This epistle dyd saynt Peter wryte to the Hethen that were conuerted & exhorteth th to stondefast in the fayth / to grow therin and to wexe perfect / thorow all maner of sofferinge & also good workes.
In the fyrst he declareth the iustyfyenge of fayth thorow Christes bloude / & comforteth them with the hope of the lyfe to come / and sheweth that we haue not deserued it / but that the Prophetes prophisied it shuld be geuen vs / & as Christ which redemed vs oute of synne and all vnclennes is holye / so he exhorteth to leade an holye conuersacion: & because we be rychlye bought & made heyres of a ryche inherytaunce / to take hede that we lose it not agayne thorow oure awne necgligence.
In the seconde Chap. he sheweth that Christ is the foundacion & hed corner stone wher all are bylt thorow fayth / whether it be Iewe or g
tyle / & how that in Christ they are made Prestes / to offer themselues to god (as christ dyd him selfe) & to sle the lustes of the flesshe that fyght agaynst the soule. And fyrst he teacheth them in generall to obeye the worldlye rulars and then in speciall he teacheth the seruauntes to obey their masters be they good or bad / & to soffre wronge of them as Christ soffered wr
ge for vs.
In the thyrde he teacheth the wyues to obeye their husbandes / ye though they be vnbeleuers and to apparell them selues godlye and as yt be commeth holynes. And therto that the husbandes soffre and beare the infirmite of their wyues and lyue accordinge to knowledge with them. And then in generall he exhorteth them to be softe / courteous / pacient and frendlye one to another / and to soffre for ryghteousnes after the ensample of Christ.
In the fourthe he exhorteth to fle synne & to tame the flesshe with sobrenes watchinge and prayer / and to loue eche other / and to knowe that all good gyftes are of God and euery m to helpe his neyboure with soche as he hath receaued of god / & fynallie not to wonder / but to reioyce though they must soffre for christes names sake seinge as they be here partakers of his afflicci
s / so shall they be partakers of his glorye to come.
In the fyueth he teacheth the bysshopes and prestes how they shuld lyue and fede Christes flocke: and warneth vs of the deuell which on euery syde lyeth in wayte for vs.
Blessed be God þe father of oure Lorde Iesus Christ / which thorow is aboundant mercie begat vs agayne vnto a lively hope / by the resurreccion of Iesus Christ fr deeth / to enioye an inheritaunce immortall & vndefiled / & that purifieth not / reserved in heven for you / which are kept by the power of God thorow fayth / vnto salvacion / which salvacion is prepared all redy to be shewed in the last tyme /
Of which salvacion have the Prophet[es] enquyred & searched / which prophisied of þe grace that shuld come vnto you / searchinge wh or at what tyme the sprete of Christ which was in them shuld signifie / which sprete testified before / the passions that shuld come vnto Christ / & the glory that shuld folowe after: vnto which Prophetes it was declared / that not vnto them selves / but vnto vs / they shuld minister the thinges which are now shewed vnto you of them which by þe holy goost sent doune fr
heven / have preached vnto you the thinges which the angels desyre to beholde.
And yf so be þt ye call on the father which with out respecte of person iudgeth accordinge to every mnes 4.C worke / se þt ye passe the tyme of youre pilgremage in feare.
For as moche as ye know how that ye were not redemed with corruptible sylver and golde from youre vayne conversacion which ye receaved by the tradicions of the fathers:
7.DAnd for as moche as ye have purified youre soules thorowe the sprete / in obeyinge the trueth for to love brotherly withouten saynynge / se that ye love one another with a pure hert fervently: for ye are borne a newe / not of mortall seed / but of immortall / by the worde of god which liveth / & lasteth for ever. For all flesshe is as grasse / 8.D and all the glory of man is as the floure of grasse. The grasse widdereth / and the flower falleth awaye / but the worde of the lorde endureth ever. And this is the worde which by the gospell was preached amonge you.
Submit youre selves vnto all manner ordinaunce of man for the lordes sake / whether it be vnto the kynge as vnto the chefe heed: 15.C other vnto rulars / as vnto them that are sent of him / for the punysshment of evyll doars: but for the laude of them that do well. For so is the will of god / that ye put to sylence the ygnorancie of the folyshe men: as fre / and not as havinge þe libertie for a cloke of maliciousnes but even as the servates of god. Honoure all men. Love brotherly felishippe. 16.CFeare
17.CServauntes obey youre masters with all feare / not only yf they be good & courteous: but also though they be frowarde. For it is thankeworthye yf a man for conscience towarde god endure grefe / sufferinge wrongfully. For what prayse is it / if when ye be buffeted for youre fautes / ye take it paciently? But and yf when ye do well / ye suffer wronge and take it paciently / then is there thanke with God.
For herevnto verely were ye 18.C called: for Christ also suffered for vs levinge vs an insample þt ye shuld folowe his steppes / which dyd no sinne / nether was ther gyle founde in his mouth: which when he was reviled / reviled not agayne: 19.C wh
he suffered / he threatened not: but comitted the cause to him that iudgeth ryghteously / which his awne silfe bare oure synnes in his body on the tree / that we shuld be delyvered from synne and shuld lyve in rightewesnes. By whose strypes ye were healed. For ye were as shepe goinge astraye: but are now returned vnto þe shepheerd 20.C and bisshoppe of youre soules.
In c
clusion / be ye all of one mynde / one suffre with another / love as brethren / be petifull / be courteous / not r
dringe evyll for evyll / 26.B nether rebuke for rebuke: but contrary wyse / blesse / remembringe þt ye are thervnto called / even þt ye shuld be heyres of blessinge. If eny m
longe after life / & loveth to se good dayes / let him refrayne his tonge fr
evyll / & his lippes that they speake not gyle. Let him eschue evyll & do good: let him seke peace / & ensue it. For þe eyes of þe Lorde are over þe righteous / & his eares are open vnto their prayers. But þe face of the Lorde beholdeth th
that do evyll.
It is better (yf the wyll of God be so) that ye suffre for well doynge / then for evyll doynge. 28.C For as moche as Christ hath once suffered for synnes / þe iuste for þe vniuste / forto bringe vs to God / & was kylled / as pertayninge to the flesshe: but was quyckened in the sprete.
Be ye therfore discrete & sober / þt ye maye be apte to prayers. But above all thinges have ferv
t love am
ge you. For love 32.B covereth the multitude of synnes. Be ye herberous one to another / & that [wt] out grudginge. As every man hath receaved the gyfte / minister the same one to another as good ministers of the manyfolde grace of God.
Dearly beloved / be not troubled in this heate / which now is come amge you to trye you
Se that none of you suffre as a murtherer / or as a thefe / or an evyll doar / or as a busybody in other mens matters. Yf eny man suffre as a Christ man / let him not be ashamed: but let him glorifie god on his behalfe. For the tyme is come that iudgement must begynne at the housse of god. 34.DIf it fyrst begynne at vs / what shall the ende be of them which beleve not the gospell of god? And yf the righteous scasly be saved: where shall the vngodly & the sinner appere? Wherfore let them that suffer accordynge to the will of god / commit their soules to him with well doynge / as vnto a faythfull creator
Lykwyse ye yonger submit youre selves vnto the elder. Submit youre selves every man / one to another / knet youre selves togedder in lowlines of mynde. For god resisteth þe proude & geveth grace to the humble.
36.B Be sober and watch / for youre adversary þe devyll as a rorynge lion walketh about / sekynge whom he maye devoure: whom resist stedfust in the fayth / rembrynge that ye do but fulfill the same afflicci
s which are 37.B apoynted to youre brethren that are in the worlde. The God of all grace / which called you vnto his eternall glory by Christ Iesus / shall his awne silfe after ye have soffred a lytell afflicci
make you perfect: shall settle strenght & stablishe you. To him be glory & domini
for ever / and whill the worlde endureth Amen.
Servauntes.
ephe.vj.a coll.iij.d. ij.co.vij.