abiecte and homely through the ignominy and slaunder of the crosse being as it were planted by a fewe vnlearned men should by litle and litle through the strength of the trueth grow to such myghte and power that it shoulde go ouer all the worlde and shoulde embracâ— al kinde of men proposed this redell and similitude The kyngdome of heauen ê™ he is lyke vnto a musterde seede whiche a certayne man toke and sowed in hys field which of it selfe is leaste among al pulse But whan it is growne vp it is greater than al kyndes of herbes and risethe vp as bigge as a tree insomuche that the birdes make their nestes in the bowes therof An other similitude spake he vnto them The kingdom of heauen is like vnto leauen which a woman taketh and hideth in three peekes of meale til al bee lâ—auened Al these thynges spake Iesus vnto the people by similitudes and without a parable spake he nothing vnto them that it myght be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophete that sayeth I wil open my mouth in parables I wyl speake furth thinges hidden froÌ„ the begynning of the world Agayne Iesus dyd inculcate and beate in the selfe fame thyng doyng them to vnderstande by what meanes the strength and myght of the doctryne of the gospell secretly crepyng in and dispersed and set abrode by a fewe apostles should alâ—te and transforme al the worlde into her nature and whan it shall seme most to be consumed and extinct than chiefly it shall set forth and shewe strength The kyngdome of heauen ê™ he is lyke vnto leauen whych beyng but a litle quantitie the woman put in three measures of meale and three lefte it vntill the litle piece of leauen had changed by litle and litle the whole quantitie of the meale turned it into her owne nature All these thynges Iesus declared vnto the people in riddelles and cloudes of parables and spake nothyng vnto them than without a parable to thyntent that he might both excite and stirre their mindes with darke speakyng and make them desirouse to learne and yet geue them no holde though they sought occasion busilye vniustly to reproue hym And the soothe saiyng of the Prophete tolde of this before in time paste I wyl open my mouthe in parables I wyl shewe furth thynges which hath been hyd hytherto sith the worlde was made ¶ Whan the people were sent away Iesus came into the house his disciples came vnto hym saiyng Expound vnto vs the parable of the tares of the field He aunswered and said vnto them He that soweth the good seed is the sonne of man The fielde is the world And the children of the kyngdom they are yâ— good seede The tares are the children of that naughty one The enemy yâ— soweth them is the Deuel The haruest is the ende of the world The reapers be the Aungels As the tares therfore are gathered and brent in the fyer so shal it be in the ende of thys world The sonne of man shal send forthe hys Aungels and they shal gather out of hys kyngdome al thynges that offende and them whiche do miquiâ—ye and shal cast them into a fornace of fyer There shal be wallyng and gnashyng of teeth Than shal the ryghteouse shyne as the sonne in the kyngdome of their father Whosoeuer hath eares to heare let hym heare Than Iesus departyng from the multitude went home and they folowed not for that they vnderstoode not what he mente and that none occasion was geuen of false reprofe Further whan he was at home alone hys familiar disciples came vnto hym requiryng hym to expounde them the parable of the cockels mengled with wheate For the parable of the seed diuerslye sowen once declared they gessed well of themselues what he mente by the musterd seede and the leuen put in the meale Iesus without any griefe declared it plainely The good husband ê™ he whiche sowed the good seede is the heauenly father the felde in whyche he sowed is the whole worlde and not onely Iewry Further the good wheat that sprang vp of the good seede bee they whyche by the doctryne of the gospell behaue themselfe worthily for the kyngdom of heauen agreing to their profession in lyfe and dedes The naughty cockels springyng of the yll seede mengled wyth these bee yll men whyche professe not purely nor sincerely the doctryne of the gospell And the aduersarye whiche mengled hys seede priuely in the nyghte whereof spryngeth peructse and yll doctryne is the deuill The seruauntes whiche would gather the cockel before the tyme be they whyche thynke that the false apostelles and chiefe heretikes shoulde bee rydde out of the waye with sweorde and deathe where as the good man of the house willeth not that they shoulde bee killed but suffered yf happe bee that they repente and be turned from cockelles into wheate And that yf they repente not they shoulde be kepte and preserued to their iudge of whome once they shall be punished The time of harueste is the ende of the worlde The harueste folkes be the angels In the meane season therfore the yll mengled with the good must be suffered when they be suffered with lesse daunger and peril than they bee taken away Further whan the last tyme shal cum whan the good shal be seuered from the ill when rewardes shall be geuen to euery manne for hys dedes than the sonne of man the iudge ouer all shall sende furthe hys angels to clense hys kyngdome and they shall suffer none offence to remaine there for than neither the good can profite the yll nor the yll shall be suffered any more to trouble the good but whosoeuer liuyng emong the good had rather moleste and trouble them than to be made better by theyr cumpany he shall gather them together and shedde them from the others and deliuer them to the fyer of hell There shall they punyshed worlde withoute ende for their shorte and false lustes and pleasures remoued from the floore of the churche and caste into a darke den of hel that is to say into the kyngdome of theyr father where as nowe ouer late vnprofitable penaunce shall force those myserable people to wepe and to waile and to gnashe with theyr teeth Further they that cum and spryng furthe of the good seede and perseuer and continue vnto th ende although in the meane tyme they appere here vyle and abiecte and be afflicted of the yll sorte than all vylenes of mortalitie set aparte they shall shyne lyke the bryght sunne in their fathers kyngdome These thinges because they be great and weighty thinges of both partes ought not to be heard nigligently Thei perteine either to the euerlasting felicitie or to the euerlasting destruccion of al men Wherfore whosoeuer hath an eare neyther deafe nor stopped with the desyres of the world let him heare that he may auoide euerlastyng punishemeÌ„tes obteine the life euerlasting ¶ Agayne the kyngdome of heauen is lyke vnto a treasure
other whiche receyueth as it were seede the woorde of the gospel with hys eares and gredelye putteth it into hys harte recordyng and deuising wyth hymselfe to frame hys life after the rewle therof but because he prynteth it not vtterlye in the inwardes of hys mynde but after the fashion of men he doth that he doth lightly with a certayne affeccion for a tyme he nourysheth the seede that he hathe taken vntil it be growen vp to a grasse and sheweth a certayne hope of euangelicall godlines absteynyng from greate sinnes and florishyng with meane vertues But if any storme of persecucion begyn to ryse and yf for the gospell sake banishment be offered or prison punishement deathe such other whiche require a stedfast strength of the mynde than as at the vehemente heate of the sunne they wyther a waye and vtterly fainte and decaye A figure of this was the stonie ground whiche receyued the sede and brought it foorth into grasse but it was not able to succour and defend it with humour agaynst the heate of the sunne for throughe the stones it can haue no depe nor sure roote Agayne there is an other whiche gredely heareth the woorde of the gospell and setteth it depe ynoughe in his mynde and kepeth it long but his mynde being intangled and choked with troubleâ—â— in cares of this worlde and especiall of ryches as it were with certayne thicke thornes he can not frely folowe that he loueth Because he wyl not suffer these thornes whiche cleaue together and be intaÌ„gled one with another emong themselues to be cut away the fruite of the seede that is sowen dothe vtterly perishe This was signified by the similitude of the sede whiche was receiued in the grounde full of thornes and briers Further the seede that was receiued in the good ground signifieth them whiche bothe heare the woorde of the gospell and recorde it wyth themselues and fasten it surelye in theyr remembraunce and so doe powre it into thaffeccions of theyr mynde that they will not swarue from it to dye therefore who also do rydde and delyuer themselues from affeccions and filthye cares of ryches whiche suffer not the mynde to be free and at liberty but geue themselues wholy to the heauenlye inspiracion The seede of the doctryne of the gospell is not vnprofitable to suche myndes But lyke as one kynde of wheate bringeth not furthe lyke fruit in all groundes but it springeth with lesse or more increase accordinge to the goodnes of the grounde So after the godly desyre and capacitie of them that heare the worde the fruite of godlines cummeth forthe more aboundauntlye By thys parable Iesus taught vs with what studye and desyre the heauenlye doctryne ought to be receyued yf we desyre that fruit should spring of it These thynges Iesus dyd interprete and declare vnto hys disciples aparte Another similitude put he furth vnto them saying The kyngdom of heauen is likened vnto a manne whyche sowed good seede in hys field But whyle men slepte hys enemye came and sowed rares emong the wheate and went hys way But whan the blade was sprong vp and had brought furth fruit than appeared the taxes also And the seruauntes of the housholder came and sayed vnto hym Sir diddest not thou sowe good seede in thy field From whence than hath it taâ—es he said vnto them The enuiouse man hath done thys The seruauntes sayed vnto hym Wilt thou than that we go and wede them vp but he said naye leste whyle ye gather vp the rares ye plucke vp also the wheat with them Let both grow together vntil the haruest and in tyme of haruest I wyl saye to the trapets gather ye first the taâ—es and bind them together in sheues to be breÌ„t but gather the wheat into my baruâ— But let vs retourne vnto the order of our former communicacion The lorde Iesus proposed vnto them another parable to shewe them also that there was another poyson and mischiefe to be taken hede of if a man wil laie vp pure and fine corne in hys barne For the other ylles do onely hurt the sede latelye sowen or spryngyng into grasse This doeth corrupte the corne now sprong vp and well growen Thys poyson is whan Sathan whiche coulde not choke and destroy the seede of the euangelicall doctrine with flying waueryng and ydle thoughtes nor with troublesome persecucions nor with carefulnes of riches honours and lyke thinges wherewith mannes lyfe is entangled goeth about to infecte it by false Apostles and wicked Byshopes and Heritikes whiche wresteth and wriethe by subtyl interpretacion the heauenlye doctryne after theyr lustes and desyres and myngle true thynges with false and sincere and pure thynges wyth vicious and fawty The parable is after this sorte The kingdome of heauen ê™ he is like vnto an housbandman which being a good husband sowed good seede in hys field But his seruauntes being aslepe there came priuely a certayne aduersarye whiche bare the husbande manne no good wyl and because he could not in the night take away the seede which was now layed safely in the ground he vseth crafte and deceyte to hurt it He scatereth and mengeleth with the wheate that was sowen the vnprofitable seede of cockelles and thys doen he wente awaye Fyrste no man perceyued thys deceite But whan the seede was nowe sprong vp into grasse and the stalkes were laden and burdened with eares than at lengthe the cockels growyng vp together their vnlykenes vtteryng or shewyng them began to appere Than the seruauntes merueylyng howe this shoulde cum to passe go vnto the husbande man Maister ê™ they dyddeste not thou sowe good seede in the fielde howe is it than that cokelles be mengled with them But the mayster suspectyng who was authour of the shreude turne sayeth Myne aduersary dydde thys whyche beareth me so euyl wyll that he hathe a plasure to hurte me thoughe he haue no profite hymselfe therby Than spake the seruauntes wyl ye than that we go and gather the cockelles and cleanse the corne The maister sayeth In no case leste peraduenture as ye plucke vp the cockelles vnaduisedly ye plucke vp also therwith the wheate that groweth nere by Suffer the wheate to growe together with the cockelles vnto haruest tyme. Than wyll I committe thys matter to the haruest folkes that before they mowe and cut downe they shall fyrste gather the cockelles and bynde them together a parte in bundels for to feede the fyer and afterwarde laye vp and couche the cleane wheat in my barne Another parable put he furth vnto them saiyng The kyngdome of heauen is lyke to a grayne of mustarde seade whiche a man toke and sowed in hys fielde whiche is the leaste of al seades But whan it is growen it is the greatest emongâ— herbes and is a tree so that the birdes of the ayer cum and make their nestes in the braunches therof Agayne Iesus mindyng to shewe by a similitude howe that the philosophy of the gospell fyrste in apperaunce
geue vs bothe strength and witte agaynste all his ingiens and the holy scriptures shall minister vnto vs armoure and weapon enough He that suffereth vs to bee tempted wyll not suffre vs to bee ouercommed but wyll so ordre the fight that the ende of the fielde and battayle shall turne to our benefite Our enemie beyng putte to the wurse will not ceasse to haue enuy at vs but he wyll at length ceasse to inuade and the oftener he shall come so muche the more often discoumfeighted and weakened shall he at all tymes departe agayne For howe the case should afterwarde stande with vs Christe dyd nowe expresse by exaumple of hymselfe For after that the deiuill had dispeched and spente out of all the fractes and craftie poyntes that he coulde agaynste the Lorde and yet sawe that he was neuer a whitte the nerer of his purpose beeyng not onely ouercomed but also deluded and defeacted in wordes he departed awaye howbeit but for a season that is to say to returne againe to tempting whan he myght seke and procure an occasion therto For sence the tyme that he coulde not gette out of Iesus to professe that he was the sonne of God whom he was not hable with any goodly shewe of thynges to corrupte he afterwarde laboured through the helpe of hys souldiers the Phariseis the Scribes and the priestes to putte hym to death Yet euen in this behalfe also dyd Iesus by a godly policie mocke and defeate the wylinesse of his aduersarie for the thynges that Satan with all his strength laboured to bryng to passe to our castyng awaye thesame dyd Christe turne into our saluacion Yea and then moste especially of all dyd Satan perceyue his tyrannie to bee cleane ouerthrowen when he assured hymselfe of moste vndoubted victory Firste came baptisme whiche geueth the state of innocencie then afterwarde came wildernesse and continuall prayer fastyng and therewithall battayle with Satan agaynst whom we are moste chiefely armed with auoydyng the coumpanie and resorte of people emong whom there is in no place wantyng matter enough to prouoke and stiere weake myndes vnto vices moe then one Prayer fenseth and gardeth the soule Fastyng abateth the strength of the bodye and encreaseth more strength in the soule ¶ And Iesus returned by the power of the spirite into Galile And there wente a fame of hym throughout all the region And he taught in their Synagoges and was commended of all menne There was nowe nothyng remaynyng but for Iesus to addresse hymselfe to the office of teachyng And this is the veray true office moste specially belongyng to Byshoppes whiche office no manne doeth after a ryght sorte take in hande onlesse he bee many wayes tryed and proued onlesse he bee founde a conquerour and a subduer of all naughtie appetites whiche doe corrupte and peryshe the woorde of God so that he maye bee hable to teache others too by what meanes they maye resist Satan For it is not enough that a teacher of the ghospell be pure from vices but he muste also bee stoute and vncorrupte that neyther for lucre ne for any sensuall pleasure of the bodye ne for ambicion ne for the feare of any eiuylles he wyll declyne from the vpright streightnesse of the trueth of the ghospell whiche trueth Satan doeth not at any tyme ceasse to assaulte by suche persones as loue this worlde more then they loue the glory of God And this the Lorde Iesus beeyng mynded to teache vs after the premisses all finyshed and dooen returned nowe agayne into Galile in great power and vertue of the spirite whiche he was replete withall For of the temptacion aforesayed he had gathered strength of the spirite not that any spice of any newe power had growen vnto hym more then he had fore but for that the thyng which he had in his mynde dyd more vtter and shewe furthe it selfe settyng out vnto vs therewhyle as it were in a playne picture what the charge and care of an euangelicall teacher ought to bee and what he ought to looke for It was his will and pleasure to begynne his firste preachyng of the ghospell in Galile beeyng the moste abiecte and basse region of the Iewes partely to agree iustely with the prophecie of Esay in whiche it was foresayed that aboute the coastes of Zabulon and Neptalim that is to saye nere to Galile of the Gentyles the lyght of Goddes trueth shall spryng vppe and partely to the entente that no parte of the prosperous procedyng of the ghospell should be imputed to the ayde or maynteinaunce of this worlde in case the ghospell hadde been taught or brought to lyght by learned menne by ryche folkes or by menne of power or in case it had sprong vp out of a region beeyng any thyng famous For God did of a purpose choose and picke out all thynges vile and abiecte in worldely estimacion to the ende that all the whole glorye of so marueilouse a matter should redound vnto hymselfe And euen nowe already was the fame of Iesus not vnspoken of emong the people of Galile with whom by reason of some miracles priuately shewed that all the worlde knewe not of he was come in knowlage to many yea euen before his baptisme a fewe disciples euen at that tyme gathered vnto hym whom it was his pleasure to haue as witnesses of all his whole lyfe and doctryne And euen at the same veray time he by lytle and lytle withdrewe hymselfe from the affeccionate willes of hys kynesfolkes because he would by his doyng reache vs that kynesfolkes also doe oftentymes hurte the synceritie and purenesse of doctryne But after that Iohn was cast in prieson for duryng the tyme of Iohns preachyng Iesus dyd in maner altogether holde his peace because there should no spice of contencion growe or aryse betwene the disciples of the one and the other whether shoulde haue the preeminence he with a great courage entreth the buisy office of preachyng the ghospell openly in the face of the worlde For it was nowe tyme that the lawe beeyng restreigned and kepte vnder bandes the figure whereof Iohn dyd beare the libertie of the ghospell shoulde putte furthe the head and shewe it selfe For enpriesonyng and feriers was moste mete for the lawe beeyng full of shadowes and beeyng derkened with mysticall doubtfull sayinges but mete it was to sette the light of the ghospell vppe on hygh to the entente it myght bee open in syght to all regions and coastes of the worlde without excepcion aswell to the greatest as to the leaste aswell to the learned as to the vnlearned Than as soone as the Lord was returned into Galile through the power of the spirite of God with whome he was filled whiche power was nowe aswell by his doctryne as also by miracles partely vttred the fame which had to fore as ye would saye flighen abrode but among a fewe persones in comparison concernyng Iesus was than published and bruited abrode throughout al that region For vnto a teacher