THE
CATHOLIKE
EPISTLE OF S. JUDE
THE APOSTLE.
He exhorteth them to stand to their old faith, shewing them by examples, that it is damnable not to continue and be constant: 8. inveighing against the lecherie, blasphemie, apostasie, banketing of the heretikes, 14. and that their denation was long foretold. 15 Catholikes therefore to be unmoveable, to reprove the obstinate, to recover al not desperate, to confirme the weake, and to live themselves virtuously and without mortal sinne, which by God's grace they may doe.
JUDE the servant of JESUS Christ and brother of James: to them that are in God the Father beloved, and in JESUS Christ preserved, and called. 2 Mercie to you, and peace and charitie be accomplished. 3 My dearest taking al care to write unto you of your common salvation, I thought it necessarie to write unto you: beseeching you to contend for the faith once delivered to the Saints. 4 For there are certaine men secretly entred in (which were long agoe prescribed unto this judgement) impious, transferring the grace of our God [1] into riotousnes, and denying the only Dominatour, & our Lord JESUS Christ. 5 But I will admonish you, that once know al things, that [2] JESUS, saving the people out of the land of Ægypt, secondly destroied them which beleeved not. 6 But the Angels which kept not their principalitie, but forsooke their own habitation, he hath reserved under darknesse in eternal bonds unto the judgement of the great day 7 As Sodom and Gomorrhe, and the cities adjoyning in like manner having fornicated, and going after other flesh, were made an example, sustaining the paine of eternal fire. 8 In like manner these also defile the flesh and despise dominion, & blaspheme maiestie. 9 When Michael the Archangel, disputing with the Divel, made altercation tor the body of Moyses, he
durst not inferre judgement of blasphemie, but said, Our Lord command thee. 10 But these, what things soever certes they are ignorant of, they blaspheme: and what things soever naturally, as dumme beasts, they know, in those they are corrupted.
- ↑ Divers Heretikes abuse the libertie of Christes grace and Ghospel, to the fulfilling of their carnal lustes and concupiscences.
- ↑ Such be heretikes, that wil not be subject to any superiour, or that refuse to obey the lawes either of Spiritual or Temporal Rulers. In which kind (specially in blaspheming the Supreme Spiritual Magistrate) the protestants (illegible text).
