,this e,book was produced by ,david ,widger from etext #aeha prepared by ,dennis ,mc,carthy1 ,atlanta1 ,georgia and ,tad ,book1 student1 ,pontifical ,north ,american ,college1 ,rome4 ,,the ,,holy ,,bible ,translated from the ,latin ,vulgate ,diligently ,compared with the ,hebrew1 ,greek1 and ,other ,editions in ,divers ,languages ,,the ,,old ,,testament ,first ,published by the ,english ,college at ,douay ,a4,d4 #afji #afaj and ,,the ,,new ,,testament ,first ,published by the ,english ,college at ,rheims ,a4,d4 #aehb ,with ,annotations ,the ,whole ,revised and ,diligently ,compared with the ,latin ,vulgate by ,bishop ,richard ,challoner ,a4,d4 #agdi-ageb ,,the ,,second ,,epistle ,,of ,,st4 ,,peter ,,the ,,apostle ,in this ,epistle ,st4 ,peter says 7chap1 #c73 ,behold this second ,epistle ,i write to you3 and before 7chap4 #a173 ,being assured that the laying away of this my tabernacle is at hand4 ,this shews1 that it was written a very short time before his martyrdom1 which was about thirty-five years after our ,lord's ,ascension4 ,in this ,epistle he admonishes the faithful to be mindful of the great gifts they received from ,god and to join all other virtues with their faith4 ,he warns them against false teachers1 by describing their practices and foretelling their punishments4 ,he describes the dissolution of this world by fire and the day of judgment4 #b ,peter ,chapter #a ,he exhorts them to join all other virtues with their faith1 in order to secure their salvation4 #a3a4 ,simon ,peter1 servant and apostle of ,jesus ,christ3 to them that have obtained equal faith with us in the justice of our ,god and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ4 #a3b4 ,grace to you and peace be accomplished in the knowledge of ,god and of ,christ ,jesus our ,lord4 #a3c4 ,as all things of his divine power which appertain to life and godliness are given us through the knowledge of him who hath called us by his own proper glory and virtue4 #a3d4 ,by whom he hath given us most great and precious promises3 that by these you may be made partakers of the divine nature3 flying the corruption of that concupiscence which is in the world4 #a3e4 ,and you1 employing all care1 minister in your faith1 virtue3 ,and in virtue1 knowledge3 #a3f4 ,and in knowledge1 abstinence3 and in abstinence1 patience3 and in patience1 godliness3 #a3g4 ,and in godliness1 love of brotherhood3 and in love of brotherhood1 charity4 #a3h4 ,for if these things be with you and abound1 they will make you to be neither empty nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 #a3i4 ,for he that hath not these things with him is blind and groping1 having forgotten that he was purged from his old sins4 #a3aj4 ,wherefore1 brethren1 labour the more1 that by good works you may make sure your calling and election4 ,for doing these things1 you shall not sin at any time4 #a3aa4 ,for so an entrance shall be ministered to you abundantly into the ever-lasting kingdom of our ,lord and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ4 #a3ab4 ,for which cause1 ,i will begin to put you always in remembrance of these things3 though indeed you know them and are confirmed in the present truth4 #a3ac4 ,but ,i think it meet1 as long as ,i am in this tabernacle1 to stir you up by putting you in remembrance4 #a3ad4 ,being assured that the laying away of this my tabernacle is at hand1 according as our ,lord ,jesus ,christ also hath signified to me4 #a3ae4 ,and ,i will endeavour that you frequently have after my decease whereby you may keep a memory of these things4 #a3af4 ,for we have not by following artificial fables made known to you the power and presence of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ3 but we were eyewitnesses of his greatness4 #a3ag4 ,for he received from ,god the ,father honour and glory1 this voice coming down to him from the excellent glory3 ,this is my beloved ,son1 in whom ,i am well pleased4 ,hear ye him4 #a3ah4 ,and this voice1 we heard brought from heaven1 when we were with him in the holy mount4 #a3ai4 ,and we have the more firm prophetical word3 whereunto you do well to attend1 as to a light that shineth in a dark place1 until the day dawn and the day star arise in your hearts4 #a3bj4 ,understanding this first3 ,that no prophecy of scripture is made by private interpretation4 ,no prophecy of scripture is made by private interpretation444 ,this shows plainly that the scriptures are not to be expounded by any one's private judgment or private spirit1 because every part of the holy scriptures were written by men inspired by the ,holy ,ghost1 and declared as such by the ,church2 therefore they are not to be interpreted but by the ,spirit of ,god1 which he hath left1 and promised to remain with his ,church to guide her in all truth to the end of the world4 ,some may tell us1 that many of our divines interpret the scriptures3 they may do so1 but they do it always with a submission to the judgment of the ,church1 and not otherwise4 #a3ba4 ,for prophecy came not by the will of man at any time3 but the holy men of ,god spoke1 inspired by the ,holy ,ghost4 #b ,peter ,chapter #b ,he warns them against false teachers and foretells their punishment4 #b3a4 ,but there were also false prophets among the people1 even as there shall be among you lying teachers who shall bring in sects of perdition and deny the ,lord who bought them3 bringing upon themselves swift destruction4 ,seeds of perdition444 ,that is1 heresies destructive of salvation4 #b3b4 ,and many shall follow their riotousness1 through whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of4 #b3c4 ,and through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you4 ,whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not3 and their perdition slumbereth not4 #b3d4 ,for if ,god spared not the angels that sinned1 but delivered them1 drawn down by infernal ropes to the lower hell1 unto torments1 to be reserved unto judgment3 #b3e4 ,and spared not the original world1 but preserved ,noe1 the eighth person1 the preacher of justice1 bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly4 #b3f4 ,and reducing the cities of the ,sodomites and of the ,gomorrhites into ashes1 condemned them to be overthrown1 making them an example to those that should after act wickedly1 #b3g4 ,and delivered just ,lot1 oppressed by the injustice and lewd conversation of the wicked3 #b3h4 ,for in sight and hearing he was just1 dwelling among them who from day to day vexed the just soul with unjust works4 #b3i4 ,the ,lord knoweth how to deliver the godly from temptation1 but to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be tormented3 #b3aj4 ,and especially them who walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise government3 audacious1 self willed1 they fear not to bring in sects1 blaspheming4 #b3aa4 ,whereas angels1 who are greater in strength and power1 bring not against themselves a railing judgment4 ,bring not a railing judgment1 etc444 ,that is1 they use no railing1 nor cursing sentence2 not even in their conflicts with the evil angels4 ,see ,st4 ,jude1 ver4 #i4 #b3ab4 ,but these men1 as irrational beasts1 naturally tending to the snare and to destruction1 blaspheming those things which they know not1 shall perish in their corruption3 #b3ac4 ,receiving the reward of their injustice1 counting for a pleasure the delights of a day3 stains and spots1 sporting themselves to excess1 rioting in their feasts with you3 ,the delights of a day3 that is1 the short delights of this world1 in which they place all their happiness4 #b3ad4 ,having eyes full of adultery and of sin that ceaseth not3 alluring unstable souls3 having their heart exercised with covetousness3 children of malediction4 #b3ae4 ,leaving the right way1 they have gone astray1 having followed the way of ,balaam of ,bosor who loved the wages of iniquity1 #b3af4 ,but had a check of his madness1 the dumb beast used to the yoke1 which1 speaking with man's voice1 forbade the folly of the prophet4 #b3ag4 ,these are fountains without water and clouds tossed with whirlwinds1 to whom the mist of darkness is reserved4 #b3ah4 ,for1 speaking proud words of vanity1 they allure by the desires of fleshly riotousness those who for a little while escape1 such as converse in error3 #b3ai4 ,promising them liberty1 whereas they themselves are the slaves of corruption4 ,for by whom a man is overcome1 of the same also he is the slave4 #b3bj4 ,for if1 flying from the pollutions of the world1 through the knowledge of our ,lord and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ1 they be again entangled in them and overcome3 their latter state is become unto them worse than the former4 #b3ba4 ,for it had been better for them not to have known the way of justice than1 after they have known it1 to turn back from that holy commandment which was delivered to them4 #b3bb4 ,for1 that of the true proverb has happened to them3 ,the dog is returned to his vomit2 and3 ,the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire4 #b ,peter ,chapter #c ,against scoffers denying the second coming of ,christ4 ,he declares the sudden dissolution of this world and exhorts to holiness of life4 #c3a4 ,behold this second epistle ,i write to you1 my dearly beloved1 in which1 ,i stir up by way of admonition your sincere mind3 #c3b4 ,that you may be mindful of those words which ,i told you before from the holy prophet and of your apostles1 of the precepts of the ,lord and ,saviour4 #c3c4 ,knowing this first3 ,that in the last days there shall come deceitful scoffers1 walking after their own lusts1 #c3d4 ,saying3 ,where is his promise or his coming8 ,for since the time that the fathers slept1 all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation4 #c3e4 ,for this they are wilfully ignorant of3 ,that the heavens were before1 and the earth out of water and through water1 consisting by the word of ,god3 #c3f4 ,whereby the world that then was1 being overflowed with water1 perished4 #c3g4 ,but the heavens and the earth which are now1 by the same word are kept in store1 reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of the ungodly men4 #c3h4 ,but of this one thing be not ignorant1 my beloved1 that one day with the ,lord is as a thousand years1 and a thousand years as one day4 #c3i4 ,the ,lord delayeth not his promise1 as some imagine1 but dealeth patiently for your sake1 not willing that any should perish1 but that all should return to penance1 #c3aj4 ,but the day of the ,lord shall come as a thief1 in which the heavens shall pass away with great violence and the elements shall be melted with heat and the earth and the works which are in it shall be burnt up4 #c3aa4 ,seeing then that all these things are to be dissolved1 what manner of people ought you to be in holy conversation and godliness8 #c3ab4 ,looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of the ,lord1 by which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved1 and the elements shall melt with the burning heat8 #c3ac4 ,but we look for new heavens and a new earth according to his promises1 in which justice dwelleth4 #c3ad4 ,wherefore1 dearly beloved1 waiting for these things1 be diligent that you may be found before him unspotted and blameless in peace4 #c3ae4 ,and account the longsuffering of our ,lord1 salvation3 as also our most dear brother ,paul1 according to the wisdom given him1 hath written to you3 #c3af4 ,as also in all his epistles1 speaking in them of these things2 in which are certain things hard to be understood1 which the unlearned and unstable wrest1 as they do also the other scriptures1 to their own destruction4 #c3ag4 ,you therefore1 brethren1 knowing these things before1 take heed1 lest being led aside by the error of the unwise1 you fall from your own steadfastness4 #c3ah4 ,but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our ,lord and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ4 ,to him be glory both now and unto the day of eternity1 ,amen4