Letters to the Churches

Likewise ye husbands, dwel with them as men of knowledge, giuing honour vnto the woman, as vnto the weaker vessell, euen as they which are heires together of the grace of life, that your prayers be not interrupted.

Finally, be ye all of one minde: one suffer with another: loue as brethren: bee pitifull: bee courteous,

Not rendring euil for euill, neither rebuke for rebuke: but contrarywise blesse, knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should be heires of blessing.

For if any man long after life, and to see good dayes, let him refraine his tongue from euill, and his lippes that they speake no guile.

Let him eschew euil, and do good: let him seeke peace, and follow after it.

For the eyes of the Lord are ouer the righteous, and his eares are open vnto their prayers: and the face of the Lord is against them that do euil.

And who is it that will harme you, if ye follow that which is good?

Notwithstanding blessed are ye, if ye suffer for righteousnes sake. Yea, feare not their feare, neither be troubled.

But sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready alwayes to giue an answere to euery man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekenesse and reuerence,

Hauing a good coscience, that whe they speake euill of you as of euill doers, they may be ashamed, which slander your good conuersation in Christ.

For it is better (if the will of God be so) that ye suffer for well doing, then for euil doing.

For Christ also hath once suffered for sinnes, the iust for the vniust, that he might bring vs to God, and was put to death concerning the flesh, but was quickened by the spirit.

By the which hee also went, and preached vnto the spirits that are in prison.

Which were in time passed disobedient, when once the long suffering of God abode in the dayes of Noe, while the Arke was preparing, wherein fewe, that is, eight soules were saued in the water.

Whereof the baptisme that nowe is, answering that figure, (which is not a putting away of the filth of the flesh, but a confident demaunding which a good conscience maketh to God) saueth vs also by the resurrection of Iesus Christ,

Which is at the right hand of God, gone into heauen, to whom the Angels, and Powers, and might are subiect.

Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for vs in the flesh, arme your selues likewise with the same minde, which is, that he which hath suffered in the flesh, hath ceased from sinne,

That he hence forward should liue (as much time as remaineth in the flesh) not after the lusts of men, but after the will of God.

For it is sufficient for vs that we haue spet the time past of ye life, after the lust of the Gentiles, walking in wantonnes, lustes, drunkennes, in gluttonie, drinkings, and in abominable idolatries.

Wherein it seemeth to them strange, that yee runne not with them vnto the same excesse of riot: therefore speake they euill of you,

Which shall giue accounts to him, that is readie to iudge quicke and dead.

For vnto this purpose was the Gospell preached also vnto the dead, that they might bee condemned, according to men in the flesh, but might liue according to God in the spirit.

Now the ende of all things is at hand. Be ye therefore sober, and watching in prayer.

But aboue all thinges haue feruent loue among you: for loue shall couer the multitude of sinnes.

Be ye harberous one to another, without grudging.