The Byble in Englyshe that is to saye, the content of all the holye scrypture, bothe of the olde and newe Testament, truly translated after the veryte of the Hebrue and Greke textes, by the diligent studye of dyuers excellent lerned [men e]xperte in the fore[saide] tongues.

¶ He prophecyeth of false teachers, and sheweth theyr pu∣nyshemente.

CAPI. II.

THere were false prophet{is} also amonge [unspec A] the people, euen as * 1.1 ther shalbe false techers amōg you: which priuely shal bring in damnable sectes (euen denyeng the Lord that hath bought thē, & bryng vpon thē sel∣ues swyft dānacion, and many shall folowe their damnable wayes, by whom the waye of trueth shal be euyl spoken of, and thorow couetousnes shall they wyth sayned wordes make marchaūdise of you, whose iudgemet is nowe not farre of, & their damnacyon sle∣peth not.

For yf God spared not the angels that si∣ned, [unspec B] but cast them downe into hell, and dely ••ed them into chaynes of darckenes {fleur-de-lys} (to be punyshed) to be kept vnto iudgemēt: neither spared the olde worlde, but saued * 1.2 No•• the eyght preacher of ryghtuousnes, & brought in the floud vpon the world of the vngodly, & turned the cities of Zodom & Gomor into asshes: ouerthre we them, damned them, and made on them an ensample vnto those that after shulde lyue vngodly. And iust * 1.3 Lot vexed wyth the vnclenly cōuersacyon of the wycked, delyuered he. For he beyng ryghtu¦ous, and dwellynge among them in seynge and hearyng, vexed his rightuous soule frō daye to day wyth theyr vnlawfull dedes. * 1.4 The Lorde knoweth how to delyuer the vn godly out of temptacyon, and to reserue the

vniust vnto to the day of iudgement for to be punyshed: but chefely them that walke af¦ter the flesshe in the lust of vnclennes, & de∣spyse auctoryte. Presūptuous are they, and [unspec C] stubborne, which feare not to speake euyl of them that excell in worshyp. When the An∣gels whiche are greater both in power and might, receyue not of y^• Lorde raylyng iudg∣ment against thē selues. But these as brute beastes, naturally brought forth to be takē & destroyed, speake euyl of the thynges that they vnderstande not, & shal perysh in their owne destruccion, & receyue the rewarde of vnryghtuousnes.

They coūt it pleasure to lyue delycyously for a season. Spottes they are & fylthynes: which lyue at pleasure in their owne discey∣uable wayes, feastynge with you: hauynge eyes ful of aduoutry, and that cannot cease from synne, begylyng vnstable soules. Her∣tes they haue exercysed wyth couetousnes. They are cursed chyldren whyche haue for∣saken the ryght waye, and are gone astraye [unspec D] folowyng the * 1.5 way of Balā the sōne of B••∣for, whiche loued the rewarde of vnryghtu∣ousnes: but was rebuked of his iniquytie. The tame and dome beast, speakynge wyth mannes voyce, forbade the madnesse of the Prophete.

These are welles wythout water: clou∣des that are caried with a tēpest, to whō the myst of darckenes is reserued for euer. For when they haue spoken the great swellynge wordes of vanitie, they enuse thorow iustes in the voluptuousnes of the flesshe, thē that were cleane escaped: euen thē that now lyue in errour, whyle they promes them lybertye, where as they thē selues are the bōd seruaū∣tes of corrupcyon. * 1.6 For of whom a man is ouercome, vnto y^• same is he brought in bon¦dage, ‡ 1.7 For yf they (after they haue escaped from the fylthynes of the world thorow the knowledge of the Lord and the sauyour Ie∣sus Christ) are yet rāgled againe therin, and ouercome * 1.8 then is the latter ende worse w^t them then the begynnyng. For it had bene better for them, not to haue knowē the way* 1.9 of ryghtuousnes, then after they haue kno∣wen it, to turne from the holy cōmaundemēt that was gyuen vnto thē: But the same is happened vnto the that is vsed to be spokē by the true prouerbe. * 1.10 The dogge is turned to his vomet agayne, and the sow that was washed is turned agayne to her walowyng in the myer.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Actis. ••y. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 1. Tim. 4. a 2. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. ••. d 2. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. i. d 〈◊〉〈◊〉. ••••
• * 1.2

  Gene. 7. ••
• * 1.3

  Gene. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. ••
• * 1.4

  Iob. xv ••. 1. Cor••••. x. ••
• * 1.5

  Num. 22. ••
• * 1.6

  Iude. i. d
• ‡ 1.7

  Iohn. 8. d Roma. vi. c
• * 1.8

  Hebre. vi. a 〈◊〉〈◊〉. d. x. ••
• * 1.9

  Math. ••2. d
• * 1.10

  Prou••r. xxi