He comforteth them in their persecutions (being now by Baptisme made the
children of God) with the hope of their heauenly inheritance: 6. shewing how meritorious it is for
them to be so constant in faith, 10. and confirming them therein with the authoritie of the Prophets
and of the Holy Ghost. 15. Exhorting them to liue also accordingly in al holines, 15. considering the
holines of God, the vprightnes of his iudgement, the price of their redemption by Christ, 22. and the
vertue of the seed in them (which is grace regeneration in Baptisme) fore-told by the Prophets
also.
1.
⋮
The Epistle In Cathedra S. Petri Rome. Ian. 18. & Antiochie Feb. 22.
PETER an Apostle of Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ Christ, to the elect strangers of the dispersion of
Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
2. according to the prescience of God the Father, into sanctification of the Spirit,
vnto the obedience and sprinkling of the bloud of Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ Christ: Grace to you and peace be
multiplied.
3.
⋮
The Epistle of many martyrs.
*
2. Cor. 1. 3. Eph. 1,3.
Blessed be God and the Father of our Lord Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ Christ, who according to his
great mercie hath regenerated vs vnto a liuely hope, by the resurrection of Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ Christ
from the dead,
4. vnto an inheritance incorruptible, and incontaminate, and that can not fade,
conserued in the heauens in you,
5. (who in the vertue of God are kept by faith vnto saluation) ready to be reuealed
in the last time.
6. Wherin you shal reioyce, a litle now if you must be made heauy in diuers
tentations:
7. that the probation of your faith much more pretious then gold (which is proued
by the fire) may be found vnto praise and glorie and honour in the reuelation of Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ
Christ:
8. whom hauing not seen, you loue: in whom now also not seeing you beleeue: and
beleeuing you reioyce with ioy vnspeakable and glorified,
9. receiuing the end of your faith, the saluation of your soules.
10. Of the which saluation the Prophets inquired & searched, which prophecied of
the grace to come in you,
11. searching vnto which or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ in them did
signifie: fore-telling those passions that are in Christ, and the glories following:
12. to whom it was reuealed, that not to themselues, but to you they ministred
those thigns which now are told you by them that haue euangelized to you, the Holy Ghost being
sent from Heauen, on whom the Angels desire to looke.
13. For the which cause hauing the loynes of your
✟
Chastitie not only of body but also of mind, is required. S. Bede vpon this place.
mind girded, sober, trust perfectly
in that grace which is offered you, in the reuelation of Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ Christ,
14. as children of obedience, not configurated to the former desires of your ignorance:
15. but according to him that hath called you, the Holy one, be you also in al
conuersation holy:
16. because it is written:
*
Leu. 11,19. 20,7.
You shal be holy, because I am holy.
17. And if you inuocate the Father, him which
*
Deu. 10.
Ro. 2.
Gal. 2.
without acception of persons iudgeth
according to euery ones
✟
God wil iudge men according to euery ones workes, & not by faith only.
worke; in feare conuerse ye the time of your seiourning.
18. Knowing that
*
1 Cor. 6,20. 7,23.
not with corruptible things, gold or siluer, you are redeemed from
your vaine conuersation of your Fathers
✟
He meaneth the errours of Gentility. Or if he write to the Iewes dispersed, he meaneth the
yoke of the Law with the fond and heauy additions of their later Maisters called
Deuteroses. The Heretikes, to make it sound to the simple against the traditions of
the Church, corrupt the text thus, which you haue receiued by traditions of the
Fathers.
tradition:
19. but with the pretious bloud as it were of an immaculate and vnspotted Lamb, Christ,
20.
*
Ro. 16,25. Col. 1,26.
Tit. 1,2.
fore-knowen indeed before the constitution of the world, but manifested in the last
times for you,
21. which by him are faithful in God who raised him from the dead, & hath giuen him
glorie, that your faith and hope might be in God.
22. Making your soules chast in obedience of charitie, in the sincere loue of the
Fraternitie from the hart loue ye one another earnestly:
23. borne againe not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible by the word of God who
liueth & remaineth for euer.
24. For
*
Esa. 40,6.
al flesh is as grasse: & al the glorie thereof as the floure of grasse. The
grasse is withered, and the floure thereof is fallen away.
25. But the word of our Lord remaineth for euer, and this is the word that is euangelized
among you.