Exposition upon the Epistle of Jude

A briefe view of the whole Epistle, drawne according to the Authors owne method.

The Epistle containeth three parts:

1. Salutation, wherein are considered the

Person saluting described by his

Name: Jude.

Office: a seruant of Iesus Christ.

Alliance: brother of James.

Persons saluted, members of the militant Church, which are

Called,

Sanctified of God the Father,

Reserued to Iesus Christ.

Forme of salutation, vz. a prayer for

Blessings,

Mercie.

Peace,

Loue.

Increase of blessings: be multiplied.

2. Exhortation, wherein are considered th◊

Motiues exciting the Apostle, vz.

1. His Loue. Beloued.

2. His Readie minde: Gaue diligence, enlarged by three arguments.

1. All diligence.

2. To vvrite vnto you (when he could not speak◊.)

3. Of most waightie matters: Of the common saluation.

3. The present necessitie: It was needfull for me.

Matter.

Propounded, vz. to maintaine the faith: wherein are considered the

1. Parties

Maintaining: Saints.

Oppugning: Seducers.

2. Meanes of maintenance, vz. By fight: the

1. Kinde: Spirituall.

2. Confession.

Confirmed by

1. The state of the Church in his time pestered with enemies, described by their

1. Hypocrisie: Crept in.

2. State before God: Ordained of old to this condemnation.

3. Religion: Vngodly men they are.

4. Doctrine: vvhich turne the grace of our God into vvantonnes.

5. Liues: and denie God the only Lord, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

2. A prolepsis answered in a perfect forme of syllogisme, consisting of a

1. Proposition, vz. Whosoeuer taketh libertie to sin shall be destroyed: proued by example of

Men. Here consider the

Persons destroyed: the people, vz. Israelites.

Time: after he (God) had deliuered them out of Egypt.

Cause: vvich beleeued not.

Angels, here consider the

1. Persons sinning: the Angels.

2. Sin it selfe, and in it the

1. Author set downe

Negatiuely: not God.

Affirmatiuely: but themselues▪ 〈…〉

Negatiue: vvhich kept not their first 〈…〉.

Affirmatiue: but left their ovvne habitation.

3. Measure of their fall: A totall defection.

3. Punishment in two degrees.

1. Custodie: Reserued in chaines vnder darken.

2. Full punishment: vnto the iudgement of the 〈…〉 ▪

Cities with their

1. Names: Sodome and Gomorrha, and the cities about them.

1. According to Nature

1. Committed fornication.

2. Followed strange flesh.

2. Against Nature

1. Committed fornication.

2. Followed strange flesh.

3. Punishment: wherin

Vse, set foorth for example.

Matter, suffered vengeance of eternall fire.

2. Assumption, vz. But these seducers take libertie to sin: prooued by enumeration of their sinnes in their

1. Ground or fountaine Dreamers.

1. Vncleannes: They defile the flesh.

2. Contempt of Magistracie.

1. Proued from their

Affection or iudgement: They despise gouernment.

Speech or practise: speake euill of them that are in authoritie.

2. Amplified three waies.

1. They blaspheme glories and dignities

2. By comparison from the greater, thus: Michael durst not raile◊ enlarged by the

1. Persons contending

2. Cause: about the bodie of Moses.

3. Speech of Michael: The Lord rebuke 〈…〉

3. They speake euill of a thing they know not.

3. Intemperance in it, the

Cause: naturall knovvledge.

Worke: corrupt themselues as beasts vvithout reason.

4. Crueltie against Gods people, comparatiuely called Cains vvay.

5. Couetousnes by similitude from Balaam with the

Measure: they are powred out, or cast avvay.

Ground: Hope of reward, or vvages.

6. Ambicious gainsaying of the truth, illustrated by

Comparison: with that of Core.

The end of that: Perished in it as he did.

7. Riotousnes; prooued by exampl◊ and instance from Loue-feasts, in which.

1. Sin: Fed themselues with neglect of the

2. Ground of it: vvithout feare, vz. of God.

3. Fruit of it: makes them spots in the◊◊ 〈…〉

8. Vnprofitablenes in their places: Clowds vvithout vvater.

9. Vnconstancie: Carried about vvith euery vvinde, as light clowds.

10. Ba◊renne◊ in themselues, illustrated by a comparison, and described by foure degrees of naughtines, vz.

1. Corrupt trees, that is, without good fruite, 2. Altogether fruitlesse, that is, vvithout any fruite.

3 Hopelesse of fruite: tvvice dead, that is, certainly.

4. Hopelesse of life it selfe: Plucked vp by the 〈…〉.

11. Impatience: raging vvaues of the Sea, foaming out their owne shame.

12. Vnstablenes in doctrine: vvandring starres.

14. Complaining, which proceedes from

Discontentment with their outward present estate.

The frowardnes of their owne disposition.

15. VValking after their ovvne lusts.

16. Proud boasting.

17. Admiration of mens persons.

18. Couetousnes: for aduantage.

3. Conclusion, inserted in verses 13.14.15. vz Therefore these seducers shall be destroyed. This conclusion is

Propounded vers. 13. For vvhom is reserued black darknes.

Confirmed vers. 14.15. and that by an ancient testimonie, in it consider the

1. Author. Enoch not the fourth, but the seuenth from Adam Cains sonne▪ of Seth.

2. Preface. He prophecied of such, saying.

3. The testimonie it self, wherein

1. The Lords comming to iudgement.

2. His iudgement being come, which is

Generall, to iudge all 〈…〉

Speciall

Persons all 〈…〉

3. Cause of this iudgmēt 2. fold.

Deedes described by

Manner of 〈…〉 vngodlily.

Words set out by 2. properties.

Cruell.

3. An Apostolical testimonie that such there shuld be in it.

1. A preface: But ye beloued remember, &c. vers. 17.

2. The testimonie it selfe, and in it are two things.

1. The time when these wicked men shall abound: in the last times.

2. What manner of persons they shall be, described by two properties.

2. Fleshly, walking after their owne lusts.

3. The application of it to these persons, who are indeed

1. Mockers, common to makers of Sects.

2. Fleshly, hauing not the spirit.

4. A direction in some meanes tending to this maintenance of faith in 5. rules cōcerning

1. Faith, on which as vpon a foundation they must build vp themselues, inforced by

A motiue: most holy faith.

The meanes: praying in the Holy Ghost.

2 Loue of God, in which they must keepe themselues.

3. Hope: looking for the mercie of God, &c. and in it three things, the 1. Person on whom the Saints must waite by hope, vz. our Lord Iesus Chri◊◊