But all those came of Goddes liberalitie and not of his owne nature that was geuen hym at the firste yet he was chosen and sente of God for this purpose that accordyng to the prophecie that was prophecied of hym before he myght beare witnes of that godly lyght whiche being couered with his manhed was conuersaunt in the worlde not as who say that he whiche was God and so declared before by the voice of the father shoulde nede mannes witnes but to thintent he might by all manier of meanes cause hymselfe to bee had in credit with the people he woulde that Iohn shoulde bee the goer before the lyghte as the day sterre appearing before sheweth the rysyng of the sunne to the woorlde And also that by his preachyng he shoulde prepare mennes mindes to receyue that lyght whiche shoulde immediatly come after And because synne is the lâ—t wherby the heauenly lyght is not admitted and receyued Iohn dyd allure and call all people to penaunce proclaming openly that the kyngdome of heauen was at hande for the firste degree or step to the lyghte is that men shoulde hate their owne darkenes And this Iohn was of so great auctoritie emonge the Iewes for the excellente holines of his liuinge that many toke him for Christe himselfe whereby Christ would the rather bee coÌ„mended to the Iewes by his witnes as that time required to thintente that litle by litle as men do commonly vse he might crepe into the mindes of the people for otherwise the meaner person is alwaye wount to bee commended by the witnes of the greater And Esay had promised that at Christes cuâ—ming there shoulde a certaine excellente lighte arise and springe vp to theym whiche did liue in darkenes and in the shadowe of deathe and for that cause before that Christe was notable by his miracles many suspected Iohn to haue been the light whiche was promised of the Prophete But Iohn was onelye the publisher before of the true lighte and not the light it selfe Therefore Christe as the oportunitie of that time serued did as ye woulde saye abuse both the errour of the Iewes and the auctoritie of Iohn to prepare the mindes of all men to the faithe of the gospell Truely Iohn was a certaine light that is to saye a burninge candle and geuinge lighte feruently burninge in godlines and geuing light by holynes of life neuertheles he was nor the lighte whiche should bring life to the whole worlde but the woord of God whereof wee doe speake at this presente was that true light euer proceding from God the father the fountaine of all light from whence what soeuer is lightsome in heauen and earth boroweth his lighte what sparke of witte what knowlage of trueth what light of faith soeuer there be either emong men or Angels all the same cummeth from this fountaine ¶ That lyght was the true light which lighteth euery man that cummeth into the world As this worlde is blind without the sunne so all thinges are darke without this light The worlde also was full of darkenes on euery syde because sinne and abhominable errours did reigne in euery place And in the tyme of this darkenes there did often tymes shine foorth men excellent in holynes of lyfe as a lytell sterre in the moste darkest nightes and gaue some lyght as it were thorow a cloud howbeit they dyd it but to the Iewes only or to the borderers of Iewry but this true light geueth lyght not onely to one nacion but to all men that come into the darkenes of this worlde The Iewes went about to challenge this lyght seuerally to themselues because they thought it to be promised to theim onely for asmuche as touchyng the fleshe it dyd spring of theim and emonge theim but that light came to geue lyght to the hertes of all nacions of the whole world thorow the faith of the gospel Neither Scithian Iewe Spaniard Gothian Englisheman kynges nor bondmen be excluded from this lyght The lyght came to geue light to al men asmuche as lay in it but if any continue in their darkenes the faute is not in the lyght but in hym that frowardely loueth darkenes and abhorreth the lyght For the lyght shineth to al meÌ„ because none might pretend any excuse when willingly wittingly he perisheth thorow his owne faute As if a man shoulde get a knocke at noone daies because he woulde not lyfte vp his iyes ¶ He was in the world and the world was made by hym and the world 〈◊〉 hym not This woord of God was alwaies in the worlde not as who say that he whiche is without measure can bee contayned in any circuite of place but he was so in the world as the deuise of the workeman is in his woorke and as the ruler is in that thing he ruleth Also at that tyme this lyght dyd shine in the worlde sumwhat opening the godly power wisedom and goodnes therof by these thinges which were wunderfully creat by it and by this meanes it did then after a sorte speake to mankinde But many putting their felicitie in the visible thinges of this worlde whome for that cause of good righte our lorde Iesus did accustome to cal by the name of the worlde when he taughte them eternall thinges they beinge blinded with earthly affeccions did not acknowleage their maker The darkenes of mindes was so greate that the worlde knewe not the maker thereof but did wurship serpentes oxen goates lekes oynions yea that whiche is more vile then all these stockes stones dispising him of whome they had receiued both that themselfes were and all that they had ¶ He came emong his owne and his owne receiued him not They being accustomed to darkenes did abhorre the light and being blinded with sinne did enbrace deathe in stede of life yea and whan he did shewe himselfe more familiarly to the worlde being conuersaunt liuing in his manhed emonges men he was not knowen of them whiche had dedicate themselfes wholy to this worlde Neither is it any meruail though the gentiles beeynge woorshippers of ydols measuring all thinges by the commodities of this life being also ignorant of the prophetes and the lawe did not acknowleage him whiles he liued here in the shape of a man This is more to be meruayled at â–ª that when he came specially to his owne people to whome Messias had ben promised by so many prophecies of the prophetes to whom he had bene shadowed with so many figures of whom he had ben loked for so many hundreth yeares before which saw him do miracles heard his teaching yet they wer so far from receiuing of him that with fierce mindes they wente about his destruccion whiche came specially to saue them And procured that innocentes death who frely brought life to his enemies They sawe did not see heard and did not heare hauing intelligence did not vnderstand whiche thorow a froward study of the lawe did rise against him whom the
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
playne blasphemous because he beyng a mortall man semed to take vpon hym the eternalitie a thyng for God only cōuenient they coulde not withholde theyr handes but toke vp stones and wente in hande to ouerthrowe and presse hym with stones But Iesus professyng hymselfe to be God to declare hymselfe to be a very man also gaue place to their fury not because he feared theyr forcible violence whiche he had power to kepe of but to teache vs by the waye that when time requireth that the trueth of the ghospell should be preached valiantly and boldely and again that when we had once executed our duetie the fury of euill men should not causelesse and in vayne be prouoked and exasperate for our Lorde Iesus knewe that it coulde not haue been beate into the heades I will not say of the grosse and ignoraunte multitude but not of his disciples and they to be brought to belefe therof in case he had openly preached himselfe to be both God man and thesame to be all at once both mortall as touching his manhed and also immortall as touching his deitie and as perteyning to the fleshe to be a man borne of a virgin in time as touchyng diuine power to haue been alwaye before all time God of God Surely this so secrete a misterie was rather to be at time conueniente perswaded to the worlde by miracles death resurreccion ascendyng to heauen and by the inspiracion of the holy ghoste then before due tyme to be brought in and vttered in open playne woordes to them that would not belue it Therfore Iesus withdrewe hymselfe from them geuyng place to theyr fury and wente secretly forth of the temple by that acte declaryng beforehande that afterwarde the light of the ghospell beyng repelled of the wicked and voluntary blynde Iewes should be put ouer to the Gentiles their house left to them desolate which only thought themselfes the true seruauntes of God and obseruers of true religiō And so Iesus which is the author of true godlines wente to an other place The .ix. Chapter And as Iesus passed by he sawe a manne whiche was blynde from his byrth and his disciples asked him saying Master who did sinne this manne or his father or mother that he was borne blynde Iesus sayed neyther hath this manne sinned nor yet his father and mother but that the workes of God should be shewed THerfore our Lorde Iesus did now for a while geue place to the fury of them whom as yet he sawe incurable and falleth in hande with miracles to declare his Godly power whiche he coulde not all this while dryue into theyr headdes by any perswasion of woordes And loe there fel forthwith a matter in his waye not vnlike those thynges which were doen in the temple For of trueth much a doe was there with the blynde But suche as were blynde in soule not in body whiche is the moste vnhappy kynde of blyndnesse And so muche also the wurse as that although they were more then blynde yet they thought themselues quicke sighted so that they were not only miserable but also vnworthy to be cured For somuch as miser was not that blynde man whom Iesus sawe as he passed by whiche man lacked onely bodily sight and was borne blinde so that it was a maladie aboue the Phisicions cure but yet coulde Christe heale it This man had an inwarde sight sawe with iyes of the soule when Iesus therfore sawe the man and had compassion on him much pitying his misery the disciples which called to their remembraunce that Christe had sayd to the man that was healed of his palsey Go and hereafter sinne no more leste some wurse thing come vpon the supposing that euery blemishe of the body had come of some faulte of the soule axed Christe of the blinde man and sayed through whose sinne chaunced it that this man should be borne blinde for where as none coulde sinne or he were borne whosoeuer is borne with any sickenes or impediment of body is to be thought punished for some other mans faulte which thyng should yet seme against equitie the disciples therfore sayed Maister whēce came so great euill to this felowe that he should be borne blinde Whether came it of his owne or of the sinne of his parentes Iesus aunswered Neyther did this man through his owne sinne deserue to be borne blinde who coulde not sinne when as yet he was not nor his parentes For as the lawe teacheth God punysheth not the chyldren for the faultes of theyr parentes excepte the children folowe the sinnes of theyr parentes But blyndnesse chaunced to this man vpon a casualtie and not through any mans sinne as in the course of mans life many thinges chaūce to many folke This mans misery lacke of sight was not prohibit but suffered to chaunce vnto hym because that by hym the mightie power and goodnesse of God whom the blinde Iewes so obstinately cryeth out vpon should be declared to mē The more vncurable the disease is the more famous and commendable shall be the healing of thesame I must worke the worke of hym that sent me whyle it is daye The night cummeth when no manne can worke As long as I am in the worlde I am the light of the worlde Assoone as he had thus spoken he spatte on the grounde and made clay of the spettell and rubbed the clay on the iyes of the blynde layed vnto hym Goe washe the in the poole of Siloe which by interpretacion is asmuche to saye as sent He wente his waye therfore and washed and came agayne seeyng For this cause was I sent into the worlde euē to procure the glory of God with suche dedes as should cause the vnfaythfull to beleue my woordes to be true and to thintent also that those whiche will beleue should be cured of their blindnes I must doe this commaundement diligently while it is daye for yf menne haue any worke in hande they be wonte to doe it in the day The night perdy is vnhansome to worke in Therfore in the meane tyme whyle prensent day geueth vs leaue to worke we may not cease For the night shall come when as men all in vaine would worke and cannot As long as I am in the worlde I am the light of the worlde If men make spede to finishe the worke which they goe about for some commoditie of this life before night how muche more behoueth it euery man to labour that while they haue me with them they may go thorowe with the busines of the eternall saluacion In fauour wherof whatsoeuer in the meane season I doe in this worlde I doe it for that thing sake and to further saluacion For what other thing doe I then that all folke should through iyes of faith see and acknowlege God and his sonne whom he sent into the worlde I shall within a while departe hence than shall those that haue nowe had no will to worke desyre lyght in vaine The Lord
that in these long stormes and tempestes of warres there woulde some fayre wether or clermes of peace shyne vpon vs oat of one quarter or other Neither haue I thought my selfe at any time the lesse bounden of an hear vnto your bountefull goodnes then if I had accepted whatsoeuer your grace of your princely liberalitie offered me And I trust ere it be loÌ„ge to haue an occasion more euidently to testifye the earneste zeale and good mynde I beare towardes your hyghnes In the meane whyle vntyll oportunitie shall serue me so to dooe I haue thought good to sende your grace the Paraphrase vpoÌ„ the ghospell of Sainct Marke as an earnest penny of this my promise And where I was of my selfe very prone and ready thus to dooe and as it were runnyng forwarde of mine owne accorde the very fitues of the matier did also not a lytle excite and moue me therunto For after I had dedicated Mathewe vnto myne owne naturall liege lorde Charles themperoure and Iohn vpon whome by and by after I had finished Mathewe I made lykewyse a Paraphrase vnto Fardynande his maiesties naturall brother Luke whiche was the thyrde that I wente in hande withall vnto the kyng of Englande then remained there Marke who semed to be lefte behynde for your grace because the fower gospels shoulde be dedicated vnto the fower chiefe princes and rulers of the worlde And god sende grace that the spirite of the ghospell maye lykewyse ioyne the heartes of you all fower together in mutuall amitie and concorde as youre names are in this ghospell boke aptely conioyned Some there be whiche extende the byshoppe of Romes dominion euen vnto hell or purgatory other some geue him impery and power ouer the aungels And so farre am I froÌ„ enuying him this preâ—minente auctoritie that I woulde wishe hym to haue a great deale more but yet woulde I desyre withall that the worlde might once fele this his power good and holsome in settyng christian Princes at one and in conseruing the same in peace and amitie whiche haue a loÌ„g season with no lesse dishonoure then slaughter and effusion of Christian bloud warred one agaynste a nother to the vtter decay of Christes religion And all this while we curse and banne the Turkes But what pleasaunter sight can there be vnto the Turkes or yf any other nacioÌ„ there be of the miscreauntes that are greater enemies vnto Christes religion then to see thre of the moste florishing and moste puissauÌ„t princes of all Europe thus by reason of mischieuous diuision to pursue eche other with mortall battaille It will scarcely sincke in my brayne that there is any so cruell a Turke who wysneth more mischiefe vnto Christen menne theÌ„ theÌ„selues weorke one an other And all this whyle ariseth there no peace maker which with his authoritie maye appeace this vngodly busines and ruffling of the worlde whereas there lacketh not prouokers and setters on ynowe and suche as poure oyle as it is in the olde prouerbe vpon the fyer It is not my parte to make any ones title either better or worse with my foreiudgement I knowe ryght wel that euery one thinketh his owne cause moste rightful and iuste I knowe also that in all such iudgementes that same partye is euer woonte to haue more fauoure that â–ª defendeth himselfe from iniury offred him then he that offreth the wrong but yet would I very fayne that all christian princes woulde debate the matier ryght and would well consider with themselues how much he hathe gotten hereby whatsoeuer he be that had lieffer haue and embrace an vniust peace then wage battaile be it neuer so iust and lawfull What is more bryttle more shorte or more full of misery and wretchednesse then is this present lyfe of ours I will not here speake of so many kyndes of diseases as reigne in the worlde so many iniuries so many casualties so many fatall calamities and misauentures so many pestilences so many diuers kyndes of lyghtninges so many yerthquakes so many sortes of fiers so many fluddes and inundacions of waters with other like calamities out of all measure and numbre For amoÌ„ge all the euils that mannes life is vexed or troubled withall there is none where of more mischief and hurte ensueth then of battaile the which yet doeth muche more mischiefe vnto mennes maners then it doeth vnto theyr substance or bodyes For he doeth the lesse harme of bothe that bereaueth a man of his life then he that bereaueth him of his vertuous and good minde Neyther is battayle euer the lesse detestable lesse to be abhorred because the moste parte of the euills thereof lyghteth vpon poore folkes neckes suche as are of lowe state and degree as of husbandmen craftes menne and waifaryng men For the Lorde of all Iesus Christe shedde no lesse bloude for the redempcion of suche be they neuer so bile rascals abiecte persons then he dyd for the greatest kynges and princes that be And when at the dreadfull daye of dome we shall cumme before the iudgement seate of Christ where muste ere long be presented all the potentates and rulers of this worlde howe mightie and puissaunte soeuer they be that rigorous iudge will require as streyght an accompte for those sely poore wretches as he wyll doe for the rulers and great menne They therfore that thynke it but a small losse vnto the coÌ„mon wealthe when these poore soules and vnderlinges are robbed afflicted dryuen out of their houses burned oppressed and murthered dooe plainly condemne of folyshnes Iesus Christe the wysdome of the father of heauen who for to saue suche as the sayde persons are dyd shed his preciouse bloud and suffred passion Wherfore in mine opinion no kynde of people is more pernicious to the common weale then suche as put into princes heades those thynges that maye styrte and moue them to warre who the more highe stomaked and couragious they be the soner are they deceyued And amonge all princely vertues highe stomake and noble courage of mynde is rekened the chief For this vertue was Iulius Cesar of olde wryters hygly commended And for the same is noble Kyng Frauncis lykewyse extolled in oure tyme with the full consent and testimonie of all nacions Nowe what greater argument is there of a very loftie and couragious mynde then to be able nothinge to passe vpoÌ„ iniuries The doughtynes and valiauÌ„tise of the olde Capitaines who warred for empire and not for defence of lyfe is muche renoumed and praysed but in Gentyle wryters and of Panyms or Gentiles Certes it is a muche more honourable and glorious facte for a christian prince to bye peace and tranquilitie of the common weale with the losse of some parte of his dominion and inheritaunce then for victory obteyned to be receyued with muche goodly triumphe bought with so great displeasures of the people Therefore such as haue inceÌ„sed the myndes of princes with a desyre to enlarge their empire what els haue they inuented but a continual
that hath no sweord let hym sell his coate and bye one For I saye vnto you that yet thesame whiche is written must be perfourmed in me euen among the wicked was he reputed For those thinges whiche are written of me haue an ende And they sayd Lord behold here are two sweordes And he said vnto them it is enough After that he had plucked out of their hertes the puttyng of their affiaunce and trust in themselfes he eftsons beateth into their heades the thynge that he had oftentimes to fore taught them whiche was that they should not defend theimselfes with worldely defence against the violence of euil persoÌ„s because that a minister of the heauenly doctrine of the gospel ought to be fre from the vile cares of this life ne ought not with any other armour or weapon to bee appoynted against all the assaultes of the wicked sorte then with the sweorde of the spirite whiche is the woord of god At what time I sent you ê™ he for a proufe assaie to preache among the Iewes howe the kyngedome of god approched and sent you so vnfurnished of all prouision that ye had not so muche as purses aboute you to putte any money in nor so muche as a poore scrippe to kepe any meate in against an other tyme of houngre no nor yet shooes for sauyng of your fete yet did ye want any thyng Thei aunswered that they had wanted nothyng Than Iesus to the entente he would vtterly plucke vp by the roote out of their stomakes all desire of auenging beguileth them for a whyle with the deckenesse of his woordes but he suffreth theÌ„ for this purpose to renâ—e in a wrong opinion because he would the more surely the more effectually plucke out of their myndes al affeccion of auengyng any quarels For he knew that they should be enkiendled to an earneste will of defendyng and reskewyng hym whaÌ„ they should see armed soldyers with such great stiere and ruâ—felyng to inuade and fall vpoÌ„ their maister whoÌ„ they very earnestly loued though neuerthelesse it was as yet after the affeccionate sorte of humain loue and worldely Whiche humaine affeccion loue if he had not euidently chastised we would haue thought it to bee lawfull to defende our selfes with weapon against the violence of wicked persons and to putte away force with force But nowe seeyng that Peter was shent beecause that he drewe his sweorde againste a deuelishe and hainous coumpany for his maisters cause beyng a man most innocent â–ª what cause may there than bee from hensfoorth why a Christian bodye should put away wrong with wrong And thus sayed the Lorde At the first preachyng of the ghospell ye went light vnfurnished of any prouision for your liuyng But yet thorough my supportacion sure defense ye wanted nothyng And that was enough whan there was no sore storme nere towardes you But froÌ„ heÌ„sforth ye must prepare your hertes to hardier matters For the more extreme sore the storme of persecucioÌ„ shal be so muche the lighter is it mete that ye be froÌ„ al yearthely lettes and encoumbraunces Nowe is there a great battayl towardes and ye shall haue nede of a sweord Wherfore if any man percase hath a pouche or a scrippe let hym take it vp that he maye bye hym a sweorde That in case he haue not these thynges the whiche in dede may bee cast away from you and whiche ye haue lacked without any incommoditie vnto you leat hym sell his coate and bye hym a sweord It is nedeful for a bodye to come to this batail very lyght of carryage nor armed with any other thyng theÌ„ with a sweorde The matier will sure come to extremes For thei will not onely lay violeÌ„t haÌ„des on me but also it must nedes be perfourmed that Esai long agon prophecied should become of me And euen emong the wicked was he reputed If it be a sore and a grieuous matter to be killed how much sorer a thing is it to suffer such shamefull execucion and peines of death as all men speake eiuil of yea and thesame to suffer emoÌ„g heinous malefactours And yet this chaunce also is the soonne of man sure to haue For now the tyme is euen at haÌ„d that whatsoeuer hath been foresaid by the prophetes concerniÌ„g me must be accoÌ„plished The Apostles whereas thei vnderstode not the misterie of these saiynges and deemed that the lorde had said it to put them in remembraunce to haue a sweorde in readinesse to putte of from theym some violence beyng toward aunswered plainly without mening any fraud Maister behold there bee two sweordes here already supposyng in very dede that in any wise thei shoulde nede sweordes but fearyng leste that two sweordes woulde not bee enough for that fight They shewed their good hert and affeccion to fight for the Lordes sake whom they knewe was hable enough of his own power to supply if their defence and strength wanted any thyng like as he had afore that time multiplied the fiue loaues two fishes to make theÌ„ suffice manye thousandes of people In this so grosse an affeccioÌ„ did Iesus at that preseÌ„t leaue his disciples to the entent as I haue said that their weakenes might be an instruccioÌ„ for vs vnto perfite pacience in suffering tribulacion He therefore aunswered It is enough This did they take as a thyng so spokeÌ„ as though the first fray might bee borne of with the twoo sweordes which thei had theÌ„ ready whereas Christes menyng was of a ghostely fight against the worlde and the deiuill in whiche fighte the victory cuÌ„meth of an herte beyng lightened and discharged from al earthly desires and armed with the only sweord of heauenly doctrine And the said victory consisteth in the vndefeasable scripture of the olde and newe testamente so that a man maye vnderstande twoo sweordes but thesame sweordes deliuered foorth by one spirite And he came out went as he was wont to mouÌ„t Oliuere And the disciples folowed hym And whaÌ„ he came to the place he said vnto theÌ„ pray leste ye fall into temptacion And he gatte himself froÌ„ them about a stones cast and kneled doune and praied saiyng Father if thou wilt remoue this cuppe from me Neuerthelesse not my wyll but thine be fulfilled And there appered an aungel vnto him from heauen coumfortyng hym And he was in an agony prayed the longer And his sweate was lyke droppes of bloud tricklyng downe to the ground And because men of armes whan they shall entre a fight are woont against a bickering with their enemy approchyng nere theÌ„ to refreashe their bodies and to plucke vp their hertes the Lorde beyng mynded to shew vnto his seruauntes what thyng it was that might moste principally strengtheÌ„ them against suche ioynyng in battail whan it is toward weÌ„t foorth of Ierusalem and accordyng to his accustomed vsage wente to mounte Oliuete his disciples accoumpanying hym And whan they were cuÌ„ to the priuie place
not doen among them the workes which none other man did they should haue had no sinne But now haue they bothe seen and heard not onely me but also my father But this happeneth that the saying might be fulfilled that is written in theyr lawe They hated me without a cause And whatsoeuer despite they shall doe against you I will thinke it doen to me for all thynges that they shall do agaynste you they shall doe it for the hatred they beare to me when they curse you they shal curse me when thei reiecte you they shal reiecte me when they beate you they shall beate me For whatsoeuer displeasure is doen to the membres thesame redoundeth to the head And they would doe the lyke to me if they had me present with them Now because they cannot shewe their crueltie to me they wil shewe it to you But as all the iniurie that is dooen to you toucheth me In lyke maner whatsoeuer is committed against my name tourneth to my fathers dishonour also whom if they did rightlye knowe as they thynke they doe they woulde neuer so shamfully haue handled his sonne They arrogantlye pretende loue towardes God and yet they bee wickedly minded againste his sonne They aske saluacion of God and goe aboute to destroye his sonne They boaste themselues to be kepers of Gods commaundementes and doe reiecte the preceptes whiche his sonne geueth by the auctoritie of his father They glorie in their knowledge of the lawe and doe not receiue the knowledge of hym whom the lawe setteth forth They wurship the sender and persecute hym whome he hath sente Therefore they knowe not God whome they boaste themselfes to knowe And yet thys ignoraunce shall not excuse them in the daye of punishemente They be ignoraunte in dede but why because they woulde not learne And therfore woulde they not learne because they loued more theyr owne glorye then the glorye of god They did set more by their owne aduauntage then to winne saluacion by the gospell Wherefore that thynge whiche my father hath ordeyned for theyr saluacion haue they through their owne stubberâ—esse heaped vp to theyr eternall damnacion For verily I am come and was sente for this purpose if it mighte be to saue all men If I the sonne of God and greatest persone that could be sent had not come my selfe and declared vnto them all suche thinges as might haue brought them to a better minde If I had not also doen these thinges whiche had been inough to haue forced euen stouye hertes to faythe and belefe surely theyr destruccion shoulde haue been the more easie as giltlesse of this infidelitie the addicion wherof shall make the burden of theyr eternall damnacion the heauyer But nowe sith I haue leafte nothing vndoen wherby they might be saued and they againe with obstinate malice haue resisted him whiche frely offereth saluacion they can alledge no excuse for theyr incredulitie If one hate a straunger it maie bee thought sumwhat woorthie of pardon because he hateth him whom he neuer sawe but me they haue bothe seene and hearde They haue seene me doe good to all folkes and haue hearde me speake thinges woorthy for God Neuerthelesse they hate me for those thinges for whiche they ought to loue me But whoso hateth me must nedes hate my father by whose auctoritie I speake that I speake by whose power I do all that I do And I haue not onelye spoken by wordes but also by my dedes yet were they so blinded that they did neither beleue my woordes not dedes And this selfe thing shall make their damnacion more greuouse in that they haue so stubbernely abused the goodnesse of God being alwaye so ready for them If I had not doen suche miracles among them as neuer any of the Prophetes afore me did whether a man consider the noumber or greatnesse of them and that not to make them afeard or astonished therewith but to helpe them that were afflicted If I had not doen al this I say they should not haue been giltie of this moste greuouse sinne but nowe they haue both heard and seene and so muche the more haue hated not only me that haue both spoken and doen but also my father whiche hath spoken by me and set furth his power by me They neuer sawe Moses and yet hym they doe exteme hylye they beleue the Prophetes whom they neuer hearde but they turne cleane awaye from me whom they haue presentely seene before theyr iyes whom they haue hearde speake of whose benefites they haue so manye wayes had the profe And not herewith satisfyed they take my lyfe from me In the meane while they pretende a reuerente loue to God the father whereas whoso truely loueth the father cannot hate his sonne Howbeit these thinges happen not by chaunce for the very same thing that these men doe the Psalmes whiche they haue and reade did long agon prophecie should cum to passe that is to saye that in stede of thankes they shoulde recompence good turnes with euill will For thus spake I there by the mouthe of the Prophete let them not reioyce and triumphe ouer me whiche vniustely are myne enemies hate me without cause If a man being prouoked hate an other it maye bee suffered if one hate a straunger it maye sumwhat be pardoned but who can forgiue him that hateth one whom he bothe knoweth and hath found beneficiall But when the comforter is cum whom I will sende vnto you from the father euen the spirite of trueth whiche procedeth of the father he shall testifie of me And ye shall beare witnesse also because ye haue been with me from the begynning Neuerthelesse the incredulitie of these persones shall not make their fruite vneffectuall whiche will cleane to me For when I shall haue accomplished al that my father hath geuen me in commaundement and after that the comforter is come whom proceding from my father I wil sende you according to my promisse whiche is the holy goste beyng the inspirer and teacher of all trueth he shall declare all that euer I haue sayd and doen wherby bothe my goodnesse and their obstinate blindnesse shall euideÌ„tly appeare He shall shewe how there hath been nothing doen against me but the same hath been prophecied before in their owne bookes whiche they reade and yet vnderstande not Ye also whiche are now but weake then being made strong through the inspiracion of my spirite shall testifie of me before all menne for so muche as ye haue seene in ordre what I haue doen and hearde what I haue sayed Lyke as I haue tolde you thinges certaine euen the very whiche I haue seene and heard of my father neyther shall the holye goste put any thing but trueth in youre mindes for so muche as he procedeth from my father so shall ye beare witnesse of thinges not doubtefull but suche as be throughly tryed by all your senses And there will be sum whiche will not beleue you but yet muste not the saluacion
the people and from the Gentiles vnto whome now I sende the to open their iyes that they maye be turned from darkenes to lyght and from the power of Sathan vnto God that they may receyue forgeuenesse of synnes and inheritaunce emong them which are sanctified by fayth that is towarde me And whan we all beyng amased by reason of the brightnesse of the lyght had fallen doune on the grounde I hearde a voyce speake vnto me that sayd in the Hebrue tong Saule Saule why doest thou persecute me It is hard for the to wynche againste the prycke Than aunswered I what arte thou lorde Than spake he againe and sayed I am Iesus of Nazareth whome thou persecutest But aryse and stande vp on thy feete Therefore haue I striken the downe beyng a persecutour that I may set the on thy feete againe a preacher of my name For I haue now appered vnto the to this ende that beeyng chosen by me thou mayest beare witnesse of me and execute suche thinges as thou hast sene and others that I hereafter by vision shall shewe vnto the. In all whiche thinges wyll I bee thy defendoure and deliuer the from the people and from the barbarous nacions of the heathen that be far of whither I wyl now sende the in legate that lyke as thou art by delyuerauÌ„ce of thyne errour made of a blinde man perfecte in sight so thou maiest by preachinge the true worde of my ghospell open theyr iyes that from synne ignoraunce whiche they haue been hitherto holden withall they lykewyse may bee conuerted to the lyght of my gospel and that suche as haue been heretofore geuen to ydolatrie and by reason therof haue become subiectes vnto Sathan maye be made the seruauntes of god who is lorde of all thinges and they that hitherto haue been defiled with al kinde of fylthinesse nowe through faith and credence geuing to my gospell may freely obtayne remission of all sinnes and suche as hytherto haue been called not an electe people but separated from God and deuyded from all the companye of good men may nowe haue parte amonge them that be sanctifyed not by circumcision or obseruing of the lawe but by beleuynge in me and because they geue credence to my gospell For there is nowe none other way remaynynge whereby man maye bee sanctifyed ¶ Wherefore o kynge Agrippa I was not disobedient vnto the heauenly vision but shewed first vnto them of Damasco and at Ierusalem and thorowe out all the coastes of Iewry and then to the GeÌ„tiles that they shoulde repente and turne to God and do suche workes as become them that repent For this cause the Iewes caught me in the temple and went about to kylle me Seyng therfore that I haue obtayned helpe of god vnto this day I continewe witnessyng both to small and to great saying none other thinges then those whiche Moyses and the Prophetes did say should come That Christ should suffer and that he should bee the first that should arise from death And should shewe light vnto the people and to the Gentiles These thinges kyng Agrippa were not doone eyther in the night tyme or in any dreame but whan it was brode daye many of vs sawe the clerenesse of the lyghte and heard the voyce distynctlye speakyng Wherfore I beyng assured that this was doen of god from heauen was not dysobediente to the heauenly vision but lettyng passe the businesse that I had than taken in hande by authoritie of the high priestes I tooke a cleane contrarye waye thynkyng it more expedient and necessarie to put in execucion that god commaunded me then that the hyghe priestes had wylled For forth with I preached the ghospell at Damasco and than at Hierusalem afterwardes throughout all the partes of Iewrye and to be shorte emong dyuerse nacions of countreyes beeyng farre a sunder wyllyng them to repent their lyfe paste and that they shoulde turne from dumme Idolles to the true and lyuyng God and that after they were once baptised they shoulde worke from thencefoorth suche workes as became suche persones as earnestly hath repented For this cause the Iewes whan they sawe me in the temple tooke me and woulde haue slayne me Neyther haue I hytherto defended me with weapon and yet by the ayde of God at whose commaundemente I dooe this that I dooe I am yet alyue testifying to bothe greate and smalle those thinges that I was commaunded to preache to all men without respect of any person feynynge no newe doctrine of myne owne head but preaching onely those thinges that Moyses and the Prophetes affirmed should cum to passe For the Iewes also had wont to dyspute in this wyse of Christe by the prophecies of the Prophetes whether that Messias shoulde cum as a man subiect to misery and death or whether he fyrste shoulde begynne to rayse the dead to lyfe and whether that he shoulde preache the true lyght fyrste to the Israelites and after to the Gentyles Whiche thinges eueryâ—hone forasmuche as they were spoken of before by the Prophetes and by Moyses hymselfe of Messias I preache that we muste looke for none other Messias for why â–ª All these thinges are fulfylled in Iesus of Nazareth and nothing nowe remayneth but that all menne through penaunce and puritie of lyfe prepare themselues againste his cummynge whan he shall cum to iudge all the whole worlde ¶ As he thus spake for himselfe Festus sayed with a loude voyce Paul thou art besyde thy selfe Muche learning both make the mad And Paule sayed I am not madde most dere Festus but speake forth the wordes of trueth and sobernesse For the kynge knoweth of these thinges before whome also I speake freely neyther thinke I that any of these thinges are hydden from him For this thinge was not doen in a corner Kyng Agrippa beleuest thou the Prophetes I wote wel that thou beleuest Agrippa sayed vnto Paul Sumwhat thou bringest me in mind for to beleue and becum christened And Paul sayed I would to God that not onely thou but all also that heare me to day wer not sumwhat onely but all together suche as I am excepte these handes Whan as Paule had spoken this and muche more in his owne defence Festus whiche coulde nothing skylle of the Iewes religion estemynge all as dotage that he had spoken of his visyon and of the arysynge agayne of the dead sayed with a loude voyce Thou dotest Paule It is so with the as it often chaunceth to other men Muche knowledge in learning hath taken thy ryght mynde clene from the. Paule answered I dote not moste noble Festus For dotynge is called whan a man through erroure of his mynde swerueth from reason But I am sober and speake as the truth is the whiche trueth to knowe is veraye witte in dede And that these thinges are so it is not vnknoweÌ„ to the kyng before whom I doe muche the more frankely talke of these matters because I suppose that he is ignorante in none of these poyntes that