The seconde Chapter.
The texte.
BBut let them go with their fables, let the naughtynes of these men moue the nothing at all, but that thou remembre thy dutie, and that thou speake those thinges that be in very deade mete for the iernynge of the gospell, that is to saye, y• whiche maye make vs commendable before god for our pure myndes & manners, & declare that we be y• disciples of Christ. Here yu wilt aske me what thiges thei•e y• I would haue theeso to speake and to instructe other in them. Thou shalt warne the elders of the people y• they be sobre, watchfull, & dilygent to all godly workes. And that they ouercome the vnlustynes of their age, with y• couragiousnes of faith. Besyde yt they be graue, not playing the fooles lyke yonge men in their olde age, but that they vse sage maners that the youthe maye haue them in renerence and awe. Teache them to moderate them selfes that they be not way warde and soone angry as the com∣mune sorte of olde men is, but greatly commended not onely for the integrite of their faithe, but besyde for their charitable deades, and pacience in suffrynge of all aduersities, in especiall suche as happen to them for the gospell of Christ.
The texte.
On the same maner thou shalt warne olde wemen that they go apparayled after suche maner as becommeth them that wylbe named christian persones, they must not fynde fautes with the lyuyng of other, whiche faulte is peculiare to this sex and age. They must not be geuen to ouermuche drinkynge of wyne. How be it the vse of wyne must not be denyed to age, so y• it be moderate. They must teache maydens and yong wemen suche thinges as be honest, no nycenes neyther euyll fasshions, and so instruete them that they be wyse and loue theyr husbandes and childrē, that they be sobre and chaste, and kepars of their house and playe the good housewyfes. For this is the hyest prayse y• can be in wemen, to be knowen to be subiecte and obedyent to their husbandes, that the name of God whose religion they professe, be not flaundered thorowe their lewde ma∣ners. Page [unnumbered] For sithen we see the wyues of heathen men to behaue them selfes •yghte womanly in suche poyntes belongyng to womanhed, what shall the vnfaithful say whan they see our christen wemen worse in this behalfe thē their wemen are, seyng it becometh them in al good maners to excell other. Now what thing olde wemen must by thyne instruccion teache yong maydens and yong wyfes, that same shalte thou thy selfe teache yong men exhortynge them to be sobre and of moderate affeccions, that the heate of youthe ouerthrowe them not hedlonge into vice.
The texte.
And that thou mayest the more effectuousely perswade these thinges, firste of all be thou thy selfe an example vnto them of honest doynges, in al that is the dutie of a true christian man to do. For no man doeth soner perswade men to folowe his doctrine, then he that doeth the same that he byddeth other men to do. Thou shalte therfore so teache the youthe, that together with thy doctryne thou shewe▪ thy selfe a lyuely example of a pure and vpright lyfe, corrupte with no maner of vyce at al. And that thou kepe suche grauitie that they haue theyr teacher in reuerence, and be afeared to offende him. Se therfore that thou mo∣derate all thy lyfe and also thy wordes, that there maye nothinge be founde in the that maye be contemned, that not onely they whiche be vnder thy lore maye obey the, but also they whiche afore were against the gospell, maye be ashamed of their euyll saying, whan they shall se all thinges in the so withoute blame, that euen they that lye in wayte for the and seke all the meanes they can to get some occasion to laye somwhat against the, can fynde nothing at all to brynge their entent to passe, neyther in the nor in thyne.
The texte.
Exhorte seruauntes that they be obediente to their masters and seruiceable in al thinges: leste they maye seame thorowe the profession of y• christian faithe, to be made worse than they were afore, and so by them, the naughtines of euyll parsons shalbe reproched to y• gospell. Let them not therfore be full of answers against their maysters and euyll wylled to do their commaundementes, neither must they be pyekers, as the commune sorte of vnthrifty seruauntes be: that as they professe the faythe of Christe, lykewyse they declare them selfes in all seruice to be done to their maysters to be dyligent and true, yea thoughe theyr maisters do but lytle deserue it of them. So that thorowe their honeste behauoure, they commende and set forthe the doctrine of our saueoure god, and that by them mo men maye be drawen to the folowynge therof, whan theyse suche as knowledge themselfes to be christians to be more gentle and amyable then other, in all their conuersacion.
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For in this thorowe the gospell, hath shyned the bountefulnes and exceading great mercy of god our saueour, whiche was afore vnknowen. And it hath not Page [unnumbered] Page [unnumbered] Page xxx shyned onely to the Iewes, but egallye to all men, not that nowe beyng delyue∣red from the burden of Moses lawe, we shoulde lyue after our owne wyll, but we be taught, that after that by baptisme the faultes of our lyfe afore passed be forgeuen vs, and that we swerynge to abyde in Christes doctrine, haue ones renounced and geuen vp wyeked relygion and worshypping of images, and al worldly desires, we shoulde so lyue hereafter in this worlde, that it may appere manifestly that we be truly new borne againe in Christe and made altogether other mē than we were afore. And where as we tofore were the seruantes of wic∣kednes, synne an• fylthye concupiscence, we must from hence forthe kepe suche moderacion that we be in no wyse oppressed with the desyres of worldly thin∣ges. Let vs so obserue the iustyce of liuynge, that we do good to euery man as muche as lyeth in vs, and that we hurte no man, that we maye nowe with a pure conscience geue that honour and worshyp to god that we gaue afore to deuyls. And thoughe paraduent are we be punished with pouertie, infamie, reuilynges, enprisonement, tormentes and dyuerse other euyls▪ yet let vs not thynke y• oure faith and godly lyuyng is baraine and vnfrutefull, nether let vs hunte after rewardes of this worlde, whiche in comparison of thinges to come, be neyther greate nor of any contynua•ce but let vs •oke for that greater rewarde of euer∣lastyng ly•e which shall then chaunce, when after the ende of this worlde, in the whiche the membres of Christ be vexed with many afflictions and ignomies, god the father shall open his glorye and magnificence, in them that be his true worshyppers, all their miseries beyng cleane expussed. At the whiche tyme he shal not appeare humble but gloriouse, & terrible to the wycked. And together with y• father shal appeare in the same glorie, our lord & saueouer Iesus Christ, geuyng vnto his membres y• glorye of immortalitie, in y• which he now shyneth. He bycause no mā should mistruste his promyse, for this entente wittyngly and willingly came downe to bye amonge vs, and gaue him selfe wholly vnto vs, & beyng himselfe without any spote of synne he redemed vs with the pryce of his blode from the tyrannye of the deuyll, to whome we were thorowe our synfulnes made bonde, & so abolyshing our olde iniquites, he would make vnto him a newe peculyar people, which after his owne example should contemne y• euyls of this world, & treade downe y• entysemetes & giftes of it vnder their fete, & thorow the worckes of faythe get them the enheritaunce of euerlastynge glorye, which the same our redemer doth promyse to al that do sincerly kepe his most holy worde.
The texte.
These thinges, my Titus, whiche be a great deale wyde from the fables of the Iewes, speake them openly. Exhorte men to the folowing of them, and such as declyne and fall againe a syde, reproue them with most great autoritie, that whome doctryne dothe not perswade, whome faire exhortacion dothe not moue, them a sharpe and earnest reprehension maye kepe in. For there be some faultes that must be healed by seuerite. Here therfore shewe forthe the grauitie & auto∣rite of a Byshop, and so behaue thy selfe, that no man maye haue a iuste cause to despyse the. Dysdayne and hye countenaunce must not be in the, but yet as often as neade requireth, thou must shewe thy selfe to be of autorite.
