The. holie. Bible. conteynyng the olde Testament and the newe.

¶The first Chapter.

1 Paul sheweth by whom and to what purpose he is called. 16 What the Gospell is. 18 The vengeaunce of God vpon the wicked. 20 The vse of the creatures. 24 The ingratitude and punishement of the wicked.

[unspec A] 1 PAul the seruaunt of Ie∣sus Christe, (a) 1.1 called [to be] an Apostle, seuered into the Gospel of God.

2 Which he had promi∣sed afore by his prophe∣tes in y^e holy scriptures

3 Of his sonne, which was made of the * 1.2seede of Dauid after the fleshe:

4 And hath ben declared to be the sonne of (b) 1.3 God, with power after the spirite that sanctifieth, by the resurrectiō from the dead, of Iesus Christe our Lorde.

5 *By whom we haue receaued grace and apostleship, that obedience myght be geuen vnto the fayth in his name, a∣mong all heathen.

6 Among whom, ye are also the called of Iesus Christe: ☜

7 To all that be in Rome, beloued of God, saintes by callyng, * 1.4grace to you, and peace, from God our father, and the Lorde Iesus Christe.

8 First verily I thanke my God through Iesus Christe for you all, that your fayth is publisshed throughout all the worlde.

9 For God is my witnesse, whom I serue * 1.5 with my spirite in the Gospell of his sonne, that without ceassyng I make mention of you,

10 Praying alwayes * 1.6in my prayers, that [unspec B] by some meane at the last, one tyme or other, I myght take a prosperous iour∣ney by the wyll of God, to come vnto you.

11 For I long to see you, that I myght bestowe among you some spirituall gift, that ye myght be stablisshed.

12 That is, that I might haue consolati∣on together with you, eche with others fayth, yours and mine.

13 I woulde that ye should knowe bre∣thren, howe that I haue oftentymes purposed to come vnto you (* 1.7and haue ben let hytherto,) that I myght haue some fruite also among you, as among other of the gentiles.

14 I am debter both to the grekes, and to the (c) 1.8 barbarous, both to the wyse, and to the vnwise.

15 So that as much as in me is, I am redy to preache the Gospell to you that are at Rome also.

16 For I am not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ, because it is the power of God vnto saluation to all that beleue, to the Iewe first, and also to the Greke.

17 For by it is the ryghteousnes of God opened frō fayth to fayth. As it is writ∣ten: the iuste shall lyue by fayth.

18 For the wrath of God (d) 1.9 appeareth [unspec C] from heauen, against all vngodlynesse & vnrighteousnes of men, which (e) 1.10 with∣holde the trueth in vnrighteousnes.

19 For that that may be knowen of God, is manifest among them, because God hath shewed it vnto them.

20 For his inuisible thinges, being vnder∣standed by his workes, through the cre∣ation of the worlde, are seene, that is, both his eternall power and godhead: So that they are without excuse.

21 Because that when they knewe God, they glorified hym not as God, neither were thankefull, but waxed full of vani∣ties in their imaginations, *and their foolishe heart was blynded.

22 When they counted them selues wyse, they became fooles:

23 * 1.11And turned the glorie of the immor∣tall God, vnto an image, made not only after the similitude of a mortal man, but also of birdes, and foure footed * 1.12beastes, and of crepyng beastes.

24 Wherefore God gaue them vp to vn¦cleanenesse, through the lustes of their [unspec D] owne heartes, to defyle their owne bo¦dies among them selues.

25 Whiche chaunged his (f) 1.13 trueth for a lye, and worshipped and serued the cre∣ature, more then the creator, which is to be praysed for euer. Amen.

26 Wherefore God gaue them vp vnto shamefull lustes: *For euen their wo∣men dyd chaunge the naturall vse, into that which is agaynst nature.

27 And likewise also, the men left the na∣turall vse of the woman, and brent in their lustes one with another, * and men with men wrought fylthynesse, and re∣ceaued to them selues the rewarde of their errour (as it was accordyng)

28 And as they regarded not to knowe God: * 1.14 euen so God deliuered them vp vnto a leude mynde, that they should do those thinges which were not comely:

29 Beyng full of all vnrighteousnes, for∣nication, craftynesse, couetousnes, ma∣liciousnes, full of enuie, murther, debate, deceite, euyll conditioned, whysperers,

30 Backbyters, haters of God, dispiteful, proude, boasters, bryngers vp of euyll thinges, disobedient to father & mother:

31 Without vnderstandyng, couenaunt breakers, without naturall affection, truice breakers, vnmercyfull.

32 The whiche knowyng the righteous∣nes of God, howe that they which com∣mit such thynges are worthy of death, not only do the same, * 1.15but also haue pleasure in them that do them.

Notes

• (a) 1.1

  By this he declareth, that he came not into the office of the apostleship by his owne ar∣rogancie, but by the callyng of God, wher∣by he differeth from the false Apostles.
• * 1.2

  Math. i. a.
• (b) 1.3

  The ma∣ner of wayes Paul shew∣eth here christ to be declared the sonne of God. First, by power or workynge of miracles. Secondly, by the holy ghost appearyng in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 signes. Thirdly, by his resurrec∣tion from the dead.
• * 1.4

  i Cor. i. •• G••th •• ••.
• * 1.5

  Iohn. iiii. c. i. Cor. iii. c.
• * 1.6

  Phil. i. a. Coloss. i. a.
• * 1.7

  Act. xxvi. b
• (c) 1.8

  All those that were not Iewes, by a comon worde were called heathen. And here they are deuided into Grekes & bar¦barous. By Grekes, he vnderstādeth those that wer learned, cruel, and of good bryngyng vp. By barba∣rous, he mea∣neth rude and sauage people, with whō no man coulde well haue to do.
• (d) 1.9

  Which ap¦peraunce the worlde know¦eth nothyng of. For in the syght of God all men are godlesse, syn∣ners, and the chyldren of wrath: & whē they knowe any thynge of God, yet they be naught, be∣cause they ney¦ther thanke him, nor serue hym, and ther¦fore plagues are powred vppon them from heauen.
• (e) 1.10

  They hold the trueth in vnryghteous∣nes, y^e whiche vnderstande the trueth, & do not expresse the same in their deedes and lyfe.
• * 1.11

  Psal. cvi. c. Ierem. ii. c.
• * 1.12

  Eze. xiiii. b.
• (f) 1.13

  By his trueth▪ here he vnderstan∣deth the glorie of God, and his true reli∣gion: and a lie he calleth ido∣les▪ because the idolaters went about to take away frō wood & stone that whiche they were▪ thynkyng thē to be neither wood nor stone, but at∣tributed to thē that that they were not, that is, diuine po∣wer & nature.
• * 1.14

  Actes. vii. f.
• * 1.15

  Ozee. vii. a.