A briefe rehersal of the death resurrectioÌ„ ascention of Christ gathered together oute of the foure Euangelistes and Actes of the Apostles by the most godly and great learned man Huldriche Zuinglius written first in Latin and now traÌ„slated into Englishe that such as vnderstande not the Latin tongue should not wante the vse of so worthy and profitable a treatise ¶ Perused and allowed according to the order appointed in the Quenes maiesties Iniunctions ⧠The preface and introduction into the history of the Passion and death of Christ AMong all the histories gentle reader that any time haue bene written froÌ„ the beginning of the world vnto this present was there neuer any to be compared to the historie of the Passion resurrection and ascension of Christ written most exactly by the foure Euangelists albeit dispersed and in sondry places and aptely not without great trauell and payne gathered in due order by the most godly wel learned man Zuinglius with certaine briefe annotatioÌ„s and many wholesom godly instructions and declarations of the harder places adioyned vnto it by the same man for the easier vnderstanding to the reader which history as it is most certaine and true for that no percel therof was written but by the holy ghoste although he vsed men as instrumeÌ„ts therunto which onely is truth froÌ„ whom proceadeth nothing but truth So by it is sette forthe vnto vs the springe and ground of our saluation namely the passioÌ„ and death of Christ the price of our redemption the onely pacifieng of the wrath of god towarde vs way to eternal ioy which Paule affirmeth to be great and wonderful such as neither eye hath sene neither eare hath heard nor heart can imagin but what shal I nede now to make any loÌ„g or further declaratioÌ„ either of the certaintie therof wherof no christiaÌ„ man hauing the feare of god before his eies hath euer douted or of the coÌ„moditie comming vnto vs by the same whiche is so amply and manifestly set forth in the treatise it selfe But for as much as it is writteÌ„ in a straÌ„ge tonge namely in latin which the multitude of our countrey vnderstand not and also which is much to be lamented manie of these which are in place of teachers such is the infelicitie of this our time lest these I say shuld vtterly waÌ„t the vse of so fruitefull a worke I was moued and thought good both for the aduauÌ„cement of the glory of god and also for our brethrens farther encrease of knowledge to bestow some labour at such conuenieÌ„t leasure as I coulde well spare to turne it into our English tongue plainly and truly without all arte or eloquence as one tendyng nothing els but the endes aforesaide which if I obtein I shal accompt my labours right wel bestowed minding also farther to trauail in the same kind of labor if I shall se by this that my labour hath bene profitable FOr as much as the deathe of Christ is the lyfe of all the electe it behoueth therfore to know by what meanes it is made our saluation which in it self cannot be but saluatioÌ„ For Christ as Simeon declareth as he is set for the rising of many Luke ii so is he agayne set for the fall of many And this commeth to passe which ofteÌ„times hapneth that that which is geuen vnto vs for a remedy against poyson by our vice is turned to be nomand destructioÌ„ There be which do think vpon the crosse and death of Christ our sauioure after a certaine kynde of carnall affection thinking thei haue done their duety excelleÌ„tly wel that they haue done god high seruice if so be that thei haue euery yeare a certaine grief with Christ dieng that they witnes the same with teares Those ought to remember that Christ desired the women not to weepe for his sake Luke xxiii for he saithe wepe not for me or for my sake but he admonished theÌ„ of the misery which shoulde come vpon them for their ingratitude and infidelitie and therfore he addeth wepe for your selues for the dayes wyll come c. I wyll not speake now of the ambition which we haue sought for in such fayned sorrow for we would seme to be suche as wer heauy with Christ when as in dede we were nothing lesse Others minâ—ble vppe certayne colde praiers in memory of the passioÌ„ others deuide the order of the passion for synguler dayes or certaine houres other some againe doe abuse the same as it were by magicall enchauntments to their owne glorye and couetous desyre not sekyng Christ but themselues let vs rather thinke or rather meditate and depely weigh consider why Christ died and here shal the vaynes of faith and charitie open themselues God so loued the world saith S. Iohn that he gaue his only begotteÌ„ soÌ„ for it Ioan. iii. that whosoeuer beleueth in him shuld not perishe but haue lyfe euerlasting It commeth of a singuler charitie that god doth geue his onely begotten sonne vnto the death for miserable and damnable seruantes the which beyng considered kindleth our hartes bindeth vs altogether to god and whatsoeuer other thing god hath geueÌ„ vnto vs besides him selfe it would haue done vs litle good yea although he had geueÌ„ a most excellent creature it would not haue satisfied the fleshe he gaue himself therfore to vs in his sonne that there by we shoulde nothing doubte of his loue and fauour but he died that we mighte liue He was nayled to the crosse that he myghte deliuer vs for he hathe borne our synnes vppon his body Esay liii i. Pet. il and hath taken al our infirmities vpon him by whose beating whipping we ar healed He is the price which was geuen for our redeÌ„ptioÌ„ by him our vnrighteousnes is put away blotted out before god In hym the iustice of god is pacified in him is life geueÌ„ to them which beleue The meditatioÌ„ of these things will leade vs not onely into the vains of God his goodnes but also to the springs of our synnes Let vs therefore consider this in Christ for what thing he was geuen vnto vs of god wherfore Christ dothe not onely teache vs that we shoulde thorowly acknowledge our selues vnrighteous and condemned but also doth open vnto vs with the same the bosome of mercye as a most sure sanctuary and doth also comforte the consciences which in a maner are desperate and heauy ladeÌ„ with the burden of synnes geuing vnto them which be his Rom. viii peace and tranquilitie For what can he which hathe geuen his sonne denye vs afterward Let vs therfore first thinke vpon thys in the crosse of Christ that is Christ to be the price of our redemption the sacrifice for sins our satisfactioÌ„ i. Cor. i. our righteousnes life holines gate and way to god the pledge of saluation euerlasting life the onely mediator intercessor and reconciler by whome the way to god is made open by
be subdued vnder his gouernment wil they or nil they Phalme ex Psal 2. be made his fotestole Whom the King of Kinges and Lorde of Lordes shal bruse with an yron rod shall breake them in pieces lyke a potters vessel shal reigne ouer thē for euer Hitherto sayeth he haue I serued you with most humilitie being put to reproches al kind of euils now is the time present wherin the father wil glorifie me with the same glory which I haue had alwayes without beginning that euery knee might bowe vnto me the whole world might acknowledge me to be their Sauiour by whom the way to god is made open Iohn xvii Philip. ii I haue elected you witnesses of this thing and I sende you into the whole worlde to declare this ioy to al men namely that I descended frō heauen haue ouercome death opened the way to heauen for miserable mortal mē Math. x. taking away death and hell Preach not these thynges only to the Iewes as I charged you fyrste which was to kepe the fidelitie of my promyses but go now to all nations and call them to be companions of my glory whē ye shal preach these things through out the world the vngodly wil set vpō you by diuerse snares and wiles Ye shal be hated of all men for my names sake but be ye of a good courage Iohn xvi I haue ouercome the worlde and in me also shall ye ouercome all your enemies for al power is geuen to me both in heauen and earth I will alwayes be presēt with you and defende you against al inuasions Although I shall now withdraw from you my corporall presence which shall be profitable for you I will yet be with you to the ende of the world with my power with my spirite with my grace This promise is not made only to the disciples but to al beleuers for the apostles liued not to the end of the world This is the greatest cōfort that cā be in aduersitie diligently to cōsidre the power and kingdome of Christ Math. 16 Thei which leane vnto this rocke the gates of hell shall not preuayle any thing against them As my father sent me We must vnderstād that these things are spokē by cōparisō not by equalitie As though he would say My Father sent me to preach to die for the truth doe ye so lykewise But this is the differēce betwene Christs death his disciples death and ours In that Christs death is healthfull to the whole world pacifieth gods wrath for the sins of the whole world so is not his disciples death nor ours Christ was sent of the father to be the saluatiō life of the whole world so were not the apostles sent but to preache this saluation and life to the world He geueth thē the holy ghoste that we might vnderstād that he which wil preach the gospel with a stoute courage hath neede of the holy ghost For mā cā do nothing of his own power onles he be endued holpē by the power frō aboue And he sendeth his ministers not to gape for riches to make marchaundise to seeke for gaine to hunte for glorye to swel in pride to burne in filthie lustes but to preach saluatiō vnto mē The father sent not his sonne after that sort neither studied Christ for such matters He sent him to preach the truth Phillip ii to teache the knowledge true worshipping of God that he taking vpō him that for me of a seruaunt might serue al mē might be obediēt to the father euē to the death of the crosse to take vpō him selfe the hatred reproches of al mē in the middest of these to do good to al mē to saue al mē Let thē then whiche are chosen to the office of preaching follow Christ in these things let not thē do their own wil Iohn 6. but his wil that sent thē Let thē desire of the father the holy ghost to accomplish these things Luke 11. who worketh performeth these things in thē Whose sins ye shal forgeue That which might be spokē impersonallye he attributeth to the persō which is done after the Hebrue manner who speake not seldome that impersonally whiche longeth to the persō againe thei attribute that to the persō which is impersonal But wheras he saith whose sinnes ye shal forgeue it is a periphrasis definition of the gospel for what is the gospel This is the gospel that god the father sent his son to make satisfactiō for the sinnes of mē to forgeue thē the same Why thē he that preacheth remission of sins preacheth the gospel As though Christ would say To whō so euer ye shal preach the gospell if they receaue it thē shall their sins be forgeuē thē For he expresseth the same sentence more plainly in the last of Marke sayīg Preach the gospell to all creatures he that beleueth shall be saued he that beleueth not shall be condempned He that beleueth namely the gospell preached by you Remissiō therefore of sins is geuē to the apostles bicause thei preach that wherby sinne is forgeuē for they preache the gospel or the same Christ or grace of God by Christ wherby sinnes are forgeuē This is therfore the meaning whose sinnes ye shal forgeue that is to whō ye shal preach the remissiō of sins they shall beleue the gospell preached by you vnto thē are their sinnes forgeuen Let vs diligently therfore note this that that is attributed to the Apostles which belongeth only to God For it cōmeth by the holy ghost and not by the preaching or voyce of mā that the conscience of mā shuld be assured that god is his father and that his sinnes are forgeuen and the anger of God pacified But bycause the apostle is the instrumēt by the which god sheweth forth saluatiō vnto men and a certain part as I may terme it wherby God wil haue his grace preached Christ therefore vouchsafeth thus to speake he attributeth that to vs which belōgeth only to him self bicause of the cōiunction communicating which the mēbers haue with the godhead 2. Cor. 11. 2. Cor. 3 God worketh al in al he is nothīg which watereth he is nothing which plāteth but god which geueth the increase god doth al things he moueth the mouth the tong of that preacher he draweth illustrateth the hart of the hearer It is al one saying therefore to say whose sins ye shal forgeue are forgeuē thē c to say he which beleueth shal be saued But Markes wordes are more plaine For to binde to loose are darcker then to beleue not to beleue the preachers Thei are darker to vs I meane not to the apostles of Christ To bynde To bind therfore is to preach the gospel which gospel he that beleueth not To lose is bound Contrarilie to lose is
the mouth whē place requireth otherwyse wherin offēded Peter So Paule saith with the harte we beleue to ryghteousnesse but by the mouth is confession made to saluation Moreouer he referreth the iudgement witnesse to the hearers whereby he declareth that if there happen any question concernyng doctrine then the iudgemente and witnesse of the same belongeth to the hearers and not that one or two should be hard agaynst the Preacher but the whole Church Some man will aske whye Christe dyd not turne hys other cheke to thē which stroke hym which he neuer the lesse had taught himself before By thys place we see the the words of Christ ought not to bee wrested to any kynde of outwarde shewe and hipocrisie but to the preperation of the mynde Finally thys is a great an hygh thing to haue the mynd so prepared that it wil not onely suffer one iniurye or two but verye great iniuries so that it may aduance the glorye of God and bring any commoditie to oure neyghbour And if that happen not it is better to preferre the lesse iniurye before the greater Therefore it was expedient to turne the other cheke here when as by that meanes he shuld haue brought no other thyng to passe but haue geuē an occasiō to haue had more iniurye done vnto hym All things ought to be done of the beleuers to edification And what was there to be hoped for in thys varlet What was there to be loked for of thys most wicked high Byshop Which eyther commaundeth or permitteth to strike one being bound and not condempned contrary to all lawe and ryght yea and that in that place where the innocentes shoulde seeke for defence There is therefore a place where we ought to suffer paciently and contrary there is a place where we must resist malice and vngodlines euen to the death Charitie shal teach vs these thynges and prescribe a measure in al things A faythful spirit knoweth where to spare where to strike and where to resiste Therfore this wicked seruaunt was worthy to be rebuked of Christ that he might acknowledge hys wickednesse and yet for all that Christ departed not one heare bredth frō charitie or pacience but stoutlye suffereth the iniurye done vnto hym being readye to suffer more greuous Briefly al things are so to bee suffered that the glorye of Christ the truth may be defended our constancy may appeare Now the chiefe priests the elders the whole coūsel sought false witnes against Iesus to put hī to death but they found none yea though many false witnesses came yet foūd they none for many barefalse witnes agaīst hī but their witnes was not sufficiēt but at the last came two false witnesses and said we haue heard this mā say I wil destroye thys temple made with hands and within three dayes I wyl build an other made wythout handes and neyther yet were their witnesses sufficiente ynoughe Then the chief priest arose and stoode amongest them and asked Iesus saying aunswerest thou nothyng What is the matter that these beare witnesse againste the But Iesus helde his peace neither aunswered he any thing Again the high priest asked hym and said vnto hym I charge thee by the lyuyng God that thou tel vs if thou be the Christ the son of God Iesus sayd vnto hym thou hast sayd it I am he Neuerthelesse I say vnto you here after ye shall see the sonne of man syttyng at the ryght hande of power and commyng in the cloudes of heauen Then the high priest rente hys clothes saying he hath blasphemed what haue we any more neede witnesses beholde nowe ye haue heard his blasphemy what thinke ye and they aunswered and sayd he is worthy of death the men which helde Iesus mocked hym and beat hym and they spare in hys face and couered his face smote him on the face wyth their hands saying Prophesye vnto vs O Christe who it is the smote thee many other things rephrochfuly spake they against him HEre were occasiion to entreate of false witnesse but bycause we studye to bee briefe we doe admonishe iudges of thys one thyng that they diligently remembre this that if false witnesses doe aryse vp agaynste Christ whose lyfe and doctrine could be accused by no meanes what we then hope for Let them therefore obserue equitie and not follow affections The vngodly do wrest the wordes of Christ contrary to hys meanyng and thys slaunder is a parte of false witnesse when as we do eyther peruerte any mannes wordes or talke or doe rehearse them otherwise then he spake thē or els enterpreate them otherwyse then he spake or ment them Christ spake of the temple of hys bodye and they falsly enterprete it to the materiall temple Euen as in the olde tyme sacrifices were done in the temple and peace offrynges and clensinges were done by sacrifices so is Christ made a sacrifice vpō the crosse for our sinnes pacifying god his wrath agaynst vs and sanctifying vs. In that Christ holdeth his peace at the false witnesses it was not somuch bicause of his meaknes as bicause of his wisedome This example ought they to follow which are oppressed with false witnesses chiefely before such a iudge as estemeth and geueth credite to false witnesses For then no answeres or excuses are any thyng worth it shal be moste safegarde to kepe silence I adiure thee that thou tell me whether thou bee the Sonne of God By this question it is manifest that the Iewes confessed and knewe ryghte well that the Messias shoulde bee the Sonne of God But they aske hym this captious question to the entent that they might cauille and maliciously accuse him in his answer that is that they might take and trappe hym in hys talke that he which had made him selfe the Sonne of God should therfore be worthy to dye and that according to the lawe So do our papistes now of dayes extorte of the ministres of the word what their opinion is of this new doctrine as they terme it And whē they answere thē the truth then are they by and by put to tormentes but if they holde theyr peace they betraye the truth Wherfore the hipocrites do seke the truth to this entent that they may persecute it when they knowe it and also kill hym which confesseth it Hereafter ye shal see c. This is a gentil and healthfull admonitiō as though he woulde saye In dede ye see me now humble and as it were the Sonne of the Carpenter but be not offended with thys my humilitie for nowe is the tyme of humilitie I do not now shewe forth my glorye and power but shortely ye shal see what māner one I am He is gilty of death The chiefe priest speaketh this to his complices whiche were lyke vnto hym self namely haters of Christ he hath blasphemed sayeth he what neede we any more witnesses They fayne thē selues as though they had a care for the glory of God when
saying Truly this man was iuste the son of God And al the peple that came together to that sight and had sene the thinges whych happened retourned smiting theyr breasts THe vayle is rent this is of the kind of examples which are called pure or dombe where examples teache and speake with deedes and without wordes The like wherof is when Ezechiell is coÌ„maunded to burn some of the clipped heares and to cast awaye other some Also when as Tarquinius walkinge in a gardein did out of with a staffe before his soÌ„s seruant the chief toppes of the poppye So the vayle being rent doth teach vs that al fygures ar accoÌ„plished in Christ and whatsoeuer hath bene hidden or kept secret in the old testament is now expounded the dayle beyng takeÌ„ away his bloud being shed entred into the SanctuÌ„ Sanctorum So he spake by the earth quake by other signs to declare firste the vnworthines of the thinge which the earthe coulde not beare whilst his creator suffred Secondly to shake of as it were an old garmeÌ„t declaring that it would one day put on a newe face by his preaching which now suffred and that it should be moued by the preaching of the Gospell Where the Gospell death of Christ is Preached there do the foundacions and corners of the earth tremble the fleshe quaketh is troubled when that it heareth that hys workes are nothing worthe Prolipâ—â— and that the death of Christ hath thoroughly payed all thinges But in that it is written that the dead dyd aryse agayne that is done by a figuratiue speache of Hebrewe For fyrst he setteth forth as it were by a generall proposition all things that were done but yet at sundrye times then he entreateth of euery perticular thing for by and by he returneth to his buriall So the dead did then ryse agayne from death and come into the citie when Christ was now risen which is the first fruites of theÌ„ which slepe and that they might testifie that they liued in deede they appeared vnto many that the Iewes might the easlyer beleue that they shoulde also one day ryse againe when as they see Christ their elders to haue risen agayne So the stones doe detest the vnworthynesse of the thyng and the hardnesse of the Iewes which do crucifie theyr Sauiour Moreouer also they doe signifie the Gentiles whiche be a harde people and yet for all that they should be clouen and subdued to the Gospell Into the holy citie So was Ierusalem called in the olde tyme but it was so corrupted with naughtinesse and wickednes that it was made rather a denne of theues Esay 1. The bodye of Christ as it semeth was coÌ„mitted to the Centurion and his souldiours to bee watched for the souldiers crucified him This CeÌ„â—urion when he sawe the wonderfull thynges that happened knewe that Christe was more then a man which he testified and confessed wtâ— loude voyce These thinges are not written without a cause As though the Euangelyste woulde say Though that man were a Gentile and a warrior neuerthelesse he gaue God the glory To geue God the glorye after the Heâ—rewe Phrase is to beleue the truth to coÌ„fesse the true god to cleaue vnto the truth First â—e calleth him a iuste man and thys is the first â—egree vnto fayth and then he calleth him the â—onne of God The smyting of the breast hath â—n admiration with griefe and shame For thei which cryed crucifie him now are sory and are â—ricked in conscience Wherby is noted besides â—he grief which followed of sinne also the incoÌ„â—tancye of the people whiche before tooke the priestes part and now take Christes part Pricking of conscience followeth wicked acts So â—o late at last commeth shame and punishment So in lyke case came it to passe in our first Faâ—her AdaÌ„ that he was ashamed bicause he was â—aked when as he was also neuerthelesse naâ—ed before hys sinne He whiche bendeth hys mynde to commit wickednes persuadeth with â—imselfe that he can be hidden but it commeth â—o passe otherwise for the day of the Lord reâ—ealeth al thinges also the conscience it self 1. Cor. 3. But put case it be not made manifest here yet for al that it shal be reueled at the comminge oâ— the lord before the whole world Math. 10. Time vteretâ— al things ther is nothiÌ„g so secret which shaâ— not one day be reuealed After sinne folowetâ— shame feare and trouble ☞ Then the Iewes bicause it was thâ— preparation of the passouer that thâ— bodyes mighte not remayne vpon the crosse on the Sabaoth daye for that Sabaoth day was a hygh day desyred Pilate that theyr legs mighâ— be brokeÌ„ the bodyes taken down The soldiors therfore came brake the legges of the fyrste and also oâ— the seconde whyche were crucifyed wyth hym but when they came vnto Iesus and saw that he was alredy deade they brake not his bones but one of the souldiours thruste a speare into his side and incontenently there ran foorth water and bloud and he which sawe it bare witnes hys witnes is true and he knoweth that he speketh the truth that ye also myght beleue Exod. 12. For these things wer done that the scripture might be fulfylled ye shall not breake a bone of hym And againe an other scrypture sayeth They shall looke vpon hym whome they haue persed THe preparacion whereof is here spoken I take to be for the Sabaoth following and not for the eating of the lamb for that was almost past but the .vii. daies lasted stil in which they did eat vnleuened bred And this sabaoth bicause it fel within the dayes of the passeouer was called a gret day because it was the most solemn The euaÌ„gelist doth manifestly enough declare that all these thinges were not doone rashly but that the truth mighte corresponde with the fygures The Church is built out of the syde of Adam sleaping and out of the same floweth forth water to washe the sinnes of the whole worlde The gate is opened that there might be a sanctuary in that place for all beleuers and a hole made in the rocke where as many as labor do fiÌ„de rest ther the hart opened that we might nothing doubt of loue This founteyne of Gods mercy neuer ceaseth to spreade abrode of whose fulnes all they which thurste do drinke and are refreshed that it mighte be made in them a fouÌ„teine of water ouerflowing to eternal life Let vs therfore draw water out of the fauntaynes of our sauiour that we may herafter lyue vnto hym alone which is so wouÌ„ded for vs which doth open his harte vnto all men and sayth geue me your hart O my children Here shal the shepe of Christ find the ryuers of life and the gate thorough which they goe in and out at I woulde to God the Lorde would wouÌ„d our harts with his loue Pro. 23. that we might ryghtly weigh coÌ„sider so gret a loue to that