¶ An exposition in the epistle of Jude the apostle of Christ wherein he setteth plainly before every man's eyes false apostles, and their crafts, by the which they have long deceived simple christian people.    

¶ The argument.  
IN this epistle Jude monisheth men to take heed and beware of pseudapostles, and of their false doctrine showing & persuading to all men, that god will not suffer these pseudapostles, and all them that assenteth and agreeth to their deceivable doctrine, and follow them in manners of living to escape unpunished. And that men shall know these pseudapostles, that they may beware of them the better, and of their dying doctrine, which bringeth to confusion and damnation, Jude describeth these pseudapostils, & showeth certain of their properties, by the which they may be known, although they go craftyly to work, and slightly hath crept in among men, with moche feigned and pretenced holiness, pretending in words to seek the glory of god, the advancement of his word, the profit of other, when they seek their own glory, their own advancement, their own profit, lucre and advantage. Jude threteth to these pseudapostles, and to all their adherentes & followers of their false and deceivable doctrine, everlasting woe, pain and damnation, that he might dysswade them from sin & devilish doctrine, if not for love, yet for fear of punishment: for god will not suffer sin to be unpunished. Of these pseudapostles, and of their deceivable doctrine used, in the epistle you may see and read, this is the some of the epistle. But I pray you read this epistle to your edifying and admonition to beware of false doctrine, as the author of this exposition in this epistle of Jude willeth and desireth and setteth forth this rude and homely exposition for that intent only, that these that be unlearned might see and perceive the better, with what deceivable doctrine men have been deluded and deceived many a day, that men might receive Christis doctrine and of his apostles, which bringeth to life, joy, and bliss, and leave the doctrine of pseudapostelles, which bringeth to death, to hell, and to the devil. Follow Christ & his doctrine and you shall have life with him in glory. To him be glory alway.  
Amen.   

¶ The pistle of saynet jude.  
IVdas the servant of jesus Christ, the brother of james, to them which are called and sanctified in god the father, and preserved in Christ jesus, mercy unto you & peace and love be multiplied.  
They that willeth and desireth to understand the holy scripture of god truly, purely & sincerely, these things they must consider, and ever have before their eyes. first that they know who speaks, for in holy scripture there be many that spekes, sometimes speaks god, sometimes the devil, sometimes Christ and his apostilles, sometimes the scribes & the pharisees, sometimes Peter, sometimes Paul, sometimes judas, sometimes Anna, Cayphas, and pilate, therefore it is convenient to consider who spekes, lest one be taken to speak, when another spekes, as Christ to speak, when the devil speaks: or contrary, the devil to speak, when Christ speaks, and so of the other. For although all holy scripture was written by the spirit of god, which is the spirit of truth, yet there is in holy scripture that speaks many, ●as is showed before, therefore it is meet to consider who speaks. Secondly they must consider, to whom specially scripture doth speak, of what affection, disposition and nature they be, to whom it is spoken. Thirdly for what cause, purpose and intent the words of scripture chiefly was spoken, and what the holy ghost would persuade or dissuade in that place of scripture, by those that spekes. Finally what is the clear sentence and proper understanding of that scripture spoken, that it may be open, plain and evident to all men, what is the true sense & meaning of the words of holy scripture in that place spoken. These circumstances noted, the holy scripture shall be more casyer to understand and know.  
The author that wrote this pistle by the inspiration of the holy ghost was judas Thadeus, one of the xii apostles of Christ jesus, whom saint Mathewe reckoneth amongs the xii apostles of Christ. Math ten But there was two men, that was called judas both apostilles of Christ, the one did appear to the outward opinion and estimation of men, to be entirely beloved & high in the favour with his lord and master Christ jesus, ye and higher in favour than any of the other of the xii. apostles, Ye he did appear to be so highly beloved with christ jesus, that he preferred him before all other of the apostles, and made him as steward and overseer of his house, and made him his purse bearer: yea also Christ would have him to be so nigh & familiar with him, that he would have him to eat with him, and to put his hand in Christis dish. But this judas so highly beloved of his master, lord & king Christ jesus, as an unkind, yea most unkind of all, did betray his master so loving, kind & gentle: and sold him to the wicked & cruel jews to be crucified. This judas that betrayed Christ was not the author of this epistle, for that judas was called judas Ischarioth. There was an other called judas Lebbeus or Thadeus, one of the apostles of Christ called the brother of our lord jesus, because he was the son of the sister to the mother of Christ, as is written Marc. vi. This judas called the brother of Christ was the author that wrote this pistle, as the beginning of the pistle doth show. To whom it was written, the salutation showeth, to those that were called, sanctified & preserved in our lord jesus christ, for what cause & intent this pistle was written, what is contained in the pistle, in the process of the pistle, god willing it shall be made open & evident to all good christian readers, that with a pure heart & stomach in faith desireth to know the will & pleasure of god, & will take the pains to read this homely declaration of this holy & spiritual epistle of saynet Jude, and mark diligently the wholesome counsels & spiritual lessons that saint judas teachethus' in this pistle. Saint judas divideth this pistle in a salutation & a narration, as lyra showeth after the example of saint Paul in his pistels. In the salutation he showeth who was the author of the pistle, what was his office to do, to whom it was written, what things he desireth to them to whom he wrote this pystel. The auctor useth a salutation in the beginning of his epistle after the fashion and manner of them that useth to writ pystelles. And also less any should count him without good humanity as to speak to any of sad and weighty matters, whom he did not salute at the left before. And also he useth this salutation, to teach us christian men and women one to salute an other, & to desire, and wish one to an other such things as he desireth (that is to say) the grace, fanoure, peace, and mercy of God to be multiplied to all Christian men and women. judas the servant of jesus Christ. In these words is showed who was the Author of this epistle (that is to say) one judas not Isearyoth the betrayer of Christ: but an other judas (by name Thadeus) called the brother of Christ. Here observe these two men, both called judas both Apostles of Christ, the one of them to be good, the other evil. Here you may learn good reader, no difference to be between a good man & an evil man as touching their names and offices, as you do see the author of this pystel to be a good man, the servant and the Apostle of Christ, although he was called judas, and agreeth in name with him that betrayed Christ, yet his name judas made him not evil. So like wise judas Iscarioth all though be agreeth in name with this judas, his name made him not good. It is not the outward name ne office that maketh a man or woman good, but it is the grace of God, and perseverance there in that maketh a man good. Therefore let us learn, here not always to judge according to the outward appearance. For if we judge after that fashion we shall be deceived if any would judge after the outward appearance and after the opinion of men, who would not judge and prefer judas the betrayer of Christ before judas the author of this epistle, and say that he was moche better man than was judas Thadeus, in that Christ made him his purse bearer and overseer of his house, & showeth to him more favour, as did outward appear, than he did to this judas Thadeus. And yet judas Ischaryoth was evil, and the child of perdition. The other judas Thadeus was good, and the child of salvation, although the judgement of the world was other ways. Here learn the judgement of the world, and of the outward appearance to the eye often times to be deceivable, and deceive men oftimes. Therefore faith is not always to be given unto the outward appearance, or to the opinion of men. For men judgeth these things that doth appear. God beholdeth the heart and the inward affection of the mind. oft-times it chanceth these to be lest with God, and farthest from his favour, whom men doth judge to be first and highest in the favour of God. Peradventure men judgeth Popes, Cardynalles, Legates, bishops, archbishops, abbots, Decayns Prelates, priors, Monks, cannons, Preestes, Friars obseruantes, cartusyans, and such like to be more in favour with God then lay men, or lay women, when God peradventure doth prefer lay men before all them. And more hath in his favour the poor simple lay man, or lay woman, than the highest bishop, pope, or cardinal, for God is not the acceptor of persons, nor he doth not judge, and esteem men after outward face, and outward appearance, but after the inward affection of the mind, and pureness of heart. judas by interpretation signifieth confession or knowledge. It becometh us to be judas, that is to say as to know and confess jesus Christ, and him crucified only our redeemer, justifier and saviour. If we believe Christ to be our only justifier, then will we not believe our works to justify us or able to purge us from our sin, nor yet the Pope's bulls, Pardons or any indulgencis granted by Popes, Cardinals, or bishops, hallowed beads, or messys ad Scala cely may purge us from sin, or take away our sin, by strength of the work itself. For if remission of sin might be had by the strength of any work in itself, than Christ died in vain, than his death is not to us so precious, but some work might have been to us as precious as his death, which thing God forbidden that any man should say or yet think.  
The servant of jesus Christ. In these he showeth his office or duty saying that he is a servant. He calleth himself not a Lord, a master, a King, an Emperor, to be above Kings and Princes, and that Kings should kneel & kiss his feet but he calleth him a servant: not of every one, as of men, to please men, to be a man pleaser and to preach these things that should please men, and to play the legate of men of the world But he calleth himself the servant of God, and his office or duty to be to please God, to confess Christ jesus openly and plainly every where and in all places, to play the Legate of Christ jesus, to preach God's words boldly without all fear, without all dread among all men. The apostle here in these words he checketh, and rebuketh these that be ashamed to confess themselves to be the servants of God, that be ashamed to preathe God's word purely and sincerely, that for fear of men, for hindrance of lucre or advantage will not openly confess the truth of God's gospel, nor yet suffer other to do it, nor be willing that other shall show it for fear of decay of their honour, promotion, dignity, friendship of men, lucre or advantage. Also the apostle checketh all these that will not preach God's word, but man's traditions, man's fantasies, and dreams, man's learning, and man's inventions, and that for the word of God, and in the stead of the word of God. These be they that be men pleasers, and studies rather to please man then GOD. But such be not the servants of God, but the servants of men, whom they study to please. These be not the servants of jesus Christ, nor his true Apostles, although in words sometimes they may call themselves the servants of Christ and his Apostles, yet they be not the servants of Christ, nor his apostles, but they be false apostles, as judas Iscaryoth was, and with him are to be numered and reckenned, and with him shall have their reward in hell.  
The brother of james. These words be added les any man should think judas Iscaryoth the betrayer of Christ jesus to be the author of this epistle, and for to know judas Thadeus which was the author of this epistle from judas the betrayer of Christ Then it is not like, Ye let no man think that judas put in these words for any vain glory, or any advaunsing of himself that he was the brother of Christ or his kinsman, all such carnal affeceyon was far from his mind.  

To those that be called/ and in god the father hallowed and by jesus Christ preserved.  
Now showeth the apostle unto whom this epistle was written, it was written not only to the jews, but also to the gentiles, to all men believing in Christ it was written indifferently, to all that be called either by secret and privy inspiration, or by open preaching of the word of God to believe in Christ jesus, which in God the father be sanctified. But there is many that is sanctified, or blessed but not of God, but of man, as of Popes, cardinals, bishops, abbots, which weryth their miters, and other times doth bliss & l●n●tify men, but peradventure the●e that be thus blessed of men be cursed of god. Of such that be only sancrifyed of men, & not of God judas doth not here speak but ofsoche as be sanctified of GOD whether they be cursed or blessed of men and surely these be sanctified. Some peradventure will ask who be they that be blessed and sanctified of God, truly all they whom Christ hath sanctified in his blood, & washeth their sins in his blood that hath faith and doth believe their sins only to be taken away by Christ, & his blood shed for their remission of sins and whithe will believe surely till they die these be they which be truly hallowed & sanctified in god the father and these be holy and blessed, whether men do bless them or turse than, other there be that be sanctified as of men, as of the pope, of the cardinals, of bishops or of abbots, but these be not holy nor blessed, except that Christ hath sanctified them in his blood, and have remission of their sins by jesus Christ, which thing they believe surely, or else they be not sanctified of God nor blessed, be they never so often times blessed of the Pope's holy hand and all his three Crosses, with all the miters of his Cardydnalles &, bishops. Ofttimes it fortuneth god to curse them whom men do bliss, and the contrary those to be blessed of GOD whom men do curse, as god doth speak by his Prophet, saying I will bliss your cursings, and contrary I will curse your blessings.  
For as much as this apostle judas wrote to them that were alive whom he said was sanctified it is evident this word sanctum or sanctifycatum in scripture for the most part to be taking for holy men that liveth, that is to say for good & faithful men and not only for those that be departed hence, and called unto the number of holy saints in heaven, whom the church of Rome hath canonyzat and only calleth saints. They that after that ways only will take this word sanctumin holy scripture they err from the truth, and giveth great occasion of impiety to other and maketh many to err in taking of scripture in the true sense. These men bring great darkness to scripture, they make scripture dark, and will not suffer holy scripture to be right understand, but do alienate and pluck away from the true and proper sense of the holy ghost the faithful Christian reader which desireth to have the true intelligence of scripture. How can they truly understand saint Paul's pistle which he wrote to the samctes that were at Rome, if they will take this word sanctum or sancti for saints that be departed. Sainet Paul in a manner wrote all his epysteles to saints as it doth appear in a manner through all his epistles in the beginning. How can it be but these men which taketh saints only for them that be departed but they must needs count Saint Paul for an idiot fool which wrote his epystelles to the Saints departed which could not read them, nor yet when they were red culde hear them, or understand them, or any fruit or profit take of them, or any thing gather of them to obtain true faith, or to fashion good manners, to i'll sin and iniquity, for Saints that be departed be passed the state of this present life. It is evident therefore that Saint Paul calleth good and faithful christian men living after the law of GOD in faith and in charity. Saints although they live in this present life, or how could any man truly understand this epistle of Jude which judas dedicated to saints, if saints were only taken for saints departed this life. judas thadeus wrote to them that were a live, wherefore it is manifest this word saints must be taken in holy scripture as well for Saints being a live in this present life as for saints that be departed. For saints being a live taketh saint Paul this word saints oft-times as it appeareth Rom. xv. Ephe. pri. Colocen. pri. and ofter it is so taken, than other ways.  
Because many hath not taken this word saints in scripture for good men living, but only for holy men departed. And also because saint Paul desireth oft-times the prayers of saints for him as is written. Roma. xv. and saints they took only for saints departed, seeing there is no scripture to persuade us to pray to saints departed, no commandment of god less in holy scripture that I do remember no promise that we shall obtain our petition if we pray to the saints, but all scripture doth persuade, Ye command to pray to God which is the giver of all that is good, he biddeth ask of him and we shall have. jacobi primo. Math. septi. To pray to God persuadeth all holy scripture, Math. vi. and also promiseth that we shall not ask in vain, but that we shall obtain our petition if we ask as we should do and in faith nothing doutting but we shall obtain that we desire, if it be to the glory of God and for our profit to receive it. How praying to Sainttes did come up, I have showed mine opinion. To pray unto Saints that they may pray with us unto GOD I think it not evil. I think it a very good and laudable custom, and may be well used, so that men make not saints their patrons and givers of that thing that they desire, as many hath done in times past, and put more trust more confidence in a saint, then in god: therefore they being in any peril or icopardye, would run to this image or that image o● such a saint before god. Thus the ignorant people hath preferred the saints before god: & put more trust, more confidence, more help, more succour in a saint then in god: yea I fear me that many hath put their trust help and secure in an image made of stone or of wood by man's hand, & done great reverence & honour to the image, believing great virtue, great holiness to be in that image above other images: and therefore that image must have a veluer coat hanged all with brouches of silver, and moche silver hanged about it & on it, with moche light before it, and always candles burning before that image, which candle may never go forth, nor be put out: that light before the image to be put forth it is a great faut●and some thinketh that the image would take a vengeance on such that should do it, which thing I would no man should do in contemning the saint whose image there is, but I would have this evil opinion out of the simple heart, that they should esteem images after the valowe as they be, and put no more holiness in one image then in an other, no more virtue in one than in an other. It holdeth the simple people in great blindness, and maketh them to put great trust, great holiness in images, because one image is called our lady of grace, an other our lady of pity, an other our lady of comfort or secure: the holy road of such a place and such a place. These means maketh the people to esteem these images of great holiness and virtue, and that they may do moche for them, and that some images of our lady prayeth to our lady of heaven for her petitioners: such is the simpleness of many simple people.  
¶ As touching images to be in the church I was never of other opinion but I thought it were commendable & expedient to have them to bring us in remembrance of the virtuousness and holiness of the holy saints, that we may take example of them to follow their godliness and holy virtues, as to follow them in faith, in hope, in charity, in makenes, in lowliness, in patience, in suffering injuries and wrongs, in contemning the world & the vain pleasures thereof, in looking for the life joy & bliss to come. After this fashion scripture teacheth usto remember holy saints in many places as s. Paul showeth Heb. xiii. Remember you then which hath had rule over you which hath spoken the word of god unto you, whose faith you do follow, remembering what was the end of their good conversation. So saint Peter. i Pet. iii. brings in Saray for an example, that women should be obedient to their husbands, & please their husbands, and have their husbands in reverence, as Saray had Abraham in honour and reverence. Saint Peter brings the example of Saray to teach other women to follow the example of Saray: so be images set up in the churches to put us in remembrance of the virtuousness of the saints, that we should take example to follow them in goodness and virtuousness, to steer up our dull hearts and slowfull minds to god & to goodness was images set up in the church, and not for honour nor worship that should be done to the image, which is but a thing made of wood or of stove, or other such like matter, and no more holier then is the matter it was made on. Of these you may gather the good use of images.  To those that was called and in god the father sanctified, and by jesus Chryst preserved. 
Here it is showed to whom this pistle was dedicated and sent, that is to say, to all men and women renewed by the blood of Christ, whom jesus Christ hath called of his only mercy & grace: and not of the merits, works and deservings of men. first he called them, & then he did sanctify them. Here be two things to be noted, first that jesus Christ calleth whom be willeth, second those that he calleth he sanctifieth them: he calleth men to him of his only mercy, & not of their merits, nor yet of their worthiness of their works. God calleth sometime inwardly by inward inspiration, as he did call saint Paul Actorum ix. and many other prophets. Sometimes he calleth inwardly in that heart, & outwardly by preaching of that gospel, to the which they give credence that be called. Chryst calleth not after the pleasure of man, but after the will & pleasure of god, & when god will, & not when man willeth, whom god pleaseth to call, & not whom man judgeth worthy to be called, nor yet when man thinks meet to be called, but when god thinks and knoweth men apt and ready to come when they be called. By the which saying many reasons be taken away of the calling after the will of man, by the merits of men, and when men judgeth men to be apt and ready to the hearing of the gospel, and will give credence to it.  
And although god only doth call, & when he will without any indevering or work of man, yet oftimes & for the most part he useth certain means, as by preaching of the gospel, and by hearing of it preached, as he giveth other gifts by means, as learning by study, riches by labour, wisdom by experience, faith by the gospel preached: so he calleth men to him by preaching of god's word, which they believe that be called, and after it doth live a life pure and clean in all innocency of living. God knoweth who be his, and those he calleth to him in time prefixed, and when he knoweth them most apt to follow their calling. Here you may see the cause why god would not have his gospel at the first preached to the jews & to the gentiles, & that in all times: it was because he did see them then not apt to receive it, nor yet apt to believe it, therefore that they should avoid more pain god did hide from them his gospel, & when he did see them apt to receive & believe the gospel he made the gospel to be preached to the gentiles, & they believed it, & was saved as many as was ordained to life.  
The order that god useth most commonly to them that shall be saved, it may here be gathered of the apostle jude. first he saith they be called, secondly they be sanctified in god the father, thirdly they be saved by jesus Christ through his word & obedience to do these things gladly & freely, that the word of god teacheth them. This thing saint Iohn testifieth joh. xvii. saying. Father I have showed thy name to men, whom thou hast given to me of the world: they were thine, & to me thou hast given them, & they have kept thy word. Now truly they have known, that all things which thou hast given to me was of thee: for the words which thou did give me, I did give to them, and they have received them, & they have known truly, that from the I have gone, and tha● thou sent me. Here we may learn the mean which God useth towards them that shall be saved, although god only save us by himself, by jesus Christ, and of his mere mercy and grace, yet he useth a mean whereby he bringeth men to salvation, that is to say by the word of God preached and giving credence toyc, working after it, wherefore if the word of God be not preached nor had among us, it is a great token that we be not in the favour of God nor of his elected people to salvation. Also if we in ourselves do perceive no desire, no love to the word of God, but not regard it, esteem it at little retinue, think other things more precious than it or think it foolishness, or as a vain thing. Then it is a token that these that think so they be none of the people of God, nor yet in the favour of god as long as they shall think so of these tokennes and signs every one in himself may soon perceive whether he is in the favour of god or no. In that he hath a desire or a love to god's word to hear it, to read it, believe it, to work after it, to esteem it above all worldly things. etc.   

Mercy be to you and peace/ and charity may be multiplied.  
In this salutation what thing Saint Jude desireth and wisheth to them to whom he writeth, here it is showed. He desireth that god would increase and multiply his gifts in them, and specially give them mercy peace and charity with him, which three gifts be very necessary for every christian man and woman, as long as they shall live in this world The apostle here teacheth us what ●hynge we should desire one unto an other, that is to say the gifts of god to be entreased and multiplied amongst us, and in all men. From this wholesome council of the apostle Jude far be these men and women which do not desire nor wish good things unto their neighbours or other men, but desireth vengeance, evil chance, death of their neighbour, or evil fortune to chance unto their neighbour or neighbours cattle, or goods, which doth curse or ban their neighbours, desiring GOD to take a vengeance upon them, or to send sum sudden sickness, or disease upon them, as the pestilence, the fraunche pocks, the falling sickness or such like. Those men follow not the council of the apostle in this place. Let therefore all such evil persons that follow not the council of the apostle leave their evil & devilish affection & desire which bringeth euetla sting death, if it be not left and for sakyn with repentance before death, and follow the wholesome counsel of saint Jude, which desireth mercy, peace, and charity to be multiplied to every one.  
first he desireth to them the mercy of God, that it would please God to give them his mercy and grace, that they might repent them of their old vices and sins, and utterly forsake them, and have a new life in Christ jusus, which thing no man can do without the mercy and grace of god, therefore mercy and grace is first of all to be desired. secondly he desireth Peace between men and God in men's conseyences, which Peace and quietness in conscience evil men hath not, for to evil men is no peace with God in their conseyences, as the Prophet saith, but evil men hateth god always and fear him fore lest he should punish them. For they count god as a straight judge or a cruel tormentoure that will suffer no fault unpunished, but will extremely punish every fault, or trespass done against him. The evil some times doth abstain from wyees and sins, but not for love of GOD, or of justice, but for fear of pain, or for hope of reward of men or favour of men The evil sometimes hath peace outwardly, as with men and with the world, but inwardly in their conscience they lack peace and quietness. In their heart they have GOD as on wrath with them, their conscience bite them and troubleth them sore, day nor night they be not quiet in conscience but ever when they remember God, they fear pain, & punishment. This considering Jude he desireth to them peace in men's consciences with god which peace only hath given men the be ins●yfyed by faith, witnessing s. Paul. Ro. v. we justified by faith have peace with God, whether they have peace with the world, and men of the world or no, good men that be justified by faith have peas with god inwardly in their conscience. Thirdly he desireth charyce, that they should be chartable and loving one to an other, knit together in mutual love, one loaing an other heartily, & showing their love by mutual works, and deeds, and that their love should be only for god's cause, but not for no carnal lucre, or advantage, honour, or any carnal cause. Thus in this salutation we be taught what christian men should desire and wish one to an other, that is to say, mercy peace, and charity of God, as the apostle teacheth us.   

Beloved when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the comen health/ it was needful for me to write unto you, to exhort you that ye should continually labour in the faith which was once given unto saints.  
Now beginneth the narration, & showeth the cause of the pystel shewing also what a great desire will & mind he had to profit them, ye what care and thought he had for their health specially for these things that pertaineth to their everlasting health he had so great a desire that he could not refrain but he must needs write to them having no less care for them then for himself perceiving them to be in great ieo pardie & apparel, by the craste and falsed of the false prophets. Therefore judas perceiving these perils to approach to christians, & moved by brotherly charity he cold not temper him from writing to show christian men of their perils, and also to exhort them that they would not cease to walk in a pure and sincere faith and love which they had heard preached and had learned of the true apostles of god. And also he desireth them to take heed of false Prophets, which alway did study to bring the true christians from the true faith which they had received. Here we may learn what study and desire it becometh every one of us to have towards an other, that we may profit other. Secondly with all diligence and study taking, late us exhort other to walk in the truth truly received, less they should wear sloggesshe by negligence, or slothfulness. thirdly that they may avoid the parels that be like for to ensue by slothfulness, or negligence, or by ignorance if they be not monished specially, it becometh for to monish to avoid parels, when that apparel of Soul doth appear. Thus it becometh every man to care for an other, & to money she an other o●iepardy that may ensu, both in word & also in writing, & this care it may not be little, but it must be great with all labour & diligence to profit other as ●rample to be taken in this place of jude.  Of the common health. 
For what thing Jude laboureth so diligently to write to them here he expresseth, saying it was for the common health. He calleth it the common health because he counted their health his health such was his love towards them, that he was no other ways affected towards them then towards himself counting that same evil to chance to himself, the should chance to them by the craft and suttiltie of false prophets, giving us example likewise one to be affected towards an other, as he was to them, to whom he wroce, and also as members of one body be one to an other. This saying of Jude doth check all them which be not careful for their neighbours, nor for other besides themselves, which care not what become of other, so they be well themselves. Also it sharply reproveth all them which care nothing at all, nor nothing doth study how they may profit other, which pass nothing at all what become of other, whether they live or die, be sick or in health, be glad or be sorry. Yea this sermon of Jude moche more condemneth all those that study to do hurt & damage to other, or any manner of injury or wrong in word or in deed.  It was needful for me to write unto you. 
As who should say, I see it is so necessary for you that I could not refrain but I must needs write unto you, my charity so compelleth me, perceiving it to be moche for your profit, to exhort you to go forward in that true faith received, and to profit in the same, and to increase it daily more & more. And that you should not shrink one hear breed from that true faith which you have received, and which was given unto the saints of god by preaching of the gospel, as saint Paul saith Rom̄. x. Faith cometh of hearing, hearing verily by the word of god.  
He exhorteth them that they should continually labour in the faith, or be helpers to the faith (as Erasmus translation hath) which was once given to saints. Here be two things to be noted for our learning. One is that he desireth them to be helpers of the faith, to the which men be helpers after this phrase of scripture, when they suffer not the faith received to be weak, feeble or inconstant, to be oppressed with desires or affections of the flesh or of the world, by the craft or suttyltye of false prophets to be brought a way from it, & led in to a false belief by false doctors whom the devil doth use as his ministers to deceive the simple people unlearned. Also scripture useth to call men helpers of the faith, when men do diligently watch that they be not deceived by the devil, nor by none of his ministers, when they do labour with all force to make their faith sure and strong, doutting or halting in no part, but by all means studieth every day to make their faith more stronger & stronger by all manner of good work. The other thing that was here to be noted, is that we should know faith to be given from above, for he desireth them to be helpers to the saith, which was given once to saints. Faith is the work of god, & it cometh of god, as saint Iohn saith: this is the work of god, that you should believe in him. Saint Paul witnesseth the same saying Philip. i. Not only it is given to you that you should believe in god, but also that you should suffer for his sake. Of these two places of scripture it is evident saints living or deed not to have had faith of themselves, or of their own might & power, but to have received it of god, which giveth faith to whom he will, & when he will, although saint Paul saith faith to come of the hearing of the word of god, which word although many may here it, yet no man shall believe but he to whom god giveth faith, and in whom god warketh faith and believe.   

For there are certain craftily crept in/ of which it was written a fore time unto such judgement they are ungodly, & turn the grace of our lord god unto wantonness and deny god the only lord and our lord jesus christ.  
The apostle more at large showeth the cause of his admonition, which is to monish them that they should arm themselves with sure armure & defence to defend them against false, prophets and that they should in any wise take heed of them, lest by the craft & falshere of pseudapostles they should be deceived & alienated from the way of truth and from sincere doctrine of the gospel. What manner of men were these pseudapostles & false doctors in the second pistle of Peter ca two. it is showed more abundantly. And also here after shall be god willing more plainly declared, how they have come in, Jude here doth partly show, saying they have craftily crept in, not plainly preaching the gospel of god, but darkly & colouring it with great pretence of holiness, mixting man's doctrine with gods word, teaching man's doctrine, man's traditions, dreams & fantasies of men in the stead of god's word, willing & persuading as great faith, as great authority to be given to the traditions, & writings of men, as to gods words, gods holy precepts, but these be evil & false doctors of god deputed to judgement, that they should suffer pains unto the day of judgement, and after that day that they should suffer more grievous pains in body & soul together, seeing that now they suffer pains & punish mentes only in the soul, after the mind of the doctors, & shall suffer in the soul only pains to the day of judgement, & after the day of judgement shall then suffer pains and torments both in body & soul, as the doctors doth say.  They are ungodly and turn the grace of our lord god unto wantonness. 
They be so ungodly so ungracious that they turn all that we have of god and of his grace to fulfil and satisfy their pleasures, plucking to them selves hasty destruction & eternal death, they are so evil & mischievous full of all unhappiness, that they turn the free benefit of god & grace, by the which Christ hath delivered us from sin, death, hell, devil, and eternal damnation, and made us innocentes and free from all captivity of sin, and set us in innocency & holiness (which thing should move us to keep innocency & holiness) they turn this liberty of the spirit whereby men be set to do all good things and no evil, to do only those things to the which the spirit of god moveth and exhorteth. These ungodly turn this liberty in to a carnal liberty in occasion & liberty to sin, & giveth themself wholly to wantonness, so lasciviousness, to uncleanliness, to bawdry, to fornication, to adultery, & other many vices & sins, nor yet they are not so content, but they deny their master which hath redeemed them by his precious blood, they deny their master not openly & before all men & plainly, but secretly in corners & craftily they deny their master. But when deny they thus their master privily and secretly? Truly when they ascribe their justification, forgiveness of sins to any creature, or to any work by the might and power of the work, to any indulgence or pardon, to masses ad scala celi, to holy beads, to kissing of images & such like, and not to Christ jesus and to his blood shed for us to obtain us remission of sin, by whose blood only we were washed us in from our sins, as saint Iohn saith Apoc. 1. He hath washed us in his blood from our sins. They deny the lord which ascribeth remission of sins to any other thing then to christ & his blood, which thing false, prophets doth, denying their master.  They turn the grace of god to wantonness. 
As who should say, they were called and redeemed with the precious blood of Christ jesus, that they should live in all innocency & purity of life, in all holiness & godliness. But they be translated & turned from all innocency & purity of life, & turned to all maliciousness, wantonness & filthiness. They be translated. q. d. they be all changed from the holiness to the which Chryst did call them, & by benefit did invite them but they be translated from that holiness, & be translated after the manner of the Gala●hians, of whom saint Paul complaineth saying, I marvel that from Christ which hath called you by grace, you are so soon translated in to an other gospel when there is none other: but that some men there be that troubleth you, & would invert the gospel of Christ Gala. 1. as these of whom saint Jude here complaineth, that they translated the grace of god in to wantonness, and they were utterly translated from all holiness, to the which Christ had called them: so I fear that we christians be translated from the doctrine of Christ, & from the true faith taught in it, by the bishop of Rome & his laws, by decrees, statutes & traditions of the church of Rome, in to the forgetfulness of god's law, of god's commandment, in to other manners & fashions than god's law doth command or suffereth: yea we be far translated by the bishop of Rome's laws amongs us used and usurped so long, that many one doth think & hath thought the bishop of Rome's law to be gods law, & to have like authority with gods law, & that it bindeth no less than god's law: yea this law of the bishop of Rome hath brought us so far out of frame, that scarce we think those things pertain unto us which gods word biddeth & commandeth us. Therefore let us be sorry for this translation from christ & his commandment, & be translated again to Chryst, that we may do those things which Christ commandeth us, that we & our warkis may be acceptable before god.   

My mind is therefore to put you in remembrance/ for as much as ye once know this/ how that the lord after that he had delivered the people out of Egipte, destroyed them which believed not.  
Jude bringeth in here, iii. examples of these that transgressed the commandment of god, & was punished for their sin to pluck back other from sin for fear of punishment, which our lord will give to them that will not cease from sin, punishment from the beginning was ever prepared & deputed for sinners, as to good men a reward in joy & bliss. But although good men hath ever b●n rewarded, & evil men punished, yet there is a difference, good men hath been & shall be rewarded by life everlasting not of their merits, or for the worthiness of their works, but only of the mercy & goodness of god. Evil men hath suffered pains & punishment for their iniquity & sins, & because they have done evil, therefore god of his justice hath punished them, and to refrain other from sin for fear of punishment here.  
Jude bringeth in three examples, by the which he ꝑswadeth that god will punish sinners that will not repent and leave their sin. The first example is taken of the people of Israel brought out of Egypte from the great bondage of Pharaoh, which oppressed the people of god with ●tollerable pains & labours. Of the which people god at the last had mercy, and delivered them from their bondage, & brought them sauffe out of Egypte. But these people not believing god hath killed in the desert. Of the which, we may note the goodness of god in his people whom he would save and deliver from all bondage & perils. second the unkindness of these people not believing the promises of god, seeing that god had done so moche for them before, as to deliver them from the bondage and cruelty of Pharaoh, above all man's expectation, and had punished Pharaoh with all his adherentes with great plagues and punishments, and at the last drowned him with all his host in the reed see, and also had done for them, that they thought more than all this, had brought them through the reed see as by the dry way in to the desert, where he fed them with meat sent from heaven, that is to say, with manna, & had given them drink out of the peter stone. At the last these people for all these things not believing god's promises, but complaining, grudging and murmuring against god and against Moses, god hath punished with death in the desert for their offences. Of the which we may surely persuade unto us, if god have punished these people whom he loved so well, for whom he did so moth, & to whom he showed such benefits, if god have punished them with death as he did for their incredulite & unbelief & their sins: how moche more is it evident that he will not suffer false apostles or other offending and breaking his laws to be unpunished. Therefore let all sinners beware and repen● betime and leave sin, for if they do not, they may be sure they shall n●● escape without punishment.   

The angels also which kept not their first estate/ but left their own habitation he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto judgement of the great day.  
Now Jude bringeth in the second example by the which he afrayeth sinners from sin by fear of pain & punishment. And this example is taken of angels created of god in a high & glorious nature, to whom ꝓfited nothing their excellenci of treation, for as much as they did not keep their innocency in which they were created in, but left their innocency, and did fall to inyquytie and sin, pride pricked them so greatly, if God this noble and excellent creature offending, I mean Angels offending hath punished and depryvat the heavenly light, and to everlasting darkness hath committed them, where they be kept in perpetual chains in darkness, unto the day of judgement, and after ever to be punished if god hath punished Angels offending, how moche more other offending, he will punish, which from their sins will not cease.  
This saying of Jude doth appear to show that the Angels was created of God that they should live in all innocency and keep their place in heaven deputed unto them for their inhabitation and dwelling place, from the which they did fall by sin, and was cast hedlynges in to this dark air, bound in chains of darkness, and they be kept in a dark place, which is contained from the heavens above, unto the low ground, as Faber doch say, and that unto the day of judgement, and then they shall be given and committed unto the eternal punishment of hell, ever there to be punished in pains everlasting.   

Even as zodom and gomor, & the Cities about them, which in like manner defiled them selves with fornication, and followed strange flesh, are se● forth for an ensample, and suffer the vengeance of eternal fire.  
The third ensample is here put which is of zodomme, and gomor, and other Cities polluted in their filthiness, therefore punished of God for their abhomynacy on and sins, as for fornication, adultery, uncleanliness, sin against nature, filthy pollutions, and other such like, with these sins specially the apostle sayeth, they were polluted and defiled. And also that they followed strange flesh, and not their own flesh they used, that is to say, their own wives in lawful matrimony, but they followed strange flesh, that is to say they did use other men's wives, maidens, or virgins immaculate, or other women, and also men unlawfully, contrary unto nature. wives unto their lawful husbands be not called strange Flesh in the scripture, but the proper Flesh of their husbands, as appeareth by saint Paul Ephes. quinto. where saint Paul exhorteth men to love their wives as their own bodies, for he that loveth his wife he loveth himself no man doth hate his own body but he will nourish and cherish it, as the LORD doth his church, and for this a man shall forsake his father and mother and shall be coupled to his wife and they shallbe two in one flesh wherefore it is evident that the flesh of the wife to the husband is not called strange fl●sshe, this flesh God did give to the man as a lawful remedy for the infirmity of the flesh, that by this lawful remedy had in matrimony matrimony all adultery, & fornication should be eschewed & utterly eriled.  
Fordermore in that the apostle saith these sodomites to have followed strange flesh. He doth appear to note them of uncleanliness and sum filthiness against nature by the which they were polluted as appeareth gene. nineteen. and saint Paul. Ro. i. But unto what purpose be these three exsamples brought in here of iude? Truly to fere men from sin, less they suffer like pains with them: whom god punished for their sins, which pains are more grievous, they shall not escape which will not leave their sins and repent, but continue still in sin and provoke other unto sin whether it be by their evil doctrine or evil example,  Suffer the pain of everlasting fire. 
These words of the apostle showeth plainly those sinners spoken of before to suffer pains of everlasting fire, wheresoever they be other in hell or in the aer, it maketh no matter of the place where they be it is certain that they suffer great pains and punishments in everlasting fire. Therefore let every man beware to sin, lecste they suffer like pains in fire, world without end as these doth to the which pains they shall be committed by the justice of god that will not cease from sin, and from breaking gods commandment.   

Likewise these dreamers defile the flesh/ despise ruler's/ and speak evil of them that are in authority.  
judas here teacheth certain propertes of them whom he willeth christian men to flee and eschew, he calleth them dreamers or mocked in dreams, and deluded, as one that dreameth, is deluded by certain vain fantasies, or imaginations which he doth appear to see or hear, as he that dreameth thinks sometime he heareth or ●eith that thing, which he neither did hear nor see, or to be in a place where he is not, or to have these things that he hath not, sometimes to be glad, sometimes lad, but when he wakes, he perceiveth his dream to be a vain thing, of no certaynce of no troth, of a delusion, he is ashamed of his dream: he would that no man should know it, he is ashamed to show it to any man he is contemneth it, and setteth it at nought, to these dreamers Jude assembleth pseudapostelles false preachers, preferring men's laws, and men's traditions above God's law, or making them equal with God's word, or such as preach or set up man's doctrine, in the steed of God's word, these he assembleth unto dreamers, and he calleth them dreamers, or deluded by dreams, but it shall chance unto them at the last if it shall please god to open their eyes from their dreams & make them awake, that they shall see that they have dreamed and that they have been deluded by dreams, & surely they shall perceive their dreams to have been foolish & vain things of the which they may be ashamed of.  
Amongst these dreamers, whom saint Jude doth speak of, there hath been some dreamers deluded in dreams which hath dreamed that they had power and authority of God to make for their will and pleasure what they life, and that thing that they would should be take, as an article of the faith, ye they did dream that they had authority to make articles of the faith Canons, and rules which should justify and sanctify men: that they had authority to give pardon and indulgence which could absolve a pena et a culpa. i. which culde deliver from pain and from sin, furthermore among these dreamers sum hath dreamed that they had power to remit sin, and to give. xl. days or ●. C. days of pardon, or so many years or more of pardon for pains due for sin, & that as oft as it pleased them. And this pardon they called the treasure of the church, which these dreamers had in their hands to bestow where they pleased. And not only they had this treasure for themselves, that they should bestow it at their pleasure, that they only should give days and years of pardon, and remit sin as oft as it should please them: but also they had it for other creatures without life, as for a stock, a stone, a pot, a maser, a bowl, as saint Bedes bowl, saint edmund's bowl, that he that should drink of these should have. xl. days of pardon. Of these if he should drink till he were drunken, I suppose he should have many days of pardon: so by likelihood they would have made drunkenness a virtue, a good thing specially if any man should drink so he were drunken of that cup, maser, bowl, glass, or horn hallowed or pardonned by these dreamers, how many years and days of pardon have they granted to these that come and visiteth this image or that image, in such a place or such a place, to this crucifix or that crucifix, that is to say, to this image of Chryst or that image, in this place more than in that place, feigning god to do miracles because of the holiness of the images, and because he would have those images honoured and worshipped of men. What pardon hath been granted to beads hallowed in such a place, to laces, to knots, to staryons to Rome, to saint james of Compostel, to saint Thomas of Caunterburye, and in the year of grace clear remission a pena et a culpa. After this and such like fashions hath been promised infinite days and years of pardon by these dreamers. And if they have not dreamed, I report me unto you that be awake, your dream is gone, your eyes be open, you be no more in such dreams, you be fully awaked thanked be god: and our most sovereign lord lord king Henry the eight, which so entirely loveth the verity and the truth of god's gospel, and willeth it shall go forwards, and hateth all such dreamers, dreaming of vanities & lies, promising such things by creatures, which only Christ did give unto us by his precious blood shed for us on the cross. If remission of sin might be given by such things, than died Christ in vain, then was Christ a fool to shed his blood to oprayne us remission of sin, seeing remission of sin might have come a more easier way than by shedding of Christis blood. We be much beholding to these dreamers that they have found a more easier way to opteyn forgiveness of sin than Christ did find, they be moche more wiser than Christ, if their invention be true, this is their dream: these that be awake do well enough perceive their dreams to be vain and vanity. Such men not without a sufficient cause be talled dreamers or deluded in dreams, because we can not obtain remission of sin but only by Christ & his blood, saith saint Paul Ephe. i. By Christ we be redeemed, & by his blood we have remission of sin. Iohens Apoca. i. He hath washed us from sins in his blood. If remission of sin be by Christ's blood (as it is in deed) than it is not by the pope's pardon, by indulgence granted by bishops to this thing or that thing, this cup, pot or bowl, & such like. Awake therefore you dreamers, if any such yet be in a dream and know your dreams to be vain & lies, deceive yourself & other no longer, the night is gone, the day is sprung up, the son shineth all about, thanked be god.  They defile their flesh. 
Who be they that defile their flesh? verily they which live all together in deyntynes & pleasure, giving themselves to all voluptuous pleasures of the flesh, following their fleshly desires & appetites in all pleasures that may be, without fear of god, or any shame of the world, caring for nothing so they may satisfy their carnal and beestly appetite with voluptuousness and pleasure, which thing is their chief desire & will to fulfil with pleasure their fleshly appetite & lust.  They despise rulers, and speak evil of them that be in authority. 
Jude showeth more of their properties, he saith they despise rulers, and speak evil of them that be in authority. Here Jude reproucth & checketh pseudapostelles specially for two vices, the one is that they pollute their flesh, & defile it, living in voluptuousness & pleasure o● their flesh, the other is, that they despise rulers, that is to say, outward powers ordained of god & under god, they contemn, & speak evil of common rulers & common officers. But how despise they rulers? Truly when they despise, nothing regards emperors, kings, princes, lords, common ministers of the common wealth, do not honour cheym & reverence to them as honour should be given to high powers under god, not obeying their lawful and just commandments for the common wealth, but erempting themselves from the obedience of high powers, and other also, challenging authority & power above kings & princes, which authority & power above kings & princes to be in this world saint Paul did not know, commanding every man to be obedient to the high powers, saying Rom̄. xiii. Let every man be obedient to the high powers, he that resisteth power, he resisteth the ordinance of god, and he that resisteth the ordinance of god, he taketh to him judgement. Of civil power saint Paul doth appear to speak. Saint Peter confirmeth the same thing, saying. i Petri. two. Be you subject to all manner of creatures for god, whether it be the king as most highest, or it be dukes as of him sent to the punishment of evil men, or to the praise of good men. Consider gentle reader, if the eremptions granted by the bishop of Rome, by the which he hath erempted himself & many other religious houses and religious men, as they call them, and other spiritual men called from the obedience of civil rulers and powers, and will not be obedient to princes & kings, but be above them, & have princes & kings at their commandment, and they not obedient to the just & lawful commandment of princes, of kings, and of other common ministers appointed by kings & princes for the common wealth. Look gentle reader if this exemption come not of him which condemneth rulers? Doth not this exemption or privilege exempt men from dew obedience to their superior powers: to whom saint Paul Rom̄. xiii. saint Peter. i Petri. two. commandeth every man to be obedient to superior powers let everyman be obedient, be he religious man, be he other, let no man think himself to be exempted from the superior powers, as from the kings grace & his officers appointed by him to be rulers in this realm, for any exemption or privilege granted by the bishop of Rome, which hath none such authority by God granted, that he may exempt men from the authority and obedience to their superior powers, to whom Saint Paul commandeth every man to be obedient. Roma. xiii. Hebreorum. xiii. Two vices Jude notyth in thes pseudo-apostles, the one that they contemn powers, the other that they speak evil on them.   

yet Mychaell the Archangel/ when he strove against the devil/ and disputed about the body of Moses durst not give railing sentence/ but said the Lord rebuke the.  
judas showeth these pseudeapostells speaking evil of the high powers ordynated of God to be more bolder than Mychaell the Archangel sent to fight against the devil, whom he durst not curse nor speak evil of, if the archangel of God Mychaell durst not nor would not curse the devil nor speak evil of him how much more should not pseudeapostells curse good men and just men put of god in authority and in high power, to whom every man should give due obedience, and be ready to do all lawful commandments, and not to resist, to curse, or to speak evil of the high powers to whom honour, reverence, and obedience must be given according to the mind of saint Paul. Roma. xiii. give unto all men that is due. give honour to whom honour is due, give fear to whom fear is due, give tribute and custom to whom they be due. etc.  
This place of Jude is a strange and rare place scarce was found in any other place in scripture, therefore this epistle of Jude was rejected of the fathers, because this place scarce was found in any other place of scripture, that made mention that Michael did fight with the devil as touching the body of Moses, & of what occasion this contemption did spring up, be cause scripture commendeth Moses so greatly, saying no prophet to have been in Israel like to Moses, as it is written Num. xii. saith scripture. Moses' was meek above all them that dwelled in the earth and a little after that saith, if any shallbe among you a prophet of the lord in vision I will appear to him, or by sleep I will speak to him, but not such is my servant Moses, which is most saythfullest in all my house. I do speak to him mouth by mouth openly, & not by dark sayings & figures, he did see the ford. etc. Thus Moses is highly commen●ed in scripture, as appeareth in Ero. xviii judas here peradventure did take occasion to speak of Moses of these words which is written Deuterono. the last Chap. where it is plain that after our Lord had showed to Moses the land of promission promised unto the father's Abraham, Isaac, and jacob, and had said that Moses should not enter into that land (& that was for a mystery that was hid which saint Paul openeth hebreorum. seven. saying that the law did bring no man to perfection that is to say that the law could not justify ne bring men to life, of Moses it is written the last of the Deut. that Moses did die in the land of moab, and was buried and that no man did know his sepulchre unto this day. The sepulchre of Moses' god would have it unknown, lest the jews which counted Moses for such a great and a holy prophet should commit idolatry, & set up idolatre upon the sepulchre of Moses, and worship Moses as God, for the jews was ready to idolater, of this doth the contention appear to be sprung up between Michael and the devil, of the which contention judas here speaketh of, the devil would the body of Moses to have been showed to the jews, that it might have been to them an occasion of idolater, Michael would it should not have been showed unto them, that they should have had by it none occasion of idolater, but that all idolater should be utterly extincted and put away, here you may learn the desire of the devil which is to move to idolater, to iniquity, and sin, good men they alway dysswade from idolatry and sin, and taketh away all occasion by the which passage may be made to idolater and sin.  
Saint john apoca. xxii. doth speak of a certain battle between Michael & the devil. He saith there was made a great battle in heaven. Michael archaungell and his angels did fight with a dragon, and the dragon and his angels did fight against Michael, but they have not prevailed, nor yet no place of them was found any more in heaven, but the battle of which it is here spoken was of the body of Moses which the devil would have had worshipped that the jews might have committed idolatry on it, Michael did resist him, this is the meaning of this place after mine opinion, if it be the true meaning of Jude take it, if not take their mind that bringeth a better sense, and I myself will be glad to learn of better learned than I am (for I am of the lest) the true understanding of this place, exceppe mine opinion in good worth, till you hear a better.  
But to what purpose bringeth Jude in these, but that he would teach pseudapostles should not speak evil, curse wish unto the devil, high powers and such as be put in authority under GOD, unto whom it becometh every man for to be obedient by the ordinance of GOD, and to have them in honour and reverence, and not to speak evil of them. If Mychaell the Archangel sent of GOD as a common minister, durst not curse or speak evil of the devil, what boldness is it private men to curse, to speak evil of powers ordynated of GOD. This place of Jude doth appear to take away all evil speaking from private men, of them that be set for common ministers of the common wealth. This place doth not inhybyte, ne let, but common officers may rebuke evil doars and punish them, as it shall be thought most expedient for the amendment of them that be evil, & to avoid more inconvenience. Also this saying of jud doth take away all vengeance in word or in de●e from private men & monish them to remit all vengeance to god, which will not suffer sinners to escape unpunished. judas useth here an argument of the less to the more after this manner. If angels durst not curse evil men, much more men should not curse or speak evil of good men, much less they should speak evil of good men being in authority.  
If our fore fathers did long reject this pystel of Jude for this place, which in scripture scarce in any other place could be found, how moche more now should men reicet the sayings or writings that with holy scripture (I do not say do not agree) but plainly doth repugn with scripture, & far dissent from the scripture: nor yet this doctrine doth not so far discord from the scripture, and so far contrary to the truth: but they get some patrons which with all might & power will defend this doctrine as holy and good, as they do which set up the usurped power of the bishop of Rome above kings, princes and emperors, & that by the ordinance of god, as god & his holy scripture did give to the bishop of Rome a secular power above kings, princes and emperors here in this world, when it is evident by scripture the bishop of Rome to have none other power but at the pleasure of princes, then in the ministration of the word of god, to preach god's word purely and sincerely, to reprove by it evil men, as to do such things as becometh a preacher, a bishop, a minister of god● word to do: other power doth not Scripture attribute to the bishop of Rome, nor suffer him to use. Scripture willeth him to be a bishop, and to do the office of a bishop, and not to play the prince, the king, the emperor, the lord, and so forth, as Peter biddeth. i Pet. v. feed as much as is in you the flock of Christ, not playing the lord in the clear, that is to say, in the elected of god, & so forth.  The lord rebuke the. 
Mychaell would not rebuke the devil, but remitted all vengeance to god, teaching other in their proper cause to commit vengeance to god, which shall judge right, and punish evil doers. Therefore it is not convenient that men should desire vengeance of evil doers, saying that god will punish malefactors and avenge all injuries done to god, or to men, if these malefactors will not repent and be sorry for their offences passed. These words of Jude do not appear to be of one that desireth avengement, but rather of him that showeth what is to come of god, that the lord will rebuke him that steereth & provoketh men to evil.   

But these speak evil of these things which they know not. In to these things which they know naturally as beasts without reason they corrupt themselves.  
Jude pueth these false doctors more bolder than angels, for they dare take upon them to curse powers ordained of god, which thing the angels would not do in men. And least these false doctors should say they had a just cause to speak evil, or to curse powers & rulers and other not obeying their laws & precepts. Jude saith they curse not having a just cause, but that they do not understand these things for which they curse & speak evil, that is to say, that they do not understand a just cause of their cursing. And not only men Jude saith they curse, but also other things which they do not know that they curse and speak evil of, as of doctrine & wrytyngis which they never read nor herd, ye & of such doctrine as agreeth with Christis doctrine & learning of the apostles: but these pseudapostils speak evil of it, which they know not, nor yet can give judgement of it, for as much as they never read it, nor herd it red. Amongis these men there be some so ignorant of god's doctrine, that they have wished & desired heartily of god, saint Paul's pistels, yea the new testament to be brent, saying all errors & heresies to come out of saint Paul's pistels & the new testament, such shameful words & detestable hath some doctors spoken, which would have been counted for learned men, doctors in their sciences, but as blind as betils in gods law, and ignorant in god's word, and yet they were beneficed men, rulers, ordinaries, and heads of other, ye of a hole country. O merciful lord what were the membres, when such blind beyardes were heads & ordinaries, how was the people of god fed with god's word, when the head would have had gods word brent. Nothing is more to the hurt and destruction of many souls in this realm, then is to have one to be official, comysarye and ordinary under the bishop, that is ignorant in god's law and god's word, how will he preach and teach himself, what example will he give to other, what persons, what viccars will he make of? Truly such as he is himself, ignorant in god's law, and such as be learned he will hate and despise, and they that would teach their flock and feed with the wholesome word of god, these he will call heretics, and accuse them of heresy, and imprison them. Examples to many we have in this realm, I pray god amend it when his pleasure is. Such shameful words hath doctors in their faculty (as they call it) spoken, desiring to have had saint Paul's pystels, ye the new testament brent. Of their sayings they have been nothing ashamed, nor yet of their ignorance nor blindness, but taken for right worshipful men, posts and pillars of Christis church, these ignorant and blind heads & rulers of other how could they preach god's word being thus affected? how could they favour those that preached gods word truly and sincerely? Truly they could not, this is the cause that true preachcers of god's word in this realm be so evil spoken on as they be, because they exhort all beneficed men to do their duty to preach god's word, to feed their flock with the doctrine of god, that they might save their souls in the day of the lord. But a great part of beneficed men no thing regard their duty commanded them of god, nor the exhortation of the preachers, that is to feed their flock with god's word, but negligently despiseth that office, and will neither feed his flock himself, nor yet see or provide that they be fed by other that can do it, yea they will speak evil of such as preach god's word purely and sincerely, & make them to be indited of heresy, which preach goddess word purely, which do feed the people of god truly with god's word, such is the affections of many persons, vicar's and curates, such is their ignorance, such is their blindness, god send them the light of his word, that they may see it and use it to the health of them and their flock.  
Many there be that peradventure thinketh it is enough they do the commandment of their ordinary, so that they never preach nor feed their flock with gods word, which men deceiveth themselves if they so think, for this will not excuse them before the high judge at the day of judgement, as is evident Ezech. iii. xxxiiii. xxxiii. pri. Corinth. ix. Woe be to me saith saint Paul if I preach not. Jude here speaketh in the neuter gender, saying that they did speak evil of these things which they did not know, by the which he understandeth many things. Here we may see what evil it is to curse those things that men do not know, or that they have neither herd nor red. To such men saint Jerome giveth a good counsel in a epistle before isaiah the prophet. He willeth that men should first read, and then despise, lest they may he thought not of a true judgement or knowledge, but of a presumption, of hatred to condemn those things they know not if men would follow here saint Hieromes counsel they would not be so ready to condemn as they be.  which as beasts without reason they corrupt themselves. 
Jude here saith they corrupt themselves naturally as brute beasts with out reason, as who should say they live in wealth and pleasure, and in satisfying the desire of their flesh, they pass brute beasts which be without reason which live after their nature, but these in the filthiness of their flesh they keep not her measure nor mean, all together given unto pleasure of eating and drinking, and to satisfy the other pleasures of the body, wherefore they be worse than brute beasts which live after their nature.   

woe be unto them/ for they have followed the way of Cain.  
Here Jude noveth these pseudeapostels to be full of envy, as Cain was towards his brother Abel whom he killed. Cayn envy his brother able because his brother's sacrifice was better or more just than his. Genesis. iiii. and therefore he did kill him. So there be many that followeth the way of Cain which can not bear that other men, and other men's works should be preferred before them, or their works. Here is to be noted, first cain an evil man to have envy his brother Abel a good man. Secondly Cain of envy to have persecuted his brother be cause his brother was better than he, and his brothers works preferred before his. thirdly that it grieveth evil men, other man, or other men's works, or oblations to be preferred before them. fourthly that two brethren of one man, and of one woman, the one to have been good, and the other evil. fifthly one brother to have killed an other of malice, envy, and hatred. sixthly learn envy, and hatred to bring murdoure, and man slaughter at the end. Sevently learn that evil men always envieth good men, persecuteth them with mortal hatred, without a cause, and at the last killeth them. And that this thing is no new thing, here you may see of Cayn, and Abel. Many there is that enter the way of Cayn and followeth his foot steps, in his envy and malice drowned, and these be called Caynys. Many there be now a days Caynys that envieth the true preachers of the Gospel, but these shall have a reward with cain to whom the apostle doth threat woe, that is to say, everlasting woe and damnation, that for fear of pain men should abstain from envy & hatred The punishment taken justly of Cain may fear other from the envy malice, and hatred of Cain. Jude saying woe be to these men that goeth the way of Cayn. He doth not desire woe to Caynis, but he showeth woe & pain to come to them, which doth the works of Cain, and fulfil their envy and malice, by the death of an Innocent.   

And are spylte in the error of Balaam for lucre sake.  
The apostle showeth woe to come to them which are spylte in the error of Balaam, or polluted by such covetousness as Balaam was, he thretyth woe everlasting to them, which for money, or for filthy lucre sake doth these things that is not meet ne convenient, which doth ever for their belly sake, for hope of lucre or advantage After the example of Balaam, which for money would have cursed the people blessed of god, more regarding money then the commandment of god. Of this Balaam it is written. Nu. xxii. xxiii. how he was hired of Ba●ach to come and curse the people of god, and how he was content to do it for money, but god did not suffer him but when he should have cursed them, he did bliss them, which story showeth the naughtiness of man, and how money will corrupt him soon, and that man can do no more than God will suffer him. But there be now many worse than Balaam, which corrupt by money would only have cursed the people whom God did bliss. There be many worse I fear me then Balaam, which not only for money would curse the people blessed of God, but also would beguile and deceive, & bring them to error, to heresies, to idolatry for money. I pray you what Gods or Goddesses have they set up in many places to be worshipped to get money with all of men? what worship or veneration of images have they sucked out of their fingers for money. Images for to be a remembrance of the holiness of saints I do approve, but to get money with images I do not approve, yea what miracles say they hath been done for the holiness of the images, so be that they might make them more richer by oblations, ye who can tell half the ways and means that they have found to get, ye to extort money from men, what by images, by pardons, by pilgrimages, by indulgenses, by ceremonies, by hallowing of churches, churchyards, bells, books, chalices, vestiments, abbases, monasteries, by religion of monks, cannons, friars, priests, bishops, cardinals, and such like, by prayers, beds, psalms, masses, and many such like, and all invenced for money, for without money none of these consecrations, or hallowing is granted what consecration maketh not the holy smell of money? no pardon, no indulgence, is granted without money. Thereupon came up this common verse. Cu●ia romana non cupit ovem sine lana, that is to say the court of Rome care●h not for the sheep without her fleece or will. Of such merchandise great advantage, great lucre hath comen unto the inventors, to the Masters of this subtlety and craft, to them hath been plesaunde the smell of lucre, what matter so ever it were. These be they that in a manner have corrupted the hole world, in so much that these things that be good & just can not come to pass without money. Therefore the apostle threteth woe to them for they not only are in the same deception with Balaam, but also they are full of that deceivableness, therefore he saith they be spylte by this manner of deceiving, that term he useth to show the abundance of their deceit, for there is no thing they would not do for a vantage, good smell to them always is a vantage of luere or money, many be now a days like unto them, which all shall have a reward with them, that is to say woe everlasting. Therefore forsake Balaams' deception betime, and be no more a Balaamyte, lest woe come upon you sooner than you be ware.   

And are cast a way in the treason of Core.  
Woe saith the apostle shall come to them, which be in the treason with Core, which doth conspire against Moses, and Aaron, as Core and his companions did. Of the conjuration and conspiracy stirred up by Core and his companions against Moses, and Aaron, it is ●●d Nu. xvi. how that Core not being content with his calling and lot would have been ruler to the people of god, whom Moses by the mighty power of god did bring out of Egypt. This Core perceiving he could not have that rule that he desired, he gathered a great number of people, and made a conspiracy against Moses & Aaron, & so thought to have killed them, & made himself & other whom he would rulers of that people, but god did not suffer him to bring to pass that he intended, but did cast him in his own ●ourne, god delivered his servants Moses & Aaron, and showed his might and power against Core, Dathan, Abyron, & their companions, and made the earth to open and swallow Core, Dathan, Abyron, & all them that were of conspiracy with them. Here be some things to be noted. first the maliciousness of Core and of them which assented to him. second, that he was not con●ent with his lot and calling of god. third, that he did envy Moses and Aaron, that were elected of god to be rulers of his people. Fourth, that he did gather other unto him, that thought his cause good, & would take his part, to put down the rulers elected by god. Fift, that no man is so evil nor have so evil a cause but there is some that will agree unto him, & be willing to help him to justify his naughty cause. sixth, evil agreeth soon to evil, & like will to like. Seventh, the punishment of Core, Dathan, Abyron & their companions may monish all other to to beware to conspire against Moses & Aaron ministers of god, the earth that swallowed them up, may monish all men that they shall not murmur, grudge ne conspire against such whom god hath put & set in authority & rule over the common people. Therefore let all pse 〈…〉 apostles and all other beware ●est they murmur grudge or cause sedition against the ministers of god against powers ordained of god, left it chance to them like vengeance as did to Core & his companions, by the which they have perished. Le●ne here how nyely they displease god, that be not content with their lot, with their calling, but will desire & take an higher honour than they be called to, Ye that will conspire against powers ordained of god, & not be obedient to them, after the ordinance of god Ro. xiii. The punishment of Core & his companions how highly they dispiesed god doth show, that doth as Core did. O● Core you may read the story Fru. xvi. & there note more things of him.   

These are spots which of your kindness feast together without fea. e feeding themselves.  
Jude reproveth the judgement of the people towards these pseudapostles, of the simple people they be counted to be the worship, honour, and ornament of all charity, of all virtue: but if they be nearly looked on they are not that thing that they be counted to be, they are not the honour nor the beauty but they 〈◊〉 the very fyithynes itself, and the very spo●●es of whom cometh and springeth that thing that befo●meth the hole face, the hole body. Furthermore in that he saith that they be the spots amongs your charytyes, as Erasmus translation hath, an other thing he doth appear to say, as who should say, they by craft, subtlety, falsehood, hypocrisy and symulation hath gotten of you great richesse, great possessions, lands and tenements, which you have given to them of your charity, supposing that they were the honour, the worship, the beauty of the world, and that in them were all holiness, and nothing bu● holiness that they were the lights and lanterns of Christ'S religion, the very true patrons to follow in all holiness of life, after whom men should fourine and fashion their lives. And for that cause what some ever you did give to them of your charity, you thought it well bestowed, supposing that they take only necessaries for themselves, the residue to bestow after the best fashion. But it is not so (saith Jude) as you think, they be not the honour and beauty of men, but they be the spots that disfygureth men, they be the pestilence and destruction to men, if they be inwardly considered. I grant they be e●ampl●rs and patrons, but of all evil and mischief. Of you they have gotten riches and substance by craft, by falsehood, hypocrisy and simulation: but as they 〈…〉 gotten their goods evil, so they s 〈…〉 them evil, as the common saying is evil gotten evil gone: ye oft times it chanceth, that thing which is evil gotten, to be worse s●ence, richesse gotten of your charity by hypocrisy and simulation, they do not spend them in the feeding of poor people in work of charity, but in mutual feasts to great men, to rich men, buying promotion and dignity, giving great rewards to such as need not, to obtain fa●oure of men they spend their richesse in mutual banqueting and feasting, in goodly & delicate fare, in feeding of horses and dogs, I will not say all. These men all though they be counted of the world to be the honour and beauty of the world, and so they would be counted themself, yet saint Jude here calleth them the spots and the destruction of Christis religion, and how some ever they be counted with the world, they be before god as spots and filthiness that disfygureth. If any will consider their lives (saith saynet Jude) they live without fear of god or of man, they live after their own pleasure and voluptuousness, other liveth in great penury and poverty, in great labour, great pain, and in the sweat of their brows get their living full hardly. They live in great wealth and abundance in idleness and pleasure, having all things abundantly without any care or thought, taking no labours nor pains to feed the flock of Chryst, and yet they will be their pastors, and suffer their sheep to stray away from the fold, and to be a pray for the wolf, fox, and the devil, they will lay great burdens and yockes on other men's necks, but they themselves will not one's poise them with their finger. Therefore not without a cause Jude calleth them sp●●●●s which live without all fear eating and drinking, passing the time in sport & game, taking all their plexuses here, as who should say, there were none other world after this, therefore they eat & drink and make good ●●e●e, and take their pleasure while t●ey are here, for after this world they think there is none other world, and if there be any, what they shall have there they can not tell, such be the words of infideles, as appeareth sapienty. two. To such truly in an other world shall be sorrow to their sops pain and woe everlasting.   

Clouds they are without water, carried about of winds.  
Jude accuseth these pseudapostles of arrogancy, they think themselves to be clouds, clouds be a 'bove men, they move in the air or element, oft-times they obscure and dark the light of the son from men, out of them cometh water that temporeth the earth, that maketh grass, and corn grow, so like wise these pseudapostelles thinketh them clouds, that is to say, that they are half Gods, and above men and give the water (that is to say) doctrine that tempereth the earth, that is to say all men be tempered, & ruled by their doctrine, I grant saith Jude that they be clouds as they count themselves, but they be clouds carried of the winds hither and thither, they be inconstant having no sure doctrine for they be cost this way and that way with every pufte and blast of wind they be carried with the wind, they be clouds, but unprofitable without water to temper the earth that is dry, the is to say they want hole & wholesome doctrine of god by the which they might and should temper the thirsty and dry Souls and comfort afflicted consciences they be clouds, but such as darkens and keep away from men the light of the son, that is to say they kep● bake the truth of god's word, and will not let it appear to men as much as lieth in them they dark the truth of God's Gospel by their traditions, by dreams, by inventions of men, which they command and teach●●o keep in the steed of God's word, they lead us from the light in to darkness, and would make us to believe darkness to be light. They bring us from God's word in our yough to gentylle authors which we must learn first, knowing well the bottle ever to smell of that liquor which he first receiveth, if we were brought up soberly by a sober and discrete master in god's learning, I suppose we should ever smell of that liquor as Titus and Timotheus did. Saint Paul praiseth their bringing up. i Timo. iiii. two. T●mo. iii. besides this that they lead us out of the way from God's learning to gentle authors, as to Aristotle, Plato, zenophon, and such other, when we be passed them, than the way is stopped to Christ, but we must then go to dunce, dorobell, au●royse, bryco●, anthony, gabriel, thomas and s●che like, and at the last when we shall ●●m to the study of holy scripture must be wrested and writhed after their minds, & their terms, and their subtle distinctions, although they be never so far contrary to the true meaning of the scripture. Christ commandeth us johan. v. to search scriptures these clouds commandeth the contrary to search doctors as gentle authors, & skole doctors as dunce dorobel petrus hisyanus & such like, holy scripture is to be understanded first by the scripture itself, one place expoundeth an other, The holy ghost can best expound himself. second by the knowledge and phrase of the tongues, as oflaten, grece and Hebrew. thirdly by the expositions of the holy doctors that was exercised in scripture, as by the exposition of saint Augustyne, Hierome, Ambrose, Chrisostone, Liprian, Lirill, and such like, and their expositions taken where it agreeth with scripture, and forsaking where they agree not with scripture, as these Authors would their writings to be taken as appeareth in their works, these authors would have no man so addicted unto their sayings, that what so ever they should speak or had written that it should be believed as truth, and as an arcycle of the faith, but they made the scripture of God to be judge of their writings.   

They be trees rotten in authum unfruitful/ twice dead/ and plucked up by the roots.  
Jude compareth these pseudapostles or false doctor's to rotten trees in ●●●e of harvest, unprofitable he calleth them, because they bring forth no good fruit but only occupieth the ground where good trees should grow, these wychered trees be like to other trees which bringeth fourth good fruit in time convenient, these trees as other doth bud they bring forth leaves blossoms, and flowers, but they be without fruit in time of harvest, than they be weathered not only unprofitable without fruit, but also they be twice dead to themselves and to other, that is to say they bring death to themselves, and also to other that believeth them, they be as trees dead and plucked up by the roots as dead and rotten, so they besuch as in whom there is no hope of amendment as in the tree plucked up there is no hope that it should receive rote and life again. Trees that be weathered in harvest do not live again ne grow but they rote ever more and more, and at the last falleth down dead, they be unprofitable burdens and loads of the earth neither profitable to themselves nor other, such be these pseudapostles. Also they be as trees twice dead, neither they live in themselves, nor in other, they live neither in body nor in soul, they be dead in the rote, in the stock, without leaf, without fruit, for they be dead, that is to say they have neither true faith hope nor charity nor yet good works, nor wholesome doctrine to teach themselves and other, they be also trees plucked up by the roots that is to say they be razed out from the book of life, and clean separated from Christ, how much somever they boast and crack them to be planted & grafted in Christ, and to live in Christ, and bring forth fruit that pleased Christ best, yet Jude saith they be separated from Christ, and dead in Christ Jude is alway contrary to their proud opinion of themselves, which he laboureth to pluck from them.   

They are the raging waves of the see, foaming out their own shame.  
Jude continueth still describing these pseudapostles, he calleth them the raging waves of the see, for as these outrageous waves fierce and cruel doth toss the quiet and peaciable ship now up now down, now this way now that way, & maketh the ship & them that be in it ever in parel of drowning & will not suffer them to be quiet. But what doth these troublesome waves of that sea, nothing else put foameth out their foome and filthiness, and their own shame, so these pseudapostles do trouble and vexeth quiet and peaceable men, more outrageous than the see, which sometime ceaseth of this outrageousness and is caume. These pseudapostles be more outrageous than the see, for they never ceaseth to trouble, vex and dysquyet those that would live in quietness & peace. These pseudapostles steereth up contention, debate, and strif they trouble the common quietness, the common peace, they trouble the hole world persuading themselves to be the light, the lantern of the world, them to be the poostes and pillars of Christ's church with the which Christ hath promised ever his presence to the end of the world, and that they can not err, and yet their life is contrary to that life that GOD requireth of his church to whom he promised his presence, and for this cometh such cumult, such trouble in the world that men will not believe them, saying they have the presence of god always with them, & that they can not err, nor god would not suffer them to err so long, for this they rage, they ramp, they be wood, they trouble all good men, & these that would live quietly they vex, they trouble, they do them injuries, & speak evil & rail on them shamefully: but in so doing what get these pseudapostles to themselves? truly nothing else but that Jude here showeth, they foam & spew out their own shame & rebuke to their utter confusion. Behold to what purpose & end cometh these proud words of pseudapostles? truly to their own great shame & confusion, their craft, their suttelry, their hypocrisy is known well enough, let them therefore halt no more before crepyls, their madness shall be known to all men, as saint Paul saith. two. Tim. iii.   

They are wandering stars, to whom is reserved the mist of darkness for ever.  
Also Jude calleth them wandering stars, because they be wavering as these stars be, movable & inconstant tossed & moved with every wind, so be these pseudapostels inconstant moved with every wind of the flesh, or of desire of the world, & be carried whether the desire of the flesh moveth them, also wavering stars gives no light, but darks the light of other stars, & letteth the light of clear stars, & they be carried of the wind whether that wind bloweth: the nature of these stars these pseudapostles followeth, men light in condition, manners & learning, which will go & change as the wind bloweth, & say as the world & most part saith for lucre's sake, & play Gnato's part very well as Terence doth say: what other men say, they will say the same, and fashion themself to the most part, caring no thing what the truth will or requireth, but rather what the heed rulers & the multitude will & commandeth, although we know the most part to be ignorant of that truth: for many shall be dampened, & few saved: wherefore it is not always sure to agree to the most part.   

To whom is reserved the mist of darkness for ever.  
Now Jude showeth the pain reserved for these pseudapostles & masters of lies, the mist of darkness, that is to say everlasting pain in darkness, & where shall ever be darkness, weeping & gnashing of ceth. He doth appear to allude to them bringing in darkness to the light of truth, what darkness they bring to the light, no man can express ne show, and those at the last shall receive everlasting darkness in pains. Jude here doth fear men from sin for fear of pain, showing sinners that will not repent, not to escape everlasting pain, which shall be in darkness to their great condemnation & punishment. Therefore let no man think that he may sin & escape all punishment: for god of his justice will not suffer sin to be unpunished in these that will not repent. In repenting he forgiveth and pardoneth moche sin.   

Enoch the seventh from Adam ꝓphecied before of such, saying behold the lord shall come with thousands of saints to give judgement against all men/ & to rebuke all that are ungodly among them: of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed/ & of all their cruel spekinges which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.  
Lest any man should think him to have spoken any new thing of these pseudapostles to be punished, if they do not repent, he bringeth in the prophecy of Enoch to confirm his sentence saying that Enoch was a good man the seventh from Adam, & that he ꝓphecied pains and grievous punyshmentcs to come upon evil men, if they did not repent. Also Enoch inspired with the spirit of god did prophesy the lord for to come with many thousands of saints (of the day of judgement he appeareth to speak) to give judgement against all evil men, & to reprove them of their naughty words and deeds, of their naughty & evil words against god & the professers of his truth. Of the which saying it is evident that god will reprove in that day as well evil words as evil deeds.  
Also Jude here certifieth us, that the day of judgement will come, in the which day god will reward good men with high rewards: & evil men with everlasting punishment. He will come to judgement having with him many thousands of his saints: in the which day there shall be showed as well the evil words, as the evil deeds of every man, and shall be made open to all the world. Of the which words and deeds every man shall make a count for himself: and if they have done well, they shall receive a reward: if they have done evil they shall be committed to pain and punishment everlasting. Jude here threttening pain everlasting to evil men did no new thing, for Enoch the seventh after Adam did the same. Also here is to learn the goodness of god, which provideth in all times some good men, which dissuadeth men from sin for fear of punishment, and also which hath showed mercy, grace & remission of sin to be only of god that all trust and all confidence should be put in god.  
This place of Jude scarce in any other place of scripture is found, therefore some of the fathers long did reject this epistle of Jude, but this is not enough to reject a book or a epistle for one or other sentence, which do not differ from other places of scripture: if the sentence did differ from scripture, than it were a cause other to doutte of it, or to reject it, or else no. Saint Paul brynngeth in jannem and Mambrem. two. Timoth. iii. which were the wytches of Pharaoh, which resisted Moses Erodi. seven. such men there were, whose names be not expressed Exo. seven. saint Paul nameth them, shall we say that their names be not as saint Paul calleth them, because their names is not expressed in any other place of scripture, that is no sufficient cause to say so, or to reject saint Paul's pistle to Timothe, it is sufficient that saint Paul doth say it, whom we know did speak by the holy ghost, & the spirit of god.   

These are murmurers, complayners walking after their own lusts, whose mouths speaketh proud things, they have men in great reverens because of advantage.  
Jude some things omitted before now he addeth of these pseudapostles, affirming them to be murmurers & complayners. If any man would speak against their usurped power, say they, that men would destroy all holiness, all virtue & all goodness, which only minysheth their power falsely usurped, if any man shall omit any thing of their old title, by and by they cry out, & say that god and all his Saints is despised, contemned, and set at nought, they cry the contempt of god, and disobedience to his church, when no man contemneth god, nor is disobedyente unto the church of god, nor disobedient to nothing that god would have men obedient to. Furthermore they be murmurours against god and his divine power if any afflictions, incommodities, minishing of their authority & rule, of their high titles and such like ye they be not afraid to murmur against god, that he suffereth such things to chance unto them, contrary to their minds.  
These perceiving their lives to be very short, they murmur in their hearts that god created of so short life subject to so many infirmytes and sycnesses, wishing and desiring them to live evermore in this corporal body in pleasure as they now live without any pain, and of the life to come utterly despayringe, measuring all felicity and pleasure of this body. These pseudapostelles be murmurors and complaynors if every thing do not come to pass after their mind, as God were to be blamed that he punisheth not straightly them that resystich and gainsayeth their naughty will, and covetous mind. They murmur against the truth known, which openeth and showeth their hypocrisy & simulation long hid by the which they have deceived the world long. They murmur that they can no longer keep the simple christian people in superstition, false and feigned holiness the cause of their murmuring is by all conjectures, that they can not increase their riches and substance no more by hypocrisy simulation false and feigned holiness. Their murmuring showeth that they be not content with their state and calling. They murmur against other, when against than have men just causes to murmur & to complain, saying they live after their proper concupisbence and pleasure of the flesh and not after the will of god.  whose mouths speaketh proud things. 
What boasting words and full of vanity they do speak so far wide from the truth. They say they have power in body & soul, and that they may make laws to bind men's consciences under the pain of deadly sin, but Christ saith that men hath power in that body, to kill the soul they can not saith christ Mat. x. fear not he saith these that killeth the body, the soul they can not kill they have not that they may do more than kill the body. Furthermore they say they have two swords, a spiritual sword & a temporal with the which they may smite whom they list, & when they lust, contrary is this their proud saying to saint Paul. Ro. xiii. which commandeth every man to be obedienc to the civil powers, which not without a cause beareth the sword to punish evil doars to make good men to live in peace and quietness. Again they say they be exempted from all kings, princes and rulers, from all tribute or custum to be paid to Kings, Princys, Emperors, and that by their own exemption from all obedience of high powers and rulers. And not only thus they have exempted themselves, but also they have exempted many other, as many religious houses, many clerks giving to themselves under lead annuyte and exemption, in so much that it is not lawful for Lyvyll officers to meddle with a religious man or to correct any fault of a religious man, such be their proud words of vanity, which they speak.  They have men in great reverence because of advantage. 
These pseudapostles praiseth and laudeth men above the moan, of whom they look to have lucre and vantage, be they neverso evil, never so wicked them they will praise and laud, them they will flatter saying good to be evil and evil good, sweat to be bitter and bitter sweat, darkness to be light, and light to be darkness, justifying the evil for money, to whom the prophet Esay doth threat woe everlasting. isaiah. v. saying woe be to them that saith good is evil & evil good, sweat to be sour and sowerswet, darkness to be light and light darkness, justifying the evil for money, these be flatterers which speak not those things which the Gospel teacheth, but they speak flattery and those things that pleaseth them of whom they hope to have lucre, vantage, or high promotion or dignity. Erasmus in his translation hath a marvelous word, he saith they marvel at, or they have persons in admiration for a vantage (as who should say) they laud, they praise, they extol persons, ye they make them half a god and all for lucre sake ye or equal with God, and far above all men, hath not the Pope's decrees made the Pope above men, and as he were a god, look in the decrees and ye shall find it. Do not they make the pope as a god, which give authority to the bishop of Rome to interpret holy scripture after his pleasure, and as he interpreteth scripture that it must needs be taken, and so understand, and that it is not lawful to descent from his interpretation? do not they make the pope as a god, which saith that he hath authority to bind & lose, what he will in Heaven, and in earth, and at his pleasure, when the bishop of Rome, or any other bishop can not bind or louse, but after the will and pleasure of god? do not they make the pope as a GOD, which give like authority to the decrees of the pope, as to god's word, god's commandment, these men I suppose deserveth a bysshoppryche or a cardynallshyp, for their flattering, for their lies, such be they of whom Jude here speaketh, which have men in admiration for advantage.   

But ye dearly beloved/ remember the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord jesus christ/ ho we that they told you we/ that there should be beguilers in the last time which should walk after their ungodly lusts.  
Jude intending to make an end of his pistle exhorteth them to whom he wrote, to remember the words of the apostles of our Lord jesus Christ, which said that there should come beguilers and deceivers, ye mockers skorners, and despisers of God's word, which do despise and set at nought the word of god preferring man's doctrine above the precepts of God, or at the least making man's word equal with god's word to avoid and i'll these men, and their false doctrine, Jude here exhorteth them and also when there should come such men that would despise and scorn god's word, that they should know that to be the last time, and that these things were fulfilled, which the apostles of our Lord did speak before these false prophets did come, that men monished of them before, should better know them, and avoid them, and be ware of them, and their doctrine. Here the apostle biddeth us remember the words of the apostles of our lord, he biddeth us not remember this decree or that decree of the bishop of Rome, to remember this religion or that religion, this custom or that custom, this saying or that saying of the fathers: but he biddeth us to remember the words of the apostles of our lord, and after these words to work and live all our life tyme. He biddeth not us here look what this council or that council have decreed, what the church of Rome have ordained, what the religion of man hath invented: but what the apostles of our lord jesus Chryst hath commanded us in their writings to be kept, and to be fled & eschewed, these things as necessary to be done, other things as charity of thy christian brother requireth. Some there be that think this pystel was not written of the apostle of jesus Chryst, for these words that he exhorteth them here to call to remembrance the words of the apostles of jesus christ? To this may this answer be made, that it may well stand together, the author of this epistle to be an apostle of jesus Christ, and also that he exhorteth them to call to remembrance the words of the apostles of our lord jesus Christ, and that for divers causes. first that he did the same thing here that the apostles of jesus Chryst did, as should appear by their writings & words. Secondly to teach all other to confirm their doctrine by the doctrine of Christ and his apostles. thirdly to confute the false doctrine of the pseudapostles, which could not be proved by the words of christ and his apostles, his own name or himself he did not express because of humility.   

In the last time there should come begilers which should walk after their ungodly lusts.  
He saith beguilers should come in the last days spoken of before of the apostles of jesus Chryst, that men monished of them should the better be ware of them and of their doctrine. But who be they whom the apostle monisheth here them to take heed of and to be ware of. first they be these that condemneth, despiseth, and maketh a scoff of the teachings of holy scripture, and counteth them as foolishness and vanity, mocketh and scorneth the sayings of holy scripture, and maketh holy scripture & the professors of it their mocking stock at tavern or alehouse, at their riot & feasting, & biddeth men stick to their old traditions of fathers, saying all the old shall come again. I suppose they would say the bishop of Rome with all his traditions shall come again, if they durst say so: but this thing is to be conjectured they mean so saying. Secondly these which live not after the will of god showed in scripture, but after their carnal desire and lust doth live in idleness, wealth and pleasure, nothing regarding the life of the soul. Thirdly these which separate themselves from god, and bring in a new sect denying the lord which hath bought them, of whom it is spoken. two. Petri. two. fourthly these that be beastly men not understanding those things which are of god, but which are of flesh, not believing the great resurrection of all that be deed, not believing the judgement of that great day, not believing any life to be after this life, having no faith to holy scripture, but being as horses and mules which hath no understanding. Fiftly these that have no spirit of god, no mind to good things, but set their minds to all mischief, to all unhappiness contemning all heavenly things, and immoderately desiring all worldly things, yea living so in pleasure as there were neither god ne devil, neither heaven nor hell, neither life nor death, neither pleasure nor pain after this life. Therefore the apostle Jude saith they be makers of sects, natural, having no spirit that is of god, yea no spark of godliness, as is before showed, therefore I do pass over that sentence.   

But ye dearly beloved edify yourselves in your most holy faith praying in the holy ghost/ and keep yourselves in the love of god, lokyngc for the mercy of our lord jesus christ unto eternal life.  
Jude continueth still in his exhortation, desiring them to go for wards in faith, building themselves upon faith by the holy ghost, praying in spirit, keeping themselves in charity & love of god, warking the work of charity, keeping unite, concord, peace, patience, as well in adversity as in prosperity, looking for the mercy of god, which bringeth to everlasting life, which life doth not come of our work, merits, nor deservings: but by the only mercy of god, as testifieth saint Paul ad Titum. three saying, Not of the work of justice which we have done, but by his mercy he hath saved us.   

And have compassion on some, separating them/ & other save with fear, pulling them out of the fire/ and hate the filthy vesture of the flesh.  
Jude here showeth certain offices of charity towards sinners, and first he teacheth how it becometh men to use themself towards sinners that be not obstinate, nor obdurate in malice. Secondly as touching obdurate sinners. first as touching all sinners, it becometh no man to be glad, to rejoice of any sin, of any vice in any man, but to be sorry for all vice and for all sin done, or injury done to any, or by any man. Secondly, gentleness, mercy, pity, compassion, and pardon is to be used in such as by negligence, by ignorance, and by infirmity of nature be fallen to sin, to rebuke them softly and gently for their sin, to show them the danger of it, to exhort them to forsake their sin, and to abhor it, to take and embrace virtue, and to show the fruitful commodities of virtue and of goodness. And this is to be done as long as there is hope of amendment. But if so be that they be so obstinate, & so obdurate in malice, that they will by no gentle exhortation, nor gentle admonition be plucked from their naughtiness, but will continue still in error, in heresy, and in naughty doings, then be you sorry for them, pray god for them to convert and mollify their obstinate hearts, and turn them to some grace, separate yourselves from them, have no meddling with them, let them be clear separated from the company of good men, that they may be at the last confounded and ashamed with themselves, saying that every good man forsaketh their company, and that for their naughtiness. Let this thing be done with all diligence, and with all humanity. Let nothing be omitted in you of your duty to win them, and at the lest that their souls may be sauffe in the day of the lord, if it be possible.  
Many there be which sore complaineth of some men called spiritual men for their tyranny, cruelty, and unmercifulness, as touching such as hath erred from the faith, from the gospel, and from holy customs received, whom they say the bishops hath burned, not offering mercy, pardon or gentleness to them, which thing they think to have been a great cause that they were so stiff in their evil opinion, for the which they have suffered death for, or else because the punishment was so opprobryouse that they should have suffered. If they would have forsaken their evil opinion, that they had liefer have died, then to have suffered such an opprobrious punishment, which should have been an immortal ignominy to his name for ever, and to have been a cause that no man should have given credence unto his words afterwards, if he had spoken never so true, and nothing but the gospel of god. Peter denied his master christ and did forsake him, and said he never knew him, and that with an oath. Afterwards he was penitent, and God did forgive him his sins, he was not compelled to bear a faggotte for his offence, for to be a sign of an immortal ignominy of his name. Furthermore, if God should punish us for every little fault or offence done against his goodness, and make us repenting to bear a faggot, I suppose there would be many faggots borne in a year, or else few repenters. I do not here speak of such as hath been imprysonned, and ungentylly and unmercyfully handled by some spiritual men, not for errors or heresy, or for these things that have been contrary to the holy scripture, contrary to the word of god, contrary to holy customs received, contrary to such things as agreeth with god's word. But for words spoken against abuses of things used, and because they have been used, the simple unlearned people and untaught thinketh men to speak against the things used, when men speaketh against the abuses. And of that it cometh that divers true preachers is and hath been indited of simple people of heresy, as they call it, when these simple people doth not know which is heresy, which is the gospel, which is truth, which is falsehood. Therefore if it would please the high powers and rulers (to whom it pertaineth to do) to mitigate the rygorousnesse of that law which to penitent persons deputeth that they should bear faggots, or else change that punishment in to some other punishment: and also would punish all accusers and slanderers of other for heresy with like punishment, if they could not prove it. For now many men be accused and be slandered of heresy, and that for malice, for envy, for desiring men to do their duties, to preach and teach the people of god gods word, to fe●de with it, as the people doth feed them with tithes of their benefices. For this cause men be evil spoken on, have injuries done to them, be slandered and be accused of error and heresy: and such men be accused which be best learned, which hath taken most pains to set forth God's word truly, purely, and sincerely, which never in all their lives did preach error ne heresy, which I dare be bold to say doth love error or heresy worse than any of them that doth accuse him, such as be idle themselves, and will take no pain, no labours to teach their flock committed to their cure, but will sit all the day and night at the tavern at ale houses eating, drinking, feasting, and making good cheer, and at cards, and dice passing the time in pleasure, and then is a time convenient to speak evil, to rail, to slander, to accuse true preachers, good students that would something withdraw them from their good cheer and make them save their souls in the day of the Lord if it would be. Therefore I suppose verily it should avoid great tumult, great slander, shameful accusations of error, or heresy, ye I suppose it should be greatly for the common wealth, if high powers and rulers would make legem talionis, that is to say, that they that slander or accuse other should be punished with like punishment, as heresies be, if they could not prove their accusation.  
This law ordynated should stop much false slander, much false accusation, moche trouble of innocentes and poor men: it should make god's word to be preached all abroad purely and sincerely, it should stop many slanderous and poisonful mouths, which now care not what they speak of other, how they slander other, what poison cometh out of their mouths of other, it is unpunished.  
An other office of charity there is to deliver from the mouth of the devil those that be beguiled, deceived, or by other ways drawn in to error or heresy by the doctrine or means of false doctors, to deliver these from error, from heresy, and so from hell fire, it pertaineth unto charity, of the which saint james doth speak. jacobi. v. saying. brethren if any man among you hath erred from the truth, and any man shall convert him, let him know that he which hath converted him from his error shall save his soul from death, and shall cover many sins. james also here doth not appear that he would that that man which by ignorance, by negligence, by infirmity of tongue or of man hath erred from the truth in to some error which he hath uttered by his mouth, and showed by some other good man that he was in an error, which after he knoweth to be error, he is sorry for it, that he held or defended such an opinion that was erroneous, or any ways contrary unto the truth, which opinion contrary unto the truth he forsaketh, and taketh gladly with a good mind the truth, saint. james doth not appear to say that he would that that man should bear a faggot for speaking of his erroneus opinion, but he is more merciful than so, as our saviour jesus is merciful to us all, and maketh us not to bear fagottꝭ for every fault but forgiveth us wyllyge us no more to offend. thirdly Jude here showeth what thing we should hate in every sinner (that is to say) his spotted cote of the flesh, that is to say his vices and sins, not the man ordinated and created of God, but his evilness, as Paul teacheth us Roma. xii. hate you saith he, that which is evil and love that is good, evil therefore is only to be hated, and good to be loved, and this is it that Jude calleth the spotted cote of the flesh, because all these spots cometh of the infirmity of the flesh.  
This last sentence of Jude the old translation hath more plainly than Erasmus translation hath, he saith, reprove you them judged that is to say, reprove them as worthy to be judged, show them obstinate and as condemned and naughty persons worthy to suffer punishment for their sins & obstinacy in sin: the other that be not obstinate, but by infirmity of nature fallen unto sin, save and pull them from the fire of hell, which cometh to such as will not repent, and forsake their sin.   

Unto him that is able to keep you/ that you fall not and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with joy/ that is to say, to God our saviour which only is wise be glory/ majesty/ dominion/ and power now & for ever Amen.  
Here Jude maketh an end of his epistle giving thanks unto God which only is wise our saviour which may keep us clear from all sin, and make us without spots or wrinkles in the sight of his glory and may make us only to rejoice in him and not in ourselves, nor in no other creature but only in God, which hath called us before the beginning of the world, that we should be holy, and without all spots of sin, yea faureles in his sight, as Paul testifieth. Ephe. i. to God which is only wise be all honour, glory, impery, dominion, now & ever world without end   
AMEN.  
The end of judes epistle.   

 printer's device (?) of Thomas Gibson  
¶ Imprinted in the house of Thomas Gybson.