The .iii. Chapiter.
The texte.
BAse and lowe are these thinges, & vnbesemyng the true mēbres of Christ. But if ye to worldly affayres be vere∣ly dead, & risen againe with Christ to the desyre of high and euerlastyng treasures and commodities, sette at naught suche vile matters, and seeke for heauēly plea∣sures and thinges aboue, where Christ your head sit∣teth at the right hand of God his father. For mete it is that al the studyes and cares of the membres were directed to that place, wheras the head is now present, and where the same shall with the head hereafter reigne for euer. For there liueth euery man, where he loueth.
The texte.
To this world ye seme dead, as whiche are neither delited with worldly wealth, nor yet regarde suche phāta•ies, wherwith the worldly people are delited. Wherfore ye liue not here among men, & yet liue ye with Christ before God, though y• in the meane season after y• iudgement of the world your life be hidden. But what tyme Christ shall come againe, and shewe both his glory and the glory of his body to all the worlde, then shall men see you with your head, partakers of glory.
The texte.
In the meane season diligently endeuour, that all the body be like vn∣to the high and heauenly head, whose mēbres if they here dye not vtterly to carnal desyres, they cannot in heauen liue with Christ. The deuil hath Page [unnumbered] also his body, whiche I elswhere called the body of synne. His membres are fornicacion, whiche among worldly people is euē praised, vnclenues, vnnatural luste, and suche other desyres more filthy, than are mete to be named, desyre of hurtful thinges, as of glorye, honour, and vengeance, especially desyre of money, which synne among al other nighest draweth to the most outragious wickednes of all, that is to wete, to the worship∣pyng* of idols. To these sinnes whosoeuer be subiecte, cannot be parta∣ker of the glory of Christ. So farre are they from beyng the true children of God, whiche are with suche outragious vices corrupted, that for the like, he fiersely raged euen vpon his owne people the Iewes, destroiyng and disenherityng them as disobedient children. With suche like horri∣ble vices was your life also once corrupted, what tyme ye were not yet through baptisme dead with Christ, but liued as your frowarde desyres led you. Now synce Christ hath in him lefte nothyng that is mortal and yearthly, meete it is, synce through him ye are borne againe, that ye cast away all the filthynes of your olde and former life. And not onely cast a∣way suche great enormities, as we now spoke of: but also suche thinges, wherin the comen sorte of mē is wont to beare with them selfes, as wrath, fyersenes, maliciousnes, cursed speakyng, that ye not onely haue your heartes pure from suche desyres, but also your mouth cleane frō al filthy communicacion.
The texte,
Christ is trueth selfe, it is not mete that ye beyng his membres should lye one to an other of you. And to be briefe, synce ye haue put on Christ, put of all the old yearthly man, with al his workes & desyres, and put on a new mā whiche wyl neuer be olde, but by reason that in him the know∣ledge of God dayly more and more encreaseth, florisheth and buddeth vp* into better and greater, after the image of Christ, which beyng a new mā him selfe, builded in vs a new man, extinguishyng the olde. For as many of vs as are planted into Christes bodye, are so farre gone from that we were, as though we were newe made againe, in somuche that now no dif¦ference is there betwixt Gentile and Iewe, betwixte the circumcised and vncircumcised, betwixte the wylde Scithian, and the Grecian and man of Athens, nor yet betwixt the free and the bonde. Among menne suche differences are passed vpon, but before God there is of suche thynges no regarde, but Christ whiche is indifferently comen to all, onely geueth al thinges to al men. Christ is to y• bondman, fredome, to the poore man ry∣ches, to the wylde and barbarous, ciuilitie, to the vncircumcised, circum∣cision. And to be briefe, through him among you are all thinges made equal, because none should disdaine other.
The texte.
Page viiiWherfore in stede of your vile membres and vnbesemyng Christ, put on other membres, contrary to those filthy membres, which we before re∣hersed, and in stede of them putte on suche as are mete for thē, whom God hath chosen out to be holy, and vouchsaued to loue. What membres are they, some wyl say, without doubt suche as Christ him selfe both taught, and put in execucion, I say, tender mercy, that ye be in a readynes to help the weakenes of other, kyndnes, because ye should in comen cōuersacion of life be tractable, humblenes of mynd, lest ye arrogantly auaunce your selfe before other, mekenes, lest ye vpon offenders vse crueltie, long suffe¦ryng, leste ye be hasty to reuenge, but beare eche one with other of you, & eche forgeue other, if through mannes infirmitie any thyng be among you, by reason wherof one might haue a quarel againe an other. It bese∣meth you to forgeue eche others offences, synce Christ, who offended no man, forgaue vs all our trespaces.
The texte.
But aboue all other garmentes especially apparel your selfes with christian charitie, who is so farre from hurtyng any man, that it laboreth to do euery man good, yea to do good for euil. This is the perfite & most sure bonde, wherwith the body of Christ is ioyned together, and the mem∣bres abide fast, whiche would els fal on sonder. With charitie wyl folow peace and concorde, not the comen peace whiche men speake of, but suche as is made and mainteined by the mightie power of Christ, stedfastly. Let her alway in your heartes wynne and haue the vpper hande, let her against malice, pride, wrath, and contencion, haue the victory. For God hath called you to concorde, and hath for that purpose reconciled you all vnto him, and made you as it were, one body, to the entent y• ye like mem∣bres of one body, should among your selfes be of one mynde.
The texte.
Be not vnthankeful, and forgetful of Goddes great goodnes toward you. With him should we not now haue been at peace, had he not freely forgeuen vs all our sinnes: and doeth one brother forgettyng this, make battel againe his brother for a lytle displeasure? Striue not among your selfe for preeminence in worldly wysedome. Let the worde of Christ, whi∣che teacheth thinges belongyng to perfite godlynes, dwel and continue in you plētifully, that in him ye sauer & growe wise, so that not only your selfe knowe, what is to Christ acceptable, but be also able one to teache an other, if any be out of the way, and to geue an other warnyng, if he in his dutie be slacke, in y• meane season at all tyme mery and ioyful in hope of the blisse to come, geuyng praise to God in Psalmes, in Hymnes, and in spiritual songes, praisyng God, not with our mouth onely, but also more speacially with our heart. For suche are the songes, with whō God Page [unnumbered] is delited, lest any thinke it a great praise to God, onely with his mouth to make a noyse.
The texte.
Fynally whatsoeuer ye do either in worde or dede, do it so, that it make to the glory of our lorde Iesus, so that all your life and conuersacion sa∣uer, expresse and resemble him. Whyles ye are this wyse doyng, if any thing befal you, whether it be prospetouse or other wyse, be not therwith either proude, or dismayed, but for all geue thankes to God the father through his sonne, by whom he turneth all suche chaunces to oure weale and auauntage.
The texte.
Ye wyues submitte your selues obediently vnto your husbandes, so besemeth it suche as haue taken vpō them Christes name, for whom it is mete in all goodnes to go beyond other. Ye husbandes againe loue your wyues, whom ye must remembre in suche condicion to be subiecte vnto you, that yet to them ye should not be sharpe and bitter. Ye children be in all thinges obedient to your fathers and mothers, though they com∣maunde you paineful busines, so that the same be not vngodly. For it is Christes wyll and pleasure that ye should so do.
The texte.
Againe ye fathers abuse not your authoritie vpon your children, nor prouoke them so with cruelnes, that they dispayre. Ye seruauntes in all pointes obeye your maisters, whom by the lawe o• man ye are bounde to serue, not onely because they see, and loke vpon you, and for feare, as the comen •orte of heathen seruauntes are wonte to do, thinkyng that they haue done theyr dueties, if they offende not theyr master beyng but a mā, but also with a simple and an vnfained heart doyng your duetie, not on∣ly for feare of man, but also for feare of God, who seeth, with what mynde ye do, whatsoeuer ye do,. Nor consider in your seruice, what your master beyng but a man deserueth, but what seruice soeuer ye do vnto him, what kynde of one soeuer he be, coumpte it, as done to Christ, and not to men, assuryng your selfe, that of him ye shall receiue the rewarde of heauenly inheritaunce, though your vnkynde maister geue you nothyng for your labor, nor accoumpte you among his children. For whiles ye for Christes sake do seruice to vnmete maisters, ye serue Christ.
The texte,
For as the maister yf he against his seruaūt any thing offende, though Page ix he among men be not punyshed, he shall not yet before god escape punish∣ment: so the seruaunt that well doth his duetie, albeit he haue no rewarde of men, whiche with themselues thynke, that they to theyr seruauntes are nothyng bound, when they haue done theyr dueties, yet shal they not loose theyr rewarde at gods hand, who putteth no differēce betwixte persōs but betwixt myndes, nor cōsidereth a mannes condicion, but how wel he doth▪
