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PAul an Apostle of Iesu Christ / by [ A] the will of God.
To the saynctes which are at Ephesus / & to them which beleve on Iesus Christ.
Grace be with you and peace from God oure fa∣ther / and from the Lorde Iesus Christ.
Blessed be God the father of oure lorde Ie¦sus Christ / which hath blessed vs with all ma¦ner of spirituall blessinges in hevēly thyng{is} by Chryst / accordynge as he had chosen vs in* 1.1 him / before ye foūdaciō of ye worlde was layde / that we shuld be saintes / & without blame be¦fore him / thorow loue. And ordeyned vs before thorow Iesus Christ to be heyres vnto him sil¦fe* 1.2 / accordinge to the pleasure of his will / to ye prayse of the glorie of his grace where with he hath made vs accepted in the beloved.* 1.3
By whom we have redemption thorow his [ A] bloude euen the forgevenes of synnes / accor∣dynge to the riches of his grace / which grace he shed on vs aboundantly in all wisdome / and perceavaunce. And hath openned vnto vs the * 1.4 mistery of his will accordinge to his pleasure / and purposed the same in hym silfe to have it declared when the tyme were full come / y• all thynges / bothe ye thynges which are in heven / and also the thynges which are in erthe / shuld be gaddered togedder / even in Christ: that is to saye / in him in whom we are made heyres / and were therto predestinate ac∣cordynge* 1.5 to the purpose of him which wor∣keth all thinges after the purpose of his awne will: that we which before beleved in Christ shuld be vnto the prayse of his glory.
In whom also ye (after that ye hearde the worde of trueth / I meane the gospell of youre saluaciō / wherin ye beleved) were sealed with [ C] the holy sprete of promes / which is the er∣nest of oure inheritaunce / to redeme the pur¦chased
possession and that vnto the laude of his glory.
Wherfore even I (after that I hearde of* 1.6 the fayth which ye have in the lorde Iesu / & love vnto all the saynctes) cease not to geve thankes for you / makynge mencion of you in my prayers / that ye God of oure lorde Iesus [ D] Christ and the father of glory / myght geve vnto you the sprete of wisdome / and open to you the knowledge of him silfe / and lighten the eyes of youre myndes / yt ye myght knowe what that hope is / where vnto he hath called* 1.7 you / and what the riches of his glorious in∣heritaunce is apon the sainctes / and what is the excedynge greatnes of his power to vs warde which * 1.8 beleve accordynge to the wor∣kynge of that his mighty power / which he wrought in Christ / when he raysed him from deeth / and set him on his right honde in he∣venly thynges / above all rule / power / and myght and dominacion / and above all names that are named / not in this worlde only / but also in the worlde to come: and hath put all thynges vnder his fete / and hath made him aboue all thynges / ye heed of ye congregacion which is his body and the fulnes of him that filleth all in all thynges.
ANd hath quickened you also that were deed in treaspasse & synne / in y• which* 1.9 in tyme passed ye walked / acordynge to the course of this worlde / and after the gover¦ner that ruleth in the ayer / the sprete y• now
worketh in the children of vnbelefe / amonge which we also had oure conversacion in tyme past / in the lustes of oure flesshe / and fullfil¦led the will of the flesshe and of the mynde: and were * 1.10 naturally the children of wrath / e∣ven as wel as other.
But God which is rich in mercy thorow his greate love wherwith he loved vs / even when we were deed by synne / hath quickened vs together in Christ (for by grace are ye sa∣ved) & hath raysed vs vp together & made vs* 1.11 sitte together in hevenly thynges thorow [ A] Christ Iesus / for to shewe in tymes to come the excedynge ryches of his grace / in kynd∣nes to vs warde in Christ Iesu. For by grace are ye made safe thorowe fayth / and that not of youre selves. For it is the gyfte of God / & commeth not of workes / lest eny man shuld bost him silfe. For we are his worckmanship¦pe / created in Christ Iesu vnto good wor∣kes / vnto the which god ordeyned vs before / that we shuld walke in them.
Wherfore remēber y• ye beynge in tyme pa¦ssed gētyls in ye flesshe / & were called vncircū∣cision to thē which are called circūcisiō in the flesshe / which circūcision is made by hondes: Remēber I saye / y• ye were at that tyme wt ou¦te Christ / & were reputed aliantes from the cōmen welth of Israel / & were straūgers frō the * 1.12 testamente of promes / & had no hope / & were with out god in this worlde. But now [ C] in Christ Iesu / ye which a whyle agoo were farre of / are made nye by ye bloude of Christ.
For he is oure peace / whych hath made of both one / and hath broken doune the * 1.13 wall yt was a stoppe bitwene vs / and hath also put awaye thorow his flesshe / the cause of hatred (that is to saye / the lawe of commaundemen¦tes [ D] contayned in the lawe written) for to ma∣ke of twayne one newe mā in him silfe / so ma¦kynge peace: and to recōcile both vnto god in one body thorow his crosse / and slewe hat∣red therby: and came and preached peace to you which were a farre of / and to them that were nye. For thorow him we both have an o∣pen waye in / in one sprete vnto che father.
✚ Now therfore ye are no moare straūgers & foreners: but citesyns with the saynetes / and of the housholde of god: and are bilt apon the foundacion of the apostles and prophetes / Ie¦sus Christ beynge the heed corner stone / in whom every bildynge coupled togedder / gro∣weth vnto an holy temple in ye lorde / in whō* 1.14 ye also are bilt togedder / & made an habitaciō for god in the sprete. ⊢
FOr this cause I Paul ā in ye bōdes of Iesus christ for youre sake which are [ A] hethen: Yf ye have hearde of the mini¦stracion of the grace of god which is geven* 1.15 me to you warde. For by revelacion shewed he this mistery vnto me / as I wrote above in feawe wordes / wherby when ye rede ye maye knowe myneivnderstondynge in the mistery of Christ / which mistery in tymes passed was not opened vnto the sonnes of men / as it is no we declared vnto his holy apostles and pro∣phetes
by the sprete: that the gentyls shuld be inheritours also / and of the same body / and partakers of his promis yt is in Christ / by ye meanes of the gospell / wherof I am made a minister / by the gyfte of the grace of god ge∣vē vnto me thorow y• workynge of his power.
Vnto me the lest of all sayntes is this grace geven / that I shuld preache amonge the gen∣tyls [ B] the vnsearchable ryches of Christ / and to make all mense what the felyshippe of the mi¦stery is / which from the begynnynge of the worlde hath bene hid in God which made all thynges thorow Iesus Christ / to the intent / that now vnto the rulars & powers in heven myght be knowē by the cōgregacion ye many folde wisdome of god / accordinge to y• eternall purpose / which he purposed in Christ Iesu ou¦re lorde / by whō we are bolde to drawe nye in yt trust / which we have by faith on hi ✚ Wherfo¦re I desire yt ye faynt not because of my trybu¦laciōs for youre sakes: which is youre prayse.
For this cause I bowe my knees vnto the father of oure lorde Iesus Christ / which is fa¦ther over all that ys called father In heven & in erth / that he wolde graunt you acordynge [ C] to the ryches of his glory / that ye maye be strenghted with myght by his sprete in the in¦ner man / y• Christmaye dwell in youre hertes by * 1.16 fayth / y• ye beynge roted & grounded in loue / myght be able to comprehen de with all sayntes / what ys that bredth aud length / deepth and heyth: and to knowe what is the love of Christ / which love passeth knowledge:
that ye might be fulfilled with all manner of fulnes which commeth of God.
Vnto him that is able to do excedynge aboū¦dantly above all that we axe or thynke / ac∣cordynge to the power that worketh in vs / be prayse in the congregacion by Iesus Christ / thorowout all generaciōs from tyme to tyme Amen. ⊢
I Therfore which am in bondes for the [ A] lordes sake / exhorte you / that ye walke worthy of the vocacion wherwith ye a∣re called / in all humblenes of mynde / and me∣knes / * 1.17 and longe sufferynge / for bearinge one another thorowe love / and that ye be dyligēt to kepe ye vnitie of ye sprete in the bonde of pe¦ace / beynge one body / and one sprete / evē as ye* 1.18 are called in one hope of youre callynge. Let therbe but one lorde / one fayth / one baptim: one god and father of all / which is above all / thorow all and in you all.
✚ Vnto every one of vs is geven grace acord¦inge to the measure of ye gyft of christ. Wher∣fore he sayth: He is gone vp an hye / and hath ledde captivitie captive / & hath geven gyftes vnto men. That he ascended: what meaneth [ B] it / but that he also descended fyrst into the lo∣west parties of the erth? He that descended / is even the same also that ascended vp / even abo¦ve all hevens / to fulfill all thinges.
And the very same made some Apost les / so¦me prophete / some Evangelistes / some Shep¦erdes / some Teachers: yt the sainctes might* 1.19 have all thing{is} necessarie to worke & minister
with all / to the edifyinge of the body of christ / tyll we every one (in the vnitie of fayth / and knowledge of the sonne of god) growe vp vn∣to a parfayte man / after ye measure of * 1.20 age of fulnes of Christ. ✚ That we hence forth be no moare chyldren / wauerynge and caryed with every wynde of doctryne / by the wyly∣nes of men and craftynes / wherby they laye a [ B] wayte for vs to deceave vs.
But let vsfolowe the trueth in loue / and in all thynges growe in him which is the heed / that ys to saye Christ / in whom all the body ys coupled and knet togedder in every ioynt wherwith one ministreth toanother (accordin¦ge to the operacion as every parte hath his measure) and increaseth the body / vnto the edyfyinge of it silfe in love.
✚ This I saye therfore & testifie in ye lorde / that ye hence forth walke not as other gen∣tyls walke / in vanitie of their mynde / blyn∣ded in their vnderstondynge / beynge straun∣gers from the lyfe which is in god thorow the ignorancy that is in them / because of the* 1.21 blyndnes of their hertes: which beynge past repentaunce / have geven them selves vnto [ C] wantannes / to worke all manner of vnclen∣nes / even with gredynes. But ye have not so learned Christ / if so be ye have hearde of him / and are taught in him / even as the trueth is in Iesu. So then as concernynge the cōversa¦cion in tyme past / laye from you that olde mā / which is corrupte thorow the deceavable lu∣stes* 1.22 ✚ and be ye renued in the sprete of youre
myndes / and put on that newe man / which af¦ter the ymage of God is shapen in ryghtewes¦nes [ F] and true holynes. ✚ Wherfore put awa∣ye lyinge / and speake every man truth vnto his neghbour / for as moche as we are mem∣bers one of another. Be angrye but synne not* 1.23 let not the sonne go doune apon youre wrathe nether geue place vnto ye back byter. Let him y• stole / steale no moare / but let him rather labou¦re with his hondes some good thing{is} that he* 1.24 maye have to geve vnto him that nedeth. ⊢
Let no filthy cōmunicacion procede out of youre mouthes: but yt whych is good to ede¦fye* 1.25 with all / when nede ys: that it maye have faveour with the hearers. And greve not the holy sprete of God / by whome ye are sealed vnto the daye of redempcion. Let all bitternes fearsnes and wrath / ••orrnge and cursyd spea¦kynge / be* 1.26 put awaye from you / with all malici¦ousnes. Be ye courteouse one to another / and mercifull / forgevynge one another / evē as god for Christes sake forgave you.
BE ye folowers of god as dere children / [ A] and walke in love even as Christ loved vs & gave him silfe for vs / an offerynge and a sacrifyce of a swete saver to god. So∣that fornicacion and all vnclennes / or covete¦ousnes* 1.27 be not once named amonge you / as it be commeth saynctes: nether filthynes / ne∣ther folishe talkyng / nether gestinge which are not comly: but rather gevynge of thankes For this ye knowe / yt no whormonger / other
vnclene person / or coveteous person which is* 1.28 the worshipper of ymages / hath eny inheri∣taunce in the kyngdome of Christ & of God.
Let no mā deceave you with vayne wordes. [ B] For thorow soche thinges cōmeth the wrath* 1.29 of God vpon the chyldrē of vnbelefe. Be not therfore companions with them. Ye were on∣ce dercknes / but are now light in the Lorde.
Walke as chyldren of light. For the frute of the sprete is in all goodnes / rightewesnes & trueth. ✚ Accept that which is pleasinge to the Lorde: and have no fellishippe with the vnfrutfull workes of dercknes: but rather re∣buke [ C] them. For it is shame even to name tho¦se* 1.30 thinges which are done of them in secrete: but all thinges / when they are rebuked of the light / are manifest. For whatsoever is mani∣fest / that same is light. Wherfore he sayth: awake thou that slepest / and stond vp from deeth / and Christ shall geve the light.
✚ Take hede therfore that ye walke circū∣spectly: not as foles: but as wyse * 1.31 redemyn∣ge the tyme: for ye dayes are evyll. Wherfore / be ye not vnwyse / but vnderstonde what the will of the Lorde is / & be not dronke with wy¦ne / wherin [ D] is e••cesse: but be fulfilled with the sprete / speakynge vnto youre selves in psal∣mes / & ymnes / & spretuall songes / synginge & makinge melodie to y• Lorde in youre hertes / gevinge thankes all wayes for all thinges vn¦to God the father / in the name of oure Lorde* 1.32 Iesu Christ: submittinge youre selves one to another in the feare of God. ⊢
Wemen submit youre selves vnto youre* 1.33 awne husbandes / as vnto the Lorde. For the husbande is the wyves heed / even as Christ [ E] is the heed of the congregacion / & the same is* 1.34 the saveoure of the body. Therfore as the cō∣gregacion is in subieccion to Christ / lykwyse let the wyves be in subieccion to their husban¦des* 1.35 in all thinges. Husbandes love youre wy¦ves / even as Christ loved the congregacion / & gave him silfe for it / to sanctifie it / and clen∣sed it in the * 1.36 fountayne of water thorow the [ F] worde / to make it vnto him selfe / a glorious congregacion with oute spot or wrynckle / or eny soche thinge: but that it shuld be holy and with out blame.
So ought men to love their wyves / as the∣ir awne bodyes. He that loveth his wyfe / lo∣veth him sylfe. For no mā ever yet / hated his awne flesshe: but norissheth and cherisseth it even as the lorde doth the congregacion. For [ G] we are members of his body / of his flesshe / & of his bones. For this cause shall a man lea∣ve father and mother / and shall cōtinue with his wyfe / and two shalbe made one flesshe.* 1.37 This is a great secrete / but I speake bitwe∣ne Christ and the cōgregacion. Nevertheles∣se do ye so that every one of you love his wy∣fe truely even as him silfe. And let y• wyfe se that she feare her husbāde.
CHyldren obey youre fathers & mothers* 1.38 in the Lorde: for so is it right. Honoure [ A] thy father & mother / that is the fyrst commaundement that hath eny promes / that
thou mayst be in good estate / & lyve longe on the erthe. And ye fathers / move not youre chil¦dren [ B] to wrath: but bringe thē vp wt the norter* 1.39 & informaciō of ye Lorde. Servaūtes be obedi¦ent* 1.40 vnto youre carnall masters / with feare & trunblinge / in singlenes of youre herte / as vn¦to Christ: not wt service in y• ••ye sight / as men pleasars: but as the servaūtes of Christ / doyn¦ge ye will of God frō the herte with good will servinge ye Lorde / & not men. And remember* 1.41 that whatsoever good thinge eny man doeth / that shall he receave agayne of the Lorde / whe¦ther he be bonde or fre. And ye masters / do evē [ C] the same thinges vnto them / puttinge awaye threateninges: and remember that even youre master also is in heven / nether is ther eny re∣specte of person with him.
✚ Finally my brethrē / be stronge in the Lor¦de / & in the power of his myght. Put on y• ar∣mour of God / that ye maye stonde stedfast a∣gaynst y• crafty assa••tes of the devyll. For we wrestle not agaynst flesshe and bloud: but a∣gaynst rule / agaynst power / & agaynst worldy rulars of y• darckenes of this worlde / agaynst spretuall wickednes for hevenly thinges. [ D]
For this cause take vnto you the * 1.42 armoure of God / yt ye maye be able to resist in the evyll daye / and to stonde perfect in all thinges.
Stonde therfore & youre loynes gyrd abou¦te with veritie / havinge on the brest plate of rightewesnes / and shood with showes prepa¦red by the gospell of peace. Above all take to you the shelde of fayth / wherwith ye maye
quenche all y• fyrie dartes of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvaciō / & the swearde of the sprete / which is the worde of God. ✚ And praye all wayes with all māner prayer & sup∣plicaciō: & y• in the sprete: & watch ther vnto wt all instance & supplicaciō for all saynctes / and for me / that vttraunce maye be gevē vnto me / that I maye open my mouth boldly / to vtter the secretes of the gospell / wherof I am a mes¦senger in bondes / that therin I maye speake frely / as it becommeth me to speake. [ D]
But that ye maye also knowe what condi∣cion I am in & what I do / Tichicus my deare brother and faythfull minister in the Lorde / shall shewe you of all thinges / whom I sent vnto you for the same purpose / that ye myght knowe what case I stonde in / & that he myght comfort youre hertes.
Peace be with the brethren / and love with fayth / from God the father & from the Lorde Iesu Christ. Grace be with all them which love oure lorde Iesus Christ in puernes. Amē
ij. cor. ••. a j. pet. j. a.
Predesti∣nacion.
Redemp∣cion is the forgeue∣nes of sin¦nes.
Myste∣rie is secre¦te coūcell.
predesti∣nacion.
Where fayth to christ is / there is lo¦ue to all that are sanctified in his blo¦ude.
Hope.
Fayth is the wor∣ke of god onlye / euē as was the raysi∣ge vp of Christ.
coll. ij. b.
We be all by na∣ture the children of wrath & heyres of damna¦cion.
The pro∣myses of mercye in Christes bloude / a∣re made vs on th¦at condici¦on that we kepe ye lawe & lo¦ue one a∣nother as christ lo∣ued vs.
The gē¦tyles tyll christ ca∣me were not vnder the coue∣naunt of mercie: but the Iewes on¦ly.
Moses lawe / th∣at was y• wall and cause of hate bet∣wene the Iewes ād gētyles: is teken a waye. In whole ste¦de is loue come / to loue one ano∣ther as Christ, lo¦ned vs.
Founda∣cion is the worde of God.
Paule was an a postle to the hethē and lear∣ned his gospell bi¦reuelaciō
Where true faith in Christ is / theris loue to y• neyboure And faith and loue maketh•• vs vnder stonde all thinges. Fayth vn derston∣deth y• se∣cretes of god & the mercie th¦at is ge∣uen hir in Christ And loue knoweth hir dutie to hirney boure / ād caninter∣prete all lawes & ordinaū¦ces & kno¦weth how farre for∣th they a∣re to be ke¦pt & whē to be dis∣pensed with.
The ly∣uynge of a tru be∣leuer.
rom. xij. j. cor. xij. One god One lor∣de. One fayth. One bap tyme rom. xij. j. co. xij. ij. cor. x. psalx vij.
j. co. xij.
Wherfo¦re the tru ministers of the con¦gregaciō serue. E∣uen to ma¦ke vs per¦fect mē in the full knowled∣ge of Christ.
Ignora∣unce is cause of euell ly∣uinge.
rom. vj. a coll. iij. ••. hebr. xij. j. pe. ij. a. and. iij. a.
Advenge not. psa▪ iiij. b
Steale not.
Fylthe cō¦munica∣cion.
They th∣at haue yt spirite of god shal∣be greued to heare soche thin¦ges.
••n godlie cōmunica¦cion stren¦ghthneth▪ the bodye agaynst y• spirite.
These ha¦ue no pa••¦te with Christ.
ij. the .ij. a mat. xxij mar. xiij. luc. xx••. b
Igno ••••∣unce is cause of euell doy∣nge.
Redem••¦ge y• tyme: that is sp¦endynge the tyme well. coll. iiij. rom. vij. j. thes. iij.
Collo. iij
••. cor. xj. a
collo. ij. c ••. pet. iij.
Husban∣des.
Bapty∣me saueth thorow y• word••▪ th¦at is tho∣row faith in thewor¦de accor∣dynge to the coue∣naunt ma¦de in Ch∣rist
gene. ij. d mat. xix. mar. x. a. j. co. vj. d
Chyldrē. coll. iij. d. exo. xx. deu. v••. c. eccle. iij / b mat. xv. mar. vij.
Fathers.
coll. iij. d titus .ij. c j. pet. ij. ••
Christ hath pur¦chased a rewarde for all th••¦ges. Masters.
The ar∣moure of god folo∣weth: v••∣ryte / the shoes of a stedfast purpose to folow the gos∣pell: fay∣th / the hel¦meth of saluaciō: the wor∣de of god which is the swer∣de. &c.