The Rheims New Testament (1582) — 2 Peter
The Second Epistle of Saint Peter, as printed in the Rheims New Testament of 1582, the English Catholic translation made from the Latin Vulgate at the English College, then in exile at Rheims, chiefly by Gregory Martin. The page gives all 3 chapters, each with its printed summary, every verse in the original spelling, and the marginal notes (cross-references, the days on which passages are read, and other readings); the edition's annotations follow 2 of the 3 chapters, as printed. The argument of both Epistles of Saint Peter is printed before the first and stands on the page for 1 Peter.
Chapter 1
Hovv much God hath done for them, making them Chriſtians: 5 and that they againe muſt doe their part, not hauing onely faith, but al other vertues alſo and good vvorkes, that ſo they may haue the m⟨illegible⟩re aſſurance to enter into the kingdom of heauen, 13 And that he is ſo careful to admoniſh them, knovving that his death is as hand, knovving alſo moſt certainely the ⟨illegible⟩ming of Chriſt by the vvitnes of the Father him ſelf, as alſo by the Prophets. Concerning vvhom he vvarneth them that they folovv not priuate ſpirites, but the holy Ghoſt (ſpeaking nevv in the Church.)
1 SIMON PETER ſeruant and Apoſtle of IESVS Chriſt, to them that haue obtained equal faith vvith vs in the iuſtice of our God and Sauiour IESVS Chriſt.
2 Grace to you and peace be accompliſhed in the knovvledge of God and Chriſt IESVS our Lord:
3 as al things of his diuine povver vvhich pertaine to life and godlines, are giuen vs by the knovvledge of him vvhich hath called vs by his ovvne propre glorie and vertue, by vvhom he hath giuen vs moſt great and pretious promiſes: that by theſe you may be made partakers of the diuine nature, fleeing the corruption of that concupiſcence vvhich is in the vvorld.
5 And you employing al care, miniſter ye in your faith, vertue: and in vertue, knovvledge:
6 and in knovvledge, abſtinence: and in abſtinence, patience: and in patience, pietie:
7 and in pietie, loue of the fraternitie: and in the loue of the fraternitie, charitie.
8 For if theſe things be preſent vvith you, & abound: they ſhal make you not vacant, nor vvithout fruite in the knovvledge of our Lord IESVS Chriſt.
9 For he that hath not theſe things ready, is blinde, and groping vvith his hād, hauing forgotten the purging of his old ſinnes.
10 Vvherfore, brethren, labour the more that ⟨illegible⟩ by good vvorkes you may make ſure your vocation and election. for, doing theſe things, you ſhal not ſinne at any time.
11 For ſo there ſhal be miniſtred to you aboundantly an entrance into the euerlaſting kingdom, of our Lord and Sauiour IESVS Chriſt.
12 For the vvhich cauſe I wil begin to admoniſh you alvvaies of theſe things: and you in deede knovving & being confirmed in the preſent truth.
13 But I thinke it meete as long as I am in this tabernacle, to ſtirre you vp by admonition:
14 being certaine that the laying avvay of my tabernacle is at hand, according as our Lord IESVS Chriſt alſo ſignified to me,
15 And I vvil doe my diligence, you to haue often ⟨illegible⟩ after my deceaſe alſo, that you may keepe a memorie of theſe things.
16 For, not hauing folovved vnlearned fables, haue vve made the povver and ⟨illegible⟩preſence' of our Lord IESVS Chriſt knovven to you: but made beholders of his greateneſſe.
17 For, * he receiuing from God his father honour and glorie, this maner of voice comming dovvne to him from the magnifical glorie, This is my beloued ſonne in vvhom I haue pleaſed my ſelf, heare him.
18 And this voice vve heard brought from heauen, vvhen vve vvere vvith him in the holy mounte.
19 And we haue the prophetical vvord more ſure: vvhich you doe vvel attending vnto, as to a candel ſhining in a darke place, vntil the day davvne, and the day ſtarre ariſe in your hartes: ⊢
20 vnderſtanding this firſt that no prophecie of ſcripture is made by ⟨illegible⟩ priuate interpretation.
21 For, * not by mans vvil vvas prophecie brought at any time: but the holy men of God ſpake, inſpired vvith the holy Ghoſt.
Marginal notes to Chapter 1
- v. 16 The Epiſtle in the Transifiguration of our Lord, Aug. 6.
- v. 16 ⟨illegible⟩preſcience
- v. 16 ᶜ By this it is plaine, that either Iohn, Iames, or Peter muſt be the author of this epiſtle. for theſe three onely vvere preſent at the Trāsfiguration. Mat. 17⟨illegible⟩.
- v. 17 Mt. 17, 5
- v. 18 ⸬ You ſee that places are made holy by Chriſts preſence, & that al places be not alike holy. See Annot. Act. 7, 33.
- v. 20 2 Tim 3, 17.
Annotations to Chapter 1
ANNOTATIONS CHAP. I.
10. By good vvorkes.] Here vve ſee, that Gods eternal predeſtination and election conſiſteth vvith good vvorkes: yea that the certainty and effect thereof is procured by mans free vvill and good vvorkes, and that our vvel doing is a meane for vs to attaine to the effect of Gods predeſtination, that is, to life euerlaſting. and therfore it is a deſperate folly and a great ſigne of reprobate perſons, to ſay, If I be predeſtinate, doe vvhat I vvil, I ſhal be ſaued. Nay, the Apoſtle ſaith, If thou hope to be one of the predeſtinate (for knovv it thou canſt not) do vvel, that thou maiſt be the more aſſured to attaine to that thou hopeſt: or, make it ſure by good vvorkes. The Proteſtāts in ſuch caſes not much liking theſe vvordes, by good vvorkes, though the latin haue it vniuerſally, and ſome Greeke copies alſo, as Beza confeſſeth, leaue them out in their tranſlations, by their vvonted pollicie. [Margin: Good vvorkes muſt concurre vvith Gods predeſtination to the effecte thereof. · ⟨non-Latin script⟩.]
15. After my deceaſe alſo.] Theſe vvordes though they may be eaſily altered by cōſtruction into diuers ſenſes not vntrue, yet the correſpondēce of the partes of the ſentēce going before and folovving, giue moſt plaine this meaning, that, as during his life he vvould not omit to put them in memorie of the things he taught them, ſo after his death (vvhich he knew ſhould be ſhortly) he vvould not faile to endeuour that they might be mindeful of the ſame. Signifying that his care ouer them ſhould not ceaſe by death, & that by his interceſsion before God after his departure, he vvould doe the ſame thing for them, that he did before in his life by teaching and preaching. This is the ſenſe that the * Greeke Scholies ſpeake of, and this is moſt proper to the text, and conſonant to the old vſe of this Apoſtle and other Apoſtolike Saincts and fathers of the primitiue Church. [Margin: The heretikes (according to their cuſtom) exclude this ſenſe altogether by their falſe tranſlation. · Oecum. in hunc l⟨illegible⟩. Gagn.]
S. Clement in his Epiſtle to S. Iames our Lordes brother, vvitneſſeth, that S. Peter encouraging him to take after his deceaſe the charge of the Apoſtolike Romane See, promiſed that after his departure he vvould not ceaſe to pray for him & his flocke, thereby to eaſe him of his Paſtoral burden. To. 1 Concil. ep. 1. S. Clem. in initio. And S. Leo the Great one of his ſucceſſors in the ſaid See, often attributeth the good adminiſtration and gouernement thereof to S. Peters praiers and aſsiſtance: namely in theſe goodly vvorkes Ser 3 in anniuerſ. ⟨illegible⟩ aſſumpt. ad Pontif. We are much bound (ſaith he) to giue thankes to our Lord and Redeemer Ieſus Chriſt, that hath giuen ſo great povver to him vvhom he made the Prince of the vvhole Church: that if in our time alſo any thing be done vvel & be rightly ordered by vs, it is to be imputed to his vvorkes and his geuernement, to vvhom it vvas ſaid, And thou being conuerted, confirme thy brethren: and to vvhom our Lord after his reſurrection ſaid thriſe, leede my ſheepe. Which novv alſo vvithout doubt the godly Paſtor doth execute, confirming vs vvith his exhortations, and not ceaſing to pray for vs, that vve be euercome vvith no tentation. &c. [Margin: S. Peters Paſtoral care & protection of the Church after his death. · Luc. 22. Io. 21.]
Yea it vvas a common thing in the primitiue Church among the auncient Chriſtians, and alvvaies ſince among the faithful, to make couenant in their life time, that vvhether of them vvent to heauen before the other, he ſhould pray for his frende and fellovv yet aliue. See the Eccleſiaſtical hiſtorie of the holy virgin and Martyr Potamiaena, promiſing at the houre of her Martyrdom, that after her death ſhe vvould procure mercie of God to Baſilides one of the ſouldiars that ledde her to execution, and ſo ſhe did, Euſeb. li. 6. c. 4. Alſo S. Cyprian ep. 57 in fine. Let vs, (ſaith he) pray mutually one for an other, and vvhether of vs tvvo ſhal by Gods elemencie be firſt called for, let his loue continue, and his praier not ceaſe for his brethren and ſiſters in the vvorld. So ſaid this holy Martyr at that time vvhen Chriſtiās vvere ſo far from Caluiniſme (vvhich abhorreth the praiers of Saincts & praying to them) that to be ſure, they bargained before hād to haue the martyrs & other Saincts to pray for them. The ſame S. Cyprian alſo in his booke De diſciplina & habitu virginum, in fine, after a godly exhortation made to the holy Virgins or Nonnes in his time, ſpeaketh thus vnto them: Tantum tunc mementote noſtri, cùm incipiet in vobis virginitas honorari. that is, Onely then haue vs in remembrance, vvhen your virginitie ſhal begin to be honoured. that is, after their departure. Vvhere he inſinuateth the vſe of the Catholike Church in keeping the feſtiual daies and other dueties tovvard the holy Virgins in heauen. S. Hierom alſo in the ſame manner ſpeaketh to Heliodorus, ſaying, that vvhen he is once in heauen, then he vvil pray for him that exhorted and incited him to the bleſſed ſtate of the Monaſtical life. Ep. 1. c. 2. [Margin: The Saincts in heauen pray for the liuing. · Feaſtes of holy Virgins.]
And ſo doth he ſpeake to the vertuous matrone Paula after her death, deſiring her to pray for him in his old age▪ affirming that ſhe ſhal the more eaſily obtaine, the neeres ſhe is novv ioyned to Chriſt in heauen, in Epitaph, Paule in fine. It vvere to long to report, hovv S. Auguſtine deſireth to be holpen by S. Cyprians praiers (then and long before a Sainct in heauen) to the vnderſtanding of the truth concerning the peace and regiment of the Church. li. 5 de Bapt. cont. Donatiſtas c. 17. And in an other place the ſame holy Doctor alleageth the ſaid S. Cyprian ſaying, that great numbers of our parents, brethren, children, frendes, and other, expect vs in great ſolicitude and carefulnes of our ſaluation, being ſure of their ovvne. li. 1 de praedeſt. Sanctorum c. 14. S. Gregorie Nazianzene in his orations of the praiſe of S. Cyprian in fine, and of S. Baſil alſo in fine, declareth hovv they pray for the people, vvhich tvvo Saincts he there inuocateth, as al the auncient fathers did, both generally al Saincts, and (as occaſion ſerued) particularly their ſpecial Patrones. Among the reſt ſee hovv holy Ephrem (in orat. de laud. S. Deipara) praied to our B. Ladie vvith the ſame termes of Aduocatt, Hope, Reconciliatrix, that the faithful yet vſe, and the Proteſtants can not abide. S. Baſil ho. de 40 Martyribus in fine. S. Athanaſius Ser. in Euang. de S. Deipara in fine. S. Hilarie in Pſal. 124. S. Chryſoſtom ho. 66 ad po. Antiochenum in fine. Theodorete de curat. Grae⟨illegible⟩orum affectuum li. 8 in fine. Finally al the fathers are ful of theſe things: vvho better knevv the meaning of the Scripture and the ſenſe of the Holy Ghoſt, then theſe nevv interpreters doe. [Margin: Inuocation of Saincts. · Priuate phantaſtical interpretation⟨illegible⟩.]
20. Priuate.] The Scriptures can not be rightly expounded of euery priuate ſpirit or phantaſie of the vulgar reader: but by the ſame ſpirit vvherevvith they vvere vvritten, vvhich is reſident in the Church.
Chapter 2
At not onely Prophets, but alſo falſe-prophets vvere in the old Teſtament, ſo novv likevviſe there ſhal be Maiſters of Hereſie, to the damnation of them ſelues, and of their folovvers. 4 And of their damnation he pronounceth by examples (as he comforteth the vertuous Catholikes or true beleeuers vvith the example of Lot) becauſe of their railing at their Superiors and Prelates, their blaſpheming of Catholike doctrine, their voluptuous liuing, their lecherie, their couetouſnes, their maner of ſeducing, and the perſons ſeduced, 20 for vvhom it had been leſſe damnable, if they had neuer been Chriſtians.
1 BVT there vvere alſo falſe⟨illegible⟩ prophets in the people, as alſo in you there * ſhal be lying maiſters vvhich ſhal bring in ſectes of perdition, & denie him that hath bought them, the Lord: bringing vpon them ſelues ſpeedie perdition.
2 And many ſhal folovv their riotouſneſſes, by vvhom the vvay of truth ſhal be blaſphemed.
3 and in auarice ſhal they vvith feined vvordes make merchandiſe of you, vnto vvhom the iudgement novv long ſince ceaſeth not: and their perdition ſlumbereth not.
4 For if God ſpared not Angels ſinning: but with the ropes of Hel being dravven dovvne into Hel deliuered them to be tormented, that they ſhould be reſerued vnto iudgemēt:
5 & he ſpared not the original vvorld, but * kept the eight, Noë, the preacher of iuſtice, bringing in the deluge vpon the vvorld of the impious.
6 And * bringing the cities of the Sodomites and of the Gomorrheites into aſhes, he damned them vvith ſubuerſion, putting an example of them that ſhal doe impiouſly:
7 and * deliuered iuſt Lot oppreſſed by the iniurie and luxurious conuerſation of the abominable men.
8 for in ſight and * hearing he vvas iuſt: dvvelling vvith them vvho from day to day vexed the iuſt ſoule vvith vniuſt vvorkes.
9 Our Lord knovveth to deliuer the godly from tentation, but to reſerue the vniuſt vnto the day of iudgement to be tormented:
10 and eſpecially them vvhich vvalke after the fleſh in concupiſcence of vncleanneſſe, and cōtemne dominion, bold, ſelf-pleaſers: they ⟨illegible⟩ feare not to bring in ſectes, blaſpheming.
11 Vvhereas Angels being greater in ſtrength and povver, beare not the execrable iudgemēt againſt them.
12 But theſe men as vnreaſonable beaſtes, naturally tending to the ſnare and into deſtruction, in thoſe things vvhich they know not, blaſpheming, ſhal periſh in their corruption,
13 receiuing the revvard of iniuſtice, eſteeming for a pleaſure the delightes of a day: coinquinations and ſpottes, flovving in delicacies, in their feaſtings rioting vvith you,
14 hauing eies ful of adulterie and inceſſant ſinne: alluring vnſtable ſoules, hauing their hart exerciſed vvith auarice, the children of malediction:
15 leauing the right vvay they haue erred, hauing folovved the vvay of Balaam of Boſor, vvhich loued the revvard of iniquitie,
16 but * had a checke of his madneſſe the dumme beaſt vnder the yoke, ſpeaking vvith mans voice, prohibited the foliſhnes of the prophet.
17 Theſe are fountaines vvithout vvater, and cloudes, toſſed vvith vvhirlevvindes, to vvhom the miſt of darkeneſſe is reſerued.
18 For, ſpeaking the proud things of vanitie, they allure in the deſires of fleſhly riotouſnes, thoſe that eſcape a litle, vvhich conuerſe in errour,
19 promiſing them libertie, vvhereas them ſelues are the ſlaues of corruption. for * vvherevvith a man is ouercome: of that he is the ſlaue alſo.
20 For if fleeing from the coinquinations of the vvorld in the knovvledge of our Lord and Sauiour IESVS Chriſt, they againe intangled vvith the ſame be ouercome: * the later things are become vnto them vvorſe then the former.
21 For it vvas better for them not to knovv the vvay of iuſtice, then after the knovvledge, to turne backe from that holy cōmaundement vvhich vvas deliuered to them.
22 For, that of the true prouerbe is chaunced to them, * The dogge returned to his vomite: and, The ſovve vvaſhed into her vvallovving in the mire.
Marginal notes to Chapter 2
- v. 1 1 Tim. 4. Iude.
- v. 1 ᶜ ⟨non-Latin script⟩
- v. 2 ⸬ Heretikes (of whom he prophecieth here) do gaine ſcholers, by preaching libertie, and by their owne licentious life, which is ſpecially ioyned to the hereſie of theſe daies.
- v. 3 ᶜ Al the ſweete wordes of heretikes, ſpeaking much of the vvord of the Lord, the Goſpel, IESVS CHRIST &c. are but termes of art to bie and ſel poore mens ſoules.
- v. 5 Gen, 7.
- v. 5 Gen. 19.
- v. 6 Gen. 19, 16.
- v. 9 The ſpecial properties of heretikes.
- v. 11 * from our Lord
- v. 12 ⸬ So heretikes blaſpheme the higheſt myſteries of our faith through ignorance.
- v. 13 ᵇ coinquinationes & maecula,
- v. 15 Nu. 22, 23.
- v. 19 ⸬ Vvho euer promiſed more libertie to their folowers then Luther, Caluin, & the like, taking away penance, faſting, continencie or chaſtitie, keeping of vowes, neceſsitie of good vvorkes (becauſe faith doeth al) obedience to Eccleſiaſtical paſtors and Coūcels, and ſuch like▪
- v. 19 Io. 8, 34.
- v. 20 Ro. 6, 16.
- v. 20 Mt. 12. 45.
- v. 22 Pro. 26▪ 11.
- v. 22 ᶜ ⟨non-Latin script⟩
Chapter 3
Th⟨illegible⟩ſe ⟨illegible⟩ Epiſtles ⟨illegible⟩e vvriteth to confirme them in the Apoſtles doctrine, and vvarnet⟨illegible⟩ them of ſcorners that ſhal come, and denie Domeſday. 5 Whoſe vaine argument he anſvvereth, and giueth the reaſon of Gods ſo long patience, 10 exhorting to al holines of life in reſpect of that terrible day. 16 Finally giuing vvarning of ſuch as miſinterprete S. Paules Epiſtles & the other Scriptures, and that vve muſt not for any thing fall from the true faith.
1 THIS loe the ſecond epiſtle I vvrite to you my deereſt, in vvhich I ſtirre vp by admonition your ſincere minde:
2 that you may be mindeful of thoſe vvordes vvhich I told you before from the holy Prophetes, and of your Apoſtles, of the preceptes of our Lord and Sauiour.
3 Knovving this firſt, that * in the laſt daies ſhal come mockers in deceit, vvalking according to their ovvne concupiſcences,
4 ſaying, Vvhere is his promiſe or his cōming? For
5 ſince the time that the fathers ſlept, al things do ſo perſeuêre from the beginning of creature. for they are vvilfully ignorant of this, that the heauens vvere before, & the earth, out of vvater, and through vvater, conſiſting by the vvord of God:
6 by the vvhich, that vvorld then, being ouerflovved vvith vvater periſhed.
7 But the heauens vvhich novv are, & the earth, are by the ſame word kept in ſtore, reſerued to fire vnto the day of iudgemēt & of the perdition of the impious men.
8 But this one thing be not ignorāt of, my deereſt, that * one day with our Lord is as a thouſand yeres, & a thouſand yeres as one day.
9 Our Lord ſlacketh not his promis, as ſome do eſteeme it: but he doth patiently for you, * not vvilling that any periſh, but that al returne to penance.
10 And * the day of our Lord ſhal come as a theefe in the vvhich the heauens ſhal paſſe vvith great violence, but the elementes ſhal be reſolued, vvith heate, and the earth and the vvorkes vvhich are in it, ſhal be burnt.
11 Therfore vvhereas al theſe thinges are to be diſſolued: vvhat maner of men ought you to be in holy conuerſations and godlineſſes,
12 expecting and haſting vnto the cōming of the day of our Lord, by vvhich the heauens burning ſhal be reſolued, and the elementes ſhal melt vvith the heate of fire?
13 But vve expect * nevv heauens and a nevv earth according to his promiſes, in vvhich iuſtice inhabiteth.
14 For the vvhich cauſe my deereſt, expecting theſe things, labour earneſtly to be found immaculate and vnſpotted to him in peace:
15 and * the longanimitie of our Lord, do ye account ſaluation, as alſo our moſt deere brother Paul according to the vviſdom giuen him hath vvritten to you:
16 as alſo in al epiſtles, ſpeaking in them of theſe things, in the vvhich are ⟨illegible⟩ certaine things hard to be vnderſtoode, vvhich the vnlearned and vnſtable depraue, as alſo the reſt of the Scriptures, to their ovvne perdition.
17 You therfore brethrē, foreknovving, take heede leſt ledde aſide by the errour of the vnwiſe you fal away from your owne ſtedfaſtnes.
18 but grovv in grace and in knovvledge of our Lord and ſauiour IESVS Chriſt. To him be glorie both novv and vnto the day of eternitie. Amen.
Marginal notes to Chapter 3
- v. 1 ᶜ in quibus
- v. 3 2 Tim. 3, 1. Iude, 18.
- v. 8 Pſ. 89, 4
- v. 9 Ezec. 33.
- v. 9 1 Tim. 2.
- v. 9 Mt. 24.
- v. 10 1 Theſ. 5.
- v. 10 Apoc. 3.
- v. 12 Eſa. 65, 17. Apo. 21, 1.
- v. 14 Ro. 2, 4.
Annotations to Chapter 3
ANNOTATIONS CHAP. III.
16. Certaine things hard.] This is a plaine text to conuince the Proteſtants, vvho (as al heretikes lightly doe and did from the beginning) ſay the Scriptures be eaſie to vnderſtand, and therfore may be not onely read ſafely, but alſo expounded boldly of al the people, as vvel vnlearned as learned: and conſequently euery one by him ſelf and his priuate ſpirit, vvithout reſpect of the expoſitions of the learned fathers, or expectation of the Churches, their Paſtors and Prelates iudgment, may determine and make choiſe of ſuch ſenſe as him ſelf liketh or thinketh agreable. For this is partly their ſaying, partly the neceſſarie ſequele of their foliſh opinion, vvhich admitteth nothing but the bare Scriptures. And Luther ſaid that the Scriptures vvere more plaine then al the fathers commentaries: and ſo al to be ſuperfluous but the Bible. Pra⟨illegible⟩fat. aſſert. art. damnat. [Margin: The heretical proud ſpirit of priuate interpretation of Scriptures.]
Againſt al vvhich Diueliſh & ſeditious arrogācie, tending to make the people eſteeme them ſelues learned or ſufficient vvithout their Paſtors and ſpiritual rulers helpe, to guide them ſelues in al matters of doctrine & doubtes in religion: the holy Apoſtle here telleth and forevvarneth the faithful, that the Scriptures be ful of difficultie, & ſpecially S. Paules epiſtles of al other partes of holy vvrite, and that ignorant men ⟨illegible⟩ad vnſtable or phātaſtical fellovves puffed to & fro vvith euery blaſt of doctrine and haereſie, abuſe, peruert, and miſconſter them to their ovvne damnation. And S. Auguſtine ſaith, that the ſpecial difficulty in S. Paules epiſtles, vvhich ignorant, and euil men do ſo peruert and vvhich S. Peter meaneth, is his hard ſpeache and much commendation of that faith vvhich he ſaith doth iuſtifie. vvhich the ignorant euen from the Apoſtles time, and much more novv, haue and do ſo miſconſter, as though he had meant that onely faith vvithout good vvorkes could iuſtifie or ſaue a man. Againſt vvhich vvicked collection and abuſe of S. Paules vvordes, the ſaid father faith, al theſe Canonical or Catholike epiſtles vvere vvritten. [Margin: The Scriptures be hard, namely S. Paules epiſtles, ſpecially vvhere he ſpeaketh of iuſtificatiō by faith. · * De fid. & op. c. 14]
But the Haeretikes here to ſhift of the matter, and to creepe out after their faſhion, anſvver, that S. Peter ſaith not, S. Paules epiſtles be hard, but that many things in them are hard. Vvhich may be to the Catholikes an example of their ſophiſtical euaſions from the euidence of Gods vvord. As though it vvere not al one to ſay, Such an author or vvriter is hard: and, There be many things in that vvriter hard to be vnderſtood. For, vvhether it be that the argument and matter be high and paſt vulgar capacitie, as that of praedeſtination, reprobation, vocation of the Gentiles, and iuſtifying faith: or vvhether his manner of ſtile and vvriting be obſcure: al proue that his epiſtles be hard, and other Scriptures alſo: becauſe S. Peter here affirmeth that by reaſon of the difficulties in them, vvhether in the ſtyle, or in the depth of the matter, the ignorant and vnſtable (ſuch as Heretikes be) do peruert his vvritings, as alſo other Scriptures, to their ovvne damnation. Vvhereby it is plaine that it is a very dangerous thing for ſuch as be ignorant, or for vvilde vvitted fellovves, to reade the Scriptures. For ſuch conditioned men be they that become Heretikes, and through ignorance, pride, and priuate phantaſie, meeting vvith hard places of S. Paules epiſtles or other Scriptures, breede Haereſies. [Margin: The Proteſtāts idle diſtinctiō betvvene difficultie in the Epiſtles and difficultie in the things. · The Greeke copies, haue both, ſome ⟨non-Latin script⟩, in vvhich things: ſome ⟨non-Latin script⟩, in vvhich epiſtles.]
And that not onely the things treated of in the holy Scriptures, but alſo that the very manner of vvriting and enditing thereof, is high and hard, and purpoſely by Gods prouidence appointed to be vvritten in ſuch ſort, ſee S. Auguſtine li. 2 de doct. Chriſt. c. 6. and ep. 119. S. Ambroſe ep. 44 in principio. S. Hierom to Paulinus ep. 103 c. 5. 6. 7. vvho alſo (ep. 65. c. 1.) ſaith, that in his old age vvhen he ſhould rather haue taught then be taught, he vvent as far as Alexandria, onely to heare Didymus, and to haue his helpe for the vnderſtanding of the Scriptures, and confeſſeth vvith great thankes to the ſaid Didymus, that he learned of him that vvhich before he knevve not. Dauid ſaith, Giue me vnderſtanding, and I vvil ſearche thy lavv. The Eunuch in the Actes ſaid, Hovv can I vnderſtand vvith out an interpreter? The Apoſtles, til Chriſt opened their ſenſe to vnderſtand the ſcriptures, could not vnderſtand them. The holy Doctors by continual ſtudie, vvatching, faſting, and praying, had much a doe to vnderſtand them: that great clerke S. Auguſtine cōfeſſing in the foreſaid epiſtle 119. c. 21. that there vvere many moe things that he vnderſtood not, then that he vnderſtood. The Heretikes ſay the fathers did commonly erre▪ and hovv could ſuch great vviſe learned men be deceiued in reading and expounding the Scriptures, if they vvere not hard? and if they vvere hard to them, hovv are they eaſie to theſe nevv maiſters the Haeretikes? finally, vvhy do they vvrite ſo many nevv gloſſes, ſchol⟨illegible⟩es, commentaries, as a cart cannot carrie? Vvhy do Luther, Zuinglius, Caluin, and their Companions agree no better vpon the interpretation of the Scriptures, if they be not hard? vvhereat ſtumbled al the old heretikes & the nevv, Arîus, Macedonius, Vigilantius, Neſtorius, Eutyches, Berengarius, Vvicleffe, Proteſtants, Puritanes, Anabaptiſts, and the reſt, but at the hardnes of the Scriptures? They be hard then to vnderſtand▪ and Heretikes peruert them to their ovvne damnation. [Margin: Not only the matter, but the ſtyle of the Scriptures is hard. · Pſ. 118. · Act. 8. · Luc. 24. v. 45.]
Colophon
Printed edition: The Nevv Testament of Iesus Christ, translated faithfully into English, out of the authentical Latin … in the English College of Rhemes (Rhemes: Iohn Fogny, 1582; STC 2884, ESTC S102491), the Catholic New Testament translated from the Latin Vulgate chiefly by Gregory Martin. Copy transcribed: the Eton College Library copy, as filmed for Early English Books Online (image set 2646).
Transcription: Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership (EEBO-TCP), Phase I text A16049 (keyed 2005–06, proofread and released 2006), placed in the public domain under Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal. Converted for the Good Works Library in October 2026.
What was done: the spelling, punctuation and capitals of the transcription are kept exactly, including u/v, i/j, "vv" for w, long s (ſ), the abbreviation stroke (as in "vpō") and the edition's own marks (″ for an annotated word, ⸬ and * for marginal references, ⊢ for the end of a liturgical Gospel or Epistle; ▪ is the transcribers' sign for a punctuation mark they could not identify). Removed as apparatus: the TEI markup, page breaks, line-end hyphenation, and the small cross ✝ that the edition sets at the beginning of each verse beside the verse number in the margin; the number is given here instead. Marginal notes are gathered after each chapter, keyed to their verse; the annotations follow as the edition prints them. Words the transcribers could not read are shown as ⟨illegible⟩; words printed in Greek or other non-Latin letters, which the transcription did not key, are shown as ⟨non-Latin script⟩. No gap has been filled or guessed.
The book's heading in the edition reads: "THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PETER THE APOSTLE." The page title gives it in ordinary capitals and lower case, without other change.
Notes on this transcription: 2 Peter 1: no verse is numbered 4; the numbering passes from 3 to 5 with no break in the text. Kept as printed.
On this page 22 places are marked ⟨illegible⟩ and 5 words or phrases in Greek or other non-Latin letters are marked ⟨non-Latin script⟩.
This is an archival transcription of a historic English Bible. It is not a Good Works Translation.
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