¶ The .vi. Chapter.
The texte.
We also as helpers exhorte you that ye receyue not the grace of God in vayne. For he sayeth: I haue heard the in a time accepted: and in the day of saluacion, haue I suckered the. Behold, now is that accepted time: behold now is that day of saluacion. Let vs geue no occasion of euyll, that in out offyce be founde no faute: but in all thynges let vs behaue our selfes as the ministers of God. In much pacience, inafflicci••s, in necessities, in anguis∣shes, in stripes, in prisōmentes, in stry••es, in labours, in watchinges, in fastinges, in pure∣nesse, in knowledge, in long sufferyng, in kyndenesse, in the hoy ghost, in loue vnfayned, in the woorde of trueth, in the power of God, by the armour of rightewesnes of the right hand and on the leaft: by honour and dishonour: by euil reporte and good reporte: as de∣ceyuers, and yet true: as vnknowen, and yet knowen: as dying, and beholde we lyue, as chastened, and not kylled: as sorowyng, and yet alwaye mery: as poore, and yet make ma∣ny ryche: as hauing nothing, and yet possessing al thinges. O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open vnto you. Our herte is made large: ye are in no strayte in vs: but are in a strayte in your owne bowelles. I promyse vnto you lyke rewarde, as vnto chyldren. S••tte your selfes at large, & beare not the yoke with the vnbeleuers. For what feloshyp hath righte∣wesnes with vnrightewesnes? Or what cōpany hath light with darkenes? Or what con∣cord hath Christ with Belial? Either what part hath he that beleueth with an infidel? Or how agreeth the temple of God with images? For ye are the temple of the liuing God, as sayed God: I wil dwell among them, & walke among them, & wylbe their God, and they shalbe my people. Wherfore, come out from among them, and sepatate your selfes from them (sayeth the Lord) and touche none vncleane thyng: so will I receyue you, & wyll be a father vnto you and ye shalbe my sonnes and daughters, sayeth the Lorde almyghtie.
SO would Christ, and so would God, ye should do, that his benefite should in you take effecte. We therfore as helpers both executyng Gods wil, and also prouiding for your weale, beseche you, that synce your sinnes, are once freely forgeuen, that ye nomore falle to your olde lyuyng, and thereby shewe, that ye haue receyued the grace of God in vayne. Yf it chaunce vs for this present tyme to fall, we may amende, but we shall not alwaye be able so to doe. For in the Prophete Esai this speaketh God: in a tyme accepted haue I heard the, and in the daye of saluacion haue I suckered the. Beholde now is the accepted tyme promysed by God, and fauourable, wherin God re∣fuseth not the synner, that repenteth with all his herte: beholde, nowe is the daye, wherein we may, lyuyng godly, obtayne saluacion. After this tyme wyll folowe that terrible daye, wherin we shall in vayne seke to be reconciled. We therfore in this behalfe laboryng to doe our dueties take hede, that we in no poynt geue any man occasion of euil, leste by our fault the gospell of Christ, wherof we are ministers, be reproued and blamed: as it might be, if we leade our liues, as men not beleuing such thinges, as we teache other, but in al poyntes shew our selfes to be such in dede, as it is conuenient they be, which labour in Gods seruice, and not in their own. And howe proue we our selfes to be suche in dede? surely, neither with high lokes, nor with bādes of men, nor with gaynes taking, nor by char∣geyng