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.

¶ The seconde Epystle of Saynt Paule the Apostle to the Thessalo∣nyans. (Book 2 Thessalonians)

¶ He thanketh God for theyr fayth and loue, and prayeth for the encreace of the same.

CAPI. I.

PAule, Syluanus and [ A] Timothy.

Vnto the congregacion of the Thessalonyās whi∣che are in God our father, and in the Lorde Iesus Christ.

Grace with you / and peax frome God oure father, and frome the Lorde Iesu Christ.

We are bounde to thanke God alwayes, for you brethren, as it is mete, because that youre fayth groweth exceadyngly, and euery one of you swymmeth in loue towarde an o∣ther betwene your selues, so that we our sel∣ues reioyce of you in the congregaciōs of god [ B] ouer your pacience and faith in all youre per∣secucions and tribulatiōs that ye suffre, whi∣che is a token* 1.1 of the rightwyse iudgemente of God, that ye are counted worthye of the kyngdome of God, for whiche ye also suffre. It is verely a ryghtwyse thinge with God to [ C] recompence tribulation to them that trouble you: and to you which are troubled, rest with vs when the Lorde Iesus shall shew him selfe frome heauen with his myghty Aungels, in flamynge fyre, rendrynge vengeaunce vnto them that knowe not God, and to them that obeye not vnto the Gospell of our Lorde Ie∣sus Christ, which shalbe punyshed with euer∣lastinge damnacion, frome the presence of the [ D] Lorde, and frome the glory of his power, whē he shall come to be glorified in his saynctes, & to be made meruelous in al them that beleue: because our testimony that we hadde to you, was bele••••d euen the same day that we prea¦ched it.* 1.2 Wherfore we praye alwayes for you that oure God make you worthye of the callinge, and fulfill all delectation of goodnes and the worke of faith, with power: that the name of our Lorde Iesu Christ may be glory∣fyed in you, and ye in hym, thorow the grace of our God, and of the Lorde Iesu Christ.

¶He sheweth them that the daye of the Lorde shall not come, tyll the departynge frome the fayth come fyrste: and therfore he exhorteth them not to be dis∣ceyued, but to stande stedfast in the thynges that he hath taughte them.

CAPI. II.

WE beseche you (brethren) by the com∣mynge of our Lorde Iesu Christ, and in [ A] that we shall assemble vnto hym, that ye be not sodeynly moued frome your mynde and be not troubled, neyther by spyrite, ney∣ther by wordes, nor yet by letters, whiche

shulde seme to come from vs, as thoughe the daye of Christe were at hande.* 1.3 Let no man deceyue you by any meanes, for the Lorde com¦meth not, excepte there come a departyng first and thatφ 1.4 the synfull man be opened, the sonne of perdicion, whiche is the aduersarye / and is exalted aboue all that is called God, or that is worshipped: so that he shall‡ 1.5 syt as God in the temple of God, and shew him selfe as God.

Remember ye not, that when I was yet w^t [ B] you, I tolde you these thinges? And now ye know what withholdeth: euen that he might be vttered at his tyme. For the mystery of the iniquite doeth alredy worke: tyll he whiche now onely letteth, be taken out of the waye.* 1.6 And then shall that wicked be vttered, whō the Lorde shall consume* 1.7 with the spirite of his mouth, and shall destroye it with the ap∣pearaunce of his comminge, euen him whose comminge is by the working of Satan, with all lyenge power, signes and wonders: and in all deceyuablenes of vnrightwysnes, amōg them that perisshe: because they receyued not the loue of the trouth, that they might haue bene saued. And therfore God shall sende thē [ C] stronge delusion, that they shulde beleue lyes: that all they mighte be damned whiche bele∣ued not the truth, but had pleasure in vnright wysnesse.

But we are bounde to gyue thankes alway to God for you (brethren beloued of y^e Lorde) because that God hath frome the begynninge chosen you to saluacion, thorow sanctifyenge of the sprite, and thorow beleuinge the truth, whervnto he called you by oure Gospell, to obtayne the glory that commeth of our Lord [ D] Iesu Christ.

✚ Therfore (brethren) stande fast, and kepe the ordinaunces which ye haue learned: whe∣ther it were by our preachinge or by epistle. Oure Lorde Iesu Christe hym selfe, and God our father which hath loued vs, and hath gy¦uen vs euerlastinge consolaciō and good hope thorowe grace, comforte youre hertes, and stablysshe you in all doctryne, and good do∣ynge. ⊦

¶ He desyreth them to pray for him, that the Gospell may prospere, and gyueth them warning to reproue the ydle: and yf they wyll not laboure with theyr handes, that they shall not eate.

CAPI. III.

[ A] FVrthermore brethren praye for vs, that y^e worde of God maye haue free passage & be glorified, as it is with you: and that we maye be delyuered frome vnreasonable & euyll men. For all men haue not faith: but y^e Lorde is faithfull, which shall stablysshe you and kepe you frome euyll. We haue confidēce thorow the Lorde vpon you, that ye both do, and will do, that which we commaunde you. And the Lorde guyde youre hertes to the loue of God, and pacience of Christ.

[ B] ✚* 1.8 We require you brethren in the name of our Lorde Iesu Christ, that ye withdrawe your selues from euery brother that walketh inordinatly, & not after the institution which ye receyued of vs. Ye your selues know how ye ought to folowe vs. For we behaued not our selues inordinarly amonge you. Neyther toke we breed of anye man for noughte:* 1.9 but wrought with laboure and trauayle nyght & daye, because we wolde not be greuous to any of you:* 1.10 not but that we had auctorite: but to make oure selues an exemple vnto you, to [ C] folow vs. For when we were with you, this we warned you of, that yf there were anye which wolde not worcke, that the same shuld not eate.

For we haue herde saye that there are some whiche walke amonge you inordynatly, and worke not at all, but are busy bodyes. Suche we commaunde and exhorte by our Lorde Ie∣su Christ, that they worcke with quyetnesse, & eate their owne bred:* 1.11 Brethren be not we∣ry [ D] in well doynge. ⊦

Yf any man obeye not oure sayenges, sende vs worde of him by a letter: and haue no com¦pany with him, that he may be ashamed, how be it count him not as an ennemy: but warne hym as a brother.

The very Lorde of peax, gyue you peax al∣wayes, by all meanes. The Lorde be with you all. The salutation of me Paul, with myne owne hande. This is the token in all Epi∣stles So I wryte. The grace of our Lorde Iesu Christe be with you all. AMEN.

¶ Sent frome A∣thens.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Tribulati∣on is a token of saluacion.
• * 1.2

  Col .i. a
• * 1.3

  Ma, xxiii. a
• φ 1.4

  That sinful man sygnyfi∣eth Antichrist
• ‡ 1.5

  To syt in y^e tēple of God, is, to rule in the conciēces of men, and there to cōmaund, where god on∣ly hathe place and ought on¦ly to raygne: whiche is as moche as to be exalted a∣boue God.
• * 1.6

  Esaie .xi. a.
• * 1.7

  with the spi¦rite of his mouth. The spyrite of his mouth, is, his holy worde.
• * 1.8

  Act .xx. f
• * 1.9

  ☜
• * 1.10

  ii. Corin .xii. d
• * 1.11

  Gala .vi. b