The fyrste Chapiter.

The texte.

PAul and Siluanus and Tymothe, vnto the company of the faithfull that are assembled in spirite at Thessalonica, and be of one mynde towardes god our father and the Lord Iesus Chryst. We are bounden to render aboundaunt thankes al∣wayes to god for his aboundaunt liberalytie to you warde, in that you dooe not onelye through his helpe continue sted∣faste in those thinges that you haue begon, but also for that you daylye encreace excedinglye more and more in faythe and loue among your selues one to an other, so muche that I thynke it not necessarie now to kyndle you vnto the applyeng of godlynes by the examples of other, seyng we rather make boaste of you to the other cōgregacions of god, and enflame other vnto vertue by your example: in rehearsing your pacience & stedfaste∣nes of faythe in all your persecucions and affliccions, which you suffer, that the iuste iudgemēt of god may be declared in you hereafter, at suche tyme, as whan you haue suffred vexaciō in this world for y^• glory of his name, he shal admit you into the felowshipe of hys kingdome: And contrary wyse shall commit them vnto eternal punnyshement, that haue persecuted you for ma∣lice of him. For certaynly thys shall be the dealing of goddes righteousnes, to pay vnto either parte rewarde worthie their dedes: to them that punnyshe the innocent, affliccion: and to bestowe vnto you that are troubled with vs, refreshing and comforte with vs in that daye, whan the promisses of the gos∣pel shall appeare, and whan the Lorde Iesus shal shew himselfe out of hea∣uen openly vnto the world, not than after a lowe base degre as he did at his first commyng, but waited vpon with the companyes of angelles, as it is comelye for a myghtie prince: nor than gentill and tractable to heale the wic∣ked, but armed with an horrible fierie flame to rendre vengeaunce vnto them that would not knowe god in this world, nor obeye the gospel of our Lorde Iesus Chryste: so as they shall fele by experience that he is righteous and mightie, whom being mercifull and gentill they set naught by: and so as at leaste they maye learne by their owne punyshmentes perforce to confesse the thinges to be true that the gospel spake of. For they, inasmuch as they neuer Page  [unnumbered] made end of their wicked doing, shal suffer paines y^• neuer shal haue ending: whan they haue loked vpon the diuine face of the lorde and the maiestie of his power, whō thei cōtemned in this world as a rascal or a vile persone. For at his first commyng he came to saue al men, but than he shal come to shewe him selfe gloryous, not in himselfe onely but in al his membres also, that are godly people, to the intent he may appeare wonderful in al them that beleue his gospel. For in that daye the thinges shalbe openly seen of al men in you, which trusted in Christ at our recorde bearing, where y^• vngodly contemned them and would not beleue: which daye that it maye be prosperous and ioy∣full vnto you, we ceasse not to praye to the lord continually for you, that for∣asmuche as it hath pleased him to call you vnto the hope of thys glorye, the same maye vouchesafe also to bee presentlye ready to helpe you in your tra∣uaile thitherwarde, that your conuexsacion be agreable to your profession, and to consūmate and fynishe perfitely that, which of his goodnesse he hath begonne in you: and to geue strength vnto your soules, that in manfullye bearing the vexations of the vngodly, you maye declare, howe myghtye the assured hope of eternal felycitie is in you, for whose sake you passe not euen vpon the life of your bodies: to the intent y^• like as Christ glorified the father by his death, & was glorified of hym agayne by his resurreccion: so the name of the lord Iesu Christ maye be glorified now by your sufferaunce, and you glorified agayn by him in the daye of his commyng, not accordyng to your owne desertes but according to the mercy of our god and of the Lorde Iesu Christe, without whose helpe all that you go about were of none effect.