The most sacred Bible, whiche is the Holy Scripture conteyning the Old and New Testament / translated into English, and newly recognised with great diligence after most faythful exemplars, by Rychard Taverner.

¶ A true preacher is diligent, he corrupteth not the worde of God, he preacheth not him selfe, but seketh the honoure of Chryste yea thoughe it be with the perell of his lyfe.

CAPI. IIII.

[ A] THerfore sythe we haue suche an offyce, euen as mercye is come on vs, we faynt not, but haue caste frome vs the clokes of vnhonestie, and walke not in craftynes, nei∣ther corrupt we the worde of god, but in open trouth, reaporte our selues to euery mans con¦science in the sight of God. Yf our gospell be yet hyd, it is hydde amonge them that are lost, in whom the God of this worlde hath blinded the myndes of them which byleue not, lest the lyght of the gloryous gospell of Chryst which is the ymage of God, shold shyne vnto them.

[ B] ✚ For we preache not our selues, but Christ Iesu to be the Lorde, and our selues your ser∣uantes for Iesus sake. For it is God that com¦maunded the lyght to shyne out of darknes, whiche hath shyned in our hertes, for to giue the light of the knowlege of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Chryst.

But we haue this treasure in erthen ves∣sels, that the excellent power of it myght ap∣pere to be of God, and not of vs. We are trou¦bled on euery syde, yet are we not withoute shyfte. We are in pouertie: but not vtterly [ C] without somwhat. We are persecuted, but are not forsaken. We are cast downe, neuer∣thelesse we perisshe not. And we always beare in our bodyes the dyinge of the Lorde Iesus, that the lyfe of Iesu myghte appeare in oure bodyes. ⊦

For we whiche lyue alwayes are delyuered vnto deathe for Iesus sake, that the lyfe also of Iesu, myghte appere in our mortall flesshe. So then deth worketh in vs, and lyfe in you. ✚ Seynge then we haue the same spiryte of faythe, accordynge as it is wrytten: I byle∣ued, and therfore haue I spoken. We also by∣leue, [ D] and therfore speake. For we knowe that he whiche raysed vp the Lorde Iesus, shall rayse vp vs also by the meanes of Iesus, and shall set vs with you. For all thinges do I for your sakes, that the plenteous grace by than∣kes gyuen of many, may redounde to the prayse of God.

Wherfore we are not weryed, but thoughe our outwarde man perysshe, yet the inwarde man is renewed daye by daye. For our exce∣dynge tribulacion, whiche is momentany and lyght, prepareth an excedenge and an eternall wayght of glory vnto vs, whyle we loke not on the thynges which are sene, but on y^e thyn∣ges whiche are not sene. For thynges whiche are sene, are temporall: but thynges whiche are not sene, are euerlastynge. ⊦

Notes

• Psal cxv. a
• ☞