This pistle was writt agaynst th
which thought that Christ
fayth might be ydle & with oute workes / when yet the promes of Christ is made vs vpon that condicion / that we henceforth worke the wyll of God & not of the flesshe. Therfore he exhorteth them to exercise them selues diligentlye in vertue & all good workes / therby to be sure that they haue the true fayth / as a man knoweth the goodnes of a tree by his frute. Then he c
mendeth and magnifieth the gospell / and willeth that men herk
to that onlye / and to m
nes doctryne not at all. For as he sayeth / ther came no propheticall scripture by the wyll of man / but by the wyll of the holye goost which onlye knoweth the wyll of God / nether is anye scripture of priuate interpretacion: that is to saye / maye be otherwyse expounded then agreinge to the open places and generall articles and to the couenauntes of God and all the rest of the scripture.
And therfore in the seconde he warneth them of false teachers that shuld come / and thorow preachinge confidence in false workes to satisfye their courtousnes with all / shuld denye Christ. Which he threateneth with thre terrible exsamples / with the fall of the angelles / the floude of Noe and ouerthrowinge of Sodome and Gomor / and so describeth them with their insaciable couetousnes / pryde / stouborne and dysobedience to all temporall rule and auctoryte / with their abominable whordome and ypocresie that a blinde man maye se that he prophisied it of the popes holye spiritualtie which deuoured the whole worlde with their coueteousnes
In the thyrde he sheweth that in the latter dayes / the people thorow vnbeleffe & lacke of feare of the iudgement of the last daye / shalbe euen as Epicures / wholy geuen to the flesshe. Which last daye shall yet surelye & shortlye come sayth he: for a thousande yeres & one daye is with God all one. And he sheweth also how terrible that daye shalbe / & how sodenlye it shall come & therfore exhorteth all men to loke ernestlie for it / and to prepare them selues agaynst it with holye conuersacion & godly liuinge.
Finallie. The fyrst Chapter sheweth how it shuld goo in the tyme of the pure & true Gospell. The seconde how it shuld goo in the tyme of the pope and mennes doctrine. The thyrde how at the last men shuld beleue nothinge nor feare God at all.
Grace with you / & peace be multiplied in the knowledge of God & of Iesus oure Lorde. Accordinge as his godly power hath geven vnto vs all thinges that pertayne vnto lyfe and godlynes / thorow the knowledge of him that hath called vs by vertue and glory /
2.CWherfore brethren / geve the moare diligence forto make youre callynge & eleccion sure. For yf ye do soche thynges / ye shall never erre. Ye & by this meanes an entrynge in shall be ministred vnto you aboundantly in to the everlastynge kyngdome of oure lorde and saveoure Iesus Christ.
Wherfore I will not be necgligent to put you allwayes in remembraunce of soche thinges / though that ye knowe them youre selves & be also stablisshed in the present trueth. Notwithstdinge I thynke yt mete (as longe as I am in this tabernacle) to stere you vp by puttynge you in rem
braunce / for as moch as I am sure howe that the tyme is at honde þt I must put of my tabernacle / 3.C even as oure lorde
For we folowed not decevable fables wh
we openned vnto you the power and commynge of oure lorde Iesus Christ / but with oure eyes we sawe his maieste: even then verely when he receaved of god the father honour & glory /
We have also a right sure worde of prophesye wher vnto yf ye take hede / as vnto a lyght þt shyneth in a darke place / ye do wel / vntill the daye dawne and the daye starre aryse in youre hertes. So that ye fyrst knowe this. that no prophesye in the scripture hath eny private interpretaci
. 5.DFor the scripture came never by the will of man: but holy men of god spake as they were moved by the holy goost.
They count it pleasure to live deliciously for a season. Spottes they are & filthines / livinge at pleasure & in disceaveable wayes feastynge with you: havinge eyes full of advoutrie & that cnot cease to synne / begylynge vnstable soules. Hertes they have exercised [wt] coveteousnes. They are cursed chyldren / & have forsaken the right waye / & are gone astraye folowinge þe waye of Balam the sonne of Bosor 7.C / which loved the rewarde of vnrightewesnes: but was rebuked of his iniquitie. The tame & d
me beast / speakinge with m
nes voyce / forbade the folisshnes of the Prophete.
These are welles without water / & cloudes caried about of a tpest / to whome the myst of darcknes is reserved for ever. 8.CFor when they have spok
the swellinge wordes of vanytie / they begyle [wt] want
nes thorowe þt lustes of the flesshe /
This fyrst vnderstde / that ther shall come in the last dayes mockers / 12.A which will walke after their awne lustes & saye. Where is the promes of his c
mynge? 13.AFor sence þe fathers dyed / all thing[es] c
tinue in þe same estate wher in they were at þe begynninge. This they knowe not (and that willyngly) how that the hevens a great whyle ago were /
Derely beloved / be not ignorant of this one thynge / how that one daye is [wt] the lorde / as a thousande yeare / and a thousand yeare as one daye.
Yf all these thing[es] shall perisshe / what maner persons ought ye to be in holy conversacion and godlynes: lokynge for and hastynge vnto the commynge of the daye of God / in which the hevens shall perisshe with fyre / and the elementes shalbe consumed with heate. 15.C Neverthelesse we loke for a newe heven and a newe erth / accordynge to his promes / where in dwelleth rightewesnes.
Wherfore derly beloved / seynge þt ye loke for soche thyng[es] / be diligt that ye maye be founde of him in peace / [wt] out spotte & vndefiled
To whom he glory bothe now and for ever. Amen.
Balam.
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