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THer were falce prophetes amonge the [ A] people / even as ther shalbe falce tea∣chers amonge you: wich prevely shall* 1.1 brynge in damnable sectes / even denyinge the Lorde that hath bought them / and brynge vpon them selves swyft damnacion / and ma∣ny shall folowe their damnable wayes / by which the waye of trueth shalbe evyll spo¦ken of / and thorow * coveteousnes shall they
with fayned wordes make marchandyse of you / whose iudgement is not farre of / and the it dampnacion slepeth not.
For yf god spared not the angels that syn∣ned / but [ B] cast them doune into hell / and delyue¦red them in chaynes of darknes / to be kept vn¦to iudgement. Nether spared the olde worlde but saved Noe the ryghte preacher of righte∣wesnes / and brought in the flud vpon the worlde of the vngodly / and turned the cities of zodom and Gomor into asshes: overthrewe them / damned thē / & made on them an ensam∣ple vnto all y• after shuld live vngodly. And iust Lot vexed with the vnclenly conversaciō of the wicked / delivered he. For he beynge ryghteous and dwellynge amonge them / in seynge and hearynge / vexed his righteous soule from daye to daye with their vnlawfull dedes. The lorde knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptacion / and how to reserve the vniuste vnto the daye of iudgement for to be punisshed: namely them that walke after the flesshe in the lust of vnclennes / and despy¦se the rulars. Presumpteous are they / & stub∣borne and feare not to speake evyll of them that are in auctorite. When ye angels which are greater bothe in power and myght / recea∣ve [ C] not of ye lorde raylynge iudgement agaynst them. But these as brute beastes / naturally made to betaken and destroyed / speake evyll of that they knowe not / and shall perisshe through their awne destruccion / and receave the rewarde of vnrightewesnes.
They count it pleasure to live deliciously for a season. Spottes they are & filthines / li∣vinge at pleasure & in disceaveable wayes fea¦stynge with you: havinge eyes full of advou∣trie & that cānot cease to synne / begylynge vn¦stable soules. Hertes they have exercised wt coveteousnes. They are cursed chyldren / & ha¦ve forsaken the right waye / & are gone astraye* 1.2 folowinge ye waye of Balam the sonne of Bo¦sor / which loved the rewarde of vnrightewes¦nes: but was rebuked of his iniquitie. The ta¦me & dōme beast / speakinge with mānes voy¦ce / forbade the folisshnes of the Prophete.
These are welles without water / & cloudes caried about of a tēpest / to whome the myst of darcknes is reserved for ever. For when they* 1.3 have spokē the swellinge wordes of vanytie / [ D] they begyle wt wantānes thorowe ye lustes of the flesshe / them that were clene escaped: but now are wrapped in errours. They promys them libertye / & are them selves ye bonde ser∣vaunte of corrupcion. For of whom soever a* 1.4 man is over come / vnto ye same is he in bonda¦ge. For yf they / after they have escaped from the filthynes of the worlde thorowe ye know ledge of ye Lorde & of ye saviour Iesus Christ / they are yet tāgled agayne therin & overcome: then is ye latter ende worsse with them then the beginninge. For it had bene better for thē / not to have * 1.5 knowne ye waye of righteousnes then after they have knowē it / to turne frō the holy cōmaundmēt gevē vnto them. It is hap¦pened vnto them accordinge to the true pro∣verbe:
The dogge is turned to his vomet a∣gayne / * 1.6 and the sow that was wesshed / to her wallowynge in the myre.
False pro¦phetes m∣ust nedes be amōge∣st vs and also pre∣uayle / & y• because we haue no loue to the tru¦the .ij. the ij. And co¦uetousn∣es is the father of them: and their prea¦chinge cō¦fioence in workes is the denyē¦ge of Ch¦rist.
Balam. nu.. xxij
iude. j. d.
ioh. viij. rom. vj. c heb. vj. a. mat. xij.
It is let¦ter not to haue kno¦wen the truthe / then not to lyue th¦er after.
prou. xxj