Saynt Paule wrytyng to the Philippiās this Epistle fyrst salutes them with a christi­ane salutation, and then sheweth the matter that he wolde haue them to knowe. And in this salutation fyrste he sheweth the names of them that wrotte this Epistle inspired with the holye goost, as was all they that wrot the holy sciptures. 2. Peter. 1. that this Epistle shuld the better be estemed & receyued, knowyng it to be sent to thē from theyr wel­beloued [Page] frendes Paule and Timothe, by whom they had receyued many benefytes of God, and was made the wel beloued chyldren of God, whiche before was the chyldren of the yre wroth and indygnatiō of God, and was iustifyed and made ryghtuos, whiche before was synners and wycked, bounde to synne death and hell, but nowe delyuered from all captiuitie of the deuyll, synne, and death, hath opteyned grace, marcy, and for­geuenes of syfies by the grace of the gospell, whiche Paule and Timothe preached vnto them as is wryten. Actes. 16. And therfore letters sende from Paule and Timothe, was welcome to them and thankefull, and very comfortable, as be letters sente frō one harty frende to a nother. Secondly in this saluta­tiō he sheweth to whō this epistle was writē that it was writē to all the saītes & holy mē, that was faythfull & had receyued the true fayth of Iesus christ, for such be called saītes of saynt Paule and often tymes in the holy scriptures, that we shulde not thynke none other to be called saītes in the holy scripture but suche as bysshoppes of Rome wel payed for there paynes hath canonyzat and sancti­fyed for sayntes, all though some tyme it is vncertayne vnto vs whether they were saītes or no: sanctyfyed by christes bloude or no: for they be the trew sayntes before god, that be santifyed be christ and by his blood, whether they be ded or on lyue, santifyed or canonyzat by the bysshoppe of Rome or no. Saynt Paule dedycated this epistle to the saintes at [Page] Philippos, that is to say, to the faythfull men that were at Philippos lyuyng, to whō he wolde haue this Epistle red, and of it red, haue moche profytte and spirituall foode, than it is euydent, he dedicated not this Epistle to the ded sayntes whiche culde not rede this Epistle, nor here it red, nor yet any frute take of it, but to these that were lyuing sayntes, that is to the faythfull in christe, as Crisostomus sayth. Roma. 1. And therfore let it be knowen to all men that these, that lyue well and in the fayth of Iesu christe here in this present worlde be called saynctes in the scriptures, as these that be departed this present lyfe. The ignoraunce of this thyng hath bene the cause of moche false trust, vayne hope, idolatrye, and superstition, and that some men hath made creatores of creatures, and haue desyred of men that was only to be desyred of god, hath prayed to saynctes departed as to god, put truste & confydence in thē as in god, yea I wil not say in their images, such was theyr ignoraunce and blyndenes, and asked of them such thynges as shulde be asked only of god, as helth of bodi, deliuerāce from perylles, and ieopardes by water and by lande, from the power of the deuyll, from lyghtnynges, tempestes, fyre, water, and all soden deth, and some had one patrone, some another of the sayntes called, yea of theyr images, whom they called vpon before god, and aboue god. As some called vpon saynte Antonye for theyr swyne, vpon saynt Mud­wyne for theyr kye, vpon saynt Loy for theyr [Page] horse, vpon saynt Roche for the pestilence, vpon saynt Iohn shorne for the ago, vpō s. A polyne for the tothe ache, vpon saynt Blase for a bone in a mans throte, our lades gyrdle was for a full remedye for a woman that labored of chyldebyrth, that she shulde be de­lyuered with out payne, and the chylde sure to be christened, suche was the truste that many had in our lades gyrdle. And this was a meruell that learned prelates and bysshop­pes wolde suffer so longe, the people thus to be blynded, and to haue suche false trustes vayne hopes, and so to dyshonour god, gyuyng to sayntes that honour and glory, truste and confydence that shuld onely be ge­uen and ascribed to god, the gyuer of all goodnes perteynyng to the body or soule.

The sayntes nor theyr images be not the ge­uers of good thynges that we haue nede of, that we desyre in our prayers, but all good­nes cometh of god the father. Iacobi. 1.

2. with the bysshoppes and ministers.) He shewyth this Epistle to be wrytten not only to the sayntes that lyue at Philippos that is to the faythfull congregation of christiās of the people, whome he wolde haue to rede this Epistle, and to take comforte, and pro­fyte of it red, but also it was dedicated to the bysshoppes, and decanes that was there, of the which it is euident that there was di­uers ministers in the churche of Philip­pos, as bysshoppes to teache and instructe them in the lawe of god, to feade them with spirituall foode of the soule, as necessary to [Page] feade the soule, as meate and drynke to feade the body, and more to be desyred of christen men then corporall foode for the bodye, for asmoch as the soule, is a more precious thīg then the body is, but wolde to god we were as desyrous of the foode of the soule, as of the body, then learned men in goddes worde, and syncere preachers of it, shulde be more regarded and estemed, bysshoppes shulde pre­ache ofter then they do, they shulde desyre [...]o learned men to be aboute them, and in theyr dioces, and make more of them then they do, then the people shulde the better este­me and regarde goddes worde, whiche now in a maner be contemned and dispised of the most parte of the people, and counted as a thyng of lytell pryce or valewe, bycause bys­shoppes do not preache them selfes, or yf they preache, it is very seldome, and do not pre­ferre goddes worde, before ceremonies or tra­ditions of man. Negligence in settynge forth of goddes worde in them, to whom it pertay­neth to be setters forth of it, is a great cause why that it is so lytell regarded, why that there is so greate ignoraunce and blyndnes, so many euyll opinyons, preposterous iudge­mentes, false truste, vayne hopes, idolatrie and so moche superstition as hath ben, and yet is in some partes of this realme, and not as yet fully plucked awaye by the verite of goddes holy worde, for there is very few syn­cere preachers of it, and fewer lyke to be, yf god do not prouyde by some good persuasiō to the hye powers & rulers to whome it per­teyneth [Page] to prouyde that theyr subiectes peris­she not for lake of spirituall foode of theyr soule, for yf they lacke it, it must nedes folow that the people shall runne hedlyng into er­rours, heresies idolatrie, & many false trustes and vayne hopes, and call that is good euyl, and euyl good, light darkenes / and darkenes lyght, swete to be sower & sower swete, and so cōdempne that is good and godly doctryne for heryse, and in so doynge condempne them selfes to euerlastyng deth, and dampnatiō. As Esyas. 5. sayth / wo be thē that call good euyll, and euyll good, lyghte darkenes and darkenes lyght, so for lacke of knowlege of goddes holy worde, of trew and syncere prea­chers of goddes holy gospell, the people shall perishe and hate theyr owne saluatiō. There fore I pray god that hye powers ordynated of almyghty god, chefly to set forth his glory and to promote his worde to the saluation of Christes people derely bought by no corrup­tyble pryce, as by golde or syluer, but by the precyous blode of the vnspotted lambe Iesus christ. 1. Pet. 1. that they wold diligently loke vpon the helth and saluation of the soules of theyr people subiected to them, yea of theyr owne helth & saluation, for of them a cownte shalbe required to whom they haue commyt­ted the cure of christes flocke, and whether they were diligent in seynge christes people truly feade with the breade of lyfe or no, and yf any of the spirituall pastours haue bene nygligent, or haue had euyll ministers vnder them, as euyll chancelers or officyalles, that [Page] nother knoweth goddes worde them selfes, nor be preachers of it, yea scarse fauorers of it, but rather aduersaries & enemyes to goddes holy trweth and no setters forth of it, but bynderers all that they might, then it pertay­neth to hye rulers to reforme suche negligent bysshoppes and prelates, and to commaunde them to loke better vpon there cures, and se that they be such as saynt Paule. 1. Timo. 3. wolde haue, and to haue chauncelers, offi­cialls, comysaries / suche as knoweth goddes worde, be preachers of it, and setters forth of it vnder them, or els yf they wolde not be re­formed & to loke diligently vpon theyr cures as they shulde aboue all thynges to make thē bysshoppes or prelates quōdam, and to set in their stedes suche as both culde and wolde teache & preache godes word sincerely, as dyd Titus, and Timotheus, bysshoppes ordyna­ted of saynt Paule / which diligenly taught theyr people holsome doctryne, and were not negligent in their offyces, and had seruaūtes accordyng, that was bothe sobre / dyscreat / and learned in goddes worde / and also louers of it / whych thynges are greatly to be desyred in our bysshoppes and in their chancelars officials and comysaries. At Philippos was not only bysshoppes abydyng and dwellynge amonges them preacheynge trulye the doc­tryne of god / and therfore had of the Phi­lippians / all necessaryes abundantly / and had in great honour and estimation for the wordes sake that they preached / and for the lordes sake whose faythfull seruantes they [Page] were / but also there was decanes whole office was to prouyde for the pore / that the pore shulde not wante necessary meate / dryn­ke / cloth / or logyn / suche was the frute of the gospell that Paule had preached amonges these Philippians / which was desyrous of it and so obedyent to do that thyng that pertayned to the office of christenmē / that they with great gladnes kepte bysshoppes to teache thē / and decanes to prouyde for the poore people / for they regarded more the helth of theyr sou­les then the corruptible ryches of this world / yea these Philippians of there costes / kepte many bysshoppes / whiche at the begynnynge caste Paule and sylas in pryson estemynge them to be herytykes / and preachers of false doctryne / but afterwardes / god by his worde preached / turned theyr hartes and made of them christenmen / whiche before was hethen / and louers of his worde which before hated it worse then a dogge / suche is the goodnes of god that maketh good mē of euyl men / his seruantes of seruauntes to the deuyll / for the which god is to be gloryfyed, lyke he dyd in Paule Actes. 9. Also of this place we maye playnly se that all bysshoppes or pastores / was not such as Paule and barnabas was, hauynge no place to reste in / bownde to no church more then to another / hauyng necessa­reis at the wyll and pleasure of them to whō they preached / for these bysshops was aby­dyng at Philippos / and bounde to the Phi­lippians aboue other / and of them onely they had al necessaryes abundantly / yea peraduē ­ture [Page] a certayne stypēde assygned out for they [...] lyuynges, or els how colde they kepe hospita­lyte and prouyd for the poore, as there office doth bynde them as sayth saynte Paule. 1. Timo. 3. Titi. 1. And this thynge maketh agaynste all them that wolde that bys­shoppes and pastors shulde haue no certayne liuing or stipende assigned for there lyuīg / but to lyue onely of the almosse and goodwylles of the people to whome they preache / whiche thyng is contrary to saynt Paule. 1. Timo. 3. That requireth of bysshoppes to kepe hospy­talyte, to prouyde for the poore / to haue meate drynke / clothe / apparell, accordynge to his state and degre / to bye bokes and all other necessaryes required / for students in diuinite / no small coste it is to haue bokes sufficient for study in diuini [...]e / and in all tonges to be learned necessary for that studye / and that studentes in diuinite shulde be without care & troble, & quietly to giue them selfes to there dyuyne study / it is therfore necessarely requi­red / that they shulde haue an honest stypende assigned for theyr lyuyng, and to haue it qui­etly / or e [...]s fewe or none wyll be studentes in diuinite and preachers of it.

And peraduenture some maye moue here a questiō / and aske whether it is better for goddes glorye / & the saluation of man / that bys­shoppes and pastores shulde haue a certayne lyuyng asygned as dew to them / to require for there lyuyng / and to require no more / or to lyue of the onely almosse / that the people wolde gyue vnto irew preachers of goddes [Page] worde / which god saith / is wordy their meate Mathew. 10. The workeman is wordy his meate / by meate he vnderstandeth all necessa­ries for him to lyue / & quietly to study with out care for an honest lyuynge: to this questi­on I answere / that I thynke it more for the glory of god / for his worde trewly and synce­rely to be preached / and more for the helth and saluatiō of christes people / that bysshop­pes / and pastoures shulde haue a certayne lyuyng assigned out for theyr portion / then that they shulde haue noth [...]ng certayne. The fyrst reason that moueth me so to thynke is / that they shulde by that meanes preache / and teache / goddes worde more trewly / and more syncerely / more frely / and frankely rebuke vyce and synne / and not to flatter men in theyr synnes / or to holde their peace / & wynke at the fautes of men / of whome they loked for theyr lyuyng / for yf they shulde lyue onely of the good wylles of mē and shulde frankely / and frely reproue the fautes of some men / they shulde haue a smalle lyuynge / they shulde go oftymes hungry to bed and haue many pore dynners / and worse suppers / yea perad­uēture be suffered to dye in the strete for lacke of necessaries / therfore that vyce and synne shulde be more frely rebuked and the danger therof shewed shulde feare men from synne / leste the plage of god whiche is death / shulde falle vpon suche synners / which wolde conty­new stylle in theyr synnes / and prouoke god to power vpon them his plage of vengeance for their synnes / which they shulde not know [Page] to be sin̄e or to displease god / yf that prache [...]s shulde flatter them / wynke at theyr sy [...]ies / and not rebuke them / nor yet shewe the danger of synne / and the punyshment of god to impeni­tent synners that wyll not forsake synne / and lyue a new lyte in vertu and godlynes / what was the cause why that beggyn freers dyd vse so moch flatterynge and coryed fauour on euery syde? but by cause they lacked lyuinges / and therfore they sang placebo / and preached plesāte thynges / norysshyng mē in idolatrye / superstitions / false trustes / vayne relygions / preposterous iudgementes and soch lyke / to the which they perceyued the people to be in­clyned to of their owne nature / by the which euery one is inclined to euyll rather then to good and godly thynges / for to do or beleue euyll thynges we haue it of our selfes / but to do good / to beleue well / we can not without the grace of god / and these thynges dyd the false flateryng fryers to get a chese / or their quarter grote / and yet for all their flattery they culde scarse get an honest lyuyng / kylling spiritually theyr owne soules / and the soules of many other men & womē deceyued by thē / to whō they promised lyfe. Secōdly yf stud­entes in diuinite be not quiet at there study / and haue not their mynde vpon that they studye / but be vnquieted / carefull for their dyner and supper / [...]acke holsome meate and drynke / lacke fyre or warme clothes / lytell profyt they shall do at their boke / they shall not be able to come to such learnyng as is necessarily required for gods glory & the saluatiō [Page] of chrystes people. Thyrdly in the olde testa­ment the lyuyng for the leuites that serued in temple was certayne / and appoynted by al­myghty god that there dewty shulde not be de­nyed to them he cōmaunded by Moyses law / how moche more now shulde it be certayne / what thynge shulde be dewe to the minister of goddes holy worde / that he myght haue bothe to lyue on for him selfe / his seruantes and howseolde / and also for hospitalite to be kept for other that nedeth. And how can he kepe hospitalite except he haue some thyng where vpon he maye kepe hospitalyte / and feade o­ther corporally as he shulde do. Fortlye to as­signe a certayne lyuynge to the menister of goddes worde / for his lyuynge shalbe lesse payne and lesse troble to the people to paye it / then yf euery daye / or weke they shulde be trobled to gyue to hym, that thyng shulde be very tedyous to the people & very troblesom to the pastor. Therefore seyng that gods law commaundeth / and god hath so ordynated that he that preacheth the gospell shulde lyue by the gospell. 1 Cor. 9. Hye powers and reu­lers hath done well assignyng to euery pastor his lyuynge in a certanty to be receyued with out troble or besines. But wolde to god that the hye powers / that as they haue assigned by theyr godly lawes this thing, so they wold se that the people shulde trewly pay [...] it / with out all grudge / or murmur to there pastors that trewly feadeth them with goddes holy worde / wolde to god that hye rulers shulde cause euery pastor to do his duety / and suerly [Page] to haue his dwety agayne / and no parte of it to be with drawne from him / for the worke man is worthy his meate. Math. 10.

3. Grace and peace from god the father and from our lorde Iesu christe be vnto you.) Here is shewed what thynges Paule and Timotheus desyred to these Philippiās, they wysshed not kyngdomes and impyres of this worlde / not wordely honoures / or ryches / not fat benefyces / or bysshoprykes / not hye ho­nours / or wordely dignites / as carnall men wysshes to the [...] frendes / and louers / chyldren / or kynsfolkes / but they wysshed to them the grace / fauour [...] and the loue of god / whiche thynges farre passeth all these corruptyble wordely ryches / they also wyshe them peace with god the father / whiche peace commeth not of man / nor of the me [...]yies of man / by warkes / dedes wrought by man / but of the mar [...]y and goodnes of god / and this peace with god in theyr conscience hath not euyll men / for they alwaye feare god / and rekeneth him as a cruell iudge which without mercy wyl punishe synners / & brekers of his lawes / and therfore sayth the prophete: The euyll saye peace peace / and they haue no peace in there cōsciēce with god / but these that be iustified by faith they haue peace with god / ī there cōsciēce [...] & louely feare god. And here we may learne grace / fauour / & loue of god / peace with god not to be of our selfes / but to be the gyf­tes of god frely gyuen them to whome it pleaseth god to gyue these gyftes. Here also we maye learne what thynge one christiane [Page] shulde desyre to an other / and wyshe in their letters, salutatiōs or other wyse, most chefly / and before all wordly goodes or ryches / that is the greate fauour of god / and peace in con­science with god / for what thynge in this worlde can be pleasant to that man / that in consciens is not at quietnes with god? surely nothyng / and yf thou wyll haue peace with god / se thou be in peace / concord / and vnite with thyne neyghbour / or els thou can not be in peace with god.

After the salutation the Apostle begyn­neth to shewe the thynges that he wolde haue knowen to these Philippians / and first of all he grueth thankes to god for these Philippi­ans / that they had receaued the fayth of Ie­su christe / and that they dyd stande sure and constante in it / not shrynkynge awaye from christ / for no affliccion or persecution / by no craft / or sutteltey vsed by false apostels to brynge them from christes fayth / and in this thynge the apostle teacheth vs to gyue thākes to god / for benefytes of god gyuen to other / and not to be sory / as some be for goddes gyf­tes gyuen aboundantly to other / which they them selfe lacke / and therfore they are sory that other shulde haue that they lacke / as mo­re knowlege / learnyng / or connyng in goddes worde then they / they are blynde and ignoraūt and wolde haue all other as ignorant / and blynde as they be. He prayseth them that they were cōmed in to the cōmunion of the gospel / and made pertakers of saluation by christe / shewed to thē be the gospell / and this he doth bycause he wolde haue them more desyrous of the gospell / and of the knowlege of christ / and [Page] to be more constant in the faythe of christe. Virtus enim laudata crescit. Vertu commē ­ded doth not make good men proude / but more diligent to increase vertu and to attayne vn­to it. Also we be here taught to pray for other to be glade of gyftes of god gyuen / and speci­ally aboue all thynges for the worde of god purely and sincerely preached / of the whiche commeth faith / for fayth cōmeth by herynge / herynge of the worde of god. Rom [...]. 10. So these people receyued fayth by the preachyng of saynt Paule / & was made pertakers of the gospel / & of helth / & saluatiō by christ. Actes▪ 16

2. Frome the firste daye vnto nowe / hauyng this thynge persuaded vnto me / that he whiche hath begonne this good worke in you wyll go forth with it vntyl the day of the lorde.) This thynge the apostle wolde haue persuaded vnto these Philippians that god which hath begone this good worke in them / that hath called them from infidelite / super­stition / idolatre / fornication / auoutre / and from many other gentyll facions / and hethen maners, to the fayth of Iesu christ / and to an holy conuersation of lyuynge / he that hath begonne this good worke in them that he wyll go forth and increase them more and more in fayth and trew holynes by the knowlege of goddes holy worde. And here he shew­eth the cōmune saynge oftymes to be trewe. that of good begynnīg cōmeth good endyng / and that god contynueth in good men / and obedient persons / these good workes, that he hath in them begunne / here we maye learn [...] [Page] to iuge these to fynish well / and bryng theyr matters to a good passe, that begynne well / yea this place teacheth vs to know that it is god / and not we that begynneth a good worke in vs / and also that it is god that bryng to a good ende a good worke / of the which we learne the begynnyng of fayth / or of good workes and the increasment of them to be not of vs / of our myghtes strength / power or merytes / but to be of god onely / and of his fre grace / and goodnes. This place sheweth that we of our owne fre wyll / with out the grace of god / are not able to begynne any good worke / nor to go forth with it / nor to fynysh it / for we of our selfes are not able to thynke any good thought as of our selfe / but all our abylyte is of god. 2. Cor. 3. Of our selfe we are not able to wyl any good worke / for god worketh in vs / wylling of good thyn­ges for his good wylles sake. Philip. 2. And christe sayth in Iohn. 6. with out me you can do no thyng / then what shall we ascribe / to our fre wyll with out christ / and without the grace of god / surely nothynge that is good / euyll commeth of our selfe / and all goodnes of god the father of lyght. Iames. 1. And yf these be trew as they be in very dede / then me thynkes that they erre, and are to be blamed that saye that we of our fre wyll may do good / maye assent and receyue the grace of god / offered to all men / or not to assent to it / and forsake it yf we lyste / & at our pleasure / and fre wyll / o [...] els our wyl they saye con not be fre or called a fre wyll: of these men I [Page] wolde aske one question whether to assent to the grace of god offered and to receyue it is good or no? and yf it be good / as I truste none wyl denye / then it is of god the father / & not of vs. Iames. 1. To this question sancte Augustyne make answere / and sayth that in outwarde workes indifferent nother good nor euyll of them selfes / that we haue a cer­tayne fre lyberty to do them / or not to do thē / as to lyfte vp a straw or to laye it downe a­gayne, but to do any thynge that is accepta­ble to god / or merytorius as they were wonte to calle workes pertaynyng to our iustifica­tion / or to the saluatiō of a christen man / we can not without the grace of god / nor yet to wyll it / nor to assent to it / it holy hanges of god / and of his grace / and not of vs or of our merytes or good wyll without goddes wor­kyng in vs / and makynge our wyll yll of it selfe, good and conformable to his wyll / for the grace of god healeth our euyll wyll / & ma­keth it agreyng to his godly wyll / and so con­formable to it / that we wyllyngly and frely and with gladnes do these thynges that god wylleth and cōmaundeth / so we holped with the present grace of god of a good wyll and gladly do the workes of god, not we do god­des workes, but rather the grace of god in vs. Augustin in his boke of grace & fre wyll thus sayth. Cooperando deus in nobis perficit, quod operando incepit, quoniam ipse vt ve­limus operatur incipiens, qui volentibus cooperatur perficiens, propter quod ait hic a­postolus, quoniā qui operatur in vobis opus [Page] bonū perficiet vsque in diem Iesu christi, vt ergo velimus sine nobis operatur, cum autē volumus, & sic volumus vt faciamꝰ, nobiscū cooperatur, tamē sine illo vel operante vt ve­limus, vel cooperante cum volumus ad bona pietatis opera nihil valemus. Beda hec col­ligit verba ex augustino in hunc locū Pauli.

3. As it becometh me to iuge of you all.) In these wordes the apostle sheweth his harty and louyng mynde towardes these Philippi­ans, that he dyd not flatter nor deceyue them with feyned and deceytfull wordes, but sym­ply as he thought of them, so he spake and iudged of them, for he culde thinke none other but that good begynnyng shulde haue a good endynge / and here he teacheth all in theyr yougth to vse and exercyse vertuosnes, for as the common sayng is, he that in his yougth no vertu wyl vse, in age all honour wyll him refuse, a sayenge not more cōmon then trew / and also they saye that tymely crowketh the tre, that good cammoke will be, vse therfore in yougth trew vertu, and gette godly lear­nyng, that thou maye haue honour amonges men, and glory with god euerlastynge. The cause why he thought iuste and conuenient thus to thynke of them, because the grace of god leueth or forsaketh no man which before do not leue and forsake god and well doynge, and therfore he thought that god wolde not forsake them doyng well, and euer goyng for wardes in the knowlege of goddes worde / and in holy workes commaunded by it to be done of the christians, and to walke in thē. Ephe. 2 [Page] And therfore he thoughte that god wolde worke in them mo and mo good workes, and that he wolde not leue them vntyll the hower of death, and vntyll the daye of the lorde, whē he shall come to iudge the quycke and dead, and to rewarde all good workes, that is to saye all these workes that god hath wroght in vs God is so good and lovynge that these workes whiche he workes in vs, he calleth our workes, and wyll rewarde them as yf they were onely our workes, and not by his grace. Esay. 36. sayeth / Lorde thou hatst wrought in vs al our workes. Also Lyra here sayth, as the begynnynge of a meretorius worke is of god, so is the contynuance and the ende of it of god. The apostle speaketh these wordes not that he wolde make them proude, or to be negligēt to do well, but rather that he shulde prouoke them the more to go forwarde in wel doyng, & to encrease the good hoope he had conceyued, and not to lose by negligence the grace of god, the assystent helpe and ayde of the lorde.

4. Bycause I haue you in my herte, as those that are partakers with me of grace in my bondes in defendynge and stablysshyng of the gospel.) Here be tokēs of loue towardes them shewed, that he remembreth them in herte, and in his bondes, and preson­mēt which was not for his fautes but for the gospell of god, whiche bondes was not to him any shame or rebuke, or hinderance to the gospell of god, but to his great laude and prayse, and to the forderaunce and increase­ment [Page] of the gospell, and that by his bondes the gospell was not slaundered but pro­moted defended and surely confirmed, of the whiche we maye learne afflictions perse­quutions inprysonment bondes chaynes, and fetters to the trewe preachers and reachers of goddes worde to be no new thyng, to be no shame nor rebuke to suche faythful prechers, although fleshe and carnall wosdome other wayes do thynke and iudge, flesshe iudgeth affliccions persequucions impresonments to be shamefull to hynder the worde of god, but god do make these affliccions to promote his gospell and encrease it, and makes the wyse­dome of the flesshe, and of the wordly wyse­men to be folyshnes before hym and in his syght. Here the apostle brynketh these Philippians to his loue firste in that he dyd gyue god thankes for them, that they had receyued the gospell, and was made partakers of eter­nall health declared by the gospell to them. Secondly he getteth theyr loue in that he prayed for thē alwaye in his prayers to god, desyryng and wysshing them good and godly thynges, as mercy, peace, fouour and loue with god the father and suche lyke. Thirdely they culde not but loue him which not onely in wealth and prosperyte dyd remembre thē, wysshe them good, and prayed for them, but also dyd remembre them in his affliccions and in preson for the gospell sake preached to the gentyls, and wrote vnto them so cōforta­ble, and also profytable an epistle. Also here he remembreth his affliccions whiche he cal­leth [Page] the defence & confyrmatiō of the gospell, and therfore rather to be loued and wysshed for, then to be hated of any christiane, so the apostle calleth his affliccions for the gospell the defence of the gospell. 2. Timo. 4. In my firste defence no man was present with me (I praye god it be not imputed to them of god) but the lorde, whiche was [...]uer present with me and dyd strength me, that by me the gos­pell shulde be preached and the gentyles here the gospell. And I was delyuered from the mouth of the lyon (so he calleth Ne [...]o the Emperour, a lyon for his [...]ruelnes) so Paule vsed him selfe in preson and defended the gos­pell, that the gospel was stoutly defended and also greatly increased by his imprisonment as here after is shewed / so afflyccions impry­sonment persequutions and death of fayth­full preachers be not shamful worthy rebuke nor be hynderaunce to the gospell, but be lawdable defende promote and increase it, and therfore faythfull ministers of goddes worde haue no cause to be sory in theyr trybu­lations for the gospels sake, but rather to reioyse and be glade, for such be blessed of god that suffers for christ, and for his worde, and shalbe pertakers of glorye with christe, and so shall they all be that suffers with christe. Roma. 8. wherfore he sayth you Philippians as you be partakers of my affliccions and so with me suffer with christe / yf you contynew with me in myne affliccions you shalbe par­takers of the grace glory and euerlastynge lyfe with me, which thyng I thynke it meate [Page] to thynke of you all, for so good begyn̄ynges makes me to haue that good hoope in you, that you wyll cōtynew to the ende well doing. 5. For god is my recorde, how I longe af­ter you all, euen from the very herte rote in Iesu christe.) The apostle bryngeth in god to wytnes, which knoweth all thynges and the secretes of mans harte, for god is onely the sercher of the harte, that he spake these wor­des of no carnall affection, or for any lucre sake, but for the pure loue he had towardes them, & that he loued them for no other cause, but that he dyd se them louers of christe and of his holy worde, and them suche as declared by theyr lyuynge that they loued god, had re­ceyued his worde, and was doe [...]s of it, and that they were constante in it, and therfore worthy praise. Here we may learne of Paule that it is lauful for christe mē sōtimes to brīg in god for wytnes, as here Paule dyd confyr­me the trewth spokyn, which thyng was for the glory of god and for the profyt of other, and to confyrme boundes of peace made the better to be keped bycause of the promyse confyrmed by an othe, whiche shulde in no wyse be broken, sweryng in euery try [...]yng matters and for lyght thynges, nor yet in dayly cōmu­nication and where no nede is to confirme godes trweth nor profyt to other shulde not be amonges christen men, lesse by ofttymes sweryng men runne in to periury to blasphe­my of god, on reuerent take goddes name, and so breake goddes cōmaundement, offende god and prouoke him to angre, and to powre [Page] his vengeance vpon suche swearers for it is wrytten that the sworde of goddes vengeance shall not go from the house of him that is periured, feare therfore to swere that you maye esca [...]e the punishmente of god that is threatned for suche as take the name of god in vayne, and wyll swere by the blessed body of oure lorde, by his armes sydes feet legges gottes and by all his members, by the holy masse at euery worde they speake, or in euery smal matter where no nede is to swere, where no iuste cause compelleth them to swere, to suche it is spoken Deut. 5. that he shall not be vnpunisshed that taketh the name of god in vayne, or bryngeth in his name onreue­renly, for his name is to be sanctified and ha­lowed alwaye, and god is not to be brought in wytnes of a false matter or to cōfirme our lyes, for god wyll punysshe al such that abuse his holy name / it greueth al good men to here the great swerynge that is vsed comenly of all men, and specyally of soudgers, seruynge men, and courchars, how at euery worde goddes holy name shalbe blasphemed, and that they rebuked for it wyll not, or can not leaue sweryng because they haue accostemed them selfes with blasphemy of god, but yf they wil contynew styll in theyr euyll custome, it wyll brynge them to the deuyll, euerlastynge death and dampnation, it were better for them to leue theyr euyll custome be tyme, then to go to the deuyll. Also god wyll not suffer such blas­phemers to be on punyshed, but he wyll other punishe them here in this worlde or elles in [Page] the worlde to come, or peraduenture in both, as oftymes it chan [...]t [...] that sweares be both punished here and in the world to come, here god punysheth suche with pouerty hungrye colde imprysonment sp [...]knes euyll deathes and sodene deathes, yea and with this punishmente they be pun [...]shed here, that all good men flyeth theyr company abhorreth theyr cōmunicatiō and hateth their blasphemous wordes, and this thynge are great swearers sure of, that these that be great swearers be leste trusted, therfore yf feare of god wy [...]l not with drawe euy [...]l men from swearynge and blasphemy, let the wordly punishment plucke them frō it, let hye ruelers make strait lawes for pe [...]iury and sweryng, let them swere not them selfes but when nede shall require, let them vse fewe othes, for the multitude of othes maketh othes lesse set by, and periury vnpunyshed maketh it to be counted as no synne or offence to god, nor to man, wha [...] queste impanneled and sworne by an othe vpon a boke wy [...] not do some thyng contrary to theyr othe, at the request of them that bea­reth the rule and swynge in that shyre they are in what thyng shall not go on their syde? and at their peasure? examples may be sene in to many places & shyres, god amend it, and make hye rulers to loke vpō the matter that periury and blasphemy of goddes holy name maye be auoyded, and this euyll vse of swe­ryng lefte, that goddes name may not be cal­led on but in a trwe matter when nede shalbe with great honour and reuerence accordyng.

Consyder here good reader what Paule desyreth in his prayers to these Philippians, he desireth them to be increased more and more in charyte, and in all knowledge and spirituall vnderstandyng of god and of christ Iesu, and in these he teacheth vs what thyng we shulde desyre to other, & to wisshe charyte and spirituall knowleg to be increased more and more to other / he also teacheth that it is the office of euery good christiane to desyre and get more and more knowlege of god and of christ Iesus, and that we maye as longe as we lyue euer gette more and more knowelege of god, that no man be he neuer so well learned shulde thynke him to haue all know­lege of god or so suffient lerned that he shulde desyre no more knowlege, and as they do in­crease in spirituall knowleg, so he wolde haue [Page] them increase in fayth an [...] in charite and in godly lyuynge. And this place is ag [...]ns these men that wolde the laye people that be very ignorant of god & of his worde to haue no more knowlege then they haue, and be sory they haue so moch knowlege in goddes worde as they haue, this place reproueth all them that be ydle and wyll not learne or study to haue spirituall knowlege, but be so ydle that they had rather spende the hole daye yea the hole weke and moneth at tables, cardes, dyse, then to here a sermone, to reade a chapter of the new testamēt, or of the olde, such be many curates and blynde prestes and pastours in inglande that be ignorant in goddes worde and will not study to haue more knowlege, but wyll spende the hole daye and weke at tables and cardes raylyng vpon learned mē and trew preachers of goddes worde, callyng them heretykes, and saynge it was a mery worlde whē there was not so moch spoken of goddes worde, nor so moch knowlege, cursyng and bannynge them that broughte so moche knowlege of it to men / sayng they wolde go a hūdreth myle barfot to burne such heretyke knaues▪ well how so euer they rayle of trewe preachers that seketh only goddes glory the helth of such blynde guydes or blynde prestes and the saluation of the people commytted to their spirituall charge, suche ydle curates or people be here reproued, and admonished to study to gette more spirituall knowlege of christe Iesu / also this place [...]ecketh all them that cōtempneth and dispiseth holy scripture [Page] and the holy learnynge of it, that wyll not come to sermonnes, and lec [...]ours of holy scripture when they maye, but wyll walke in the churche in the tyme of the sermonde, or kepe them ydle at ho [...]e, or euyll occupyed when they knowe there is a sermonde of goddes worde, or wyll at that tyme get them to brekefaste that they absent them from the sermōde, so they f [...]ee from god to the deuyll, forsake their saluation, and ronnes hedlynges into death and dampnation, excepte they repent and amende. This place also maketh agayne all them that go about to persuade the laye people that it is sufficient knowlege for them to learne and knowe their pater noster, so they cal our lordes prayer, and that they haue no nede to know any more of goddes holy doc­trine, but these that be wyse, lette them leue suche doctryne, and they them selfes vse all diligence to learne more and more knowlege of goddes holy worde, and teache all other so to do and increase in the same, and as they increase in learnynge so let them increase in godly lyuynge.

2. That you maye proue, what is best, that you may be pure, and such as hurte no mans conscience, vnto the daye of christ, fylled with the frutes o [...] ryghtuosnes, which come by Ie­sus christ, vnto the glory and prayse of god.) Here is the cause declared, why he desyred them to get all spi [...]ytuall learnynge and in­ [...]rease in the same, that they myght disce [...]ne and trewly iudge what is good, what is euyll, what is for their saluation, what is a­gaynste [Page] it, that they myghte knowe lyghte from darkenes, and darkenes from lyghte, swete from soure and soure from swete, and not to iudge lyghte darkenes and darkenes lyght, lyfe to be death and death lyfe, and so to runne into dampnation, thretned to suche [...]uyll iudgers. Esaye. 5. And here he requireth of euery manne that they shulde haue a pure and iuste iudgement whiche can not be with out trew knowlege of gods holy worde, by the whiche good is knowne from euyll, and lyghte from darkenes, lyfe from death, and this place reproueth and condempneth all vntrewe and false iudgementes, preposte­rous iudgementes in matters perteynynge to saluation of the soule. Lacke of knowlege of holy scripture is and hath bene the cause of moche myschefe and of many peryllous and false iudgementes in the worlde, as had all they that iudged christe Iesus that innocent lambe that neuer dyd synne, in whose mouth was founde no disce [...]t nor falsed or crafte to be a synner a dronkerd a deuourer of meate, lyke in sinne to publicanes and syfiers whose company he vsed to make them good, as [...]e dyd in dede, that called him a blasphemer of god, a deceuer of the people, that caste out de­uylles in the name of Beelzebub, and that he had a deuyll with in him / suche was the false iudgementes here reproued of the scri [...]es and pharyseis of christ Iesus. So Tertullus the orator Actes. 24. Called saynt Paule an here tyke and a pestilē [...] man & his doctrine heresy, so now a dayes many call the doctryne of the [Page] gospell of god new doctryne and heresy, and the teachers of it heretykes, all such false iudgements the apostle here reproueth and con­dempneth them that so iudge to hell fyre.

Esaye. 5. If they do not here repente and a­mende and learne better knowlege, that they iudge better and more trewly. Also here is reproued all preposterous iudgementes as was all the iudgementes of them that prefer­red voluntary workes as pylgrymage, offe­rynge vp of candells to images, gyltynge of images and such lyke not cōmaunded of god before the workes of marcy commaunded of god to the christiās to do, ignorance was the cause why voluntary workes was preferred before goddes commaundemētes, yf men had knowen workes of mercy to be more thanke­full to god, better to haue pleased him, and more acceptable to him, I thynke many good men moch gyuen to voluntary workes, more then to workes of marcy, for more they dyd bestowe vpon suche voluntary workes then they dyd gyue for the relefe of the poore, yea they were moch more ready to do voluntary workes then to fulfyll goddes commaunde­mentes, which was agreat token and sygne they thought and iudged voluntary workes to please god better then workes commaun­ded in holy scrypture, for to these workes scarse they culde be brought to by any persua­sion to gyue a crowne or a noble to a poore man in sicknes but to gylte an image, and to spende. xx [...]. of the gyltyng, they of them selfes were ready enoughe, and yet there be suche [Page] that had leuer gyue a croune to gylte a ima­ge yf they culde be suffered with out blame then. xii d. to a poore blynde same man that be in extreme necessite. So you se the apostle here requireth of all trewe christians a pure and trew iudgement, and excludeth all false and preposterous iudgementes from christes people, and that they shulde knowe to iudge amonges good workes yf one be better then an other to chose out the best, that beste plea­seth god, and with all gladnes of mynde to do it. Secondly he desyreth they maye be pure and clere from all vyce and synne, from all crafte and falsed, from euyll affections of the flesshe, from carnall desyres and lustes, from pompe pryde and al vanite of the worlde that they be such as nother by worde nor dede do offēde any that is, do not giue iuste occasiō of euyll / sometymes occasion of euyll maye be taken where no occasion is gyuen, as many was offēdyd by christ that neuer dyd offende neuer dyd synne and yet he was euyll spoken on, and was slander and a stonne of offence, that is occasiō of hurte to the scribes, phari­ses and the vnfaithfull Iewes, whiche offēce come not of christ, but of the wyckednes and maliciousnes of euyll mē that toke occasiō of hurte where no occasiō was gyuen, and were offended where they shulde not haue ben offended, but rather they shulde haue bene offended with them selfes and theyr noughty maners, euyll lyuynge, peruerse and preposterous iudgemētes, & haue mendyd them, then that they shulde haue bene offendyd by christe, in whom [Page] was no offence, nor by hym offence gyuen in worde or in dede. Here the apostle forbyddes to gyue iuste occasion of offence to any man, and that not for a daye or two, but vnto the daye of the lord, that is all your lyftyme, holy lyuyng is required of euery good christen mā and woman. Thyrdly lerne that it becom­meth all christians to be fulfylled with the frutes of iustice, that is verite iustice fayth hope charite & all workes of marcy wrought by the spirite of god, and not by our merytes deseruynges or suffrages of other, but onlye of goddes grace by Iesus Christe our lorde, and that to the glory and prayse of god, and not for our owne prayse or cōmendation, nor that by our workes we shulde merite or deser­ue goddes grace or fauour, reconcyle vs to god, satisfy for synne and optayne lyfe euer lastyng of the meryte and wordynes of our workes, but good workes we must do to the glory of god, to shewe vs thankefull to god, of whom we haue receyued so many benefy­tes, to declare our fayth not to be ded, to agre to our creation and vocation, that we be not created and made to be ydle, but to labor profytable labors ordynated not of vs but of god, that we shulde walke in and serue god after our vocation as we be called, and as god haue commaunded vs, shewynge our sel­fes alwayes obedient to goddes wyll and pleasure.

The apostle here declareth more playnely how his imprisonmēt & bōdes was no hurte ne dammage to the gospell, but rather dyd promote it and set it forwardes, that these Philippiās shulde not be offended by Paules bondes in pryson, nor yet thynke him to be euyl, or an heretyke, or sower of euyll seed, or false doctryne, and for false doctryne to be cast in pryson, in featers, to his great slander and infamy, and to the rebuke of the gospell prea­ched by Paule. And here he sheweth two commodites to come to the gospell by his impri­sonment and bondes. The firste is, that by this occasiō the worde of god come to manye, not onely to the commen people that come to him in preson to whom he preached goddes worde, and wanne dyuers to christ, as Ome­symus and dyuers other, but also it come to the iudgement hall and into the palles of the hall of Nero the Emperour, yea the worde of [Page] god was scatered and spred through out al the worlde, for at Rome was at that tyme people of all nations, that wrote home to theyr countres what thynges was done at Rome, they beynge at Rome, they wrote of Paule and of his pure and sincere doctryne, and how he was caste in preson and in chey­nes for the gospell of christe, and not for his fautes or iniquites, yea Paules constancye in preachyng and settynge forth the worde of god in presonne, and in iudgement before Nero a eu [...]ll Emperour an enemye and ad­ [...]ersary to goddes gospell, and the pacience that Paule hadde in presone and in bondes with all humilite and [...]eakenes dyd declare to all good men, both in Neroes curte and with out, that Paule suffered bondes for Christes gospell and for Chris [...]e and not for any faute in him. The seconde commodyte that come by Paules imprisonment was that some that had receyued Christes gospell and had professed the treweth, fauored and loued it, yet they were fearfull, and for feare of [...]erse [...]tion afflic [...]ions losse of wordly goodes and lyfe durste not boldle and openly professe the trewth and Christes gospell, such be manye now a dayes that shrynke a waye from god and from the verite of his trewth other for [...]ucre sake worldly, for feare of afflictions, losse of mennes fauours or of worldly gooddes, or for feare of imprisonment or of lyfe, but these that were fea [...]rfull and durst not boldly professe Christe and his gospell were made bolde by myne afflyctions and [Page] [...]ondes, and by pacyence they saw in me, and set all feare asyde boldly frely and frankely professed Christ and his worde and publyshed it with great boldnes, and was of god preserued from the mouth of the lyon, as I was, and the gospell was promoted by myne im­prisonment, magred to the hed of the aduer­sares of goddes worde, which though to hyn­der and let goddes worde, and clere to abolysh it and dystroy it by myne afflictions, but god frustrated and made vayne all theyr euyll purposes, and made them to serue his glory and to promote his worde, and set it forth by that meanes that aduersares had compased to destroy goddes worde and his glory, so we se that euyll mens purposes commes not al­waye to affecte, they atteyne not that thynge they go about, they labor agaynst god, but in vaīe for there is no labor, no coūsel, no wisdō no prudēce, no power, no myght that wyl ser­ [...]e agaynst god, yea god is so good prudente and myghty that he turneth the purposes of euyll men▪ and maketh them serue to promote his wyll and pleasure, as here Nero the Em­perour thought to haue oppressed & destroyed goddes worde clearely settyng Paule in pre­son and in fetters, but god made his doynge to forther the gospel so moch as nothing [...]u [...]d furder it more, suche is goddes goodnes that at the lenght they la [...]or in vayne, that labors agaynst god or against his worde, the trewth maye be hyd and obscured for a tyme, but at the length [...]t wyll bruste out and be openlye knowne in spyte of all his enemyes. Learne [Page] here that Paule was in prisone at Rome when he wrote this epistle, and had no cause to be ashamed of his impresonmēt or bondes, but rather myght reioyse in them, for they were for the glory of god and the promotion of his worde, so maye all other reioyse afflic­ted and imprysonned for Christ and his gos­pell, for by such the gospell is defended confyrmed encreased and promoted.

The apostle sayde before that the gospell was pr [...]ached more lyberally, and more with out feare occasiō tak [...]n by his imprisonmēt, now he in a maner correcteth him [...]elfe, and saith this thynge not to be done of all men that had receyued the fayth of christ and his gospell, nor yet all that preached Christes [Page] gospell dyd lyke wyse preach it, for some preache the gospell of enuy ma [...]yce and contentiō, some preched it of a good wyll, so we maye se not all men of lyke goodnes nor of lyke fayth, or of godly lyuynge, for some be good and bryngeth forth good frutes, and some be euyll and bryngeth forth euyll frutes.

2. The one parte preacheth Christ of stryfe, and not purely, supposynge to adde more ad­uersite vnto my bondes.) He sheweth for what ende and purpose some preache Christ not purely but of stryfe and of cōtention not seaking gods glory, nor yet the saluation of Christes people, but they chyde and brawell sow discorde and debayte, and with greate hatred of me preache the gospell, thynkynge by that meanes to adde more and more ad­uersite and afflyctione vnto me, to make me more hated of Nero the Emperour, knowing that it was persuaded to Nero that the preachyng of the gospell shulde be destruction to him and to his empyre, and therfor Nero wolde haue no preachyng of the gospell, but hated the gospel worse thē a serpēt or a dogge, and therefore he caste Paule in prison, and thought to haue kylled him, and the more the gospell was preached the more Nero hated Paule, as they knewe well a nough which preached the pospell not purely, but knew all the blame shuld be layed vpō Paules backe, and that he shuld rūne the more & more in the yre and indignation of Nero the emperour, and so Paule shulde suffer for al, and so more punyshment to come to him. Se howe some [Page] tymes, what deuelly she persuasions is brought into the heades of hye prynces and rueiers, yea persuaded vnto them, as here was to Nero the emperour, that the preachīg of the gospell of Christ shulde be the destructiō of his realme, and the cause of rebellion of the subiectes agaynst theyr heades and rue­lers, when there is nothynge that is more for the saluation of the people then is the preachynge of goddes worde for that is the meane by the whiche god hath ordeyned to saue his people. 1. Cor. 1. Nor nothynge more kepeth the people in a good order and in dew obedyence with all humylyte and subiection to theyr heades and rulers then the worde of god truly and sincerely preached. It is a gret meruell that the deuyll shulde persuade this to any man that lyfe is death, and lyght is darkenes, the worde of god it is lyfe and bryngeth with it lyfe and the spirite of god as sayth Christ. Ihon. 6. The wordes which I spake vnto you they be lyfe and the spirite, that is they bryng lyfe and the spirite of god. what is a greater offēce then to cal lyfe death and death lyfe to whom the prophete Esay. 5 Thretneth euerlastynge woo? what is more bla [...]phemy to god thē this? yea it is synne a­gaynst the holy ghost (to call the gospell of god to be the destruction and death of the people, when it is the onely health and salua­tion of the people) whiche is not forgyuen in this worlde nor in the worlde to come. This is an olde craft of the deuyll to persuade to hye prynces and ruelers worldly the preachīg [Page] of the gospell to be the destructiō of the people and decay of theyr worldly realmes honours and dygnytes, when the gospel mayntayneth kīgdomes, preserueth honours and dignites, and saueth the people from the deuyll and hell fyre and euerlastyng dampnatiō ▪ what other cause was that christen prynces and ruelers wolde not suffer the holy scriptures to be in theyr mothers tonge as they call it that not only pres [...]es but also laye men myght rede the holy scryptures to theyr comforte & edyfyeng in god and in Christ, but that it was persua­ded to them, that the holy scriptures was not profytable nor to the health and saluation of theyr people, but that they were hurtefull, brought errours and heresy contempte of maiestrates & ruelers, and so was the death and destructiō of theyr subiectes, and therfore the holy scryptures was shytte vp from the laye people vnlearned in the latynge tonge, lesse they shulde take hurte of them, when the holy scryptures be the spyrytuall foode of the soule, and the soule lackynge this spirituall foode must nedes dye, as the body wantynge corporall foode, the holy scriptures bryngeth lyfe health and saluation as is saide before, excepte some euyll men do abuse them, and by cause some haue or do abuse the holy scryp­tures to theyr destruction is it mete to take them from all laye men? for what thynge is so good so holy that can not be abused? that some haue not abused or do abuse? fyre wa­ter meate drynke apparell be thynges neces­sary for mā, and yet some hath abused them, [Page] to theyr great hurte losse shame and rebuke and death, but bycause some euyll abuse good thynges, is it meate or conuenient to forbyd al mē the good vse of these thynges? I thynke you wyll saye no, for then we shulde haue no­ther fyre ne water, bred nor drynke, cote nor gowne, but this thynge I thynke it meate, that these that do abuse good thynges be pu­nyshed, and by punishement taught to vse good thynges better with thankes gyuynge to god, lyke wyse I wyshe and desyre that the readyng of holy scryptures shulde not be for­byden all laye men and women, but forbyden suche as do abuse them, and do not take thē and rede them to theyr comfort in Christ, and for amendement of theyr lyues, and that such myghte haue them lawfully to teache them and their housolde vertu and godlynes.

3. Here also we maye learne that Paule althoughe he preached goddes worde purely and syncerly yet he had many enemyes and aduersaries, yea of that sorte that preached the gospell as he dyd to the people, (and so they wolde be counted as to preache the gos­pell of god for goddes glory and for the edifi­enge of the people) for enuy and hatred they had to Paule, and to brynge Paule in more hatred to Nero the Emperour, and by that meanes to encrease Paules paynes and tor­mentes, for they knewe that Nero wolde be more ferse and cruel agaynst Paule the more the gospell of god shulde be preached abrode and more publyshed. Here we maye se what enuy and malyce do, and that wycked men [Page] sometyme pretende holynes, that they maye do displeasure to him whom they enuy, and to bryng him to more tormentes and paynes, as these aduersares of Paule dyd preache not purely nor syncerely, but of enuy and of contention. And yf there was such in Paules tymes that so enuyed saynte Paule, lette vs not meruell yf there be such in our tyme, that enuy all good preachers, and wolde brynge them to paynes presone and tormentes. Also here we maye se that as impiete & destruction of the people was persuaded to Nero for the health and saluatiō of his people, so to many christen prynces and hye ruelers it was per­suaded the translation of the holy scriptures in the mothers tonge to be the destruction of the people, so prynces haue erred for a tyme, but thankes be to god that error is taken a­waye from many prynces and hye ruelers, and the treweth in the place of errour persuaded, that the holy scriptures in the mo­ther tonge be very profytable for all mē, that wyll vse them well, and these that do abuse them, let them be punyshed in example to o­ther, that other may feare to abuse the holy scriptures of god gyuen for our saluation.

4. Some preache Christ of a good wyll.) Nowe he toucheth the other parte saynge, some men preache Christ purely and syncerly and of a good wyl, and they be which of cha­ryte and of loue to goddes glory & the health of the people preache goddes worde truly no­thyng elles regardynge but goddes glory and the edyfyenge of Christes people, not sekynge [Page] thereby theyr owne lucre avantange honour and glorye. Here we may se that in Paules lyfe there was some good preachers, some euyll preachers, nor euery one dyd not thynke well of Paule, for some thought him an here­tyke and a deceyuer of the people, and ther­fore they labored with all diligence to increase his paynes, and studed to brynge Paule to shame rebuke turmentes and death, other there was that knewe Paule to preache the truth and to defende the gospell by his afflyctions, and they made bolde by his con­stancy and pacience to preache and publyshe Chrstes gospell without all feare, and that in the courte and hall of Nero. But here per­aduēture some wyll aske, dyd all know paule to preache the truethe? no for god dyd not lighten euery mans mynde with the lyght of treuth, for some dyd counte the treuth to be falsed and lees and the gospell to be heresy and dyd hate it, as now yet some do call gods worde heresy and trew preachers of it herety­kes, and do hate them and persequute them, the cause is, they are not lyghtned with the light of truth, but be blind in it, whether that blyndnes hath deserued theyr malyce which hath blīdyd them, or the prynce of this world haue blynded theyr eyes that they can not se, nor yet here the truth of gods word preached.

5. So that Christe be preached whether it be by occasion, or trew meanynge I reioyse there in and wyll reioyse.) Here the apostle reioseth the worde of god to be preached how so euer it be preached of them that preache, [Page] whether they do it of a good mynde, or of an euyll purpose and intente, it is better the worde of god to be publyshed abrode, then to be hyd vnder the candelstyke, and so hyd to profyt none, for publyshed it profytes some and go [...]th not in vayne Esaye. 55. For al­though they that preache it of an euyll mynde to hurt other or to make other more punished do not profyt them selfes so doynge, nor do no profytable worke to them selfes, yet they do a worke profytable to other, wyll they, nyll they they promote goddes glory, so god order the matter of wycked men. So here we maye learne that Christe maye be shewed of euyll men, whiche profyt not them selfes so doyng, but other, so euyll men some tymes do workes profytable to other, but not to them selfes. yf it had not ben a good worke and pleasante to god Christ to be openly preached of euyll men Paule wolde not haue reioysed in it, wherfore we may se; that it is better an euyll man to gyue a peny to a poore man, and to speake well of god then to gyue nothynge at all, or to speake nothynge of god that is good, this worke done of an euyll man is not merytorius as they call it, for it is not done in fayth, but it is called bonum opus in genere, a good worke in it selfe, yf it were done of a good faythfull mā and of a good intent, it shulde haue his rewarde but bycause it commeth from an euyll man and of no good pur­pose it lacketh his rewarde before god, for god doth not esteme workes done out of fayth & of an euyl mā, such workes be not ac­ceptable [Page] before him, nor he promyseth lyfe euerlastynge to suche as labor without fayth and lacketh charyte, suche workes do not profyt to opteine eternal felicite and end­les Ioye with Chiste. 1 Corin. 13.

Before he hath shewed the euyll purposes of them that preached Christe of contention and of a pretēsed holynes and not of a good mynde or wyll, but to hynder the gospel (whiche they promoted so doynge) although they intēded the contrary, and also to haue added to Paule more greuous paynes and afflicci­ons. Now he declareth that his aduersares [Page] culde not hurte him, nor brynge him to death, but rather the contrary he trusted throughe their humylle prayer and adminystration of the spirite of god gyuen to him, whiche can and wyll make all the labors of the aduersa­res vayne, and make them to serue goddes truth, and to be profytable to goddes mynis­ters rather then hurte to them. Nowe howe Paule surely trusted the euyll purposes of his aduersares to be profytable to him and to the gospell of god by two thynges, the one is by their prayer for he knewe the prayer of a iuste man to be moche worth before god. Iame. 5. And therfore he vsed moche prayer, and desired oftymes the prayers of other to teache vs to do suche lyke. Secondly he hoped the euyll doynges of his aduersares not to hurte but rather to forder the gospell by the admynystration of the holy ghost, to whom nothyng is impossible or dyfficulte, but he wyll do what thyng that shall be most to goddes glory, to the forderaunce of his worde, and the health of the people.

2. As I loke for and hope that in nothynge I shall be ashamed.) The apostle sheweth that his hope shuld neuer deceyue him, for he was sure that these that put their ful trust & hoope in god shulde not be confunded, shulde neuer haue cause to mystrust god, shuld at the lenght opteyne that thynge they hopeth for of god, as it is wrytten oftymes in Dauids psalter, our fathers haue hoped in the good lorde and they are not confounded, they haue opteyned the thynge they hoped, yea also he [Page] suerly trusteth, that as god hath ben present with him other tymes and in places in his afflictions so he trusted that god wolde not leue him now destitute his ayde and healpe, but wolde be with him and healpe him, and delyuer him to the preferrement of the gospel. Here we maye learne of Paule to desyre o­ther to praye for vs, and knowe the prayers of other to be profytable, and to haue a sure trust in god, and hope, that god wyll not leue his seruauntes without helpe and comfor­te, although for a tyme he suffer them to be in affliccions.

3, As Christ alwayes in tymes past, euen so now shall be magnifyed in my body, whe­ther it be through lyfe or thorugh death.) Here the apostle showeth what thynge he hoped of god, that Christ shuld be alwayes magnified by him, both in lyfe and in death, that yf so be it he shulde lyue he wolde preache and teache alwhere Christes glorye and make it famous to al the worlde, that al mē aboue all worldly thynges shulde desyre and study to set forthe honour and glory to god, and to our sauiour Iesu Christe, and to thynke them borne for this ende and purpose, and moste speeyally byshoppes prelates pastours and curates whose hole study shulde be to promote goddes worde by pure and syncere preachynge of it, and so by it puerly preached Christe shulde be magnifyed in their bodyes, that is by them lyuyng in this lyfe in their bodyes sayeth he, and yf it shulde chaunce me to dye as to suffer death for the gospells sake I do nothynge [Page] dowte, but there by my death Christe Iesus shulde be magnifyed, and that he is the onely sauyour, and that there is no saluation with out him, that there is none other in whome we shall be saued, but onely in Iesu Christe, and yf I shall suffer death for the gospelles sake I shulde haue no hurt by that, but moch profyt, whiche thynge I desyre that I myght be delyuered from moch sory payne and many euylles in this worlde & to come to the heuēly ioyes that last alwaye, vnto the which I cannot come without I be firste delyuered from this mortall body by bodely death after the example of Christ, which first did suffer death and so entred into his glory, so must they do that shalbe partakers of his glorye. Here we learne of Paule that death is more profyta­ble to good men then lyfe.

The apostle openeth now more plainlye, why he sayde his death shulde be to him auaū tage, for by it he shulde be delyuered from the myseries wrechednes paynes tormentes and afflicciōs of this worlde, and that he shuld be with Christ in heauen in glory and ioye, and to lyue in this lyfe he knew it was but payne and labor for him.

2. what I shall chose I wote not.) Two thynges came to the apostles mynde, the one what was good for him only, the other what was more profyt to the people of christ Iesu, as for him selfe he knew it was moche better for him to dye then lyue, for by that meanes he shulde be delyuered from trobles of the worlde, from imprysonmēts and chaynes, frō rebukes & tauntes of the worlde, but for the people he knewe his lyfe shulde be moch more profyt then is death, for he knewe he shulde more profyt the people & bryng thē to saluati­on by faythfull preachynge of goddes holy worde, and for the peoples sake, lokynge to their profyt he dyd not desyre death, but ra­ther to lyue in his fleshe, that he myght bryng them to Christ and so to eternall saluation with Christ. But of these two consydered all [Page] thynges he chosed rather to dye then to lyue, not that he refused labors or to suffer paynes of imprysonment or of fetters or of death, for these thynges he was contented to suffer, but that he myght be delyuered out of the myseres and wretchednes of this lyfe, and that he myght come to the eternall fylycite and ioye with Christe Iesu in heuen alwayes to be in blisse. Here we learne of Paule death rather to be desyred then lyfe, and deathe of good mē to be moche better to them, then this presente lyfe, that they shulde be no longer pylgrymars or far frō god, but alwayes to be presēt with hī in glory & filycite. And therfore holy mē desyred of god to be dissolued frō this body & this noughty world full of noughtynes & vnhap­pynes, that they shulde displese god no more, that they shuld be wrapped no lēger ī the euyls & myseres of this world ful of al euylnes, that they myghte be with god in ioye & in heuenly glory, so after the example of good men shulde we al desyre rather death thē lyfe as they dyd. The apostle here reproueth them that feare death, and shrynketh in theyr bodyes when they here of death, as doth carnall and worldly men, whose harte & mynde is all vpō carnall pleasures & worldly desyres honours and dignytes, for the fleshe feareth death and shrynketh at the voyce of death, as Christe dyd after his humane nature, but he ouer came death, that we shulde nothynge feare death of the body, which we know shall aryse agayne an immortalle body. 1. Cor. 15. But yf we will consyder the matter well as we shuld [Page] do, there is no cause why we shulde feare death, bicause deth is the det of nature, which detre we must nedes paye nyll we, wil we, for the sifie of Adame brought to vs naturally, & therfore we must al dye the death of this mortalbody & suffer that payne imflicted for syfie. Many places of holy scripture sheweth vs that we shall dye. Paule to the Hebreus. 9. Sayth, that it is decreed of god that all men ones shall dye. Eclesiasticus. 2. sayth also, that the wysemā and foole dyeth, the learned and the vnlaerned. Paule. 1. Cor. 15. All we shall slepe, but all shall not be chaunged. All we shall stande before the iustyce of Christ to gyue a counte for these thynges we haue done in our bodyes, whether it be good or euyll. Roma. 14. we haue commed naked from our mothers wombe, and we shall retourne agayne naked. 1. Timo. 6. Then seynge we can not eschew death, why do we feare death? it is a folyshnes to feare that thynge that through feare can not be auoydyd. Ther fore there is no cause why we shulde feare death, but this is to be feared, that we do not prouyde for death as we shulde do, that we do not prepare vs to dye as we shuld do, that the death of the body might bring vnto vs no hurt ne dāmage but moch profyt ioye & blysse. Dyuerse examples sheweth vs playnly tha [...] we all shall dye, Abraham, Isaac, Iacob, Moyses, Iosephe, Dauyd, Esay, Hieremy, Danyell, Christ and his apostles all, Patry­arkes, Prophetes, our Fathers, Mothers Graunfathers, Graunmothers, Prynces, [Page] Kynges, Emperours, Lordes, Hearles, Du­kes, Prestes, Munkes, Channons, that was before, is al ded, for they were mortal, so shal we all dye, whether we be good or euyll as they were, the tyme of death, the maner of it, the place is to vs vncertayne, but as the houre of death is most vncertayne, so there is nothynge more certayne vnto vs then that we all shall dye from this corporall and this present lyfe. Death as Christ sayth. Mat. 24 Shall come to vs lyke a thefe, & in the houre that he is not loked for. Example in the stowe seruante and in the folyshe virgyns. Mat. 25. Also the lyfe of man is assembled to grasse. Esay. 40. To a shadowe or to a cloude. Sap. 2 whiche shortly passeth away. And. Iob. 14. saith, that a man borne of a woman lyueth a lytyll tyme, & is fylled with all miseres, and goeth away as a floure, and is trodē downe, and fleeth as ashadow, and neuer taryeth in one state. Therefore let vs not make moch of our panted sheth, that is of our freale and corruptyble bodye, a lumpe of hearth whiche is as a tente to tary in for a lytell tyme as Peter sayth. 2. Peter. 1. Let vs thynke that yf the house of this tabernacle shuld be destroyed we haue a buyldynge with god, a byldynge euerlastynge in heauen not made by mannes hande. 2. Cor. 5. Therfore let vs watche that death stele not vpon vs slepynge, and come vpon vs vnwares and vnprouyded, lesse we be excluded out from heauen and frō heuenly ioyes, let vs take good heed that the dore be not shytte to vs, and we not suffered to come [Page] in, let vs prouyde for death, that when god shall come and call vs by corporall death we be not then founde sloo and vnprofytable seruaunces, not lokynge for the commyng of the lorde, leste he be angry with vs, and deuyde vs, and put our partes with hypochrytes, where as shalbe wepynge and gnasshynge of teath, let vs be readye altymes for death and then we shall not feare death, let vs haue a trewe fayth in Christe, puere charyte to our nighbors, and lyue vertuously, and then death shalbe wellcome to vs at all tymes.

¶ There is thre thynges that maketh death terryble and fearfull to men, but they are not to be feared.

The fyrste is an euyll opiniō of late dayes creped in and rysen by the anabaptistes, or by other ignorant in goddes holy worde. Some there be that thinketh the soules of good faythfull men departed this present lyfe do not go to rest, peace & glory with Christe, but that they slepe with out perceyuynge good or euyll, and that they lacke the ioye of heuen tyll the daye of iudgemente, & this euyll opy­nyon maketh some to feare corporal deth but let this euil opynyō feare no mā to dye & to depart his presēt lyfe, for they that dye ī Christ be blyssed and in peace reste comforte and with Christe and so in ioye and blysse, as I shall shewe more at large by the holy scrip­tures of god. The secōde thyng that maketh men to feare death is the olde inueterated opynyon of the thyrde place somtyme called purgatory in to the which place all the soules as they haue sayde goeth of them whiche is [Page] in this worlde hathe not fully satysfyed for their synnes by workes here in this presente lyfe done, and in that thirde place greuously punyshed with great paynes and intollera­ble punyshmentes, which nothynge dyffer frō the paynes of hell as they saye, but that the paynes of purgatory called haue an ende, the paynes of hell haue no ende, but alwayes shall endure and be more greuous and gre­uous to suche as shall suffer in hell and the paynes therof, but yf we lyue well and dye in Christ we shall not nede to feare the paynes of this thirde place after this lyfe, for holy scripture put good men in more comfort, then so, as a none by goddes grace ye shall redde here by holy scriptures. The third thing that maketh men to abhore death is the paynes of hell thretened of god to euyll lyuers for their synnes to be iustly punished, whiche paynes men shulde feare in dede, and leue lyuynge euill and liue wel after goddes lawes as they haue professed to lyue. Men persueryng whē they shulde dye and chaunge this corporall lyfe, and that they must go ether to heauen, purgatory, or to hell, and that noue goeth strayght to heauē without he haue ful satis­fied for his synnes here, as fewe or none do, & yf any do, yet the euyll opynyon sayth that they shall not go to heauen tyll the daye of the last iudgement, but to that tyme be with out ioye and blysse, and yf they shall go to the thirde place, or to hell, they be in extreme paynes and tormentes, men these thynges consyderynge it is no meruell thoughe they [Page] feare death, howe can they not feare death that thynketh their lyfe after this presente lyfe not to be better but moch worse, in paines and great punishmentes. But these thre bug­ges shulde not make vs to feare to dye in Christ. For the fyrste opinion is an euyll opy­nyon and contrary to the holy scriptures whiche saith that the soules of good men be with Christ, and yf they be with Christ they lacke no ioye ne comforte glory or felicite. Saynte Paule sayth here I desyre to be dissolued frō this mortall body and to be with Christ, he thought to be with Christe, yf he were dis­solued from this corruptible body, and lyke it is spoken. 2. Cor. 5. As longe as we be in this body, we be farre from god, therfore we wolde be farre from this body and to be pre­sent with god, suche as be present with god be in ioye and felicite. And. Math. 26. Christe sayde to the thefe crucifyed with him vpon the crosse, this daye, not to morowe or at the last iudgement thou shal be with me in para­dise. Sapience. 3. Confyrmeth this thynge sayng. If the iuste man be preuented by death he shalbe in refreshmēt, and agayne the same sayth that the soules of good men be in the handes of god, and no tormentes of malice touche them, they appere to the eyes of the wicked to dye, but they be ī peace Also. Lu. 16 sheweth playnly that Lazarus was in ioye and comforte and the ryche man in paynes and tormentes. These places of holy scrip­tures and many mo that myght be brought for the same purpose doth sufficiently proue [Page] that the soules of good men departed this lyfe are with god and with Christe in ioye blysse peace refresshynge comforte and in rest without all payne of malyce as the holy scriptures afore alleged doth sufficienly proue. As touchyng the secode thynge that bryngeth men in feare to dye I thynke we nede not to feare that bugge, for that place is vncertaine to vs and the name of it, the state and condi­tion of soules departed (as the kynges booke sayth spekyng of the thirde place called sum­tyme purgatory) yf they be not with god or in hell. The holy scriptures doth appere to make no mention of it, and then be the same autho­ryte it is affirmed by the same it may be con­futed as sayth Ierome. Mat. 23. And yf it be suche a thynge as byshoppes of Rome maye robbe and spoyle at their pleasure, and wyll not, yf there be any suche paynes as they haue sayd or feyned to be, then they be very vncharytable and vnmarcyfull, charyte re­quireth to do to thy neyghbour as thou wold be done to, Marcy persuadeth delyueraunce from paynes and tormentes, and yf money which bought popes pardones indulgence in pylgrymages and in masses sayde ad scala celi myght ryd men out of the great paynes of that place, then it appereth that ryche mē was alwaye happy, for they be their monye byenge perdons was sone delyueryd out of paynes, and poore men euer vohappy, that had not money to bye pardons, for they must lye styll in tormentes, but how that doth agre with Christes saynge. Luke. 6. I can not [Page] tell he sayth. woo be to you ryche that laught for you shall wepe, not all ryche men shall wepe, but suche as abuse their ryches, but of this third place I wyl not speke, but this the scriptures doth saye that he that dyeth in the fayth of Iesus Christ he resteth in peace with Christe, & yf he dye out of faithe he is iudged, he that beleuyth hath lyfe, and he that do not beleue is now iudged. Iohn. 3. He speaketh of a trew and lyuely faith workynge by charite at all oportunite and occasion gyuen, and after his habilite. And as for the thirde bugge that bryngeth men in feare of death that is the thynge that shulde feare men and plucke them from synne and synfull lyuynge, lesse they come to the paynes of hell and there be in tormentes euer more without ende, to the which paynes they shall come that here lyue wyckedly contrary to the wyll and cōmaun­dement of god, yf they before death do not repente and amend and call to god for grace and mercy and opteyne pardon and remyssiō of synnes and walke in a new lyfe hauynge sure fayth in Christ hope and charite, conty­new and increase in them.

2. Here we may learne of Paule rather to desyre death then lyfe, and death is rather to be desyred of trewe christians then to be dred, and that for many causes, & moch ꝓfyt to vs Fyrst where is a trew fayth it maketh them certayne of eternall lyfe as sayth saīt Iohn. 3 He that beleueth hath eternall lyfe vnto the which we can not come without the death of the body, therfore death is to be wysshed of [Page] vs that we maye come to lyfe.

Seconde. If we beleue god to be our father, and yf we loue him aboue all creatures in this worlde we wyll desyre aboue all thynges to come vnto our father so louynge so kynde so meryfull full al goodnes ryches and glory, to our father we can not come excepte before by death we be seperated from our mortall bodyes, therfore let vs desyre death that we maye come to our heauenly father whome we loue aboue all thynges.

Thirdly. As longe as we are in this mortall bodye we be farre from god. 2. Cor. 5: To be presēt with god we alway desyre, to be presēt with god we can not, without we be ded frō this corporall body, death therfore is not to be feared, but desired, that we maye be pre­sente in glory with god.

Fourthly. Pylgrames and strangers farre from home desyreth euer homewardes, and is not mery nor quiet tyll they come home where their treasure ryches frendes landes and possessyons be, we christians as longe as we be in this lyfe we be as strangers and geastes farre from home wandrynge with moche care and heuy hartes, hauynge heare no dwellynge place. Hebre. 12. But sekynge the habitation to come whiche is in heauen, where is our home our ryches our treasure layd vp, surely keped for vs, & our landes and possessions, yea a kyngdome an empyre, our frendes and kynsfolkes, & thether we can not come excepte before by deeath we forsake this corruptyble body, death therfore is of vs all [Page] greatly to be desyred and not to be dred, for by it we enter to take possession of our hea­uenly inheritage ioye and blysse.

Fiftely. As longe as we are in this noughty body we are subiected to many euylles and moch mysery, many sicknes & diseases as to feuers agues palsey dropsye gout pockes pes­tylence and to many other sorowes paynes and trobles from the whiche all death dely­uereth vs, and without death we can not be­delyuered from them, therfore death is to be wysshed that we maye be delyuered from all myserys and wretchednes of this presen lyfe. Syxtly. No hurte or dammage we suffer by the death of the body but get moche profyt and commodite, by death we be delyuered frō mortalyte and made immortall, we are ryd from paynes and brought to ioye, receyue life and heauenly saluation, and then we shalbe lyke to god in glory in eternall felycite and in heauenly inheritaunce, to the which Christ hath called vs and redemyd vs with his pre­ceous bloode, and in heauen we shalbe in such ioye & glory as no tonge can tel nor eye hath euer seen, nor heare harde, nor mans hart [...] can not compasse that glorye and ioye that god hath prepared for them that loue him 1. Cor. 2. But to these ioyes and felycytes we can not attayne vnto, excepte we firste dye and be delyuered from our mortall bodyes, these thynges yf we wyll consyder them well and deaply in our hartes wey them, there is no cause why we shulde feare death of the body, but rather we shulde desyre it as Paule [Page] and other holy men dyd desyrynge to be out of this corruptible and noughty body and to be present with god.

3. I desyre to be lowsed, and to be wtih Christe.) Paule desyred to be dyssolued from his mortall body that he myghte be with Christ, so shulde we do, and not to feare death but desyre death, yf it were so the wyll of god, for death is not to be feared to good mē, but rather to be desyred, for the death of good men sayth the prophete is precious in the syght of the lord. And therfore many good men hath desyred death and to be delyuered from this body lode with synne, that they myght be with god and with Christe Iesu in glory.

4. But to abyde in the flesshe is more nede full for you.) Paule sheweth here although it were better for him selfe to dye then lyue, yet he sayth that it shulde be more profyt for these Philippians that he shulde lyue then dye, and that they shulde haue more profyt by his lyfe then by his death, by the which sayng he doth appere to saye that sayntes can not profyt men so moche beynge ded as yf they were lyuing, and so there prayers not to pro­fyt men here lyuing so moch as dyd their pure preachynge of the gospell when they lyued vpon hearth, and in their corporall bodyes. 5. And this am I sure of that I shall abyde and contynewe with you all, for the furthe­raunce, and ioye of your fayth, that ye maye abundantly reioyse in Christe Iesu, through my commynge to you agayne.) Not howe [Page] sure Paule was that he shulde retourne a­gayne to thes Philippians and abyde and contynew amonges them, and that to their profytes bothe to the increasemente of their fayth, and also to their greatter reioyse in god by his commyng to them, here we learne that god shewethe sometyme to some these thinges that do folow, as here paule sheweth his delyueraunce and commynge to these Philippians and the profyt of his commyng. Also this place wylleth that the commynge of the byshop or pastor to his cure shulde not be without spirituall profyt for his flocke that it shulde be to the increasment of fayth by pure and syncere preachynge of goddes worde and that they shulde more and more reioyse in god, knowynge goddes benefites the better by the worde of god purely preached by the byshoppe pastor or curate. And this place doth somethyng reproue these bysshoppes that be dūme and wyl not preache when they come into their diocese, that wyll not feade their people with the foode of the soule, but suffer them to perysse without foode for them, how shulde byshoppes increase the trew faith of the people that wyll not preache to the people goddes worde, for as fayth commeth by hearynge of goddes worde, so it is increa­sed by the same worde. And as Paule more regarded these thynges that shulde be profy­table to other then to him selfe, so shulde all other do both byshoppes pastores curates and all the laye people, but alas for petye few or none seketh others profyt but their owne, [Page] and so they be well & lyue in ease rest & plea­sure, they care not what become of other, what paynes or tormentes other suffer, but let euery one amende this faute, and study to be profytable as well to other as to him selfe, for we be not borne for our selfes alone, but to gloryfye god and to profyt other by wordes consell workes and dedes as god hath gyuen his gyftes and talentes, for that pur­pose not all gyftes be gyuen to one, but to dyuers, that euery one shulde be an helper to an other, and euery one nedes healpe of ano­ther.

Now the apostle exhorteth them, that they wolde lyue, as it becommeth the profession of [Page] the gospell, and as it becommeth christians that haue professed Christe in baptyme, and him to serue their liftyme, and to frame them selfe after Christes doctrine, that whether he come vnto them, or be absent from them pre­achynge Christe to other people nations and countres accordyng to his vocation and cal­lynge of god. And heare the apostle teacheth all men to lyue as it becommeth christians to lyue, whether their bysshop pastor curate be present with them or absent from them, that they maye optayne eternall lyfe prepared by Christ in heauen.

2. That ye contynewe in one spirite, and one soule laborynge to mayntayne the fayth of the gospell as we do.) To what thynge he exhorted thē to, specially here is shewed, that they shulde contynew in one spirite, that is in spirite of vnite and concorde, with all dily­gente studyeng to maintayne defende and in­crease the fayth of the gospell, that is fayth in Christ gottē by the gospell preached. Ro. 10 And to helpe them that labor for to set forth or preache Christes gospell, and to helpe so­ [...]our and comforte them, yf it shall happen these that preache Christes gospell or other wayes sette it furth to be caste in preson in fetters and chaynes as oftymes chaunces to them, and here he calleth them that putteth thē selfes in iopardy of losse gooddes fauour of men and daunger of imprisonment and death of body to maintayne the fayth of the gospell, to fyght for the fayth of it, and to feare no aduersares nor yet their tormentes [Page] or punyshmentes for the gospell sake, know­yng that they are blyssed before god, that suf­fer for Christe and for his gospell. Iohn. 12. And shall fynde lyfe with Christ, how so euer they be here in this world estemed or counted, or waht cruell death soeuer they shall suffer here for the gospell.

3. And in nothynge feare your aduersares, whiche is to them a token of perdition, but vnto you a token of saluation, and that of god.) That none shulde thynke they suffe­red hurte or dammage of their aduersari­es, whiche cast in preson or put to death the faythfull preachers or setters forth of the gospell, he saith that persequution imprysonmēt or other cruelnes of enymes vsed to good my­nisters of goddes worde to be to them no hurt but profyt, no perditiō but saluation to them that pacyenly for the gospelles sake suche great paynes and torment doth suffer, and the same afflictions persequutions whiche be to the good men cause of saluation be to the persequutors enemyes and aduersaryes to goddes worde the cause of their damnaciō. And this place shulde greatly feare all aduer­sares of the gospell, that they shuld no more persequute the gospell or the faythfull prea­chers of it, lesse they persequuiyng the gospell get vnto them selfes eternall damnacion in hell. And also this place maye comforte suche as suffer afflictions for Christe and for his word, that their afflictiōs be not to their hurt but to their profit health and saluation of this place also we maye learne that it is [Page] euyll and damnable to persequute torment [...] or otherwyse to punyshe the trew preachers or setters forth of the gospel, or these that liue after the gospell, for to them this place of Paule threteneth perdition and dāpnation, and to them that be afflicted for the gospell, and pacienly suffer it promyseth saluation. So one worke maye be the cause of saluatiō and dampnation the cause of saluation to the good, and the cause of dampnation to the euyll, and that thynge is not of man, but of god, that so ordereth the matter that ma­keth the persequution of the gospell to serue to his glory, & to the saluation of his people, such is goddes goodnes, whiche turneth the malice of euyll men to his glory and to the profyt of other.

The cause is here shewed why it was said afflictions to be the cause of helth to these Philippians, and that not of mā but of god, for to them it was gyuen not onely that they shuld beleue in christ, but also that they shuld suffer for Christ, and so they be pacyente suf­ferynge [Page] to haue health, lyfe, and eternall sal­uation, and that this saluation shulde not be ascrybed to corporall afflictions as thoughe afflictions and persequutions worldly deser­ued that thinge, but to god is saluation onely iustely attrybuted. This place shewethe that fayth and pacience inaduersite be gyftes of god, and commeth of god, and not of our myghtes or powers without goddes grace, for fayth and pacience be gyftes of god.

2. And to haue the same syght in you, which you haue sene ī me.) It appereth of this place the Philippians to haue stonde styfly in de­fence of the gospell, and in it to haue bene constante, and pacyente inaduersite for it after the example of Paule, as is written Actes. 16. The examples of good men healpe moch to vertu and to pacyence in aduersite, as these Philippians folowed Paule in faith and in pacience of afflictions.

The apostle exhorteth all men to the study of concorde and to the vnite of the spirite of god shewyng great mischefe to come of dis­corde and moch good of concorde peace and vnite in Christ, that by that meanes he might clerely expelle discorde and bringe in concorde and agremente in all goodnes and godlynes. And first of all note in Paule the apostle of god great humilyte and gentylnes, that when he myght by his authorite haue com­maunded them and charged them vnder the payne of suspension or excommunication to concorde, yet he vsed not his authorite as bysshoppes of Rome and their ministers doth and hath done, as we charge you, we com­maūde you vnder the payne of suspensiō excomunication [Page] interdiction or suche lyke to do this, or that, but he vsed a more gentyll faciō to wynne them, and to bryng them to fulfyll his request, that was by humble peticion and desire, by the which meke & humble heartes be soner wōne and ouercommed, then by roughe and sharpe wordes stubburne and frowarde. And by gentylnes he thought he shulde winne them and brynge them to accomplysshe his purpose rather then by lordely commaunde­mentes and euyll thretenynges, teachynge all bysshoppes and pastores to vse all gentylnes rather then great threttes and cruell punishemente and so by gentylnes they shall be con­querours.

2. If there be any cōsolatiō in christ, yf there be any comfort of loue.) His humble maner & gētyl faciō is now expressed saing yf there be any cōsolatiō in Christe in you, & yf any chris­tiane exhortation hauy place amonges you, or yf you wyl do any thyng for Christes sake, fufyll my request & accomplyshe it, yf there be any comforte of loue in you other towardes god, your nyghtbore or your selfe or your owne saluacion do that I requyre of you. If there be any communion of the spirite of god in you, yf the holy goost be amonges you and you partakers of him and of his gyftes, by whose myght and powre you are all knyt to­gyther in one body and made one with Christ Iesu. If there be any tender marcy in you as shulde be no other wyse then the mother hath to the chylde borne of her owne body, & one man shulde haue towardes another, and [Page] not in you vayntyng or dryed vp, for all these and for the loue that you haue not only to me but [...]o your owne soules helth and saluation fu [...]fyll this my requeste and ioye, for there is nothyn [...] that can be to me more ioye then the fulfyllynge of this my requeste. Beholde the gentylnes of Paule by the which he humbly and instantly desyreth them, when [...]e myght iu [...]e [...]y haue commaunded them and charged them by great thretes, to Paule be vnlyke these that do not desyre but charge and com­maunde vnder great paynes to the breakers, when so holsome thynges be nother charged ne desyred to the people. And two thynges there was that myght haue mouyd them to accomplyshe his desyre, the place from whence Paule wrote these wordes, that was frō the pryson for their sakes and for the gos­pell preached to them and to other gentyles. And the other that he speaketh to them after this sorte, yf you wyll comforte me nowe in pryson and in bondes for your sakes, as I know you wolde comforte and helpe me all that you can, yf you petye my paynes and be sory I am in pryson and in bondes and wold do pleasure to me and comforte me, do that thyng that is most to my comforte and ioye, which is the accomplyshment of my requeste the other thynge that myght moue them was the requeste and the maner of desyre of it in all humblenes and gentelnes.

3. That ye drawe one waye, hauynge one loue, beyng of one accorde and of one mynde.) Now is shewed what thynge the apostle so [Page] interly desyred of them, he desyred not them that they shulde labor and make sure that he myght be delyuered out of pryson and out of fetters, he desyreth not that shu [...]de be profyta­ble to him or for his pleasure carnall, but that thynge that was most for the profyt and commodite of these Philippians, that was they shulde be lyke affected in maners and conditions hauyng the trew knowlege of Christ Iesu and their iudgementes directed after Christ and his lernyng, and that they shulde all thynke one thynge and be of one mynde and affection accordyng to the trew measure of Christes worde hauyng one charite, that is beyng all to gether in perfyt charyte and in loue, that there shulde be no hatred ne malyce amonges them, that they shulde be of one mynde and wyll and affection reioysyng to gether and hauynge petye and compassion to gether. And heare the apostle declareth that he was not carefull for him selfe, nor sought his owne profyt or delyuerance out of prison and bondes, but rather was carefull for other, sought the profyt of other more then his owne profyt. Here we learne that a clere conscience and a iuste cause diliuereth him that is in pryson from carefulnes for him selfe, maketh him glade rather then sory or heauy, it maketh his payne or affliction to be to him as no payne at all, but that suche be careful for other and desireth that other may lyue a life mete for a christiane, and lamēt the euylnes and malyce of euyll men, and prayth god for the euyll that he wyll conuert them [Page] from their euylnes and malyce, and to make them good of euyll men. And nothyng helpeth more that we shulde be lyke in maners and conditions, then that we first all a gree in re­lygion and in trewe holynes after goddes worde, for seldome they can agree in maners that be diuers in the opynyon of trew holy­nes and and sincere knowlege of goddes holy worde.

4. That there be no thynge done through stryfe and dayne glorye.) The cause why he wolde haue them of one affection and mynde is that nothynge shulde be done amonges them of stryfe cōtention or of vayne glory, for many inconnenientes and moche myscheffe commeth of stryfe and vayne glory, of stryfe commeth contention debate chydynge braw­lyng feghtyng and murder, in contention the treweth is suppressed and falsed and lyes be set in the sted of treweth and the veryte is o­ther bannyshed, or elles put to sylence, vayne glory expelleth trew faith as Cstriste sayth. Iohn. 5. How can you beleue, whiche do seke glorye one of another, vayne glore maketh good workes to louse ther rewarde with christ Mat. 6. Vayne glory maketh mē to cō ­demne another and to go by the eares togy­ther, yea vayne glory causeth all euyll and maketh men to be contempned bothe of god and man, therfore flee vayne glory, for there is no cause, why we shulde desyre it for what haue we that we haue not receyued, or what good can we do of our selfe without goddes grace? suerly no thynge that is good but that [Page] is euyll, therfore for all good thynges we do let all thankes be gyuen to god and all glory, for to him it is most dew and most conuensēt. 5. But that through mekenes of mynde, euery man esteme another better then him selfe, and let euery man loke not for his owne profyt, but for the profet of other.) Two re­medes is declared agaynst two vyces that is to say vayne glory & cōtempcion. The first is humblenes of mynde to thynke him selfe to be worse then other, and to thynke he hath nothynge where of he shulde be proude or de­syrous of vayne glory, and that euery one shulde thynke another better then him selfe and wordy more prayse then he, for when euery man pleaseth him selfe to moche in his owne conceyte or mynde, and thynketh that he doth is best done, and that no mans wyse­dome or counsell is to be preferred before his owne, and wyll haue his mynde accōplyshed and none elles, and that all mennes wytte or wysedome be nothyng excepte his wysedome shall approue the same, where suche a mynde is there is vayne glory and it must be reme­dyed by humblenes of minde to preferre other men before him selfe, and other wyttes or wysedome before his owne, that vnite and concorde may be had for amongest proude mē as sayth Salomon there is no concorde but stryfe, but amonges humble and meake men there is peace vnite and cōcorde & other giftes of the holy goost. The other remedy agaynst contentiō and vayne glory, is that euery one shulde serche and study for the profit of other, [Page] as for his owne profyt, for when euery man studyeth, inordynatly desyreth his owne pro­fyt and careth not what hurte or dammage come to other so he be well him selfe, there muste nedes ryse discorde and debate and many inconueniences, whiche chaunce not where as euery man studeth the profyt of o­ther, and preferreth other before him selfe I wolde they shulde rede and marke diligenlye what the holy goost requireth, they that be proude and vayne gloryous more diligent sekers of theyr owne profyt, then of others, yea who doth this place not rebuke & cōdempne, and let vs all pull a waye al vayne glory, and let vs study not only to profyt our selfes but other, & be not suche as care for none but for our selfes and our owne belyes and bely chere, this place reproueth vs al for to moche loue of our selfes and to lytle of other, it re­ꝓueth thē that care not what chaūce come to other so they be well them selfes, so they lyue in welth and pleasure hauynge all thyng at wyll and pleasure and commaundement, let all suche remember in the myddes of their pleasures, that from these carnall pleasures they shall go, and that to paynes, yf their pleasures haue ben with the displeasures hurte and iniurye of other, contrary to goddes will and pleasure.

The apostle here exhorteth vs to humble­nes, and to seke the profyt of othe after the example of Christe Iesu, whiche so humbled him selfe althought he was equall with god the father in deite substaūce and dyuyne power, that he was becommed as aseruaunt and deiected him selfe vnder other as though he had ben the moste vylest seruaunte, when he was lorde of all lordes, and kynge aboue all kynges of this worlde, this thynge dyd Christe to teache vs humylite and to humble our selfes, Christe beynge in the shape of god equall to god in deite and dyuyne power essence and substaunce thought it no robbery him to be equall with god, that is by no on­iuste tytull he thought he had possessed that honoure, and no iniury was done to god the father, for Christe is god as the father is god and Christe and the father be one Iohn. 17. saith Christ. I and my father are one. And [Page] therfore he knew he shulde not lose that tytul, that he shulde be equall with the father in substaunce and deite, nor feared not the losynge of it, as these do that by robbery or vnlawfully get ony name or tytull of honour or dygnite, Christe beynge by nature god thought it no robbery him to be equall with the father. If christ dyd humble him selfe our lorde and kynge it is a shame for vs seruaun­tes and subiectes to be prowde seyng we haue nothyng good but of him, by him & for his sake as Iohn teacheth. Iohn. 1. All thynges are by him and without him nothynge is made. This place sheweth in Christe two natures that is to saye his dyuyne nature and his humayne nature, after his dyuyne nature he is god and alwaye equall to the father, after his humayne nature he humbled him selfe and toke the shape of a seruaunte vpon him, and in shape and maner of lyuynge was a man and toke all the infirmites of man vpō him synne onely excepted (for he neuer sinned nor in him was any crafte founde) and thus Christ dyd humble him selfe that by his humblenes he shulde exalte vs, and brynge vs to heauen, and by his example of humilite reproue our arrogante hartes and stomakes, and teache hūblenes of harte & mynde in wordes & workes, & not onely christ humbled him selfe ī the shape of a seruante or as a seruaunte, but also he humbled him selfe to death and that to the death of the crosse, that by his death we shulde be delyuered from death, for by death he ouer came death and brought vs that was [Page] ded by synne to eternall lyfe, vnto the whiche we shulde neuer haue comed if Christ had not suffered death for vs to brynge vs to lyfe.

Because before he shewed the humylyte of Christ, and that vnto the death of the crosse, that no man shulde thynke Christe alwaye to be in that humblenes of the crosse, or thynke that Christe was so receyued of the father of heauen as he was of the worlde, nowe he she­weth of the exaltacion or of the glory of christ that folowed his humblenes of the crosse, that no man shulde thynke men to lose any honour or glory by humilyte, but rather to get therby hye honours with men and great glorye with god. For the scrypture sayth. Math. 19. That he that humbleth them selfe shall be exalted, and he that exalteth him selfe shall be humyliated and made lawe. And here of a rewarde that is of exaltyng he exhorteth men to humylyte after the example of Christ [Page] Iesus, we may be ashamed to be proude, whē our lorde and mayster is humble, and yf we wyll or desyre to be exalted, let vs be hum­ble and lowly in our selfes, for the waye to hye honours be by humylite and by the crosse, although flesshe and worldly wysedome do not iudge so, but the contrarye.

2. He sayth that god hath exalted Christe Iesus to hye honours and gyuen him a na­me aboue all names, whiche saynge are to be vnderstanded not so, that Christ was not al­waye in hyest honours, or that his name was not alwayes aboue all other names af­ter his deite and diuine nature, by the which he was lyke to the father & one with him ī substāce deyte & glory, but this is spokē after his humayne nature, and after it he was exalted to hye honours and to a name aboue al other names, and his name is taken in this place as oftymes in scripture for his powre and maiestye, whiche Christ had aboue all other powres & maiesty aboue all creatures of the worlde, that all creatures in the worlde in heauen and in earth shulde be obedient to him shulde bowe their knees to him and gyue him honour and reuerence and acknowledge him to be lorde ouer all creatures.

3. And that all tonges shulde confesse that Iesus Christe is the lorde vnto the prayse of god the father.) God hath exalted Christ Ie­sus also that all tonges of angelles of men and of all other creatures shulde confesse Christe Iesus to be lorde ouer all them, and that of him haue they helth lyfe and saluati­on, [Page] and of none other but of him alone and by him and in him, and that vnto the glory of god, that all thynges shulde be done to goddes glorye, and that o to honour Christ is to the glorye of the father.

Of these wordes that go before he now as it were gathereth a conclutiō after this wise. you se what is the loue of Christe towardes you, that dyd redeme you from synne death hell the deuyll, and all the thraldome of the deuyll, and that by no corruptyble thynge, but by his precious bloode. 1. Peter. 1. you also haue barde what was Christes humilite vnto the death of the grosse for our sakes, to bryng lyfe vnto vs all by his death, and how he sought alwayes the health and saluation of other, do you suche lyke as Christe dyd, be humble and meke, louyng and charitable, al­waye seke the profyt of other, and contynew [Page] in the same, and you shall be exalted with Christ vnto glory, not by your selfes, but by Christ. And here he exhorteth them after this maner, derebelouyd hetherto you haue bene obedient to my counsell whiche I dyd gyue you for your heithe both in my presence and absence, and you haue bene folowers of Christ, walkyng accordyng to your vocatiō, now do that I desyre of you for your profyt, and here he prayseth them for their trew obe­dience to him that by that meanes he myght make them nowe more obediente to his hol­some counselle and do them with more glad­nes. So we learne that we shulde do good not onely in the presence of the pastor but also in his absence, as the seruaunte is bonde not onely to do well in his maisters presence but also in his absence. Ephe. 6. For in so doyng, they serue god which is present alwaye, and alwaye do se them, and loke vpon them, and they trewly and faythfully seruynge their maister do serue god. So let vs alwaye be obedient to god and to his worde, be humble and meke, sekynge alwaye thynges profyta­ble to other, and we shall be sure to be exalted with Christ to glory in heauen.

3. with feare and tremblynge worke your owne saluation.) Here is shewed what thing he wolde haue them to do now in his absence, that they shulde do and worke not these thyn­ges that shulde tende to profyt or commodite to him but to their owne helth and saluation and that they shuld worke their owne salua­tion with feare and tremblynge, as they do [Page] whiche worketh with feare and drede they take good hede that nothynge be done amysse or otherwyse then it shulde be done. And he byddeth them worke their owne saluation, not that he meaned they coulde do that thing without Christ or without the grace of god, for that they can not do, as it foloweth after wardes here, but he thought to haue concorde vnite of the spirite of god, humblenes of mīde to seke the profyt of other that these be thyn­ges perteynyng to saluation, and these that do these thynges he calleth to worke their owne saluation, for these workes they do that shallbe saued by Christe and these that shall not be saued, do not these workes, but con­trary workes.

4. For it is god that worketh in you both the wyll and the dede / euen of his owne good wyll.) These wordes he addeth, leste any man shulde attribute or ascrybe his owne helth iustice or saluation, to his myghtes powers merites or workes done by him or them with out goddes grace or without Christe, therfore he sayth that it is god that worketh in vs that we do wyll good thynges, and that we do good workes, and that of his owne good wyl and mynde, and not for our good wylles sake, for we without goddes grace can not wyll any good thynge of our selfe, as of our selfe, but we helped with the grace of god do wyll and do good thynges by goddes grace, by the which our euyll wyll of it selfe is made comformable to goddes wyl, & so wyllyngly▪ and gladly we do good thynges. Marke also [Page] here what maner of speakynge the scrypture vseth, whiche when it doth seme to ascribe to vs or to our workes our iustifycatiō helth or saluation by and by after it doth, as it wolde correcte him selfe, other by some wordes go­ynge before or commyng after, lesse to man it shulde be attributed or gyuen that is dewe to god or to Christ Iesus, whiche is the pryncy­pall auctor of all good workes and dedes, and suerly no good thoughtes wylles dedes or workes can be in vs without goddes wyll preuentynge all our thoughtes and wylles and workynge with our wylles made com­fortable to goddes good wyll, as is sayde be­fore.

Here the apostle moueth them to ioyne to concorde and humilyte good lyuynge and puernes of lyfe, and that they shulde do all thynges without murmurynge or contēcious disputynge or troublesome reasonīge in mat­ters aboue their lernyng or capacite, he wold not haue them to murmur other against god or agaynst potestates or powers, as the peo­ple of Israell in the wyldernes dyd against Moyses Aron & Hur, lese they be not smytten of the fyrey serpentes as they were for their murmurynge, for god wolde haue men to do good and to worke good workes of a good harte and of a cherefull mynde, and not of a lothsomnes, as some do, euer murmurynge agaynst god and agaynst man, neuer content with their chaunce or sorte of lyuynge, but euer murmurynge other agaynst god, that gyueth no better lyuynge or agaynst some man whome they thynke haue better lyuyng thē they haue, or better lyuynge thē they haue deserued. He excludeth here also all conten­tious reasonynge in matters perteynynge to saluation and wylleth that all communyca­tion in suche matters shulde be done with hūblenes and mekenes and of a good mynde with all sobryete, only for that intēt to konw the trewe honour and worship of god from the false, and for the amendment of their lyfe that they maye know to lyue better.

2. That ye maye be blameles and pure, and the chyldren of god without rebuke in the middes of the croked and peruerse natiō.) The apostle requireth of them an holy conuersa­tion [Page] of lyuynge pure and cleare from all vyce and sinne, that no man may iustly reproue them for any faute, yea he wolde haue them lyue so holyly that they shulde be without all offence geuen by worde or by dede to any mā, yea that they shuld be fautles, that no hethen nor peruerse men shuld haue any iust occasiō to be offended with them, or to reporte euyll of them, although no man can lyue so holyly in this worlde, but there wyll be some perad­uenture that wyll speake euyll of him, yet the apostle wolde haue vs to lyue so godly, that no man culde reproue other vs for our lyfe or for our doctryne, or for our relygion kepynge. There is some men so euyl of them selfes that they wyll speake euyll of the best lyuers, and from their euyll tonges and slaunders no man can flee, or be sure to be fee from their euyll reportes or malicious wordes, as Christ him selfe although he neuer offended, neuer dyd faute or trespace, yet he was not clere from mysreporte and slaunderous rebukes of euyl men, how moch more can we not be clere from euyll tonges, for who is he that canne stope all euyl tonges.

3. Amonges whom se you shyne as lyghtes in the worlde, vnto my reioycynge in the daye of Christe.) He wolde they shulde shyne as lyghtes in the myddes of a peruerse natiō, he wolde haue them lyue so holy, & so without faute amonges euyll men, that euyll men culde haue no iuste cause to speake euyll of them. But to reporte all goodnes of them, and to gloryfye god by their vertu and holy [Page] lyuynge as is taught. Math. 5. Let your lyght so shyne before men, that they maye se your good workes and gloryfye god the fa­ther which is in heauen. This place repro­weth all them that lyue euyll, that gyue iuste occasion of offence to other ether by worde dede or other conuersation of lyuynge. This place checketh frowarde men, chyders braw­lers fyghters raylers of other and all that hurte other by their corrupte maners or fyl­thy wordes draweth other to euyll, or prouo­keth other to that thynge that is euyll and contrary to goddes wyll.

4. Holdynge faste the worde of lyfe to his reioycynge.) He wolde they shulde in no wyse let go the worde of lyfe which is goddes worde and called the worde of lyfe bycause is bryn­geth lyfe with it, to all beleuers and doers of it. And as the lyght sheweth the strayth way from the wronge way and a sure waye from perylls and iopardes, so the worde of god it sheweth the strayth way to heauen, and byd­des be ware of that waye that bryngeth to death hell and damnation, it sheweth what thynges men shulde take, and what thynge they shulde refuse and forsake. This place sheweth how profytable the worde of god is to vs, that it is so profitable and so necessary that without it we can not lyue a lyfe accep­table or pleasant to god, for it is the foode wherby the soule lyueth. Math. 4. And the lyght to gyue lyght to our feate, for wantyng it, we walke in darkenes knowyng not whe­ther we go, to lyfe or death, heauen or hell, to [Page] god or to the deuyll, they that take goddes worde, thynkes oftyme to please god when they displease him, runne into damnacion thynkyng them to do workes of saluation as in tymes past, we wantynge the lyght of holy scriptures hath wandred in straunge hylles, valles mountaynes wooddes and pastores sekyng sauyours other then Christe, takenge death for lyfe thynkynge darkenes to be light & lyes for the treweth, but thankes be to god for his goodnes the lyght is spronge vp to suche as satt in darkenes, and in the region of shadow of death, the nyght is gone the daye is come as the apostle sayth. Roma. 13. Therfore let vs put away workes of darke­nes, and put on the armour of lyght, that in the daye we maye walke honestly without faute. And these thynges he desyreth that he myght reioyce in them and with them vnto the daye of Christe Iesus, them to walke in fayth hope charyte humblenes pacience vnite of spirite seking the profyt of other, shynynge with all good workes in the myddes of an euyll nation of people was great reioyce and glorye to the apostle, that nothynge culde be more Ioye to hī thē that was, as nothynge is more reioyce to mayster then is to here his scolers go forwardes in good learnyng godly vertu and to persiste in it and euer more and more increase in learnyng and vertu.

5. That I haue not runne nor labored in vayne.) The apostle he had runne in vayne and losed his labour amonge these Philippi­ans, yf they shulde haue shrynked from Christ [Page] from his worde from fayth hope charite and from good workes, which thyng shulde haue bene a great greefe to him, as it is a greefe to the mayster when his scolers do not profyt nor go forwardes in learnynge and vertu, or shall at any tyme go bakewardes forsakyng lernyng and vertu. This place wylleth vs to reioyce in all them that increase in lernynge vertu and goodnes, to be sory for the contra­ry, for decaye of lernynge vertu and godly conuersation of lyuyng, and it reproueth all them that reioyce in euyll, and be glade of others aduersite.

Now the apostle turneth him to his afflictions of the whiche he speaketh of in the friste chapter before, and he speaketh after this sorte. I am not sory for myne afflyctions whiche I suffer in prison for you and for the gos­pelles sake, but am furder euen for the gospell of god. I am contented to be offered vp and to dye, and yf it shall chaunce me to dye for the gospells sake and for your profyt I haue wherein I may reioyce, not onely for my owne cause, but also for you, for my selfe I may reioyce that our lorde Iesus hath with­safe me to suffer for his name and gospel and [Page] so by sufferynge to be made pertaker of his death and of his glory, in you I may reioyce, that by me you instructed in the fayth of Christ Iesus are made a thankfull sacryfyce vnto god, and contente to suffer with Christ, and so by sufferynge to be made partakers of his passion and glory. If for many causes sayth the apostle myne afflictions bondes and death is pleasant to me, as they be in dede, then they shulde not be to you bytter or gre­uous, bycause I haue you all as felowes partakers of my ioye and comforte, for it is a laudable thynge to suffer for the gospells sake, and all afflictions for it, & as gladnes and comforte to be counted. And here perad­uenture the apostle doth allude to the offe­rynges and sacrifices thankfull to god in the olde lawe offered vp to god, as he shulde saye. If it shall chaunce me to be offered vp, or to be kylled bycause I haue preached the onely sacryfyce of Christe ones offered vp for the synnes of the worlde to be purged, to be a sufficient sacrifice for euer to take awaye al the synnes of the worlde, and by this preachynge I haue preached & made you a lyuely sacry­fyce acceptable and pleasyng god, and ther­fore I reiose, and you shall reioyce with me also, yf this thyng shall come to passe.

The apostle sheweth his great loue and care he had for these Philippiās, and for their comforte he trusted in the lorde that he shulde sende to them Timotheus, whome he hyghly cōmēdeth vnto them, which both wolde tea­che them by the worde of god and also be as diligent to profyt them, as I Paule yf I were present amongest you, for he is none o­therwyse offected towardes you then I my selfe, and is as carefull for you as I am, and wolde as gladly profyt you, ye he wyl confir­me you in the trewe fayth of Christe Iesus. This Timotheus I send vnto you, that he myght knowe your state and that you be of [Page] one mynde, humble and meke, very constante in trewe fayth and loue of god and of his worde, and that from it you do not shrinke for no afflictions, nor yet for feare of no man, and that he myght certifye me of your state that I myght be glad and reioyce with you. Paule here commendeth Timotheus both for his good mynde he had to god and his worde, and also for the zeale he had to profyt them, his lernyng, his sobryete and other vertues he nedeth not to commende to them, for they shulde be declared in him selfe when he commeth amongest them. Timotheus is here commended of Paule for his vertu and godly lernyng, of the which we maye learne, what becommeth a faythfull mynister of Christe, and of what thynges he shulde be estemed. Also this place sheweth to whom byshoppes shulde commyt weyghty matters, as the cure of their flocke and of soule, suerly to none other but to proued men of good fame and name, to men well learned in holy scriptures as Timotheus was, and to them that do not seke onely their owne fylthy lucre carnall ease reste or pleasure, but aboue althynges these thynges that pert ayne to Iesus Christ, and to the health and profyt of other, and specially the health of their soules that be committed to their spirituall charge, leste the bysshoppes suffer payne for the bloode of them that peryshe by their negligēce, and the bloode of such as peryshe be required of their handes which commytted cure of soules to the vnler­ned and to the blynde, that one blynde shulde [Page] lede another, and so bothe fall in the diche, and that is the great cause why the worlde is so blynde and ignoraunte, and haters of goddes worde, or so lytell regarde it, for as the prest is, so is the people for the most parte, yf the curate loue god & his worde the people do lykewyse loue god and his word. yf the curat be ignoraunt and vnlerned blynde both in lernynge iudgement and in affection his flocke oftimes be such like, and so both the vnlerned curat or pastor and his flocke hatynge god and his worde shall peryshe in their fautes. And the byshoppes that commytted the cure of his shepe to such gready wolfes and lyons. 2. For all other seke their owne, not that which is Iesus Christ.) The apostle complay neth of mynisters of the gospell, and of other that was about him, that sought rather their owne glory and profyt then the glory of god, or the profyt of other, much more we now in our tyme may complayne vpon such vnfayth full gospellers as they wolde be called, which not regarde goddes glory or his worde furder then it do make for their carnall lyberty, worly profyt honours and dignites and vo­luptuous lyuynge, and yet they wyll be called gospellers and fauerers of goddes word, whē their workes do shew that they fauer goddes worde onely for their carnall pleasures and worldly commodites, and make goddes word to serue for their carnall purposes, and so they abuse goddes worde, but by such talkers and not doers of goddes worde the holy word of god heareth euyll and be euyll reported of. [Page] For many saith that there is no man so car­nall, so sensuall so couetous, so desyrous of gooddes ryches landes possessions honours dignites, so crafty, so false in worde and dede so disobedient to all good order as some of these be, that wolde be called gospellers or fa­uorers of goddes worde. But although some be suche carnall men and abusers of goddes holy worde despisynge all good ordinaunce for their carnall lyberty to be fulfylled, yet the more parte of the gospelers as I trust be good men and vseth the gospell to goddes glory and to the profyt of their owne soules and of other, fleyng all carnall lyberte & obe­ynge with gladnes to all good and godly or­dynaunces. And for one or two euyll, all is not to be contempned, nor to be rayled on, or estemed euyll, but he that abuseth a good thynge he is wordy blame rebuke and punish ment and none other.

3. But ye know the profe of him, for as a chylde vnto the father, so he mynistred vnto me in the gospel. you know Timotheus wel anough, I nede not greatlye to commēde him to you, whose learnynge sobryete is knowen well enought to you, he hath serued and my­nisterd here at Rome to me in presone as the sonne shulde serue his father with as greate dyligence and faythfulnes. And him I truste to send shortly vnto you after that I shall know what shal become of me, for the apostle loked that he shulde shortly be called before Nero to iustice, and then other to be put to death or elles to be delyuered out of prisone, [Page] and out of bondes, but rather he thought he shulde be delyuered from the cruelty of Nero, and as sone as this shulde be done he promy­sed to send to them Timotheus to their com­forte and reioyce as he trusted to the lorde, to whose wyll he commytted the hole matter, teachynge vs so to do in all thynges and not to be sloughfull or negligente in our office or in our vocation.

Paule dyd not sēde to the Philippiās now Timotheus, whome he commendyd to them so hyghly, but one Epaphroditus a faythfull [Page] mynister and preacher of the gospell, and the apostell and trew pastor of these Philippiās, this Epaphroditus brought to Paule in pri­sone money and other necessary thynges send frome the Philipians to helpe and comforte him in prisone. This Epaphroditus Paule dyd sende agayne to the Philippians with much prayse and cōmendations, for his dili­gent seruice to him in prysone, and for his faythfull mynistration of the gospel. This place sheweth that it is lawfull somtymes and good to prayse faythfull mynisters and diligente in their vocation, not that therby they shulde be proude in their selfes, but more humble and meeke and more studious to in­crease vertue and good lernynge for the whi­che they be commēded of good men, although they them selfes thynketh them not to be wordye such commendations. For they that de­syre prayse or laude of men, they lost their re­warde before god. Math. 6. They for that desyre be onwordy prayse, and they shal lacke their praise of god they desire or loke for of mē 2. It appereth of this place that Epaphro­ditus whome Paule here calleth his felowe and companyō and the appostell of these Philippians that he was their peculiar and pro­per pastor assigned and appoynted specially to these Philippians, and that he had of thē aboue all thynges necessarye for his lyuynge, and that he gathered of them certaine monye or subsydye and caryed it to Paule in prysō, and there serued him, prouyded for paule such thynges as was necessary for Paule. Epa­phroditus [Page] beynge absente from the Philippi­ans his proper flocke and sent to Paule & seruynge him in prison for lacke of other mynis­ters doth shewe that the proper pastor maye be somtymes absent from his flocke for a tyme and for certayne causes, as here Epa­phroditus was absēt from these Philippiās, so they be absent for lyke causes as he was, so that in their absence their fllocke be not lefte without a faythful pastor as Paule left Titus in Cret and Timotheus at Ephesus, when he went abrode preachyng the gospell of Christ Iesus to other people and nacions of the gentyls wynnynge them to Christ. So I wolde desyre that all pastores and byshop­pes that yf they be absent from their speciall cure, that they shulde not be ydle, lyue in car­nall pleasure and rest, but be occupied in preachynge and teachynge goddes holy worde to other as Paule was. This Epaphroditus mynistred to Paule in prison all thynges ne­cessary for him, bryngynge to Paule a sub­sydy from the Philippians, and serued Paule in prisone as an hyred seruaunte shulde serue his mayster diligently and faythfully. Here we maye se that amongest the gentylles pri­sonners was not so strately kepte in prisone, but that there was passage to any manne to come and go at their pleasure without any euyll suspicion, and without all blame. As you maye se here to Paule in prison resorted dyuers whiche dyd mynister to him necessari thynges and which was to him as seruaun­tes whome he myght haue sent to men absēt [Page] to do his busines, as here he had Timotheus and Epaphroditus. wherfore this place doth also shewe that it pertayneth to the lyuynge of the mynisters of goddes worde to haue ser­uauntes to serue them, to mynister to them necessares, whom they maye send of their bu­sines, so shulde pastors of goddes worde haue a lyuynge not onely suffycient to fynde him selfe necessares as meate drynke cloth aparel howse fire bookes, but also to fynde him ser­uauntes and mynisters necessary, that he in his study of diuinite haue no trouble ne care for any necessary thynge to him.

3. Paule desyred to sende to these Philip­pians rather Epaphroditus then Timothe­us to comforte them and to delyuer them frō their heuines they were in, bycause they harde that Epaphroditus was wery sycke, and at the poynte of death therfore to se him recoue­red from his syckenes shulde comforte them more then he shulde haue send Timotheus to them. And here is a great argumente of loue of the pastor when he desyreth to take awaye all heuynes from his flocke, and agayne an argument of loue of the people to their pastor or curate when they are sory their pastor to be sycke or any aduersite to chaunce to him, and that they can not be mery or glade tyll they here he be made hole, or delyuered from his trouble, as these Philippians was in great heuynes for the syckenes of Epaphro­ditus and was merye when they dyd se him recouered from his syckenes, and therfore Paule sent rather Epaphroditus to them, [Page] then Timotheus. And as you harde that Epaphroditus was sycke, so he was with­out doute and nye death, of the whiche we maye here lerne that good men not alwayes to haue bene without sycknes of the body, for such sycknes is commē both to the good and the euyll, yea oftymes the worse sorte of men haue more health and wealth and pleasure ryches and glory of this worlde, then good men, for by trybulation afflictions god pro­weth and tryeth his elected people whether they wyll be constante in him in fayth hope charyte pacyence and &c. or no? But parad­uenture some wyll aske here why Paule dyd suffer Epaphroditus to be sicke and at the poynt of death, seynge that Paule healed so manye from sycknes and restored them to health agayne why dyd he not this to Epa­phroditus? To this Ambrosious maketh an­swere sayenge myracles done by the apostles to be made for the infydels sakes, and not for the faythfull, furdermore he syath that god proweth his elected people with manye and dyuers afflictions to proue their constancy and pacyence, & fynally he saith that signes & gyftes of healynge was not in the apostels at their wyll and pleasure, but when the wyll of god was they shulde heale or do myracles, and when the glory of god dyd require them to the confyrmation of his worde and for the profyt of the people where they were done.

4. But god had mercy on him, and not of him onely, but on me also, leste I shulde haue had sorowe vpon sorowe.) Here is shewed [Page] who taketh awaye sicknes of the body and who delyuereth men from their bodyly sycke­nes, suerly no other but god the creator and gouernour of all thynges, therfore god is to be called vpon in all aduersites sycknes and tribulations by Iesus Christ our mediatour and aduocate to the father of heauē. 1. Ioh. 2 Know of this place that the apostle sayth that god not onely to haue had mercy of Epaphroditus whose sicknes he toke awaye, but also of him beyng in prisō, that he shulde haue a faythfull seruante to minister to him neces­sares in prison. And here we learne that it is of the mercy of god that sicknes be put away and that those that be sicke be made hole, & not of any vertu or holynes, of ony hewen stone carued or paynted poste or pyller, or of any image made carued or paynted. wherfore they haue erred from the treweth, and haue robbed god of his glory, that hath ascrybed health of body to this or to that image made of stone or of woodde and not to god alone, and to him alone hath not geuen dewe thākes as to the onely aucthor of their health onely of his mercy and grace. The apostle sheweth another cause of the marcy of god to him in the recouery of helth to Epaphrodi­tus, that he shuld not haue sorow vpon sorow here you maye se Paule not to be clere from all afflictions of the fleshe, as from all ioye and sorowe, but to suche carnall affections subiected and to haue sometymes bene trou­bled with all, as other men be lyuyng in this worlde, wherfore they that thynkes the apost­els [Page] to haue bene without all ioye gladnes or heuynes in this body, they do not thynke as they shulde of the apostels, but to thynke them as deed stones & logges without lyfe or sense, for so they were not, but rather as Paule was, which was sory of Epaphroditus sickenes & glade of his amendemente. Beholde the lyfe of a goodman is very profytable to the lyuynge people, and therfore they reioyce of his corporal health and be sory of his sicknes, or of his death, but not as the hethen do, as there were no lyfe ioye ne blysse in a nother worlde after this present lyfe in the worlde to come, where as good men shalbe made immortall and in such ioye blysse and glory as no tonge can tell, nor harte thynke that glory that god hath prepared for them that shall loue him in the ende of their lyues. 1. Cor. 2.

Paule now sent to the Philippiās Epaphro­ditus that in the syght of hī they shulde greatlye reioyce, and in his amendement from his sicknes, & their reioyce was a sufficient profe they loued him, and so it becommeth the pas­tor to be loued of his flocke that they both reioyce of his commyng to them, and also of his delyueraunce from sicknes or other ad­uersite. And this place reproueth euil pastors that be nother loued of their parysh, bycause of necgligence of their office and also for their vnprofitablenes amōges their flocke. Behold the apostell was very carefull for these Phi­lippians, he wolde rather lacke the necessary [...] seruice of Epaphroditus thē they shuld lacke their comforte and ioye by the absence of him from them, for Paule was not sory for the ioye of these Philippians but rather was without sorow and all heuines, that he myght do the office of charite the better, that is to reioyce with them that reioyceth and wepe with them that wepes.

2. Receyue him in the lorde therfore with all gladnes.) He that byddeth them receyue Epaphroditus sende to them with all glad­nes and in the lord, and to set moch not onely be him, but also be all them that be suche lyke as he is, that is faythfull preachers and tea­chers of goddes worde, which be wordy double honour. 1. Timo. 5. And reuerence not for their [Page] owne sakes, but for the worde they preache and for their maysters sakes whose worde and wyll they teache. And this place iecketh all them that rayle vpon preachers teachers or setters forth of goddes holy worde, and that cōtemneth or despyseth such preachers or maketh of them a laughynge & mockynge stocke, bycause they do not approue the ma­ners and facions of this worlde.

3. Make moche of suche for because of the worke of Christ.) He wylleth them to make moch of Epaphroditus and of such faythfull mynisters of goddes worde that careth not for them selfes but for other, and careth not what paine or labours they take so they may profit other, yea that careth not for their lifes for the gospels sake, as this Epaphroditus refused no laboures to serue Paule in pri­sone and hadde none or lytell respecte to his owne body and by reason of his great paines he cast him selfe into sicknes that he was nye death, he chused rather to serue Paule in pri­son with the infyrmyte of his body, then to be in health to folowe the worldly honours and pleasures of the fleshe.

4. To fulfyll the seruyce whiche was lac­kynge on your parte towardes me.) Here is the cause shewed why Epaphroditus was so diligent to serue Paule and put him selfe in suche iopardy of syckenes, it was to fulfyll their offyce and deuty they ought to haue done to Paule, therfore he sayth, that deuty you ought to haue done to me this Epaphro­ditus hath fulfylled it in your presence to me [Page] by his seruyce done to me for you, therfore you shuld receyue him with gladnes and loue him. And here you se what seruyce the people owe to their pastor besydes the gyuynge to him sufficiēt lyuing for him and his necessary mynisters, and that one maye supply some­tyme the offyce or dewty of another. And let euery man be diligent in his office or vocatiō that he is called to of god, and not tender him selfe his flesshe to moch or make to moch of him selfe, for we shulde not study to lyue longe, but to lyue well, for to lyue longe it is not in vs, but in god, who knoweth the tyme and houre of death whiche be vnknowne to vs, nor yet the maner of our death nor the place where we shall dye, nothynge is more certayne then that we shall dye, but nothynge more vncertayne then the houre place and maner of death. Therfore let vs be ready at altymes to dye and loke euery day for death and prepare for it, hauynge a sure fayth ad­orned with hope and charyte and then we shall not care howe sone death, come to vs.

The apostle speaketh after this sorte, he­therto I haue taught you that Christes pas­sion was sufficient for your saluation with­out the workes of the lawe, and that nother circumcision nor sacrifice cōmaunded in the law be necessary for your saluation, but that you maye be saued by Christe without the workes of the law. Now from hence forth se you reioyce in nothyng but in the lorde for as without the sonne there is no lyght, so with­out Christ there is no ioye no peace no iustice no reconciliacion to the father no remission of synne, no waye to heauen no truth no lyfe but Christ is all these thynges to the beleuer, in god alone therfore reioyce as I haue writ­ten before so I wryte styll, and I am not as­shamed to wryte to you the same thynges of Christe and it is sure for you to truste these thynges. And here we lerne of Paule to re­herse one thynge ones or twyse specially yf they be thynges necessary to be knowne and shulde be sure fyxed in the hartes and stoma­kes of the people, and therfore it is no rebuke [Page] to reherse suche thynges diuers tymes that they may be knowne and ī mindes fyxed more surely, although some saye ouer much of one thynge is nought, yet I saye with the apostle that a good tale maye be twyce tolde as this. That in Christ be all thynges perteynynge to our saluation without the worke of the law. 2. It is sure to you.) As he wolde saye al­thought I wryte so ofte one thynge and am not ashamed of it, for it is sure for you to know the same thynge and to confyrme you to that doctrine that is alwayes one, and lyke it selfe, teachyng the treweth, and shewynge the waye that bryngeth to lyfe, and not apply your selfes to that doctrine that now teacheth one thyng, and then another new thynge, and is contrary to it selfe, and teacheth dyuersi­tes, of whiche incertayne doctrine speaketh saint Paule. 2. Tino. 4. Sayng the tyme shal come when they shall not here hole and hol­some doctrine, but after their owne lustes shall hepe vnto them doctors, whose eares do yche, and they plucke their eares from the trweth, and they shall turne them to fables and lyes. Here we maye lerne the propertye of trew doctrine, it is alwaye constant and one thynge teache, it do not teache nowe one and now another, or the contrary it taught before, it is alwayes constant to it selfe, it sheweth trueth no fables nor lyes, as the false doctrine doth teache lyes errours heresy ple­asure and lustes of men, now one new thynge now another to please men with al, and that doctrine tr [...]uly is to be suspected that sheweth [Page] moche diuersites of religion fayth iustice re­myssion of synne & dyuers wayes to come to eternall lyfe with Christ Iesu.

3. Beware of dogges, beware of euyll wor­kers, beware of dissencion.) Thre thynges he monissheth them to beware of and to flee them. The first is he wylleth them to beware af dogges, he meaneth pseudoposteles whom he calleth dogges, for as dogges do barke erre girne gnasshe and byte, alwayes enuiynge other and tredyng vnder the foote that dogge that is ouer throune and byte him and kyll him yf they can, so the pseudoposteles do hate enuy barke ageynst trew preachers of goddes holy worde, do byte them both by their slande­rous tonges with raylyng iestyng vpon them callyng them loulers heretykes deceyuers of the people abiectes rounagates apostates ragget newfangled knaues and many other lyke names call them, trede them vnder their fete, and kepe them downe in the myre or in prison, bytynge them with bondes cheynes fetters bringyng in and sekyng false witnes agaynst them, and all to kyll yf they can the trew preachers teachers setters forth of goddes holy worde, these pseudoposteles saint Paule cal­leth dogges whō he wold thē to eschew & flee, & in no wyse gyue credence to them or to their false doctryne not agreynge with holy scrip­tures, but greatly dissentynge. Seconde he mony sheth them to be ware of euyll workers these pseudoposteles he calleth euyll workers, not because they denyed good workes, but because they preferred their owne good workes [Page] as their traditions ceremonies lawes costo­mes and other decrees made of them selfes without goddes worde aboue the preceptes and commaundementes of god, or at the leste made them equail with goddes lawe, thyn­kynge no lesse offence before god to breke one of their tradicions then to breake goddes cō ­maundement, yea they thought it more offen­ce, and greatter puny shment was had for the breakyng of an small tradicion of man, then for goddes cōmaundement brokyn, examples of this was many both in religion, and out of religion before comysares chauncelars and officiales, but to al these Christ thretneth euerlastyng wo. Math. 15. Saynge wo be to you that maketh voyde the commaundemēt of god for your traditions. Also he calleth pseudoposteles euyll workers bycause they made equall the workes of the lawe as cir­cumcision and other workes of the law with the kepyng of goddes commaundement, and thought them as necessary as the other wor­kes of god commaunded, and that without the workes of the law no man culde be saued, as without circumcision no man to come to eternall saluatiō, which saint Paule writeth agayne through out all his epistels, and also it was decreed of the apostels. Actes. 15. Cir­cūcisiō not to be necessary for saluatiō, but saluatiō to come to the gentyles without circumcisiō, & there is no necessite of circumcision to saluation. Thridly he calleth pseudoposteles euyl workers that they dyd their workes not in that name or ende they shuld be done, for [Page] they did all their workes that they myght be sene of men, and haue the vayne prayse and glory of the worlde, and so they lost their re­warde before god. Math. 6. Fynally they dyd their good workes that they shuld merite and deserue the grace of god, reconciliation to the father agayne, remission of synnes and satisfaction for their synnes and lyfe euerlastyng, and that of the merite and wordynes of their outwarde worke, so to their workes they at­trybuted their iustification and saluation.

And therfore the apostell moueth them to be ware of such workers of iniquite and not to folowe them nor their workes, nor to worke after them. Fortly he wylleth them to be­ware of dissention, which these pseudoposteles cause that preache circumcision as a thynge necessary for saluation and without it no man to be saued. These preach not circumci­sion but concision dissention for they prea­chyng circumcision as necessary to saluation they preache not circumcision but concision and separation from Christ, and they sepera­te the people of god from god and from Christ by their euyll doctrine, and he calleth circumcision concision as we alludynge of a good thynge out of order saye it is deformed, when other call it reformed chaūging a letter or a sylable kepyng a lyke sounde in the word not moch differyng from wordes before spokē. 4. For we are the circumcision, euen we that serue god in the spirite and reioyce in Christe Iesu, and haue no comforte in the flesshe.) Here the apostle teacheth carnall cir­cumcision [Page] whiche false apostles so much este­med and preached and of necessite inforced and required not to be necessary to saluation, as false prophetes dyd saye contendyng vs to be purged from oure synnes and grafted in Christe onely by externall circumcision and not by Christe, but Paule here teacheth the contrarye and boldlye pronounceth them to be made the people of god not by circumcisiō, but by Christe and to be purged from their synnes onely by Christe, and that they are the trewe circumcision that haue mortified and cut awaye all carnall affections and lustes of the flesshe which do worshyp Christe in the spirite & serue him by a trewe fayth and by parfyte charyte, and reioyce in Christe and haue no confidenre in the flesshe, trustynge helth and saluation to come none other way but onely by Christe and by his death to vs all. And here he wylleth vs not to reioyce in mē, in the lawe ceremonies outward sacrify­ces in connynge lernynge in ryches honours worldly wysedom or policye, but he that wyl reioyce let him reioyce in the lorde. Hieremi. 9 Gala. 6. He wolde also we shulde not trust in the fleshe in carnall sacrifices and in out­warde workes to truste to be saued by them by the wordynes of the outwarde worke but that we shulde trust to be saued onely by the marcy of god and by Iesus Christ onely.

Here is more at large expressed what it is to trust in the fleshe, by the fleshe he vnder­standeth circumcision workes of the law, the stocke of Iewes he came of, his fathers, as Abraham Isaac and Iacob, the holy secte of the pharises and their holy institution of ly­uyng, his good zeale he had to kepe the lawe of Moyses, for the which he persequuted thē that openly professed Christe or Christes reli­gion defēded, in the which thynges outward­ly yf anye man myght reioyce or trust in them moche more sayth Paule he him selfe myght reioyce and trust in them, and gyue no place to no man in these thynges, but other to be equall without the pseudoposteles or els to [Page] excede them all. Marke that it helpeth moche to affirme any thyng when he that affirmeth maye declare him selfe equall to them that wolde extolle them selfe aboue other, as here the apostle shewed him selfe to be equall with the pseudoposteles bostynge thē selfes as farre aboue Paule, when they were inferiours to him as tochynge the fleshe. we lerne here that it is good to take example of our selfe yf we wyll teach humilyte and submission when we maye awance our selfe aboue other but of humblenes we do not.

2. The apostle compareth him selfe with the pseudoposteles and in their glorye of the fleshe he gyueth no place to them, as yf any wolde saye, I come of the holy fathers Abra­ham Isaac and Iacob, and am circumcised, in them wyll reioyce and bost them selfes. In the same thynges sayth Paule I maye as well as they reioyce, for I come of these holy fathers that is of the israelites y [...] of the trybe of Beniamyn and was circumcised the eyght daye, borne of the Iewes and not of the gentyles or proselytes, new commed and professed the lawe of the Iewes to kepe. And yf any pseudoposteles do bost him of his holy secte or professiō of religion and saye he is of the most holy secte of the pharises the best and holyest religion of all amongest the Iewes, of the same maye I reioyce sayth Paule, for I am a pharisey, and of that religiō a brother, or yf any do thynke them selfes famous of zeale and loue they haue to the kepyng of the lawe in thē selfes and in other, in that thynge [Page] I nede to gyue no place to any man sayth Paule, for I kept that law blameles, so that no man colde iustly reproue me for it, and as tochīg other that was thought to haue transgressed the lawe I persequuted them, and brought to prison, and to death, such was my zeale as touchynge the lawe whiche both I kepte and wolde other shulde haue kepte it. This place sheweth vs that Paule was a Iewe borne both of father and mother, of the trybe of Beniamyn, circumcised the eyght daye, of the secte of the pharises, a keper of the lawe outwardly without reproche and of a blynde zeale to the obseruacion of the law to haue persequuted christen mē and wo­men as is writen more at large. Actes. 9.

Now the apostle do not moch bost him selfe of his kynred the Iewes, of the holy fathers he come of, of his circumcision, of his holy re­ligyon, of his diligent kepynge of the lawe outwardely without faute or blame, of his zeale of the which he hath auanced him selfe before men and before the world, and haue counted these thynges as lucre to him or a­auntage, and moche to haue helped him to sustice before god, but he now bosted not him of these thynges, for he knewe they profited him no thynge to trewe iustifycation before god, for that iustice before god commethe not to vs of the fleshe, of holy fathers, of workes of the law, of out good blinde zeales wantyng goddes worde, but of the mercy of god by Iesus Christ.

2. Chynges that were vauntage vnto me haue I coūted losse for christes sake.) Marke [Page] how saint Paule altered and chaunged his iudgement, that these thynges which he counted somtime before he came to the trew knowlege of Christe to be vauntage to him and to helpe to iustification before god, thes same thinges he after wardes when he came to the trew knowlege of Christ, he estemed thē as no helpers to trew iustification before god, but rather for hurte and hinderaūce to his iustice in the sight of god. So amōgest vs there hath bene many thynges whiche we haue estemed for vertu and to furder our ryghtuousnes be fore god, which now we know nother for vertu nor yet to helpe to our iustification before god, as was many dyuers religions of men and women, their obseruances, ceremo­nies seruyce and traditions more straytly ke­ped amongest them then goddes worde, and the breakyng of them more straytly punyshed then the breking of gods law, yea how many was in religion that thought they shulde be sauyd by their religion habyte coote coull be­ryed in their habit with in their monasteries as they called them. But let all these not be ashamed to alter and change their iudgementes with Paule, and knowe that all these thynges wyll not iustifye them before god without fayth in Christ, amendement of lyfe and walkyng in a new lyfe. Also how manye hath thought perdons pylgrymages deckyng of Images with golden clothes of sylke vel­uet dammaske, and offerynge vp of candells to thē not to haue bene meritorious workes and be to preferred before workes of mercy [Page] commaunded of god, or els they wolde not haue bene so ready to do these workes, and so loth to do other workes commaunded of god: but now let them with Paule acknow­lege their ignoraunce and blynd iudgementes and chaunge them, as Paule dyd brought to a more trewer knowlege of god and of his treweth, and not be ashamed to thynke and iudge other wayes then they haue iudged be­fore, when they were in ignoraunce, and in blyndnes, lackyng trew knowlege of goddes holy worde, by the which they are delyuered from their ignoraunce, for the whiche laude and prayse be to god euer amen.

3. yea I thynke al thynges but losse, for that excellent knowleges sake of Christe Iesu my lorde.) Now he declareth more at large, wherfore he counted these thynge hurtfull to him whiche before he counted for his auauntage, that was for the excellēte knowlege of Christ and of his treweth whiche he wanted before when he of ignoraunce and of a blynde and wycked zeale persequuted the church of Christ Note here what trewe knowlege of Christe doth, it altereth and chaungeth men, their iudgementes and maners, and maketh these as they were new made agayne, and to con­demne these workes whiche they before este­med & iudged good workes, yea it maketh mē to counte all worldly ryches goodes landes and possessions as hurte dunge or duste for Christ and for the knowlege of Christe, that he myght wynne to him Christe whome the good men preferreth aboue all worldly riches [Page] or treasures, that he myght be made iuste onely by Christe. Here we lerne of Paule to repete one matter wordy to be noted and surelye prynted in all mennes myndes ones or twyse or thryse yf nede be, that it myghte be fyxed and roted more suerly in mens hartes and myndes. Here he preferreth Christe and the knowlege of him aboue all ryches or trea­sures of this worlde, shewyng that it is better for vs to lacke all worldly ryches thē to lacke Christ and his word, for he that hath Christ he hath all thynges & all ryches, for in Christe be put all the treasure of the wysedome and knowlege of god. Colo. 2. For Christe is our iustice holynes wysdome redemptiō the lyght the waye the veryte and the lyfe, by whome commeth all goodnes, therfore he that hath Christ he hath all thynges, and he that wan­teth Christe he hath nothynge, and yf we lose Christ we shall lose lyght iustice, the waye to the father, treweth and lyfe. And I am soore afrayed that we shal lose Christ shortly from amongest vs in so moche that the knowlege of Christ and of his holy word is so lytell estemed or regarded, specially of bysshoppes and hye rulers who shulde most regard it and prowyde that there shuld be many to preache and teache Christ and his doctryne, and for suche prouyde honest lyuynges with quietnes, or els there shalbe none or fewe that wyll or shalbe able to preache and teache Christes gospell, and so shall Christ be taken awaye from vs, and the people peryshe.

4. And be founde in him not hauyng myne [Page] owne ryghtuousnes whiche commeth of the lawe, but by fayth of Christe.) He goeth for­warde shewynge wherfore he contemned all worldly gooddes, that he myght wynne to him Christ, that he might be iustified by christ and not by the lawe, his merites or suffrages of other. Here Paule maketh two iusticies, the one of the lawe after the whiche he wal­ked when he persequuted the churche of god and was without blame before men, of that iustice none is made iuste before god. The other iustice is of trew fayth in Christe Iesu that worketh by charite at all oportunite and occasion geuen, of the which is iustification receyued and had as by the meane, for god is he which iustifyeth. Roma. 8. And by whom we be saued onely of his mercy, through faith and not of our workes, leste we shulde reioyce. Ephe. 2. And yet we may not cease frō doyng of good workes whiche necessaryly be requi­red of vs to walke in as to repent of our fur­der lyfe in synne, to amende our lyfe, forsake synne, haue fayth hope & charite, and fynally to walke in a new lyfe in all vertu and god­lynes.

5. To know him, and the vertu of his re­surrection and the felow shype of his passion.) yet he contyneweth shewynge wherfore he counted all his for dounge or dust, that he myght haue trew iustice by fayth in Christe that is remyssion of sinnes and lyfe euerlast­yng, which they opteyne with Christ, whiche trewly knoweth Christe his resurrection and the vertu therof, before made pertakers of [Page] his passion, that haue dyed with Christe and be beryed with him, that haue died from their synnes, returne no more agayne to them, but ded from euyll lyfe by the spirite of god, and walke in a new lyfe, suche shall come to the knowlege of Christes refurrection & be made partakers of his glory, & for that ende Paule contempned all worldly ryches pleasures, that he myght come to the resurrection of the ded, that is, that he myght be partaker of immortall glory with Christe, the cause of the resurrection of all them that be ded in Christ, the author of all their ioye and glory. And that he myght come to that glory which they now haue that died in Christe. Thus Paule contempned worldly thynges for the excellēt knowlege of Christ, to wynne Christ, to fynde ryghtuousnes in Christ, to know the vertu of Christes resurrection and the felow­shyp of his passion, to be made confirmable to Christes death, that he myght come to the resurrection i. vnto that glory that they haue that died in Christe. To teache vs to do suche lyke to him, and to count all worldly thynges nothyng in comparyson to Christes gospell & to these holy thynges we optayne by Christe.

Although Paule had optayned ryghtuousnes by fayth before god, yet he thought him selfe not perfecte & without all synne, whiche no man can be lyuyng in this synfull fleshe as sayth the Euangelyst saynt Iohn. 1. Iohn. 1. Therfore euery one must study to mortyfye carnall affections and put away all synne by the spirite of god, that he myght attayne trewe iustice before god and to be as perfecte as is possible for him to be in this corporall body. Here we maye learne of Paule that holy menne in this lyfe was not without all synne and carnall affections, nor in all thyn­ges perfecte as here Paule confesseth him self not to haue attayned all iustice before god, nor yet to be perfecte, but to labor and ende­uour him selfe with all his myghtes & powers to come to perfection, so let vs study and with all dylygence, inforce our selfe to come to per­fection that we maye be holy and godly, and [Page] so without fawte or blame, that these synnes whiche be in vs be not imputed to vs of god for synnes, that we maye be blessed, for he is blessed, not he that hath no synne but he to whome god imputeth not his synne as sayth Dauyd in the. 31. psalme.

2. I forget that which is behynde, and stret­che my selfe vnto that which is before.) Here the apostle sheweth playnely that he had not attayned as yet that thynge he desyred, but that he with all diligence study and laboure counted to come to it and optaine it, and therfore he forget these thinges that was behinde him, as all worldly thynges, as holy fathers circumcision kepyng of the lawe, his holy re­ligion his zeale of the lawe and such like, and dyd loke at these thynges whiche was before his eyes that was vnto the glory and lyfe to come. And here he taketh a similitude of these that runne in a renke for a wager, suche run­ners do not loke behynd them to se how moch grounde they haue runne, but they loke before them, and vnto the place they runne, desyryng victory and the wager promysed to the wyn­ners, so let vs all not loke behynd vs, that is to oure olde synfull lyfe and to the waye of perdicion in the whiche we haue runne in tymes past, but loke before vs that is to a­mende our lyfe, forsake synne and let vs wal­ke in a newe lyfe, desyrynge iustyce onely by Christe, and with diligence and study let vs indeuour our selfes to come to the eternall lyfe promysed to suche as shall walke in the commaundements of god and kepte them [Page] iustly and so runne in the renke of this world tyll he come to the ende and optayne vyctory ouer all his enemyes and receyue the wager promysed to such as shall runne trewly accordynge to their vocation that is euerlastynge glory and lyfe in Christ Iesu, and by Christe our onely redemer and sauyour.

Now the apostle exhorteth thē to cōtynew and go forwardes in the doctryne of trewth he taught them, in the which he sayde Christe to be our onely sauyour, and that Christes sacryfyce was a suffyciēt sacrifyce to iustyfica­tion, and to take awaye the synnes of the worlde, and to brynge vs to lyfe without the the workes of the lawe, and here he monys­sheth all them that thynke them selfe perfecte to know that their is none other name vnder heauen in whome we shall be saued but in the name of Christ, and that Christes iustice is sufficiēt for vs and that we by Christ haue remyssion of synnes without our merytes or [Page] deseruynges of that grace commyng onely of goddes mercy and goodnes. Here peraduen­ture some wyll aske howe the apostell calleth him selfe perfecte, which as before is wrytten calleth him selfe vnperfecte? to this it maye be answered that a man maye be called perfecte and vnperfecte hauynge respecte to dyuers thynges, yf you loke to the grace of god and to fayth in Christ Iesu so a mā may be called perfecte, yf you loke to the fleshe and to the in­firmytes of the fleshe so he is vnperfecte, so Paule lokynge to the grace of god and to fayth in Iesu Christe calleth him selfe and other lyke to him perfecte:

2. And yf you be other wyse mynded I prae god open euen vnto you this.) He wylleth vs to suffer the weyknes of them that be weyke and to pray for them, that they may be strōg, as he shulde saye. Suffer these that be weyke amongest you vnto the tyme that god shewe to them that Christe is onely our iustice and our lyfe, and praye to god that they may per­fitely know that thynge, whiche they can not do, but by Christ, or by the holy goost certyfy­ynge them in their hartes that Christe is our rightuousnes. This place wylleth vs to pray for them that erre from the treweth that god myght brynge them to his treweth, and not to cal such phariseys aduersares to god, blide gydes, dumme dogges and bely beastes. &c.

3. Let vs procede by one ruele, that we may be of one accorde.) He wylleth vs to consente and agre to the treweth of goddes holy word, and with one consent and mynde go forwarddes [Page] in the treweth and the treweth knowne with all our myghtes & poweres defēde & set it forth, and not to shrenke from it for feare of persequution cruelnes of men, for losse of fa­uour worldly gooddes ryches landes or possessions promocyons or degnites, nor yet let vs not shrenke from the treweth for feare of offendyng suche as be weyke, before whome we must forbeare and not vse alwaye our ly­berty or that we maye do, but not forbeare to shew thē the trwth, that they be not alwayes weyke chyldren hauyng nede of mylke, suche must be taught the treweth in all gentylnes and mekenes, and the treweth may not gyue place to them, but they to the treweth, and re­ceyue the treweth, that they may be strong mē and no weyke chyldren. And although some wyll saye the treweth maye not be spoken for breakyng of cōcorde & vnite sayeng by cōcorde small thynges do increasse & growe to great thynges, and by discorde greate thynges to come to nought? to this is answered that, concorde is by the whiche the treweth is not obscured oppressed hyd or put to sylence, nor these that be weyke do not contynewe weyke, but by it brought to strength that they maye eate stronge meate, the apostle wolde not haue vs alwayes chyldren hauyng nede of mylke, but that we shulde growe from chyldren to men, that we myght be feade with stronge meate of men. Thus let vs all agree in one waye of the treweth and let vs folowe that way, and walke no more in the wayes of perdition, in the wayes of errour and he­resey. [Page] In the wayes of lyes fables euyll customes longe vsed contrary to the wyl and plea­sure of god, and contrary to the helthe and saluation of our soules. And as the a­postle prayeth. Roma. 15. God graunt vs all to be of one mynde that we maye all thynke one thynge not after men, the worlde or the fleshe, but after Iesus Christ and his doctryne

Note that the apostle setteth him selfe an exampler to vs to folowe that after his ex­ample we shulde walke in the waye of treweth, and not shrynke from it for no per­sequution, for no cruelnes of mē, for no crafte of pseudoposteles, for no losse of worldly gooddes, fauour of men, punyshmente of body or for losse of this present lyfe. Here we lerne howe we shulde worshyp saintes that is to folowe their footsteppes in all holynes and in trew vertu in fayth in hope in charyte and in paciēce and to folowe the doctryne of treweth as they dyd and to contynew in it to the ende after their example. Another waye we be taught in scripture to honour saintes, that is to gloryfy god in his saintes, to gyue glory and thankes to god whiche hath made and doth dayly make good men of euyll men. As the churche of the Iewes gloryfyed god in Paule that he had made him a preacher of his worde, which he before dyd impugne and persequuted. Thirdly we maye honour sain­tes in confyrmynge our fayth certifyenge vs that we shal come to that glory where in they are, yf we lyue here as they dyd, learnyng goddes worde and lyuyng accordyng to it. yea it helpeth very moche to persuade, when a man brynge him selfe an exampler to be folowed as here the apostle dyd. wolde to god that all [Page] bysshoppes lyues where so holy so good that their trewe preachynges and holy lyuynge were exāplers to other to folowe and wordy to be tolowed as Paule was in his trewe preachynge in the contynwance of the same with holynes of lyfe.

2. And loke on them whiche walke as you haue vs for an example.) Lest any mā shulde thynke that Paule had set him selfe onely for an exampler to folowe, he wylleth them to obserue other which walked after his exam­ple, and to take them for an examplar to fo­lowe, that we shulde folowe holy mens footsteppes, and to folow them in fayth pacyence mekenes, contēnyng the worlde as they dyd, and alway haue an respecte to the world and lyfe to come.

3. For many walke (of whome I haue told you often, but nowe I tell you wepynge.) He sheweth the cause of this admonition wherfore he exhorted them to folowe him and such other that walked in the way of trewth and in innocente lyuynge, that they shulde not be deceyued by no pseudoposteles that walke not after Christes doctryne, but after them selfes, their owne immaginations and phan­tasies, after men, and traditions of men, and not after Christes doctryne, whom to eschew and to fle their company, and wycked wayes I both present with you and also absente frō you hath monyshed you, bothe by worde and by letters. Here we learne of Paule that it is not enoughe to shewe what shulde be done, but also it must be shewed what shulde be a­voyded [Page] and eschewed, that good thynges myght be taken, and euyll thynges refused and forsaken. And as the apostle had shewed them before to beware of these walkers in iniquite, and to fle them and their wyckednes so he doth nowe exhorte them agayne with wepyng teares, so sore he lamented that there shulde be such euyll walkers and deceyuers of other, that they shulde take hed of pseudoposteles and to fle their false and deceyuyng doctrine. Here we may se that there was in Paules tyme pseudopostles deceyuers of the people and preachers of false doctrine not agreynge to holy scryptures and that it greuyd Paule moch there shuld be such. So it is now in our tyme, there be some false teachers clothed in shepes skinnes but within they be gready wolfes pretendyng moche holynes, but lytyll in very dede shewynge, whō we shulde eschewe and fle, and as it greued the apostle suche to be in his tyme, so it greueth all good men that there shulde be any pseudoposteles amongest the people to pulle and plucke the people of god from goddes worde and his treweth.

4. They be enymyes of the crosse of Christ, whose ende is damnatiō, whose god is their belye, and whose glory shalbe to their shame, whiche are earthly mynded.) Now he discry­beth these pseudoposteles in their owne clo­thynge and apparell. Firste he sayth they be enymyes of the crosse of Christ, for they ascrybe to the lawe, to workes of the lawe as to circumcision, sacrifyces and ceremonyes of the law, to workes and traditions of men, [Page] merytes of sayntes the grace of god frely gy­uen, reconcylyation to the father, remyssion of synne, satisfaction for synne, lyfe euerlas­tynge which thynges shulde be ascrybed onely to Christ that suffered vpon the crosse death to optayne these thynges to vs, therfore they ascrybynge these thynges to other thynges then to Christ alone be enymyes to the crosse of Christ, or that preache the law ceremonies or sacryfyces of the lawe in the sted of Christ, and ascrybe iustice or ryghtuousnes forgyue­nes of sinne to any other thyng then to Christ or to Christes passion they be enymyes of the crosse of Christe, such ware they that brought vs the bysshope of romes perdones, masses at scala celi, to go hyther and thyther on pylgry­mage, to set vp candles before images, to say fyue pater nosters, fyue aue maries and a crede before this image or that image in this place rather then in that place, promysynge to vs by these thynges to be released from the paynes of purgatory so manye dayes lentes and yeares, yea promysyng by these thynges, ones in our lyfe and at the houre of death cleare remyssion of all our synnes both a pen [...] et a culpa so they called their remyssion pro­mysed, but these be enymyes to the crosse of Christ ascrybynge to the inventions of man these thinges that onely shulde be attributed to Christ alone and to none other. Secondly he saith their ende is perdition shewynge to what ende and purpose the doctryne of pseu­doposteles brynge, that it bryngeth to death and damnation, therfore they and their [Page] deuylyshe doctryne are to be eschewed and auoyded of all good men, lest men be brought by them and with them to death and damna­tion both of body and soule. Thirdly he saith their god is their belye, in this he sheweth for whose sake they preached the lawe and the workes of the lawe, and dyd all thinges they dyd, that it was for their bely whome they preferred before god or his treweth, that they myght lyue easyly in quiet rest pleasure ho­nour and in all delyciousnes of lyfe, and haue all thynges at their wylles and pleasures, honoured, and had in great reputacion a­boue all men. And that other dyd for goddes cause, these bely beastes dyd it for their belye sakes, and as other good men doth preferre god aboue all thynges, so dyd these slo belyes preferre their belyes aboue all thynges, of such saint Paule speaketh. Roma. 16. And byddes vs beware of them saynge bretherne I beseche you that you wolde consyder them which causeth debate and offendycle against the doctryne whiche you haue learned, and that you turne from them, for they be suche that serueth not Iesu Christ, but their belyes and by flattery and fayer speakynge deceyue the hartes of the symple, of them also he spea­keth. Gala. 6. saynge, These that after out­warde face wolde please you in the fleshe they wolde compelle you to be circumcised onely for this ende that for the crosse of Christ they shulde not suffer. Let men therfore loke about whether there be such preachers teachers, yea suche that pretende to fauour goddes worde [Page] and wolde haue the name of setters forth of it, and wolde be counted to do all thynges for goddes worde sake, and yet they do it for thē selfes, and for their belyes sake, for they do not worke for the glory of god, but for them selfe and for their bely sakes that they myght lyue in ease reste quietnes in welth and in all carnall pleasures in honour and dignyte, get worldly gooddes riches landes and possesiōs, and haue all thynges at wyll and pleasure, se yf there be any such amonges vs, and praye god for them that at length yea shortly they maye be chaunged and turned to god and to seke ernestly goddes glory, the saluation of other more then their owne glore, woldly profyt, carnall lyberty or pleasure. Fortly he sayth their glory shall be to their shame, he noteth these pseudoposteles to be ambicious and vayne gloryous desirynge laude and prayse of the worlde and to be honoured of al men, but their glory shall be turned into their rebuke shame and confusion, for their hole institution of lyuyng, their hole doctryne sa­uoreth nothynge els but earth and carnall thynges, as circumcision, carnall workes of the lawe, chosynge of meates, difference of dayes, mans tradicions ceremones and such lyke thynges, whiche they teache and affirme for no other cause, but that they them selfes shulde suffer no afflictions, no parte of the crosse of Christe, but that they myght lyue in welth and pleasure and in worldly honours. They seke not heauenly thynges as fayth hope charite paciente meaknes the glory of [Page] god, helth lyfe and saluation of other, and therfore their glory shalbe turned in to rebuke shame and confusiō that seke rather earthly thynges them heauenly thynges. And it is greatly to be feared that the glory of manye pastores bysshoppes prelates, hye ruelers, maiestrates lawers iudges gentyll men and of other that be in authoryte in great honour and glory hauyng greate ryches landes and possessions, it is to be feared that their hye glory be turned into rebuke shame confusion yea into damnacion because they seke earthly thynges and worldly pleasure, more then the glory of god, and preferreth worldly thynges before godly thynges, yea preferreth men and mens commaundement before god and his commaundement. I praye god it be not spokē to them at their death as Christ spake to the scribes and pharyses. Math. 15. saynge, wo be to you scrybes and pharyses, for you haue made voyde or broken goddes cōmaundemēt for your traditions, I praye god it be not spo­ken lyke to other, wo be to you that haue neg­lected or broken goddes commaundement to fulfyll your carnall pleasures to get you worldly ryches honours dignites landes and possessiōs, and to get them and to mayntayne thē haue not cared what sorow payne or tro­ble haue comed to other, haue not cared for god and for his word no furder then it serued for their carnall pleasures or worldly ryches.

5. But our conuersation is in heuen from whence we loke for the sauiour Iesu Christe the lorde.) The apostle settyth him selfe as [Page] one contrarye to these pseudoposteles, and sheweth his conuersatiō of lyuyng to be con­trary to thē, as he wold saye, they al together sauour earthly thīges, their harte and mynde is all vpon the earth and vpon earthly thyn­ges & carnall pleasures & wordly commodites fyxed, my mynde harte wyll study intent and affection is in heauen, and vpon heuenly thynges, and therfore I loke not for worldly ry­ches or pleasures, but for our lorde Iesus Christe whiche shall alter and chaunge our vyle and corruptyble bodies subiected to corruption and carnall affections, and shall make it an immortal body cōformable to his glorious body, & make it a gracious body in the daye of iudgement, when he shall exalte this corruptible body with the soule to īmor­tall glory ioye and blysse. The soules of them that be ded in Christe nowe are in glory the body lyeth in the earth and rotteth vnto the daye of iudgement and then shall aryse, with the soule be ioyned agayne, and shall then re­ceyue glory. This place reproueth all them that set their hartes to moch vpō this world, of worldly honours ryches and carnall plea­ces, and not hath their hartes lokynge vp to heauen desyryng heauenly ioyes and blysse. ye this place iecketh them that denyeth the resuerection of the body, and the immortalyte of the soule, and the last daye of iudgement, in the which the mortall body shall be made im­mortall, and a gloryous body conformable and lyke to Christes body as towchynge the immortalyte glory ioye euerlastynge fe­licite [Page] and blisse.

6. Accordyng to the workyng wherby he is able to subdewe all thynges vnto him selfe.) Lest any shulde ascrybe the resurrection of the body to any myght or power of the body or of the soule be sayth that god worketh this thyng of his omnipotent power by the whi­che he worketh all thynges good, and hath al thynges subiected to him, and as he created and made all thynges of nothynge, so easely he maye gather together the bodyes lyenge in the dust of the earth and ioyne them agayne with their soules and make them to aryse immortall bodies and receyue lyfe ioye and sal­uation. And this hope haue good men, and loke for that daye of the generall resurrection that they maye be made lyke to Christe oure sauyour in immortalite & in glory by Christe.

Because before he had taught them that Christ was our onely iustice resurrection and lyfe, whiche thynge they knewe by fayth in Christ where in they were very constant and sure, now he exhorteth them to constancy in trew fayth by certayne knowlege of Christes doctryne and desyreth them to stande in the lorde and be constaunt in him and as they haue begone in the lorde so he wolde haue them contynew in the lorde, and not to turne from the lorde to the lawe or to workes of the law, or to nedy ceremones or to tradicions of men that culde not iustifye them, nor purge them from their synnes, and these thynges now he thought he myght desyre of them for as moch as they were deare beloued to him, his ioye comforte and his delectation, and therfore be ryght he thought he myght desyre more of them then of his enymes.

2. I praye Euodias, and beseke Sentiches that they be of one mynde in the lorde.) He desyreth two wemē Euodias and Sentiches to be of one mynde, and no longer at discorde, for it appereth that these two wemen dyd not [Page] agre, but were at debate, and that the one en­uied the other, and therfore the apostle studeth to take from them their debate, and to recon­cile them to gether againe, and to ioyne them to gether in mutuall beneuolence, and loue one to another. Here we lerne that discorde or debate maye aryse amongest good frendes and fauorers of the gospell, but that displea­sure or discorde is to be teased or quenced by other frendes as shortly as can be possible, that these that were at discorde maye be a [...] concorde and agre in the lorde Iesu.

3. I beseche the my faythfull yockfelowe helpe the wemen whiche haue labored with me in the gospell.) Here the apostle desyreth a trew kynde and faythfull woman in the lord whiche hath labowred with him, and take payne with him in the gospell, when he prea­ched with great payne and labor, this womā dyd take payne and labour with him whe­ther she was his wyfe as somme authors do thynke, or it was some other good woman it maketh no great matter, nor of it I wyll not dispute, but leue it to other to iudge. I thynke rather it was a woman then a man, (all though some translate this worde in the masculyne gender and not in the femynyne gēder) and that the apostle desyreth one woman to helpe another, and these that labowred with him. That dyd mynistre to him meate drynke cloth fyre and other necessares he calleth thē here cooperatores euangelii cum illo, that is felowes or workers with him in the gospell, that they mynistred to him preaching the gos­pell, [Page] or in prisō these thynges he had nede of. Amonges whome he nameth on Clemens of his gentylnes and trewe harte and mynde in all gentyll facyon he had to the gospell prea­ched by Paule, he moueth them to fauour and helpe all his helpers in the gospell, whose names he sayth are not for goten with god how so euer they are contēned or despised of men, but are in the booke of lyfe written and inrolled not to be blotted out agayne. And here we may lerne that it is a worke accepta­ble to god to be a worker of the gospell, or a felowe to him that laboreth in the gospell to preach teache or set it forwardes or to mynis­ter to such necessares, to fauore them, to helpe them yf they nede, or be in presone, or to put them selfe in peryll or danger for the helpyng of thē that set forthe gods worde trwely and sincerely. And this is a great cōforte for these that suffer for the gospels sake and contynew in the same patiently to the ende that their names are wrytten in the booke of lyfe before god, and shall not be raysed out agayne, al­though here peraduenture before men they be contēned & despised for euyl doers or euyl speakers punished or put to death, yet remayneth their names in the booke of lyfe with god, which knoweth them as his seruantes.

The apostle exhorteth men to reioyce in the lorde, and not in no other thynge of this worlde, not in honoures ryches, mē frendes kynred, golde syluer landes possessions, no [...] in wysdome or in prudence of the fl [...]eshe, or in strength of body as the prophete; acharye. 9. byddeth sayng. Let not the wyse man reioyce in his wysdome, nor the ryche in his riches nor the strong man in his strēgth, but he that wyll reioyce, let hī reioyce in that he knoweth me sayth god by his prophete, whiche I am god that maketh iudgemēt iustice and faith, therfore he that wyll reioyce let him reioyce in god which is the author of all goodnes de­lyuerer from all euylls and aduersites. Ther­fore sayth the apostle. 1. Cor. 1. He that wyll reioyce let him reioyce in god, and so shall his Ioye be full sure constante permanent and perfecte. And here he rebuketh such as reioyce more in worldly thynges then in god, as these that reioyce in ryches landes possessions, in men, in maiestrates, in nobilite of stocke in [Page] their religion, instition of lyuyng, in conynge lernyng or in suche lyke more then in god, all such be here reprouyd, reioyce therfore in the lorde alwaye in all tyme and in all places.

2. [...] your softenes be knowne to all men.) Now he teacheth them good and godly ma­ners and commaundeth them to put on all good maners and innocency of lyuynge, and wyileth their holy conuersation of lyuynge to be knowne to all men not onely to good men but also to the euyll, that euery man myght take example of godly vertu of them, and folow thē in vertuous lyuyng & so glory­fye god with them which is in hauen, as is wryten. Math. 5. And good example of lyuīg helpeth very moche to vertue, and oftymes one folowes another in vertu or ī wickednes.

3. The lorde is at hande.) Lesse modest me­ke and paciente mē shulde thynke them selfes forsaked of god or shuld despare of god or of his goodnes as he had left thē & forsakē thē, suffering them to be afflicted of the euyl, or to want necessaries, he sayth that god is nye to all modest good and godly men, & that he for getteth them not, although he suffereth them to lacke comfort for a tyme and helpe, but in tyme of nede god sendeth to them both com­forte and helpe, for he is carefull for them, and nye to all that wyll call vpō him in vnite and in trewthe.

4. Be not carefull.) He moueth them not to be carefull nor to mystrust god, that he wyll not geue vnto them all thynges necessa­rye, when they shall haue nede, or that he wyll [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] not delyuer them from trouble and afflycti­ons that chaūce to them, and that they shulde not dowte in these thynges he sayde the lorde was at hande to helpe them at their nede, and that they shuld not be careful for their lyuyng with a mystrust in god, he byddeth them here as teacheth more largely Christe. Math. 6. And here he taketh a waye couetuousnes or vnmercefull layng vp of riches to lyue in olde age, as some say mystrustynge god, thynkīg that god wyll not giue vnto them necessaryes in age as he dyd in their yougth. Let vs put a waye all suche dyffydence of god, and let vs seke first his kyngdom and his iustice and god wyll gyue vs all necessaryes without our trustles carefulnes, as is promysed. Mat. 6. And here the apostle doth not forbyd labour or a godly prouydence, but he forbyddeth carefulnes mystrustynge god, and vnmarcifull layng vp in store from the poore.

5. But in all thynges let your peticions in prayer and supplycatiō with geuing of than­kes be knowne before god.) Now he teacheth how we shal haue al necessares, and by what meanes, that is of god the father marcyfull geuer of all good thynges, & that by humble meke and faythfull prayers made after the wyll of god, desyrynge necessares as it shall please god to gyue them, appoyntynge with god no tyme no place nor maner of gyuynge, but referryng all to his dyuyne wyl and pleasure, and yf in these prayers we shall cōtinew desyrynge these thynges that shall be to the glory of god and for our helth and saluation, [Page] at the length we shall optayne of god these our petyciōs made in faith for Christes sake, alwayes geuyng thankes to god for his benefytes gyuen to vs, takyng prosperite and ad­uersite as we shulde do, that is not proude in prosperite, nor yet comforties heuy or sadde in aduersyte, no ther murmuryng agaynst god, nor yet enuyenge others felycyte and ioye.

6. And the peace of god whiche passeth all vnderstondyng kepe your hartes and myndes in Christe Iesu.) Here is shewed what folo­weth them that beareth prosperyte and ad­uersite as they shuld do, that they haue peace & quietnes in their hartes and cōscience with god, whiche peace haue none but such as be iustyfied by fayth, Roma. 5. we iustifyed by fayth haue peace with god, the euyll sayth peace peace but to hym is no peace withe god as saith the prophete. And this peace or quietnes of the conscience it farre passeth all thynges that maye be apprehended of the vn­derstandynge, and this to be trewe sheweth the conscience of such as fall in desperation of goddes mercy for their synnes as Cayn & Iudas dyd. And also it is declared in the ca­nanes, which was almost ded without harte comforte spirite or lyfe in their bodyes, when they harde the chyldren of Israell to haue entred their countre or lande to possesse it as their owne, and that they were sent to kyll them downe lyke beastes without mercy as is wrytten in the booke of Iosue. And this peace of conscience is not gotten by our mightes or powers sacryfices or ceremones but by [Page] Iesus Christ that all laude and prayse myght be gyuen to god for it, as of whome all good­nes do come to vs for Christes sake.

Nowe the apostle makynge an ende of his Epistle exhorteth them to thynke and do not onely these thynges whiche be wordy prayse, but also that they folowing his example may haue god of peace with them, and be fulfyl­led with faith and all good workes. And first he moueth them to do and folowe trew thyn­ges, wherby he putteth away all deceyt craft [Page] hypochrysy and simulation, as Christe is the treweth and loueth the treweth, so he hateth all craft and falsed, and it is a meruell that any mā wyll loue that thing, that god hateth so moch, as falsed craft deceyt and simulatiō, it is a tokē they loue the deuyl a false lyer bet­ter thē god which is alway trew and hateth lyes and falsed, it is a wōder to se how some men wyll geue credence to the deuyll lyenge rather then to god saynge treweth, and pro­mysynge necessares to all them that seke him in treweth, that seke first the kyngdome of god and his iustice, it is a token that such be rather the seruaūtes of the deuyl then of god. And thefore they mystrustynge god runnes hedlynges to the deuyll and vse his craft and falsed with moche deceyte & many lyes gettes their lyuyng to the great hurte of other, to their owne iudgement and damnation, ther­fore leue the craftes of the deuyll and folowe Christ and his treweth yf you wyll be saued and come to euerlastynge saluation.

Secondly folowe honest thynges semynge and becommyng for christians wordy prayse, and mete for these that abhorreth vnhonesty fylthy vayne folyshe and tryflyng thynges, in the which sayng the apostle wolde that our behauyour of our body in habyte vesture worde dede lacke countenaunce goynge and all thyn­ges about vs shulde be honest and comely for our state and degre, and in this thynge he re­proueth all them that kepe not semely ma­ners or faciōs in habyte gesture wordes dedes as becommeth their degre or vocation. The [Page] apostle wolde all thynges to be done semely & after a comely order. And here he reproueth suche as their vocation requireth them to be sober sadde and discrete men and men of grauite and wysedome, that be lyght in maners ful of wordes, that do not become their voca­tion, mockers and scorners of other, iesters and raylers of all others maners, and suche as cause men to laugh, when it becommeth their state & vocaciō to be men of grauyte so­briete and to geue to other example of sober­nes. And here he reproueth all vncleane com­munication fylthy or baudy wordes, vnclēly maners or iestynges, all scoffynge raylynge that do not become christians, sober wyse and discret men. Thirdly he exhorteth them to do all iust thynges, for iustice is that thyng wherby is gyuen to euery one that is dew for him, wherby no man shulde desyre but that is his and equall and iust to be gyuen to him, by the whiche saynge he condempneth all iniuries wronges rapynes thefte murder crafte falsed in byeng sellyng in chaungynge one thyng for an other, and by iustice we be taught to ren­der to god that perteyneth to god, and to geue to man that pertayne to man, and in this he reproueth those that ascribe to them selfes to their myghtes merites powers the grace of god, preseruaciō of them from euyll, remyssion of sinnes and lyfe eternal, and that of the merites and wordynes of their workes These thynges muste be of iustice ascrybed onely to Christ our sauyour that is to recon­cile vs to the father of heauen, to iustifye vs, [Page] to take awaye our synnes and to gyue lyfe euerlastynge these be workes of god pertay­nyng to god, and to him onely to be ascribed, & to none other, nether men worde ne dede. Fortly he exhorteth men to pure and clene ly­uyng, for it becommeth christians to be pure and chast in hart mynde soule and body and to flee all adultry fornycation fylthy and vn­cleane communication, and not one fylthy worde to come ones out of their mouthes as the apostle sayth. Ephe. 4. Let no fylthy word go ones out of your mouth, yea he byddeth these Ephesians. Ephe. 5. That no vncleane communication be harde amongest them, for the vengeaunce of god commeth vpon suche. Fyftly he willeth them to do all thynges that pertayne to loue, to do good to all men both to frendes and foes, and to please all men in all goodnes & humblenes, to hurte no mā, but profyte euery man, to offende no man, and so do good alwaye, and in al places, after their habilite. Syxtly he wylleth them to do these thynges that may get them a good fame and name, and to do these thynges that be wordy laude and prayse before god and man, that is to do the wyll of god and to pleace god and to kepe goddes commaundementes, and in all good workes to walke, and that not for to get them a fame or name, but that the name of god myght in all thynges be magnifyed and gloryfyed alwaye of all mē in the world. 2. If there be any vertuous thyng, yf there be any laudable thynge.) He moueth them to folow all vertuous thynges, and all thynges [Page] that be wordy laude or prayse before god or mā, and not in these thynges seke their owne prayse or commendations, but the prayse of god, that god myght be gloryfyed, and his name sanctifyed by the vertuous lyuynge of good men amongest the hethen nacion, amongest whom goddes holy name here moch euyll, and is euyll spoken on for the wycked­nes and synnes of euyl christians, that lyueth not accordyng to their profession at the fonte stone. He wold they shulde haue in mynde all vertuous and laudable thynges whiche they had learned of him, harde and sene in him practised, wolde to god that all byshoppes pastors prelates, Kynges Prynces Emperours Dukes Earles Lordes Laweers wolde lyue so vertuously so holyly so godly, that their lyues myght be a myrrour or glasse to loke in, and to spye in them all vertu all humblenes and mekenes, loue of god and of his worde vnfaynedly, and that they sought the glorye of god the helth of their people more thē their owne glory pleasure or commodite, then the name of god shulde be more gloryfied then it is, then the name of god shulde not here euyll amongest the hethen, amongest whome the name of god is blasphemed bycause many christianes lyue worse then doth the hethen people.

3. The god of peace shalbe with you.) Now he promyseth to them god of peace to be pre­sent with them, yf they wyll folowe Christe, here his doctryne and lerne it, lyue after it and go forwardes in all vertu and godlynes, as [Page] he teached them shewyng a rewarde alwaye to folow vertuous lyuing as the god of peace to be with them to pacifye and quiet their conscience, that they shulde be at peace with god, and so of a rewarde he exhorteth them to vertu.

The apostle gyueth thankes to these Philippians for their dewtyes and offices [Page] done to him, and for their charite send to him in prison by Epaphroditus, here we lerne to gyue thankes to our benefactours for their benefittes done to vs, lest we shulde be coun­ted vnthankefull or without good ciuilite or gētyl maners, although these that do kyndnes were bounde of dewty to do that thynge they dyd, as these Philippians was bounde to do no lesse to Paule then they dyd, ye here Paule reioyses in the lorde that their readi­nes to helpe him was in them reuiued againe and quyckened, and they dyd retourne to do their deutye they had omytted for a tyme towardes him, wherin he teacheth vs to re­ioyce of the amendement of them that hath for a tyme neglected or omytted to do their dewty to any man dew, or to paye their det­tes, or to geue to their pastors that is dewe to them for necessares to be payd or gyuen.

2. In the which you were carefull, but you lacked opportunite.) Here he partly excuse them of their negligence that they ceased of for a tyme to send him necessares in prison, as he wolde say he speketh, I know you were carefull for me, and that you wolde haue send to me suche thynges as you thought I shulde nede, I thynke you dyd not forget me, I do not reproue you for your dewty vndone to me, I knowe you lacked no good mynde or wyll, but you had no opportunite, nor man conuenient messanger faythfull and trustye by whome you shulde haue sent your charyte with all, whiche you sent to me by Epaphro­ditus. And here priuely he reproueth [Page] them of their faute, & slouthfulnes teachynge them what they ought to haue done to him, but he preuētyng their excuse sayth that they wanted opportunyte to send to him such thynges as he neded, and so opportunite standeth in the stede oftymes of an excuse or elles by opportunite he vnderstandeth their afflycti­ons and tribulacions by the which they were letted for a tyme to sende to him necessaries, and so opportunite then was a iust excuse for them.

3. I spake not this bycause of necessite.) I saye not these wordes bycause of your faute or negligence I lacked necessares or was in great nede, or culde not lyue without your helpe, for I haue learned to take all chaunces of lyuynge as they chaunce to me by expery­ence, and to be contented with my lotte as it shall chaunce. If I haue plenty of ryches, I geue lyberally to the helpyng of the poore and nedy, yf I haue no plenty, I drawe backe my hande, and fasshyon me after myne habilyte, and geue as I may and not as I wolde, ful­nes do not corrupte me yf I haue plenty and more then for my necessites, nor hunger do not deiecte me or put me out of comforte, yf I lacke somtymes these thynges I wolde haue, or be necessary for me. Here the apostle tea­cheth the trew vse of ryches and of pouerty, the trew vse of both is to be contended with his lotte, it pertayneth to the rych man not to be prowde for his ryches, or to thynke him selfe therby better then other be, or to cōtemne other, or to thynke he had his riches of him [Page] selfe of his owne witte or polyce workes and labors and not of god the author of all ry­ches and geuer of al goodnes, or to kepe them to him selfe vnmarcifully from the nedy, but it pertayneth to the ryche man to knowe he hath his ryches of god to geue god thankes for them to be humble and meke and to be liberall to the poore & nedy. Also here we maye lerne it is not euyll to haue great ryches, but it is euyll to abuse greate ryches as to be prowd for ryches gyuen, to extolle them selfes aboue other to contempne or oppresse other, to trust in ryches to make ryches their god, to shyt vp their handes frō helpyng of the nedy, so ryches are not to be despysed, but the abuse of ryche is to be dispysed, for many holy sain­tes as Abraham Isaac Iacob Loth Iob Dauyd had great ryches, but they dyd not abuse their ryches but vsed thē wel, bestowed thē to the glory of god, and was liberall to such as had nede, and keped hospitalite and receyued nedy into their houses and mynistered to thē necessares more gladly, thē the gestes oftimes desired, and therfore they brought gestes home to their houses as it were by inforcement or agaynst their wyll, so ready they were to do the marcyfull worke of hospytalyte and they lacked not their rewarde of god. Hebre. 13.

4. I can do all thynges throught Christe, whiche strength me.) That I do beare ry­ches and pouerty as I shulde do, it is not to be ascribed to me to my myghtes or powers in me, but to Christ my sauyour by whome I may and can do all thynges well, both suffer [Page] aduersite eate and digest it, and in prosperite not to abuse godds gystes, but to vse them well as is sayd before, yf ryches do come, the harte may not be fyxed vpon them, yf pouerty do inuade vs, let vs thynke we be ryche a­nougthe, yf we haue god, and possesse a clere conscience frō synne, let vs thynke we may do all thynges by Christ, and without his helpe or power we can do nothyng, without whose grace greate ryches can not profyt vs nor o­ther, ye they wyll come to great decay and to nought, therfore let vs all together hange vp on Christe, of his helpe and fauour, and by him be contented with our lot taken in good worth what soeuer thyng chaunce to vs, be it prosperite or aduersite, saynge with Iob. Iob. 1. The name of god be blessed thankes be god for all his gyftes.

5. Notwithstandynge ye haue done well, that ye beare parte with me, in my trybula­tiō.) These wordes he addeth, lesse he shuld be thought to haue contemned their kyndnes or rewarde sent to him in prison by Epaphrodi­tus, therfore he sayth you dyd well and as you shulde haue done that you send your cha­rite to me, by the whiche ye are made parta­kers of my afflictions and shalbe with me partakers of my ioye, and as you send your kindnes and reward of a good mynde to me to recompence your dewty omytted for a tyme, so I of a good mynde except it with thankes geuen to you for it. Note that these that com­municate to the workes of good mē shalbe ꝑ­takers of the glorye with good men, for a [Page] good worke shall not lacke his rewarde of god.

Paule here sheweth the benefytes of these Philippians towardes him with gyuen of thankes, and these Philippians he commen­deth aboue other, that they sent him helpe when he was in prisō, and whē he first prea­ched the gospell goyng from Macedonia and [Page] callyng to the fayth of Christe, and that these Philippians dyd send to him when no other congregation helped him, nor communicated to him, & so was partakers nether of geuyng nor receyuyng. As he wold saye, there is no cause why you shuld thīke me dettor vnto you bycause you sente to me necessares and no congregacion but you alone, for in so doynge you dyd but that thynge you were bounde to do to me, for it is mete that he that geueth shulde receyue. If we preache vnto you and sowe spirituall sede amongest you, do you count it a great thynge yf we shall repe your carnall thynges? As sayth Paule. 1. Cor. 9. I haue sowne amongest you spirituall sede goddes worde therfore you ought to haue gy­uen to me necessary foode. And he calleth their subsydy sent to him by Epaphroditus a coūt of gyuen and receyuynge, they receauyd of Paule spirituall foode therfore they ought to haue geuen to him carnall foode. In that he sayth no congregation to haue mynistred to him helpe but onely these Philippians we ler­ne that Paule dyd not receyue of many con­gregations temporall foode or subsydy as he myght haue done, for the workemā is wordy his meate, but he abstened and wolde not re­ceyue temporall foode of all congregatiōs of people for dyuers causes. First that he shulde not be an offendicle to the gospell, and that they shulde not saye that he preached for a lyuyng or for lucre sake, or for his belye chere, and that he wolde gyue other example to la­bour for their lyuynge, he with his handes [Page] got lyuynge for him selfe and for these that was with him. Actes. 20. 2. Thess. 3. And that other shulde not be ashamed to labour with their handes and to shewe no dishonesty for prestes to labour handy labours.

2. That was necessary for me you sent me.) He prayseth them not for that they sent to him at Tessalonicam that was necessary, or that he desyred of them such a stypend or some of money, or that he shuld by prayse or by gy­uing of thankes prouoke other congregaciōs to do suche lyke, but rather that he required and wysshed to them a rewarde of god for their beneuolēce to hī. And here we lerne more to consyder and wyshe for a rewarde of god to be geuen for almose done, then to wysshe to vs helpe of our pouerty or relesse of our ne­cessite. And so we shulde loke more at the pro­fyt of other, then for the taken awaye of our nede after the example of Paule here

3. For I haue all, and haue plentye.) Now he sheweth the cause that he desyred not mo­ney of any congregacions, for he had no nede of money at that tyme, for he had money plentye, and therfore he desyred not money of o­ther, but other to be rewarded of god for their beneficialnes, and he calleth their beneuolēce or almos a sauour of swetenes, a sacrifice ac­ceptable and pleasante to god, alludynge to the acceptable sacryfices in the olde lawe of Moyses cōmaunded to be offered vp to god, which smelled well and thankefull sacrifices was called, yf they were done as god cōmaū ­ded them to be done. This place sheweth tem­porall [Page] sustentatiō giuen to them that preache the gospell to be pleasant and thākfull sacry­fyces to god, although these that do gyue thē be boūde to gyue an honest lyuyng to the preacher of goddes worde as Christ saith. Mat. 10 The workmā is wordy his meate. Note that they please god that doth their dewty & payth their dettes, and gyues their temporall dewty by lawes apoynted to their pastors, and they that do not displease god.

As these Philippiās sent to Paule al thyn­ges that was necessary for him, so agayne he wysshed to them all necessares they had nede of, he wysshed not to them great aboundāce of all ryches or any great excesse, but necessa­res to the vse of their lyfe, to teache vs to wysshe so both to our selfe and also to other. Excesse and abundance of ryches oftymes bryngeth infamy slaunder offence of god and of our nyghbour, moderate ryches hath lesse iopardy and more trew glorye. Therfore he wysshed to them no excesse but sufficyent ly­uyng and that to be geuen them of god the author & geuer of al goodnes, whose riches cā not be cōsumed by gyuīg to other, for he hath all ryches, & his barnes is ful of riches & cannot be wasted or spēt, but the more he gyueth the more he may geue & giueth, to him be al honour & glori euer more world without ende. A.

Now he fynisheth his Epistle with salutations after his humble maner, and first he sa­luteth all the saintes, that is all the faythfull beleuers in Christ Iesu santified not by bys­shoppes of Rome but by the bloode of our sa­uyour Iesu Christ, in whō they beleue & serue him by perfecte charite kepyng the commaū ­demētes of god lyuyng in this worlde, such he calleth here saintes. Secondly he saluteth thē in the name of all the faythful bretherne that was with him, that ether came to him or dyd mynister to him in prison necessares, or dyd other busynes for him, specially he saluteth them in the name of the bretherne that was abyding in the courte of Nero where as was many that boldly and without feare openly professed Christ & his worde, fynally he wyshe the grace of our lorde Iesu Christ to them all. To god the father with his sōne Iesu Christ and the holy goost be glory euer. AMEN.