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
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
some depart awaye from hym muche amended in theyr maners and conuersacion by reason of his companye Therfore Iesus whoe attempted to go vnto the Gerasytes forsoke the places nighe vnto the waterside and returned backe into his owne countrey leste he shoulde haue semed readyer to dooe straungers and foreyners good then his owne countrey men For Nazareth deserued to haue this honorable name to be called his countrey because he was fostred and continued there a long season There went with hym his disciples the whiche then folowed him euery where continually Now when the sabboth was cum vpon the whiche day the Iewes were wonte according to an auncyent and right laubable custome they had to assemble together not because they woulde passe the holye time that is to saye lose it with the beholdyng of folyshe syghtes tellyng of vayne and vnfruitfull tales vsyng of vnholy pastyme or syngyng of ydell balades and songes but by holy communicacion eyther to learne goddes law themselues or els to teach the same to other Iesus entred into the Sinagoge in lyke maner as other dyd to gyue an ensample to his wherby all men should perceyue what a great shame and dishonestie it shoulde be for vs christian menne sithens the Iewes so earnestly laboured throughly to learne and know a carnall lawe which neyther was perfite ne shoulde continewe for euer and was written but of Moyses a mortal man yf we woulde not with semblable or rather more diligence study to knowe the Phylosophye and doctrine of the ghospell whiche the very sonne of god his owne selfe taught and set forth vnto the worlde Wherefore when Iesus was teaching in the temple his authoritie was the lesse estemed of many because he was ryght well knowen vnto them as pertayning vnto the fleshe They knewe his poore parentes and the symple and homely house that he came out of But they neuer supposed any thyng at all of his heauenly father euerlastyng house from whence he came downe for our cause They knew his fathers occupacion wherwith Ioseph mayntayned and founde his house the whiche science hymselfe also practysed in his fyrst yeares He was a â—arpentoure a conuenient occupacion for hym by whom the heauenly father once made this whole worlde By a carpentour maÌ„kynde was created and made and by a carpentour mete it was that man should be repayred Therfore when those that knew Iesus who vntil he was almoste thyrtye yeares olde lyued among his frendes and neuer appeared to haue any knowleage in the Phariseis learning heard hym teache with great authoritie suche thynges as they neuer had heard before of the excellently well learned Phariseis they wondered greatly saying one to another how is this felow so sodainly chaunged and becum another man from whence hath he all these thynges and what newe kynde of wisdome is this that is geuen hym from whence hath he this mighty and effectuall power to worke miracles so great as we neuer heard the like to haue bene in any of the prophetes Sythe he hath bene from vs but a short whyle how cummeth it to passe that he is cum againe sodainly altred and cleane chaunged Is not this the selfe same Iesus the carpeÌ„tour the sonne of Ioseph the wright and Mary a poore symple woman Did not we know hym and all his kynred and progenye Do not the next of his kyn that is to saye his brethren and sisters dwell here among vs And so they had halfe disdayn at Iesu that he who not longe before was taken for an vnderlyng and a persone of no reputacion was now sodainly exalted to highe estimacioÌ„ and authoritie For they were offended with thimbecillitie weaknes of his flesh wherof they had ouer much knowleage When the lorde Iesus perceyued this he sayed vnto them I prophete is no where more despysed then in his owne countrey among his aliance kinnesmen and familiares Ghostly busynesse yll agreeth with fleshlye affeccions neither is it in anye wyse besemyng that a true prophete or preacher of the ghospell who teacheth vs to set nought by this worlde who promyseth the ioyes of heauen who teacheth that we muste be newly borne throughe baptysme in Christ Iesu who teacheth also that wâ— ought to mortify our membres which we haue vpon earthe to th entent we maye lyue ghostlye in heauen it is not besemyng I saye that suche a one here know either countrey house acquaintaunce kynred or frendes Neyther is it any maruayle yf earthly citizens knowe not hym agayne synce he is nowe made denisen of an other countrey Wherfore Iesus thoughe he were almyghtye and desyrous to saue as many as myght be yet could he not there among his countreimen worke many myracles for that he was letted so to dooe by the vnbelefe of his acquayntaunce and kynsfolkes For whereas being among alyauntes he had easely cured very many of all kyndes of diseases caste out dyuels and healed leapers here in his owne countrey he onely healeth a fewe sicke folkes and that with the laying of his handes vpon them ¶ And he went about by the townes that laye on euery syde teaching and he called the twelue and began to sende them furth two and two and gaue them power agaynste vncleaue spirites And commaunded them that they shoulde take nothyng in theyr iourney saue a rod only no scrippe no bread no monye in their purse but should be shooed with sandaies And that they should not put on two coates For this cause he as one merueylyng at so great vnbelefe of his countreymen departed from thence and trauayled throughout all the tounes and borowes there about sowyng euery where as he wente the sede of the ghospell Hereby were the disciples couertly monyshed â–ª that in thynges concerning the preachyng and settyng forthe of the ghospell they shoulde in no wyse truste vnto worldly affeccions for the selfe same thing whiche then chaunced vnto Iesu in his countrey shoulde afterwardes betyde them in Iewrye but goe wheresoeuer they sawe any hope and lykelyhode of plentyfull encrease There the preaching of the ghospell bryngeth forth fruite most aboundantly wheresoeuer the hearers are enclined to beleue Suche inclinacion to beleue is there neyther among kynred Phariseis nor kynges Kynred despiseth the Phariseis haue disdayne and enuye and kynges laughe to skorne the folyshnesse of the crosse Nowe was it hyghe time that the Apostles whiche were by Christ apoynted to the ministracion of the ghospell and had already a good whyle folowed hym continually shoulde as it were make a flourishe before theyr offyce and ministerie and geue theyr captayne a saye of theyr diligence and loyaltye Wherefore he called vnto hym those twelue whome as moste worthye persons he specially chose and pycked out to take this charge vpon them and beyng assembled before hym he enstructed them all with one sermoÌ„ or lesson to th entent that they sent of one maister and hauyng like commaundementes gyuen them should not in any wyse disagree in theyr preachyng
ende to endure What philosopher durst haue entreprised to propoune suche thynges as these so ferre contrarye to all mennes opinion or thinkyng and thynges so vntouthsome for menne to bee fond on or to make anye great countenaunce vnto Yet all these thynges neuerthelesse dyd the law talke of the ghospell dyd in suche wyse perswade that suche an one is taken for mad and cleane out of his wittes as dooeth not beleue it and that so manye thousandes of people will sooner forsake their life then the profession of the trueth EuaÌ„gelical And by what maner felowes at last dyd so great a chaunge of the worlde firste come vp by meane of a fewe disciples beeyng menne vnknowen men of lowe degree men of pouertie vnlearned To what purpose is it to speake of the rest whan Peter the chiefe of them was a fisher and of no ferther knowlage but his bare mother toungue Paule a leather sewer and not one of them all a man of rychesse or a man of power or a ientle man And either nothyng at all had they of this worldes or in case thei had aforetymes had they clene forsooke it And by what wayes was it possible for suche men to bryng so great a matier to passe â—erres they brought a medicine in a viâ—e boxe but it was through godly vertue a medicine of great power and efficacie The talke euangelicall is of a playne homely sorte and of no eloquent composyng whiche in case a manne examine and trye by the storie of Thucidides in greke or of Titus Liuius in latine he shall fynde a lacke of many thynges with many poyntes shall he be offended What a noumbre of thynges dooe the Euangelistes leat passe howe manye thynges dooe they touche with three woordes and no more â–ª in how many places dooeth the ordre disagree and in how many places dooe they appere to be one contrarie vnto another It was possible that suche thinges should haue turned awaye the mynde of the reader from the readyng of it and should haue caused it neuer to be beleued Contrariwyse they that haue written stories of worldly affaires how carefull are they wherof to make the first begynnyng of the matter what labour diligence do they bestowe that thei maye not tell anye thyng otherwyse then is semyng that they maye not tell any thyng vnlykely that they maye not tell any thyng not standyng together or any thynges contrary vnto reason Than ferther with what euidence dooe they laye the thyng playne before mennes iyes with what swete pleasaunt knackes and conceiptes do they contente and reteine the readers mynde that no pointe of tediousnesse maye come stealyng vpon hym But the monumentes of all this sorte of wryters hauyng been composed with great labour and studie are a great porcion of them lost and those that remayne are reade neither of all persones and yet withoute geuyng any credite vnto them For what persone is there so light of belefe that he wyll auouche and waraunt that in all Titus Liuius there is no poynte coÌ„teyned of telling an vntrueth But so many thousandes of people there haue been found whiche would with better will tenne times suffre death then to admitte or graunte any one false clause to bee conteined in the writinges of the gospell Haue we not than of these premisses an euideÌ„t marke whereby to know the matter not to be of worldly auctoritee or wisedome but of the vertue and power of God There is a secrete vertue and efficacie lying hidden in the medicine whiche whan it was once poured into the body spred it selfe abrode ouer all the vniuersall nacions of the worlde as if it were by resemblaunce throughout all the membres We haue nowe the cause why the veritie euangelicall did within so fewe yeares by men of lowe degree sprede it selfe abrode all the world ouer whan thesame worlde rebelled against it with all kyndes of extreme crueltie And now maie it come in some mannes mynde greatly to meruaile by what reason it hath come to passe that in those later seasons whan the worlde had Christian princes Bishops men of learnyng welthie and riche persones and endued with great authoritie the dicion of Christe is so shrounken together into a narowe roume For the cause of this matier beeyng well knowen a remedie might perhappes the sooner be founde But I hauyng a good while sence forgotteÌ„ my self do passe the limites bouÌ„des of a preface I therefore returne now to our phisicion Luke whome lyke as I doubte not to be right acceptable vnto your grace so woulde I by my good wyll haue hym by meane of thesame your grace to be made the more acceptable vnto all people The wyse Ecclesiasticus speaketh in this manier Honour thou the phisicion for necessities sake How muche more than ought condigne honour to be shewed to this phisicion who hath ientilly geuen vs so effectuall a receipt of phisicke whiche is to euery creature necessary except if any suche persone there bee whiche is withoute all faulte and hath no nede to waxe a better man than he was And certes it will also bee effectuall if we beeyng vttrely wery of our diseases and infirmities shall oftentymes byte of this medicine if we shall continuallye chawe it if we shall conueye it to passe into our stomake and into the botome of oure herte if we shall not vomite vp agayne that hath been taken therof but shall kepe thesame still in the stomake of oure soule vntill it cast a brode the vertue that it hath the chaunge vs altogether into it selfe This poynte by experience haue I founde in myne owneselfe that litle fruite there commeth of the gospell if a man reade it but sluggishely and superficially renne it ouer But in case a maÌ„ do with diligent and exquisite meditacion kepe hymself occupied therin he shal fele a certaine vertue and pith suche as he shall not fele the lyke in any other bookes Nowe to preuente makyng of myne aunswer vnto the suspicious demynges of menne for that I haue dedicated euery particular paraphrase of the ghospels seuerally to particular princes it is veray chaunce and not anye ambicion or sekyng on my behalfe For the same thyng hath fortuned vnto me in this matier that fortuned in the epistles Apostolicall Whan I wrote the paraphrase vpon Matthewe I loked for nothyng lesse then that Iohn should bee earnestly required and immediatly after hym this Lukas But nowe to thentente there shall not any glasewyndoore or gappe bee seen emong the EuaÌ„gelistes I wyll adde Marke also vnto the other three albeit he that dedicateth sondrie ghospels to sondrie men maie seme to do neuer a whit more contrarie to reason then did Sayncte Hierome who dedicated yea euen the lesser Prophetes vnto seuerall persones I haue elswhere geuen aduertisemente and do now eftsons geue warning vnto the reader that he esteme no more auctoritie to be in any paraphrase of myne then he woulde geue to the commentaries of other wryters For I
beyng grosse and wieked and veraye well to be resembled to those swyne into whiche the deuils did flitte whan they lefte the man Neyther was the open publyshyng of this man whom the sayed deiuils had to fore possessed altogether in vayne For many did beleue and meruayl at the thyng And certes by this exaumple or figure did the lorde Iesus geue a lesson to vs that the grace of the ghospell ought to be profered to euery bodye bee they neuer so wieked but yet notwithstandyng that thesame is not to bee thrust in theyr lappes beeyng vnwillyng to receyue it and also refusyng it But agayne on the other syde they muste be so leafte and forsaken that some sparke of true godlynesse be lefte emongst theÌ„ whiche one daye in tyme to come maye by occasion appere and sparcle vp ¶ And it fortuned that whan Iesus was come agayne the people receyued him For they all awayted for hym And beholde there came a man named Iairus and he was a rewter of the sinagogue and he fell downe at Iesus fecte praying hym that he woulde come into his house for he had but one daughter onely vpon a twelue yeares of age and she laye a dying Iesus therfore went backe agayne by shippe into Galilee from whence he had come where he was now greatly spokeÌ„ of and wondreful in euery maÌ„nes mouth at his returnyng a great multitude of men receiued him which with great missyng of him did looke for his returne from the Gerasenes And beholde eftsons an occasion whiche mighte declare aswell howe readye Iesus was to helpe euery body bothe ryche and poore good and bad as also how muche behinde they were in beleuyng and trustyng of God which emong the Iewes semed to be chiefe pillours of religion then those whiche emong the inferiour people were accoumpted moste vile and abiect For one of the chiefe of the Synagogue called Iairus came to Iesus this Iairus had a daughter within a litle ouer or vnder about the age of twelue yeares and she was euen nowe in dying He fell downe therfore at the feete of Iesus desyryng that he woulde vouchesalue to come home to his house and to helpe his daughter whiche euen at that present laye in dying After suche a like sorte is the phisician wont to be called in a tyme of vrgeÌ„t nede Come proue what thou canst doe howe muche more full was the feithfull truste and beliefe of the Centurion whiche sayed that it was no nede of his bodely presence but that Iesus was hable with a mere woorde of his mouthe to helpe and to heale whom him lusteth Iesus folowed the desire of Iairus and made haste towardes his house But as he went the people thronged hym And a woman hauyng an issue of bloude twelue yeares whiche had spent all her substaunce vpon phisicians neyther could be holpen of any came behynde hym and touched the hem of his rayment and immediately hir issue of bloude staunched â—nd Iesus sayed who is it that hath touched me whan euery man denyed Peter and they that were with hym sayed Maister the people thruste thee and vere thee and sayest thou who hath touched me And Iesus sayed some bodye hath touched me For I perâ—eynt that â—ertue is goen out of me Whan the woman sawe that she was not hid she came treÌ„blyng and fell at his fecte and tolde hym before all the people for what cause she had touched hym and howe she was healed immediatly And he sayed vnto her daughter be of good coumforte Thy feyth hath saued thee goe in peace And loe in his goyng on the waye thitherwarde by reason that the throng of people wexed thicke about him on euery syde so great was the desyre of euery bodye bothe to heare him to see him Iesus was in manier borne downe emong them And euen emongst the thickest of the people there hadde wroong and thrust in emongst them a certain in woman which had been sicke by the spare of twelue yeares of the bloudy flixe a disease lothely and muche to be abhorred And for loue of health she hadde bestowed all her substaunce vpon phisicians whiche from time to tyme fed her forth with fayre promises of easing her paine â–ª howbeit they holpe her nothyng at all but cast her into another disease of pouertie more then she had afore There this good wise womaÌ„ beyng destitute of all mannes helpe tooke her refuge vnto goddes helpe conceyuyng a meruaylous truste in Iesus that if she might touche any parte of hym or any thyng about him she should be healed Notwithstandyng muche ashamed she was to come forth before hym and to discouer her foule disease that was to be a shamed of But willing as it were by preuâ—e stealth to geat from him the benefite of her health she crepte and gotte to hym behynde his backe and touched the vtmoste skirt of his garment whiche with the throng of the people was drawen this waye and that waye And immediately she perceiued her disease to be gon and the bloudie flixe to be clene stopped And verayly Iesus nothyng enuyed the sycke woman that had her health but willyng to shewe vnto the rewler of the synagogue and to the other Iewes a paterne of perfect feyth sayed Who hath touched me Whan others that went nexte vnto hym sayed that they had not touched hym Peter and the other disciples whiche were nexte vnto Iesus neuer from his heles saied Maister a thicke presse and throng of people doeth on euery side come vpon the and thrust thee and as thoughe there wer but two or three here doest thou aske who hath touched thee But Iesus geuyng a by woord that his speakyng was of no common manier of touching as his disciples did mene aunswered some bodie hath touched me not after the common facion of touchyng one another in goyng but otherwyse He knoweth it himselfe whosoeuer it be for I at the touching felte a certayne vertue procede forth from me vnto the partie that touched me Whan no bodie made aunswer and Iesus cast his iyes aboute all the coumpaynie as thoughe he soughte who it was that would priuily haue stolen this benefite the woman knowing that what she had doen halfe by stealth was not vnknowen to Iesus came foorth before him with great feare and fallyng down at his feete confessed before all the people bothe for what cause she had touched hym and also howe she was immediately healed of her disease whereof she had been sore sicke whole twelue yeares space the physicians takyng great labour about her in vayne The moste mercifull Lorde droue her parforce to this confession not to shame the woman by detectyng her but to declare vnto the Iewes how muche and howe great a thyng it is that an assured feith maye doe But Iesus comfortyng the woman beyng now in feare and lookyng for no lesse then a great rebuke for hir presumption sayed daughter thy feith hath deserued to haue thy health geuen thee
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
made a benche or a fourme to sit on whiche thinge is not onelye nothyng lyke god who hath no body but also besydes the outward shape of the body hath nothyng lyke a manne no not one iote of that parte whereby manne is lyke vnto god ¶ And the tyme of this ignoraunce God regarded not But nowe byddeth all men euery where repent because he hath appoynted a day in the which he will iudge the worlde with rightwisenes by that man by whoÌ„ he had appoynted and hath offered faith to all men after that he had raysed hym from death Whiche reprochefull iniury though it be haynous before God yet he of his greate fauoure and loue that he beareth to man hath not reuenged himselfe but hytherto hath wynked at mans ignoraunce vntyll the tyme was cumme that he had determyned to open hymselfe to all men and to caste cleane awaye all darke and blynde errours which menne haue so long bene conuersaunt in Whiche tyme is now present wherin he monisheth all meÌ„ to leaue their old errours and turne to him For hys wyl is that those that repent shal haue forgiuenesse whiche they that wil be stubberne shal not in time to cuÌ„ haue for because he hath appoynted a daye whan he will iudge the whole worlde and that with a iuste and streight iudgement which no man shal escape And therfore he sendeth his messangers to warne men lest any man myght pretende ygnoraunce in these thinges for his excuse profereth remyssion of synne to them that wil repent lest any should say that god were not merciful For both these purposes chose he Iesus of Nazareth an excellent person whom he sente into the worlde for this cause that al men by his meanes might be conuerted to wurshyp the true god and hathe geuen him power to iudge the vnfaythfull and such that wyll resyste thys doctrine And this is he whome he promysed by the mouthes of his prophetes many yeres past that he shoulde cum to bee bothe a saluiour and also a iudge And loke what he promised he hath hitherto perfourmed very certainly For he was so borne so taught eueÌ„ so troubled with vexacioÌ„ and so slayne and in conclusion so arose he frome deathe to lyfe as it was before prophecied that he shoulde And there is no doubte but that he will as surelye perfourme all other thinges that remayne behynde ¶ Whan they heard of the resurreccion from death sum mocked and other sayd we wil heare yâ— agayne of this matter And so Paul departed froÌ„ among theÌ„ Howbeit certaine men cleued vnto him and beleued among the which was Dionisius a Senatour a woman named Damaris and other with them Whyles Paul spake these woordes certayne that stoode by gyuyng good eare to all other thynges that were spoken whan they had hearde mencion made of arysyng from death to life they mocked at it as an vnlyke thing and a thyng that were not to be beleued because that no Philosopher had holden any suche opinion before though there were summe whiche sayed that the soules remayned on lyue after the death of the body and sum other also whych sayed that the soules entred out of one bodye into an other But others that were not of so rashe a iudgement sayed We wyl heare the agayne an other tyme of this same matter And in this maner Paule dimissed that coumpany Yet sum ther wer among them that wer perswaded and ioyned themselues with Paule emong whom was Dionisius a Senatour which afterward was bishop at Athens instituted by Paule a certayne woman whose name was Damatis and besydes these dyuerse others The .xviii. Chapter After this Paule departed from Athens and came to Corinthe and found a certaine Iewe named Aquila borne in Pontus lately cuÌ„ froÌ„ Italy with his wife Priscilla because that the Emperoure Claudius had commaunded al the Iewes to depart froÌ„ Rome and he drewe vnto them because he was of the same craft he abode with theÌ„ wrought theyr craft was to make tentes And he preached in yâ— Synagoge euery Saboth daye settynge forth in the meane whyle the name of the Lorde Iesus and exhorted the Iewes and the Gentyles WHan Paule had gotten thus muche gaynes litle and slender thoughe it were of encreasyng and auauncyng the ghospel of Christe at Athens a cytye of very corrupte manners he wente thence to Corinthe whiche is the chiefest marte towne in all Grece and as it was the welthiest so was it by reason of ryot incontinencie and pryde very vicious There he by chaunce met with a man whose name was Aquila which obserued the Iewes religion but was borne in Pontus whiche Pontus is a part of the lesse Asia bendyng towardes the North. This person as God would was cum thyther but of late afore from Italye with his wife Priscilla forbecause that the Emperour Claudius had coÌ„mauÌ„ded al Iewes that were in Rome as there wer a great number to auoyde the citie And because these wer of the same crafte that Paule was he lodged in one house togyther with them for he would not be alone labouryng as they dyd wyth hys handes leste he shoulde burthen any manne And theyr crafte was to sowe together skynnes to make tentes wythall And lyke as Peter was not ashamed to returne to hys crafte of fyshyng as often as nede compelled him so the greate Apostle Paule whiche valiauntlye had sustayned and borne manye stormes for Christes sake was nothynge ashamed to take in hande agayne sowyng of skynnes whiche for to further the Gospell he had for a tyme layed asyde Yet in thys meane whyle ceased not he to preache the gospel disputing in the sinagoge euery sabboth day both with the Iewes and also with the Gentiles When Sylas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia Paule was constrayned by the spirit to testifie to yâ— Iewes yâ— Iesus was very Christ. And when they sayd contrary and blasphemed he spoke his â—ayment sayd vnto them your blode be vpon youre owne heades froÌ„ henceforth wyl I go blamelesse vnto the Gentiles And he departed thence entred into a certayne mans house named Iustus a wurshipper of god whose house ioyned hard to the Synagoge Howbeit one Cryspus yâ— chiefe ruler of the sinagoge beleued â—n the lorde with all his householde mauye of the Corinthians when they gaue audyence beleued and were baptised In the meane season Sylas and Timothee whome Paule willed to folowe him to Athens came frome Macedonie This dooen Paule because he was muche sorie that he had dooen veary lytle good there was constrayned by the spirite neuerthelesse to preache yet dylygentlye Iesus of Nazareth to the Iewes afâ—yrmyng that he was Messias whome the Prophetes hadde before promysed that throughe hym onelye and none other man shoulde obtayne saluacion But whan they clamoured agaynste hym yea in so much that they were not afrayde blasphemouslye and slaunderously to speake agaynste Iesus and Paule he hauyng in remembraunce what the gospell in that case