of oure lorde Mar. 15. For first he was scourged vpon the heade he was smitten vpon the heade wyth a rede Iohn 18. And vpon the face One of the ministers whiche slode by the bishop smote hym on the face Mat. 27. Aud they dyd smyâ—e hym in the necke and ouer all his body And Pilate delyuerd Iesus that was scourged to be crucifyed And in this thynge it is to be noted that all such as do learne are wont to be scourged and beaâ—eÌ„ vpon the heade seruantes vpon the necke the whiche men thrust out of the house gilty persons vpon the face and sceleraâ—e persons thorowout all the body Also a faythfull soule muste consider that hee was scourged wyth the tonges of blasphemers dispisers and of those that cried oute and sayde Mat. 26. crucifie him and that smote hym wyth their handes as it is wrytten They smote hym on his face wyth the palme of their handes And with a rede and scourges As Mathew and Marke do testifie And to the heape of all iniuryes it maketh that the lorde of all lordes and rulers the whiche doth lose that be fetered and dothe illuminate the blynde was taken and bounde lyke a thefe Iohn 18. The Iewes ministers sayth Iohn toke Iesus and bounde him Also he was lesse estemed theÌ„ a thefe for the Iewes demaunded that Barrabas Luc. 23. should be loosed oure lorde to be crucified Mat. 27. yet Barrabas was a thefe and in seditioÌ„ had coÌ„mitted murther So that Barrabas was a murtherer a sediâ—ius person a famous thefe and in malyce sore diffamed forther more he was hanged and set betwene two theues as thoughe he had bene their maister and worste of all other For Iohn saith Iohn 19. And Iesus in the middes Forthermore we must way ponder that he was afflicted and punyshed in all the members and sences of his body His eies behelde and sawe those cruell tormentors And also his mooste mekest mother the whiche in soule was crucified his derely beloued disciple and the deuoute wemen that in minde suffered with him His eares did heare blasphemouse mocking iniurious and dispising wordes Likewyse hys nose by reason of the place in the whiche he was crucified where the misdoers were beheaded might with filthy slenche be offeÌ„ded His tast was noied because they gaue him wine mingled with myrre or vineger with gall to quenche his thurst withall wherby we may well vnderstand that the drinke which thei gaue him was very bitter His sense of feeling or touching sprede thorowout all his body felte paine in his members which wer scourged in his handes and feete Which were borde thorow with nayles It may be likewise coÌ„sidered Iohn 19. that he sustained losse in things longing and pertayning to his bodye For he was spoyled of hys raiment his frendes went from him Mar. 14. For his disciples for soke him ran awaye Thus he was afflicted as it is sayed in all partes of his body by his most bytter passion Also in hart and minde he suffered for he was sorye for his frendes that stode by and for his enemies that ignorauntly did crucify him And againe in a maner he sufferd was hurte in his good name fame Mat. 27. For they called him a seductor of the people Sir sayd the chefe of the priestes to Pilate we remeÌ„ber that this deceiuer said while he was yet a liue c. And yet we muste marke as touching the helthfull passioÌ„ of our Lord Iesu Christ that it was most fylthy most ignominius shameful be reasoÌ„ of the place because it was done in Ierusalem Wher he was knowen and honored and wher he had done many miracles Item because of the time day for it was done in the solempne feast of Ester when a greate multitude came together vnto the feast and he was led vnto his crosse and passion at nyne of the clocke to thenâ—ent he myghte bee sene and knowen of all menne And agayne it was most fylthy coÌ„sidering the kinde of death For it was the deathe of the crosse a death dewe vnto yll spoken menne yll doers and vniuste menne And the maner of goynge to his deathe Iesus wente forth bearynge his crosse the whiche thinge is not red of other two wicked persones which wer led with him Iohn 19. And again bi reason of his coÌ„panions For he was crucyfied betwixt ii theues asthough he had ben one of theÌ„ or the greatest or maister of them Forthermore the bitternes of hys blessed passyoÌ„ was increased by the naturall complection of our lords body For manifest it is that his holi bodi was of the best most purest coÌ„plectioÌ„ made fashioned by the worke of the holye goost without any faute or errour of nature and so his holye fleshe had no rebellion or fyght against the spirite And therfore the spirit did loue not without a good cause his body more then any other mans spirite or soule shuld loue his body Item the bitternes of his passion was agrauate by the continuaunce of the same For many marâ—irs that wer burnt or drowned or beheaded did accomplish and ende their martirdome very shortly But oure Lordes passion endured euen in a manner from thinstance of his conception vntil the houre of his death For he foreknewe mooste certenlye what his humanity shulde suffer but specially it continued from the tyme of his laste supper vntill the nynthe hour of the syxte daye folowyng And also it was aggrauate by the quality of the members in the which he suffred that is in his fete and handes the whiche are members full of neaues sinewes most ready to receiue dolor and pain And that our lordes passyoÌ„ was most bitter and very greuous it may be most chefely gathered by this that Luke sheweth for in his oration prayer had after supper hys sweate throughe the vehement imaginacion of the anguishe and paines that were to come Luc. 22. wer like droppes of bloude trickeling downe to the ground But that our Lord went frely and willingli vnto his passion that made it most gratious Mat. 26. Râ—â—e saith he let vs be going Behold he is at hande that shal betray me And Ihon saithe he went forth to mete the ministers that sought Iesus of Nazareth Iohn 18. and when they hard our Lord say I am he they wente backewardes and fell to the ground And when he was taken bounde ignominiousâ—y led away falsly accused buffeted be spued scourged mockingly crowned with thorne yet hee neuer shewed anye word or signe of impacience or trouble but shewed them manifolde benefites that so dyd handle him For hee healed the seruaunts eare that was cut of he spake many deuout and profitable wordes vnto theÌ„ and praid meekely for those that crucified him calliuge mooste swetely vppon his father beninglye excusinge them Luc. 23. sayinge father Forgeue them for they wotte not what they
12. iustelye thynkynge and relygyouslye of the resurrection There was a manne in Ierusalem whose name was Simeon Luke 2. And the same manne was iuste and godly and loked for the consolation of Israell Oure Lorde goynge and ascending vp into heauen commaunded his disciples that they should not depart frō Ierusalem Act. 1. but to waite for the promise of the father When Paule perceiued that the one parte were Saduces Act. 23. and the other Pharisies he cryed oute in the counsell Men and brethren I am a Pharisy the sonne of a Pharisye Of the hope and resurrectiō from death I am iudged The Apostle doth monishe Timothe to charge them which are ryche 1. Timo. 6. that they be not vse minded nor trust in vncertaine richesse but in the lyuing God ¶ Of the feare of God Capi. xxxviii Gen. 3. UNtill the time that our beatitude and saluation be confirmed and stablished there can be no security nor sauegarde for the angels in heauen our first parents in paradise did trespasse Lot euen amonge those that were moste wycked Gen. 19. was good and yet departynge from Sodom with his two doughters vpon the mountaigne he sinned The want and lack of the feare of God Gen. 20. is the cause of synne and therfore Abraham sayd vnto Abimelech I thoughte wyth my selfe sayinge Parauenture the feare of God is not in thys place and they shal slaye me The midwiues feared God and he made them houses Exo. 1. Our Lordes wil was to make the children of Israell sore afrayde and therfore he gaue them his law wyth thunder Exo. 20. fire lightnyng noyse of the trumpe smoking mountaine and other signes most terrible A man oughte not to truste in the honesty of hys parents 1. regu 8. for Abraham hadde manye euyll chyldren and but one good Samuell hadde two and both naughts Dauid had many that wer euil Salomon had one euil sōne and folish and there are found many examples of other After the children of Israell were gone ouer the red sea Exo. 14 and that Pharaos hoste was drowned the people feared the Lord and beleued our lord and his seruaunt Moses Abdias which was the gouernour of Achabs house 3. regu 8 feared greatlye the God of Israel For when Iezabel destroyed the prophets of our Lorde he toke an hundred prophetes and hyd them fifty men in one caue and fifty in an other and prouided breade and water for them The men which the kinge of Babilon sent to inhabite Samaria feared not God 4. reg 17 and therfore our Lorde sent Lions among them the whyche destroyed and slue them Iosaphat set iudges thorowout al the cities of Iuda 2. Para. 19 commaunding thē aboue al other thinges that the fear of God shoulde be wyth them and to do al thyng wyth diligence For ther is no vnrighteousnes with the Lord our God Tob. 1.2 The elder Tobias taught his sōne from hys youth vp to fear God and to refraine from all sinne and caused those that feared God to be caulde to dine and to be meary with hym And he fearing God more then the kyng toke the bodyes of the slaine and buryed them And Sara Raguels daughter in her oration and prayer to our Lord Tob. 3. confessed saying An husbande haue I consented to take not for my pleasure but in thy feare The yonger Tobias hys frendes with the fear of our Lorde Tob. 9. helde the feast of the maryage Iudith was a widowe of a verye good report wyth euerye one Iudith 8. for she feared oure Lord greatlye and there was no body that spake an euil word of her Amonge al other thinges that Iob is commended for Iob. 1.2 the fear of God is most specially touched And therfore he saide I haue euer feared God as the swelling waues and floudes Thys is specially spoken of a strōg woman Iob. 31. a woman that feareth oure lord is worthy to be praised When Eleazarus was tormented and pressed with plages 2. Mach. 6. sore martirdome he said Thou o Lord knowest that wheras I might be delyuered from death I suffer these sore paines of my bodye but in my mynde I am wel content to suffer them because I feare thee A greate tempest beinge moued in the sea Ionas 1. the shypmen in whose companye was Ionas caste hym into the sea and the sea lefte ragyng and the men feared our Lorde exceadynglye doyng sacrifices and making vowes vnto our lord If any lord ought to be feared because he maye geue vnto man muche good a great deale more should God be feared because he can geue the hiest and greatest goodnesse of all For Thobias saithe Tobi. 4. My sonne hee not afraid we shal haue great good if we feare God And because that god can geue that Mat. 10. that is euyil also Chryste doth say feare hym whych is able to destroye bothe soule and bodye into hell If the seruaunt vnto whome a talent was committed Luke 19. was greuouslye punished because he dyd not multipli and encrease the same but kepte it and brought it again bound in a napkin what shall become of him that doth wast and spende all that euer he hath luxuriously and as much as lyeth in hym doth cōtrary and against our Lord They shall be greuouslye punyshed that haue done wickedly And so it apeareth that they shall be confounded that haue not done the works of mercy Mat. 25. For it shal be thus said vnto them departe from hence ye cursed into euerlasting fire Simeon was a iuste man a fearful and loked for the redemptiō and consolation of Israell Luke 2. And the fearfull and deuoute men dressed Steuen that was stoned to death by the Iewes Act. 8. and made great lamentacion ouer him It is wrytten that the churche or congregations after Paules conuersyon was edyfied and walked in the feare of our Lorde and was repleanished by the comforte of the holye ghoste By the occasion of Cornelius that feared God Act. 10. Peter sayde In all people he that feareth god and worketh rightousnesse is accepted with him ¶ Of the fear wher with the euill feare those that be good ¶ Capi. xxxix ABimelech said vnto Abraham God is with the in al that thou dost Gen. 21 And therfore sweare vnto me euen here by God that thou wilt uot hurt me The Egiptians that followed the children of Israel passyng by the middest of the sea Exo. 14 saide Let vs flye from the face of Israell for the Lord fyghteth for them againste the Egyptyans Saule consideryng that our Lorde was with Dauid 1. reg 18 began to fear him The captaine ouer fifty that came the thirde tyme to Hely 4. reg 1. spake reuerentlye vnto him and because the other two dyd not so they were consumed with fire that came downe from heauen It happened that when the wall of
howe that he had sene our Lord in the waye and how he had done boldlye at Damasco in the name of Iesu. When Lysias the Tribune saw that the Iewes intreated Paule so cruellye he asked of hym Act. 21. Arte not thou that Egiptian whyche before those dayes madest an vprore and leddest oute into the wyldernesse 4000. men that were murtherers When the barbarous people and straungers saw the Uyper hange on Paules hande Act. 28. they sayde No doubte thys man is a murtherer thoughte that he should haue swolne or fallen downe dead sodenly ¶ That holye and good men suffer certaine thinges to be done but not gladlye ¶ Capi. lviii IAcob at the instance of his children Gen. 43. dyd permit and suffer hys well be loued sonne Beniamin to be led away and kept agaynste his wil for the necessitye and lacke of vitaile Moses suffred the Iewes that wer odious and spiteful to their wiues Deu. 24. to geue them a bill of deuorcement because he feared the murtherynge of theyr wiues Dauid considering his people set captains ouer them 2. re 18. And said vnto the people I wil goe with you also And the people aunsweared Thou shalt not go forth for thou shalt be coūted worth ten thousand of vs. Wherfore it is better that thou succour vs with in the City And he sayde vnto them what semeth you best that I wil do Symon knewe that Tryphon dyssembled and vsed gile and deceyte in his wordes desiring Ionathas two sonnes and a hundred talentes of siluer yet commaunded he the money and the children to be deliuered i. mach xi least parauenture he shoulde prouoke the enmite and euyll wyll of the people against him selfe Of Iustice and equitie Capitu. lix ABraham being minded and wel wyllyng to be seperated and diuided from Lot his brothers sonne Gen. 13. gaue him the option to chuse and to take what parte he would And thus maye a perticion be well made the elder to deuide the yonger to chuse Iacob sayd vnto Laban my iustice and my righteousnesse shall answere for me to morowe Gen. 30 Elizeus suffred the chyldren of the prophetes to seke Helias 4. re 2. leest haply the spirite of our Lorde had caste him some wheres And yet he knewe that they should labour in vaine Salphaads doughters peticion was iust euen by gods testimony witnes Num. 27 the which desired of Moses that they myght in herite theyr fathers inheritaunce and landes Kynge Adonibeseth was taken by the chyldren of Israell Iudi. 1. the whiche cut of his thombs and his great toes Then saied the king Thre score ten kinges hauing their thombes their greate toes cut of gathered the fragmentes vnder my table As I haue done so god hath doone to me againe After that Agag the king of the Amalakites was brought before Samuel 1. reg 15 Samuel sayd vnto him Thy swerde hath made women childlesse so shall thy mother be childlesse aboue other women Dauid saied vnto Saul that vniustly persecuted him 1. re 26 Our lorde reward euery man accordinge to his righteousnesse and fayth Dauid ordened in a maner it was taken for a lawe 1. re 30. that as his parte is that goeth downe fighteth so shall his parte be that tarieth at the stuffe Dauid would not accept the thressinge floure of Arama for naughtes the whiche he myght haue hadde so 2. reg 24 but he bought it at a iust price When Tobias harde the kyd cry Tob. 2 He sayed Looke that it be not stolen restore it againe to the owners for it is not lawful for vs to eat or to touch any thinge of thefte Proude and vniuste Aman by the commaundemente of kynge Abasuerus Esth. 7.9 was hanged on the selfe same galous that he hadde made for Mardocheus And on the same daye the Iewes enemies wer slaine by the Iewes the whiche they hadde thought to haue slayne Ieremy prophesiynge against Babilon sayeth Iere. 50 Recompence her as she hath deserued and accordinge as she hath done so deale with her againe Kinge Darius commaunded those menne whiche hadde accused Daniell to be caste into the Lyons denne Dani. 6 and the Lyons or euer they came at the grounde tooke them and brake al theyr bones a sonder The people dydde to those oulde Preastes whiche accused Susanna Dani. 13 as they hadde doone agaynste their neighboures for they put theym to death and slewe them Antiochus caused Andronichus to be striped out of his purple clothing 2. Mac. 4 and to bee slayne in the same place Wher he vniustly put Onias the hye preaste to death The cruell and wicked Iason that hadde caste many one out vnburyed 2. Mach. 5 was throwne out him selfe no man mourning for him so that he neither enioyed the buriall of a straunger nether was partaker of hys fathers sepulcher Antiochus the homicide and blasphemer was sore plaged euen as he hadde intreated and plaged other 2. Mach. 9 so he died a miserable death in a straūge countrey vpon a mountaine Oure lorde dyd merytoriouslye reuoke the whole debte Math. 18 that he liberally forgaue the wicked and vngratiue seruaunte because he would not forgeue his felowe an hundred pence that he oughte him ¶ Of the good and euill iudgemētes of men Capi. lx A Iudge oughte most diligentely to search oute the cause that he is ignorante in Gen. 11.18 for it is sayed that god from whome nothinge can be hid came downe to se the city which the children of Adam buylded and likewise he sayeth I wyll go downe and see whethere they haue done in dede accordinge to that crye which is come vnto me or not Iudas vniustly cōmaūded Thamar his doughter in lawe to be burned Gen. 38. Iosephs master geuinge to muche credit to the wordes of his wife Gen. 39. put him in prison Causes of smale importaūce as Iethro counseled Moses ought to be determined by the lower iudges Exo. 18 causes of greate importaunce by the hier magistrates and rulers Moses gaue none of the .xii. oxen and .vi. charettes to the chyldren of Caath Num. 7. although thei wer nie akinne vnto him But he gaue al to the other Leuits because that they being burdened with heuier thinges had more nede of them thē the other Moses counseled with our lorde for the doughters of Salphaad Nume 27. And oure lorde made him this answer if a man dye and haue no sonne hys enheritaunce shall turne to his doughter It was Moses minde and will Nume 32 that the chyldren of Ruben and other that desyred to inhabite the land that was now required and gotten shoulde go armed to battayle before the children of Israell vntil the other countres were subdued and gotten Of Samuels children it is written that they turned a syde after Lucre 1. reg 8. toke rewards peruerted the right Dauid at
regu 12. that I shoulde cease to pray for you and I wil teach you a ryght waye and a good When Dauid sawe the Aungell that smote the people 2. regu 24. he offerd him selfe to be beate for them let thyne haÌ„d I praye the tourne agaynst me Al they of Israel hard of the iudgement whyche the kynge had iudged betwene the two wemen 3. regu 3. and they feared the kynge for they saw that the wysedome of God was in him to do iustice It is a signe and a token that oure Lorde dothe loue the people when he geueth them a good prelate 3. regu 9. For the Quene of Saba saied our Lord loued Israell and therefore he made the king ouer it to do equity righteousnes 3. regu 20. Oure Lorde beynge purposed and wyllinge to deliuer the king of Siria into the kinge of Israels handes sent him worde by his prophet that the kinge shoulde beginne to fighte and geue battaile As longe as Ioiada the byshoppe lyued 4. regu 12. Ioas the kynge of Iuda was good and did that whyche was good in the sighte of oure Lorde But the byshoppe beynge dead he did muche harme Iosaphat the kinge of Iuda set iudges in the lande ouer the people and dyd faithfullye 2. Para. 19. and wysely instruct them Take hede sayeth he what ye do for ye execute not the iudgemeÌ„t of man but of God whiche is wyth you in the iudgemente Wherefore nowe let the feare of God bee vpon you and take hede and be doynge the thinge that pleaseth hym for there is no vnrighteousnesse with the Lord oure GOD that he shoulde haue any respecte of persons or take rewardes Hezechias kinge of Iuda caused thâ— brasen serpent to be broken in peces 4. regu 18. because it was vnto the people an occasion of committinge ydolatry The postes wente with letters thorowoute all Israell and Iuda at the kynges commaundemente and hys Lordes 2. Para. 30. sayinge Turne againe vnto oure Lorde c. As Esdras was prayinge and wepyng for the transgression of the people 1. Esd. 9. there resorted vnto him a greate company of men and women and the people folowinge his ensample wept and lamented very sore Eliachim the hye preast hearinge of the power of Holofernes Iudith 4. wente rounde aboute all Israell and spake vnto them sayinge Be ye sure that oure Lorde wyll heare youre petitions if ye contynue stedfaste in fasstinges and prayers in the syghte of oure LORDE And thus he comforted the people wyth good exhortations A good prelate must be as a good father vnto the people coÌ„mitted vnto him For it is writteÌ„ by Esai of Eliachim whome oure lorde set and dyd constitute in Sobnas the rulers place Esa. 22. he shall be as a father of such as dwel in Ierusalem After that Iudas Machabeus was dead 1. mach 9. ther spronge vp wicked persons throughout all costes of Israell and exhorted all such as did euyll to wickednes And in those daies there was greate hunger c. When men thought that Ionathas was slayne by Tryphon 1. Mach. 12. Then all the heathen that were rounde aboute them soughte to destroye them For they saied now haue they no captain nor any man to helpe them Therfore now let vs ouercome them and rote out their name from amonge men It is well sayed that the prudencye and pitye of Onias the hye preaste 1. Mach. 3. and the goodnesse of other godly subiectes was the cause of peace and good estate of the holy citye Onias did wel resyste Heliodorus goynge aboute to spoyle the temple 2. mac 3. and to take awaye suche thynges as was layed vp for wyddowes and fatherlesse chyldren Our sauiour and lord Iesus where he calleth him selfe a good shepherde Iohn 10. by and by he submitteth the cause sayinge a good shepharde geueth his lyfe for the shepe And agayne I geue my lyfe for the shepe Whereby he dothe vs to vnderstande what thinge is required that a maÌ„ may be called a good shephearde When our Sauiour after his resurrection was mynded to committe the coÌ„gregation of the church to Peter first he proued him Iohn 22. saying SimoÌ„ louest thou me more then these And note that he examined him of dilection not of knowledge not of practice or contemplation but of the dede not of the lawe Nor he asked hym not once but thryee If thou loue me fede my shepe clyppe them not nor slaye them For whye a good prelate muste feede hys shepe wyth worde example and bodely foode Peter perceyuinge that the Iewes marueled and iudged euyll of the discyples lifted vp his voyce and sayde vnto them Act. 1. Ye menne of Iewrye c. where he defendeth his flocke mooste constantly and most holsomlye ouercommeth his aduersaries We maye consider here by Paule the prelate of all excellent goodnesse that dilection dothe mooste specyallye pertaine to a good prelate Iohn 10. For the prince and chefest of all pastoures did so loue his sheape that hee gaue hys life for hys sheape The whych loued theym euen to the latter ende And Paule was meruelous feruente in that kynde of dilectyon and loue And therefore he saide I wyll verye gladlye bestowe and wyll be bestowed for your soules 2. Cor. 12. thoughe the more I loue you the lesse I am loued agayne Item there oughte to bee in a prelate the science knowledge of scripture Chuse and loue the lyghte of wisedome Sapi. 6. the which doth profyt the people Or elsse howe can he dyscerne Leprosy 1. Cor. â— 3 from no Leprosye or iudge the people coÌ„mitted vnto him Paule had an excellent knowledge bothe in deuine humain matters he gaue vnto babes in Christ milke to dryncke spake wisdome among those that are perfect And he was takeÌ„ vp into the third heauen 2 Cor. 12. harde secreat wordes which no man can vtter The loue of subiectes and knowledge of scriptures causeth a presydent or a prelate to be dilygent Roma 12. Lette him saithe Paule that ruleth doe it with diligence The which solicitude and diligence Paule vsed mooste feruently towardes his neighbors And therfore he saithe beside the thynges whych outwardlye happen vnto me I am combred dailye and do care for all Congregatyons 2. Cor. 11. And in a nother place I woulde ye knewe how great solicitude care that I haue for you Collo 2. Of and by these three foresayd thynges thinstruction of the learned doth follow and therfore our Lorde dothe promyse by Ieremy sayinge I wyll geue you herdmen after mine owne minde whiche shall â—eade you wyth learning and wisdome As Artaxerzes said to Esdras and to the iudges of the people 1. Esd. 7. Teache the vnlearned frelye the whiche thynge Paule the doctor of the heathen hath done euidently teaching the vniuersall world other by word or wryting a teacher of the gentiles wyth faythe