He exhorteth them to stand to their old faith, shevving them by
examples, that it is damnable not to continue and be constant: 8
inueighing against the lecherie, blasphemie, apostasie, banketing of
the heretikes, 14 and that their damnation vvas long foretold. 17
Catholikes therfore to be vnmoueable, to reproue the obstinate, to
recouer al not desperate, to confirme the vveake, and to liue them
selues vertuously and vvithout mortal sinne, vvhich by Gods grace they
may doe.
IVDE the seruant of IESVS Christ, and brother of Iames: to them that
are in God the Father beloued, and in IESVS Christ preserued, and
called. 2 Mercie to you, and peace and charitie be accomplished. 3 My
deerest, taking al care to vvrite vnto you of your common saluation, I
thought it necessarie to vvrite vnto you: beseeching you to contend for
the faith once deliuered to the sainctes. 4 For there are certaine men
secretely entred in (vvhich vvere long ago prescribed vnto this
iudgement) impious, transferring the grace of our God into riotousnes,
and denying the onely Dominator, and our Lord IESVS Christ. 5 But I
vvil admonish you, that once knovv al things, that IESVS, sauing the
people out of the land of AEgipt, secondly destroied them vvhich
beleeued not. 6 But the Angels vvhich kept not their pricipalitie, but
forsooke their owne habitation, he hath reserued vnder darkenesse in
eternal bondes vnto the iudgement of the great day. 7 As Sodom and
Gomorrhe, and the cities adioyning in like maner hauing fornicated, and
going after other flesh, vvere made an example, sustaining the paine of
eternal fire. 8 In like maner these also defile the flesh, and despise
dominion, & blaspheme maiestie. 9 Vvhen Micheal the Archangel,
disputing vvith the Diuel, made altercation for the body of Moyses: he
durst not inferre iudgment of blasphemie, but said, Our Lord ‘commaund’
thee. 10 But these, vvhat things so euer certes they are ignorant of,
they blaspheme: and vvhat things so euer naturally, as dumme beastes,
they knovv, in those they are corrupted. 11 Vvo vnto them, ‘vvhich’
haue gone in the vvay of Cain: and vvith the errour of Balaam, haue for
revvard povvred out them selues, and haue perished in the contradiction
of Core. 12 These are in their bankets, spottes, feasting together
vvithout feare, feeding them selues, cloudes vvithout vvater vvhich are
caried about of vvindes, trees of autumne, vnfruitful, tvvise dead,
plucked vp by the rootes, 13 raging vvaues of the sea, foming out their
ovvne confusions, vvandering starres: to vvhom the storme of darkenesse
is reserued for euer. 14 And of these propheceied Enoch, the seuenth
from Adam, saying, Behold our Lord is come in his holy thousandes, 15
to doe iudgement against al, and to reproue al the impious, of al the
vvorkes of their impietie vvherby they haue done impiously, and of al
the hard thinges vvhich impious sinners haue spoken against him. 16
These are murmurers, ful of complaintes, vvalking according to their
ovvne desires, and their mouth speaketh pride, admiring persons for
gaine sake. 17 But you my deerest, be mindeful of the vvordes vvhich
haue been spoken before by the Apostles of our Lord IESVS Christ, 18
vvho told you, that in the last time shal come mockers, according to
their ovvne desires vvalking in impieties. 19 These are they vvhich
segregate them selues, sensual, hauing not the Spirit. 20 But you my
deerest, building your selues vpon ‘our’ most holy faith, in the holy
Ghost, praying, 21 keepe your selues in the loue of God, expecting the
mercie of our Lord IESVS Christ vnto life euerlasting. 22 And these
certes reproue being iudged: 23 but them saue, pulling out of the fire.
And on other haue mercie in feare: hating also that vvhich is carnal,
the spotted cote. 24 And to him that is able to preserue you vvithout
sinne, and to sette you immaculate before the sight of his glorie in
exultation in the comming of our Lord IESVS Christ, 25 to the onely God
our Sauiour by IESVS Christ our Lord be glorie and magnificence, empire
and power before al worldes, and novv and for al vvorldes euermore.
Amen.