saye that to contemne dispise and set holy scripture at nought / or to regarde it nat so much as a prophane author / ye to haue a naturall hatred agaynste it / in so muche that they wyl nat ones vouchesafe to rede it thēself nor yet suffer other to rede it / and this euyl bryngyng vp hath bene the cause / why so many be so loth to receyue holy scripture / and why they be so euyl affected in iudge­mentes towardes the holy scripture that as yet scarse they can bere one to haue the newe Testamente in Englyshe to rede it / to theyr comforte and edyfyeng / and may nat here the trueth to be preached to them suche hath bene theyr euyll bryngynge vp and the smel of the liqoure that was fyrst put in their newe Botelles. Therfore loke diligentely ye fathers and mothers what liquor ye put in the newe Bottels / that is in your chyldren in their youthe for they wyll smell of the same liquor in theyr age Therfore yf you wyll haue them good / holy / vertuouse & obediente to you / loke they be brought vp in the lernyng of holy scripture which alone teacheth all goodnes / [Page] true holynes / true vertue / and due obedy­ence to God and his commaundemētes to father and mother and to all other accor­dynge. I wyll nat speake of Gentylmen­nes childrē that be brought vp in ydelnes wantonnes / in / playe / in pastyme / in huntynge and haukyng / rydynge / in kepyng of horses and dogges / in syngyng daunsynge / lepynge / riottynge and reuel­lynge / in hearynge vnclenly songes or balettes / other wayes called mery sōges me­te for a gentylman : as who shulde say the offyce of Gentylmen or noble men is no­thynge elles but to hunt and hauke / to be idle / to take pastyme and pleasure: as who shulde say theyr landes & possessyons was gyuen for that ende. Let thē rede the scriptures and they shal fynde that they be appoynted to other offices whiche requireth great labous & paynes / and great knowe­ledge yf they shall do theyr deuties as they shulde do / let them loke what thynges perteyneth to the offyce of powers and of magistrates / and the same thynge gentylmē or noble men shulde thynke it pertayneth to them for they be Magistrates or rulers vnder the Kynge or Prince / to se Goddes lawe fulfilled to se peace equite & iustice be kepte / synne / and vyce clerely put awaye.

❧Nowe he teacheth the offyce of seruā tes / whose office is to be obediente to his maister whō he serueth here in the worlde to haue meate drynke / clothe and wages / or whome they serue for to learne an handye crafte to get theyr lyuynge iustly and truely after the tyme of their prentysshyp he cōmaundeth all seruauntes to be obediente to theyr maister in all lawefull thynges and lawfull seruyce / and to do his maisters cō maundement iustly and truely without al [Page] murmurynge or grudgynge in harte or mynde agaynste god or his maister and to refuse no lawful worke or labour that his Mayster wyll put hym to / yf it be suche a worke as seruantes hath nat ben wont to do / it is no shame for the seruante to do it / but rather dishonesty to the mayster to cō maunde it / when it maye be done by an o­ther seruaunte accustomed with the same as theyr is dyuerse workes more accusto­med to be done by men seruauntes / then wemen seruauntes and some other by we­men seruauntes rather then by men seruantes. The Apostle wylleth also that seruantes shal haue theyr maister in honour / and reuerence / and haue a lowely feare towardes them / by the whiche feare they shulde be affrayed to displease their maisters nat onely to auoyde betynge and punyshemēt of their maisters / but for loue to their maisters whom for loue they wolde nat dys­please. Here we may lerne that it is nat agaynst the lyberty of the Gospell to serue carnal maysters & men here in the worlde for his seruyce is the lyberty of the Lorde and those that do serue theyr maysters as they shulde do / they seruynge theyr may­sters and doyenge theyr maysters lawfull cōmaundement do serue God / and do the [Page] cōmaundement of god / as he sheweth here after as ye may rede.

2 In symplenes of your harte / he com­maundeth the seruātes to serue their maysters in all symplenes of harte / without al crafte / falsed / gyle / desayte / fraude / theft or dissemblynge in worde or in dede / in the whiche fautes seruantes be oftymes gylti This place reproueth al those seruauntes that deceyue theyr maysters by any gyle / crafte / or false / by dissemblynge or thefte by brybynge or stealynge awaye pryuely hꝭ maysters goodes. This place requireth that the seruaunte be faythfull and trusty to their maisters / and that in no wise they deceyue theyr maysters eyther in worde / worke or dede.

3 Euen as to Christe nat with seruyce onely in the eye syght as mē pleasers / but as seruantes of Christ he wylleth that seruauntes serue their maysters with faythfulnes / trueth / dylygence / and gladnes as they shulde serue God / and Iesu Christe / for seruantes seruyng their maisters they serue Iesu Christ and do the worke of god & are occupied in goddes seruyce / no lesse / ye peraduenture better then they that contynually be occupied in goddes seruyce as it is called / for seruātes obeyng theyr maysters [Page] and doynge their maysters cōmaun­dement hath for thē the worde of god that they worke the worke of god / howe some­uer it be counted of men / as if they shulde make clene the kytchyng or keynel or any other suche vyle office coūted at theyr mai­sters cōmaundemēt they worke the worke of god. Therfore let nat seruauntes consi­der the vylnes of the worke they be com­maunded to do / but the cōmaundement of god that hath cōmaūded them to do their maisters cōmaundement / and so the law­full cōmaundement of the maisters / is the commaundement of god / and seruauntes that do there cōmaundement do the work of god / and obey god so doynge. Yf seruantes knewe that they serued our lorde god and dyd the worke of god / when they obey their maisters and doth their maisters cō maundemente / surely with more gladnes they wolde here and sufire payne and wheresomnes of their greate labours & pain-they suffer beynge seruauntes / & with more glad hart they wolde do their maisters labours and busines were the labours neuer so paynful. Also seruantes may nat be as eye pleasers onely / that is in the presence of their maisters to be dyligent profytable and do the worke of their maysters fayth­fully [Page] and so please their maysters well in their presēce and in there absence neyther to be faythfull profytable ne diligente or care nat howe theyr maysters worke go forwarde to theyre maysters profyte / but good seruantes it becōmeth to be dyligent faythful and profytable in their maysters absence as presence / & to serue their may­sters as they shulde serue Iesus Christe / which loketh vpon them alway and seith all that they do / by theire gyle / crafte / or falsed they go aboute to deceyue theyre maisters / all vnfaythfulnes and negligence in seruauntes is here reproued and condemned of the Apostle.

4 Doyng the wyll of god from the hart with a good wyl / it becommeth seruantes wyllyngly and gladly with a free harte & mynde to serue theyr maysters and to do those thinges that god wylleth. Wherfore seruantes may nat do euyl at the wyl of their maisters for God wylleth no euyll. And also seruauntes maye nat grudge or murmure agaynste their maysters when they commaunde them to do payneful la­bours busynes / or to wyshe them euyll / to curse them or bāne them / or to go with a dogges Pater noster humpyng or mumpynge at the matter nat wyllynge to do [Page] theyr maisters cōmaundement / or be such y ^t haue nede to be prycked forwarde with betyng / whyppyng / or other punyshmēt for the seruaunte shulde do his maysters lawfull commaundement frely / wyllyng­ly and with gladnes.

5 Thynkynge that ye serue the Lorde & nat men. This thynge maye conforte the seruaunte and in this seruantes may con­forte them selfes and reioyce / that they do­ynge the lawful cōmaundementes of their maisters do serue nat man but God / and this comfort may take away the paynfulnes of theyr great labours / whiche paynefulnes also maye swage the rewarde that god hath promysed to gyue to faythful seruantes. And feare vnfaythfull and euyll seruantes the payne thretned to euyl ser­uantes / so theyr is a rewarde promysed to good seruantes and a payne to euyll ser­uauntes / whiche god wyll gyue when he seyth his tyme.

[Page] ❧Here he sheweth the office of maisters to theyr seruauntes / sayeng. It is the of­fyce of the mayster to shewe hīselffe meke and gentle to his seruantes whome they suffer nat to wante necessaries neyther to wante meate ne clothe / nat to entreate thē with great hardnes / fearsnes or cruelnes nat to lay great burdīges vpon theyr bac­kes / or to put them to ītollerable labours and paynes / but that the maysters shulde thynke their seruantes to be men made to the symilitude of god / redemed by the preciouse bloude of Christe to be heyres and inheritoures of the kyngdome of heauen as wel as they. Fynally let maysters so order them selfes towardes theyr seruantes and be so louyng / so kynde / so gentle / that of theyr seruātes they may be more loued then dred / do more for theyr loue then for feare / or for profyte.

2 Puttynge awaye threatnynges / the lorde cōmaundeth the maysters nat onely to put away betynges / and punysshemen­tes / but also all cruel threatnynges fears and fell wordes whiche maketh the seruā tes oftymes to runne awaye and forsake his maister contrary to the lawe of God This place reproueth fears / fell and cruel maysters & frowarde to theyr seruauntes / [Page] that threate great and greuous plages / & punysshementes thynkynge they shall do more with rhough & rygorouse meanes thē with louynge wordes and gentle facyons but such frowarde maisters deceyueth thē selfe / for gentylnes wyll do more with an honest seruant and with hym that feareth god then any rough wordes or rygorous maners / for there be fewe seruauntes that be amended by bunchynge beatyng or o­ther greuouse punyshement. yf he nede muche punysshement it is a token he is an e­uyll seruant and lytyl regardeth his pro­fyce or his Maysters profyte honestye or worshyppe.

3 And knowe that your Mayster is in heuen / he sheweth the cause why maysters shulde entreat theyr seruauntes gently & remyt to them plages / punyshemenentes and threatnynges / because god the father which is in heauē is the Lorde of the ser­uauntes as well as he is of the maysters and wyll make the seruauntꝭ equal with the maysters in Heauen / for God dothe nat regarde ꝑsonnes of men / whether they be maysters or seruauntes / but loketh at euery mannes office and deuty / and whom he fyndeth hath done theyr offyce & deuty well he wyll rewarde them with a greate [Page] rewarde and whom he fyndeth negligent in his offyce & not done his deutye / he wyl punyshe whether they be maysters or ser­seruauntes.

☞ The Apostle here before hathe exhor­ted men to the vnite of the spirite / to peace to concorde and hath shewed certayne de­grees howe they shall lyue in their state & to their deuty / as what is the duety of the wyfe to the husbande / and of the husbande to the wyfe / of the chyldren to their paren­tes / and of the parentes to theyr chyldren of the seruantes to theire maysters / and of [Page] maisters to their seruauntes. Nowe he sheweth that these that wyl lyue after the rule dyscribed to them of Paule / y ^t sōtyme they shall haue enymies and temptacions of the deuyl whome they muste resyst and ouercome / and here he sheweth what ar­moure they muste haue to fyght agaynste enemyes / and by what weapons they shal ouer come enemyes. Therfore he cōmaundeth them to be strong nat in them selfe in their owne myghtes or powers / but in the lorde and in the powers of the lorde by the whiche the enemyes shalbe ouercommed. yf we be stronge in the Lorde we nede nat to feare enemyes / for the Lorde is stronge ynoughe to ouercome enemyes and all aduersaries / and we by him / for he hath cure of vs and wyll defende vs from enemyes. yf we truste in him.

2 Put on the armoure of God / that ye may stande stedfaste agaynste the craftye assaultes of the deuyl. In these wordes he sheweth with what weapons we shalbe armed that we maye stande stedfast and sure agaynste the assaultes and craftes of the deuyll and to ouercome him and his tem­tations put away / by the whiche he tem­teth vs / as by carnal pleasure of the fleshe by couetousnes of ryches or of desyres of [Page] worldly / honoures by threatnyng or feare of the worlde / or losse of goodes fauour or promotyon by the whiche meanes the de­uyll vseth to plucke men from god and frō his worde. This armour by the which we shall resyste the deuyll and his temtation / is nat by the lyght of the holy candle ha­lowed of candlemesse day / by strynklynge of holy water / by the ryngynge of the ha­lowed great bell / by hauyng on their body a crosse made on Palsonday ane Agnꝰ dei called. Etheldrede lace aboute their necke by goyng to religion inuented by man / by takynge this habyte or that habyte of re­ligion in this place or in that place / by shiftyng vp within walles and neuer to come out agayne as the deuyll coulde nat come within suche walles / or by catyng of fyshe alway and neuer flesshe. These be nat the armoure that the Apostle byddeth to put on to resyste the Deuyll / but he byd­deth put on the armoure of god / that is y ^e worde of god by the whiche the deuyl is resisted & ouercommed / and al his craftes & tētaciōs be made vayne. By this armour Christe ouer came the deuyll. Math. 4. to teache vs with what armour we shulde fyght agaynste the deuyll / and howe to ouercome hym and all his temtatyons & [Page] kepe vs safe from all hurte / or peryll of the temptations of the deuyll.

3 For we wrestle nat againste fleshe and bloude / and so furth as he shulde saye we must nat onely fyght againste the temta­tions of the flasshe and of the worlde / but also againste more cruel aduersaries then these be as agaynst the deuyl / wycked spirites adn all other powers. And here the Apostle lyke a valyant and a prudent cap­tayne of warre exhorteth his sogers to be of good chere and to feare nothynge theyr enemyes althoughe they be fears / cruel / & crafty in fyghtyng / haue great polycy / in ingynes & experience in fyghtynge / he o­peneth all their crafte and soteltye / theyr fears cruelnes / and theyr bolde assaultes / that his sogers might knowe theyr aduersaries crafte / and kyll them in theyr owne turne / and beware of theyr malyce / he in­courages them to fyght against the deuyl and gyueth them armour to fyght agaīst him / and moueth them to fyght lyke vali­ante sogers / and in no wyse to shrynke or gyue place / & he sheweth thē their enemyes agaynst whō they shuld fight theyr might and power / their fearsnes and cruelnes yf they be nat resysted manfully with the worde and helpe of god / by the whiche all [Page] these aduersaries be sone ouercommed.

And he speaketh after this maner / stronge enemyes to man is flesshe and bloude / carnall concupiscences and lustes / tyranny of euyll men persecution of the trueth / and the malice of men styrred vp by the deuyll to bryng men from god to deny his trueth but these enemyes be nothynge yf they be compared with the deuyl and his powers / wycked spirites and fyndes whiche as it appereth hath here diuerse names of the diuersite of their offices that they do here in the ayre to hurte men / they be called powers / rulers of darkenes / of this worlde / spirites of wyckednes / by the whiche he meaneth nothynge elles but that Peter sayeth. 1. Pe. 5. Our aduersary the deuyll goeth aboute as a rampynge lion sekyng whom he may kyll and deuoure by al meanes and craftes / but resyste hym with the armoure of god / and he shall be ouercom­med.

☞ The Apostle moueth euery christiane man to take the armour of god vpon him and to fyght strongly agaynste the deuyl or elles he shall be kylled and deuoured of the deuyl / whiche is so cruel a tyrant that he saueth none whome he maye ouercom / kyll / and deuoure / there is no mercy at his hande / and he wyl kyll all that do nat resyst hym / if helpeth nat to submyt hymselfe to the deuyls gentilnes & he take pri­soner with the deuyls magesty. But all suche cowardes he wyll boucherlye kyll & deuoure. Therfore the Apostle exhorteth euery one to fyght manfully agaynste the deuyll / and gyue no place to hym / and to [Page] do as valyante sogers that thynke nat to be ouercommed but to ouercome / they put on their armour / they are redy to fyght / with boldenes they shewe them selues be­fore their enemyes redy to fyght and nat to gyue place to theyr aduersaries / they wyl do al thyngꝭ that they may to affray theyr enemyes / and make them to fle and gyue backe / to ouercome them that they may haue victory ouer their enemyes and laude and prayse of the victory / and triumphe in gladnes.

2 Before the Apostle vsed a metaphore of sogers for to fyght / nowe he goeth for wardes in the same similitude & teacheth what armour christyan men muste haue to resyst the deuyll and his temptations / carnall concupiscences lustes / and desyres of the worlde. And fyrste he shewed that a christiane man may nat be ydle / or sure in himselfe / but to be alwayes as a soger re­dy to fyght against the deuyll and carnal lustes / and neuer to gyue place to the de­uyll but resyst him alwayes in the daye of euyll / that is when the deuyl moueth to e­uyll by his temtations by carnall lustes & worldly desyres / and stande sure & be nat ouercomed by no temtation. They can nat stande sure vnouercōmed / whiche do nat [Page] resyst the deuyll nor fyght with him / but wyll be ouerthrowne at the fyrst meatīg or temtation / and gyue place to the deuyl and obey him / suche the deuyl kylleth and deuoureth / for he is a rampynge lyon and seketh whom he may deuoure.

3 He sheweth howe men shulde stande agaynste the deuyll without peryll / & howe they shulde arme them selfe / and what ar­mour is to be put on euery parte that the deuyl may finde no parte naked or vnar­med / where he may pearce with his dart. These that go to battel they haue thre maner of weapons / or armour / some armour they haue to couer theyr bodye / some to fyght with all / and some to beare of stro­kes far from the body. Sogers were wōt in batell to arme them seses with a gyrdle of mayle about their bely and loynes / and a breste plate an Helmet and armoure on theyr legges / so that no parte was vnar­med / no place coulde be hurte by weapons So in a christianes warre agaynst the de­uyll and his temptations it becommeth a christiane man to be armed with lyke ar­mour / to kepe of strokes & woundes. Fyrst it becommeth chrysten men to be gyrded with the gyrdle of truth / that is to quen­che the lustes and desyres of the flesshe by [Page] the trueth and to mortifie them / as saynte Paule doth exhorte. Collo. 3. sayeng. Mor­tifie your earthly membres / that is adul­tery / fornication / vnclennes / carnal lustes of the flesshe / couetousnes / and suche lyke that brynge to death. They are called in Scripture to haue their loynes gyrded by the trueth / that hath truly & vnfaynedly quenched and mortified the concupiscence of the fleshe whiche reigneth in the loynes (as authors do wrytte) and nat after the maner of hypocrytes / whiche fayne them selfes to be chaste outwardely / & be in hart and minde fylthy and foul adulterers / onely absteynynge from outwarde adulterye for feare of punyshement and shame of the worlde / and suche theire is many in the worlde God knoweth of the spyrytualtye whiche rather for shame of the worlde and worldly punyshement / then for feare of di­splesure of god of eternal paine & dānation doth absteyne frō the outward acte or dede of adultery which be no lesse adulterers before god / thē be these that cōmit actual adultery. Also here is to be noted y ^e fyrste he wolde we shuld put away adultery & car­nal lustes and desyres / & after them other vyces that be nat so nye vs. For firste is the enemy to be put awaye and eschewed [Page] that is moste nye to vs. Therfore concu­piscence of the fleshe is to be put away and mortified before al other vices and sinnes 4 Take on the brest plate of ryghteous­nes / the brest muste be armed with iustice / whiche is the brest plate of a christiane by the which that is right is gyuen to euery man / and to god that is deu to God / true iustice gyueth onely to Christe our recon­ciliation / redemption / iustification / forgy­uenes of synne / and our lyfe euerlastynge / and all that is good / it gyueth to God as to the author of al goodnes / and nat to vs to our workes or meritꝭ / true iustice seketh nat other mennes goodes / nor kepeth thinges that be nat his / but gyueth to e­uery one that is iuste and right. And as a brest plate do couer and defende the breste so dothe iustice kepe and defende the harte from all daunger and peryl of the deuyl & suffereth no euyll to entre the harte. This iustice putteth away all gyle / fraude / theft lyeng / stealyng / crafte / deceyte and all o­ther crafty wayes and dissēblynges wherby other be deceyued this iustice wyll nat suffer vs to ascribe to our selfe these thyn­ges that be nat ours / or to attribute to vs that pertayneth to Iesu Christe.

5 He wolde we shulde be shode with the gospel of peace / he wolde we shuld be redy [Page] to receyue the gospell that bryngeth peace ioy / and quietnes to our conscience / and to haue on shooes as armoure for our legges and fete which signify that we shulde mortifie our carnall affections and desyres / & that we shall nat desyre carnall thinges / but heuēly thinges as the gospel of peace the kyngedome of heauen and ioy euerla­stynge. These be armour to defende the body / that no darte wounde it.

6 Aboue all thynges take the shelde of fayth. Fayth is the armour that defendeth nat onely the heade / but also it defendeth the hole body / as a buckeler defendeth mē from dartes of their enemies / so fayth de­fendeth men from temtations of the deuyl and his assaultes. The deuyll casteth his fyre brandes and dartes againste vs intendynge to pearce and wounde vs with thē / he throweth at vs his fyry dartes of dif­fydence / of carnall desyres and pleasures / when he casteth before our eyes sinne and the pleasure in sinne / and by such pleasing baytes draweth vs to synne / but all the deuyls fyry dartes / by the which we be moued and set on fyre to synne / true fayth do quenche and put them clere out / and ma­keth vs safe without hurt of them / of such vertu is fayth / which is a sure armoure to [Page] beare of strokes & wyl nat suffer any dart of the deuyll to wounde vs.

7 Take the helmet of saluacion that is take Iesus Christ your heade for your helmet to defende you / and haue true hope in him & put all your care in god / for he hath care for you / and these that beleue in hym he wyll defende and saue them and make them to ouer come the deuyll and all his tētatyons / so by true fayth and sure hope in god / is our enemy the deuyll put away and his temptations do nat noye or hurte vs. ♣ ♣

8 Take also the Swerde of the spirite / whiche is the worde of god / & the armour to inuade our enemy the deuyl / by the whiche the deuyll is put awaye and expelled / wounded and kylled. Here we may learne how necessary is the worde of god to fight agaynst the deuyll to inuade hym / and to expelle him / ye the word of god is so neces­sary to fyght againste the deuyll / that the deuyl is nat ouercōmed nor ouer throwne but by the worde of god / at the whiche he is nat able to stande / but it ouer throweth hym at the fyrste / and all the temtatyons of the deuyl is expulsed by the word of god onely. yf the worde of god be so necessary a thynge to expelle the deuyll and all his tē tations [Page] / and by no other way the deuyl is expelled / nor his temtations put away. I pray you what haue they done that haue dissuaded lay men and laye women frome the worde of God / and kept them so longe from it / persuading to the vnlearned / that it was nat lawfull ne expediente for them to reade the holy scripture to haue y ^e word of god to fyght agaynst the deuyll and by it to dryue away the deuyll / and to resyste vtterly the deuylles temtations. I praye you. Iudge you now / of whose partly haue these men ben of goddes partye / or of the deuyls party? that hath depryued christi­ans of their armoure by the whiche they shulde resyste and ouer come the deuyll / it was no great meruail yf we were brought in greate darkenes and blyndnes and the deuyll to haue hade greate rule and pow­er ouer vs and vs sure bounde in his chynes / when we had no weapons to fyght a­gainst him / neither to kepe out his fire dattes / nor yet weapons to smyte him again. And yet these that did take away from vs out lawfull armoure that is the holy scripture / by the whiche onely the deuyll is o­uercommed / they dyd persuade them to be our frendes / & to spoyle vs of our armoure to be for our profyte / as who shuld say the [Page] deuyll wyll nat tempt laymen or lay womē to synne / & so to brynge them to death / but be mercyful lorde to thē / which is againste the nature of the deuyls magestye / but yf lay men and lay wemē do nat fyght agaīst the deuyll and by the worde of god do nat dryue him awaye but gyue place to hym they shalbe kylled and deuoured & brought to eternall death. Therfore le nat christi­ans be spoyled of their armour / that is the holy scripture / that they may resyst / and ouercome the deuyll and all his temtaty­ons / it is as necessary for lay men and lay women to haue theyr armour / as for spiritual men called / seyng the deuyl doth tēpt to sīne as well lay men as spirituall men. Thus the Apostle hathe gyuen vs wea­pons to fyght agaynst the deuyll and his temtatiōs and wylleth vs to take chastite for a gyrdle / iustice for a breste plate / denyenge of our affection & gladnes to receyue the gospell for leg harnesse / Christe for an helmet / fayth for a bucler and for a swerde the worde of God / that ouercommeth and kylleth the deuyll / and these be the wea­pons wherby christenmen shulde fyght a­gaynste the deuyll and ouercome hym.

These weapons gyuen to christianes to fyght agaynste the deuyll do nat take a­way [Page] from christen prynces and rulers the secular or temporall swerde as the Ana­baptystes thynke / and say / whiche so thynkynge and sayeng / do both thynke euyll & say euyll. For christiane prynces and kyn­ges and rulers may vse the tēporal swerde vpon malefactors and euyll doers / to cor­recte them / to punyshe them / yet to punyshe them with temporall death to feare other frome doynge euyll / yf nat for loue of god and of heauenly rewarde yet for feare of punyshment / as saynt Paule playnely shew­eth to the Romayns. 13. sayenge. The ru­lers beare nat the swerde without a cause and that princes are to be feared of them that do euyll. The Anabaptystes are worthy to be reproued that abuse this place of Paule to proue their errour and herysye / sayenge that christen men shulde vse none other swerde then the worde of God / and that it is nat lawfull for christen prynces to vse a seculer or a temporall swerde by the whiche errour they denye powers and lawfull rulers ordinated of God to puny­she malefactours and euyll doers as ma­nyfestly is wrytē. Rom̄. 13. 1. Pe. 2. These Anabaptistes in this poynte shewe theyr blindnes and ignoraunce in scripture / and taketh away al order al cōmō wealthes & [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] quietnes in the worlde. In that they deny hye powers / and lawfull rulers ordinated of god / for the cōmon welth / and take frō them authorite to punysshe by the tempo­rall swerde malefactours / and troublers of the cōmon wealth and pace / what mis­cheife shulde nat be yf there were no rulers none to punyshe malefactours? what peace? what quietnes shulde be? surely [...] all? who shulde lye in his house sure from theues and murderers? who shulde kepe his goodes in sauegard? who shulde wal­ke by the waye or by the strete sure of his lyfe? ye who shulde nat be kylled at hys owne dore / within his owne house? yf ther were no rulers to punysshe malefactoures with the temporall Swerde? surely none shulde be in peace / quietnes / saffe of his lyfe. Therfore let these Anabaptystes reade the .13. Chapiter to the Romaines / & they shall clerely se that saynte Paule condem­neth their heresy as a damnable heresy / & very hurteful for the cōmon wealth / peace & quietnes. And as for this place / of saynt Paule maketh nothynge for the Anabap­tistes. For saynte Paule here speaketh of weapons that christiās shulde vse to fyght against the deuyl / and his temtations and nat of weapōs whereby seculer rulers shuld [Page] punyshe malefactors / euyll doers or euyll sayers to feare al other from euyll doynge and euyll sayenge.

❧The Apostel hathe shewed them with what armour they shulde fyght agaynste the deuyll. Nowe he sheweth / howe they shulde get this spirituall armour / and of whome it muste be required and gotten & by what meanes / he sayeth it muste be desired of god the father and optayned of hī by meke supplycation and prayer for Iesus Christes sake / and for none other sake that all prayse and thanke myght be gyuē to god alone for it / and he sheweth that we muste oftymes pray in the spyryte for [Page] this armour & be diligent & feruēt ī prayer feruently desyrynge of god this armoure 2 He desyreth all sayntes that is al faythful christen liuers to pray for hī. In the which he teacheth vs to desyre them that be on lyue to pray to god for vs / as he de­syred these Ephesiās to pray for hī to god 3 For what thinge Paule dyd pray and desired these Ephesyans to pray for him / he sheweth that it was / that god wolde o­pen his mouth that he myght speake the worde of god frely with boldenes & with our all feare / and that he myghte make open to all men the gospell whiche he preached for whose sake he was in pryson and in cheynes as apppereth. Fynally he desy­red that he myght speake the gospell as it dyd be come hym to speake / and in thys saynt Paule gyueth exsample to all prea­chers ernestely and feruentely to desyre of god these thynges / that God wolde open their mouth / that they myght speake fre­ly the worde nat of mā but of god / & that they might speake goddes worde frely frā kely & without al feare of man cōtemning al effecsyon or persecucyō for goddes worde / that they might nat dissēble ī the word of god for pleasure or dyspleasure of man. Also learne in Paule that he preferred the [Page] fre preachynge of Goddes worde aboue his deliueraūce out of prisone / to teach vs to do suche lyke / & nat to care for our selfe so by vs goddes worde be promoted.

♣These thīges y ^t was for the eternall saluacion of these Ephesiās / the Apostle sent thē by wrytīg. These thingꝭ that ꝑteined to him selfe & his case he was in / he wrote nat thē / but left thē to be shewed by a fay­thful messēger called Tichicus a faythful ministre to Paul in ꝑson / which shuld cer­tify these Ephesiās of al thīges cōcernīg Paul / which shulde cōforte their hartꝭ he rynge the lorde to be presente with Paule in preson / & glad in the lorde / patiently ta­kyng his affection / & also that more glory was gyuen to god and the worde of God more promoted by Paules prisonmēt / thē [Page] yf he shulde haue ben out of prison / & tha, fewe or none dyd shrynke from the gospel by reason of his affliction or imprisonmēt ye y ^t many did receyue y ^e gospel vnfainedly seīg hys patiēce & cōstancy in his afflic­cyons / these thīges with dyuerse other he lefte to be shewed by Tichicus a faythfull messēger whō he greatly cōmendeth / by whō he sēt this Epestle to these Ephesiās Peace be vnto the brethren, & loue with fayth frō god y ^e father & from the lorde Iesu Christ. Grace be w ^t all them that loue oure Lorde Ie­sus Christ vnfaynedly. Amen.

♣Nowe he makes and ende of hꝭ Epestle & desireth peace / charyte / faith grace & the fauer of god to al thē that loue our lord Ie­sꝰ christ vnfaynedly / to god be al honour & glory worlde without ende. Amen.