saying â–ª These last hath wrought but one houre and thou hast made theÌ„ equall with vs whiche haue borne the burden and heate of the day But he answered one of them sayinge Frende I dothe no wrong 〈◊〉 an thou not coâ—enaunted with me for a denary Take Haâ—ts thine and go thy waye I will geue vnto this laste euen as to the. Is it not lawfull for me to do as I will with mine owne goodes Is thyne iye euil because I am good So the last shall be firste and the first last For many â—e called but fewe are chosen Further toward night the lorde of the vineyarde geueth commaundement to his bayly Call all the workemen and pay them theyr hyer so that thou begin with the last and cum to the firste Therfore they that came last that is aboute eleuen of the clocke and laboured in the vineyarde the leaste parte of the daye were called firste of all and a denarye was geuen to eche of them Whan they that were called earely in the morninge perceyued this because they came longe before into the vineyarde they thought that after the raâ—e of the time they shoulde receyue greater wages But a denary was geuen vnto eche of theÌ„ Therfore when they sawe that they which were not like in space of time yet were made lyke in wages they departe murmurynge agaynste the lorde of the vineyarde and saye These whiche came at eleuen of the clocke haue laboured but one houre and yet thou makeste them lyke vnto vs in wages who haue continued the whole daye in laboure and haue suffered the heate of the daye whereas they came a lytle before nyght when the heate was nowe paste But the householder made aunswere to one of them for all Frende why hast thou enuy that I am liberall vnto others My fre liberalytie towardes other hurteth not the. For I doe the no wrong Did I not bargayne with the so that thou shouldeste haue a denarye for thy dayes laboure Thou haste done thy laboure thou haste thy couenaunte I haue nothinge more to doe with the. Take that that is owed vnto the and departe Thou werte hiered hither for wages to doe thy labour not to appoynte me what I shall doe Thus it is thought good vnto me to geue him that came last as muche wages as I geue the. Thou doest lese none of thyne if I geue this man any thyng of my liberalitie Shall I not be at libertie because of the to do with my own what I will Is thy iye therefore vexed with enuy because thou seest me liberal toward whom it pleaseth me This similitude Iesus brought willing depely to graffe in theyr mindes that God naturally beneficiall towardes al men ceasseth not by diuers wayes and in diuers ages to prouoke and moue al men to the seruice of true godlines In whiche they that haue exercised themselues diligently shall haue for rewarde euerlasting lyfe from the which none is excluded geuing eare whan he is called This reward like as it is in no case due vnto our merites but is of the goodnes of god yet it cummeth not without our endeuour yet we be bound to the caâ—ler for this also that we cum to the seruice of godlynes and that we continue in it vnto the euentide of the day For they that be called and refuse to go into the vineyarde they disapoynte themselues of theyr wages And although among sayneâ—es there is neyther enuy nor murmuryng against god yet with these saynges he expressed the high honoure that was shewed to the last whiche had the first place in rewarde Whiche dignitie in so noble that a man might haue cause to enuy Yet the good Iewes also at the beginning murmured against the Gentiles because they cumming of idolaters straungers from Moyses law finally vncircumcised should sodenly be made equall vnto them in the grace of the gospel and be admitted to the same saluacion beeyng incumbred with no burden of the lawe whereas they long exercised in the ordinaunces of Moyses were nothyng better than Gentiles whiche were now admitted to the profession of the gospell being a litle before of a wicked life Therfore the Gentiles had more forgeuen them but the Iewes haue no cause to brawle with God therfore sithe they also maye attayne to like felicitie And if they had rather enuy than folowe let them thanke themselues that they be cast of for theyr vnbelefe the Gentiles in the meane tyme obteining for the redines of theyr faith that thing which the Iewes thought that they onely ought to haue Therfore whoso is called let him furthwith make haste or els he shall be called in vayne excepte he take hede that he be also elected And all be called but few deserue to be counted among the elect Therefore Iesus ended his parable with thesame clause that he began with â–ª So shall they be last that were firste and firste that were laste For many be called and fewe chosen And Iesus goyng vp to Hierusalem toke his twelue disciples asyde in the waye and sayeth vnto them Beholde we do goe vp to Hierusalem and the sonne of man shal be betrayed to the chiefe of the pristes and to the Scribes and they shall condemne him to death and shall deliuer him to the gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified and the thirde day he shall ryse agayne After this Iesus beyng a whyle in Galile began to drawe nere to the place of his death going towarde Hierusalem And now whan he had instructed and framed his disciples many wayes as concernyng despysing of ryches neglecting of parentes and kinsfolkes of chastitie of great modestie of the rewardes that they should haue also in this lyfe he leadeth secretly aparte his twelue apostles whom he had chosen and thoughte mete to commit the mistery of the crosse vnto whiche the multitude was not yet able to beare And yet he tolde of his deathe vnto the people when he spake of Ionas and of the pulling downe of the temple and the making vp of it againe in three daies but so he tolde them of it that they vnderstode not what was sayed before that they sawe it done He had opened the mistery of the crosse vnto his disciples as to them that were more strong and able now once or twyse speaking vnto them playnly But because men forget lightly that whiche they be not glad to heare of and doe not lightly let sinke into theyr hartes the thing whiche the mynde abhorrethe the Lorde Iesus to confyrme hys apostles agaynste the storme that was at hande openethe vnto them more playnely and distinctly not onelye that his death was nere but also telleth them of the mockes and affliccions whiche oftentymes be more greuouse than deathe itselfe Beholde ê™ he we go to Hierusalem and the sonne of man shal be betrayed to the chiefe priestes and Scribes whiche nowe goe aboute to laye in wayte for him And they will not rest to blame and accuse him vntill
meane season Peter sate without in the courte beholding a farre of the heauie sight and loking for the ende of the matter for he durste not come nere lest he shoulde be knowen of the ministers And a certayne wenche came vnto hym whiche partely knewe hym and sayde Thou also waste one of the folowers of this Galilean Here Peter beyng amased at the wenches woorde and forgetting that stout woorde that he spake to Christ and if I should dye with thee I wil not deny thee denied his lorde before theÌ„ al saying I cannot tell what thou sayest And furthwith the cocke did crowe And as he prepared to goe out euen in the doore an other wenche spyed him which vttering hym to the ministers standyng by sayeth Thys man also was with Iesus of Nazareth And agayne he denyed it swearing that he knew not the manne And a little after certayne of them that stoode by knowing Peter sayd Truely thou arte one of this numbre For not onely thy face but also thy speche doeth vtter thee to be a Galilean Than Peter being more afrayde began not onely to abiure and forsake Iesus but also to execrate and ban himselfe if euer he knewe the manne And furthewith the cocke crowed agayne After these Iesus dyd beholde him and speaking as it were vnto him with his iyes monished him Than at length Peter cumming to himselfe remembred that Iesus tolde him before when he craked of hys boldenes and valiantnes before the cocke crow twise thou shalt denye me thryse But because he sinned thorough the weakenes of man being amased with feare and not of purposed malice he deserued mercy Christe suffered this in hys chosen apostle that no man offende he nouer so sore shoulde dispayre of pardon so that he repent and washe the spot of his mynde with teares For Peter whiche was as it were besyde hymselfe at the looke of Iesus by and by came to hymselfe agayne and repented and goyng furth wepte bitterly ¶ The .xxvii. Chapiter ¶ Whan the morning was come all the chiefe priestes and elders of the people helde a counsel against Iesus to put him to death And broughte hym bounde and deliuered hym to Pontius Pilate the deviâ—ie THerfore that night was throughly watched of the heades of religion with these wicked cruell deedes And when day drew nere againe the chiefe priestes and the seniours of the people went to counsayl against Iesus to put hym to death Therfore they deliuered him bound vnto Pontius Pilate president to take punishment of the condemned man Here Iudas that betrayed hym seeing that he was now condemned and that they went to extremities moued with repentaunce broughte agayne the thirtie pieces of syluer to the heades of the priestes and senioures of the people saying I haue synned because I haue betrayed the innocente bloud Truely this mannes confessyon should haue moued the prynces mindes He confesseth that it was doen by the infeccion of auarice and he confesseth that he hath betrayed an innocent But they vtterly raging and thirsting after nothing els but innocent bloud aunswered what is that to vs whether thou hast betrayed an yll doer or an innocente Looke thou to that ¶ Than Iudas whiche had betrayed him seing that he was condemned repented hymselfe and brought againe the thirtie plates of siluer to the chiefe priestes and elders saying haue sinned betraying the innocente bloude but they sayde what is that to vs See thou to that and he cast downe the siluer plates in the temple and departed and hong himselfe Iudas now repenting of his gayne desired to breake of his bargayne but theyr crueltie coulde by no meanes be mitigated Iudas therefore casting the pieces of siluer at their feete departed away heaping and increasing his wicked dede with a more wicked dede He knowledged the greatnes of his sinne but he knowledged not the greatnes of goddes mercy Peter wepte bitterly and obtayned mercy Iudas wept also but with a desperate minde rather thaÌ„ a conuerted minde and therfore he went asyde and hanged himselfe and burst in the middes and his bowels fell out And the chiefe priestes tooke the pieces of siluer and sayde It is not lawfull to put them into â—orâ—on because it is the price of bloude And they tooke counâ—el and bought with them a potters fielde to bury straungiers in Wherefore the fielde is called the fielde of bloude vnto this day Than was fulfilled that whiche was spoken by the Prophete Hieremye saying They tooke thirtie siluer pieces the price of hym that was valued whome they bought of the children of Israell and gaue them for the potters fielde as the lorde appoynted me After this the heades of the priestes went to counsayl agayne and that theyr crueltie mighte be the better knowen to all menne they dyd nothing without a common counsell They consulte to what vse the thirtye pieces of syluer shoulde goe whiche Iudas had cast at theyr feete And being menne of aukewarde religion hauing no religion nor feare in killing of an innocente who had doone so muche for them It is not lawfull ê™ they to put this money into Corbon that is emong the gyftes of the temple whiche they woulde haue estemed and regarded religiousely For it is the price of bloude But the holines of the temple must not be poluted with bloud And in the meane season they dysclose theyr vngraciouse conscyence confessyng hym to bee innocente whose betraymente they had boughte Therefore because that they all shoulde bee partakers of the synne they counselled together and with that money they bought a grounde of a certayn potter for godly vses that straungiers mighte be buried there as though they woulde haue recompenced the sinfull dede that they had in haâ—de with thys good dede And yet by thys meanes they prouyded very yll for theyr good name For they coulde not by any other meanes more blase abrode theyr wickednes For the thyng is come to suche a common saying that at this daye that grounde is called of the Sirians Acheldema that is to saye the grounde of bloude Neyther was thys thing done by chaunce for Hieremie prophecied that it shoulde come to passe and they tooke thirtie pieces of siluer the price of him that was prised whome they boughte of the children of Israell and they gaue them for the grounde of a potter as the lorde appoynted me Iesus stode before the debitie and the debitie asked him saying Arte thou the king of Iewes Iesus sayeth vnto him Thou sayest And whan he was accused of the chiefe priestes and elders he aunswered nothing Than sayde Pilate vnto him hearest thou not how many witnesses they laye agaynste thee And he aunswered hym to neuer a woorde insomuch that the debitie matuayled greatly Therfore whan Iesus stode before the president as giltie they accused hym busily of many thinges speaking nothing in the meane season of blasphemy of the relygyon of the temple defyled and broken and of the cummyng of the sonne of man with the whiche thinges
people mocked him and reuyled him he gaue health vnto others nowe he cannot preserue himselfe If he be the king of Israel as he woulde appere let him declare now what he can doe let him come downe from the crosse and we will beleue hym He trusted in god whome he craked to be hys father if he loue him let him nowe deliuer hym And that of euery side the most innocente Iesus mighte be arayed with reuylynges the theues also felowes with hym in punishmente in lyke manner rebuked hym The whiche all Iesus suffered with stiffe and strong pacience to bring to passe and offer for all meÌ„ that healthfull sacrifice He kepte still the diuine power and sette furthe the whole nature humane to al maner of paynes and tormentes And he did not requited or reuenge so cruell reuylyng bestowed vpon hym as he was dying beeyng more bitter then the crosse it selfe insomuche that he prayed vnto hys father for the souldyers and the Iewes that skorned hym and one of the theues repentyng himselfe he receyued into his paradise From the sixt houâ—e was there darkenes ouer all the lande vntill the .ix. houre And aboute the .ix. houre Iesus cryed with a loude voyce saying Hely Hely Lamazabathanye that is to saye my god my god why haste thou forsaken me Some of them that stoode there when they hearde that sayde This man calleth for Helias â–ª And furthwith one of them ranne and toke a sponge and whan he had filled it full of vyneâ—ce he put it on a reede and gaue it hym to drinke But other sayde let be let us see whether Helias will come and delyuer hym Iesus when he had cryed agayne with a loude voyce yelded vp the ghost The very Sonne felte the punyshment of the innocente and coulde not abyde to beholde so wycked a dede He couered hys face with a blacke cloude and all that countreye was couered with darkenesse from syxe of the clocke vntyll nyne And yet in the meane season the darkenesse of the Iewes hartes coulde not bee shaken of Further aboute nyne of the clocke Iesus cryed with a greate voyce saying thys sentence oute of the psalme Hely Hely Lamazabathany my God my God why haste thou forsaken me And certayne that stode by and hearyng afarre of Hely and supposyng that he had called to Hely for helpe sayde Thys felowe calleth for Hely Let vs see whether he wyll helpe hym Than Iesus to shewe that it was a true deathe whiche he suffered for all menne cryed I am athirste For thys is wonte to folowe vpon woundes and sheding of bloude whiche oftentymes is a punyshemente more sore and paynfull than death And one runnyng to hym put vnto his mouth as he hanged a sponge full of vineger putte vpon the toppe of a reede Iesus thirsted sore for the health of menne but the Iewes offered hym nothyng but vinegar and gall Therefore he dyd forbeare from it when he had tasted saying It is consummate and fynyshed sygnyfying that nothyng was omytted whiche did pertayne to the manner of the sacrifyce And anone to declare that he lefte his life of hys owne accorde after that he had commended hys spyryte vnto the father he cryed with a loude voyce and bowing down his head died And beholde the vayle of the temple did rente in two partes from the top to the bottom and the earthe quaked the stones dyd rente and graues dyd open and manye bodyes of saynctes whiche slepte arose and went oute of the graues after hys resurreccyon and came into the holy citie and appered to many Whan the Ceâ—â—â—urion and they that were with him watching Iesus saw the earthquake and those thinges whiche happened they feared greatly saying Truely thys was the sonne of god And furthwith all thinges dyd testifye the effectuall death of the lorde Iesus For the vayle of the temple whiche deuyded the holye place from the other parte of the temple of his owne accorde was cut in two partes declaring that the shadowes of Moyses lawe hereafter shoulde vanyshe awaye at the bryght light of the ghospell Furthermore the earth did quake and the stones brake a sunder reprouing the Iewes for theyr inuyncyble hardnes of hearte The graues did open and many bodyes of holy menne whiche were dead did reuyue and liue agayne and goyng out of the graues after the resurreccyon of Christe came into the holye citie of Ierusalem and appered vnto many beeyng the preachers and folowers of the resurreccyon of Iesus Furthermore the Captayne and hys seruauntes whiche were there to keepe Iesus perceyuing the earthquake the darkenesse the breakyng of the stones and other wonders were greatly afeard saying Truely this was the sonne of god ¶ And many women were there beholdyng a farre of whiche folowed Iesus from Galile mynystryng vnto hym among whiche was Marie Magdalene and Marie the mother of Iames and Ioses and the mother of the chyldren of Zebedee When the euen was come there came a riche man of Aramathia named Ioseph whiche also was Iesus disciple He wente vnto Pylate and begged the holy bodye of Iesus Than Pylate commaunded the body to be deliuered And whan Ioseph had taken the body he wrapped it in a cleane clothe and put it in his new toumbe whiche he had hewen out of the rocke and rolled a great stone to the doore of the sepulchre and departed And there was Marie Magdalene and the other Marie sitting ouer againste the Sepulchre There were also many women lookyng a farre of vpon the thynges that were doen whiche had folowed Iesus from Galile minystryng vnto hym necessaries among whome there was Marie Magdalene and Marie the mother of Iacob and Ioseph and also the mother of the sonnes of zebedee and diuers other with them And when the nyghte drewe nere a certayne ryche Captayne of Aramathia called Ioseph who also was the dyscyple of Iesus wente vnto the presidente askyng of hym the body of Iesus Pylate marueyling if that he were dead a man of lustie age and not hauyng hys legges broken as soone as he knew certaynely of the captayne that he was dead he commaunded the body to be geuen vnto him He receyued it and wrapped it in a cleane shete and layde it in a newe graue the whiche he had grauen in an whole stone And rollyng a greate stone to the doore of the graue he departed away And thys was done by the prouidence of God that they shoulde vse no crueltie vpon the dead karcas or that no man shoulde dygge vp the graue and steale hym awaye And when the other were departed Marie Magdalene and an other woman contynued there syttyng ouer against the sepulchre and markyng the place where they layde the body that at conuenient time they myght doe the dutie of annoynting to it and the lorde had styrred vp theyr great dilygence to this intente that the beliefe of his resurreccion might be more certayne ¶ The nexte daye that foloweth the Parasceue â–ª the hyghe priestes and Pharisâ—is came
money but that they paye more for the laboure of the lyers than of the traytoure keepe close ê™ they the thynges that ye haue seene but make a brute abrode that hys disciples came in the night stale him away whan ye were aslepe And if thys inuencyon and fleyght be brought vnto your president we will perswade hym and deliuer you from all daunger of this matter Therefore the souldyers receyuyng money dyd as they were instructed and thys trieflyng and vayne sleight was beleued of the people For thys rumoure is bruted abrode vnto this day emong the vnbeleuing Iewes ¶ Than the eleuen disciples wente away into Galile into the mountayne where Iesus had appoynted them And whan they sawe hym they wurshipped hym But some doubted And Iesus came and spake to them â—â—ying all power is geuen to me in heauen and yearth Nowe the eleuen discyples monished of the women wente forewarde into Galile and went vp vpon the hyll whiche Iesus had appoynted them There he shewed hymselfe They saw and knew hym to be theyr Lord and honoured him as now being on high and in heauen Notwithstandyng some yet doubted vntil they were made to beleue with many and very certeyn argumentes Albeit theyr doubting was profitable for the certaintie of oure belyefe Therfore Iesus drawyng nere vnto them dyd not onely offer hymselfe to bee seene and touched presently but also spake vnto theÌ„ with hys knowen and accustomed voyce declaring that by his death he had obteyned a kingdome authoritie both in heauen and in earth In heaueÌ„ where euer he reigned with the father in earth where hereafter he shoulde reigne not by tirannical powers and aides but thorough fayth of beleuers and that he shoulde dispose the office of this euangelicall kyngdome vnto his disciples who shoulde folowe his steppes committing vnto them the office to preache the Ghospell not onely to the Iewes but also to all nacions and also authoritie to baptise and by the holy ghoste to forgeue synnes to all menne that wyll professe an euangelycal lyfe with a sincere hearte and to enstructe and frame them not after the lawe of Moyses nor after the constitucions of the Phariseis but after his preceptes â–ª vntyll they wexed and grewe vp vnto the perfeccyon of the wysedome of the ghospell And that they should nothing dystrust for that he should not be continually conuersaunt with them he promiseth that theyr felowship shal neuer fayle and that he will neuer forsake hys but be alwayes presente with hys in spirite and power vnto the laste ende of the worlde All power ê™ he is geuen me in heauen and earth Ye haue sene me by the reason of the weakenes of the flesh hungrie thyrstie weary nedy despised taken bounde spetted vpon condemned beaten crucifyed couered with all kyndes of spytefulnes and in maner deiect vnder the loweste sorte of menne Because I haue suffered all these thinges willingly and of myne owne accorde for the health of man my father hath raysed me from deathe and rewarded me with the glory of immortalitie and hath lifted me vp to the felowship of hys kyngdome and hath submytted vnto my power and rule all thinges that be in heauen and earth Ye haue an authour whome ye ought not to distrust ye haue a Lorde of whome ye ought not to repente Goe ye therefore and teache all nacyons baptise them in the name of the father and the sonne and the holye ghoste teaching them to kepe all thinges whatsoeuer I haue commaunded you Lyke as I dyed for the healthe of all men so there is no nacion whiche belongeth not to my righte It shall be youre parte to get vnto me as muche as lyeth in you all kinde of men But ye shall not gette them by weapons or war but by the same meanes that I got vnto me this right by wholsome doctrine by a lyfe woorthy and meete for the ghospell with free well doyng with pacyent suffering of illes Goe ye therfore as trustie Ambassadoures trusting me your authour teache firste the Iewes than the nexte neighboures vnto them afterwardes all the nacions of the whole worlde Teache what they ought to beleue of me and what they ought to trust of me First to knowledge the heaueÌ„ly father the maker the orderer and the restorer of al thinges visible and inuisible Whose power no man can resist because he is almightie whose knowledge no man doeth deceiue because hee seeth all thynges whose iudgemente no man shall escape From whome as from the fountayne cummeth all goodnes in the worlde To whome is due all honour prayse and thankes geuing They must knowledge also his sonne Iesus by whome through hys eternall and vnsearchable counsell he hath purposed to deliuer mankinde from tiranny of sinne and deathe and by the doctryne of the ghospell to open the waye vnto euerlasting felicitie Who for this cause by his will came downe into the earth and was borne very manne of the virgyn Marie and beyng man long conuersaunt emong menne taught the heauenly philosophy which only maketh menne blessed And being an innocent was afflicted and punished for the sinnes of the whole worlde and put to death vpon the crosse And layde in his graue the third day he arose agayne according to the prophecies of the Prophetes After that beyng conseruaunt many dayes with his disciples and the trueth of his resurreccion delared by sure argumentes he wente vp agayne into heauen whereas partaker of the kyngdome and glory of his father he sitteth on the righte hande of his father almightie Once he shall come agayne into the worlde not lowe and abiecte as before but with the diuine maiestie not a sauioure but a iudge bothe of those whome that day he shall finde aliue and of those whome nowe being dead the trumpe of the ghospell shall sodainly call agayne to life that by his ineuitable iudgemente euery man may receiue rewarde woorthy and mete for his doinges They must knowledge also the holy ghoste whome I haue nowe partely geuen vnto you and will geue more plentiously after that I come into heauen whose secrete inspiracion shal coumforte teache and strengthen the mindes of them that trust in me and being powred into the hartes of all men shall glue and confeder them together with mutuall charitie as many as professe hartely the fayth of the ghospell of what nacyon soeuer they come of And if a man doth sinne any thing through the weakenes of maÌ„ he shal obteyne forgeuenes of his sinnes so that he doth not seuer himselfe froÌ„ the league felowship of the holy cumpany And whosoeuer ioyneth himselfe vnto this league all the sinnes of his former life shall be forgeuen him freely Finally lest any man shoulde thynke the rewardes of good dedes to be desyred in this life or shoulde goe aboute vengeaunce agaynst yll doers let them knowe that this hereafter shall come to passe in them whiche ye see dooen in me The dead shall liue agayne and euery soule shall
yf anye thing be taken from hym then he that setteth great store by that litle he hath and neuer maketh an ende to augment and encrease thesame Hereby he seemed to meane Iudas who albeit that he forsoke all that euer he had as the other dyd and folowed Iesus yet afterwarde was he perceiued to be a more naughtie couetous wretche theÌ„ those which after the iudgement of the worlde be rychest With suche woordes Iesus framed the myndes of his disciples by lytle and litle against the most greuous storme of all that was at hand the mencion wherof they vtterly abhorred For nowe began he to goe vp to Ierusalem the whiche name the disciples hated bycause they had hearde saye how theyr maister should there suffer muche shame and vilanie In other places of the ghospell it is oft tymes mencioned howe they went before as when beyng hungry they plucked the eares of corne In this vyage they coulde not so doe For it is a painfull iourney to goe vp to Ierusalem It is for them that be of valiant courage and strong in spirite and suche in whom this world hath naught that is his Therfore Iesus nowe goeth before and the disciples folowe after all heauy and murmuring against hym because he would willingly put himselfe in manifest daunger of lyfe They both maruayled what minde he had so to do and also feared their owne partes leste he woulde bring them into lyke daunger Suche disciples so grosse and weake withall suffered Iesus and doth it greue vs sith we be weake our selfes to beare with the dulnesse of the weake They gaped after a kyngdom they desyred to be partakers of glory and reasoned who should haue the chife place or preeminence but they vtterly abhorred that thing whiche was moste necessary for theyr saluacion ¶ And Iesus toke the .xii. agayne and began to tell them what thinges should happen vnto him Beholde we go vp to Ierusalem and the sonne of manne shall be delyuâ—red vnto the hie priestes and vnto the Scribes and they shall condemne hym to death and shall deliuer him to the Gentiles and they shall mocke him and scourge him spitte vpon him and kill him And the thâ—ede daye he shall ryse agayne Iesus therfore to geue vs an ensample how we ought in instructing of our neyghbour to teache him rather necessary thinges then delectable rather holsome thinges then pleasant After he had called vnto hym the .xii. whome his will was should not onely be witnesses â–ª but also in some pointes partakers with him of this storme Iesus I say printed in theyr myndes what he had first couertly and anon after plainly foreshewed vnto them saying Loe the tyme is nowe cum that I haue so ofte told you of We go vp to IerusaleÌ„ to th entent you maye perceyue that I willingly and wittinglye will suffer what tourmentes and passion soeuer I shall be put vnto For I must not flye syth the tyme appointed of god is present this sacrifice shal be made at Ierusalem because that place is appointed thereunto And the sonne of man shall be deliuered into the handes of the chief priestes Scribes Phariseis and elders of the people They shall condemne hym as a felon and a wicked person and at the leÌ„gthe after they haue accused hym of diuerse crimes iudge hym to deathe And then incontinent shall they deliuer hym as a notorious misdoer to the heathen people that they may mocke hym and spitte vpon him To be shorte he shal be scourged and slayne but on the thyrde day he shal arise again from death to lyfe It is nedefull for you to knowe remembre these thynges specially for twoe causes partly leste ye thynke that the same beyng altogether wrought accordyng to Gods determinacion be done by hasard of fortune vnknowyng to me or againste my wyll partly leste this storme wheÌ„ it is cumme trouble you out of measure as men that thought nothing thereon For it is not mete you shoulde take it greuously that I wyll willingly suffre for your cause according as my father hath determined I shall doe neyther is it conuenient that you should be dismayed as at a thyng whiche hath chaunced vnloked for sith I haue so ofte times warned you hereof before ¶ And Iames and Iohn the sonnes of zebede came vnto him saying Maister we woulde that thou shouldest do for vs whatsoeuer we desyre He said vnto theÌ„ What would ye that I should do for you They said vnto him Great vnto vs that we maye syt one on thy right hand and the other on thy left hand in thy glory But Iesus said vnto theÌ„ ye wâ—â— not what ye aske Can ye drinke of the cup that I drinke of â–ª and be baptised with the baptisme that I am baptised with And they sayd vnto him That we can Iesus sayd vnto them ye shall in dede drinke of the cuppe that I drinke of and with the baptisme that I am baptised withall shal ye be baptised in But to sit on my right hand and on my left hend is not rayne to geue but it shall happen vnto them for whome it is prepared Now when the Apostles were all in their dumpes and like men amased by reason of these wordes and durst not now counsayll hym to the coÌ„trary two of them that it is to wete Iohn and Iames the sonnes of zebede came vnto hym alone These .ii. after they heard hym speake of his resurreccion conceiued good hope that that same kyngdome which he had so oft tymes promysed to cumme shoulde very shortly begyn For as yet they had not cleane cast out of their mindes the desyre of worldly aduauncemeâ—t For they set their mother a worke by her desyred him to haue summe preemineÌ„ce soueraigne dignitie geuen theÌ„ in thesame kingdom but or euer they vttered theyr minde they did what they coulde to get a faythfull promise of him before haÌ„de to haue theyr requeste graunted because it should not theÌ„ be lawful for him to deny it them The Lord makyng as though he woulde deny theÌ„ nothing whatsoeuer they demaunded bad theÌ„ tel on hardely what great thing it was that thei sued for For it semed that they would desyre some weyghty thyng or hygh promocioÌ„ Lorde saye they oure peticion and suite is to haue this honourable preferment in thy kyngdome that we may sit nexte the the one of vs on thy ryghthand and the other on thy lefte Iesus by askyng them a question plainly bewrayed theyr ignoraunce and rudenes For as yet they dreamed vpon a certayne corporall kyngdome as yet theyr myndes were vpon the primacy Howbeit it was then no time to rebuke theÌ„ for theyr grosse ymaginacion but yet bryngeth he theÌ„ agayne to the remembraunce of death the whiche they so muche abhorred Because sayeth he ye perceiue not what maner a thyng the kyngdome of God is therefore ye woâ—te not what ye desyre You seke after vaynglory and consydre not by what meanes the true glory
woulde desyre And there was one that was named Barrabas which laye bounde with them that made insurreccion he had committed murther And the people called vnto hym and began to desyre him that he would do according as he had euer doen vnto them Pylate answered them saying wyll ye that I let leuse vnto you the kyng of the Iewes For he knewe that the hye priestes had deliuered hym of â—â—uye But the hye priestes moued the people that he should rather delyuer Barrabas vnto them There was a custome among the Iewes that at the feaste of Easter one of them shoulde be lewsed whiche laye in prison for anye death worthy offence whomsoeuer the Iewes desyred to be geuen vnto them At that season there was induraunce a certaine notable feloÌ„ muche spoken of for his vngracious dedes named Barrabas who had been a stirrer vp of sedicion in the citie and in the busynes and hurly burly that he made had committed manslaughter Pylate determined with hymselfe to vse this occasion to saue Iesu. Therfore when the people were cummen together accordyng to theyr auncient custome to desyre to haue some felon pardoned in token of theyr safe deliueraunce and scapyng out of Egypte Pylate answered in this wyse I haue two prisoners Barrabas whome ye know and Iesus whoÌ„ men cal the kyng of the Iewes Will ye therfore that I lewse vnto you Iesus Pylate perceyuing that he coulde haue no ayde and helpe of the priestes went vnto the people bicause to haue had some ayde assistence of them trusting that by theyr fauour Iesus shoulde haue been delyuered And so had he been without fayle if the malicious byshops neuer weary to worke mischiefe had not moued them rather to desyre to haue Barrabas pardoned then Iesus Pylate aunswered agayne and sayed vnto them what wyll ye then that I do vnto him whome ye call the kyng of the Iewes And they cryed agayne crucifie hym Pilate sayde vnto them what euyl hath he daâ—â— and they cryed the more feruently Crucifie hym And so Pylate wyllyng to content the people let lose Barabas vnto them and deliuered by Iesus when he had scourged him for to be crucified When this thyng had so chaunced contrarye to the deputies expectation for he heard say that Christ was highly in grace and fauour with the people yet ceased not he to helpe hym as muche as in him laye What then sayed he will ye that I do with the kyng of the Iewes loking to haue heard of them a more fauourable and gentler sentâ—nce But here the wylye Bishops were very circumspect who had before hande infected the myndes of the comminaltie with theyr wickednesse Neyther is the auctoritie of suche bishoppes good for any thyng els but to moue Princes and the people agaynste the trueth of the gospel The people therfore cryed agayn crucifie hym The bishops had also beaten into their heades that the shamefullest kynde of death of al should be chosen out for hym bycause his name shoulde hereby be counted detestable and cursed among all the Iewes For the lawe pronounced hym cursed whoso hanged in wood So studied they not onely to bereaue hym of his life but also vtterly to extincte abolyshe hys good name which was a facte muche crueller then death They coulde not abide that any mans name shoulde be counted holy saue theyrs Neyther did Pilate here yelde vnto theyr furie but spake harâ—e againste them saying I am the Emperours deputie It is not lawful for me to put any man to death vnlesse he be duely conuicted What offence hath he dooen wherfore he oughte to be crucified Here the deputie nothyng preuayled For they cryed outemore â—uriously Crucifie hym Yet for al that Pylate shranke not in Christes cause tyl they layed vnto his charge treason against the Emperour It was not conuenient that Iesu shoulde be doen to death excepte the Emperours authoritie had serued the fury of the byshops Pylate perceyuyng what daunger hanged ouer his head on the one syde of the Emperour on the other of the clamarous people albeit he knewe righte well that Iesus was an innocente and harmeles person yet willinge to yelde and conforme hymselfe to the mortall hatred of the byshops Scrybes elders and people gaue sentence of deathe agaynste hym but with thesame â—entence he bothe cleared the innocent of all crimes and also condemned the priestes and the people For he pronounced hym to be innocent and giltles whome he let them haue to crucifie Suche maner of Pylates shal the truth of the gospell euermore haue would to God there dyd not aryse among vs some byshops which are farre beyonde those bishops in all mischeefe vngraciousnes When therfore Iesus was condemned to death he was fyrst beaten with scourges But wheÌ„ the Iewes were not here with satisfied Pylate deliuered hym to the garison of the souldiers to be crucified So it pleased the high wisedom of God that Iesu the fouÌ„taine of al glory should be put to all kyndes of vilany by al sortes of people to the entent we should not be dismaide with any maneâ— of worldly euils or aduersities Iudas betrayed him the bishops Scribes headmen of the people counsailed together the seruauÌ„tes toke hym Cayphas the highest priest chiefe worker of all this mischief condeÌ„ned hym the Councell and theyr seruauntes scorned him as a condemned person the people cryed out agaynst hym like mad folkes the Emperours name maketh the iudge afraid Herode despiseth the Emperours deputie geueth sentence and in al these is Cayphas and in hym the deuyl And the souldiers led him awaye into the coÌ„mon hall and called together the whoâ—e â—ultitude and they clothed him with purple and they platted a croune of thornes and crounâ—â— him withall and began to salute hym hayle kyng of the Iewes And they smote him on the head with a rede and dyd spit vpon hym and bowed theyr knees and worâ—â—ypped hym Nowe remayneth there behynde that the wicked garison of souldiers do lykewyse playe theyr partes and amoÌ„g theÌ„ also was Cayphas Al the shame and villany that Iesus was put vnto all his destruccion if it maye be sayed that he was destroyed came of Caiphas who vnwares wrought a thing moste blessed and holy For he made this sacrifice without whiche no manne coulde haue attayned saluacion When therfore Iesus was caste and iudged to dye Pylates seruauntes led hym into the hall of the palace For the Iewes who were desyrous to seme holy durst not entre into the palace of Panim because they would come pure and cleane to celebrate theyr passeouer And yet was theyr mindes in the myddes of the palace and in the verye handes of the souldiers whom being of their owne enclinacion readye to do all mischiefe they prouoked and incensed therunto After Pylate had once deliuered his handes of Iesus he thought it made no great force how he were doen to death So did Herode fauour the vertue and goodnes of Iohn that at the requeste
whiche the ghospell teacheth then whiche the Paradoxes that is to saie the straunge opinions of the philosophiers dooe teache And the sayd philosophiers doctryne not one of the princes did euer make anye a dooe to destroye or suppresse and yet of it owne accorde it vanyshed awaye lyke as did also theyr lawes and the arte magicall and the rites of sacryfices For what creature dooeth at this daye sacrifyce vnto the Gods of the Heathen or slaygheth beastes in sacrifice as the Iewes did What persone dooeth now knowe of Zoroastes What man setteth an heare by the misticall riddels of Pythagoras Who readeth the lyfe of Apollonius Tyaneus any otherwyse then as a certayne dreame Yea or rather who vouchesalueth to reade it at al For where Aristotell is at these dayes of greate name and fame in the scholes leat hym neuer thanke his owne fâ—cte therefore but the Christians For euen he had perished too yf there had not been made a medley of Christe and hym together in our schooles of diuinitie Against the philosophie Euangelical beeyng yet but tendre and euen but newly spryngyng vp the worlde arose at the first chop with all his force and power by meane of the Iewes vnder the pretexte and coulour of religion fightyng agaynst the fountaine of all religion by meane of the philosophiers beeyng hable muche to doe in all kyndes of â—earnyng by meane of the Sophisters beyng felowes vnpossible to bee ouercoÌ„med in stiffenesse of holdyng argumentacions by meane of the rhetoricians beyng meruaylous in the force of eloquence by the tyrannes beeyng armed with all sortes of shewyng crueltie by meane of kynges lieutenauntes magistrates by suche as were cunnynng in magike and sorcerie and perfecte in the sleyght of castyng mystes ouer mennes iyes and other senses and by meane of eiuyll spirites beeyng the lordes of this worlde All suche tumultuous buisynesse as these as a sea of eiuils swellyng vp and ouerflowyng dydde the power of the trueth Euangelicall receiue endure breake throughe and vtterly ouercome For at the lighte of the ghospell whan it came it was reason that all counterfaictes of worldly power should clene vanishe a waye Up shot that same ghospell and shewed it selfe beeyng plaine and lowe whiche all men wâ—â— great a doe endeuoured to ouertrede and kepe downe The bokes of suche persones as with singular high witte with woondrefull learnyng and with exquisite eloquence wrote agaynst the ghospel vanished awaye of theyr owne accorde as it had been certayne dreames insomuche that they are not at this day remaynyng to bee had neyther excepte if any fragmentes or small pieces haue been saued of the Christians by reason of wrytyng agaynst them in confuting them The kynges and princes dooe nowe bough downe to honoure the thyng which to fore they weÌ„t about to destroie the power of magike is vanished awai and gone the euill spirites are cast out that they howle and rore agayn philosophie hath confessed her ignoraunce and geuyng ouer the foolishe wisedome of the world it hath enbraced the wysedome of the crosse the rethoricians write oracions in the prayse of Iesus Christ the poetes do hisse the olde goddes out of place and in the lieu and place of Goddes innumerable all their song and composyng is nowe of Iesus Christe alone Thissame so great a chaunge of the world begoonne within a fewe yeares after Christ was putte to death to be made generall and common through al the whole worlde and withoute any maintenaunce or supportacion of maÌ„ it encreaced from tyme to tyme still more and more vntyll the piece of leauen beeyng miengled in three peâ—kes of meale did â–ª â—auen and turne al the whole batche and vntill the graine of mustard seed beeyng digged into the yearth did ferre and wyde spleygh his boughes abrode ouer Asia ouer Afrike and Europe And ouer and besydes all this those persones who layed theyr battrey agaynst the trueth Euangelical to cast it â—owne and to destroye it not onely had diuerse and sondry kyndes of terroures wherwith euen very manly stomakes also might haue been quayled that is to weâ—e open coÌ„maundementes by proclamacion consistories places of iudgemente forfaityng of al theyr goodes to the princes attaindres and depriuacions banishementes priesons tormentes of burnyng plates scourgyng with â—oddis axes wherwith to choppe of theyr heades ieobettes fiers to burne them wylde beastes to cast them to that thei might be deuoured deathes but also they had diuerse and soondrye allurementes wherewith an herte though it wer right coÌ„tinent might bee corrupted Ceasar would saye to some one of them Rencague thou and forsake Christ and be thou the chiefe emong all my piers and except thou so do all thy gooddes shall be forfayte to my behoufe I wyll shewe all extremitie of rigour towarde thy wyfe and children and thyselfe for thyne own part shalt bee cast to wylde beastes in a denne Who did in suche cases as these perswade so many thousandes and bryng them in mynde with reioycyng to take it whan theyr promocions and dignities were taken from them whan theyr gooddes were spoyled that whan they sawe those parties haled with all violence to huige tormentes and execucion of death who nexte after God were moste derely beloued vnto them they should geue thankes to God and finally that themselues whan they might easly haue escaped and whan they might haue enioyed suche high commodities should of theyr owne voluntary wylles offâ—e themselues to bee cruelly martyred No power of humayne eloquence could this haue dooen but the godlye power of the trueth was hable whiche laye hidden in the graine of mustardsede Neither did the philosophiers doctrine lacke alluremente The Stoykes promised libertie and fredome true rychesse health reigne other thynges magnificent and royall to be spoken The Epicureans made highe woordes and promises of pleasure to the cares of men The Peripatetikes dyd couple the good giftes of the bodye with vertue But the doctrine of the ghospell as it did not drawe any body vnto it with any worldly terrours so on the contrary parte how feâ—re was it from hauyng any thyng commendable in outwarde shewe to see to naye rather howe many thynges did it conteine vttrely vncredible It telleth newes of one Iesus nailled on the crosse who had by his death deliuered mankynde and this Iesus to be bothe god and man borne of a virgin and one that had returned agayne from death to life and was nowe sitting at the right hande of God the father and thesame Iesus to had been a man that had taught suche persones to bee in blissed case as for the profession of his name did mourne and warle did suffre thirst or hungre were put to affliccion wer euill spoken of or were putte to death and that all men shall in time to come arise to life agayn and that the godly sorte at that daye thesame veray Iesus beeyng their iudge shall haue immortalitie to their lotte the wicked shall haue the peines of hell for euer without
disciples The partie shal byanby know the title of maister euen as an other did one day acknowlage thee calling of me Lorde at what time ye vntyed the Asses colte This partie shall without any delaye shewe you a great wyde parlour with a bourde already couered and all thynges prepared for a repast there to be taken in it and there make ye the pascall lambe ready for me Nowe consider me this point o frēde Theophilus an hoste of none acquaintaunce it is that findeth Christe the parloure to suppe in and a bearer of water is that leder vnto the house where Christ kepeth the solemnitie of his pasche For by meane of baptisme and by the doctrine of gods woord is the entering into the churche the liuely water of gods word doeth clense and the water also of the sacrament doeth clense The good mā of the house hath no name expressed because the churche of Christe is euerywhere springyng first vp of derke and lowe beginnynges but spreadyng it self ferther ferther abrode frō day to day into the whole vniuersal world And because the beginnyng of all health and saluacion is faith the discyples beleue the lord and are obediently rewled by him They departe into the citie they fynde him that was carriyng the pitcher of water they folowe thesame as he goeth before and leadeth the way They declared to the good mā of the house suche message as they had been cōmaunded He sheweth theim a great large dinyng parlour For wyde large it must nedes be which is able to receiue all the naciōs of the worlde For the Iewes Synagogue is but a place of narow roume And ferre frō earthly thinges must such people be sequestred as are disposed to eate the meate celestiall Here in this place than do the disciples prepare the supper verily executyng the office of pastours And whan the houre was cum he sate doune and the twelue Apostles with him And he said vnto thē I haue inwardly desired to eate this passeouer with you before that I suffre for I say vnto you henceforth I wil not eate of it any more vntill it bee fulfilled in the kingdome of god And he toke the cuppe gaue thankes and said Take this and deuide it among you for I say vnto you I will not drinke of the fruite of the vyne vntill the kingdom of god be come And he toke bread whan he had geuen thankes he brake it and gaue vnto thē saiyng This is my body which is geuen for you This do in the remēbraunce of me Likewise also whan he had supped he toke the cuppe saiyng This cuppe is the newe testament in my bloud which is shed for you Yet behold the hand of him that betraieth me is with me on the table and truely the soonne of man goeth as it is appoynted But woe vnto that man by whom he is betrayed And they began to enquire among themselfes whiche of them it was that shoulde dooe it And whan it was nowe supper tyme Iesus came thyther and sate downe to eate with his twelue specially chosen disciples because the residue were not yet able to receiue the depe hiddē mistery whiche his pleasure was that it should by meane of his Apostles be made common vnto such as were once already entred in the misticall rules and profession of the ghospell Than as sone as meate and drynke was sette before theim on the table the lord to the entent he might depely enprient in the mindes of his Apostles that he would suffre the death of the crosse not for any necessitie at all to himself warde but onely for the loue of redemyng mankynde sayed vnto theym With great and earnest desire haue I desired to eat this pascal lābe with you before my death the time wherof I reioyce to be now come because I thirst the redēpcion of man For this woorde I assure you of from this tyme forthward I wyll not eate this pasche with you according to the litterall ordeinaunce and prescripcion of the lawe but an other pasche of more perfeccion shal after the spirite bee accomplished in the kyngdome of god This lambe here whiche is euery yere once solēnely killed of the Iewes cōprised a figure of my death Now is the true thyng self come in place and the shadow shall ceasse ye shal from hensforth solemnise vnto me a ghostly and an effectuall passeouer the eatyng whereof shall make you immortall So after that they had euery one tasted of the lambes fleashe Iesus tooke the cuppe in his hande and gaue thankes vnto his father than geuing the firste assaye of the cuppe and holdyng it foorth vnto them he sayed vnto his disciples Take ye and deuide ye this emongst you And take ye this for a true woorde of my mouth I wyll not from hensforth drynke of the fruite of the vynetree for the necessitie of the fleashe but the kyngdome of God shall immediately bee present Euery one of these thynges whiche the lawe hath had outward and carnall shall be spiritually shewed and ministred And thus ferre is an ende of the figures of the lawe Immediatly hereupon the lorde Iesus entendyng by a misticall figure or token to consecrate to his seruauntes a newe testament tooke breade and after thankes geuing to his father he brake it with his owne handes and deliuered it vnto the disciples saying This is my body whiche is betrayed vnto death for you My death shall not be doen any more then this once For this onely one sacrifice of my death is sufficient for the synnes of all ages and tymes aswell paste as to come But ye shall oftentymes renewe vnto yourselues the memory of my tendre loue towardes you dooyng the lyke emong your selues that ye nowe see doen of me For this shal be an high and holy signe of a bande and league made betwene me and you Than as soone as supper was doen he tooke the cuppe also and reachyng it foorth to them he sayed This is the newe testament consecrated not with the bloud of a calfe or a goat but with mine owne bloude whiche is poured foorth for the redemyng and sauing of you ye haue nowe the highest token and pledge that can be of myne entier loue towardes you And in dede there ought to bee a like loue in you towardes me agayne but yet there is one here at the table emongest you who will betraye me into the handes of them whiche seke me vnto death Neither is all this doen by casualtie but it is so prefixed by the determinacion of God it is so foreshewed by the prophetes that the sonne of man should by suche a processe redeme mankynde Indede a good necessarie poynt of seruice it is that he doeth herein towardes the vniuersal redempciō of man but yet because he doeth it of a wicked minde thesame thyng shall in conclusion turne to his damnacion the whiche shal bee the instrumente of saluacion to others The determinacion of
score furlonges and they talked together of all these thinges that had happened And it chaunced that while they commoned together and reasoned Iesus himselfe drewe nere and wente with them But theyr iyes were holden that they shoulde not knowe hym And he sayed vnto them what manier of communicaâ—ions are these that ye haue one to another as ye walke and are sad And the one of them whose name was Cleophas aunswered and sayed vnto him Arte thou onely a straungier in Hierusalem and hast not knowen the thynges whiche haue chaunced there in these dayes He sayed vnto them what thynges And they sayed vnto hym of Iesus of Nazareth whiche was a Prophete mightie in dede and woorde before God and al the people and howe the high priestes and our rewlers deliuered him to be condemned to death and haue crucified him But we trusted that it had been he whiche should haue redemed Israel And as touchyng all these thynges to daye is euen the thirde daye that they were doen. Yea and certaine weomen also of our companie made vs astouned whiche came erely vnto the sepulchre and founde not his bodye and came saying that they had seen a vision of Aungels whiche sayed that he was aliue And certayne of them whiche were with vs went to the sepulchre and founde it euen so as the weomen had sayed but hym they sawe not And so it befell that euen the veray same daye twoo of his disciples vnto whom the newes had tofore been reported of the sepulchre of Iesê° how it was found voyde without the body in it although there had no credence been geueÌ„ to theyr wordes the sayed two disciples leauyng the citie of Hierusalem wente vnto a towne called Emaus This Emaus is distaunte from Hierusalem the mountenaunce of thre score furlonges of whiche eight goe to a myle so that it was from Hierusalem to Emaus seuen myles and one halfe myle after that rekonyng And in theyr goyng on the waye they talked together of many sondrie matiers as men commonly vse to doe namely whan any sorowe or pensifenesse is in theyr hertes For they were men greatly dismaied and caste in heauinesse with the Lordes death and were euen nowe in a manier at the veraye poynte of desperacion and had cast awaye all hope But as for theyr talkyng was altogether about Iesus and about all the thynges whiche they had seen and whiche they had heard in these latter dayes aforegoyng For they hadde borne a great loue towardes hym as one that was a notable man and full of beneficiall goodnesse And albeit that same gaye royall hope of restoryng the kyngdom of Israel was out of theyr mindes almoste cleane forgotten yet had they a delite with mutuall talking the one with the other to renewe the memorie of hym euen dead as he was For theyr myndes beyng altogether vnquiete and troubled a certayn kynde of slumbre as ye would saye had creped vpon them so that as it were in a slepe they beare a loue towardes hym whom they could not forget At last as they were diuising and tellyng betwene themselues many thynges of Iesus and talkyng many matiers of him to and fro the one to the other behold he was euen personallye presente there with them that they talked of For Iesus who tofore had promised that he would bee in the myddes betwene them wheresoeuer he should fynde any two persones talking together of hym did at that tyme euen after the corporall presence of his body also shew the thing whiche in spirite he neuer ceasseth to doe So that he ioyned himselfe in coumpanye with them as a waifaryng manne and offred hymselfe to kepe them company on the waye but it was in a likenesse to them vnknowen not that he had any other body then the verai same whiche he had before his death but for that because it pleased Iesus so to haue it theyr iye sight had such an impediment that they could not knowe him though they sawe hym corporally Happie is that coumpanye and blyssed of Goddes hande as often as twoo persons haue none other talke ne make none other serchyng out but of Iesus Happie are they that euer they were borne to whome Iesus vouchesalueth to ioyne hymselfe as a mate or a coumpanion And as the Lorde Iesus hath a good fansie to bee presente with suche as talke of hym so doeth Satan reioyce to bee present emong them which vse suche communicacions together emong them as may corrupt honest behaueour as for exaumple of leacherie of falsehood of auengeyng of pryde of gaynes and luâ—re of the slauÌ„dre of the neighbour But for because these two men dyd so burne in the loue of Iesus that by reason of humaine frailtie they doubted of his promisses the Lorde for a litle season deceyuyng theyr iyesyght sercheth out what opnion they had of him not for that any thing was to him vnknowen but because he would remedie their vnbeliefe for the better coÌ„firming of our feith He therfore sayeth what talke is all thissame that ye two haue betwene you on the waye as ye goe your countenaunce and moode shewyng all the whyle a sorowe and heauinesse of herte For euen this thyng also doeth commonly asswage sorowe yf we may fortune to haue any body into whose lap we may poure out the thyng that grieueth vs. Yea and this one propertie ferthermore hath mans affeccion that yf a thyng be to on s veray high contentacion and delite he thynketh thesame to be vnknowen to no maÌ„ and that euery body hath a speciall care and regarde therof Muche after the rate of this affeccion doeth the one of the disciples aunswer whose name was Cleophas It is sayeth he a thyng veray well knowen to all meÌ„ as many as enhabite or liue at HierusaleÌ„ and seeing that thou comest out of that citie aswel as we how can it be possible that thou alone as it wer sum newcome straunger shouldest be ignoraunt of these thynges which haue been doen there nowe in these last dayes and which no man alyue but he knoweth them Than Iesus as one couetyng to learne where in veray dede he was come to teache aunswered What thynges are these ye speake of They playnly mening good feith vp declare at large vnto Iesus the summe of all the whole matter as to a straunger and one that was ignoraunte of all that had been doen frankely makyng open confession howe fer they wer from hauyng as yet any opinion of Iesus wurthy for his wurthinesse and howe they had clene cast awaye all hope in a maner of his arisyng again from death to life We were talking say they telling the story of one Iesus of Nazareth which was an excellent man and a Prophete mightie both in woorde and dede not onely afore God to whom he was veray dere beloued but also emoÌ„g all the people vniuersall with whom he had by his miracles and doctrine and benefites purchaced and gotten most high autoritie
the middes of the day time from the sixt houre vntill the nynth Christ himselfe saied and affirmed himselfe to be the light of the worlde and gaue knowlage that the night drewe nere at what tyme he should be doen to death out of this worlde And dyd not Amos clerely prophecie this matter And it shal be in that day saieth the Lord the sunne shall goe downe in the noontide and I will make the yearth to be all ouercast with derkenesse in the daye of light Neyther did Zacharie hold his peace concernyng this matter whan he sayed And it shall be in that daie there shal be no light but colde and froste and it shal be one daie whiche is knowen to the Lorde Not daie nor night in their due time in the euentyde shall the light be It was a day knowen to the Lorde which day the Iewes knewe not by the markes therof Daye was it not because that aboute the houre of noontyde arose derkenesse night was it not because that after the nynth houre light came again Than colde and froste there was in the hertes of the disciples whan they fled euery manne his waye and despaired in the noumbre of whom was Petur who ferthermore abiured the Lord that is to saye swore that he knewe hym not nor had naught to doe with hym nor naught would he medle with hym while being throughly taken with colde he taketh warmth and heate by the coles of wicked Iewes Cōferre ye now the thynges that were doen whyle Christe was hangyng on the crosse Whan he thirsted there was raught vp vnto hym wyne mixed with myrrhe and vyneagre withall euen like as whan he should bee hoighced vpon the crosse they offered hym wyne mixed with myrrhe And did not the prophecie of the Psalme tell plainly herof afore where it sayeth They gaue me gaule for my meate and in my thirst they gaue me drinke of vineagre Ye heard the Phariseis and the rewlers lyke conquerours speakyng proudely agaynste him as he hāged on the crosse and emong other reuiling woordes laying this also against him He sayed he was the sonne of God he putteth his wholle trust and confidence in the Lorde let him nowe deliuer him yf he will haue hym See ye nowe how lustely the prophecie of the Psalme did not onely foreshewe the veray thyng but also did speake euen the verai woordes of those wicked persones where it sayeth But as for me I am a wourme and no manne a veray skorne of men and the outcast of the people All they that see me laugh me to skorne ▪ they shoote out their lippes and shake theyr head saying he trusted in God that he would deliuer him leat him deliuer him if he wil haue him Ye sawe the lambe of whiche Esai prophecied not once openyng his lippes but holdyng his peace at al opprobrious woordes yea and moreouer praying hertely for the causers and workers of his death whan he cried Father forgeue them for they knowe not what they doe Nowe loke ye whether the psalme did not fore tell this thing too They spake agaynst me with guilefull roungues they coumpaced me round about with wordes of hatred and assailed me without cause In stede of that they should haue loued me they railled againste me and as for me I did praye Ye sawe hym fastened to the crosse with nailles and hang naked his bodye stretched euerie waye to the vttermoste Heare ye nowe a clere and plain prophecie of thesame They perced my handes and my feete and they tolde all my bones Ye sawe the souldiers partyng emongst them the garmentes of Iesus whan he was crucified And this poyncte also foloweth the prophecie of thesame Psalme in this manier They parted my garmentes emong them and cast lottes vpon my vesture his other garmentes they parted emongst them for his coate that was a whole piece in it selfe because it had no seames that it might bee vnriept they drewe lottes Whan he was euen at the poynte to yelde vp the ghost ye heard hym saye with a strong voyce Father I commende my spirite into thy handes declaryng the prophecie of the psalme to had spoken afore of his death Ye sawe the twoo theues legges broken in sodre and that Iesus legges were not broken because he woulde by this signe also declare hymselfe to bee the true Paschall Lambe whose bloude hath made free and hath deliuered from euerlasting death al persones that belieue in him of whome there was a commaundemente geuen in the booke entitled Exodus Ye shall not breake any bone of hym Ye might also haue marked this poynte that he ouercame the strengthe of the worlde and Satan with the contrarie with simplicitee he maistered craftinesse with mekenesse he ouercame fiercenesse with humilitee he hadde the ouerhande of pompe and glorie with courteous behaueour he subdued pryde and in lyke manier with the weakenesse of body he conquered the power of Satan For what thyng is more weake or feble then a man dying and yet what great strength this weakenesse had ye sawe Ye beheld and sawe the sunne ouercaste with derkenesse the yearth to be cast in a quakyng stones to brast one piece frō another graues to open the vail of the temple to be cutte in soondre These thynges veraily declared that his special great strength wherwith he throughly subdued the deiuill and the world was preastly and readily shewed foorth at the houre of his death And this thyng also had the mysticall Psalme foreshewed where it sayed Tell ye in the nacions God hath reigned from the tree And this thyng did not the Prophete Abacuc leaue vnspoken His brightnesse sayeth he shal be as the lyght hornes in his handes there is his strength hidden death shall go before his face and the deiuill shall go out before his feete Ye heare the hornes or peakes of the crosse the feblenesse wherof beguyled the prynce of this worlde For the lord Iesus had there priuely hidden his heauenly vertue and strength to th ende that he might oppresse the deiuill he led death in a triumphe he made Satan to be openly knowen what he was and made hym an open shewe and his verai self before he should dye foretold that this thing should so be in that he sayed Whan I shal be exalted vp from the yearth I wyll drawe all thynges vnto my selfe And the selfsame thyng did Moses signifie beyng nere the tyme of his death although by derker woordes of a misticall sense For whan he blissed the tribes euerie one by it selfe and it was come to Ioseph who bare the figure of Christe he saied As of a firste borne oxe is the beautie of hym and his hornes as the hornes of the beaste Rhinoceros with them shal he fanne the nacions euen vnto the endes of the earth So hath it ben thought good to the wisdom of God that Christ should subdue the vniuersal world through the hornes or
that bread wherewith the bodie is satisfyed and be ye desirous of that heauenly bread whiche geueth eternall lyfe This bread is receiued by fayth and fayth is to be obteyned of god the father be ye well assured thereof that whosoeuer hath affiaunce in me thesame hathe already eternall lyfe for so muche as he hath the fountaine of immortalitie ¶ I am the bread of life your fathers did eate Manna in wildernes and are dead This is that breade whiche cummeth down from heauen that a man maie eate therof and not die I am that liuing bread whiche came downe from heauen If any manne eate of this breade he shall liue for euer And the breade that I will geue is my fleshe whiche I will geue for the life of the world I am that very bread whiche geueth not a bodily and a transitorye life but the lyfe of the soule and eternall lyfe Althoughe ye haue me presente yet neuerthelesse ye desyre Manna as a woondrefull thyng And albeit Manna whiche youre auncestours didde eate and feede vpon for a certaine tyme in the wildernesse didde cum from heauen as you suppose yet it dyd theim no ferther pleasure then wheaten or barlye breade woulde haue dooen It putte awaye for a whyle the hunger of the bodye whiche shortelye after woulde returne agayne and require more meate but it coulde not geue them immortalitie For though your forefathers were neuer so happye yet dyd as manye of them dye as dyd feede of that Manna This breade whiche I speake of descended out of heauen in veraye deede and it hath receiued of god celestiall strengthe to make hym that eateth of it to liue in bodye and soule euerlastynglye and neuer to bee subiecte vnto deathe Ye neede not therefore aske importunately any Manna from heauen when as ye haue very heauenly breade presente and ready prepared for you whiche geueth eternall lyfe in case ye wyll receiue it by fayth For I my selfe am that bread the grauÌ„ter of immortall lyfe who alone came down from heauen whome you beeyng offended with the infirmitie of this bodye take and thynke to be nothyng els but the sonne of Ioseph and Marye Truely I am the very woorde of god the father whiche whoso beleueth shall haue immortall lyfe If any man wyll conueye and digeste this heauenlye bread into the inwarde partes of the soule he shal bee quickened and growe into eternall lyfe And yf you beyng but carnall do not yet vnderstande spirituall thynges I wyll shew you a more a plain and grosser matter and a thyng that is more apperteinyng vnto the fleshe Euen thys fleshe whiche you see and loke vpon and whiche I shall bestowe and geue vnto deathe for to redeme the lyfe of the whole worlde is the liuyng breade Beleue eate it and lyue By thys sayyng our Lord Iesus did sumwhat after an obscure sorte open vnto them the misterie of his godhed whereby he was alwaye with God the father and of his death also by the whiche he should deliuer and sauethe worlde from the tyrannye of deathe Finallye he did insinuate herein vnto them the priuitie of hys mysticall bodye whereof he that is not a membre and by fayth annexed therevnto and so styll cleaue and sticke fast vnto it as the branche dooeth cleaue vnto the vyne he shall not haue life in hym And Iesus knewe well enough that at that tyme the Iewes dyd not vnderstande his saiynges but yet for all that he was assured that in tyme to cum it should cum to passe howe that these sedes and as ye would say norishmentes of misteryes beeyng shutte and closed vp within the myndes of good men should growe vp and bryng forth plenteouse fruite The Iewes therfore stroue among theimselfes saiyng howe can this felow geue vs that flesh of his to eat Then Iesê° said vnto theÌ„ vâ—raily veraily I saie vnto you except ye eat the fleshe of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud ye haue no life in you Whosoeuer eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloude hath eternall life and I will raise him vp at the last daie For my fleshe is meate in dede and my bloude is drinke in dede He that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloude dwelleth in me and I in hym Therfore wheÌ„ as these thynges semed to them very incoÌ„uenient and to folish to be spokeokeÌ„ durst not talke homely familiarly with yÌ„e lord himself there arose a great discorde in opinions amoÌ„g them diuerse of them diuersly interpretyng the thyng that was spoken For euen as Nicodemus vnderstode not Iesus when he spake of a newe heauenlye birth nor the woman of Samaria knewe what Iesus ment in his darke speakyng of the water that should flowe into euerlastyng life so this rude grosse people coÌ„teÌ„ded how it could be brought to passe that a maÌ„ should geue hys flesh to be eaten of other and that in suche sorte as it should suffyse al men to perpetual lyfe For he dyd bid inuited all meÌ„ to eate heauenly bread sayd moreouer that his flesh was bread How shall we say they eate the flesh of a liuyng maÌ„ne And again Iesus beeyng not ignoraunte about what matter they contended dyd not declare vnto them by what way meanes that flesh might be eaten in steade of breade but here now confirmeth the thyng to be nedeful a very necessarie thyng which they iudged but a vayne thing and a plaine absurditie and that it could not be doen. Take this for a veray suertye saieth he excepte ye receiue me whole that is to saye vnlesse ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man in steade of breade and in the place of wyne drinke his bloud ye shall not haue life in you On the contrarye syde whosoeuer eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath by eating and drinking therof eternal life Neyther shall the soule alone liue blessed most happy by reason of this meat drinke but also after the resurreccion of the bodye the whole man bothe bodye and soule shall haue with me the fruicion of euerlastyng lyfe For like as mans naturall meate beeyng conueyed downe into the stomake and after it bee digested is conueyed thence throughout all the membres of the bodye so turnethe into the substaunce of the bodye so that then the meate and the man that eateth it is al one in lyke maner on the othersyde he that hath eaten me shal be spirituallye transformed and turned into me Furthermore forsomuche as I am the chefe auctour of the resurreccion I wyl not suffre my membres to bee disseueted and pulled awaye from me but whosoeuer is surelye ioyned to me by thys meate and drinke I shall rayse hym vp agayne in the last day that because the whole man hauyng bothe bodye and soule beleued me the whole man no we also maye liue with me euerlastynglye Bodelye meate woorketh not this effecte neyther yet Manna wherein ye reioyce but the eatyng of my bodye and the
depende of his lordes onely ayde and succour Now therefore after that Iesus had been all the nighte long till the mornyng early in examinacion before Caiphas nor no faulte coulde be founde in hym wherefore he oughte to be called for and to bee arrained vpon lyfe and death they haue him out of bishop Caiphas house and leade hym to Pilate the lorde presidente to thentente they might charge hym and discharge themselues of the hatred that they should be in for sheading of innocent bloude And euen being bounde as he stoode Iesus was led by the hyred souldiers into the presidentes iudgemente hall Howbeit the Iewes themselues went not into the house of iudgement leste they shoulde be polluted in asmuche as the paschall lambe muste be eaten of them to the eatyng wherof they woulde go pure and cleane but of a naughtie peruerse religion be ye sure consideryng that they thoughte themselues to be contaminate and suspended with the harmelesse house of the president because he was a GeÌ„tile and no Iewe when as themselues by many craftes went about and deuised a mans death that had doen nothing amisse yea that had many waies doen well and deserued muche good at theyr handes Pylate then went out vnto them and sayed what accusacion bryng ye against this maÌ„ They aunswered and sayed vnto hym If he were not an euill doer we woulde not haue deliuered hym vnto thee Then sayed Pilate vnto them Take ye hym and iudge hym after your owne lawe The Iewes therfore sayed vnto hym It is not lawfull for vs to purie any man to death that the wordes of Iesus might be fulfilled whiche he spake signifying what death be should dye Therfore Pilate after he sawe the vncouth and that newe maner of iudgement as a man to be in captiuitie and boundeÌ„ ere he were examined and hearde of the iudge and to see a band of harnessed men he commeth forth abrode hymself to be polluted with suche mens communicacion as thought theÌ„selues pure and vnpolluted And verily he came out to appease assuage yf it were possible the furye of the Iewes and so to quite the innocente Ye sende sayeth he this manne vnto me to be putte to death But it is not the maner of Rome to put any man to execucion except hym that is proued giltie of a faulte worthy death What crime therfore do ye laye to this mannes charge The Iewes aunswered the autoritie of Byshops and Phariseis is inough for your discharge If this man were not a malefactour we coulde not of our profession haue committed hym to your handes Pilate suspectyng as the trueth was them to haue some priuate grudge towardes hym about the supersticion and the superfâ—uous religion and vayne deuocion of the lawe sayeth vnto them If it be any matter that apperteyneth not to my counte and office as for exaumple if case the Sabboth day be broken if any swynes fleshe be eaten or percase some rashe liberall woordes hath been spoken against Moses the Prohetes the Temple or your God loe nowe if any suche scape haue been whiche your owne lawe commaunded to be punished though yet there be no suche thing prohibite by the lawe of Rome your selfes take the maÌ„ vnto you and iudge hym after your lawe I am sette here in the Emperours name to rule play the Iudge If he hath committed any faulte against the Emperours lawes worthy death bryng him to me and after he be conuicte by the lawe lawfully cast I shall cause him to be put to execucion But I will not intermedle perplexe my selfe in doubtfull matters of your lawe Uerily though the Iewes would they forced not howe haue had him made away yet for all that they pretende reliousnesse of very feare leste the iudge should forthwith haue punished theÌ„ because they would haue kylled an harmelesse and an vncondemned person But at thesame tyme they sought effectually a newe kynde of punishement for him such one as was then among the Iewes moste spytefull and opprobrious It is not say they lawefull for vs to put any man to death The shamelesse people spake these woordes whiche had slayne so many Prophetes flatteryng themselfes as cleane froÌ„ murder notwithstandyng they did so many wayes persecute an innocente to death or els they thus did as if the hangman which with his handes fasteneth the man to the crosse were a sole murderer They were in herte murderers they were murderers in theyr tongues with theyr money they hyred one trayterously to betray hym they hyred a sorte of warryers they hyred false witnesses they forged false haynouse crymes against him They prouoke prycke forwarde the iudge and with threatning make hym a fearde yet impute themselues pure fre from murder and also worthy to eate the Pascall Lambe for no cause els but that they dyd stay and refrayne themselues from goyng into the iudgement hall Well these thinges truely were doen to make it appeare euidente that there is nothyng wurse or more haynouse then false and peruerse religion and that the same thyng also should be brought to effecte which Iesus sayed should come to passe signifying by a parable what death he shoulde dye whan he spake these woordes At suche tyme as I shall be lyfte vp on hye from the grounde I shall drawe all thynges vnto me by the force of which woordes he would that we should take it for a certaintie that not only the selfe death was determinately limited vnto him but also a choice and seuerall kynde of death Then Pilate entred into the iudgement hall againe and called Iesus and sayed vnto him Art thou the king of Iewes Iesus answered sayest thou that of thy selfe or did other tell it thee of me Pilate answered Am I a Iew Thine owne nacion hye priestes hath deliuered thee vnto me What hast thou doen Iesus answered My kingdome is not of this worlde If my kyngdome were of this worlde then would my ministers surely fight that I should not be deliuered vnto the Iewes but nowe is my kyngdome not from hence Wherfore then after that Pilate vnderstanding by the woordes which the Iewes had spoken of a matter I knowe not what amonges other thinges to be obiecte against Iesus concerning a kingdome that he should goe about desirously and yet there appeared no likelyhood at all in Iesus that shoulde cause any manne to thynke hym fauty therein Pilate I saye after this went once againe into the iudgement halle and lefte the people standyng without And so called for Iesus secretly asyde that quietly and without all ruffle he might boult out and gather of hym which in countenaunce appeared no lesse then both vertuouse and wise what the matter was and saied vnto him Art thou that king of the Iewes whom they are reported to looke for This one thyng did Pilate diligently searche out because the other matters touched not the weale publique but this faulâ—e to call himselfe a kyng semed to concerue both the Emperours
went vp together into the temple at the ninth houre of prayer And a certayn man that was halie from his mothers wombe was brought whome thei layd dayly at the gate of the temple which is called beautifull to aske almes of them that entred into the temple Whan he sawe Peter and Iohn that they woulde into the temple he desired to receiue an almes And Peter fastened his iyes on him with Iohn and sayed looke on vs. And he gaue hede vnto them trustyng to receyue some thing of them Then sayd Peter Siluer and golde haue I none But such as I haue I geue thee In the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth rise and walke And he toke him by the right hande and lifted him vp And immediatly his feete and ancle bones receiued strengthe And he sprang stode and walked and entred with them into the temple walking and leapinge praysing God PEter and Iohn wente vp together in company with other into the temple about the ninth houre of the daye beyng than farre ouerpaste at whiche houre they wheras other bee woonte to playe the drounkardes or els to slepe had accustomed themselues dayly to deuout prayer fasting vntill it were euentide These two went forth the piers of thapostles without trapped horses or barted mules without any princely garde but heare what pompe they vsed There sate before the temple gate a begger well knowen emong the people whiche had been euer lame from the firste houre of his birthe and so weake a body withall that he was borne all a long of porters Many one as it chaunced fared the better by his misery For euery day layed they him foorth for theyr owne aduauntage at the temple gate whiche the vulgare people called beautifull for that was moste haunted to thintent that he shoulde there aske as in a place moste frequented mennes almes whiche went into the temple Beggery is not without his shyfâ—e it knoweth that those whiche enter into the temple are than eyther disposed to geue with better wyll their almes or els woulde appeare to the people so disposed Whan he had once perceiued that Peter and Iohn whom their companie whiche folowed them declared to bee of some estimacion and they theymselues in countenaunce seemed to bee liberall woulde into the temple he asked of theim an almes Here gaue the holy goste priuie warning to thapostles that it was than a time conuenient to woorke a myracle Than Peter and Iohn also stedfastely behelde the same creple and sayed looke on vs. The begger beyng at the sight and coumfortable voyce of theym quycker in spirite and of better cheare iyed them well hopynge shortly some thing to receiue of them Money he craued for money he loked as for the good disposicion of his lymmes he durst not once aske For why he thought them not able to geue it And yet for all that his herte gaue him that some goodnesse shoulde happen he wist not what Than Peter set forth hymselfe stoutely in woordes whiche were full well semyng to Christes highe vicare to speake and sayd syluer and golde whiche thou lookeste for haue I none What is here ready at hande not of myne owne but of the bounteousenesse of god whiche thou dooeste rather lacke that geue I thee In the name of Iesus Christe of Nazareth ryse vp and walke And with that he tooke the creple by the righte hande and reysed hym vp And immediately without any delay his feete and ancle bones were made strong in suche sorte that he might aryse without peyne or difficultie yea and leape stande and walke whyther euer he woulde But he as one ryghte gladde in herte of suche a benefite vnlooked for went with thapostles together into the temple walkyng cherefully and leapyng for ioy and reioysyng and geuyng laude and prayse to god of whome he knewe that this hys benyfite of healthe had proceded To hyde the benefites of God is the condicion of an vnthankefull persone to ascribe the same to manne is a poynt of muche vngodlynesse And all the people sawe him walke and prayse God And they knewe him that it was he which sate and begged at the beautifull gate of the temple And they woondered and wer sore astonied at that which had happened vnto him And as yâ— halte which was healed helde Peter and Iohn all the people ran amased vnto them in the porche that is called Salomons All the people that was in the temple whiche were in numbre very many behelde the manne that was wont to bee caried with porters than walking on foote cherefully and rendring praise to god And eche man knew him to bee the selfe same person that was wount to sit at the beautiful gate a begging They behelde him sodainly chaunged They hearde him geuing God thankes Wherupon all they were greately dismayed and sodaynly striken with no litle wondre But after that they sawe Peter and Iohn whiche than were knowen with many for the chiefe emong all the apostles for he that was lame kept himselfe on their partie and blased abrode howe it chaunced him to come to health by their meanes the whole assembly of all the people made streight towardes them Than were they in the porche whiche is called Salomons porch where Iesus the trew Salomon was woont to bee and where he had been woonte ofte tymes to dispute with the Phariseis The straungenesse of the thing abated all their courages Whan Peter sawe that he aunswered vnto the people Ye men of Israell why meruaile ye at this or why loke ye so on vs as though by our own power strength we had made this man goe The god of Abraham and of Isaac and of Iacob the God of your fathers hath glorified his sonne Iesus whom ye deliuered and denied in presence of Pilate wheÌ„ he iudged him to be loosed But ye denied the holy and iust and desired a murderer to bee geuen you and killed the lorde of life whom God hath raysed from death of the which we are witnesses And his name thorow the fayth of his name hath made this maÌ„ sound whom ye see and know And the faith which is by him hath geuen to him this health in the presence of you all Whan Peter saw the faste gathering together of the people and knewe righte well the cause therof he beganne in this manner to vttre agayne his minde to them and sayed ye men of Israel why doe ye so muche meruayle at this matter as though it wer a seldome thing with you and long out of vse to see miracles or lyke as if ye had not seen heretofore in times paste greater thinges and more to merueyle at than this But why doe ye beholde vs as though it had by our owne power or deseruing be brought to passe that this lame criple a manne well knowen emong you doeth now walke It is not mans practise whiche here is done neyther is it a new thyng whiche ye doe see that heretofore hath not been spoken of
whome ye teache shall be vnkynde towarde you of whome they receyue farre greater thynges ¶ But to whatsoeuer citie or towne ye shall come enquire who is worthy in it and there abyde tyll ye go thence And whan ye come into the house salute thesame and if the house be worthy let your peace come vpon it but if it be not worthy let your peace returne to you again And whosoeuer shall not receyue you nor wil heare your preachyng whan ye departe oute of that house or citie â—â—ake of the dust of your feet Ueâ—ely I saye vnto you It shall be easyer for the lande of Zodoma and Gomortha in the daye of iudgement than for that Citie And ye shall be grieuouse to no man with begging nor no man shall caste you in the teeth with his benefit because he hath made a chaunge for better thinges rather than geuen any thing For it shall not be nedefull for you to tourne into common innes but into what citie or strete you entre into firste enquyre yf there be any honest man there desyrouse of the heauenlye kyngdome and wery of the worlde whiche with godlye desyres sygheth nowe and than after Messias that was promysed whiche sheweth a greate hope of greater increase by simplicitie and innocencie of lyfe by liberalitie towarde the poore For suche one will be a very mete hoste for you and again ye shall be meete gestes for him Whan ye haue founde suche an one turne into his house and chaunge not your inne vntyll youre busines aboute the gospell causeth you to remoue into another citie For it shall not be nedeful neyther comely for you oftentimes to chaunge your host as light persons or persons desyrouse of more deynty fare Euery house euery fare oughte to suffyse for men of the gospell Be ye curteous gentill of manners that ye appere neither proude nor â—atterers Whan ye enter into the house speake fyrste and saye Peace be in this house Youre prayer shall not bee in vayne For yf the house be worthy this prayer by and by withoute delaye it wyll receyue it but yf it refuse it your salutacion shall not be loste For that whiche they despise shall returne vnto you And truely I woulde not haue you bowyng and becking or flatteryng any man for your necessities that yf any house thinke muche to receyue you or yf anye citie thinke muche to haue you as geastes and wyll not of theyr owne accorde receyue the saluacion of the ghospell offred vnto them I will that ye shall leaue the house whiche ye saluted and leaue the citie whereunto ye entred and go into the stretes and shake of the dust from your feete declaryng openly that ye hunt for none of theyr worldly commodities who caste of the ghospell of God insomuche that ye shall not be caste in the teeth with the vile duste that sticketh vpon your feete Here haue in remembraunce that an holy thyng must not be geuen to dogges nor precious margarites caste vnto hogges Onely see that ye laye this to the vnkynde wyll they nyll they that the kyngdom of god is at hande to the greate commoditie of them that receiue it and to the great hurte of them that refuse it Auyse them whiche receyue the worde of the gospell Wo be to that citie wherein none shal be founde that doeth repent him of his yll lyfe and desyreth not to be amended This I assure you that the countrey of Sodom and Gormorre shal be more gently handled in the daye of iudgement than that citie though it be a citie of Israel The more that the clemency of god is to prouoke them to penaunce by so many myracles and so many benefites the more grieuously shall they be punished yf they reiect it ¶ Beholde I sende you furth as shepe among wolues be ye therfore wyse as serpentes and innocent as doues But beware of those men for they shall delyuer you vp to the counsels and shall scourge you in their Synâ—goges And ye shall be brought to the head rulers kynges 〈◊〉 my sake in witnes to them and to the Gentyles But whan they deliuer you vp take you no thought how or what ye shall speake for it shall be geuen you euen in that same boure what ye shall speake For it is not ye that speake but the spirite of your father which speaketh in you The brother shall delyuer the brother to death and the father the sonne and the children shall acyse against theyr fathers and mothers and shall put them to death and ye shal be hated of al men for my names sake But he that endureth to the ende shall be saued But leue ye the punishment of them to god be ye meke and pacient against all iniuries and so endeuour to profite all good men that whan ye be prouoked of yll men ye requiâ—e not iniuries It is sufficient for you to bee garnished with those thinges wherewith ye maye do good to all men Against the iniuries of men I wyll haue you vtterly without weapon and to ouercome with none other defence but with sufferaunce Otherwise I coulde make you terrible and to be feared but it is not expedient for the gospell For violence doeth not extinguishe violence nor iniury iniury nor pryde pryde but rather couldnes gentilnes and quietnes I know that the phariseis and men that â—e stoute with the succoure of this world will go about to do you sore displeasures But against all these there is none other buckeler but pacience Nor there is no cause to feare ye be sent lyke shepe without weapon simple innocent in the middes of wolues but ye be sent of me I would not that ye beyng prouoked by their naughtines shoulde he turned into wolues but to go about this by all meanes that the wolues asswaged by your gentylnes maye be turned into shepe It is no great matter to reuenge yll men but to turne their hertes to good is a veray great an harde matter Therfore ye must couple two certayne thinges together the policy of the serpente and the simplicitie of the doue The simplicitie of the doue shall cause you to desire to do good to al men and to hurt no man no though ye be prouoked The policy of the serpente shall cause you to geue none occasion wherby your doctrine might be reproued This is the chiefe point of your ambassade that the gospell maye entre into all mennes hartes Therfore ye must do vtterly nothyng which by any probable colour might withdrawe any mans harte from the doctrine of the gospell Your doctrine shall make great stirres and tumultes in the worlde the more therfore ye must beware leste any busynesse aryse through your defaulte Whiche can not be yf ye communicate your benefites freely vnto all men and kepe pacience also towardes the yll men and desyre to do them good Therfore with suche maner of men yea wolues rather ye muste worke warelye and nowe prepare
should be troubled with feare of infamy and not frely preache the gospel of the kyngdome It hath no dishonest thyng nor nothyng to be kept close Yea yf ye heare any thyng of me in darkenes preache ye it in the cleare light And if I haue tolde any thing secretely preache it openly Our doctrine is without any colouring It desireth to come furth before all men and it is afrayde to be knowen of no man ¶ And feare ye not them that kyll the bodye but are not able to kyll the soule But feare rather hym whiche is able to destroye both soule and body in hell Are not two litle sparowes solde for a minute one of them shall not fall to the grounde without youre father Yeâ— and all the heares of your head be nuÌ„bred Feare ye not therfore ye be of more value than many sparowes Euery one therfore that shal confesse me before men â–ª him will I confesse aâ—so before my father which is in heauen But whosoeuer deuiâ—â—â— me before men him wil I also deny before my father whiche is in heauen But there shall be some perchaunce whiche will lytle passe vpon infamye and other ylles but who can despise and set lytle by death It were mete you should feare them yf they could kyll the whole man but ye that knowe that the body is the vilest parte of man and that the soule which is the chiefe parte of man cannot be hurte of them be they neuer so sauage and cruell Ye I say nede not to feare them They should hurte you more yf they dyd not sley you folowyng theyr myndes than yf they kill you not regardyng them I wyll shewe you who is more to be feared Feare him who like as he made the whole man so he is able to condemne him to euerlastyng death and to deliuer hym into hell fyre Yet the body whiche the tiranne doeth kyll for a tyme doth not vtterly peryshe For the selfe fame at the resurreccion shall be restored in far better wise Hitherto therfore onely the body is in daunger yf in case ye be killed constantly obeying my commaundementes But yf ye obey theyr commaundementes and leaue the busâ—â—â—s of the ghospell nowe not onely the body doth peryshe whiche yf no man kill it yet by the common lawe of nature it must nedes dye but also the soule shall be deliuered to euerlastyng fier And what matter is it whether the persecutor or disease or any other chaunce take awaye the lyfe Truely more gloryous it is to die for the ghospell sake whiche death though it be violent and sore yet it shall not come before the daye whansoeuer it cummeth it shall not come without the prouideÌ„ce of God And by this it cummeth to passe that yf ye endeuour to auoyde it ye cannot God will not suffer you to be slayne but when it shall be very expedient for you to die Wherfore put out of your myndes all this feare God also will prouide for this to whome it were not hard to geue you immortalitie but that it is a greater thyng to despise death than to escape it What is of lesse value than sparrowes of the whiche two be bought for a farthing a very litle coyne And the numbre of sparrowes is great in euery place and yet not so much as one of them is loste in the yearth but by the wyll and sufferaunce of your father Doe ye feare than leste he will suffre you whom emong all he hath chosen to this busines to perishe before your tyme whom he doeth not neglecte insomuche that he kepeth the numbre of all the heares of your head Seyng that ye be of more estimacion to the father than innumerable sparrowes there is no cause why ye should feare leste men be able to do any thyng against you otherwise than shall be thought to hym who hath continuall care ouer you Wherfore leaue the care of your lyfe and death vnto hym and be not ye driuen from the open profession of my name be it neuer so hated of the worlde by any feare of displeasures that men can doe vnto men For whosoeuer litle regarding the rebukes of men doe professe me in this lyfe to bee his Lorde and maister hym wyll I acknowlege to bee my seruaunt and disciple before my heauenly father Contrarywyse whosoeuer wyll be ashamed of me before men and deny me hym will I deny before my father whiche is in heauen And this is no daynteouse and delicate profession for he doeth not professe me vnles he doeth declare by his lyfe that he doth beleue my sayinges And he hath denied me whiche so lyueth that he setteth by any sayng more than by me What winning therfore can it bee yf a maune lese that noble and euerlastyng prayse with the father and his angels for feare of a false slaunder hece which neither lasteth long nor is no slaunder in dede but with ignoraunt and folyshe menne and before God very true glory It is a great gayne lytle to passe vpon these thynges and to make haste to the euerlastyng rewarde whiche shal be geuen in due tyme to them that haue deserued it in the meane season a good conscience is a great piece of the rewarde Thynke not that I am come to sende peace into the yearth I came not to sende peace but a swearde for I am come to set a man at variauÌ„ce with his father and the doughter with her mother the doughter in lawe with the mother in lawe And a mans â—â—es shall be they that art of his householdâ— He that loueth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me and he that loueth sonne or doughter more than me is not worthy of me And he that taketh not his crosse and foloweth me is not worthy of me He that findeth his lyfe shall loose it and he that looseth his lyfe for my sake shall fynde it The profession of the ghospell is no weriche nor lyght thyng Truely the rewardes be great but ye must come vnto them with vehement and continuall desyres of the mynde they chaunce not vnto yll menne and lingerers they must be obteyned by strength and violence Thinke ye that I am cumme to so we peace in the yearth emong men It is farre otherwyse Nay I am not come to sowe peace and concorde but swearde and warâ—e and that inwarde and domesticall warre and not ciuile warre onely For where as the doctryne of the ghospell shall be hated of the moste parte and sith it requireth so feruente a desyre towarde it that all the affeccions of men be they neuer so great and vnruly must geue place it cannot be but great stryfe and dissencion must aryse emong theÌ„ that be most nere frendely whyles they that doâ—e vpon the worlde wyll rage rather agaynst theyr derest beloued than forsake theyr vices whereunto they be accustomed and whoso is once touched with the great feruencye of the euangelicall charitie he wyll not suffre hymselfe by no maner
those thynges whiche appeare before the iyes bee hearde wyth cares and touched wyth handes not bearyng so greate frowardnes but in maner turning from them and taking it angrely as it were wyth hymselfe made answere saiyng O naughtye and counterfeit nacion whiche doethe glorye that they haue god to theyr father whiche doeth crake of her progenitoure Abraham where as it foloweth rather them whiche forsakynge God wurshypped the golden calfe whyche styrred sedicion agaynste Moyses whyche murmured in the deserte whyche kylled the Prophetes whereas it declareth that it hathe Beelzebub to her father with whose spirite beyng replenyshed it doeth rebell agaynste the spirite of God But it shall haue no synge geuen from heauen whiche it maye calumniate and reproue and whiche it is vnworthye to haue for as muche as it is wholly sette and geuen to the yearthe but once there shal be a sygne geuen to it out of the yearth whereby it maye be ouercum and vtterly peryshe yf it wyll not conuerte This nacion meruayled at the miracle of the Prophete Ionas whyche swallowed vp of a beaste in the sea was restored againe aliue after thre dayes Thys shal be a sufficient sygne for them yf they maye see hym reuyue agayne by the deuine power whome by theyr malice they haue slayne Thys myracle shortly shal be shewed vnto them whiche they wyll falsly slaunder For lyke as Ionas wyllyngly deliuered hymselfe to deathe and was receyued of the beast of the sea and was in her belly three dayes and three nyghtes and beyng paste hope of all menne by and by through the healpe of God was restored alyue so the sonne of manne shall bee deade in the harte of the yearthe three dayes and three nyghtes By thys fygure and darke exaumple Iesus syginfieth hys deathe and buriall and furthwith hys rysyng from death And he added As Ionas was to the Niniuites so am I to you He tolde them that the vengeaunce of god and the destruccion of theyr citye was at hande vnlesse they would repent I declare the same vnto you all But the Niniuites whome ye despyse as heathen and idolaters in comparison of you shall ryse in the iudgemente of God and shall declare you worthelye to be damned in comparison of them For they although they were synfull yet beyng a fearde at the threatenynges of the Prophete humbled themselues vnto penaunce And beholde here is one greatter than Ionas whyche preacheth to you in vayne The Niniuites were people farre from the wurshyppynge of God Ionas vnknowen and symple and meke came vnto them No man commended hym or tolde before of hys cummyng he shewed no miracles he allured vnto hym no bodye with benefite he promysed no great thyng Onely he threatned vndoyng and destruccion and he preached no lenger than three dayes I being promysed by thoracles of the Prophetes so often commended by the testimonye of Iohn by the testimonie of the father beyng your countreman beyng cumme also of the same parentes of whome ye glorye and crake haue taught you nowe so long tyme testifyng by so manye miracles that my doctryne is not vayne haue holpe so manye wyth my free benefites and doe not thunder sore threatenynges but of myne owne accorde promyse forgeuenes of all synnes I offer euerlastyng felicitie of the heauenly kyngdome yet it is sayed that I haue the spirite of Beelzebub I am layed at with deadlye deceytes so farre ye bee from bendyng and bowyng to true penaunce Furthermore the quene of Saba shall ryse in the iudgement to the reproche and condemnacion of this generacion because that she by the reason of tidynges brought far of leuing her kingdome and her countreye toke a longe iourneye vnto Salomon not moued by any feare but only for the desyre of wisedome And she did not only cum to Salomon but also she brought with her great gyftes And beholde there is one in thys place greater than Salomon For what lyke thyng dyd Salomon to the thynges whiche ye see me do or what lyke thyng taught Salomon And yet ye put me to al kynde of rebukes whyche of myne owne accorde bryng vnto you the doctryne of the gospell wherby ye maye be saued furthermore also ye go about to do me more grieuouse displeasures whych am beneficiall vnto you But the greatter the wonders and benifites be whereby ye bee prouoked vnto penaunce the greuouser shall your punyshemente bee vnlesse ye repent in tyme. ¶ Whan the vncleane spiryte is gone out of a man he walketh through dry places seking tâ—st and findeth none Than he saieth I wyl returne into my house from whence I came And whan he is cum he fyndeth it empty and swept and garnyshed Than â—e goeth and taketh vnto hym seuen other spirites worse than hymselfe and so entereth in and dwelleth there â–ª â—nd the ende of that man is worse than the begynnyng So shall it bee also vnto this frowarde generacion Further what thyng shoulde chaunce vnto them and into what blyndnesse the people of Israell shoulde cum and howe miserably it should be handled of the prynces of Rome and how it should be banished throughout the worlde reiected and despised of all nacions Iesus had rather to signifie by a certayne darcke exaumple than to declare it manifestlye And he taketh a similitude of a man whyche was possessed of a deuyll who whereas he was once deliuered and restored to hys ryght mynde afterwardes by his owne defaulte receyuyng the deuill agayne was more grieuously vexed than he was before Whan an vncleane spirite ê™ he goeth out from a man beyng banyshed from his olde hospitall he walketh in dry and baren places seking rest and fyndeth none Than sayeth he wyth himselfe I will returne into the houâ—e from whence I wente where when he cummeth he fyndethe it decked and clensed but withoute anye geast Than he sâ—yng that there is a place and not occupied of anye other not beyng contente to returne thyther hymselfe alone he taketh vnto hym seuen other spirites worse than hymselfe whych entryng into the house together make theyr dwellyng there And it cummeth to passe that the man is more greuously vexed than he was before So shall it happen to this vngracious nacion By thys similitude Iesus noted the obstinate and wylfull malice of the pople of Israell falling backe oftentimes to theyr olde maners In tymes paste they serued and folowed the deuilish vices and desyres It was sumwhat deliuered by the lawe and the Prophetes but returned often agayne to her own manner and disposicion It retourned to Idolles it did sacrifice in the woodes it kylled the Prophetes It was redressed and amended through affliccions by Pharao in Egypte by Nabuchodonoser in Babilon and by diuerse other calamities and miseries Finally prouoked of the sonne of god so many waies hathe not onely renewed but also farre exceded al the wickednesse of her forefathers not only araiyng the harmelesse and the well doer wyth al kynde of spitefulnes but also driuyng
beleue hym And ye when ye had seen it were not moued afterwarde with repent 〈◊〉 to beleue him But because a simple and playne question could not wryng oute the confession of truth Iesus putteth forth an other question by a riddell that vnwares they shall geue sentence against themselues what thynke ye ê™ he of that I will propose now A certayne man had two sonnes He came to the one and sayed Sonne go and worke this day in my vineyard He answered frowardly I wil not But strayt afterward repenting himselfe he went into the vineyarde The father likewyse came to the other sonne and sayed go and labour in my vineyarde this day He answereth redily loe I goe sir and yet he wente not Therfore of these two whether thinke ye fulfilled his fathers wil â–ª They not vnderstanding to what ende these went answered The firste soÌ„ne whiche repenting forthwith wente into the viâ—eyarde Than Iesus turning the parable vpon them sayed certaynlye I tell you truethe that the publicanes and â—ommon women shall go before you in the kyngdome of heauen They beyng rebelles agaynst God before with theyr wicked life yet by and by touched and moued by penaunce obeyed the doctryne of the ghospell Ye which be the people of God by title and profession and ye whiche sayed in times paste and this day say we will do all thinges whatsoeuer the Lorde sayeth vnto vs whiche also haue euer in your mouthe the preceptes of God and the Lordes temple the Lordes temple the Lordes temple beyng so many wayes prouoked cannot be moued to penaunce For Iohn came shewyng you the waye of ryghteousnes and that the wrathe of God was at hande and the axe set at the tree rootes vnlesse furthwith ye would repent Ye sawe the Publicanes and common women desperate folkes after your iudgement obedient vnto hym Ye could not be moued vnto penaunce neyther by the great holines of Iohn neyther by his holsom doctrine neither by his threteninges neither by the example of the publicanes and common women So it cummethe to passe that they throughe faythe take from you the kyngdome of God ye vaynelye professing God with your mouthe be shut out for the vnbelefe of your mynde ¶ Heathen an other similitude There was a certayne man an householder whiche planted a vineyarde and hedged it rounde aboute and made a wine presse and builded a â—wer and let it out to husbandmen and went furth into a straunge countrey And whan the tyme of fruyte drew nere he senâ—e his seruauÌ„tes to the husbande men to receyue the fruites of it And the husbande men takyng his seruauntes dyd beare one kylled another and stoned another Agayne he sente other seruauntes mo than the firste and they dyd vnto them lyke wise But last of all he sente vnto theÌ„ his owne sonne â–ª saying They will haue my sonne in reuerence And the husbande men whan they sawe the sonne they saied in them selues This is the heyre cum let vs kyll him and let vs enioye his heritage And they toke him and caste him out of the vineyarde and kyled him Than whan the Lorde of the vineyarde cummeth what will he doe vnto those husband men They saye vnto him Sith they bee ill â—e will truelly destroy them and will let out his vineyarde to other housbande menne whiche shall deliuer him the fruite in due season He put them another parable euen as darke where with he doth recite seâ—â—â—â—ely and leyeth before their iyes their notable vnkindenes whiche beeyng prouoked by so manye benefites of God dyd not onely not amende but also â—ruelly killed the Prophetes one after another which were sente that at their preachyng they myght once repente And not content herewith finallye they would kyll the sonne of God hymselfe and that after that he was caste out of the vineyarde shewyng as it were by the waye the place where he shoulde be crucified By the whiche communicacion he declareth both that their inuincible malice is vnworthye pardon seeyng that nothyng was omitted that myghte call them backe to a better mynde and that he shoulde suffre nothing of them whiche he knewe not of before This was the parable There was ê™ he a certayne householder whiche planted a vineyarde and hedged it aboute and digged in it a cesterne to receyue the swete wine that was pressed out of the clusters of grapes and buylt in it a lodge for the kepyng of the vineyarde and so whan it was well garnished he set it out to husbande menne that they should trustely tyll it and tendre the fruites vnto the lorde This doen he weÌ„t far of Nowe when the tyme of gatheryng the fruite approched nere he sente his seruauntes to receyue the fruite of them But the husbande men dyd not onelye not deliuer the fruites that were due but also layed handes vpon hys seruauntes and bette sum killed sum and stoned sum to death This knowen the householder did not furth with punishe them but loking that they shoulde repente and amende sente vnto theim a greater number of seruauntes than he dyd before trusting that they beeyng kept vnder and in awe with the multitude they woulde do their duetie But they handeled theim also no more gentely than they handeled the other before The householder suffered this displeasure also and finally to ouercum them with softnes and gentilnesse he sent vnto them his owne sonne saying with himselfe although they haue been cruell toward my seruauntes yet at the leaste they wil vse my sonne reuerently whan they see that he is cum But the husbande menne the more they were prouoked to repentaunce the more they were styrred vnto cruelties For whan they sawe the sonne they did not reuerence him insomuche that furthwyth they consulted to slea him saying this is the heyre cum let vs kill him and we shall take his inheritaunce And by and by they layed handes vpon hym and plucked him out of the vineyarde and killed him Therfore ê™ he when the Lorde of the vineyarde shall cum what shall he do to those husbande menne The Phariseis answered those ill men he shall ill intreate and destroy and set out his vineyarde to others whichâ— may trustely render the fruite in tyme vnto the Lorde whithe lette it out So they deceyued by this ryddle condemne them selues with theyr owne mouth pronouncing that they themselues for the inuincible frowardenes of their mynde be wurthy punishmente and that the gentiles be wurthy to be receyued to the grace of the ghospel whiche will till the vineyarde more trusttely than they dyd ¶ Iesus sayeth vnto them Dyd ye neuer reade in the scriptures The â—â—oue which the bâ—â—lders refused the same is made the head of the corner this is doen of the lorde and is maâ—uailouse in our â—yes Therfore saye I vnto you the kingdome of God shal be taken froÌ„ you and geuen to a nacion whiche shall do the fruytes therof And whosoeuer falleth on this stone shal be broken in pieces â–ª But on
be restored to her owne body The whiche as soone as it shall bee doen whosoeuer shall belong to this holy felowship and sticke constantly vnto me shal be translated with me vnto euerlasting life to be partakers of felicitie which were felowes and partakers of affliccyons After they ye haue taughte these thynges yf they beleue the thinges that ye haue taught yf they repent them of their former lyfe if they be ready to embrace the doctrine of the ghospell then dippe them in water in the name of the father the sonne and the holy gost that by this wholy signe they may trust themselues to be deliuered from the filthines of al theyr sinnes freely through the benefite of my death and nowe to be chosen to the number of the children of God Lette no manne be circumcysed let no manne bee baptized in the name of Moyses or of any manne Let them all knowe to whome they be bounde for their health vpon whome they oughte wholy to hang. Let them not bee burdened with the ceremonyes of Moyses or of manne Lette this token be sufficient for all menne that cumme to the profession of the ghospell whiche is easye to bee had in euery place But leste any manne myghte thinke it sufficient to saluacion once to be baptysed and to professe the faythe of the ghospell they must be taughte agayne by what meanes they may kepe theyr innocencie by what meanes they may goe forwarde to perfeccyon of the euangelicall godlines I haue omitted nothyng whiche may make to the obteining of euerlasting health And that heauenly spirite whiche ye shall receiue will not suffer you to forget that whiche ye haue learned of me Therefore whatsoeuer I haue commaunded you deliuer ye the same to be kepte of them I haue not prescribed vnto you the ceremonies of Moyses law whiche like shadowes must now vanishe away at the light of the euangelicall trueth I haue not prescribed vnto you pharisaicall constitucions but those thinges whiche onely bringeth true innocencie and godlines and whiche onely maye make you derely beloued of God and truely happy Therefore teache these thynges to them that professe my name not onely in woorde but also in life as I whatsoeuer I taught I perfourmed it in dedâ— Whiles ye be doyng of these thynges and whyles ye bring mortall menne to heauen the worlde will ryse agaynste you lyke as it rose agaynste me For my spirite agreeth not with the spirite of thys worlde and my doctryne is wholy agaynst the affeccions of them whiche loue the thinges that be of this world They will ryse agaynste you with greate tumultes but there is no cause why ye nede to distrust though ye be but lowe and abiecte vnlearned weake and fewe I haue ouercome the worlde and ye shall ouercome through my helpe by mynâ— exaâ—mple Ye shal ouercome through my might and not your owne whatsoeuer is terrible in this worlde ¶ And loe I am with you alway vntill the ende of the worlde And although I shall take vp this body into heauen because it is so expediente for you yet I wil neuer forsake you For after that I shall ceasse to bee with you in body than I shall be more effectually with you in my spirite And I will be with you vnto the worldes ende but whan the worldes ende shal be it profiteth not nor behoueth not you to know In the meane season do what is commaunded you euer ready agaynst that daye Whiche whansoeuer it shal come than ye also your mortalitie layed aparte shal bee wholy with me felowes of my fathers kyngdome whiche shall neuer haue ende FINIS To the most excellent and vertuous princesse quene Catherine wyfe to our moste gracious soueraigne Lorde Henry the eyght Kyng of England Fraunce â–ª and Irelande defendour of the faythe and of the Churche of EnglaÌ„d and also of Irelande in earthe supreme heade Thomas Key her dayly Oratoure wisheth perpetuall felicitie AMoÌ„ge the innumerable benefites whiche we haue receiued of almighty God most worthye and excellent Princesse there is none in myne opinioÌ„ for the whiche we are more bounden vnto his merciful goodnesse then for that it hath pleased hym more clearely to illumine vs of this age with the knowledge of his holy woorde then our forefathers and elders For who knoweth not how long this realme hath bene miserably seduced through ignoraunce of the Scriptures Who euen amonge the vplandishe perceyueth not what intollerable abuses haue bene vnder pretence of true religion and Godlynesse mayntayned in this Churche of Englande tyll suche tyme that God of his infinite mercy sent vs a newe Iosias by whose righteous administracion and Godly policie the light of Gods worde that so many yeares before was here extincte began to shyne agayne to the vtter extirpacion of false doctrine the rote and chiefe cause of all such abusioÌ„s This Iosias is our mooste redoubted soueraigne Lorde Kyng Henry theyght a Prince garnished with so many excellent gyftes of grace nature Fortune that he is in very dede therfore mooste worthely called the perfite mirroure pearle of all Christen Princes To wade here in the prayse of his princely qualities noble actes atchieâ—ed to Gods honoure and the publique weale of this realme is not my purpose for that I knowe it to be an enterpryse farre exceadyng the compasse of my symple learning and barrayne eloquence But onely to declare howe muche we are bounden chiefly vnto God and nexte vnto his moste excellent Maiestie that we haue the Scriptures in our mother toÌ„gue are cured of our olde blindnesse by the medicine of veritie For nowe hauing our spirituall iyes opened and daily receyuing into the same the cleare light of Gods worde we begyn to see perfectly to knowe our onely sauiour Iesus Christ whome to knowe is euerlasting lyfe and saluacioÌ„ But so longe as the saide Scriptures were hyd and kept from the knowledge of the people fewe knewe Christ aryght and none lesse then they who appeared to be the chiefe professours of christian religion For what els is it to knowe Christ but to knowe and confesse that of him onely and by hym cummeth oure saluacion that by hâ—moure good dedes are acceptable vnto almyghty God the father that by him the fathers wrathe is appeased that by him we be enfraunchised from the captiuitie and thraldome of the deuell and to be shorte that by hym we are adopted and chosen to be the children of God and enherytours of the kyngdome of heauen Whoso knoweth Christ aryght surely beleueth to attayne saluacioÌ„ by him onely who saythe Cum vnto me all ye that do trauaile and are charged and I shall refresh you The very office of Christ is to saue therfore he was called by the high wisdome of God Iesu that is as muche to say as a sauiour because so saythe the angell in Mathew he shall saue the people from their sinnes So that it appeareth hereby how greatly they are deceiued that thinke
vse not to lye it hath been reporâ—ed vnto me as well that Charles the Emperour in case any vacaÌ„t tyme of leysure maye in so great vnquietnesse and troubleous state of the worlde bee gotten doeth gladly bestowe thesame in readyng the ghospell boke as also the moste renoumed Prince Ferdinando brother to thesame Charles muche and often to haue in his handes the Paraphrase vpon the ghospell of Saincte Iohn whiche not very long agon I dedicated vnto hym yea and furthermore that the right noble kyng of Denmarke Christieâ—e which thing maye to your highnes also be well knowen hath bokes of christian religion often tymes in his handes and that he with greate desyrefulnesse vseth to reade my paraphrase vpon the ghospel of Matthew Why than shoulde the ghospel seme to be vnaptly sent vnto those whiche are handlers and louers of the ghospel whiche ghospell certes is to be had and vsed in the haÌ„des of all persones as many as remembre and thinke themselfes to be Christyans Nowe although after the rate of worldely dealyng suche a thyng is moste chiefely to bee geuen as the partie hath nede of to whom it is sent yet after the rule of the ghospell whoso hath already to hym muste nedes be geuen that he may haue plentie Wherfore me thought I should do but as myght best stande with congruence to sende this Euangelical physicion vnto your highnesse for asmuche as thesame is so farre from disdainyng holy scriptures that as your owne writinges dooe testifye ye haue aboue the meane rate profited in the same so that yf a man geue vnto your grace any thing to holy scripture apperteinyng he shall not seme so muche to geue a gifte as to make amendes and recompence for a pleasure receyued Moreouer if this be a thyng specially aboue others in all haste prouided for that in the kinges Emperours courtes there may from tyme to tyme be physicions ready and prest at hande beyng men exactly learned and of approued fidelitie to take charge that the princes be dye be preserued and kept in health howe muche more doeth it stande with congruence that Luke the physicion should there be reslaunte who doeth not with scammony or ellebour preserue the healthful state of the body but doth with an heauenly pocion deliuer the soule froÌ„ diseases that violently hale men to death euerlastyng that is to were that vnknowyng of the truthe mistrustfulnesse vnbelefe towardes God the loue of this worlde ambicion auarice riottous excesse hatred enuye and suche others For these diseases is all the life of mortall men subiect vnto dayly in daunger of falling into them as Iohn thapostle sayeth where he bewayleth that all the whole worlde is set in naughtinesse neyther any thing els to reigne therin but coÌ„cupiscence of the flesh concupiscence of the iyes pryde of the lyfe And in so muche the more peril and hasard of the said diseases do the princes stand as they are more then others made wantons derelynges of fortune and haue lybertie withoute checke or controllemente to fullfyll their owne sensuall lustes and appetites But nowe me seemeth I shall not spende my labour in vayne but to good purpose if I shal in a fewe wordes commend and sette Foorth vnto your highnesse first Luke himself being the physicioÌ„ and then the pocioÌ„ or medicine that he bringeth with hym albeit I put no doubtes but that as well the one as the other is already as in dede they ought to be vnto your godly ze'e and deuocion in most best wyse accepted Forsoth this same is that excellent man Luke an Antiochian by the couÌ„trey nacion that he was borne in And Antioche is a citie whiche was in old tyme of so great fame and power that so muche parte of al the countrey of Syria as reacheth vnto Cicilie butteth vpoÌ„ it had the name geuen it thereof And the sayed Antioche was in this behalf more happie and fortunate then verye Rome it self that Peter the apostle had his first see here in this citie of Antioche and that Paule and Barnabas dyd in the same citie receiue their dignitie of the charge and funccioÌ„ Apostolical Now to our present purpose this Luke was of familiar acquaintaunce and comiersacion with all the Apostles but most specially a folower and disciple of Paule and also a companion of his in all his peregrinacioÌ„ neuer separated nor deuided from his coumpany By linyng in coumpany with the Apostles he wrote his ghospell and by the thynges whiche Paule wrought and did Luke beyng a presente witnesse of theim he wrote the booke whiche he entytled the actes of the apostles And that hystorie of the Actes he continued vntill the second yere of Paul abydyng at Rome that is to say vntill the fowerth yere of Nero the Emperour there Wherof men gather a consecture that the boke was writteÌ„ in the same citie and fully agreed it is amonge the learned men that this same verye Luke it is of whom Paul the Apostle doeth so often tymes make mencion as for eâ—aumple in his second epistle to the Corinthians where he thus saith We haue seÌ„t with him our brother whose lande is in the gospel throughout all the congregacions Again where he writeth to the CollosstaÌ„s he sayth dere Lukes the physicion greteth you And agayne in the secound epystle to Timothe For Demas hath forsaken me louing this preseÌ„t world is departed vnto Thessalonica Crescens is gone into Galacia Titus into Dalmacia onely Lukas is with me Yea and this point moreouer is leaft to vs by auncyent writers that as often as Paul calleth it by the name of his gospell as he doeth to Timothe where he saieth Remembre that Iesus Christ of the seede of Dauid arose again from death accordyng to my gospell c. he â—â—neth of the ghospel of Luke because that like as Marke wrote the history of the gospell at Peters woorde by his settying on so dyd Luke at the word and biddyng of Paule Hierome is of the opinion and iudgement that Luke was more expert in the greke tongue then the other were and by reasoasoÌ„ therof wrote the discourse and processe of the story after a more eâ—act and gromidely sortâ— then the others dyd that is to were takyng his entraunce at the first concepcion of Iohn the Baptist and makyng relacion of verye muche maâ—ter touchyng the natiuitie and concernyng the babehoode â—ea and certayne poyntes furthermore concernyng the childhood of Iesus making also rehersall of many parables and miracles whiche the other euaÌ„gelistes for loue of briefnes had let passe he any thing spoken of And where â—s not one of all the others went any whâ—t ferther then the tyme of the Lorde Iesus beyng assumpted into heauen this man alone did in an other seconde boke make a further continuacioÌ„ of the story concerning the churche howe it first sprang vp and how it grewe more and more to sprede and shew it self Thus muche moreouer the wryters affyrme
vertuous disposicion and shamefastnes commonly go together more then halfe ashamed for because that to suche persons as dyd not yet knowe all thissame matter to bee done God being the worker and doer of it she being now already an aged woman might seme to had wholly geuen herselfe yet still vnto the satisfying of the wanton lust of her body For she was not ignoraunte howe muche inclined the moste parte of folkes are as well to misdeme the wurst as also to speake naughtily And the prudent minde of the woman had also a ferther iye and regarde vnto this poynte too that there was no vauntes ne braggues to be made among the people of the gyfte of God vntill it were assuredly past all doubtes leste if the thing had afterward quailled or gone awaye in any behalfe the reproche of her baraines should be double for that beyng so fer strieken in yeres she had conceyued suche a vayne hope to haue a childe Neuerthelesse whan by sundry assured tokens she perfeitely knewe herselfe to be with childe she did in suche wise at all times shewe herselfe glad of her happie chaunce that all this matter euery whit of it what soeuer it were she referred vnto the onely goodnesse of God I haue hitherto sayeth she been diffamed with the reprochefull name of a baraine woman and one that neuer should haue childe among the people of Israel in whose opinion the barainnes of the body is a thing of more dishonestie shame then naughty disposicioÌ„ of the mynde But the Lord I see well hath for this purpose made a delay of my fruitfulnesse that a childe borne nowe whan no man looked for it not onely might deliuer me from the reproche of barainnes but also should cause vnto me the more aumple ioy For plainly the free gyfte of God it is who at suche time as best pleased himselfe hath vouchedsafe to cast a fauourable iye on me his simple handmaide in suche sorte that by reason of my chyld though beyng but one alone borne whan it was almost past season yet neuertheles a childe specially to be marked regarded whom I haue borne in Gods behalfe I shall from hencefurth in folkes communicacion bee reported to bee a mother muche happier then a great many of others the whiche do with a great sorte of children a piece enriche their housebandes And in the sixth moneth was the Aungell Gabriel sent from God into a citie of Galile the name wherof is Nazareth to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Ioseph of the house of Dauid and the name of the virgin was Mary And the Aungell came in vnto her sayd haâ—â—e thou full of grace the lorde is with the. Blissed art thou among women These thinges thus done it remained that the holier greater piece of this misterie shoulde bee procured by the Aungell that is to wete that the sonne of God beeyng God immortall should of a virgin beeyng a creature subiecte vnto death bee borne a man mortall the like wherof neuer had afore sence the creacion of the world been heard ne to the last ende of the world again should bee heard Therfore whan the tyme from without begynnyng by God prefixed drewe nere that God the father would by his sonne deliuer the whole vniuersall worlde from the tyranny of death and of synne he sent the selfsame Aungell Gabriell as a broker or procurer and a maker vp of this godly copulacion andioynyng with the sayed virgin And this was done in the sixth moneth after that Elizabeth was conceyued with Iohn Unto this heauenly matter there was specially deputed a tendre yong virgyn not set furth to the worlde with aboundauÌ„ce of riches or possessions not by famousnes of name not with portlynesse of lyfe ne with the other thynges whiche this worlde vseth to haue in high regarde but endued with excellente vertues of the minde the whiche do make a manne acceptable in the sight of God that is to saye with puritie of lyfe vndefiled with maidenly demurenes and with godly deuocion Her habitacion was in an homely basse litle toune of Galile called Nazareth a people nothyng regarded ne set by emong the Iewes And the virgin was espoused vnto a man of no fame ne porte in any behalfe to the worldes estimacion but for his vertues of the mynde a man to be accepted afore God a carpenter by occupacion and his name Ioseph beyng lineally descended of the stocke of Dauid from the which stocke of Dauid the espoused virgin also had her progenie to the ende that the case might not disagree with the prophecie whiche had promised that Messias should be borne of the stocke of Dauid kyng of Israel And the name of the virgin was Mary God had for the nons picked out two persons of lowe degree and of small porte to th entent that the worlde myght not in this heauenly matter clayme or chalenge to it selfe any poynte or part therof He had also pieked out persons of moste faultlesse and moste pure behauiour to the ende that no poynte of cryme myght be layed to theyr charge He had pieked out persons coupled together in chaste and leefull matrimonie to th entent partely that the priuetie of a childe to bee borne by a pure virgin myght be secrete vntyll the due tyme therof and partly that the case beyng otherwyse vnbeleuable whiche was that a virgin had without coumpaynying with any manne brought furth a chylde myght not lacke a witnesse conuenieÌ„t At a tyme whan this virgin was in her contemplacion within her priuy closet as virginitie loueth to be secrete the Aungell Gabriell apperyng visible with muche bryghtnes came in vnto her and hayled her with a straunge sorte of salutacion Rest thou well sayth he and reioyce o virgin beeyng full of grace and highly in fauour Thou hast the Lorde ryght fauourable vnto thee and muche thy frende And therfore shalt thou be siggularly renoumed and of a laudable name among all women ¶ When she sawe him she was abashed at his saying and cast in her mynde what maner of salutacion this might be And the Aungel sayd vnto her Feare not Mary For thou hast found grace afore God Beholde thou shalt conceyue in thy wombe and beare a soÌ„ne and shalt call his name Iesus He shal be great and shal be called the sonne of the highest And the Lord God shall geue vnto him the seate of his father Dauid and he shall reigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer and of his kyngdome there shal be none ende But the virgin at the sodayne sight of the Aungell and agayne also at the fourme and tenour of his salutacion beeyng straunge and suche as neuer had been heard of afore forasmuche as she on her owne behalfe conceyued no great opinion of her selfe was right muche dismayed in her minde For that she was fore adrad at the entreyng of one in the likenesse of a young man not loked for was a
is the goodnes of God and with all kyndes of praisynges to bee magnifyed who whereas â—e is the God of all peoples yet his pleasure was to be of a speciall purpose called the God of Israell not as though he wer not the Lord of al other nacions also but because it hath pleased hym that the people of Israel shal be a figure of that heauenly people whiche by renouncyng and despising the yearthlye thynges of thys worlde dooe laboure to atteyne and to come vnto that eternal citie of Hierusalem where God is wurshipped with thinges inuisible Of al such what countrey soeuer they lyue in and out of what nacion soeuer they bee borne is God to be praysed who after so long processe of time hath at laste vouchsalued in suche sorte as hath not been sene afore to visite hys people being now in great agonye and almoste â—lene tyred with the tedyousnes of most careful and long continued bondage and beyng euen now at the veray poynt of vtter despaire Agaynst the whiche people Sathan synne and the worlde had so mightilye preuailled that no maner hope did now remaine neyther in the phariseis nor in the philosophiers nor yet in the ceremonies of Moses lawe He hathe nowe caste hys iye lyke a mercifull lord vpon hys sayd people and hath freelye redemed them from al these euils And hath reised vp an horne of saluacion vnto vs in the house of his seruaunte Dauid A myghty tiraÌ„ne it was whiche hauyng a trayne of an houge coumpaigny of souldiers to garde him did ruffle and playe the king ouer al sortes of men out of whose clawes it was not possible by any power of manne to recouer the deliueraunce of the Israelites Onelye god beeyng of more puissaunce then our ghostely enemy gaue strength vnto theÌ„ that wer weake sending a capitayn most victorious who through the puissaunce of his godlye mightinesse shoulde ouerthrowe the power strength of his aduersaries and by ouercumming deathe should frely through feith geue vnto al persoÌ„s euerlasting saluacion And thys sure waraÌ„t fortres of saluacioÌ„ he hath reised vp for vs in the house and generacioÌ„ of Dauid who truly serued and wurshipped him vnto the which Dauid he had afore made sure promisse that from his sede should this benefite assuredly come vnto all suche persones as after the spirite deserue to bee the chyldren of Dauid not growyng out of kynde nor sweruing from the tendre loue that their said father Dauid had towardes god Dauid valiauntly luckely foughte against forein nacions and agaynst the enemies of the people of Israel And seÌ„blablye vnder this our captayne must we fight agaynst enemies muche more pernicious and hurteful that is to were against such enemies as destruie and â—leagh mennes soules Sathan with hys armie of wieked spirites And such enemyes be also the corrupt affeccions and naughty desyres of the mynde prouokyng and busilye stieryng men to suche thynges as are odious and hatefull afore god Suche enemies also are those persones whatsoeuer they be which haue more loue and desyre to the thynges of this worlde then to such thynges as are godlye by whyche persones as by his instrumentes and tooles the deuill putteth hys strength in vre ¶ Euen as he promised by the mouthe of his holy prophetes whiche were sens the world began That we should be saued from our enemyes and from the hande of al that hate vs. Neyther dooe these thinges by chaunce or at al auentures come thus to passe but the thyng that god doeth nowe perfourme thesame had he many a longe yere sens promysed by the mouthes of al the prophetes whom he had endewed with his spirit as many as haue prophecied sens the first creacioÌ„ of the world For he had made promise that by a captain of might puissauÌ„ce which should one day be sent we should be saued from our enemyes and should be deliuered oute of the handes of them all whiche did beare vs suche extreme malice that they did continually wrastle and laboure to drawe vs vnto deathe euerlasting That he would deale mercifully with our fathers and remember his holy couenauÌ„te And that he woulde perfourme the othe whiche he swore to our father Abraham for to geue vs that we deliuered out of the handes of our enemyes myghte serue hym withoute feare in suche holines and ryghteousnes as are accepted before him all the dayes of our lyfe And yet was not thys of the meryte or deseruyng of vs that are nowe at these preseÌ„t dates liuiÌ„g to whoÌ„ god hath perfourmed this same so hygh a benefite nor yet of the deseruing of oure fathers to whoÌ„ he had afore promised thesame thing which he hath now doen vnto vs â–ª But thus hath it pleased his gracious goodnesse bounteously to geue this so greate a thyng vnto vs not deseruyng thesame Thus hath it also semed good vnto his ryghteousnesse at suche time as best pleased hymself to perfourme the thyng that he had promised to th entent he might thereby of all creatures bee perceyued to bee not onely mercifull and beneficiall but also true and iuste in kepyng hys promisse For besides his earnest promisse he did also make a plain bargain and couenaunt with our fathers For beeyng delited with â—he woondrefull affiaunce and truste of oure chyefe father Abraham towarde hym whiche was soe greate that bearyng hymselfe bolde vpon goddes promysse he made no manner bones ne stickyng but wente in hande to offer vp his onely sonne Isaac in sacrifyce he swore by hys owne selfe to the same Abraham saiyng in this wise I make an othe and do sweare by my veray own self because thou hast dooen thys same thing and for the respecte of me and my commaundement hast not spared thine onely begotten sonne I shall blisse thee and I shall multiplye thy posteritie and issue as the sterres of the skye and as the sandes that are liyng on the sea shores Thy sede shall possesse the gates of theyr enemies through the name of thee shall all naâ—ions on the yearth be blissed because thou hast bene obedient vnto my voice For in verai dede this is the true posteritie and the right sede of Abraham whiche is obedient vnto God not by the ceremonies of the lawe but by the obedience of beleuing in God who by the meane of the ghospell dooethe speake vnto the world And vnto such of vs is geuen the promysed victory ouer our enemies as being deliuered from the tiranny of sinne deliuered from all errours deliuered from the yoke of the deuill haue the grace and happe to renounce our former naughty liuyng to the ende that from hensfoorth beyng out of all care and feare vnder the wyng and safegarde of our captayn we may nowe serue no mo maisters but hym alone to whome onely we are bounden debtours for al the goodnesse that euer we haue where in tymes past we had bene bondeseruauntes to ambicion which is the desire of worldelye honoure pompe
that is my sonne so dere beloued vnto my hert as none other is but he alone therefore herken ye to hym This voice thus sounyng in their eares Iesus was founde alone leste they mighte haue demed the testimonie of that voyce to concerne any other person then eueÌ„ veray him onely And the sayed three disciples ryght so as they were commaunded of the Lorde kept the matter close and reported not the priuity of that vision to any creature aliue vntill Christ had arisen againe from deaâ—h to lyfe after his passion For it was not the Lordes pleasure to haue the maiestie of his Godhed published or openly spoken of before the tyme of his deathe aswell because there shoulde bee nothyng that myght be a lette vnto thatsame sacrifice whereby mankynde was to bee restored as also because that thyng myght not bee openly talked of whiche no man woulde than beleue yf it had bene reported And all vnder â—ne did he therin by an exaumple that was a true matter in dede geue a lesson to vs that in case any excellent good thing be in vs we should raâ—hâ—â— kepe it close then make vauntes or braggues therof and in case we haue any special vertue or good qualitye in vs by the free gyfte of God thesame is to bee declared and shewed in deedes rather then by makyng many gaie or high woordes of it ¶ And it chaunced that on the nexte daye as they came down from the hille muche people met hym And beholde a man of the coumpaignie cried out saiyng maister I beseche the beholde my sonne for he is all that I haue and see a spirite taketh hym and soodaynely crieth and he knocketh and beateth hym that he foometh againe and with muche peine departeth from him whan he hath rent hym I besought thy disciples â—o cast hym out they coulde not Iesus aunswered and saied O feithlesse and crooked nacion howe long shal I bee with you and shall suffre you Bryng thy soonne hither As he was yet a cummâ—ng the fâ—ende rent him and tare him And Iesus rebuked the vncleane spirite and healed the childe and deliuered him to his father And they were all amased at the high power of God The nexte daye folowyng Iesus came downe from the hyll with his said thre disciples And he fouÌ„d a mighty great multitude of people gathered about the residue of the disciples whom he hadde lefte there behynd hym whan he addressed hym to goe vp to the mountayne But the people assoone as they espied Iesus returnyng agayn went to mete hym For they had found a great lacke mysse of his presence And there had happened a freshe matter why they should require to haue his presence For one of yâ— couÌ„paignie cryed out to hym saiyng maister I most humbly beseche thee leat the extreme miserie of a sonne of mine moue the. For I haue no mo but him alone and he is holden with an extreme tyrannous deuill whiche dooeth euerye other whyle soodaynlye take hym and vexeth hym sundry waies that pitie it is to see with much greate roaryng flasshyng hym on the grounde and so wrestyng his limmes as though he woulde teare them from the body of hym and he fomyng at the mouthe for peine all the whyle And as often as he taketh hym he scracelye departeth from hym vntyll all hys body be rent and torne I praied thy disciples to caste out this spirit They did their best but they haue not bene hable to dooe it Than Iesus well perceiuyng that the thyng hadde so chaunced by reason of the fathers vnbeliefe that prayed for health to his soonne and in consideracion of his disciples feithe beeyng yet hitherto but weake he cryed with a loude voyce saiyng O nacion full of mistrustyng and of an herte nothyng single howe long tyme shall I bee conuersaunt emong you and shall suffre these thynges Can I not yet all thys whyle bring thus muche to passe to make you haue a perfeicte feyth and truste in me dooeth the weakenesse of thys bodye of myne so muche leate you And turnyng hymselfe to the man and requyring of hym afore hand to haue a more stedfast feith he saied Bring thy sonne hither to me And as soone as the young thyng was brought to Iesus the eiuil spirite that was in him tooke him quasshyng the chylde on the grounde and immediatelye Iesus restored hym to hys health and gaue him to his father agayne made perfectely whole where his father had brought him thither vnpossible to be cured by any mannes helpe The more miserable that the sight of this eiuill had been so muche the more did the people euery one of them meruaill to see howe quickelye the childe was holpen out of hande by the vertue and power of God But whyle they woondred euery one at all thynges which he dyd he saied vnto hys disciples seate these saiynges sâ—ncke downe into youre cares For it wil come to passe that the sonne of men shal bee deliuered into the handes of menne but they wiste noâ— what the woord ment and it was hidden from theim that they vnderstoode it not And they feared to aske of hym that saiyng But whan the fame of Iesus weaxed euery daye more and more famous through suche actes as these A certayne temptacion of worldly glory entred into the hertes of his disciples by reason that they hadde suche a maister in whose name euen they also themselfes dyd manye great actes to be woondred at But Iesus calleth them home from this affeccion to the contemplacion of his lowe state of abieccion in this worlde at whiche the time was not long to come when they woulde be offended and slaundred The glorie of dooeyng miracles sayeth he is now a matter of delectacion vnto you but it is a thing much more materiall for you depely to enprint in your hertes these sayinges of myne from which your myndes dooe gretlye abhorre For that thyng ought ye moste of all to haue in mynde whiche it shall behoue euerye one of you to folowe As for glorie leat me alone to see for that For the thing muste nedes come to passe that I haue already tolde you and yet nowe agayne I saye vnto you which is that the soonne of man whose glorie and fame dooeth nowe delite you shall ere long be attached and shall bee deliuered into the handes of menne and shall sundrye waies suffre much affliccion and shal lastely be put to death This tale though it had bene once or twise heard out of his mouth yet had not it well settled in the myndes of the disciples For they coulde not well beare in mynd the thing which they had no luste to heare They abhorred the mencion of death as men setting al their mindes on the glorie of Iesus not hauing al the while any intelligence or vnderstanding that the glorie of the Lord was most chiefely to be renoumed and made famous through the open worldely shame of hangyng on the
than can be saued for one shall fynd but a fewe persons but either they haue ryches or couet to haue But he recomforted the dismaiyng of his disciples again saiyng The thing whiche with men is vnpossible is possible enough with god It is not of mannes power to despyse rychesse and suche other commodities as folowe at the taile of richesse But this strength and stoutenesse of hert dooeth god geue vnto suche as through simple and vnfeyned beleuyng dooe shewe themselfes apte for to receyue his gyftes And he is with god no longer taken for worldely ryche whosoeuer hath laied away from hym the loue of money and in suche wyse possesseth his money that he wil with all his herte leaue thesame as often as respecte of health and saluacion euerlastyng shall require it Than Peter said Loe we haue forsaken all and folowed thee He said vnto them Uerilye I say vnto you there is no man that hath forsaken house either father or mother either brethren or wife or children for the kingdome of gods sake whiche shall not receiue much more in this worlde and in the world to cum life euerlastyng Of these woordes the Apostles conceyue a good hope the more parte of whom had left altogether whatsoeuer it was that thei were owners of tofore Therfore in the behalf of theÌ„ al speaketh Peter saiyng loe we haue left al and haue folowed thee we haue perfourmed eueÌ„ yesame point also which thou diddest earnestly require of the ryche man Than although it was but a very small porcion that Peter and Andrewe had left albeeit if they had had more more would they haue forsaken The Lorde conneth them thanke for their readinesse in that they had doen and because they should not nede to repente them of that they had dooen sheweth that great gain it is to haue lost worldely rychesse for the kyngdome of God For in lieu and place of transitory and vyle thynges by theÌ„ conteÌ„ned bothe here in this worlde the mynd and soule is enryched with goodes heauenly and also in the worlde to come endlesse felicitie is repaied for them Than furthermore hereupon thus sayd the Lorde This I auouche vnto you for a matter not to be doubted of not to you onely shall it turne to great gaines in the ende to haue left for my sake the litle slender possessions that ye had but also whatsoeuer person shall for the respect of the kingdom of god forsake either house or father or mother or brethren or wife or children he shall bothe in this preseÌ„t life receiue much mo thynges and also better then he lefte and moreouer in the world to cum he shall receiue life euerlastyng Iesus toke vnto him the twelue and said vnto them Behold we goe vp to Ierusalem and al shal be fulfilled that are written by the prophetes of the sonne of man For he shal be deliuered vnto the Gentiles and shal be mocked and despitefully entreated spetted on whan they haue scourged him they will put him to death And the third day he shal arise again And they vnderstode none of these thinges And this saiyng was hid from them soo that they perceyued not the thynges whiche are spoken After that he had with these sayinges somewhat lifted vp and chered the hertes of his disciples agayn he tooke with him the twelue apostles whoÌ„ it was not behoueable to be ignoraunt of any thyng which were wrought and doen for the redeÌ„pcion of maÌ„kind And now beginneth he euen suÌ„what openly and plainly to beate the matter into their heades concerning the death which he should at Ierusalem wittingly willingly dye accordiÌ„g to the foresayinges of the prophetes For he knew very wel that thei should be very sore dismaied and discuÌ„forted with the death of their maister and for that consideracioÌ„ he doâ—th often beate this tale into their heades to the ende that at the laste it may be engrauen in their hertes and that by a litle and a litle they myght bee enured to abide the matter which as yet their eares abhorred to heare meÌ„cioned or spoken of And verily this was none vnbelefe in theym but a certain earnest loue stroÌ„gly working in theÌ„ towardes their maister Seuerally therfore from the cumpany he begoonne to open vnto them that the tyme of hys death did now approch Behold saieth he we are now goyng vp towardes Ierusalem and there shal all thinges be accomplished that haue been writteÌ„ by the prophetes concernyng the sonne of man For he must be deliuered into the handes of the Gentiles and of them shall he be scorned and scourged and spetted on And after that they shall haue scourged him and shall haue mynistred vnto hym all kyndes of reproche and vilanie in wordes thei shal in fine put hym to death but he shal aryse agayne the third day from death to lyfe But this talke because it was nothyng swete ne pleasaunt could in no wise sink in to the Apostles stomakes as commoÌ„ly we are harde of belefe in such matters as we would not with our good willes haue to bee true And they coulde in no wyse perceiue the mysterie of the crosse wherhence redeÌ„pcioÌ„ and saluacion should by a newe found conueighaunce of god cum forth and issue vnto the worlde They had no luste ne fansy to beleue that a man whom they loued so entierly should dye of suche a violent kynde of death neyther coulde they possibly beleue it likely that suche an one should be put to deathe by the handes of the wicked as was hable to do such wonderfull actes and which had so many tymes escaped oute of the handes of suche as had attempted to assail him fasten vpon him and finally they doubted not but that it myghte be afterwarde an easier thyng for hym to bryng to passe not to dye at al thaÌ„ to reuiue again from death as he said he would yea and they thought it better not to dye at all then after death to bee restored to life again And althoughe they coulde not doubte of their maisters trueth in hys wordes yet did they in this maner flatter their owne affeccions they enterpreted that in these wordes of Iesus there lay priuily hidden some figurate mistical maner of speakyng suche as the lord did of a special property that was in him very muche and often vse to bryng in begilyng by meanes of that same colourable speakiÌ„g not only the people but also the very apostles selues as for exauÌ„ple whaÌ„ he willed theÌ„ to beware froÌ„ the leaueÌ„ of the phariseis whaÌ„ he auÌ„swered that he had an other kind of meate whiche he houÌ„gred for whaÌ„ he taught theÌ„ for a lessoÌ„ that a camel might soner passe through a nedles iye then a riche man entre into the kingdome of heauen whan signifiyng that his doctrine must be receiued and conueyed throughly into the very bowels of the soule he saied that no man shoulde haue lyfe in tyme to come onlesse thesame shoulde first eate his
frendely countenaunce and theyr garmentes glitteryng in maner of clere brightnesse or lightning Thissame veray lightnesse and sight of the Aungels had been an open semblaunt of the triumph of an arysing agayne to lyfe And whan the weomen beeyng throughly afrayed with this straunge syght cast their countenaunce and iyes downe vpon the grounde and durst not loke streight vpon the maiestie of the visioÌ„ being a thing aboue the reache of mans nature the sayed Aungels with mylde and amiable speakyng vnto them doe ease and recoumforte the hertes of them beeyng astouned with that soodayne feare O ye weomen saye the Aungels why doe ye seke hym in the graues of the dead which is a liuesman In dede here was he layed whan he was dead but nowe forasmuche as he is reuiued agayne he is not in graue where the dead doe reste but he is arysen agayne from death to life and walketh a liuesman emong the lyuing He had by his owne woordes foreshewed that dye he should he had foreshewed the tyme also the kynde of his death but thesame had also foreshewed that he would on the third day returne to lyfe againe Ye belieue hym to bee dead because ye sawe it belieue ye also that he is arysen againe to life For he will not in this pointe deceyue you whiche on the other parte tolde you trueth Hath sorowe and trouble of mynde made you to forget all thynges that he tolde you of aforehande Lette it come to your remembraunce againe howe that of all these thynges whiche haue nowe been dooen he leafte not any one poynte vnspoken of or vntolde aforehande whan he was yet in Galile For he tolde you afore that it was so decreed by the wysedome and ordeynaunce of his father that for the redempcion of mankynde the sonne of man should be deliuered into the handes of synners and that he should bee accused should be beaten and should be setfurth to receyue al kyndes of mocking skorning and finally that beyng hoighced vp vpon the crosse he should be put to death but yet that he thesame man should on the thirde daye returne to lyfe agayne Call ye the tyme well vnto your knowlage He was taken downe from the crosse well towardes the euentyde of the preparacion daye and layed here in thissame graue that daye is rekoned for the firste daye from his death All the whole Sabboth day he rested in his sepulchre Nowe is this the dayspring of the third day which third day himselfe arising together with thesame hath willed to be gladsome and prosperous to all the whole worlde After these woordes spoken the Aungels vanished awaye from theyr sight ¶ And they remembred his woordes and returned from the sepulchre and tolde all these thynges vnto those eleuen and to all the remnaunt It was Mary Magdalene Ioanna and Mary Iacobi and other that were with them which tolde these thynges vnto the Apostles And theyr woordes semed vnto them feigned thinges neyther beleued they them Than arose Petur and ran vnto the sepulchre and loked in sawe the linen clothes layed by themselfes and departed woondreyng in himselfe at that whiche had happened Than the wemen through the Aungels bringyng them in remembraunce doe call to memorie the Lorde Iesus woordes by the whiche he had tolde aforehand vnto his disciples aswell his death as also his resurreccion Whervpon leauyng the monumente they make hast to the eleuen Apostles and the other disciples who for feare of the Iewes lay in secrete places here some and there some gathered together and had euen themselues too forgotteÌ„ in maner all thinges that Iesus had tolde them and wer now in manier in despayre and to them doe the weomen bryng newes what they had seen and what they had heard of the Aungels The first weoman Eue beeyng deceyued by the serpent allured her housebande Adam to doe amysse these deuoute weomen beeyng taught by the Aungels doe moue and exhort men to promptenesse of beleuing Therfore because the weomen kynde shoulde not euermore without any ende continue in slaunder and oblique for death that had issued out of them into men the moste gladsome tidinges of lyfe restored agayne doethe therehence procede from whence the occasion of death hath first issued Now the weomen whiche brought the fyrst newes of the premisses vnto the Apostles were Marie Magdalene the systur of Lazarus Ioanna the wyfe of Chusa Herodes agent and factour Mary the mother of Iames the younger whiche was also called the systur of Mary the Lordes mother and many other weomen whiche in coumpany of these were woont to goe with Iesus where euer he wente But for the vncredible matâ—er that they brought newes of the weomen beyng estemed to bee vessels sumwhat fraile founde no suche regarde as to bee credyted emong the Apostles whom the Lorde for suche consideracion suffred to bee the slacker to beleue that the assured trueth of hys resurreccion myghte by the moe euidente proufes and tokens bee confyâ—med Therfore what the sayed weomen reported of soodayne seeyng of the aungels of the stone in a momente remoued from the mouth of the sepulchre semed to the Apostles and disciples to bee some poynte of dotage suche as reigneth in weomen because that thys sexe of woman kynde hauyng the conceipte of their imaginacion somewhat infected and corrupte through the weakenesse of reason and of good iudgemente in them doe many times belieue themselfes to see that thei see not and heare that they heare not And although they did not belieue it to be a mattier of trueth that the weomen reported yet dyd theyr earnest affirmyng of it and standynge therin thus muche auayle that Peter arysyng from the place where he sate ran furth to the monument and puttyng hys head in and lokyng afore hym he fyndeth not the body but the pieces of linnen in whiche the body of Iesus had been wound vp he seeth liyng there aside in a place by themselfes And yet not so neyther dyd he belieue that the Lorde was arisen agayne from death to lyfe so diepe forgetfulnesse had there taken hym of the thynges which Iesus had sayed but awaye he went from the sepulchre meruaylyng with himselfe what had befallen and doubtyng whether any body had taken awaye the bodye out of the monument and castyng many soondry thynges in his minde by whom or of what entent and purpose thatsame poynte had been dooen that the body taken awaye he sawe the linen pieces leafte behynde as thynges laysurely taken of from the body whiche could not without some buisinesse haue been plucked of and for that he sawe thesame linen pieces not cast aboute at auenture here one and there one but handesomely layed vp in theyr place and ordre the kerchefe wherwith the head and face of Iesus had been couered beyng layed by it selfe aparte from the rest ¶ And beholde twoo of them went thatsame daye to a toune called Emaus whiche was from Hierusalem aboute three
saluacioÌ„ he hath geuen his only begotten sonne to suffer death yea and suche a death as is moste shameful after the worldes estimacioÌ„ his will was to bestow geue one for the saluacioÌ„ of al men Nicodemus sayth he let not this thyng seme to thee to be suddayne and straunge this is the very thyng which Moses by a figure did signifie should come when at such time as the people did perishe thorow the vehement inuasion of serpentes he did hang vp a brasen serpent vpon a stake that whosoeuer had loked therupon should be safe from the deadly biting of the serpeÌ„tes Therfore as that brasen serpent hauing in dede the likenes of a venemous beaste but yet beyng so voyde of all venome that it did also helpe others whiche were poysoned was hanged vp in the desert that all men might see it for their safetie so muste the sonne of man be exalted to thâ—ntent that all which thorowe faith shall lifte vp theyr iyes vnto hym maye be deliuered froÌ„ the deadly poyson of synne that not onely the people of Israel but generally what manne so euer with a pure herte putteth his full truste in hym should not perishe as subiect to sinne which bringeth euerlastyng death but thorow the death of one innocent shoulde obtayne eternall lyfe Trulye our lorde Iesus by this maner of darke sayinges opened to Nicodemus the misterie of his manhed and of redemyng the worlde by the crosse albeit he was not yet able to receyue and vnderstande these thynges In the meane while declaryng therewithall howe great difference was betwene them whiche did reade the lawe after a carnall sence consideryng nothyng but the plaine story therof and them whiche by inspiracion of the holye ghoste of whom heretofore we haue spoken did perceyue the mistical sence that lâ—eth hid couered ouer with the texte But neuertheles our lorde Iesus did then as it wer sowe seedes of fayth into Nicodemus minde that hereafter he might perceiue this thyng to haue been doen not by casualtie or chaunce but by the appoyntment of God and so the good seede beyng receyued into apte grounde might bryng furth in due tyme the fruite of faith not only in Nicodemus hert whiche did heare these thynges but also in all theyr myndes vnto whom these thynges should be declared by his reporte For God so loued the worlde that he gaue his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleueth in hym should not perishe but haue euerlastyng life For God sent not his sonne into the worlde to condemne the worlde but that the worlde thorow him might be saued He that beleueth in hym is not condemned But he that beleueth not is condemned alreadye because he hath not beleued in the name of the onely begotten sonne of god For who would haue beleued the charitie of God to haue been so greate towardes the worlde beyng rebell to hym and giltie of so many great faultes that not onely he did not reuenge the vngraciouse actes that had been committed therin but also sent downe his onely sonne from heauen into earth and deliuered hym to suffre death yea euen the moste shamefull death of the crosse to thintente that what man soeuer would beleue in him wer he Iewe Grecian or neuer so barbarouse should not perishe but obtaine eternall lyfe thorowe the fayth of the ghospel For albeit that in tyme to come the father should iudge the vniuersall worlde by his sonne at his last cummyng yet at this tyme whiche is appoynted for mercie God hath not sente his sonne to condemne the worlde for the wicked dedes therof but by his death to geue free saluacion to the worlde thorow faith And leste any body perishyng wilfully should haue wherby to excuse their owne malice there is geuen to al folkes an easie entrie to saluacion For satisfaccion of the faultes committed before is not required neither yet obseruacion of the law nor circumcision only he that beleueth in hym shall not be condemned forasmuche as he hath embraced that thing by the whiche eternal saluacion is geuen to all folkes be thei neuer so muche burdened with synnes so that thesame person after he hath professed the ghospell dooe abstayne from the euil dedes of his former life and laboure to go forward to perfect godlines according to the doctrine of him whose name he hath professed but whosoeuer contemnyng so great charitie of God towardes hym and putting from himselfe the saluacion that was freely offred hym doeth not beleue the ghospell he hath no nede to be iudged of any body forasmuche as he doeth openly condeÌ„ne himselfe and reiectyng the thyng wherby he mighte attaine eternall lyfe maketh hymselfe giltye of eternall payne God hath offred saluacion to all folkes by his onely begotteÌ„ sonne and that thorow faithe to thyntent we maie knowlege and wurshyp hym as the auctour of saluacion and put the hope of all oure felicitie in hym Whosoeuer refuseth thus to do and despiseth the goodnes of god beyng so readie to be had and dishonoreth his sonne whom the father woulde haue to be honored and also estemeth as nothyng his death that he suffred for vs that person I saye doeth declare himselfe euen in very dede to be woorthy of euerlastyng punishement For who perceyueth not hym to perishe of good right and thorow his owne faute whiche willingly wittyngly doeth embrace that thing by the which he perisheth and resisteth that thyng wherby he might haue recouered health And this is the condemnacion that light is come into the worlde and men loued darkenes more then lighte because their dedes were euill for euery man that euill dooeth hateth the light neither cummeth he to the light lest his dedes should be reproued but he that dooeth trueth cuÌ„meth to the light that his dedes maye be knoweÌ„ how that they are wrought in god Errour and synnes be the darkenes of myndes and synnes doe ingender euerlastyng death The sonne of God is the lighte of the worlde for the lighte is trueth to beleue him is euerlastyng health Therefore when thorowe the bountifull goodnes of God light came into the worlde whiche was blynded thorowe lacke of knowledge of the trueth and with innumerable vices to thintent that the trueth beyng knowen it should be conuerted and saued yet men loued theyr owne darkenes more then the lyght that was sente from heauen If the sicke man perishe whiche hideth his disease from the phisician because he would not be holpen dooeth not he geue iudgemente of hymselfe that he perisheth thorowe his owne faute So menne that were altogether geuen to the worlde did refuse the light when it was offred them â–ª because their workes were euill For as he whiche committeth a shamefull acte dooeth loue the darke nighte â–ª and shunneth the light of the sunne leste his deedes should be knowen so thei whiche know themselues giltie hate the light of the euangelical trueth by the whiche all foule and naughtie doinges are bewrayed because thei
will he went to his death furthermore that by his death and resurreccion he should be lyfted vp to heauen whither as no man by any worldly wisedom could be brought When with this saying the Iewes wer made afeard and vnderstode not what he ment they durste not for al that aske the meanyng but whispered and talked therof secretely among theÌ„selues saying What is the matter that this man doethe sundrye tymes threaten vs with his goyng awaye thither whither we cannot folowe hym wyll he violently kyll hymselfe and so withdrawe him from vs Iesus whiche knew the very thoughtes of them all dyd so temper and moderate his aunswere vnto this very grosse muttrynge and sinfull murmuryng that the thyng whiche he spake shoulde not bee vnderstande but after his death resurreccion and ascencion For they supposyng that Iesus was nothing els but a man could coniecture none other thyng but that he shoulde go to his death and so be delyuered from the grefe of his persecutours when as his meanyng was that hymselfe as touchynge his godhede came from heauen and that he should anon after ouercome deathe and returne agayne thither from whence he came Ye sayethe he beynge of this worlde are worldly wise and speake after the carnall iudgement of the world I am not of this worlde and do speake hyer thynges then you can vnderstande neyther shall ye euer vnderstande them excepte ye leaue your infidelitie and shew your selues ready to be taught and therefore I tolde you erwhile and now tell you once againe that vnlesse ye put away your malice ye shall dye in your sinnes The onely waye to escape the darkenes of synnes is to receiue the lyght The onely waye to lyfe is to knowe him whiche onely deliuereth from deathe by the faythe of the gospell And in case ye do obstinately-refuse to beleue that I am he by whom the father willeth that all men should obtaine life and saluacion ye shall thorow your own faulte dye in your synnes Then sayed they vnto hym Who aâ—t thou And Iesus sayeth vnto them euen the vâ—â—yâ— same thyng that I speake vnto you I haue many thynges to saye and to iudge of you Yeâ— and he that sent me is true and I speake in the worlde those thinges whiche I haue heard of hym Howbeit they vnderstoode not that he spake of his father Then sayed Iesus vnto them When ye haue lift vp on dye the sonne of man then shall ye know that I am he and that I doe nothyng of my selfe but as my father hath taughte me euen so I speake those thynges he that sent me is with me The father hath not left me alone for I do alwayes those thynges that please hym Neither yet did this saying of the lord Iesus settell downe into the mindes of the Phariseis so very muche had the inordinate loue of this world blynded theyr myndes and therefore as thoughe they had neither seen nor hearde anye thing wherby they might know who he was they now maliciously saie vnto Iesus who art thou but Iesus knowing before hand that thei would picke some quarell against whatsoeuer answere he should make which asked him the question of a frowarde mynde therewith also iudgeyng them to be more fitte to heare what themselues wer then what he was maketh them aunswere on this wise sayinge Ye desyre to knowe who I am wel then do beleue but surely ye shall not beleue excepte ye put awaye grosse and worldely affeccions for els if I doe tell you who I am I shall tell it to your harme For ye wyll not onely be neuer a deale better therby but forasmuche as ye be manye wayes euyll ye shall so muche the more be made wurse And this that I nowe speake vnto you shall make your damnacion the greater I thyrst and couet the saluacion of men and not theyr vtter destruccion Or els I coulde speake manye thynges of you and for manye causes condemne you But it is not so thought good to my father who sente me into the world not to cause the euyll to bee wurse but to thintent that those whiche be euill should forthinke and amende themselues and be saued The father that sent me is he that sayth trueth yf ye beleue hym ye shall be saued And ye shall beleue hym yf ye will beleue me of truethe ye shall without daunger safelye beleue me that speake nothynge vnto you but what as I haue heard of my father with whoÌ„ I was before I came into the worlde He hath commaunded me to speake true thynges the trueth of suche thynges as do further meÌ„ to saluacion and not to damnacion And yf any man do perishe he shall perishe thorow his owne faulte who doeth enuye his owne health that is offered him But the blyndnes of the Iewes was so grosse that althoughe he had so ofte made mencion of his father from whom he was sent and to whom he shoulde go of whom he should haue recorde and did heare the thynges whiche he did speake as yet for all that it vnderstood not that he spake of the father of heauen because they coulde beleue nothynge in hym aboue a manne For these sayinges were then as seedes closed vp in the memorye of the hearers to thintente that they shoulde then bring furth frute when as all thinges shoulde be fully accomplished whiche the Prophetes had written of Iesu. It was expediente that as yet he shoulde be thought a very man vntill he had fully finished for the saluacion of the worlde that hye sacrifice whiche was to bee offered vpon the alter of the crosse For it so pleased the father that by death God shoulde bee glorified Our lorde Iesus in the meane time meaning this goeth furth in his communicacion insinuating couertly that he shoulde afterwarde willinglye be crucified by them sayeth thus When ye shall lyfte vp on hye the sonne of man euen very then ye shall vnderstande who I am and after that ye shall thinke me vtterly made awaye then in conclusion ye shall well knowe my power For ye shall right well perceiue that the thing is wrought not as men do thinges but by my fathers power after whose pleasure and iudgemente I do what thing soeuer I do practise herein earth to the saluacion of man Neither do I speake any thing but according to his minde And albeit I am sente into the worlde from hym yet am not I forsaken of hym he hath not lefte me but he is alway present with me and doeth assiste me and by me he both worketh and speaketh vnto you for betwene vs two is a moste hye consente he is glorified by me and I againe by hym but he is the auctor and I the messenger And I do the office of an embassadour so faythfully that I alwaye do those thinges whiche he hath commaunded and determined Moses and Dauid whom ye haue in great reuerence spake and did manye thinges according to Gods will but yet thesame did
many tymes offend hym with their doynges I neuer dissent from that whiche is my fathers pleasure As he spake these wordes manye beleued on hym Then sayed Iesus to those Iewes whiche beleued on him If ye continue in my worde then aâ—â— ye my very disciplesâ— and ye shall knowe the trueth and the trueth shal make you free They aunswered hym We be Abrahams seed and were neuer bounde to any man sayeste thou than ye shall be made freeâ— Iesus aunswered them Uerely verely I saye vnto you that whosoeuer committeth sinne is the seruaunt of sinne And the seruaunt â—â—â—deth not in the house for euer but the sonne abideth euer If the sonne therfore shall make you free then are ye free in dede I know that ye are Abrahams sede but ye seke meanes to â—â—l me because my worde hath no place in you I speake that whiche I haue seen with my father and ye do that whiche ye haue seen with your father When as at that season none did fully vnderstaÌ„de these sayinges yet there was many among the people whiche thought them not vngodly And diuerse conceyuyng good hope of the thynges whiche Iesus promysed them beleued hym but yet not perfitly for they were still ignoraunte but as they wer then able to vnderstande the doctrine of the gospell There was in dede a certayne way prepared to fayth already although they wer not yet so far forwarde as they should be brought afterwarde The Lorde Iesus therfore doeth exhorte them to perseuer in the thynge wherin they were metely wel entred vntill they might atteyne the perfyte knowledge of him For faith of good men doeth eueÌ„ beleue those thynges whiche it vnderstaÌ„deth not The malice of the Phariseis waxed alwaye wurse and wurse He sayeth vnto them take you no exaumple at these which do wilfully perishe it is a good beginnyng for you some deale to beleue my sayinges from which if other mens infidelitie do not withdrawe you and if ye will firmely abide in that yeare entred vnto I which do professe heauenly trueth and no Pharisaicall doctrine will take you for my very owne proper disciples And you whiche hitherto haue embraced the shadowes of Moses lawe for truthes shall in processe of tyme knowe all trueth And the knowen trueth shall make you free But the Iewes not perceiuing that Christe mente of that libertie whiche the gospell teacheth whiche libertie doth not chaunge any worldly aduauncement as to deliuer the bodye from the intereste that the maister hath ouer it but setteth the mynde at libertie from sinne from leude and worldlye desyres from the tirannye of the deuil from feare of death from bondage of Pharisaicall ordinaunces from the yoke of carnall obseruyng of the lawe The Iewes I saye not vnderstandynge this makethe aunswere disdaynefully for they wer proude of the nobilitie of theyr carnal aunceters We say they by successioÌ„ come of Abraham the Patriarche and are naturally free men borne and not onely free but noble gentlemen also neither did we euer serue any man as boÌ„de men What libertie therfore doest thou promise vs as though we were bonde seruauntes nedefull of manumission This aunswere declared the Iewes to be grosse whiche put their affiaunce and glory in carnall thynges neglectynge spirituall thinges whiche commende vs to God They tooke purenes to consiste in wasshyng of the bodye of cuppes and of vessels though they had theyr soule polluted with sinfull vices They despised other in comparison of themselues because they were bodely circumcised wheÌ„ as they had an vncircumcised mynde They thought themselues holy because they caried about with them the lawe written in brode scrolles rounde aboute theyr heade when as they be holye to God whiche haue the lawe wrytten in theyr myndes and expresse the same not in scrolles but in theyr dedes So nowe they wer proude in herte because after the fleshe they came of Abraham as though it were a great matter to be borne of holyones when before God they be noble and famouse whiche of whosoeuer they be borne do expresse the condicions of holy men in their maners Therefore when Iesus had reproued them for two causes both because thei were ignoraunt in the trueth and also because they serued as bondemenne they dissembled the fyrste and stomaked the lesse weyghty matter for ignoraunce of the trueth is a fault of the mynde to be a seruaunte is no euyll thynge of the mynde but a lacke of worldlye fortune Nowe therefore oure Lorde Iesus teacheth plainlye what seruitude he ment You sayeth he disdayne that I promâ—â—e liberty because in your owne coÌ„ceyte ye be free that is to saye the naturall â—â—ee children of Abraham but there is an other kynde of seruitude muche more vyle and myserable from which no noblenes of aunceters be it neuer so greate can clayâ—ie fredome and make a man free Ye haue not a man to your lorde from whose bondage ye are to bee made fâ—e but hereof I do wellassure you whosoeuer sinneth maketh himself seruaunt to synne and looseth his fredome he is verily a naturall borne fremaÌ„ that is subiect to no dishonestie nor giltie of sinnefull vilanye This is the fredome whereof ye maye worthely reioyce before God But whosoeuer is addicte to sinne hath the deuill his lorde and is moued and drawen at his pleaâ—re and arbitremente although he maye dayme kâ—nne and can bryng his peâ—igrue to moste holy aunceters For an other mans holynes taketh not awaye the bondage of them that succede in bloude but euery man is taken and estemed after his owne dedes a seruaunt can not make his felowe seruaunt that is also sinfull as he is partaker of his fredome but he only maketh men free and sâ—tteth at libertie whiche onely is voyde of all sinne For albeit a seruaunte do for a tyme certain thinges in the house yet because he is a seruaunt and no heyre he hath no perpetuitie or enterest there for euer but is put out of the house when it pleaseth the maister but because the sonne is heyre and Lorde of the house he hath continuall right in the house nor he hymselfe onely is free in dede without all seruitude but he may also make other folke free If ye therfore desire this freedome there is no cause why ye should loke to haue it of Moses or from the Patriarkes or your priestes whose ministracion was for a while neyther was any of these vttrely voide of all sinne nor had autoritie to abolishe or put awaye sinnes ne yet did any of them knowe the trueth exactely and at full But if one cleaue fast to the sonne to whom is geuen the whole perpetual power of the house thesame of whatsoeuer stocke he be borne maye well hope to haue true fredome Therfore Abraham dyd not begette vs free Moses did it not the Priestes did not with their sacrifice make vs free If the sonne shall make you free from errour and sinne ye shall be truely and fully free You
religion sake Uerily from that tyme a certayne likelyhood of a thyng to be was shewed that is to wit that the Gentiles being before Idolaters should haue recourse come to be of Christes churche wherof that temple at Ierusalem bare the figure and should louingly embrace Iesus with due religion whome the Phariseis reiected These folke therfore beyng very desirous to see Iesus of whom they had heard so wonderful thinges yet they were bashefull and with shamefastnesse letted to approche vnto hym for in dede they coueted not only as he passed by lightly to se him in the throng but also to salute him and to heare hym speake nere hande these persones I saye do come to Philip to whom by reason of nighnesse of countrey for he was borne in Bethsaida a citie in Galilee of the Gentiles they were knowen and their cummyng to hym was that he would make them waye into Iesus For they gaue knowledge that they were very desirous to se Iesus Philip brake the matter to Andrewe they being coÌ„panions of one citie For Andrewe was of a greater auctoritie with the lorde because he was fyrst of all called They both therfore wente to Iesus and declared vnto him that certayne folke there was not Iewes but Gentiles whiche out of measure desyred to se him if he woulde vouchesafe to admitte them And Iesus aunswered them saying The houre is come that the sonne of manne must be glorified Uerely verely I saye vnto you excepte the wheate corne fall into the grounde and dye it bideth alone If it dye it bryngeth furth muche fruite He that loueth his lyfe shall destroye it and he that hateth his lyfe in this world shall kepe it vnto lyfe eternall But when Iesus was certified by his disciples that the heathen also longed to see him when as so leudly he was contemned of the Phariseis and priestes vpon this occasion he began to open his death to his disciples and what great fruite it should bring not onely to the Iewes but to al the world for because in like maner as the miracle of raysing vp Lazarus alone did drawe and prouoke not onely many Iewes but also Gentiles to his loue so shoulde his death and resurreccion moue and drawe all the countreyes of the whole worlde Than Iesus gaue aunswer to his disciples that shewed him the godly minde and affeccion of the heathen and sayed ye dyd heare the Iewes saie with a loude voice blessed is he that cummeth in the name of the Lorde Ye see the Gentiles drawe to me with lyke desyre and why Because now the tyme is nygh that whan the Phariseis beleueth that the sonne of man shall bee vtterlye extincte than shall he bee most glorified with all nacions of the worlde It is a newe kinde of glory and by a newe waye must it be gotten I beyng aliue haue drawen â—ewe to me but when I am dead my fame shal be spred abrode and drawe mo than my bodily presence hath doen. Ye be loth to heare of death yet take that for moste sure vnlesse the wheat corne be caste into the grounde and beyng buryed there dooe rotte and dye it shall bring furth no fruite but it only alone abideth safe But if it be dead and lye buried in the grounde it sprouteth vp againe with muche gayne of fruite yealdyng for one corne an hundreth and nowe the corne standing ioyfully vpon the grounde garnisheth the fieldes abrode in many places and with a plenteous encrease enricheth the countreye The thing that is commodious to many is the more to be coueted and the saluacion of many is to be redemed with the death of a fewe So to bestowe life is no perishemente but auauÌ„tage and this is not to loose the lyfe but to kepe it For the soule doeth not perishe whiche departeth from the bodye nor the bodye dooeth not altogether go to destruccion that in tyme to come shal liue more blessedlye and be immortall Therfore whosoeuer loueth his life in this worlde whyle he euill kepeth it he loseth it Contrary whosoeuer hateth his life in this worlde and for the furtheraunce of the ghospel casteth it into perils and betaketh it to death he doeth not loose lyfe whiche he so bestoweth but kepeth it and for a mortall a shorte and a wretched lyfe shal receyue at the time of resurreccion an eternal and blessed lyfe In lyke maner he that kepeth the wheat corne looseth it that euen els of it selfe would perishe but he that soweth and burieth it in the ground in conclusion well saueth it within a whyle after to receiue thesame agayne with auantage whiche he thought he had loste If any man minister vnto me let him folowe me and where I am there shall also my minister be if any minister vnto me him will my father honour Nowe is my soule troubled and what shall I saye Father deliuer me from this houre but therfore came I vnto this houre Father glorifie thy name There is therfore no cause why my death should trouble you whiche death once shal be folowed to thintent that you whiche shal be folowers of death may be partakers both of glory immortalitie I as the autour of the ghospels businesse doe bestowe my life willingly for the saluacion of the world and my fathers glory You shall be ministers of the same businesse reporting and publishing abrode through the whole world with your preaching those thinges that I haue both wrought and taught Thesame thing that the Byshoppes and Phariseis doe now with great craft deuise against me shal the wicked execute vpon you whiche vngraciouse persones loueth the worlde more than God and whiles ful folishly they kepe this life they loose euerlasting life and cast themselfes headling into euerlasting death If one professe himselfe my disciple or minister it behoueth thesame to folowe me theyr maister and Lord. For it is mete that the seruaunte be not pulled away from his Lord neither in prosperouse thinges nor aduersant Whom I haue partakers and companioÌ„s in afflâ—cious and aduersitie them will not I diâ—â—euer from the felowshyp of felicitie but wheresoeuer I become there shall also my seruaunt be And though the worlde reiecte me neuer so muche yet shall my father enhaunce me to glory And in case any manne behaue hymselfe as a faithfull seruaunt to me hym in recompence of transitorie harmes and for ignominie wherwith he liueth in rebuke among men my father shal bewtifie and honour with eternall felicitie true glory For my father shall acknowledge not me only but the ministers also of his only sonne and shall vouchesafe like reward vpon theÌ„ whom he hath knowen to suffre suche like thinges as his sayed sonne did suffre Affliccion had here hath of trueth his anguishe and paine by reason of the infirmitie of mans body But the saluacion of many well considered the felicitie of euerlasting life well poudered whiche are redemed and recouered with a short torment ought to conuince this quiuering feare of
them howe that man 's own power and strengthe is not to be trusted to but menne muste put their truste in heauenly ayde and succour he nowe therfore woulde teache his by very practise that in worldely affliccions whiche percase myghte sodeinly falle vpon them they shoulde looke to none other for succour but vnto the father of heauen vpon whome oughte all they wholly to depende that bee desyrouse to bee strong inough and able to beare persecucion Therfore lyfting vp his iyes to heauen to thentente he so might euen by the very semblance behauiour of body teache whither the minde shoulde bee directed and wherupon fixed he spake on this wise father sayed he nowe the tyme is cum whiche I haue alway longed for Glorifie thy sonne amoÌ„g men by death and resurreccion that thy sonne on his behalfe maye glorifie the amongest all men and so the one to be knowen by the other For so it is expediente for the saluacion of all mankynd that the worlde knowe the sonne by thee and the father again by the sonne And for this cause hath it pleased thee to geue vnto the sonne power ouer all mankynde vniuersally And for none other ende haste thou geuen this power but that all folke shoulde be saued And being deliuered from death should attein to euerlasting lyfe For it hath liked the that what thing soeuer thou grauntest and geuest to men thou geuest and grauÌ„test it by me through whose death thou geuest to all that will eternall lyfe Furthermore the very originall fountain of eternal life is that both the one and the other setting forth eche others honour and name men by fayth know vs both that is to saye thee whiche art the onely true god not only of the Iewes but of al the people of the whole world from whom procedeth whatsoeuer is any where good and to knowe him also whom thou hast sent into the worlde for the saluacion of mankynde Iesus Christ by whom thou geuest whatsoeuer it pleaseth thy goodnes to geue to men and this thou doest that they should rendre thankes to vs both to thee as to the chiefe autor of al thinges to me who at thy wil and pleasure am about willingly and gladly to finishe vp this busines that I am appointed to For he cannot cum to saluacion whiche honoureth the father in case he despise the sonne nor yet he that hath the sonne in reuerence if so be he conteÌ„ne and neglecte the father for asmuche as the praise and glorye of the one is the praise and glory of the other I haue glorified thee on the earth I haue finished the worke whiche thou gauest me to do And now glorifie thou me o father with thine owne selfe with the glorie which I had with the ere the world was I haue declared thy name vnto the men which thou gauest me out of the worlde Thine they were and thou gauest them me they haue kept thy worde Nowe haue they knowen that all thinges whatsoeuer thou hast geuen me are of the. For I haue geuen vnto them the wordes whiche thou gauest me and they haue receiued them and haue knowen surelye that I came oute from the and they haue beleued that thou diddeste sende me I haue hitherto renoumed thy name by miracles and with my doctrine here in the worlde and haue goen about and doen thy commaundement being forwarde and readie to prosecute and accomplishe that which remaineth to be doen. I haue not sought myne owne glory but thine yea I haue abased and caste downe my selfe into extreme contempte to thentente I might blase and honorably set furth thy name amoÌ„g men For thy glory is alwaye whole substanciall and sounde in it selfe without decaye nor thou haste no nede of maÌ„s prayse but it standeth them on hande that thou be knowen vnto theym And now my father bring thou it to passe that on the other parte the worlde may semblably knowe and perceiue that I am fully and wholy receyued into that same glorie whiche I had with the â—efore the worlde was made By reason of the frayle mortalitie and brittlenes of the bodie men impute me to be very base and exteme me very courselye but they hiely exteme the. Thy glory as of it selfe it hath neyther beginning nor endyng â–ª so can it neither encrease nor decrease Nor the infirmitie of this bodie that I haue put vpon me doeth not impouerishe or lessen â—y glorie whiche I haue alwaye had beyng euermore borne of the but thou haste made the worlde by me to haue folke that shoulde knowe that shoulde haue in admiracion and shoulde loue thy power wisdoÌ„ and goodnesse and nowe agayne is the time that thy goodnesse muste restore by me that whiche hath been fourmed and made It shall verelye be restored if the worlde knowe howe great thy loue is towardes mankinde whiche to saue thou haste geuen thy only sonne vnto death howe great thy power is that hath conquâ—red the deuill and vanquished his tyrannie how great is thy wisdome that hath with suche wonderfull deuice conuerted the worlde vnto thee which was alienate from thee The thing is begun and the foundacion of this worke is layed I haue made thy name knowen vnto them whom being through thy godly inspiracion exempte and priuileged from the worlde thou haste geuen and committed vnto me They could not haue beene taken out and separate from the world they could not haue been grafted in me vnles thy liberall fre goodnesse had inspired their minde Thyne they were whom thou createdst thine they were whom thou haste appointed to this businesse and geuen them to me to be taught and infourmed Neither hath thy bounteousnes nor my laboure and diligence been bestowed vpon them in vaine They haue bâ—leued my doctrine wherin I haue taught them thee and not onely geuen â—â—â—dence vnto it but they haue hitherto stande stedfastly in faythe obeying my wordes For it is well knowen and persuaded vnto them that the Iewes would not beleue that whatsoeuer I haue taught whatsoeuer I haue doen it hath proceded from the as the auctor and hath been doen through thy power and vertue For I haue taught them none other thing than that I haue learned of the who also haue al my being and whatsoeuer I am of ther and whatsoeuer is thine is also mine Therfore my worde whiche the Phariseis haue contemned haue they receiued as cum from the and beleuing thesame haue certainly knowen that I proceded from the and of the am sent into this worlde They haue thus muche profited that they be perswaded howe that I am Messyas whiche haue been so many hundreth yeares looked for whome thou haste sente into the worlde for the saluacion of all that faithfully beleue And nowe because I do leaue theim as touching companiship of body I do on my behalfe agayne commende them to thy goodnesse to be kepte and preserued that they decaye not but alwaye profit more and more and waxe better Thei knowe whom
standyng forasmuche as Christe hymselfe sittyng taughte the people Yet he that taketh in hand an apostles offyce ought to stande vpright in mynde And here consydre in the meane while Peters dignitie He was the fyrste man readye where occasion required to set foorth the ghospell Than had he put vp hys materiall sweorde wherewithall Christe hymselfe was not pleased and pulled out a spirituall sweord Suche one ought he to bee that is the chiefe byshop among the people Peter stode vp but not all alone he had eleuen apostles standyng besydes with hym leste he shoulde seme to vsurpe to hymselfe some violente gouernaunce One vttered the tale but one for all thother lyke as he alone before openly confessed in the name of all the reste Iesus Christ to be the sonne of the liuyng God But wherupon dyd this shepeherd a pore creature vnlearned so boldely vaunt hymselfe as once to loke vpon so great an assembly of people Excellent oratoures when they shall come afore an assembly of people or in presence of prynces to pronounce an exact oracion whiche they haue canned on their fyngers endes doe chaunge oftentymes their colour cannot vtter their wordes in mynde they are not a lytle abashed But this vndoubtedly was that heauenly drounkennesse thys was that sobrefulnesse of swete wyne He stode in presence before a greate multitude he tooke vnto hym eleuen apostles not as a garison of men for hys defence but as felowes wyth hym of one company he set hys iyes stedfastly vpon the people as one vnknowen to them whome he knewe not he lyft vp hys voice on hyghe and takyng none aduysemente with hymselfe what he woulde saye he spake to them practisyng euen than the selfe same thyng whiche the lorde before had taught him He spake not for his owne lucre and aduauÌ„tage but as a good shepeherde defended hys flocke neyther handled he hys matters with sharpe wordes of mans inuencion but vsed for his defence onelye holy scripture Nowe was this multitude desyrous to knowe what Peter woulde say And let vs lykewyse for oure partes geue hede forasmuche as these hys wordes wer spoken to all men At the beginning whan he had once wyth the mouyng of hys hande asswaged the murmur the noyse of the company he began with such a preface as shoulde without any retorical colour of flattery make them attent Ye that are my brethren sayeth he of Iewry who ought to knowe both the lawe and eke the prophetes and of all other mooste specially whiche dwell in this noble citie of Ierusalem where the fountayne is of religion and knowleage of the lawe somewhat peraduenture here is for you to wondre at but nothyng that any man can iustely fynd faute withall Wherefore all ye that here bee presente geue good eare a whyle to my wordes and learne of me how the thyng standeth For it is touchyng all your profittes so to dooe These men of Galile whom here ye see stand by me are not as some of you suppose drounken wyth newe wyne seeyng it is yet but three of the clocke and no man is woonte to be drounke in the mornyng before the sonne rysyng But nowe ye see that in these men is fulfylled whyche thyng to come god did long afore thys tyme promyse by hys prophet Iohel Herken vnto the prophecy and trusâ—e ye to that that is promised you therein Doe not ye fynde faute with the thing because ye haue seldome sene the lyke but rather enbrace that mercifulnes whiche god dooeth profte vnto you For Iohel being inspired with the holy gost foreseing that god who had giuen to Moyses and some others his prophetes at soondry times his owne blessed spirite for your saluacion would at the last after he had sent his owne onely begotten sonne powre out most plenteously the same spirite not vpon one or .ii. lyke as ye haue seene for these many ages past but a fewe prophetes but vpon all nacions through the worlde whosoeuer woulde with sincere fayth receyue this chereful and gladsome message whiche we at his commaundement doe nowe bring vnto all you hath left that heauenly prophecy in wryting after this manier It shall come to passe saieth the lorde in the latter dayes of the world I will powre out of my spirite bouÌ„tifully vpon all men and sodaynely shall your sonnes prophecy and your daughters and your yong men shall see visions and your olde men shall dreame dreames and vpon my seruauntes and vpon my hande maydes will I powre out of my spirite in those dayes and they shall prophecye And I will shewe woonders in heauen aboue and tokens on the yearth beneth bloud and fyer and the vapour of smoke The Sunne shal be turned into darkenes and the mone into bloud before that the great and notable day of the lorde come And whosoeuer shall cal vpon the name of the lorde shall bee saued These thinges hath the prophet Iohell tolde you in his prophecye many liues a goe And nowe ye see that that he prophecied of as touchyng the plentifull shedyng of the spirite in effect declared before your iyes And it is not to be doubted but that god will as faithfully perfourme the same that thaforesayde Iohell hath prophecied of the plages that shall chaunce But there is no cause why ye shoulde dispayre the prophet teacheth you a sure way to your saluacion seeyng that he sheweth to you the perill and daungier thereof Call ye vpon the name of the lorde and ye shall be saued ¶ Ye men of Israel heare these woordes Iesus of Nazareth a manne approued of God emong you with miracles wounders and signes which God did by him in the middes of you as ye your selues knowe hym haue ye taken by the handes of the vnrighteous persones after he was deliuered by the determinate counsell and foreknoweledge of God and haue crucyfyed and slaine him Whom God hath raised vp and lâ—ced the sorowes of death because it was vnpossible that he should be holden of it For Dauid speaketh of him Afore hande I saw God alwayes before me For he is on my righte hande that I should not bee moued Therfore did my herte reioyce and my tongue was glad Moreouer also my fleshe shall reste in hope because thou wilt not leaue my soule in hell neyther wilte the suffre thine holy to see corrupcion Thou haste shewed me the wayes of lyfe thou shalte make me ful of ioy with thy countenaunce But as touching the maner howe ye muste call vpon the name of the lord lysten ye that are the chyldren of Israell nowe vnto me and to the reste of my tale geue good hede Many of you knewe Iesus of Nazareth whyche persone beeyng long a goe promised by the sayinges of all the prophetes god hath nowe sette abrode before all you to beholde and hath commended hym to you in sondry and great myracles and wonders whiche he hath doen and wroughte by hym beefore all your iyes For verayly god was
in him I speake of a thing not vnknowen to you for the fame of his miracles is not alonely blased wide abrode thorough out all Iewry but is come vnto other cities also bordering nyghe vpon the same For why He himselfe wente on wayfaryng from place to place ouer all this region healyng euery where the sicke with hys woorde restoryng the lame and impotent to their strength agayne geuing syghte to the blynde clensyng the leprye casting out deiuils a great sorte of you hathe seen the thynges that I reherse None of all these miracles was doen but God before purposed the same And it was the wyll of god thus to saue the worlde After that ye had taken this man not by chaunce or at aduenture but as one delyuered by the determinate wyll or counsell of God and hys foreknowledge for the saluacyon of hys people of Israell ye crucyfyed hym by the handes of the vnrighteous souldiers and slewe hym For the souldiers were nought els in doyng that haynous fact sauynge onely your ministers But he slayeth the manne that procureth hys death The matter is to playne for to be denyed This manne whome ye haue slayne as God woulde haue it who had deliuered hym for to bee slayne the veray selfe same god accordyng to the soothe saying of hys Prophetes hathe called vp the thyrd day to lyfe agayne that all whiche truely shall beleue the ghospell shoulde hope for the same thyng to bee doen hereafter in themselues whyche was by the power of God once dooen in hym For he in obeyinge hys fathers will suffered the spitefull reproche of the crosse pacientlye puttyng hys whole affiaunce trust of saluation not in mans ayde and defence but in the mercyfulnes of God and therfore was he delyuered by him of all deadly sorowes and paynes infernall whiche truely he myghte by reason that he was man haue tasted or felt But as he was cleane without synne so he coulde be kepte in no wyse in their bondage For death and hell hath no perpetuall authoritie and power but vpon theym that are subiecte vnto synne Wherefore lyke as death was of might to swallow hym so was it not able to holde hym beyng once deuowred but caste hym vp as it was thereto constreyned the thyrd day euen as dyd the whale reuomet the prophete Ionas Than was it the wyll of God that this innocent should suffre all these iniuries to thintent that he woulde delyuer vs all by hym both of synne deathes tyranny yf that we accordyng to Iesus example of Nazareth put our whole trust affyaūce in God What I haue tolde you nowe my brethren of Israell ye oughte not to thynke it incredible sens that Dauid beeyng enspyred wyth the celestyall spirite of prophecie tolde you longe heretofore that it shoulde euen thus come to passe For in his fiftenth psalme he speaketh of Iesus of Nazareth whome we preache to you in this manier Aforehande haue I set the Lorde alwayes before me for he is on my ryght hande that I shoulde not bee moued Therfore dyd my herte reioyce and my tongue was glad moreouer also my fleshe shall reste in hope beecause thou shalte not leaue my soule in hell neyther shalte thou suffer thy holye to see corruption Thou haste shewed me the wayes of lyfe thou shalte make me full of ioye wyth thy countenaunce Ye see howe euidently hath that kynge and prophete Dauid described and as it were in a lyuely picture sette beefore youre iyes that whiche ye knowe well ynough is dooen and paste in Iesus of Nazareth He had made God alone hys fortresse of defence and trustyng to hys onely helpe suffered he wyllingly and gladlye all those peynes whyche he as you dooe knowe hath suffered And in sufferyng bodyly peynes he reioyced inwardely Hys toung for ioy neuer ceased to speake neuer kept in silence the wyll of God He was contented for to bee buried although he nothing mistrusted but that his father woulde call him vp to lyfe agayne the third day and woulde not suffer hym who had put his whole trust in god beeyng in no poynt giltie to purrefye in his graue For whosoeuer trusteth to be saued by his owne woorkes or putteth his trust in worldely succoure he shal be founde far vnmete to suffre the paynful dolours of death paciently neither shal he be hable whan he is once entangled to looce hymselfe out of deathes snare But he that continually fixeth the inwarde iye of his soule to godward whiche to al people is mercyful he knoweth alredy the wayes of lyfe and although god semeth to turne away his countenaunce from him for a time yet shall he againe or it be long disclose to hym the beames of his mercy and requite him for his tormentes whiche endureth but for a time with ioyes eternall and for death yelde euerlastyng lyfe for yearthely reproche the glory of heauen Wherefore than we also are taught by him and his example the way to lyfe euerlastyng ¶ Ye men and brethren let me frely speake vnto you of the Patriarke Dauid For he is bothe dead and buried and his sepulchre remayneth with vs vnto this day Therefore seyng he was a prophete knew that God had sworne with an othe to him that Christe as cōcerning the fleshe should come of the fruite of his loynes and should sit on his fear he knowing this before spake of the resurreccion of Christ that his soule should not be left in hell neyther his fleshe shoulde see corrupcion This Iesus hath God araysed vp ▪ whereof all we are witnesses Some peraduenture shall suppose that this prophecy doth perteine to Dauid himselfe and not to Iesus I am not ignoraunt howe highlye ye esteme Dauid the Patriarke and that not without a cause are ye in suche an opinion of him For he was blessed and derely beloued with god but frankelye to speake the trueth to you welbeloued brethren we muste not set so muche by Dauid the Patriarke as to ascribe to him that as his owne which is due vnto Messias The thing trewly it selfe declareth that this prophecy agreeth neyther with Dauid ne with any other Patriarke or prophete For Dauid as eche one of you knowe full well is dead and buryed and neuer came afterwarde to lyfe agayne seeyng that his sepulchre is with vs vnto thys present day conteynyng noughte in yt els but dead drye bones wythout any lyfe at all in theym Wherefore Dauid who knewe that he hymselfe shoulde bee as other were buryed and as touching his bodye shoulde rotte in his graue disclosed not this prophecye of hymselfe But where as he was enspyred with the spyryte of prophecye and knewe ryghte well that that shoulde come to passe whiche god had assured to hym vpon an othe that is to say that Christ as touching his humanitie shoulde be borne of his progeny and after the spirituall vnderstanding shoulde sit vpon his throne to reigne for euer prophecied as one that
But as soone as Paul perceyued the vyper styng him he cast her of into the fier and had no hurte at all But the people that looked on him supposed it would cum to passe that the poison would get through yâ— vaines and that his body would strayght waye burne and swell or that he woulde sodaynly fall downe dead the strength of the poyson percyng furthwyth to the hearte And whan they had marked a greate whyle to see what woulde becum of Paule and sawe that he had no hurte by the stynging of the vyper with like lyghtnesse they eftfones chaunged their mynde and saied that he was a God For the inhabitours of Melite had not yet hearde the fame of Iesus whiche gaue this to al them that professed his name that no strength of poyson wer it neuer so extreme or deadly myght hurt them In the same quarters wer landes of the chief man of yâ— Yle whose name was Publius which receyued vs lodged vs thre dayes courteously And it fortuned that yâ— father of this Publius lay sycke of a feuer a blouddye â—â—ix To whoÌ„ Paul entred in prayed laye his handes on him healed him So whan this was doen others also whiche had diseases in the Yle came wer healed which also did vs great honour And whaÌ„ we departed they laded vs with suche thynges as were necessary And nere besydes the shore where we arryued laye a lordshippe belonging to the chief man of the Yle named Publius who receyued vs into his house and for the space of thre dayes entertayned vs very gentilly The same tyme Publius father was sicke of an agewe and of a blouddye flixe so sore that he kepte his bedde This Paule hauyng in mynde the commaundement of his mayster â–ª came in to the dyseased person and whan he had made hys prayers to God he layed his handes on hym and healed hym Whiche thyng after it was bruted abrode ouer all the land others lykewyse that wer sycke came vnto Paule and were healed Wherefore they as long as we continued there shewed vs muche gentilnes and whan we made readye our selues to departe they brought into our shyppe all maner necessaries After three monethes we departed in a shyp of AlexaÌ„dria which had wintred in the yle whose badge was Castor Pollur And whaÌ„ we came to Syracusa we taried there thre daies And froÌ„ thence we fette a coumpace came to Rhegium And one daye after the south wind blew we came the nexte day to Puteoli where we founde brethren were desired to cary with theÌ„ seuen dayes so came we to Rome And froÌ„ thence whaÌ„ the brethreÌ„ heard of vs thei came to mete vs at Appii forum at the three rauernes WhaÌ„ Paul saw theÌ„ he thanked God wexed bolde And whaÌ„ we came to Rome yâ— vnder capitayne delyuered the priesoners to the chiefe capitayne of the host but Paul was suffered to dwell by hym selfe with a souldier that kept hym And so whaÌ„ we had continued three monethes in the Ylande we gotte an other shyp of Alexandria that al the winter had harboured in Melite The baner of it had paynted on it Castor and Pollux for theyr badge whome the Grecians doe call Dioscuros and suppose that they prosper those the sayle on the sea whan they appeare sitting ioyntlye together the one by the other on the crosse pyece whereunto the sayle is fastened Whan we had entred into the shippe we leused from Melite And after that we arriued at Syracusa a citie of Sicilie harde vpon the sea we taryed there three dayes Than leused we from Syracusa shoring about by the coastes of Sicilie we came to Rhegium a citie in the borders of Italy situate and liyng wythin the territory that belongeth to the Brutians From thence is but a smale iourney to Sicilie For on that syde bothe Sicilie and Italy sumtime ioyned together vntyll suche tyme that the vyolence of the sea dyuyded the one countrey from the other breakyng in betwyxte them no more but a myle an halfe for which cause the GreciaÌ„s called it Rhegium From thence a day after it chaunced vs to haue a good wynde that is to saye a sowthwinde so we sailed to a toune called Puteoli Where we mette with christen men which desired vs to tary there with them for a certain space Wherfore we satisfyed their request and remayned there seuen dayes thence we wente streyght to Rome And forasmuch as the brethren that wer at Rome had heard that we wer cummyng thyther for the name of Paul was very wel knowen among al the christen men that were than at Rome by reason that he had wrytten afore the time an epistle vnto them certayne of them came forth of the citie to a place that is there called Appii forum and to a certain place called the three rauernes to mete vs. And whan Paul sawe theÌ„ he was muche coumforted perceiuyng that there also were sum that hertily fauoured the gospel and geuyng god thankes he toke a bolde hert with him and hoped wel And whan we were cum to Rome the vnder captaine deliuered the others that wer in boÌ„des vnto the chiefe captayne of the army there But Paul had libertie to abid and remayne at his libertie sauyng onely that he had one souldier to kepe him And after three dayes Paul called yâ— chiefe of the Iewes together And whan they were come he sayd vnto theÌ„ Men brethren though I haue coÌ„mitted nothing agaynst yâ— people or lawes of the Elders yet was I delyuered prisoner froÌ„ IerusaleÌ„ into the handes of the Romaynes Which wheÌ„ they had examined me would haue let me goe because there was no cause of death in me But whaÌ„ the Iewes spake contrarye I was constrained to appeale vnto Cesar not because I haue ought to accuse my people of For this cause haue I called for you eueÌ„ to see you to speke with you because that for the hope of Israell I am bounde with this theyne And forasmuche as he was brought to Rome in bandes wyth others lest anyâ— of the Iewes shoulde suppose that he was thus serued for sum trespace after the thyrde day he called together all the heades of the Iewes the were abydyng at Rome and spake vnto them in this wyse Brethren sayeth he whereas I haue commytted nothyng agaynste my countreymen or els against the tradicions of our forefathers beyng cast in bandes at Hierusalem I was deliuered into the handes of the Romaines who brought me into Cesarea before the president Felix afterwardes before Festus Which after they had examyned my matter would haue quitte me for asmuche as eueÌ„ as they themselues graunted they founde nothyng in me worthy death But whan the Iewes maliciously renouÌ„ced and cried agaynste me I was compelled to appeale to Cesar not because that I am offended wyth my countreymen for this matter or that I intende in lyke maner to accuse them of anye thynge before
is called by that name And they made signes to his father howe he would haue him named Iohn is his name And immediatly was hys mouthe opened and his toungue also And he spake and praised god And al they that hearde the same layed them vp in theyr hertes c. And the hanâ—e of the Lorde was with him In the house of his seruaunte Dauid c. The teâ—te â–ª Whiche wer sens the world began c. And remeÌ„bre his holy couenaunt c. gene xxii That we deliuered oute of the handes of our enemies c. In such holines and righteousnesse as are accepted before God For remission of synnes Throughe the tender mercie of our god c. And in the shadowe of deathe â–ª c. And was in wildernes Untyll the daye came when he should shew himself vnto the Israelites there went oute a commaundemeÌ„t from Augustus the Emperour And this taryng was the first and executed whan Quirinus was Lieutenaunte in Syria c Because he was of the house and â—â—nage of Dauid c. And she brought forth her first begotteÌ„ sonne And layed hym in a maungier because there was no roume for them in the inne For vnto you is borne this daye in the citee of Dauid a saueour which is Christ the Lorde Praysyng God c. Glorye to god on high And peace on the yearth and to men good wyll The shepeherdes said one to another Let vs goe now eueÌ„ vnto Bethlem and see thyâ— thyng c And whan they had sene it c. And al they that hearde it c But Marie kept al those sayinges c. Gene. xvi v His name was called Iesus c. Math i And whan the tyme of theyr purificacion c They brought him to Hierusalem to preseÌ„t hym to the Lorde Exod. xiii a xxii d. Nume viii b. Leuit. xii a. Exod. xiii a. And the same man was iuste godly c. And the holy gost was in him c. And he came by inspiracioÌ„ into the teÌ„ple Than toke be hâ—m vp in his armes and sayed Lorde now leaâ—â—este thou thy seruaunte departe in peace For myne iyes haue seen thy saluacion c. A light to lighten the GeÌ„tiles c. And for a signe which is spoken against c. That the thoughtes of manye hertes may bee opened c. And there was a prophetisse one Anna. c. Whiche was of a greate age And she had liued with an houseband seuen yeres from her virginitie Whiche departed not froÌ„ the teÌ„ple c. And she came furth the same houre c. Psalm xix Into Galilee to theyr owne citie Nazareth And the child grewe c. And was filled with wisedome And whan he was twelue yeres olde they wente vp to Hierusalem The childe Iesus abode still in HierusaleÌ„ And whan they found him not they wente c. And it fortuned that after three dayes they founde him in the temple c. And al that hearde him were astouned at his vnderstanding and aunswers SoÌ„ne â–ª why hast thou thus delt with vs And he said vnto them howe is it that ye soughte me Luc. viii Math. xii Matt. iii. Wist ye not that I must goe aboute my fathers businesse And they vnderstoode not that saiyng whiche he spake vnto them But hys mother kept al these sayynges together in her herte And Iesus prospered in wisedome and age And in fauour with god man And he cam into all the costes about Iordan c. And he said to the people c. And begyn not to saye with youre selues wee haue Abraham to oure father God is able of these stones to ceise vy children vnto Abraham Nowe also is the are layed to the rotes of the trees Euery tree therfore c He that hathe twoo coates c. And he said vnto theim hurte ye no man I baptyse you with water But one stronger theÌ„ I shall cum after me c And the chaffe shall he burne Upon hym â–ª And a voice came from heauen Thou arte my beloued soÌ„ne in the do I delite And Iesus himself began to be of thirtie yeres of age So that he was supposed to be the sonne of Ioseph Which was the sonne of Heli. Returned from Iordan And was ledde by the spirite into wildernesse And in those daies did he eate nothyng And whan they were ended he afterwarde houngred Gen. xxv v If thou bee the soÌ„ne of God commauÌ„de this stone that it be bread It is wrytten Man shall not lyue by bread onely but by euerye woorde of God Deut. vii a And the deiuill toke hym into an high mountayne c. All this power will I geue the. c. If thou wilte fall downe before me c. Deu. vi c. x d. Thy Lorde God shalte thou wurship c. He shall geue his Aungels charge ouâ—e thee c. Psal. xxi c Thou shalt not tempte the Lorde thy God And as soone as al the temptation was ended the deiuill departed froÌ„ hym And Iesus returned by the power of the spirite into Galile And he tâ—uâ—he in theyr Synagoges And was commeÌ„ded of all men And stoode vppe for to reade And there was deliuered vnto hym the booke c. And when he had opened the booke c. And sate downe This daie is this scripture fulfilled in your eares And albate hiÌ„ witnesse and wondered at the gracious woordes whiche proceded out of his mouthe Whatsoeuer we haue heard doen in Capernaum c No prophet is accepted in his owne countraye And manye lepres weriÌ„ Israel in the tyme of Heliseus iiii Reg. v. But he departed through c. They were astouned at his doctrine For his preachyng was with power There was a maÌ„ which had an vnclene spirâ—â—e What hast thou so doe with vs thou Iesus of Nazareth And Iesus rebuked hiÌ„ And sayed holde thy peace cum out of hym And feare came vpon them all And the fame of him was sored abrode And immediatlye she arose and ministred vnto them And he layed hys handes on euery one of them And deiuilâ— also came out of many Whan the sunne was downe all they that had And kept hiÌ„ yâ— he shoulde not departe from them for therfore I am sent He stoode by the lake of Genezareth And he saw two dippes stand by the lanes syde And he sate downe and taughte the people oute of the shyp Neuerthelesse at thy commaundemente I will looce foorth the nette Whan Simon sawe this he fell downe at Iesus knees Lorde goe from me for I am a sinful manne And so was also Iames and Iohn c. And Iesus sayd vnto Simon feare not From hens foorth thou shalt catche men Beholde there was a man ful of leprosie c. Lorde yf thou wilt thou canste make me clene And he stretched furthe hys hande And he charged him that he shoulde tell no man Leut. xiii a And offre for thy clensing c. And gaue him selfe to prayer Whiche were come out of al the