Ierusalē the feast of the dedicacion and it was winter And Iesus walked in the temple euen in Salomons porche Than came the Iewes rounde about him and sayde vnto him How long doest thou make vs doubt If thou be Christ tell vs playnly When Iesus had tolde a long tale of these thinges that were straunge vnhearde of and far aboue the common capacitie of most men there fel a newe iar in opinions among the people for some sayde that whiche they had already many tymes sayed whensoeuer he disclosed theyr secrete conspiracies or if he spake or did any thyng aboue the power of manne he hath the deuyll saye they and is madde For the wordes whiche he speaketh lacke common sence What pleasure is it to heare this felowe Againe some folke els sayde these be no suche mans wordes as is in the deuils daunger For his woordes smelleth of the power of God specially for as muche as his deedes be agreable to his wordes As his wordes be suche be his dedes He speaketh thinges farre passing mans wit but the same doth thinges which far excede mans power Can a mad man and he that is possessed with a deuil open blinde mens iyes It is the propertie of deuils to put out ones iyes that seeth but to geue fyght to him that is borne blind cummeth of the power of God Forasmuche than as it is euident that that thyng is doen by hym hys talke cannot procede of a noysome deuil whose dedes appereth playne to come from a beneficiall God The Lorde Iesus maketh no aunswere to thys altercacyon teachyng vs by the way that the wieked are not alway to be striuen with in wordes and that by dedes it is rather to bee declared what we can dooe than by woordes and sumtimes place is to bee geuen to the furie of the eiuil sorte nor the moderate temperaunce of the ghospell is at any tyme to bee forgotten After all thys the feastful daye ministred newe matter to sette in hande and dispute with hym agayne That solemne feaste was than whiche they call the dedicacyon of the temple for because the temple was reedefyed and repayred after the exile that was made at Hierusalem by the Persians Neyther was Iesus absent at this feasteful daye a newe maker of the law and of a new temple that is to say the churche chefe deuyser and maister of the woorkes And it was winter A full very mere tyme for theyr myndes whiche throughe loue of the colde lawe dyd not burne in the loue of the ghospell Therfore Iesus was not nowe in the inner parte of the temple but walked in the porche which ioyneth to the temple that is called Salomons temple to the intent that the very place shoulde declare that peacemaker to be presente whiche shoulde reconcyle all thynges in heauen and earth There walked truely the aucthor of the lawe of the ghospel Moses lawe being nowe at a poynte to cease The Iewes therefore leste he should escape theyr handes came rounde about him whyle he was walkyng there sore moued with many of his sayinges and dooynges neyther dyd they well agree among themselues some maliciously fynding faulte with al thing some gathering of hys dedes and wordes a certain thing to be honored in him aboue mannes power And they set vpon hym with these woordes Howe long wilt thou kepe vs in a doubtful mynde and therewith sette the people on a rore If thou bee that verye Messias whome we looke for tell it vs openly without all colour Iesus aunswered them I tolde you and ye beleue not The workes that I doe in my fathers name they beare witnes of me But ye beleue not because ye are not of my shepe as I sayd vnto you My shepe heare my voyce and I know them and they folow me and I geue vnto them eternal life and they shal neuer perishe neyther shal any man plucke them out of my hande My father whiche gaue them me is greatter than all and no man is able to take them out of my fathers hande I and my father are one But although Iesus was not ignoraunt that they dyd demaunde of a peruerse mynde this thing whiche they had both oftentymes hearde and myght also haue perceiued the same by his doinges yet he maketh them a gentle aunswere more desyrous to enstruct them then to angre them What nedeth it me sayth he so often to speake of my selfe and tell who I am namely forasmuch as if I doe openly testifie the trueth ye call the recorde therof arrogancie I haue already tolde you if ye woulde beleue me who I am Yea though ye dooe not credite my woordes yet ye cannot be ignoraunt of the thyng whiche ye desyre knowe of me There is no surer profe than dedes Ye see my doynges which your selues doe witnesse I doe at my fathers will and not the deuilles as some doe misreporte If my actes be worthie to bee imputed to God beleue that I am sente of God But ye dooe neyther beleue my dedes nor my woordes whereof I am not the cause but your owne corrupte and suspiciouse mynde They that meane well and playnelye and bee not polluted with the naughtynesse of thys worlde beeleue my woordes and lyke good shepe knowe the voyce of a good shepeherd and semblably I knowlage them for my shepe though after the worlde they be poore sely thinges But ye therfore doe not knowledge my voyce because ye are not of the number of my shepe whose simplicitie is lightely taughte when as youre myndes be swollen with ambicion leuened with malice with enuie corrupted infected with couetousnes and with sundrie affeccions of this worlde defyled from whiche vices if ye would purge your minde verely euen you also should heare my voice neither should you so doe without benefit For first of al ye should therby auoide death which hangeth ouer all rebels agaynst the sonne of God moreouer ye shall obteyne therby euerlasting life For of trueth those my shepe how simple and vnlerned soeuer they be after the iudgement of the worlde as long as they doe knowleage me the shepeherde and all the while they folow me as gyde dooe through my liberalitie get euerlasting life when as other that are taken in the worlde for men of great felicitie goe to euerlastyng death They be symple shepe harmelesse weake lacking all worldely succour The world riseth against these with all engiens and force But the aduersarye shall not haue so greate power that he shall be hable to take them out of my handes The world hath auctoritie of phariseis dignitie of priestes it hath armed kynges hye magistrates iudges places of iudgement prisones cheines roddes axes broddes to pricke with exile deathes whatsoeuer is wont to bring feare yea euen to stedfast myndes On the other syde it hath riches pleasures dignities honours and what soeuer is wont to corrupt most vncorrupt myndes The world vseth all these engines to plucke my shepe out of my handes but I beeyng theyr
The first tome or volume of the Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the newe testamente Enpriented at London in Fletestrete at the signe of the sunne by Edwarde Whitchurche the last daie of Ianuarie Anno. Domini 1548. Cum priuilegio Regali ad imprimendum solum EW To the moste puissaunt prince and our moste redoubted soueraigne Lord Edward the sixthe by the Grace of God King of Englande Fraunce and Irelande defendour of the faith and on yearth next and immediatly vnder God of the Churches of Englande and Irelande the supreme head your moste humble louyng and obedient subiecte Nicolas Udal wisheth al grace and peace from God with long and thesame moste prosperous Reigne ouer vs in all honour health and condigne felicitie MOste noble and moste worthie Soueraigne it myght in me so basse and simple a persone appeare no small presumpcion to write vnto your Emperiall Maiestie were not the cause of our publique gratulacions so iust and so greate that no manne what euer he bee hauyng occasion to wryte maye thynke hymselfe voyde of cryme if he shoulde omytte to declare and testifie the vnestimable comforte and ioye whiche your vniuersall moste louyng and obedient subiectes daily more and more doe take of your Maiesties singuler good procedinges and most excellent towardnesse For where by the space of many yeres vntil it pleased the goodnesse of God to sende you vnto vs the earneste prayers of all Englande was that we might haue a Prynce and after the tyme of your natiuitie whan God had so gracyously heard our peticions we eftsons prayed that ye myght haue grace to folowe the godly steppes and proceadynges of your moste noble father euerye man seeth nowe in your Maiestee suche towardenes of vertue and godly zele that we haue conceyued no lesse then an vndoubted hope that ye wyll by Goddes gouernaunce ferre passe your saied father to whom our daily wysshinges and prayers thought it enough to haue you eguall We all see in your highnesse suche liuely sparkes of vertue and Christian regiment toward that we cannot but thynke Englande the moste fortunate Royalme that euer was to whome God hath geuen suche a Kyng as in his minoritye of tendre babehood learneth to haue mynde on his funccion and to considre whose mynistre he is If Royalmes after the saiyng of Plato are than and neuer els in blissed state whan eyther Philosophiers that is to saye suche as knowe and loue God doe reigne ouer thesame or els the Kynges geue themselues to philosophie that is to saye to the due knowledge of God to the disciplyne of vertue and to the vpryght execucion of their office towardes all people howe happye are we Englishmen of suche a Kyng in whose chyldehood appereth as perfeict grace vertue godly zele desire of literature grauitie prudence iustice magnaniraitie as hath heretofore been found in Kinges of most mature age of ful discrecion of auncient reigne and of passing high estimacion But suche is the goodnesse of God that to a people eagerly hongreyng and thrysting his iustice earnestly sekyng the wayes of his trueth tendrely enbracyng his moste holy woorde readily acceptyng the grace of his ghospel wyllyngly conformyng themselfes to the sincere doctryne of his commaundementes he forgeateth not to geue a sapient Kyng and gouernour And that God hath of a singuler fauoure and mercye towardes this Royalme of Englande sente youre grace to reigne ouer vs the thyng selfe by the whole processe doeth declare the summe whereof I shal in a short discourse no more but briefly touche passe ouer leste I might seme rather to haue sought an occasioÌ„ in the waye of flatery to extolle you and your progenie then as this present cause enforceth me to geue due testimonie of the trueth In dede your singular excelleÌ„cie in al kindes of princely towardenesse is such that no place no tyme no cause no booke no person either in publique audience or els in priuate couÌ„paignie maketh any mencion of your Maistie but he thynketh hymself euen of a veray conscience bouÌ„d to powdre thesame with manyfold praises of your incoÌ„parable vertues giftes of grace Al which prayses magnifying though they bee in dede muche inferiour to your moste woorthye desertes hytherto yet your maiestie muste take and repute not as a matter of insolencie by your moste louyng and faithful subiectes ministred vnto you but rather as a thyng wrought in them by the instincte of god to admonishe you of the Regal estate that he hath called you vnto not as a prouocacioÌ„ of wordelye gloriyng in your self but as an instrumente of admonicion to continue you in remembraunce of thankes geuing and of discharging youre office not as the baites of flatery meaning to fede your Maiestie in any conceipte of pryde but rather as a glasse wherein to beholde your self what ye are and how ye ought to continue not as the pleasaunt ticleing or clawyng of adulacion but rather as a caucion that ye dooe nothing in all your life whereby ye maye bee founde or thought vnwoorthie the laude that is geueÌ„ you and finally not as a nourishmente of any humam vanitie but rather as a spur of exhortacion not onely to beware â—hat ye goe not backe ne degenerate or decline from the godly trade of religioÌ„ of vertue of litterature of prudeÌ„ce of benigâ—itie of iustice of princely regiment that ye are nowe entred into but also that ye procede as ye haue begoonne and still goe forwarde encreasyng in all godlinesse that your procedynges and consummacion maie bee aunswerable to your moste princely and Christian begynnynges Neyther is there any subiect of yours worthie life whiche woulde to any other ende or purpose attempt to magnifye you in thys tendre age but in hope that if ye bee not alreadye come to the perfeccion propouned vnto you ye wyll labour and contende as age maye suffre to growe and reache vnto it For if Philip of Macedonie being an ethnike and a pagane Kyng whan he was railed at and muche euil spoken of by the Atheniens toke therof an occasioÌ„ well to reigne gouerne his people alleagyng himself to bee enforced and coÌ„streigned theruÌ„to that he might proue his enemyes vntrue men of their reportes howe muche more necessitie of well doyng is incumbent to your highnesse that ye maye in tyme comyng verifie the praises and coÌ„mendacions whiche the publyque consent of the worlde dooeth nowe attribute vnto you Howebeeit we your moste feythfull louyng subiectes dooe nothyng doubte but that God beeyng the geuer of all good gyftes the father of all mercie and the God of all coumforte who of his infinite goodnesse hath prouided you to reigne ouer vs wyll also in suche wyse directe all your wayes that he wyll euydentely declare hymself by his eternall wysedome and by his counsayll inscrutable to haue purposely ordeyned and appoynted you to dooe high thynges whome he hath by his myghtifull arme so woondrefully sent For where your moste noble father of famous memorie Kyng
with them diuerse sicke and diseased and he healed them there And the Phariseis came vnto him and tempted him and said vnto him Is it lawful for a man to make a diuorcement with his wyfe for any maner of cause He answered and said vnto them haue ye not red how that he whiche made man at the beginnyng made them maÌ„ and woman and sayde For this cause shall a man leaue father and mother and shall cleaue vnto his wife and they twayne shal be one fleshe Wherfore now they are not twayne but one flesh Let no man therfore separate that god hath coupled together They saied vnto him why dyd Moses then commaund to geue a testimoniall of diuorcement and to put her away He sayed vnto them Moses because of the hardnes of your hertes suffered you to put away your wiues but from the beginnyng it was not so I saye vnto you whosoeuer putteth away his wife except it â—e for fornicacioÌ„ maryeth another he coÌ„mitteth aduoutrie And who so marieth hee whiche is diuorced doeth committe aduoutrye And agayne the Phariseis seyng so many wonders and the loue of the multitude towarde Iesus beganne to renewe theyr enuye agayne Who craftilye and subtillye came vnto hym takyng occasion of the communicacion wherewith he taughte before that the wyfe ought not to bee repudiate and cast of Therfore they propose a question with two pykes whether it wer lawful for a maÌ„ to cast of his wife for euery cause And if he had answered It is lawefull he should seme contrary to hymselfe wheras he taught that diuorce is not lawfull yf he had denyed it he should seme to haue bene agaynst Moses lawe whiche doeth permitte for euery cause to geue a boke of diuorce and to sende her away But Iesus so doeth tempre and ordre the answere that he hurteth not the authoritie of Moses nor recanteth not his doctrine and stoppeth the mouthe of the Phariseis whiche were skilful in the law by the authoritie of the lawe Haue ye not red ê™ he that whan god made mankynde he ordered the fyrste matrimonie so that one was coupled vnto one with a knot that could not be broken For he made bothe man and woman of one piece that by the imbracyng of these mankind should spryng further and by and by expressyng the indissoluble knotte of the man and of the wyfe not Moses but God himself the maker of the mariage said For this mutuall charitie man shall forsake father and mother and bee fastened and coupled vnto his wyfe And this couplyng shal be so strayt and fast that of two in maner shal be made one person which before wer two Therfore once ioyned in matrimonie they be not now two but one bodie in so muche that it is as farre agaynst nature to separate the wife from the manne as to cut awaye a membre from the bodye Therfore that whiche God hath knyt once together with so strayte a bonde let no man separate Here the Phariseis thinkyng that they had caughte nowe an occasion to catche Iesus yf god ê™ they meant this that thou doest say why than dyd Moses geue husbandes leaue to caste of theyr wyfe for euery cause so that they geue her a boke of diuorce how durst he permit that which god would not to be doen Iesus answered He dyd not permit you this because it was ryght and good of nature but knowyng the hardnes of your hart he suffered the lesser ill that ye shoulde not commit the greater For he doeth not allow diuorce whiche had rather suffer that than murdre And the boke of diuorce doeth not make that the diuorce is right good but it witnesseth thy hardnes whiche wilâ—e cast of thy wyfe for euery light cause and prouydeth her of a new husband takyng away libertie from the that thou shalt not cal her agayn once cast of But from the beginnyng whereas the malice of man was not yet increaced nor the nature of manne was not yet infected with so many vices because there was not so cruell hatred that poysonyng or murdre should be feared there was no lycence of diuorce and the same law shall not nowe be loced and set at libertie after that the doctrine of the Ghospell doeth renewe and make perfecte the synceritie of nature Moses wisshed the same that I doe teache but your maners bent ouer muche vnto murdre put hym in feare that he durste not require this of you I who doe not abolishe the lawe but make it more perfecte playnely saye vnto you that it is vnlawfull and agaynste the mynde of God and agaynste the wyll of Moses whiche ye doe commonlye refusyng your wyues for euery cause And it is not therefore ryghte that ye doe because ye doe it withoute punyshemente There be many myscheuous thynges before God whiche be not punyshed by mannes lawes Therefore ye shall vnderstande that whosoeuer casteth of his wyfe for euery cause and maryeth an other both committeth aduoutrye hym selfe and geueth also a cause of aduoutrye to his wyfe vnlesse she whom he doeth leaue of hath deserued diuorcemente by aduoutrye For she that hath geuen an other manne lybertie ouer her ceasseth nowe to be wife and hath taken awaye from her selfe the ryghte of matrimonye the fleshe beyng deuided whiche God woulde haue to be one and vndeuided But he that for suche causes leaueth his wyfe for whiche ye oftentymes doe caste her of yf he couple hymselfe to an other it is not matrimonie but aduoutrye And who so maryeth her so caste of he maryeth not his owne wyfe but an other mannes and therfore he doeth not marye but committeth aduoutrye But the whole of all these mischiefes doeth redounde to hym that is the refuser and caster of For first he is stubburne and cruell whiche neyther could beare his wyues faulte nor would goe about to amend it Furthermore he geueth her that is driuen out of his house whiche cannot lyue without a husband an occasion to commit aduoutrye His disciples said vnto him if the matter be so betwene man and wife than it is not good to mary He said vnto them All men cannot comprehende this saiyng saue they to whom it is geuen For there are sum chaste which are so borne out of their mothers wombe And there are sum chaste whiche be made chaste of men And there be chaste whiche hath made themselfes chaste for the kyngdome of heauens sake He that can take it let hym take it The disciples hearyng these thynges say vnto Iesus If maryed menne be in this case that they cannot be dispatched from theyr wyfe yf she dysplease them it is better to forbeare matrimonie For it is an harde bondage to suffer at home a waywarde a brawlyng and a dronken woman or elles paynfulâ— and greuous with sum other lyke fault Iesus did not reproue the answer of his disciples whom he desired to be free from the bondage of matrimonie because of preachyng of the ghospell but he doeth
crucifyed Pylate perceyuyng that prouyng all wayes and meanes he preuayled nothyng but that the tumulte of the people was styred vp more he assoyled Iesus before that he condemned hym For in the presence of the people he toke water and washed hys handes saying I am innocente from the bloude of this iuste manne ye be the authours of his deathe and not I the vengeaunce of the innocent bloude shall lyght vpon youre head Yet the vnhappie Iewes were not feared with thys saying but the whole people cryed out altogether Let hys bloude lighte vpon vs and vpon our chyldren They wished destruccyon to them and to theyr successoures But Chryste more gentile towarde them than they were themselues hath repelled none from pardone and forgeuenes so that they doe repente For many afterwardes dyd wurshyppe the Crosse of Chryste whiche than cryed in the multytude vp with hym vp with hym crucyfie hym Therefore Pylate ouercome with theyr stiffe madnes gaue vnto them Barrabas the authour of sedicyon and a murderer and condemned by all mennes iudgementes yea before iudgemente But after the maner of Rome whan Iesus was scourged he deliuered him to be crucifyed ¶ Than the souldiers of the president toke Iesus in the common hall and gathered to him al the coumpany And they stripped him and put on him a purple robe and platted a crowne of thornes and put it on his head and a reede in his ryghte hande and bowed the knee before him and mocked hym saying All hayle the kyng of Iewes And whan they had spit on hym they tooke the reede and smote hym on the head And after they had mocked hym they tooke of agayne the robe and put on him his owne garmentes and toke him away to crucifie him Than the souldiers of the presidente after that they had receiued Iesus in the courte gathered the whole garde about hym cruelly to take theyr pleasure by mocking of the innocent partely folowyng theyr owne naughtye disposicyon partely prouoked by the Iewes And because they hearde that he made himselfe king of the Iewes they in manner hitting him in the teeth because being such an abiect he woulde proudely clyme vp to a kyngdome they spoyled him of hys owne garmentes and put vpon hym a purple garmente that is to saye a kyngly robe After that in the stede of a dyademe they sette a crowne vpon hys heade made of thornes In the stede of a scepter they gaue hym a reede in hys right hande And nowe as salutyng theyr newe kyng they kneele downe before him and mocke hym saying Hayle king of Iewes Nor beyng contente with these despites they spit vpon hym and stryke hys heade crowned with thornes with the reede that they gaue hym in stede of a mace And whan they omytted no manner of despyte he suffered all thynges with great meekenes to shewe vnto hys a perfecte exaumple of pacience Therfore after that the souldiers had satisfyed the myndes and the iyes of the company with all kindes of mockes and skornes they plucke of his robe agayne and put on hys owne apparell that he mighte be the better knowen of all menne And as they came out they founde a man of Cyren named Syman him they compelled to beare hys Crosse. And they came to the place whiche is called Golgatha that is to saye a place of dead mennes sculles and gaue him vineger to drinke mingled with gall And whan he had tasted ther of he woulde not drynke Than they bring furth Iesus out of the courte bearing his crosse And as they wente they founde one Symon a Cyrenyan whome they forced to beare the crosse of Iesus and they came into the place where he shoulde be crucified whiche of the Syreans is called Golgatha that is the place of Caluarie because it was horrible with bones and sculles of them that were put to death Here that no parte of hys body shoulde bee free from tormentyng or that no mocking or skornyng should be let passe they offered him a cup of drinke tempered with vineger and gall that it myghte be fulfylled whiche is written in the prophecye They gaue me gall to eate and in my thyrste they gaue me vineger to drynke And whan Iesus had tasted he woulde not drynke Whan they had crucyfyed hym they parted his garmentes and caste lottes that it myghte be fulfilled whiche was spoken by the prophete They deuyded my garmentes emong them and vpon my â—esture dyd chep caste lottes And they sate and watched hym there and set vp ouer his deade the cause of hys deathe written This is Iesus the kyng of the Iewes Than were there crucified with him two thenes oâ—â— on the righte hande and another on the lefte But after that they had crucified him they deuided emong them the garmentes of Iesus As for hys coate whiche was so wouen that it coulde not bee rypped they cast lottes that the saying of the Prophet might be fulfilled They deuyded my garmentes emong them and vpon my coate they caste lottes And fyttyng by the crosse they kepte hym that no man shoulde take hym awaye Also a title in mockage was sette vpon the crosse Thys is Iesus the king of Iewes The whiche notwithstanding was more honourable than the Iewes coulde suffer For they were in hande with Pilate that this title might be corrected and it shoulde not be put kyng of Iewes but he made hym selfe kyng of Iewes And in thys thyng onely they suffered Pylate to haue the higher hande Also this was procured of the Iewes that two theues shoulde bee crucifyed with hym so that Iesus beyng in the myddest shoulde haue one on the righte hande and an other on the lefte hande that he might be taken of all men both vayne himselfe and a deceiuer and lyke vnto them with whome he was matched They that passed by reuyled hym waggyng theyr heades and saying Thou that destroyedâ—â—â— the temple of God and buylded it in three dayes saue thy selfe If thou arte the sonne of god come downe from the crosse Lykewise also the hyghe priestes and the Scrybes and elders mocked hym sayinge He saued other hymselfe he cannot saue If he bee the king of Israell let him come downe nowe from the crosse and we will beleue hym He trusted in god let hym delyuer hym nowe yf he will haue hym For he sayde â–ª I am the sonne of God The theues also whiche were crucified with him cast the same in his teeth The crueltie of the Iewes was not yet sacyate and filled with these so greate mischieues They scorne and reuile him beyng crucifyed and passing by they railed on him and shaking theyr heades they mocked him saying fie on thee art thou he that hurlest downe the temple of God and in three dayes makest it vp agayne Thou didest promise healthe to others now saue thy selfe Thou didest boast thee to be the sonne of God now than come down from the crosse Likewise also the heades of the priestes with the Scrybes and the semoures of the
of a peuishe wenche he caused his head to be striken of Howbeit the fauour of Pylate was more constant then so but yet in conclusyon he deliuered hym to be crucified And this was doen leste any that professeth the trueth of the ghospell should trust vpon any worldly ayde and succour Then the souldiers because they woulde the more take theyr pleasure on hym in puttyng hym to shame and villany called together the whole garison of theyr companions and in mâ—â—kage clothed him with a garment of purple as it had been with a kynges robe theÌ„ put they on his head a croune platted of thornes in the stede of a diademe and being thus disguised they began with one voice to salute hym saying Hayle kyng of the Iewes Furthermore they strake his head with a rede whiche they gaue him in his hande in the stede of a scepter dyd also spit vpon hym and bowyng theyr knees wurshypped him Iesus all this while helde his peace paciently yelded to al theyr dispitefull doynges transportyng vnto his owne persone that shame and villanye whiche was due vnto our offences because to aduaunce vs vnto his glorye ¶ And when they had mocked hym they toke the purple of him and put his owne clothes on him and led hym out to crucifie hym And they compelled one that passed by called Simon of Cyrene the father of AlexaÌ„der and Rufus which came out of the felde to beate his crosse And thei brought him to a place named Golgotha which is if a man interprete it the place of dead mens sculles And they gaue him to drinke wine mingled with Mirre but he receyued it not These thynges doen they toke of agayne the purple garment and put on his owne clothes to th eÌ„tent that carying his crosse amoÌ„g misdoers he might be discerned and knowen of euery body And this the malycious priestes caused to be done because they would the more aliâ—nate and withdraw all meÌ„nes mindes from hym As they were goyng to the place of execucion they met a certayne felow called Simon of Cyrene the father of AlexaÌ„der and Rufus cuÌ„myng from his ferme whome makyng refusall to beare Christes crosse the souldiers notwithstandyng he was a ryche man and of theyr acquaintaunce did of a souldiourly malapertnes compell maugre on his head to beare it not because to fauour or ease Iesus but for the spedier finishyng of the execucion Some men necessitie constrayneth to embrace the crosse of Iesu But this is a blessed necessitie that driueth a man to saluacion The apostles enforce no maÌ„ to go to Christ but the souldiers vsed compulsion Howbeit the violence of these naughtie packes hath bene many a mannes saluacion They broughte hym into a place slaunderous and reprocheful by reason that suche as trespaced the lawe there suffred execucion called in the Syrian tong Golgotha in Latine Caluaria the whiche word implieth in Englishe a place of dead meÌ„s sculles There gaue they him wine mingled with myrre to drinke For wyne is customablie geuen to men when they be a passyng Howbeit that wyne for so much as it was corrupted with the bitternes of the Iewes Iesus receyued not whan it was offered hym For a lytle before he dranke with his disciples and would not drynke agayne of the fruite of the vine tyll he should drinke it newe in the kyngdome of God He hated the bitter wyne whiche the vyne of the Iewyshe synagoge brought hym furth that was becum bitter vnto her lorde and tiller and in stede of ripe grapes yelded the fruite of the wilde vine He hated the vine of wycked persons and thirsted for another kynde of wyne That was the newe wyne of the spirite of the Gospell the whiche spirite after his ascending vp into heauen he moste plenteously powred vpon his disciples And when they had crucified hym they parted his garmentes casting lottes vpon them what euery man shoulde take and it was about the thyrde houre And they crucified hym And the title of his cause was writteÌ„ the kyng of the Iewes And they crucified with hym two theues the one on the right haÌ„d and the other on his left And the scripture was fulfilled whiche sayth he was counted among the wicked When Iesu was lifted vp on the crosse those that crucified him parted his clothes among theÌ„ and for his coate whiche was wrought in suche wyse that it could not be deuided they caste lottes whose fortune it shoulde be to haue the whole Nowe considre the pouertie of Iesus who hadde nothyng left him in yearth He hangeth in the middes betwene heaueÌ„ and yearth So must he bee naked so must he be lyghted of all burthens so must he be high that wyll encountre with the enemy of maÌ„nes saluacion When Dauid should fyght with Goliad he caste awaye al the armour and weapoÌ„ of Saule whiâ—he dyd rather burthen hym then do hym any stede It was the thyrde houre of the daye when they nayled hym on the crosse There was set vpon the crosse the tytle of the cause wherfore he suffered which was this The king of the Iewes written in thre languages that is to saye in Hebrue Greke and Latine And with hym they crucified two theues in suche wise that one of them hong on his right syde and the other on his lefte on eyther syde enuironing hym hangyng in the middes And this was doen by the procurement of the wicked priestes because to make his name shamefull The prophete Esai prophecied it should so be saying He was reckened among the vniust and wicked And they that went by â—ayled on hym waggyng theyr heades and saying A wretche thou that destroyest the temple and buyldest it in three dayes saue thy selfe come downe from the crosse Lykewyse also mocked hym the high priestes among themselues with the Scribes and sayed He saued other men himselfe he cannot saue Let Christe the kyng of Israel descende now from the crosse that we may see and belâ—ue And they that were crucified with hym checked hym also Neyther could the malicious bishops and Scribes yet be satisfied with these so great euyls and manyfold displeasures For fyrst the Iewes passing by the crosse rayled on hym as he hong theron and as it were vpbraydyng hym now ouercum sayde vnto hym in derision and mockage waggyng their heades withall A wretche thou that destroyest Gods temple and buildeste it agayne within three dayes Nowe shewe what thou canste doe Put furthe this might and power wherupon thou braggest saue thyselfe if thou be able and cum down from the crosse Neyther dyd the hyghe byshops or priestes vse any gentler language vnto hym who with the Scribes skorned hym among themselues saying He hath saued other but himselfe he is not able to saue He hath made his vaunt how he was Christe he bragged that he was the kyng of Israell If his promises be true let vs see hym â—owe cum downe from the crosse then will we beleue oâ—n hym The priestes entended by these
the byrth of thy sonne all suche as do thirst the cummyng of Messias This Messias beeyng as it were the sunne in the skye thy sonne shall go before as it were a certayne day sterre to geue knowlage afore by his woonderfull brightnesse that the arisyng of him is euen at hande which shall on euery syde put awaye the derkenesse of all the whole vniuersall worlde In dede the other shall be out of all comparison moste greatest but yet thy sonne too lyke as he shal be muche inferiour to the other so shall he in dignitie excell and passe all the reste of the other Prophetes that hitherto haue been For he shall in veray dede be great not only in the opinion of men but also in the iyes of the Lorde vnto whom no man is great but by the vertues and gyftes of grace whiche himselfe doeth frankly geue For he shall be great not in worldly richesse and ruffleyng porte of this lyfe or in worldely dominion but rather by the contempte and despisyng of those thinges which make certayne persones great in the iyes of men And the lesse that he shall desyre the commodities or welth of this worlde somuche the more plenteously shall he be couched full of gooddes heauenly ¶ Wyne also and strong drynke shall he not drynke and he shall bee replenished with the holy ghost euen from his mothers wombe and many of the chyldren of Israel shall he turne to their lorde God And he shall goe before hym in the spirite and power of Helias to turne the hertes of the fathers vnto the chyldren and the vnbelieuers to the wysedome of the iust men to make ready a perfecte people vnto the lorde And as for all kynde of excessiue or delicate fedyng withall the other obiectacions and pleasures of the body he shall so muche abhorre that he wyll not at any tyme drynke any wyne or any other delicious or strong drynke ne any liquour at all that is hable to take awaye so briete from a manne or to distemper his braine For these filthy delites of sensualitie haue no place in such an one in whose breste the holy ghost hathe taken possession afore to dwell in which holy ghost shall replenishe the mynde and soule of thy sonne euen whyle he lyeth secrete within the enclosure of his mothers wombe that he may play the parte of a Prophete in gesture before he be able to haue any vtteraunce of woordes by speakyng And in short processe of yeres whan the gyftes of the spirite of God shall haue growen as his yeres and age shall do he shall worke wondres on the one syde by the exaumple of his moste holy life and on the other syde through suche his preachyng as men shall maruayle at For accordyng to the prophecie of Malachias many of the children of Israel beeyng fallen from the fauour of God by reason that whyle they bearyng themselfes bolde on the carnall lawe tooke no regarde to do those thynges whiche the figures of the lawe do signifie he shall conuerte to theyr Lord God preaching with great frankenesse and plainnesse the kyngdome of God to be at hande exhortyng them to the repentaunte emendyng of theyr former lyfe makyng withoutwarde baptisyng in water a foreprofer to the abolishyng of synne whiche abolishing of synne was to come through Messias and finally vnto all persons openly shewyng that same manne whom God for this purpose would shortly after send into the worlde that by hym alone and onely euerlastyng saluacion should come vnto all men Thissame Messias shall first come as a poore humble mā of lowe degree to the ende that he may conferre geue euerlastyng saluacion vnto all persons putting their trust affiaunce in hym Then afterwardes shall he eftsones come in maiestie to geue rewardes vnto euery one accordyng to their dedes that is to were to the good and the godly euerlastyng lyfe and to the vnbeleuyng and wiked persons euerlasting death And lyke as by Malachias prophecie Helias shal be the foremessagier of his second cumming to prepare the heartes of mē by his preaching agaynst that same great and terrible daye of the Lorde ryght so shall thy sonne be the foremessagier of the former cummyng in whiche God by his sonne Messias shall descend downe into the yearth to lure prouoke all persons in generall without excepcion by Iohns preaching vnto the knowledge and loue of himselfe And for this poynte he shall of a great many he thought to be Helias Neyther shall he without good cause be sayd to be Helias in that he shall in the spirite and power of Helias come before the cummyng of the Lorde to the ende that as the Prophete Malachias hath wrytten he maye turne the hartes of the fathers to the children wherby the Iewes who haue so farre growē out of kynde and fallen from the holy trade of their forefathers may amende and come agayne to better grace and that thesame Iewes beleuyng in the woordes of Messias by whom God shall speake vnto them may truely deserue to bee called the children of Abraham in that they folowe the prompte readynesse of beleuyng whiche was in Abraham and also that suche persons as whyle they cleaue fast to the outwarde rynde or barke of the lawe do not vnderstand the minde and effectuall pith of the lawe he may conuerte and bryng vnto the wysedome of the iust whiche haue learned that vnder the vtter playster or pergetyng of the lawe there lyeth hydden some higher pointe and some holyer matter the whiche shall ere long be vttered abrode by the preachyng of Messias who shall perfeitely accomplyshe and fulfyll the lawe in the right kynde as it ought to be but thy sonne beeyng as a waye leader vnto the heauenly preaching of thissame Messias shall prepare the heartes of menne that he may deliuer vp vnto Messias at his cumming a people not vtterlye vntraded or vnentred in his discipline but somewhat prepared already and instructed therunto with the agnisyng and knowledgyng of theyr owne synfulnesse with the expectacion of the kyngdom of heauen and with feling a great misse and lacke of the Messias to come For so was it thought best vnto almyghtye God by castyng fyrst of all certeine entreinges and principles to bryng man whiche had been fallen to vtter ignoraunce and wickednesse a lytle and a lytle by degrees vp to the highest poyntes of godly perfeccion And Zacharie sayed vnto the Aungell vp what token shall I knowe this For I am olde and my wyfe is well stricken in age And the Aungell aunswered and sayed vnto hym I am Gabriell that do stand in the presence of God and am sent to speake vnto the and to shewe the these glad tydinges And beholde thou shalt be dumme and not hable to speake vntyll the daye that these thynges come to passe because thou diddest not beleue my woordes whiche shal be fulfilled in theyr tyme. The Aungell vsyng all thissame frendely talke zacharie hath nowe
for syghyng pleasaunt raymente for an heauy mynde Ye haue heard what maner one the prophecie promised that he shoulde be nowe rekon in your myndes whether he came not euen suche an one as he was promised What sexe what age what state high or lowe did he remoue or putte of from his beneficiall goodnesse not children not wemen not Publicanes not synners not harlottes What kinde of disease did he cry fie vpon or turne his face from not lepres not men possessed with deiuils not persones possessed with bloudie flixes not folkes diseased with the palsie What coulde bee more meke or ientyll then this saying whiche ye haue heard spoken of his owne mouth Come vnto me all ye that laboure and are loden and I shall refreshe you for my yoke is swete and my burden is light learne ye of me that I am meke and lowe in herte and ye shall fynde reaste vnto your soules What mother hath euer so loued so suffred and so cherished hir childreÌ„ as he did his disciples Besydes all this the lawe of Moses neyther was geuen to all peoples nor to al ages Christes lawe like as it is geueÌ„ vnto al nacioÌ„s so that it in no age ne time be chauÌ„ged vntill th ende of the world And coÌ„sidre ye in this behalfe also howe all poyntes doe iustely agree one with an other Firste and formoste howe clerely plainly Hieremy did prophecie vnto you afore that the circumcision of the body shall ceasse together with the sleaghyng of beastes in sacrifice the solemnisyng of Sabbothes the obseruacion of dayes the difference of meates the fastes the vowes and the residue of ceremonies whiche were for a season for this purpose geuen that they might be vnto the Iewes as figures of thynges spirituall Plough your lande sayth he and sowe not emong the thornes Be ye circumcised in the Lorde and take ye awaie the foreskynne of your hertes all ye of Iuda and all the enhabitauÌ„tes of Hierusalem Again in a certain other place thesame Prophete sayeth Beholde the dayes shall come sayeth the Lord and I shall make a newe league and couenaunte to the house of Israel to the house of Iuda not after the tenour of the couenaunte whiche I couenaunted with your fathers forthwith he added a manifest difference betwene thatsame lawe beeyng rough and vnpossible for any man to beare whiche was not without good cause written in stones whiche stones did by their hardnesse represente the hardnesse of the Iewes hertes and betwene the lawe euangelicall by meane wherof innocencie is freely offred through fayth This shall be the couenauÌ„t sayeth he whiche I will make with the house of Israel after those dayes sayeth the lorde I shall plante my lawe in the inward partes of them and in theyr hertes will I wryte thesame And forthwith teacheth he that the shadowes also of the lawe shall cease as soone as the lyght of the trueth is shewed forth And from thensforth shall no man teache his neighbour nor his brother saying Knowe thou the Lorde For all people shall know me from the leaste of theÌ„ to the moste sayth the Lorde for I shall haue mercy on theyr iniquitie and I shall neuer remembre theyr sinnes any more And doe not ye remembre how Christe spake and did all thinges agreable herunto whaÌ„ he was yet liuyng Did he not manifestly denounce and geue warnyng of an ende of the lawe whan he sayed The lawe the Prophetes reigned vntill Iohn The Iewes wurshipped God prayed vnto him in the citie of Hierusalem But what sayed Iesus to the Samaritane woman The houre shall come and it is nowe already present whan ye shall neither in this mountaine nor yet at Hierusalem wurship the father but in spirite shall they wurship hym Did he not secretely without making any woordes beginne to abrogate the lawe whan he healed on the Sabbothes the Phariseis in vain roaring against hym Whan he spake in the defence and maintenaunce of his disciples against the slaundreous querelyng of the saied Phariseis at what tyme hys disciples plucked the eares of wheate in the corne field on the Sabboth day whan he plaied the aduocate for thesame his disciples in a seÌ„bleable querele pieked against them by thesame Phariseis for that they dyd not kepe theyr soleÌ„ne faste But a great dele more at what time he healed the lepre without any ceremonies and which thing the lawe forbiddeth touched one with his handes after he was coÌ„demned of the lepry by the priestes and at what time he did without any remedy of the lawe forgeue sinnes vnto the maÌ„ possessed with the paulsey to the woman sinner that rushed into the Phariseis house vnbidden while they were at diner to many moe besides these For the law had commauÌ„ded burnt offreynges to be sacrificed for their synnes and that any offence committed should be pourged and cleÌ„sed with certain sacrifices and oblacions appoynted by name But Christe beeyng a newe reforger of the old law in stede of burnt offreing did substitute charitie There be saith he many synnes forgeuen hir because she hath loued muche He substituted feith in stede of sacrifice at an other tyme also whan he sayed O sonne haue thou a sure feith and trust thy synnes are forgeuen thee Yea yet more manifestly also at a certain other seasoÌ„ did he shew vnto you a diuersitie of both lawes the new the olde forbidding diuorce which the lawe of Moses had by permission graunted also whan he forbidde swearing which the former lawe of Moses had not forbidden also whan he coÌ„maunded to loue the enemies wheras the olde lawe did permitte both to hate the enemie and also to be aueÌ„ged on him for any trespace Did he not once for altogether abrogate take awaie al autoritie from the priestes the Scribes and the Phariseis in that they did yet still hold the grosse letter of the lawe fast in their teeth Let them alone saied he they are blind and guydes of the blind And had not the Prophetes foreshewed this thing also that thynges carnall should in tyme cummyng geue place to thynges spirituall Doe ye not remembre what Daniell the Prophete doeth wryte That preuaricacion sayeth he may be at the vttermoste and that synne may haue an ende and iniquitie may be wyped cleane awaye and euerlasting righteousnesse may be brought in and that the vision and the prophecie may be fulfilled and the holy of holyes may be enoynâ—ted Whan ye heare that the prophecies are consummate and brought to theyr perfeite effect verayly ye doe nowe vnderstande that suche thynges as are alreadie past and doen ought not any longer to be looked for as if they were still to come and wheÌ„ ye heare eternall righteousnesse ye vnderstande that the righteousnesse of the lawe whiche was to endure but for a whyle is nowe abolished Whan ye heare that Messias is to be enoynted who is the holy of all holyes and he
certaine thinges omitted by the other euangelistes because they semed not vnworthy to be knowen But the especiall cause why that he wrote this gospel men suppose was to set forth confirme the godhead of Christ against the heresye whiche euen in those daies as euill weedes emongest good corne begun to spring and namely against the heresye of the Cerinthians and Ebeonites the whiche besyde other erroniouse doctrine preached that Christ was nothing els but man only nether that he was in any wise before he was borne of the virgin Marie Now it was very necessarie that the worlde shoulde knowe and beleue Christe to be bothe very god very mā of which twoo the former article doeth principally helpe to inflame the loue of man toward him for the better we knowe a thing with the better wil we do loue it secōdarily it doth cause vs to haue more feruēt courage to folowe the steps of him For who will attēpt to folow coūterfait that thing which is doen of an aungell by a vision apperaunce only not in very dede furthermore like as it is hard to obserue the thinges which he cōmaundeth euē so the thinges be excedyng excellēt that he promiseth it was therfore requisite also that his godhed should not be vnknowen to th entent that we might haue cōfydence that he vndoubtedly would helpe his seruaūtes whō he after such sort did loue neither will defraude them of his promise that which is able with a becke to do what him list The Euāgelistes that wrote before S. Iohn made in maner no mencion of the diuinitee of Christe For I thynke this to bee the wysedome which s. Paul vsed to speake emōgst the perfit emōgst the rest professing himself to know nothing els but Iesus Christe him to be crucified Mafortune as then the time did not suffer so inexplycable a misterie to be put in wryting to al mens knowledge lest it should be had in derisiō of the wicked because they could neither beleue it neither vnderstand it For in other matters also the olde aūcient auctours as oft as they make mēcion of heauēly thinges doe vse to speake both very seldome and very reuerently therof beeyng more copious in suche thynges as doe more profite and appertaine to godly lyuing The Apostle S. Iohn was constrayned therfore by the vndiscrete boldenes of the heretikes more plainly euidently to affirme both the natures to be in Christe like as by the bolde presumpcion of the Arians the catholyke fathers were inforced more precisely to discusse certaine thinges as touching thesame matters wher as they would rather not haue medled with the diffinicion of suche matters whiche both doeth greatly passe the capacitie of mannes wittes and cannot be determined without great daunger and perill But as for this matter not without consideracion it was reserued for S. Iohn so wel beloued of Christ and so well worthy whome as he that is the well of all wysedome dyd loue aboue the reste more feruētly so is it to be beleued that thesame did more plentifully reuele and open certain secretes and misteries vnto hym if I maye so cal him his so wel beloued dearlyng Him therfore so derely beloued of Christ let vs all profoundly and groundely vnderstand that we for our part may be the louers of Christ. Well of this one thing and no more I will put the reader to acknowleage that in this present Paraphrase I folowe the mynde of moste allowed olde autours but not in euery place neyther in euery thing for they themselues do often discent emong themselues yet do I alway sincerely and faithfully declare and bring forth that the which me thinketh is the most true sence meaning for as muche as I dyd perceiue that the olde auctours contendyng against the opinion of heretikes haue wrested some places something violently to their purpose yet it is not my mynde that any manne geue more credence to this my Paraphrase then he would geue to a commentarye if I had wrytten one vpon it notwithstandyng a Paraphrase is a kynde of a commentarie As for allegories in the whiche I perceiue the olde auctours to haue been very scrupulously and supersticiously diligente haue I not medled withal but very seldome neyther more copiously then me thought conuenient Farewell redoubted prince with all your endeuour fauour and sette foorth the glory of the gospell so almightie Christ of his part graciously assist you in all your desyres Yeuen at Basile the yere of our Lord. M.D.xxiii the .v. daye of Ianuarye ¶ Saint Iohns lyfe Wrytten by Saynt Ierome IOhn the Apostle whom Iesus loued tight well beyng the sonne of Zebedeus and Iames the Apostles brother whom after the Lordes deathe Herode had beheaded wrote his ghospel last of all the rest being desired thereto by the byshops of Asia both agaynst Cerinthus and diuers other Heretickes but principally agaynste the opinion of the Ebeonites whiche euen than arose which Ebeonites auouche that Christe was not before Marie by reason wherof he was enforced to shew euen his diuine natiuitie They saye that besydes this there was an other cause of his wrytyng because that whan he had red the volumes of Matthewe Marke and Luke he well allowed the texte of the story and affirmed that they had sayd the trueth but had only made their stor◠of one yeres actes in whiche after the imprisonmente of Iohn Christe suffered Wherfore omitting that yeres actes whiche were sufficiently entreated of all three he shewed such thynges as were doen before Iohn was imprisoned Whiche thyng may euidently appeare to suche as shall diligently reade the volumes of the fower gospels the whiche thing also doeth take awaye the disagreyng that semeth to be betwene Iohn and the rest He wrote besides the premisses one Epistle which beginneth thus That which was from the beginnyng which we haue heard which we haue sene with our iyes c. The other two which begin The elder to the welbeloued Lady and her chyldren c. And the elder to the best beloued Caius whom I loue in the trueth c are affirmed to haue been written of Iohn the priest whose seuerall toumbe is at this daye to be sene at Ephesus and many suppose that there are two memorials of this same Iohn the Euangelist of whiche matter we will entreate after we shall by order come to the lyfe of Papias his scholler In the fowertenth yere than at what tyme Domicianus after Nero styred vp the seconde persecucion Ihon being banished into the Isle of Pathmos wrote the reuelacion which is entitled the Apocalipsis which Iustine the martir and Hireneus doe make commentaries vpon But after Domician was stayne and all his actes reuoked by the Senate because of his ouer muche crueltie he returned to Ephesus in the tyme of prince Nerua and continuyng there vntill the tyme of the Emperour Traiane he instituted and gouerned all the churches of Asia and there continued tyll he was impotente for
vpon whome he had bestowed that benefite of health he sayed vnto hym beholde thou hast obteyned health and art deliuered from the bodelye sickenes whiche came to the by reason that thy soule was sicke I haue cured thee of bothe those diseases Take thou good hede hereafter that thou fall not agayne into thyne olde former synnes and therby cause thy selfe to haue some wourse disease Therfore after the man that was made whole knewe that this was he whiche before had commaunded him to carrye awaye his couche and whiche nowe also hauyng testified himself to be the authour of health did monish and warne hym to beware leste he shoulde fall agayne into some sorer and wurse disease by committing and renewyng synne also perceyuyng that his name was Iesus the sayed manne went to the maliciouse and slaunderous Iewes and tolde them howe it was Iesus whom he might thanke for his health thinkyng that it should be profitable for manye to haue hym knowen to all menne whiche with a woorde could so helpe a desperate disease And here nowe againe the Iewes peruerse and damnable frowardnes sheweth it selfe for wheras the Samaritanes had honourably receyued Iesus by the reporte of one woman whereas the people of Galilee beeyng euill spoken of commonlye among the Iewes for theyr basenes ignoraunce of the lawe had geuen credite to Christ when a great ruler also beyng a gentile and an heathen man with all his familie and householde for one onely miracle had confessed Iesus to be the sauioure of the worlde yet the citizens of Ierusalem beyng proude as well of the noblenesse of theyr citie as also of the wholy religion of theyr temple and in lykewise auauntyng themselues to bee menne exactely learned in the lawe picked quarels to Iesus of suche purposed malice that albeit the benefite of healthe was so euident that it coulde not be denayed and so holy that it coulde not be found faulte with for what thyng is more holy then freely to geue healthe of body to a manne miserablye afflicted yet dooe they laye to Christes charge as a faulte that without regard of the Sabboth daye he hath commaunded hym to carye awaye his couche as who saye man had be made for the Sabboth daye and not rather the Sabboth daye ordeyned for manne or as though the ceremonies of Moses lawe oughte not euerye where to geue place to more holye preceptes and dueties But what great blyndnes was this to disdayne Iesus because he hadde healed a piteouse creature vpon the Sabboth daye when they whiche thoughte themselues moste precyse kepers and obseruers of the lawe were not afrayed to helpe vp theyr asse beyng fallen into the ditche vpon the Sabboth daye They falsly say that in helpyng the manne God was offended without whose helpe the man coulde not be cured but in helpyng vp the asse they thought not the religion of the Sabboth day be broâ—â—n This is the ouerthwart and disordered religion of the Iewes imbracyng outwarde apparaunce of religion and therby subuertyng the very perfeccion of true religion styffely obseruing the shadowes of the lawe and with obstinate mindes persecutyng hym who was the cause that the lawe was wrytten For they did not onely slaunder Iesus but also persecuted him because he had doen an holy and good dede vpon the Sabboth daye And Iesus aunswered them My father worketh hytherto and I worke Therfore the Iewes sought the more to kyll hym not onely because he had broken the Sabboth but sayed also that God was his father and made hymselfe equall with God But Iesus to shewe that he was maister of the Sabboth day and not bonde the verye auctor and not subiecte to it therewithall declareth that the thyng wherof the Iewes slaundred hym beyng sonne to the father of heauen and one that did worke whatsoeuer he did by his fathers auctoritie dyd also redounde to his fathers dishonour Iesus I saye went about to represse and put awaie the Iewes false reporte of him with these woordes My heauenly father saieth he whose religiouse wurshippers ye would seme to bee who also made the sabboth daye for you when after he had made the whole worlde in sixe daies he rested the seuenth daye and wroughte not he I saye did not so bynde hymself to rest and quiet but that he maye worke whatsoeuer he wyll as ofteÌ„ as it pleaseth him For althoughe the sabboth daye dooeth yet stil endure neuerthelesse he ceasseth not from his worke wherby he gouerneth all thynges whiche he hath made wherby also he causeth from tyme to tyme by procreacion one thyng to succede of another and finally wherby he restoreth thynges decayed Therfore lyke as he doeth not cease dayly to do good both to men all other thinges that he hath create notwithstanding the religion and obseruaunce of the Sabboth day wherin as scripture saieth he ceassed from the creacion of thynges so I who am his sonne hauyng both power and exaumple of hym to worke suche thinges as perteineth to mans saluacion am not letted by the religious obseruacion of the Sabboth day but I maye perfourme those thynges whiche my father hath commaunded me But yf ye blame me for breaking of the Sabboth daye by thesame meanes ye condemne also my father who geueth me both exaumple and autoritie to do these thynges But yf ye thynke hym faultlesse and glorifie hym for restoryng health to a desperate creature wherfore do ye laye to my charge the fault of breaking the Sabboth daie and do not rather acknowledge the vertue and power whiche is greater than the keping of the Sabboth daie I haue restored lyfe to a miserable man And you craftely go about to procure my death for doyng so good a dede These moste sacred wordes which Iesus spake dyd so litle asswage the fury of the Iewes that they were thereby the more sharpened and vehemently styred against hym sekyng occasion to putte him to death because that nowe he dyd not only breake the Sabboth daie but also dyd as they sayed wrongfullye take god to be his owne father makyng himselfe equall with god both in his woorkes and auctoritie to do whatsoeuer he would ¶ Than answered Iesus and sayed vnto them Uerely verely I say vnto you the sonne canne do nothyng of hymselfe but that he seeth the father doe For what soeuer he doeth that doeth the sonne also For the father loueth the sonne and sheweth hym all thynges that hymselfe doeth and he will shewe hym greater workes then these bycause you shoulde meruayle â—or lykewyse as the father rayseth vp the dead and quickeneth them euen so the sonne quickeneth whom he wil. Neyther iudgeth the father any man but hath coÌ„mitted all iudgemente vnto the sonne because that all men should honour the sonne euen as they honour the father He that honoureth not the sonne thesame honoureth not the father whiche hath sent hym But after our Lord Iesus had perceiued their malice he procedeth further with them and openeth more manifestely vnto
beleue his witnes yet haue I a more certaine testimonye of my selfe that is to saye my fathers testimonie and witnes who is greater than Iohn and whose witnes cannot be reproued There is no recorde more sure than the very dedes that a man doeth yf ye do perceyue those workes to be worthy for God whiche ye haue seen me dooâ— they beare sufficient witnesse of me that I doe nothyng of my selfe but by hym whiche for your saluacion hath sente me into the worlde wherfore ye haue no cause whereby to excuse your infidelitie and diminishe my credence as who sayeth I alonely were myne owne witnesse and did declare great thynges of my selfe Ye haue Iohns witnes whiche among you is muche regarded and taken to be very weightie howbeit in dede he rather nedeth my witnesse lesâ—e he seme to haue borne false witnes Ye haue the testimonie of my workes so that nowe ye nede not to beleue any mannes sayinges when ye looke vpon the dedes themselfe And if all this dooe not satisfie your vnbeliefe yet haue ye hearde at Iordane the voice of my father from aboue bearing witnes of me But yet my father forasmuche as he is a spirite neither hathe voice whiche maye be perceyued with mannes eares nor fourme or shape that maye bee seen with bodely iyes For Moses did neyther heare him nor see hym in the veraye fourme of his owne mere nature as you suppose he did Onely his sonne hath seen hym and heard him after that sorte â–ª yet neuertheles he hath made himselfe knowen to your senses by some kynde of voyce and thorowe some manner of fourme He spake to the Prophetes and by the Prophetes hath spoken to you He hath spoken to Iohn and by Iohn to you but vnto me he hath spoken as he is of his owne very nature and by me he speaketh vnto you If ye can make no excuse but that Iohn did beare playne manifest witnesse why do ye not beleue hym If ye thinke that God in very dede did speake and was seen of Moses and the Prophetes wherfore do ye not credite those thynges which he hath spoken by them ¶ Searche the scriptures for in them ye thinke ye haue eternall lyfe And they are they whiche testifie of me and yet will ye not come to me that ye mighte haue lyfe I receyue not prayse of men but I knowe you that ye haue nor the loue of God in you I am come in my fathers name and ye receyue me not if an other come in his owne name him will ye receiue Howe can ye beleue whiche receiue honour one of another and seke not the honour that cummeth of God Do not thinke that I will accuse you to my father There is one that accuseth you euen Moses in whome ye truste For had ye beleued Moses ye would haue beleued me for he wrote of me but yf ye beleue not his wrytynges howe shall ye beleue my woordes Uerely ye beleue that the scriptures are come from God and albeit you do diligentely occupie your selues in searchyng of them and put the â—ope and felicitie of your lyfe in them yet euen as ye would not beleue Iohn to whom in other thynges ye gaue very great credite when he bare witnes of me so you beleue not the very scriptures in that whiche is the chiefe poynte of all for they promyse life but through me The father doeth there beare witnesses of me and promiseth that he wil send his sonne by whom men shall be saued But as ye haue heard Iohn and not beleued hym and also the voice of the father and not geuen credite vnto it so neither the witnesse of the lawe nor of the Prophetes sticketh in your myndes And although ye haue theyr bookes euer in your handes and their woordes alwaye in your mouthes yet doe ye reiecte hym whome those scâ—iptures dooe promyse and doe not beleue hym whome the father hath sent accordyng to the promyses of the Prophetes and wheras there is none other entrie into life but by me who hathe been approued to you by so manye testimonies yet ye wyll not forsake all thing and come to me wherby ye maie obtain life withoute difficultie For the gate and entrie of saluacion is to haue beleued the sonne whoÌ„ the father sent There is no cause why I should seke for worldlye glory amonges you by the testimonie of Iohn or the Prophetes but I am sory for youre destruccion whiche through your incredulitie dooe in maner enuye your owne saluacion And besides that I leaue you no maner of excuse to make for your selfe if you will not beleue for I haue brought foorth thus manye witnesses whiche in other thynges be of veray great auctoritie among you and onelye in matters concernyng me for whose cause all thynges wer written and spokeÌ„ ye doe not alowe them ye pretende to wurship and loue God ye haue the prophetes in reuerence by whom he spake and yet you do despise him which was promised of God and doeth declare himselfe by his workes what he is This is a playne argument that ye wurship God with counterfaicte holynes and that ye loue not God in dede whom the lawe commaundeth you to loue with all the power of your soule and your streÌ„gth inasmuche as ye contemne and regarde not his sonne Therfore your infidelitie is not for wante of witnesses but for lacke of true loue towardes God You loue worldly glory you loue money â–ª you loue pleasures and to get these thynges you misuse your selues with false pretence of religion But ye persecute the sonne of God because he teacheth those thynges whiche be contrary to these your wicked desyres albeit his reachyng agreeth with the will of the father These thynges declare that ye loue not god with your herte For he whiche loueth doeth also beleue and obeye and whoso loueth the father cannot hate his moste entierly beloued sonne In lyke maner he that loueth the sender cannot mislyke and contemne the messanger specially consideryng I couet neither glory kyngdome nor richesse among meÌ„ but onely the glory of my father And also I couet that to th entent you maye be saued You see workes wurthy for God and yet I doe not ascribe the worldlye prayse to my selfe but to my father who worketh by me Therfore although ye would â—eme religiously to wurship my father yet ye do not receyue me who am come in his name and doe none other thyng but that whiche he hath prescribed vnto me And looke howe peruersely you do discredite me who cummyng in my fathers name do freely offer lyfe and saluacion euen so fondely shall ye beleue whosoeuer cummeth in his owne name presumpteously takyng vpon hym the glory of God and therewith attendeth his owne busines and not Gods bringyng suche thyngâ—s vnto you as maye leade you into eternal death If ye loue God why do ye murmure and crie out agaynst him that seketh his glory If ye loue euerlastyng lyfe why
And whan as he of a tendre loue towarde them had delyuered them out of Egypte very gently he bare with theyr condycions in the wyldernes by the space almost of fowerty yeares thoughe they often made sedicions and commocions and grutched against Moyses And yet dyd not he extremely punyshe them to the ende that he myghte perfourme his promyse whiche he had made before vnto the patriarkes ¶ And he destroyed seuen nacions in the lande of Chanaan and deuided their land to them by lot And afterward he gaue vnto them iudges about the space of fower hundred yeares and fyfty vnto yâ— time of Samuell the Prophet And afterwarde they desired a king and God gaue vnto them Saule the sonne of Cis a man of the tribe of Beniamin by the space of fowerty yeares And whaÌ„ he was put downe he set vp Dauid to be theyr king of whome he reported saying I haue found Dauid the sonne of Iesse a man after myne owne herte whiche shall fulfill all my wyll After fowertye yeres completed and expired he brought them to the land that he had promysed and whan he had for theyr sakes cleane vanquyshed seuen nacions within the lande of Chanaan the same land parted he by lottes amongest them and that within the terme of CCCC yeres Whiche was an euidente token howe ernestly he loued oure countrey And so whan they had obteyned peace he gaue them iudges vnder whose gouernaunce they myghte quietly lyue vntyll the tyme of Samuell the Prophete whiche was last of the iudges In tyme of his rule they desyred of god that he would gyue them a kyng Samuel disswadyng them from it and whan as they contynued styll in the same mynde and desyre he made Saul king ouer them that was the sonne of Cis of the tribe of Beniamin whome the lorde reiected partely for his pryde and partely for dysobeying his commaundement And thus continued they vnder the domynion of the good iudge Samuel and vnder the vngodly Saule fowerty yeares Yet for all this the fauour of the mercyfull god forsoke not vs his people whome he had once chosen but in stede of an euyll kynge whome they had contrarye to the wyll of God desyred he faysed vp vnto theim kyng Dauyd of whose ryghteousnes god hym selfe bare witnes â–ª saying I haue founde Dauid the sonne of Iesse a man to my mynde whiche shall obey my wyll in all thinges For euen as god what tyme he is angry for a great punishement geueth vnto the people a foolish and an vngodly king euen so whan he is pleased and reconciled vnto vs he geueth for the euyll kyng whome he layeth out of the way a good man and one that will fulfil his commaundemente Of this mannes sede hath god according as he had promised brought foorth to Israel a saluiour one Iesus when Iohn had firste preached before his cumming the baptisme of repentaunce to Israel And when Iohn had fulfilled his course he sayde whome ye thinke that I am yâ— same am I not But behold there cuÌ„meth one after me whose shoes at his feete I am not worthy to leuse Unto him hadde GOD made a promyse that one of his lyâ—nage should become Kyng of Israel who shoulde raygne for euer Nowe is it at length fulfilled whiche oftentimes and long ago was by the prophetes promysed For of the stocke of Dauid according to his promyse he hath exhibited vnto vs Iesus the salvioure of the Israelites his name ryghte well agreeyng with theffecte ensuinge therof This saluioure as he was promysed of the Pophetes and as he was signifyed before in shadowes of the lawe and fygures so before he shewed hymselfe to the worlde he was prophecied and spoken of and also was shewed to be already cum by the mouthe of Iohn the â—â—ptiste who also was sent before according to the prophecye of Esaye is a messenger to shewe that he was cummyng exhortinge all the people of Iâ—aâ—â—to bee baptysed and to repente their lyfe whiche they had ledde before openly â—onouncinge that the kyngdome of god was euen at hande But whan Ion whome god purposely sent to be the foremessenger of our saluiour which was cummynge and to make ready the myndes of men agaynste he came â—alalmoste made an ende of his couâ—se and was thoughte of many for his goâ—d iuing to be Christe he openly reiected this title from hym and referred it to him that it was dewe vnto saying Why thynke ye that I am Christe I am nothing els but his messenger And yet he whome ye though in dede not truely suppose me to be wyl within shorte space cum For he as concerning tâ—me shall cum after me but so far he passeth me in power and dignitie that I am far vnworthy yea to vnbuckle hys shooes whiche amonge men is acoumted but an homely office and a base seruice For what is in him of leaste â—putacion the same doeth farre surmounte that that is in me moste excellent Wherfore we preache vnto you no newe thing but that the same saluiour is now come that hath so many hundred yeres sence been promised to oure forefathers and whiche hath so long time ben looked for of your owne selues whome Iohn whiche among the Iewes was in great estimacion knowledged to bee the same saluioure and so pronounced openly of hym before the Iewes Ye men and brethren chyldren of the generacion of Abraham and whosoeuer among you feareth God to you is this worde of saluacion sent For the inhabitours of Ierusalem and their rulers because they knewe him not nor yet the voyces of the Prophetes whiche are read euery Sabboth daye they haue fulfilled them in condemning him And whan thei founde no cause of death in him yet desired they Pilate to kil him And whan they had fulfilled all that were written of him they toke him downe from the tree and put hym in a sepulchre But God reysed hym againe from death on the third daye and he was sene many dayes of them whiche came vp with hym from Galile to Ierusalem whiche are witnesses of him vnto the people Wherfore brethren ye that haue the lawe in price and that greatly regarde the prophetes and that come of Abrahams linage to whome god promysed issue by meane wherof all nacions should be blessed yf you bee the children of Abraham in very dede yf ye earnestly stande in the feare of god folowe in this poynt the godlynesse of your father Abraham and receyue this wholesome doctrine that we bring vnto you and embrace hym beyng now already come and beyng lyuely exhibited and geuen to you in very dede whome the Patriarkes did most highly reioyce to haue no more but promysed vnto them that he shoulde come This helth of soule thorow Iesus is indifferently brought to all men but vnto you especially is it profered to whom and for whose saluacion the prophecies were disclosed and of whose stocke Christe was borne Let not the vulgare example of them that inhabite nowe Hierusalem
to bee smitten before thou hearest the matter contrary to the lawe whiche forbyddeth that any man shoulde be punyshed excepte he be lawfully conuicted and cast Than they whiche stoode nexte vnto Paule sayed vnto hym Doest thou in this wise reuyle Gods high priest To suche extreme tyranny was than the priesthoode of the Iewes come that they claymed it as a thing lawfull for them againste right and equytie to do euery man hurte and yet would not they permit other meÌ„ freely to speake Whiche was an euideÌ„t token that their priesthood shoulde not long continue after it was come to the extremitie of all mischiefe Than Paul perceyuing that he should nothing furder his cause vnder such a iudge thought that best it was onely to seke occasion howe that assembly myght be dissolued Wherefore he aunswerd Brethren I was vncertayne that this man was the high priest Els I remembre well that it is written in the booke of Exodus Thou shalte not speake euyll by the Prince or rewler of the people After he had with this aunswere somewhat appeased these that warned hym thereof he ymagined some occasion howe he myght auoyde the tumulte and murmouring of the people For lawfull it is to voyde peryll by crafte wheras appereth no hope of profityng Whan Paule perceyued that the one parte were Saduceis and the other Phariseis he cryed out in the councell Men brethren I am a Pharisee the sonne of Pharisee Of the hope resurrecion froÌ„ death I am iudged And whaÌ„ he had so sayd there arose a debate betwene the Phariseis the Saduceis and the multitude was deuyded For the Saduceis say that there is no resurreccion neither aungell nor spirit but the Phariseis graunt both Wherfore Paul consideryng that in the congregacion there were two sortes of menne the one Sadduceis the other Phariseis whiche agreed not one with an other sayed with a loude voyce in audience of the counsell so that euery man might here him Brethren I am a Pharisey and my parentes were Phariseis and I am arrayned for because that I preache that the dead shal aryse agayne After he had thus sayed there arose dyssencion betwene the Phariseis and the Sadduceis And the multitude also that was presente seeyng them at variaunce varyed among themselues and were of sundrye opinions and partes For the Sadduceis in asmuche as they beleue that the soule dieth with the body do neyther alowe resurreccion nor suppose that there is any spirite or aungell The Phariseis on the other part beleue both that resurreccion shal be and that there be bothe Angelles and spirites Wherefore the multitude with great clamour began to make trouble And there arose a great crye and whan the Scribes whiche were of the Phariseis parte arose they stroue saying we finde no euil in this man Though a spirite or an angel hath appered to him let vs not striue against God And whan there arose great debate the captayne fearing â—est Paul shoulde haue ben plucte a sundre of them commaunded the souldiers to go downe and to take him from among them and to bring him into the castle In the meane space certayne Scribes of the Phariseis secte arose and contended in the fauour of Paule and sayed We perceyue nothynge wherein this man hath transgressed And yf that the holy ghoste or an aungell hath spoken vnto him it is not oure parte to contende ne striue with God This they sayed vpon the occasion that Paule the day before had shewed theÌ„ that the lorde had appered vnto hym by a vision in the temple So muche doeth it auayle in cases alredye râ—wled and determined to be of this secte or of that But whan this dyssencion encreased more and more by reason that the Sadduceis cryed out so sore against the Phariseis and the matter seamed lyke to growe to nothing els but to an extreme and deadly commocion the marciall fearing lest that Paule shoulde be plucked in pieces among them commaunded the souldiers to go downe and take Paule from the throng and to bring him into the castell againe The night folowynge God stoode by him and sayed bee of good chere Paul for as thou hast testified of me in Ierusalem so must thou beare witnes also at Rome Than was it tyme that God shoulde somewhat coumforte him that so manfully had wrastled for hym seyng that these troubles were so sore and yet sorer wer at hande Wherefore the nexte night againe the Lorde stoode by hym saying Be of good courage Paul These troubles shal not make an end of the for the tyme of death is not yet come but yet is it to come that euen as thou hast valiauntly borne witnesse of me at Ierusalem so shalte thou witnesse of me at Rome also Thou hast doen thy parte in this citie whiche is the chiefe in all Iewry it remayneth nexte that thou do the same in Rome whiche is the head citie of all the worlde And whan it was daye certayne of the Iewes gathered themselues together and made a vowe saying that they would neither eate nor drinke tyll they had killed Paul They were moe then fowertie men which had made this conspiracion And thei came to the chiefe priestes elders and sayed we haue bounde our selues with a vowe that we wil eate nothing vntyll we haue slayne Paul Nowe therefore geue ye knowledge to the vpper captayne and to the councell that he bring him forth vnto vs to morowe as though we would knowe some thinge more perfectly of him But we or euer he come nere are ready to kyll hym But as soone as it was day certayne Iewes made a conspiracion and cursed them selues to the deuyll and to damnacion yf they dyd eyther eate or drinke before they had slayne Paule so greate malyce had they conceyued againste hym And it was no small noumbre that had made this conspiracie but they were aboue fowertie These persons wente to the high priestes and elders and shewed them their entente and purpose sayinge We haue moste depely cursed our selues to be perpetually damned in hell if we eyther eate or drynke before we shall haue slayne Paule Nowe must ye lykewyse put vnto your helpyng handes to the furtheraunce of our request that we maye the more easely bryng to passe that thinge whiche we are all desyrous to doe Sende ye woorde to the highe marciall both in your names and also in the name of the whole counsell that he bryng Paule before you againe pretendynge that ye wyll enquyre more dilygently of him forasmuche as yesterdaye ye coulde not by reason of the commocion And we shall so prouyde that he shall not come safely into the castell againe as he yesterdaye dyd but before he come to the place where the counsell shal be kepte we wyll be ready to slay him ¶ When Paules syster sonne heard of their laying wayte he wente and entred into the castell and tolde Paul And Paul called one of the vnder captaynes vnto him said Bryng this