lyght shyne yea rather my lyghte and the light of my father vnto all men that they considering your lyfe to be vtterly pure blameles and very heauenlye maye glorifye youre heauenlye father to whome is due al honour and glorye For all youre good workes and miracles be they neuer so woonderfull ye shall chalenge nothing vnto your selfe but ye shall referre all glory and prayse vnto hym from whome cummeth whatsoeuer men doe worthy praise It shal be your part to haue none other care but manfully and faithfully to perfourme the office committed vnto you He shall geue the rewarde in tyme conuenient and that a great rewarde to whose glorye ye doe seruice Thynke ye not that I am come to destroye the lawe or the Prophetes no I am not come to destroye but to fulfyll For truly I saye vnto you tyll heauen and yearth passe one rote or tytle of the lawe shall not passe tyll all be fulfylled Whan ye heare the newe preceptes which neither Moyses dyd deliuer nor the Prophetes taughte suppose not that I bryng lyke matter as the pharisees were wonte with theyr addicions and mannes constytucions makynge the lawe heauy and sore and the very pyth and chiefe of the lawe vtterly neglecting and abolishyng I came not to diminishe and abate the lawe or abolishe it with newe preceptes But I came rather to fulfyl and make perfect the lawe For it doeth commaunde nothyng that any man can complayne that I haue not obserued and kepte And yf the shadowes geue place whan the lyghte cummeth foorth yf I perfourme in dedes that whiche the Prophetes saide before shoulde cum to passe the lawe is nothing hindered but rather made perfecte The lawe had his time it hadde his honour it dyd shadowe wyth certayne figures that whiche nowe is represented and open to the worlde the lawe dydde in manner hedge aboute the desires of men with ceremonies and carnall preceptes as it were with certayne barres that they shoulde not fall without anye staye into euery sinne to thintente they might be the more apte to take the doctryne of the gospell but nowe that that is perfect is shewed furth The carnall and grosse lawe was profitable to this entent that men myght acknowledge theyr synnes but nowe grace whiche washeth awaye synne is geuen vnto vs without ceremonyes Therfore the lawe is no more offended than if the kyng hymselfe beyng alyue shoulde cum in place where is image was paynted and allure all men rather to loke vpon hym than vpon his image or elles yf a a weake chylde in processe of time shoulde growe to be a manne or yf the rype fruite should succede after buddes and leaues or yf the sunne springyng vp shoulde darken the moone and the starres What the lawe promysed is nowe perfourmed what it did shewe before is nowe done What it dyd shadowe is nowe made open to al mennes iyes what it endeuoured to perfourme and coulde not is nowe broughte to passe at full This lyght is promysed vnto al men but yet so that the Iewes haue no cause to complayne of vs. The grace of the gospel is fyrste offered to them neither shal thei haue the lesse therfore if that they haue be common to many wyth them This is certayn that we breake not the lawe wherein the Phariseis do glorye in so muche that not the leaste iote no not one pricke of the whole lawe shal perishe for there is nothyng writen in it but it shal be fulfilled It were a folishe thing to loke for that hereafter whiche is nowe present it were a mad thyng so to delyght in shadowes that ye should dispise the true thinges so to sticke to imperfect thinges that ye should dispise perfecte thynges so to embrace carnal thynges that ye should looth spirituall thynges so to bee geuen to worldlye thynges that ye shoulde neglecte heauenly thynges Whosoeuer therfore breaketh one of these least commaundementes and teacheth men so he shal be called the least in the kyngdome of heauen But whoso doeth and teacheth thesame shall be called great in the kyngdome of heauen For I say vnto you vnles your righteousnes excede the ryhgteousnes of the Phariseis and Scribes ye can not enter into the kingdom of heauen Among the Iewes he is not regarded ne counted a good keper of the law that doeth omitte or lette passe any of those thinges whyche the Phariseis haue added of theyr owne prescribing as washynges of handes of pottes vessels and yet these addicions and patches profit so litle towardes the perfeccion of the lawe that thei oftetymes withdraw men from the obseruacion of thesame But in the kyngdome of heauen whiche is muche more perfect he that breaketh but one of these small preceptes whiche I nowe adde vnto the prescripte lawe of Moyses althoughe he teache the thyng to be â—bserued whiche he hymselfe thorough weakenes and frayltye doeth not perfourme he shall be counted the leaste and moste dâ—spised in so much that vnlesse he profit and goe forwarde vnto better thynges he shall be vtterly excluded from the felowshyppe of the gospell But whosoeuer teacheth these smalle thinges not to be despised whiche dryue men farre from those thynges whiche the lawe doeth forbyd and doethe perfourme that whiche he teacheth he is to be hadde in veneracion and shal be counted greate in the kyngdome of heauen And yet they that be the chiefe and the highest in the Sinagoge despising suche thynges thinke it enough yf they dooe committe none of those thynges whiche be punishable by the lawe and yet in the meane season they fauour and flatter and perdone themselues in the naughtye desyres of the mynde Truely this is the iustice of them whiche by the feare of pain be refrained from il doing But thei that be moued to thinges of more perfeccion by charitiâ— and by that heauenly spirite they wyllynglye withdrawe themselues from the approchyng to ill doynges and they doe not onely forbeare to hurte any man but they will no hurt to no man And that ye maye perceyue what difference there is betwene a Iewe and a true Christian man betwene Moyses disciple and myne this I do ascertayne you yf ye dooe perfourme whatsoeuer the lawe doethe prescrybe whatsoeuer the Phariseis that be nowe doe perfourme whiche nowe be accoumpted and thynke them selues very ryghteous and yf ye adde nothyng of more perfeccion ye shall be so farre of from being great in this profession that an entry shal not once be geuen you into the kyngdome of heauen For this profession doeth so farre excel that thei that be the chiefe there haue not so muche as the least place here Ye haue heard that it was sayd vnto them of the olde tyme Thou shalt not kyl whosoeuer kylleth shall be in daunger of iudgement But I saye vnto you that whoso is angry with his brother vnaduisedly shal be in daunger of iudgement And whosoeuer sayeth vnto his brother Racha shall be in daunger of a counsell But whosoeuer saieth
people that went before and they that came after cryed saying Osanna to the sonne of Dauid Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lorde Osanâ—a in the highest The disciples departed they found true whatsoeuer Iesus had tolde them before By and by at the mencion of the lord the beastes wer let looce where as neyther the Lorde was there presente nor the disciples made any countenaunce of any autoritie that they had In dede the owners of the beastes knewe no suche thing but yet in theyr hertes they perceyued that he whiche was lorde ouer all commaunded this The disciples because the Lord should sit the more at ease cast on theyr clokes and so set him vpon the coltes backe whiche colte did beare the figure of the Heathen nacion beyng vncleane and filthy folowyng all yll desyres whiche whan it was once couered with vertues apostolicall and Iesus receiued vpon her backe ceassed any longer to bee vncleane ceassed to folow her old vices beyng made the bearer of him who purgeth and sanctifieth all thinges This she asse is the dame of the fole because healthe and redempcion cummeth oute of the Iewes but the same asse was fast tyed to the lettâ—e of the lawe Bare she was of euangelicall vertues but at the lordes biddyng they are both vntied and couered with the Apostles clothes The Apostles as yet vnderstoode not these thynges but yet this it was whiche was signified thereâ—â— and shoulde more playnely be vnderstanded afterwarde When Iesus was now come to the foote of the hill a great multitude of men came out of Ierusalem to mete hym Yea and the multitude had suche a fauour vnto him that the moost parte of them strawed the waye with theyr garmentes some cut downe boughes from the trees and strawed them in the waye Ferther the company that went before and also that folowed declaryng themselues to bee glad of his cumming sang vnto hym this saying out of the prophecie of the psalme Osanna to the sonne of Dauid blessed be he that cummeth in the name of the lorde Osanna on high Others cryed blessed be the kyngdome of our father Dauid the whiche is come Others cryed Blessed be the kyng of Israell whiche is come and they praysed God for the myracles whiche they sawe done by Iesus This honoure the Lorde Iesus who hadde euer to fore liued humble and lowe suffred to be geuen vnto hym whereby he declared that he shoulde not bee without the glorye of this worlde in case he were mynded to haue it but that he had rather to despise it than to embrace it to the ende it might bee so muche the more shame that it shoulde be sought for of suche as professe themselues to be his disciples where as he despysed it which onelye deserued it Yet this honor was mere and semely for the cummynge of hym who by his death shoulde redeme the whole worlde And whan he was cum to Hierusalem all the citie was moued saying Who is this â–ª And the people sayd This is Iesus that prophete of Nazareth in Galile And Iesus went into the temple and cast out all them that solde and bought in the temple and ouerthâ—ewe the tables of the money chaungers and the seares of them that solde doues and sayd vnto them It is wrytten My house shall be called the house of prayer but ye haue made it a den of theues And the blynde and lame came vnto hym into the temple and he healed them Therfore when Iesus entred into Hierusalem with this straunge and vnwoonte pompe the whole citie was moued with this vncouthe syght saying What man is this The multitude whiche folowed him aunswered This is Iesus the Prophete of Nazareth the citie in Galile This they thought a goodly prayse although that it was farre vnder his maiestie For the people as yet coulde suppose nothyng of hym aboue man And Christe dyd purposely so ordre his lyfe that he vttered not openly his godlye nature whiche he shoulde haue persuaded in vayne yf they had seene hym afterwarde suffer deathe Therefore with this rufflyng Iesus entered into the temple and there furthwith began to vse a certayne kyngdome When he sawe in the temple a fashion of a market sum selling sum biyng and the changers of money sitting Iesus moued with the vngoodlines of the thing accordynge to the sayinge of the Prophete The zeale of thy house hath eaten me he made a whip of litle coardes and droue all the byers and sellers with theyr marchandise out of the temple he cast downe the tables of the money changers and scatered theyr money vpon the grounde he cast downe the seates of the doue sellers alleging furth of Esay a iust cause of his griefe who sayeth in the person of God My house shall be called the house of prayer but ye haue made it a den of theues By this act Iesus mente an other thynge For that the temple was polluted with marchandyse of bullockes shepe goates and doues did not so greatly moue hym but it was hys mynde to shewe that auaryce and lucre would be a deadly poyson vnto his church in time to cum whiche was figured by that temple whose religion should shortlye after be abolished For at suche tyme is the temple which is consecrate to offer vp to God spirituall sacrifice turned into a denne of theues whan vnder the pretense of religion and priesthode the people is robbed For nothing can be sincere and holy where the loue of money doethe reigne And this mischiefe is than a thynge vntollerable when it is vsed vnder the roofe of the temple when rauine is couered with the shadowe of religion There was no sorte of men agaynste whom Iesus at any time shewed any more rigour then he dyd towardes these and yet hath he reserued the same vnto himselfe to be cast out when himselfe shall thinke best Then vnto Iesus being in the temple there came the blynde and lame whome the lawe barred from entryng into the temple But the temple of Iesus receyueth all whiche make spede vnto healthe For the blynde came that hauinge theyr sight they might see Iesus whome they hearde so spoken of The lame came that folowing his steppes they mighte come into the kyngdome of heauen As manye therfore as came to hym he healed them ¶ Whan the thiefe priestes and Scribes sawe the wonders that he did and the children crying in the temple â–ª and saying Hosanna to the sonne of Dauid â–ª they disâ—ayned and sayed vnto him hearest thou what these saye But Iesus sayeth vnto them Why not Haue ye neuer red Out of the mouth of infantes and sucklinges thou haste ordeyned prayse And he lefte them and went out of the citie vnto Bethallia and abode there The chiefe Priestes and the Scribes thorough those thinges wherby they ought at last to repente were the more kyndled with burning in enuye when they sawe the people reioysing so louingly on euery syde and sawe the greate power in
this token ye shall knowe them that is to saye of the fruites which yf ye fynde in them to be euyl ye shall remoue them from the cure of the flocke and shall not receyue them into the kingdome of heauen nor couÌ„te them for Christians but for enemyes not to thintent to hurte them but to beware leste they hurte the flocke beyng myngled among them For there is nothinge more daungerouse than vngodlynes if it getteth faythe and authoritie thoroughe the false coloure of holynes ¶ Not euery one that sayethe vnto me Lorde lorde shall enter into the kyngdome of heauen but he that doeth the wyll of my father whiche is in heauen Many wyll saye to me on that â—aye Lorde Lorde haue we not prophecied in thy name and haue we not cast out deuils in thy name and doen many miracles in thy name And than wil I confesse vnto them I neuer knewe you departe from me ye that worke iniquitie All they that professe me onely with woordes shall not be counted worthie the kingdom of heauen for it is not the tytle that maketh a Christian man but the lyfe And I will not furthwith knowledge them for my disciples whiche saye vnto me religiousely Lord Lord when in dede they serue diuerse other lordes that is to saye Mammon and ryches the belly and ambicion Whom therfore shall I thinke worthy the kingdom of heauen Them that haue vtterly refused worldly desyres and hartily do obey the will of the father which is in heauen whose will I preach vnto you For whatsoeuer I teache you it cummeth from him And truly my name shal nothing profite them which lacke my spirite and workes specially in that daye whan rewardes shall be appointed accordyng vnto euery mannes desertes not by mans iudgement whiche oftentymes dothe fayle but by the iudgement of god and the shepe shal be secluded from the goates so that those thynges shal not profite them whiche nowe seme amongest menne a certaine godly thing and passing the doinges of manne For than when they shall see euerlastyng life prepared for them whiche folowyng the doctryne of the ghospell haue declared themselfes to be my true disciples and agayne when they shall see euerlasting punishmente prepared for them that shall be remoued from the companie of the godlye many beeyng sore aferde shall come and desire nowe to be knowen of God where as they haue counterfeited before menne the chiefe and moste excellent disciples of Christe and preachers of the ghospell and they shall saye vnto me Lorde knoweste thou not vs thy seruauntes Haue not we prophecied in thy name haue not we chased a waye diuels in they name haue we not reised vppe dead menne in thy name haue we not put awaye poysons and diseases in thy name haue we not wrought other wonders in thy name and by these dedes glorified thy name we haue declared vs to be thyne by so many argumentes and tokens nowe doeste thou not knowe vs Than shall they heare this answere of me Truely I neuer knew you no not than when ye dyd these thinges I hearde you say lorde lorde but I neuer perceiued in you the harte of faithfull seruauÌ„tes I heare muche speakyng of my name but I neuer felt my spirite in you I heare of myracles whiche wer doen in my name but I heare not of those speciall fruites by the whiche the true disciple of Christ is knowen Wherefore seyng that than when ye did set furth your selues amongest menne in my name ye were not myne in dede but vnder the coloure of my professyon ye serued the â–ª dyuell departe nowe awaye from me and goe vnto hym whose spirite ye haue receiued and whose wyll ye dyd obey What title or name soeuer they have yf they weorke vnrighteousnes they shall not be partakers of my kyngdome ¶ Euerye one therefore that heareth these wordes of me and doeth thesame I wyll lyken hym to a wyse man whiche buylt his house vpon a rocke and a shower of rayne fell and the floudes came and the windes blewe and berie vpon the house and it was no ouerthrowen because it was grounded vpoÌ„ the rocke And euerye one that heareth of me these wordes and doth them not shall be likened vnto a folyshe man whiche builte his house vpon sande and a shower of rayne fel and the floudes came and the windes blewe and bette vpon the house and it was hurled downe and the fall of it was great But lyke as the fruyte of the tree can haue no good taste vnlesse the roote haue good iuyce So the buyldyng be it neuer so gorgiouse high and galaunte outwardelye shall not be sure vnlesse it be stayed vpon a sute and sounde foundacion He that hath my spirite that is to saye a sincere affeccion regarding nought elles but the glorie of God he is a tree of a good roote So he that stayethe not vpon the vayne thynges of this worlde but vpon the true good thynges of the mynde and doeth continue constantly in the same he verye polytikely buildeth the buyldyng that neuer shall falle Therefore whosoeuer heareth my woordes not heareth onely but reposeth them inwardly in his harte to thintente he maye expresse in his deedes that that he hath learned I saye that he is lyke a manne both wyse and politike who to thintente he maye buylde a sounde and sure buyldyng firste of all he deuiseth and loketh for a sounde and a sure foundacion whereupon he maye sette his buyldyng to endure agaynst all tempestes of wethers For in a calme wether euery buyldyng standeth safely but the winter proueth the soundnes of the buyldyng Some tyme aboundaunce of rayne falleth downe and beateth vpon it Sometyme the fluddes increased with rayne all to shake it with greate violence Sometyme the burlyng of the wyndes beateth agaynste it and beeyng beaten and layed at by so many wayes it standeth styll and moueth not Why so Because it standeth vpon a sure foundacion The buylder dyd foresee all these thynges and therfore he sette it vpon a sounde rocke throughe whose ayde it neded nothynge to feare all those assaultes Agayne whosoeuer hearethe my woordes and hearethe them onelye and dothe not repose them in his hearte nor expresse them in his dedes is lyke vnto the rechellesse buyld whoe not foreseynge the stormes and tempestes settethe hys buyldynge vpon the sande whyche is a foundacion euer fletyng and fayling and nothyng trusty Afterwardes falleth aboundaunce of rayne the violence of ryuers runneth vpon it the storme of windes runneth agaynste it and the house is leused and plucked vp from the foundacion and fallethe downe with a great crashe Why so Because the buyldynge was goodly and gaye to see to but it stode vpon an vnprofitable foundacion Therefore your principall chiefe care and consideracion must be of your foundacion fasting almesse prayer simple apparell finally myracles be lyke a gay building But if the minde of hym that dothe them loke after vaine praise of men
theim yf hereafter for hatred of me they begyn falsely to blame that that is done For yf thou were not leprouse before why dyd they remoue the from the congregacion If thou be not nowe cleane why haue thei receiued of thee thy gyft as of hym that was pourged clensed Iesus would that the people should testify how muche profyte the Leaper had by his faith and howe lyghtly with a woorde he toke awaye all his disease to thintente they myght geue eare vnto his doctrine with the same faythe whereby they myght be healed of the diseases of the minde ¶ And whan Iesus was entred into Capernaum there came vnto hym a Captaynt and besought hym saying Lorde my seruaunte lyeth at home sicke of the Palseye and is sore vexed And Iesus sayethe vnto hym whan I come I wyll heale hym And the captayn aunswered and saied lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest cum into my house but onely speake the worde and my seruaunt shal be healed For I also my selfe am a man vnder the aucthoritie of another and haue soldiers vnder me and I say vnto this man go and he goeth and to another cum and he commeth and to my seruaunte do this and he doth it Whan Iesus hearde these wordes be meruayled and sayed to them that followed hym Uerely I say vnto you I haue not found so great fayth in Israell And I saye vnto you that many shal come from the Easte and weste and shal sit with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kyngdome of heauen But the chyldren of the kyngdome shal be caste out into the 〈◊〉 darkenes there shal be wepyng and gnasshyng of teethe And Iesus sayed vnto the Captayne go thy waye and as thou beleuest so be it vnto the. And his seruaunte was healed in the same houre Therfore after that he had taught the Iewes by thys facte and dede that the waye vnto ealth was easie by the sincerenes of fayth So forthwith he teacheth in the captayne of an hundred menne that the waye vnto health was not stopped from the Gentiles so that they haue fayth mete and worthy for the ghospell For whan he was entred into Capernaum whiche is a towne not farre from the poole of Genesareth in the borders of zabulou and Neptalim there came vnto hym a certayne captayne the whiche kynde of men the Iewes abhorred for two causes First because they be vncircumcysed for the moste parte and alienes from Moyses lawe secondlye because that kynd of lyfe is defamed commonly But the good Iesus whiche came to heale all men turneth not hym awaye neyther The captayne maketh a requeste vnto hym saying Lorde I haue a seruaunt at home whom I loue intierly for that he is faythfull and profitable in seruice He nowe wholy vnprofitable lyeth vpon his bedde diseased with the palseye and he is not onelye vnprofitable vnto me but also he is sore vexed with the rage of his disease being now at deathes dore And this kynde of disease lyke as it is daungerouse and greuous so is it not lyghtlye cured by the arte of Phisicians Iesus delightyng in the fayth of the man whiche doubted not but that with a worde he was hable to heale his seruaunte beyng absent to thintente he might declare vnto all menne the fayth and truste of the man ioyned wyth greate humilitie of harte aunswered I wyll come and I wyll heale hym Whereunto quod the Capitayne Lorde I am no Iewe I am a captayne to be abhorred of the Iewes for twoe causes and thereforâ— muche vnworthye that thou shouldeste enter into my house and be defyled wyth my companye There is no nede of thy bodelye presence Onelye saye the worde and suche is thy power and myght furthwith my seruaunte shall be healed Thou haste aungels and messengers to whome thou mayeste commit suche busines I knowe by my selfe I haue a ruler to whome I am subiecte I am obediente to his commaundementes neyther is it nedefull for him to do all thynges It is sufficiente for hym to committe his matters wyth authoritie Agayne I haue souldiers vnder my rule by whome I dooe those thynges whyche be not meete for me Onelye I geue my commaundemente and they obey thesame I commaund one to goe some whither and he goeth I commaund another to cum and he cummeth Agayne vnto myne owne priuate seruaunte I saye do this or do that and he spedely doeth what he is commaunded If my seruauntes obeye me beeyng a sinner and an abâ—ecte howe muche more oughte youres to be obediente vnto youre commaundementes Iesus hearynge these thynges merueyled not for that he was ignorante of the mannes faythe but because he woulde cause all men to meruayle at it and turnynge vnto the Iewes whiche folowed hym and as it were castyng theym in the teeth with their vnbelefe sayed This I assure you hitherto haue I not founde so greate faythe in my people of Israell as I haue founde in this straunger whiche neyther knowethe the Prophetes neyther hath receyued my doctryne nor hath â—een my miracles Ye stande in your owne conceyte because ye be the children of the patriarches whome god loueth â–ª because ye are the peculiare people of god to whome this healthe and saluacion is promysed But this I assure you the tyme shal be that many shall come on euery syde from the vttermoste partes of the worlde whom ye do lothe and abhorre as straungers and alyens whiche shall enter in by fayth and sytte in the kyngdome of heauen wyth Abraham Isaac and Iacob and your fathers shall acknowledge them for theyr euangelicall faythe as theyr lefull chyldren and shall take them to theyr table to be partakers of the euerlastynge felicitie Contrarye wyse the chyldren of the kyngdome whiche touchynge the fleshly kynrede cummeth of the stocke of Abraham Isaac and Iacob for theyr vnbelefe shall not onelye not be receyued to that goodlye and happye feaste but they shall bee thruste out into the outwarde darkenes because they woulde not see before the lighte that was offered them There shall they be punished for theyr vnbelefe wepyng and gnasshyng with teeth hauyng intelligence nowe to late from what greaâ—e felicitie they be fallen by theyr malyce and enuye shall make theyr sorowe the more what tyme they shall se straungers aliens to be receyued to the felicitie and honoure whyche was promysed vnto them When Iesus had spoken these thynges vnto the Iewes to the intente they should geue the more credite vnto his saying through the miracle he turnyng vnto the captayne sayeth Go thy waye and as thou haste beleued so be it done vnto the. Clerelye declaryng that helth is not geuen neyther to the stocke and kinred neyther to the other merites but to fayth onely whiche he required and founde lacke of in moste parte of the Iewes And as he sayed so the thyng folowed For it was tried that the selfe same time the Capitaynes seruaunte was sodeynlye delyuered from his disease that no manne shoulde suspecte
brother Philip and Bartholomew and Thomas and Matthew which had ben a Publican Iames the soÌ„ne of Alphe and Lebbeus whose syrname was Taddeus Simon of Canaan and Iudas Ischarioth which also betrayed him THerfore Iesus going vp vpon the hill commaunded his disciples which specially folowed him to cum vnto him Of these he ordeyned twelue to be chiefe vnto whom as to the better learned and more stroÌ„g he committeth with anthoritie the office of teachyng that accordyng to thexaumple that they sawe in theyr maister they should teach the people eche in soâ—dry places And leste the doctrine of fishers vnlearned and abiecte men should foorthwith be dispised he gaue them also power against all vncleane spirites to cast them out with the worde and to heale all kyndes of diseases and all faultes of the bodye that whatsoeuer Christ did before them in the fathers name and his owne that they should do in the name of Iesus Christ in whose roume they were For so Iesus entred that through healing of greuous and incurable diseases whiche benefite semeth vnto men most godly he myght allute the rude and the simple to the thynges of the soule But leste any manne should take false Apostles for the true these be the names of the twelue whom Christ himselfe dyd ordein First Simon the sonne of Iohn whiche also was called Peter and his brother Andrewe For these were the fyrste that Christ called SecoÌ„dly Iames the sonne of zebedei with Iohn his brother Thirdly Philip and Bartilmew Fourthly Thomas whose sirname was Didimus and Matthew the Publicane Fifthlye Iames the sonne of Alphe with Iudas the sonne of Iames whiche also was called Lebbeus or Thaddeus Sixtly Simon the Carianite whiche was also called zelotes and Iudas Iscarioth whiche afterward betraied his maister By such maner ambassadoures beyng poore men rude abiect fishers sinners and men not knowen and of no reputacion Christ went about to tourn and renue the whole worlde vnto the wisedome of the gospell lest in this prayse the worlde myghte attribute any thyng vnto it selfe yf he had begonne this heauenlye pourpose by menne of learnyng of power of tyches or of nobilitie ¶ Iesus sente forth these twelue in numbre whom he commaunded saying Bee not into the waye of the Gentyles and into the citie of the Samaritanes enter ye not but go â—ather to the lost shepe of the house of Israell Goâ— and preache saiyng the kingdome of heauen is at hande Deale the sicke clense the leapres rayse the deade caste out deuils Freely ye haue receiued geue freely Possesse not golde nor siluer nor brasse in your purses nor yet scrippe towardes your iourney neyther two coates neyther shooes nor yet a todde For the workman is worthy of his meate Now it is worthy the hearyng to heare what he commaunded them and how he furnished these ambassadours in theyr iourney And firste of all he appointeth them the coastes and limittes of preachyng forbiddeth theÌ„ to go out of Iewry and forbiddeth them to go eyther to the people that were next or vnto the cities of the Samaritanes whom the Iewes did abhorre not that Iesus did count any kynd of men to be abhorred but leste he should seme to be offended with the iniuries of the Phariseis and for reueÌ„ging of him selfe to send his disciples vnto straungers or leste he might geue occasion vnto the Iewes to excuse themselfes and saye that they wer despised and that the Gentiles and Samaritanes were preferred before theÌ„ Againe because he knew that the Iewes chiefly would rebell against the gospel he would leaue them no maner of excuse but that it should appeare vnto al meÌ„ that they were put from the kingdome of god by their owne frowardnesse and that the Gentiles were receyued by their own plain and simple faythe Therfore ê™ he forbeare them for a tyme and go rather to the lost shepe of the nacion of Israel that they may repent to be saued For they be not all of the Phariseis malice there be shepe emong them erryng by simplicitie and ignoraunce whiche being monished and taught will fone repent heare the voyce of the good shepeheard And ye shall beginne your preachyng thus lyke as ye saw me do For it is not mete nor expedient forth with to disclose the secret misteries vnto the rude people they muste be made in a readines before that they may be hable to receiue the heaueÌ„ly doctrine First of al therfore preache nothyng els but that the kingdome of heauen is at hande that they retournyng from their olde life may prepare themselues to a new lyfe For the first degree of righteousnes is to abstayne from sinne And the first degree to health is to knowledge the disease Furthermore lest the teachers being men of no reputacion and teaching newe thinges should not bee beleued make them beleue your doctrine by miâ—â—cles lyke as ye sawe me doe Heale the sicke rayse the dead cleanse the leprose caste oute deuils These thinges though they be very great yet ye shall haue them of me they shall get you fauour and authoritie withall men For first the weake muste be allured Take you hede onely thaâ— ye do not abuse these thynges eyther to vayne glorye or to lucre Lyke as ye haue freely receyued of me so freely geue Defyle not the euangelical funccion no not with the least suspicion of glory or lucre Thus men shall esteme you greate in dede yf they shall see you of so great might and power and yet not to be haut nor proude nor desirous of lucre but stoutly to dispise those thynges for the which the coÌ„moÌ„ sort of men do suffre all that they may I will haue you light and ready to do this message and to be laded with no burdens to be encombred with no carefulnesse that ye may whollye apply the offyce committed vnto you Ye teache heauenly thynges set not your care vpon worldly thynges ye haue preparacioÌ„ mete for your preaching which teacheth no meane thing Wherfore when you take your iourney burdeyn not your purses with golde nor syluer No carrye not so muche as a bagge abouâ—e with you to put your vitayles in neyther .ii. coates nor shooes nor staffe He is wel armed which is gyrded with the sweard of the worde of the gospell Nor ye shall not nede to be carefull how ye beyng naked shall come by necessaryes Onely be carefull in your office committed vnto you and all these shal be geuen you from your heauenly father It is his matter that ye haue in hande He wyll not suffer his workemen to be defrauded of theyr hyer For them that lyue from daye to daye and according to nature necessaries be soone prepared And there wyll be ynowe whiche of themselues wyll geue to you doyng and teachyng suche thynges So shall it come to passe that neyther ye shall be troubled with suche cares whiche maye diminishe youre auctoritie and make you to be suspected nor they
false cloke of godlynes whiche is the very poyson of true godlines ¶ Whan Iesus came into the coastes of the citie which is called Cesaâ—ea Philippi he asked his disciples saying Whome doe men say that I the sonne of manne am they sayde some say that thou arte Iohn the Baptiste some Helias some Hieremias or one of the noumbre of the Prophetes He sayeth vnto them But whome say ye that I am Symon Peter answered Thou arte Christe the sonne of the liuing God And Iesus aunswered and sayde vnto hym happie arte thou Symon the sonne of Ionas for fleshe and bloude hath not opened that vnto thee but my father whiche is in heauen And I saye vnto thee that thou arte Peter and vpon thys rocke â–ª I will buylde my churche and the gates of hell shall not preuayle against it And I will geue vnto the the keyes of the kyngdome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou byndest in earth shall be bounde in heauen and whatsoeuer thou looceste in earthe shal be looced in heauen Here when Iesus came into the coastes of the citie called Cesarea whiche Philippe the Tetrarche so named in the honour of Ceasar folowing his brother Herode whiche chaunged the name and called that Cesarea whiche beefore was named the tower of Straton he thoughte to proue howe muche his schollers had profited by hearing so muche communicacion and by seeing so many miracles and whether they had any higher or better opinion of him than the vulgare sorte Therefore he demaundeth of them saying whome doe men talke that the sonne of man is They say some say that he is Iohn the baptist For so the Herodians suspecte Some say that he is Helias because he was taken vp they suspect that he doeth appere now according to the prophecie of Malachy Some say that he is Hieremie because he was a figure of Christ and that it was sayde of hym Beholde I haue set thee thys day ouer nacions and kinges to plucke vp and to distroy and to plant which in dede should be fulfilled in Christ. Iesus hearing these to th entent he would gette out some more certayne and hygher profession sayeth ye ê™ he whiche shoulde knowe me better who say ye that I am Here Symon Peter as he loued Iesus best as the chiefe of the Apostolicall ordre aunswered for them all Thou arte very Christe the sonne of God aliue not speaking of suspicion but professing certainely and vndoubtedly that he was Messias pronused of the Prophetes and the sonne of god after a certayne singuler manner Iesus delighted with this chereful and substaunciall profession sayde blessed art thou Symon the sonne of Iohn The affeccion of man taught thee not this word but the heauenly father put it in thy minde by a secret inspiracion For no man hath a worthy opinion of the sonne but by the inspiracion of the father â–ª which only knoweth the sonne And I agayn lest thou shouldest adourne me thankelesse with suche a noble testimony assure thee of this that thou arte very Peter that is to say a sound and a sure stone not wauering hither or thither with sundrie opinions of the vulgare sortâ— vpon this stone of thy professyon wil I builde my churche that is to saye my house and my palace whiche beyng sette vpon a sure foundacion I will so fortifie that no power or strengthe of the kingdome of hell shal be hable to beate it downe Sathan will come vpon you with many engines he will rayse a coumpany of wicked spirites against you but through my defence my buyldyng shall stande imprennable onely lette thys sure and sounde profession abyde The kyngdome of heauen is the churche the kingdome of the deuil is the worlde Of thys no man nede to bee afearde so that he bee Peter that is to saye lyke vnto thee And the keyes of this heauenly kyngdome I will deliuer vnto thee For it is meete that there he bee firste in auctoritie whiche is firste in the professyon of the faithe and in charitie And truely this kingdom of heauen is in earth but it hath to do with heauen wherof it doeth depende Wherfore he that is entangled with sinnes doeth belong to the kingdome of hell nor can not enter into the kyngdome of heauen But he shall enter yf he professe that whiche thou doeste professe and be losed from his sinnes by baptisme and so through thy leading and thy opening of the gates he shall enter into the kingdome of heauen This is my peculiar and proper power to forgeue sinnes but thys power I will geue vnto thee after a maner that that whiche thou shalte lose with my keyes receyued of me vpon earth before men shal be losed also in heauen before God On the other side that which thou shalte binde in earth shall be bounde also in heauen for God will allowe thy iudgemente cummyng from hys spiryte ¶ Than charged he dis disciples that they shoulde tell no man that he was Iesus Christe From that tyme forthe began Iesus to shewe vnto his disciples howe that he muste goe vnto Hierusalem and suffer many thinges of the elders and hye priestes and Scribes and muste be killed and raysed vp agayne the thyrde daye And whan Peter had taken hym asyde he began to rebuke him saying Maister fauour thy selfe thys shall not happen vnto thee But he turneth him aboute and sayed vnto Peter goe after me Sathan thou â—yndeâ—eâ—â—eme for thou sauerest not the thinges that be of God but those that be of men Whan Iesus had spoken these thynges he commaunded his disciples that they should as yet kepe this godly opinion of him secret with themselues nor open it to others that he was Messias For first the sacrifice of the croâ—se must be accomplished and the veritie of his manly nature declared and further by his resurreccion and the holy ghoste his diuinitie muste bee declared For although the voyce and sentence of Peter was praysed of Christ as the seÌ„tence of them whiche nowe began to profiâ—e and spring vp by little and little vnto thinges of more perfeccion yet they dreamed of a certayne kyngdome â–ª not vtterly vnlyke a worldely kingdome And therefore Iesus darkely and as in a riddle promised vnto Peter the ryght of the keyes but he delyuered them not by and by For as yet he was not mete to vse them as yet he was not suffycyently taught with the instruccion of the holy spirite And therefore Iesus calleth them backe to the mystery of the crosse and of hys deathe by the whiche misterie that kingdome must be prepared the deuil once ouercome and sinnes abolished that they mighte bee the lesse troubled in their myndes whan they should se thinges chaunce which they knew should come to passe a litle after They desyred rather to glory in the mightie and high sonne of the liuing God but no man can truely glory in hym but he whiche is not offended with hys humilitie and lownes Iesus therefore began to prepare
to the sea and cast an hooke and take the fyshe that cummeth first vp and whan thou hast opened his mouthe thou shalt fynde a stateâ— take it and geue it vnto them for the and me After that he came to the citie of Capernaum they that demaunded tribute in Cesars name being afraied to speake to Iesus because of his authoritie whiche he had gotten hym now by miracles they went to Peter whom they sawe in maner next about him Doth your maister ê™ they pay a didram for tribute Peter wheras he had no money and would not offende the gatherers of tribute made aunswer that he payeth For Iesus hitherto had paied such maner tributes And whan they were nowe entred into the house for Iesus had an house there Peter being perplexed thought in his mind to speake to Iesus as touching paimeÌ„t of the tribute For he had promised and had not to pay TheÌ„ Iesus not ignorant what Peter had in his harte preuented his question Symon ê™ he what thynkest thou Of whom be kynges wonte to take tribute or subsidie of their childreÌ„ or of strangers Of straÌ„gers ê™ Peter Then ê™ Iesus the children be free signifiyng therby though sumwhat darkly that he being lorde of the land and the sea and of all thynges oweth tribute or subsidie to no mortal prince and that his disciples as the childreÌ„ of the kingdome be not bounde but yet minding to teache that in such thynges whiche make nothing against godlines obedience oughte to be geuen to this kynd of men lest being prouoked they offend more greuously he added yet ê™ he lest we offend them go to the sea and take the fish which cummeth out first open his mouth and thou shalt fynd a piece of coyne called a Statere whiche is fower draÌ„mes Take it and geue it for me and the. With this dede Iesus both shewed his power wherby he was subiect to no maÌ„ his modestie wherby he would geue place vnto theÌ„ whoÌ„ it is not mete to stirre or prouoke for a thing of litle value to be set nothyng by For he that can geue after that sorte is greater than he that ought to geue and yet when he geueth that he ought not he teacheth that it is better sumtime for to geue ouer thy right then to striue for thy right with them that be froward chiefly in those thinges whiche diminishe thy substaunce but hurt nothyng godlynes The worlde hath his ordre which must not be troubled in no case by occasion of libertie of the ghospell ¶ The .xviii. Chapter ¶ At the same tyme came the disciples vnto Iesus saiyng Who is the greatteste in the kyngdome of heauen Iesus called a chylde vnto hym â–ª and set hym in the middest of them saiyng Uerelye I saye vnto you excepte ye tourne and becum as chyldren ye shall not entre into the kyngdome of heauen Whosoeuer therefore humbleth hymselfe as this chylde thesame is greatest in the kyngdome of heauen And whoso receyueth suche a childe in my name receyueth me But whoso offendeth one of these litlennes whiche beleue on me it wer better for him that a milstone wee hanged about his necke and that he wer drowned in the depe of the sea Woe to the world because of offences Necessary it is that offences cum but woe vnto the man by whome the offence cummeth AFter that these thynges were thus doen there entered into the myndes of thapostles a certain worldlye affeccion and a prycke of enuy and ambicion They hearde of the kingdome of heauen they sawe three Apostles led a parte into the mountayne they heard that the keyes of the kingdome of heauen were delyuered vnto Peter and that it was sayde vnto hym blessed art thou Symon Bariona and vpon this stone I wyll buylde my churche they saw him talkyng with their maister of certain thynges bothe familiarely and boldely and euen now they sawe hym preferred before thother Apostles in paimeÌ„t of tribute and in maner made equall vnto Christe therfore they sumwhat enuied Peter vnto whome the principalitie of the kyngdom of heauen semed to be appoynted where as he was yonger in yeares Therefore they go vnto Iesus and demaunde who shoulde be chyefe in the kyngdome of heauen For yet they dreamed vpon such certaine dignities as we see in princes courtes But Iesus to plucke this affeccion vtterlye out of theyr myndes called to hym a certayn child and sette hym in the middes of his disciples a litle one and yet farre from all affeccions of ambicion and enuie simple pure and liuyng after the onely course of nature Be ye sure of this ê™ he vnles a man be wholy chaunged and cast away vtterly all suche affeccions and be transformed into the fashion simplicitie of this chyld he shal not once be receiued into the kyngdom of heauen So that in no wyse preeminence and soueraintie ought ambiciously to be desyred Wherfore whoso doth submit himself and becum lyke vnto this babe in that he humbleth himself to be as the least of all he shal be greatest in the kingdome of heauen For whoso through modestie and sobrenes maketh hymselfe as leaste thesame is greatest in vertue Princes loue them that be lyke vnto them and amonge them is he most estemed that preferreth hiÌ„self before others I delight in my lyke In courtes of this world the prince thinketh it to redound vnto his rebuke if a man vse any of his nobles coÌ„tumeliously he taketh the gentilnes to be bestowed vpon hymself whiche is bestowed vpoÌ„ them But the fauour of true simple and humble meÌ„ is so great with me that whosoeuer receiueth any one of these for my sake I would it should be counted as done to my self euen as though he receiued me Contrariwise whoso hurreth or offeÌ„deth any one of these litle ones which trust in me and depend wholy vpoÌ„ me he shal be more greuously punyshed than if he should be drouned in the depe sea with a milstone at his necke For what is more wicked than to offend theÌ„ which beare to no man yll wyll whiche enuie no man which prefer themselues aboue no man whiche loue all men indifferently But alas woe be to the worlde for offendyng and greuyng of like litle ones The frowardnes of menne is cause that offences must nedes chaunce There shal be men whiche stirred vp with ennie and hatred wil persecute them that doe for them wyll say yll by them that wysh them well will kill them that bring euerlastyng health And truly these offences and griefes shal profit them that shal suffer them yea they shal be profitable to all the world But yet it shall turne hym to displeasure thorough whose defaulte this offence shall rise Wherfore if thy hand or thy foote hinder the cut it of and cast it from the. It is better for the to enter into lyfe halt or maymed â–ª rather then thou shouldest hauing two handes or two feete be cast into euerlastyng fyer And if thyne iye
offend the plucke it out and cast it from the. It is better for thee to enter into life with one iye rather than hauing two iyes to be cast into hel â—yer Take hede that ye dispise not one of these litle ones For I say vnto you that in heaueÌ„ theyr aungels do alwayes behold the face of my father whiche is in heauen Therfore they that desire to enter into the kingdom of heauen let them diligently auoid the offences griefes of litle ones but rather let theÌ„ helpe one an other And it is not ynough to beware that a man offend not another but also to take hede that he offend not himself For then they be offeÌ„ces in dede whan a man is an offence vnto himself Therfore let not affeccion be so dere vnto any man but that forthwith it be cut of yf it be an offence and a lette to hym that hasteth to the kingdom of heauen In so muche that if thy hande or thy foote that is to say a membre most necessary be offeÌ„siue vnto the it must be cut of and cast away For it is better for thee to be receiued into the life euerlasting maimed or lame than with perfit handes and feete to be cast into euerlasting fier The iye is not onely a necessary membre to be vsed but also very pleasaunt vnto man And yet in case it offend the plucke it out and cast it away It is better for the to be receiued into euerlasting life with one iye than to be cast hedlong into hell fyer with both iyes perfect and whole But Iesus speakyng thus meant not that any membre of the body should be cut of but that all affeccions should be cut of whiche withdraw vs froÌ„ the care of euerlastyng saluacion For a frend whom thou canst vneth forbeare is as it wer a mans hand Thy father vpoÌ„ whom thou staiest is thy fote thy wife or thy child whom thou louest teÌ„derly is thine iye Therfore as there is nothing that ought to be so precious and nothing that ought so highly to be estemed of man wherby he ought to be withdrawen froÌ„ the kingdom of heaueÌ„ so no man be he neuer so poore so base and humble ought to be despised but holpen rather to cum forward to better and better Ye haue an example see therefore that ye despise none of these litle ones Although with the world they be abiectes yet with God they be greatly regarded For this I tel you certainly angels which as their ministers haue charge of them do continually behold the face of the father whiche is in heauen Hereof ye may esteme how muche they be regarded with God sith he hath appoynted them suche kepers and guides They be yet rude and rawe they may fall they maye be deceyued but their simplicitie is worthy helpe and not punishement ¶ For the sonne of man is cum to saâ—e that whiche was loste what thinke ye if a man hathe a hundred shepe and one of them be gone astray doth he not leaue .xcix. in the mountaines goeth and seketh it that was gone astray And if he chaunce to find it verely I say vnto you he reioyceth more of that shepe than of nintie and nine which weÌ„t not astray EueÌ„ so it is not the will of your father in heauen that one of these litle ones should perish For the sonne of man came not into the erth to destroy any man but what in him is to saue al meÌ„ But many wil not be saued and persecute him which is willing to saue These be they whom the worlde hath in great veneracioÌ„ They be hygh in autoritie they be mighty with ryches they seme to excel in learnyng they be commended and set forth with a certaine marueylous couÌ„terfeityng and colour of false holynes Truely suche must not be prouoked willynglye but muste be despised stoutely yf they fearyng lest their owne power decay oppresse the power of god if they sekyng their own glory enuye the glory of the ghospell yf they folowyng theyr lucre be agaynst the profytes of all men yf they boastyng theyr vayne learnyng do corrupt the doctrine of the ghospel if vnder the pretence of false religion they go about to extinct true religion yf they wexe fyerce and cruel by benefites and good turnes These maner of men must thanke themselfes for their owne destruccion But this ought to be our study and endeuour that we suffer none to perish of these litle and weake ones which so do erre that they be in the way of recouery beyng more lyke to shepe than woulfes Coniecture by your selfes what great care the father whiche is naturally good doeth take leste anye man should peryshe whom he made to the entente they shoulde bee blessed For yf there be a true and faythfull sheapherd lorde ouer an hundred shepe and one should be lost of so great a noumbre would he not leaue the nintie nine in the hylles and seke her which is wandered from the flocke and is so greued with the lack of one lost shepe that he would put the whole flock besyde in daunger And if he should chaunce to finde her certainly I saye vnto you that he wil reioyce more for that one gotten again than for al the other whiche wer not lost Wherfore if a man beyng a shepherd beare such affeccion toward his flock which he doth possesse only but created not how much more is it my fathers wyl whiche is in heauen that none of these litle ones whom he hath created should perishe whom he regardeth so that he hathe apoynted his aungels to the kepyng of them and hath bestowed his onelye sonne to call them to saluacion ¶ Moreouer yf thy brother trespasse against the goe and tell hym his faulte betwene hym and thee alone If he heare thee thou hast wonne thy brother if he heare thee not take with thee one or two that in the mouthe of two or thre witnesses euery matter may be establyshed If he heare not them tell it vnto the congregacion If he heare not the congregacion let hym be vnto thee as in Heathen man and as a Publican Uerely I sa yt vnto you whatsoeuer ye bynd in earth shal be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer ye loce on earth shal be loced in heaueÌ„ Agayn I say vnto you that if two of you agree in earth vpon any maner of thyng whatsoeuer they desyre they shall haue iâ— of my father whiche is in heauen For where two or thre are gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them Therfore away with offences from your coÌ„pany which breake brotherly peace but let there be mutual charitie wherby ye may louingly helpe and heale others faultes if any chaunce and the way to heale shal be this If thy brother do any thing against the which is worthy to be loked vpon lepe not out forthwith to vengeaunce neyther agayn suffer hym not by thy silence to be lost whiles that he
aunswered in this maner why callest thou me good or why doest thou aske me of good But yet if thou desirest to be receiued vnto the eternall lyfe kepe the commaundementes And whan the yong maÌ„ asked what the commaundementes were for he had heard hym teache that the preceptes of Moses lawe bee not enough to obteyne the kyngdome of heauen Iesus to plucke awaye from all men the truste of the lawe aunswered Thou shalt not kyll thou shalt not commit aduoutrye Thou shalte not steale Thou shalt not beare false witnesse Honoure thy father and mother and loue thy neyghbour as thy selfe Than the yong manne beyng sumwhat chered sayd All these haue I kept from my chyldehode what lacke I besyde He loked that Iesus should haue aunswered him Thou lackeste nothyng But the Lord shewyng what difference there was betwene the Iewishe righteousnesse and the righteousnesse of the ghospel betwene a good Iewe and a good Christian manne sayed If thou wylte be perfecte goe and sell all that thou haste and geue the money to the poore thou shalt not lese thy money though it be dispersed among many So to disperse it is to laye it vp For in the stede of worldly riches thou shalte haue a better treasure in heauen When thou hast doen this beyng now at libertie and dispatched of all heauy cariage bare and pore cum and folow me beyng also bare and poore When Iesus sayth yf thou wylt he shewed that it was a great matter but he added â—he rewarde Thou shalte haue a treasure in heauen Anon he moued hym to the loue of perfecte godlinesse Cum folow me Whan the yong man heard this communicacion he wente awaye with a discouraged and heauye mynde because he was a Lorde of muche possessions and he thought it hard to leaue theÌ„ all at once He desired to get euerlasting lyfe he desired the honour of perfeccion but the thornes of richesse ouerwhelmed choked this affeccion whiche was a good seede Therfore he departed home heuily not vnderstanding that Iesus did not condemne riches but the affeccion and loue and carefulnes of riches to which they caÌ„ scarcely be any lesse then bonde that haue them And he woulde not that alwaies they shoulde be forsaken but yet alwayes set lyttell by yea and forsaken also yf they at any tyme withdrawe vs from the loue of the ghospell ¶ Than Iesus sayth vnto his disciples verelye I saye vnto you it shall bee harde for the ryche to enter into the kingdome of heauen And agayne I saye vnto you it is easier for a Camell to go thorough the iye of a nedle than for the ryche to enter into the kyngdome of God Whan the disciples heard this they were excedyngly amased saiyng who than can bee saued But Iesus beheld them and sayed vnto them with men this is vnpossible but with god all thynges are possible Whan the yong man was gone Iesus tournyng to his disciples for he shewed this sight for them because they shoulde at no tyme repente them of their pouertie nor bee entangled with the loue of moneye howe harde a thyng it is ê™ he for a ryche manne to enter into the kyngdome of heauen Signifiyng that the desyre of moneye and the desyre of the Euangelicall phylosophye hardely agree together because the one requireth the whole man the other taketh vnto it almost the greatest part of maÌ„ And to make the difficultie of the thing the greater his disciples musing muche he said more Yea ê™ he I say more vnto you It is more easy for a Camel to go through the iye of a nedle than for a riche man to enter into the kyngdome of heauen For the gate is lowe and straight it receiueth no Camels laden with burdens of rychesse For so he reproued the couetous riche men vnto whom riches be rather a burden than profit which they beare for others rather thaÌ„ for themselfes This saying because it was not well vnderstande of the Apostels put in their myndes a certayne heauynesse because they were sory that so many men for riches sake should be shut out from the kyngdome of heauen Therfore whan the disciples maruayled muche what it shoulde meane that Iesus spake of the Camell and the iye of the nedle they aske him If it be so who than can be saued For howe many men are there whiche can cast awaye the ryches that they haue or not wysh for them yf they haue none But Iesus beholdyng them to thintent he would asswage the heauines that they had conceyued in their mynde declareth that there is sum hope for ryche menne also to cumme to the kingdome of heauen To men ê™ he this is impossible nolesse than for a Camell to goe through the iye of a nedle but to God nothinge is impossible Onely he chaungeth the myndes of ryche men that they wyll cherefully eyther cast awaye that whiche they do possesse or els possesse theÌ„ as coÌ„mon and not proper euen ready to â—aue them yf the matter of the ghospell at any tyme require the same For why should it greue them to despise ryches whom it greueth not to bestowe theyr lyfe ¶ Than aunswered Peter and sayed vnto him â–ª Beholde we haue forsaken all folowed the â–ª what shall we haue therfore Iesus sayed vnto them Uerely I saye vnto you that whan the sonne of manne shall sitte in the seate of his maiestie ye that haue folowed me in there generacion shal sit also vpon twelue seates and iudge the twelue tribes of Israel And euery one that forsaketh house or brethren or systers or father or mother or wyfe or children or landes for my name sake shall receyue an hundred folde and shall â—nheriâ—e euerlastyng life but many that are firste shall be last and the last shal be firste This communicacion whiche Iesus had with the yonge man sell that thou hast and folow me made Peter to haue sum good hope whiche although he wer not riche yet that that he had he left it cherefullye bothe his shyppe and his nettes and folowed the Lorde Lorde ê™ he beholde we haue doen that that thou requyredst of the yonge man we haue lefte all thynges and folowe the what rewarde shall we haue therfore But Iesus willing to shewe that this highe prayse was not offered to riche men onelye but also to poore men whiche gladly forsake whatsoeuer they haue for the gospell sake for as much as this vertue is more estemed of thaffeccion of the leauer than of the greatenes of the thyng that is left did not reiecte the saying of Peter although it was to high and stoute for so symple a matter but teachyng that no small rewarde shall be rendered for such small thinges lefte of and forsaken with a good will sayethe This I warraunte you that ye whiche haue forsaken nothyng for my sake but your boates and your nettes but yet with suche a will that ye would haue forsaken very greate richesse for my
sake and hither to you beeynge bare and poore haue folowed me lykewyse bare and poore if ye perseuer and continue in the worlde to cum when the dead shall ryse and euerye man shall receyue rewarde after his desertes and whan that the sonne of maÌ„ his humilite that ye nowe see set aparte shal sitte in the seate of his maiestie ye fysshers than beyng partakers of honor whiche are nowe partakers of afâ—iccions shall sit in twelue seates and shall iudge the twelue trybes of Israel because they cumming of the same stocke hauyng knowledge of the same lawe prouoked with the same miracles and benefytes yet by no meanes coulde be brought to beleue whereas ye meane persones and vnlerned by and by at my simple bidding haue lefte yea those thinges whereby ye susteyned your life And this rewarde shal not be yours onelye but whosoeuer for the profession of my name forsaketh his house his brothers or sisters his father or mother his wyfe or chyldren his landes or anye other possession he shall not lose that whiche he lefte for my sake insomuche that he shall haue a greate gayne therby For in this worlde he shall receyue an hundred folde for the thinges that he hath lefte and in the tyme of resurreccion he shall possesse euerlastyng life For in the stede of the thinges that he hath left the whiche bee casuall and vyle possessions he shall possesse here in the meane tyme that precious Margaryte of the euangelicall mynde whiche is to be estemed and compared with no marchandise of this worlde In the stede of one house that ye haue left the doctrine of the ghospell shall make open vnto you a numbre of houses thorough out the worlde For one piece of grounde manye groundes shall serue your necessities for one father or mother ye shall haue so manye as there shal be olde men and olde women whiche ye shall conuert vnto the ghospell Ye shall haue so many brothers systers sonnes and daughters as your equals or yongers shal be whiche by your prechyng ye shall bryng to euerlasting life These shall geue vnto you euery where of theyr owne accorde yf ye shall neede anye thyng and theyr affections shall far passe thaffeccions of theÌ„ whom onely kinred of bloud hath ioyned vnto vs. For the kinred of the felowship of the ghospell is more nere than fleshly affinitie and they loue more vehementlie whom godlines hath coupled together than they whom carnall byrth hath ioyned together Unto this great rewarde that shal be added also whiche is the greatest of all that for thynges whiche shortely shall perishe ye shall possesse euerlastyng life I say not this that the profession of the ghospell doth teach vs to despyse them whom nature hath ioyned vnto vs but suche maner of affeccions muste be neglected as often as they withdrawe vs from euerlasting saluacion This great felicitie is set furth indifferently to all men There is no difference of fortune condicion age or person But in this estimacion and iudgement which shal be made of God the equall iudge many shal be last whiche seme nowe to be first Contrariwise many whiche seme now vile and of no reputacion with men shal there be counted chiefe There shal be preferred a common woman before a Scribe a Publican before a Pharisie an heathen before a Iewe a poore manne before a ryche a plough manne before a king and they that semed nexte to the kyngdome of heauen shall enter in last and they that semed farre of shall enter in firste The heathen men throughe fayth shall goe before the Sinagoge through vnbelefe shal be set besyde ¶ The .xx. Chapiter For the kingdome of heauen is like to a man that is an householder whiche went out earely in the morning to hyre labourers into his vineyarde And whan the bargayne was made with the laborers for a denary a daie he sent them into his vineyarde And he wente out about the thirde houre and sawe other standyng ydle in the market place and sayed vnto them go ye also into the vineyarde And whatsoeuer is right I will geue vnto you And they went theyr waye Agayne he went out about the sixte and ninthe houre and did lykewyse And â—bout the eleuenth houre he went out and founde other standing ydle and sayed vnto them why stande ye here all the daye idle They say vnto him because no man hath hâ—ted vs. He sayeth vnto them go ye also into the vineyarde and whatsoeuer is right that ye shall receyue ANd because it semed a darke riddell that he spake concerninge the first and the last he declareth the thing that he spake with a parable whereby he sheweth that men were called to the keping or obseruing of righteousnes in diuers ages and yet al the seruauntes of righteousnes haue one and the same rewarde of euerlasting saluacion so that they whiche be called labour diligently in the vineyarde of righteousnes For they haue no lesse whiche be called in the time of Christ than they whiche be called in the time of Abraham or Moyses or Dauid And they haue no lesse whiche be called and drawen to the seruice of the gospell being aged than they whith be children or yong men The one and the same denary and rewarde of euerlasting lyfe is geuen vnto them al. And yet they yâ— came late seme to haue greater honour by this that the liberalitie of the lorde maketh them equall to them whyche came before The Iewes were firste called but yet the Gentiles called afterwarde be not onelye made equall vnto them but also preferred before the vnbeleuing Iewes The parable is after this sorte The kingdom of heaueÌ„ ê™ he is like vnto an householder whyche wente abrode earely in the mornynge to hier workemen into his vineyarde And getting certayne and bargayning with them that they shoulde haue eche of them a denary a piece for theyr dayes worke sent them into his vineyarde He wente out agayne aboute three of the clocke and when â—e same certayne stande idle in the markete saide vnto them go ye also into my vineyard and I shall geue you that shall be mete He went oute agayne about sixe of the cloke and agayne aboute nine and did likewyse as he did at one and three of the clocke Againe going out aboute three of the clocke towarde night he founde certayne other in the market to whome he sayed why stande where all day idle They saye because no man hath hired vs. He sayeth to them go ye also into my vineyard ¶ So whan euen was cum â–ª the lorde of the vyneyard sayeth vnto his stewarde Call the laborers and geue them theyr â—yer beginning at the laste vntill the fyrste But whan they did cum that came about the eleuenth houre they receyued euery man a denary And whan the firste came also they supposed that they shoulde haue receyued more and they also receyued euery 〈◊〉 a denarie And whan they had receyuyd it they murmured against the householder
your selues neither suffer ye them that come to enter in After these Iesus turnyng to the Scribes and Phariseis inueyeth and speaketh against theyr malice openly and very frankly thretnyng them with the vengeaunce of God that eyther they might repent for shame or els might turne to better for feare of punishment and the couÌ„terfeityng of holines set aparte might beginne to be the seruauntes of the euangelicall godlynes Woe be to you ê™ he ye Scribes and Phariseis Hipocrites who professyng the knowlege of the lawe and therfore in maner kepe the keyes of the kyngdome of heauen ye do not onely not enter your selues â–ª but ye shut the doores against them that would come in vnto whom ye ought to open the doores and ye resiste them that be in a redinesse of themselfe whom yf they were slacke ye ought to pricke forwarde For whereas ye see that the lyght of the ghospell is nowe present yet for your glory and for your auauntage ye kepe the people in the shadowes of the lawe excludyng them from the trueth Woe vnto you Scribes and Phariseis Hipocrites For ye deuout widowes houses and that vnder a pretence of long prayer Therfore shall ye he the more greuously puâ—ished Woe be to you Scribes and Phariseis Hipocrites who vnder the colour of religion deuour wydowes houses whom ye deceyue with a false cloke of holynes For ye counterfeyte long prayer openly wheras your myndes in the meane time loke for naught els but for a praye of the folyshe women whiche styll beleue that in the meane season ye talke with God ¶ Woe be vnto you Scribes and Phariseis Hipocrites for ye wander about the sea and lande to make one prosâ—lite and when he is become one ye make hym two folde more the chyldâ— of hell than ye your selues are Woe be to you Scribes and Phariseis Hipocrites because ye walke about the landes and seas to intice sum one of the Gentiles to the profession of the lawe who whan he is brought in with hope to learne the lawe is brought in suche case through your supersticiouse doctrine and peruerse maners that he is not only not made a pure wurshipper of God and heyre of the kyngdom of heauen but also a more wicked Iewe then he was beyng heathen and more in daunger of hell than ye be For it cummeth to passe in maner that the scholers oftentymes passe theyr naughtie masters Woe be to you ye blynde guides For ye saye Whosoeuer swereth by the temple it is nothyng but whosoeuer sweareth by the gold of the temple he is giltie Ye fooles and blinde For whither is greater the golde or the temple that sanctifieth the golde And whosoeuer sweareth by the aulter it is nothyng but whosoeuer swereth by the gyft that is vpon it he is giltie Ye fooles and blinde For whether is greater the gyft or the aulter which sanctifieth the gyft Whoso therfore swereth by the aulter swereth by it and by al thinges that are vpon it And whosoeuer swereth by the temple swereth by it and by him that dwelleth in it And whoso swereth by heauen swereth by the seate of God and by hym that sitteth vpon it Woe be to you ye blynde guydes whiche take vpon you to be teachers and knowe not what ye teache swaruing from the scope and ende of the lawe and wresting all thing to no other ende but to your owne lucre For ye saye whosoeuer swereth by the temple of the lorde is not bounde by his othe but whoso sweareth by the golde that is in the temple he is bounde by his othe lesse esteming through a corrupt iudgemeÌ„t those thinges that be holy of themselfe than those thinges that make for your auarice Or els ye folyshe and blynde aunswere me whiche is holyer the golde that doeth garnyshe the temple and is turned to your lucre and into matter of your excesse and riote or the temple it selfe whose holynes causeth that the golde being prophane in other places is there counted holy Also ye saye he that swereth by the aulter is not bound by religion but he that swereth by the gyft that is sette vpon the aulter is bound by his othe O blynde teachers for whether ought more to be estemed the gyft or the aulter whiche sanctifieth the gyft For the gyft is holy by no nother meanes but because it is set vpoÌ„ the holy aulter And here through corrupte iudgemente ye wyll haue the gyftes estemed holyer than the aulter because they turne to your profite whereas the temple and the aulter be buylte to the wurship and glory of God whiche ye lytle regarde With these your inuencions what els do ye but subuerte the lawe of God whiche forbiddeth all periury For lyke as by a glosse ye subuerte the commaundement of the honoryng of father and mother so here ye teache periury It were high perfeccion vtterly not to sweare but yet whosoeuer swereth by any thyng whiche is estemed holy with him to whom he swereth he is periured vnlesse that he doth perfourme his othe Whosoeuer swereth by the aulter swereth also by the thinges that be on the aulter So whosoeuer swereth by the temple swereth also by God who dwelleth in the temple Whosoeuer swereth by heauen swereth by the seate of God and so it foloweth that he swereth by hym that sitteth in it whosoeuer swereth by an other mannes head swereth by a thyng consecrate vnto God wherof he that swereth hath no power Woe vnto you Scribes and Phariseis Hipocrites For ye byeth mynte and anyse and cummyn and haue left the weyghtier matters of the lawe Iudgement mercy and fayth These thinges ye ought to haue done but not to leaue the other vndone Ye blinde guides whiche streygne out a gnat and swallowe a camell Woe be to you Scrybes and Phariseis Hipocrites whiche do exacte the leste thynges that pertayne vnto your gayne whiche make but lytle vnto true godlynes ye be so supersticiouse in requiring of tythes that ye wyll geather your tythes of herbes of moste vyle pryce in estimacion as of Mynte Rue Anyse and Cummyne and in the meane season ye sette lytle by those thynges that be of moste value and whereupon dependeth true iustice that is to say iudgement mercy and faith iudgement that ye do iniury to no man mercy that ye helpe the oppressed and nedy Faith that ye deceiue no man with periury These thinges the lawe so requireth that it would haue them chiefly regarded where as for the other thynges the lawe added them as of lesse value because of the other Therfore these thinges firste of all ought to be regarded ernestly syth it was thought good that those small thynges should not be omitted If ye obserued kept all thinges to the vttermost it might appeare a religion nowe for as muche as ye let passe these thinges without which there is no righteousnesse and care for those thinges which be light and litle worthe it is hypocrisie not religion yea the destruccion of religion
wildernesse Suche as goe about to get a name and gaynes by iugglyng castes and woorkyng of Magicall miracles desyer to be in those cities whereas moste haunt and resorte of people is But oure sauiour Iesus in that he ofte tymes shunneth muche assembly of people plainly teacheth vs what we ought to do He that is able to worke the miracles of the gospell doeth not so muche desyer the great multitude as the feruent mynde and affeccion of beholders In great cities many resorted vnto hym for this purpose only to delite their iyes with newe and straunge sightes No man foloweth Iesus into the wyldernesse vnlesse he long after hym with a certaine vehement desire and affeccion He that forgoeth al pleasures of good tounes and foloweth Christ thorow rough and cumberous places foloweth hym to his great commoditie For he that loueth hym vnfaynedly doeth in all thinges folowe hym whome he loueth through reproche hungre despoylyng of substauÌ„ce banishmeÌ„t imprisonment tourmentes and death And suche folowers of Christ were figured by those that came flockyng out of all countreis and partes of Galile vnto Iesu who kept hymselfe close in desert and solitary places The .ij. Chapter BUT whithersoeuer a man flieth vertue hath euer her fame and glory folowyng her euen as the shadow foloweth the body For he that is vnfainedly good caÌ„ neuer be but one maner of man and lyke himselfe And as there is alwayes light whithersoeuer the body of the suÌ„ne remoueth euen so to what place soeuer true godlinesse remoueth there is alwayes great resort of people Now wildernesse was no longer wildernesse after the lorde Iesus the true light of this world was gon thither And yet the persone in whome is the power to worke the myracles of the ghospell ceaseth not asmuche as in him lyeth to auoyde such places wheras muche people is assembled to beholde hym for that he knoweth certainly what a perilous vice vainglory is Neuerthelesse the feruent desyre he hath to helpe and do all men good doeth oftimes cause hym though it be againste his nature to haue recourse thither againe And by this meanes cummeth it to passe that whiles the good man is compelled to remoue from place to place the moe receiueth benefite at his handes ¶ After a few dayes also he entred into Capernaum agayne and it was noysed that he was in the house and anon many were gathered together insomuche that now there was no roume to receiue them no not somuche as about the dore He preached the worlde vnto them And there came certaine vnto him bringyng one sicke of the Palsey whiche was borne of fower men And when they could not come nye vnto him for prease they vncouered the roofe of the house that he was in And when they had broken vp the â—oofe they did with â—dâ—des let downe the bed wherin the sicke of the Palsey lay When Iesus sawe their fayth he sayd vnto the sicke of the Palsey sonne thy sinnes be forgeuen thee Wherfore Iesus geuyng vs ensample bothe to flye vayne glory and also continually to doe good to our euen christen within fewe dayes after returned agayne to Capernaum from whence he semed to be dryuen away before by reason of the great importunitie of the people whiche euen in the night tyme lay about the gates of the house wherin he soiourned For as he made Bethleem muche renoumed by his byrthe and Nazareth very famous by his educacion and the countrey of Egypt happy because he fled thyther for his preseruacion and safegarde so did he as it were adopte and choose Capernaum to be his countrey bothe by his ofte tarrying there and also by shewyng of many fayer miracles in the same He came agayn hyther in maner by stealth and fyrste kepte hymselfe secrete in a house before it was knowen in the citye that he was cum But as the Sunne can not be hyd so the Lorde Iesus can not be kept close and secret The rumour whiche as it is commonly seen rose of a few persons had now bloweÌ„ abrode throughout the whole citie that Iesus was in the house And furthwith thither flocked suche a multitude of people that all the house was fylled and not onely that but also the porche and al the places about the dore were not sufficient to receiue them It is a blessed house whither Iesus is cum to dwell and neuer departeth thence agaynt That house is the churche For Capernaum beareth the figure of the whole worlde wheresoeuer the Gentyles inhabite Certes at Ierusalem the Iewes cast Iesus out of the temple and among the Gentiles the kyngdome of heauen suffereth violence and the multitude of all sortes of people entreth into it after a certaine forcible fashion The Christian Nouices sitte aboute the gates greatly desyring to be admitted into the Lordes house muche houngryng and thirstyng after the rightuousnes of the kyngdom of heauen And verily Iesus excludeth no manne from this house neyther poore nor ryche whole nor sycke so that he haue a vehement desyre to heare hym Wherefore the Lorde teachyng vs that we ought alwayes chyeflye to care for our soule health and afterwarde for our bodies fyrste of all ministred vnto them the doctrine of the ghospell wherwith the diseases and maladies of the soule are cured For this cause such as are disposed to geue almes to the poore do very well yf they geue them fyrste a bryefe exhortacion that maye make them the better in mynde and soule and then departe with theyr charitie For the common sort of people be of suche a disordered iudgement that they are more desyrous of those thynges whiche are expedient for the body then of those that pertayne to theyr soule health The lord euidently declared vnto vs by his ensample that our chiefe care oughte to be for that parte whiche is the chiefeste parte or porcion of man in that he fyrste taught and then by and by healed suche as were diseased Nowe whyles Iesus was teachyng and busye about curyng the diseases of theyr soules there came vnto hym certain men bringyng with theim one that was sycke of a Palsey whose synowes were so resolued in all partes of his body through the violence of the disease that he could not styrre out of his bed but was fayne to be caried thither vpon fower mennes shoulders Here hast thou plainly set out the very ymage and fygure of a minde whiche is by worldly lustes and desyres made so womanlyke and dissolute that it can in no wise lift vp it selfe to doe any thyng that is good godly but lyeth styl in the bedde of lowe and filthy cares and neuer remembreth any thyng that is hygh or celestiall Nowe when they sawe howe they coulde not for prease of people that sate so thicke about the gate and porche bryng this sycke man to the sight of Iesus they lifted hym vp vpon the house and after they had remoued the slates and made a way in they let hym doune bed and all
returned to Iesus the heade of the whole busynesse All thynges procede from him and to hym all thynges must be referred From hym after they had receyued their commission they departed al of one mynde and accorde to th enteÌ„t that whatsoeuer it should fortune them to doe they should likewise do it in his name and to hym they returned with semblable concord of myndes desyrous to haue all that they had done by him approued And so at their retourning they recouÌ„ted vnto him the whole historye and processe of theyr legacion seuerally rehearsyng euery thyng that they hadde taught and done with greate ioye and gladnes and shewing also howe the matter had successe euen as themselfes desyred The Lorde after he had alowed theyr syncere faythe but yet restrayned them from glorying or reioycing in their actes toke them awaye with hym into a solitary place which was the wildernesse of the towne of Bethsaida to th entent that after theyr great trauaile and laboure they should there reste a whyle and sumwhat refresh themselfes This goyng aparte into wyldernes was not for recreacion and pastyme but because they should quicken and renewe the strength of the spirite by secrete contemplacion and prayer that they myghte bee the more able to sustayne suche trauayles and paynes as they should soone after be put vnto afreshe For the teacher of the gospell must very little care for the body Moreouer for as muche as he that exerciseth the office of an apostle or preacher of goddes worde is compelled to haue to do both with weake strong with learned and vnlearned with good and bad it can not be chosen but he muste other whiles be greatly wrasted from that perfite quietnesse and tranquillitie of mynde And whensoeuer it so chaunceth then must he seuer his mynde from worldly matters and wholly geue hymselfe to secrete and most deuout prayers and to purest contemplacion of heauenly thynges that beyng made stronger in spirite therby he maye soone after returne from this his godlye meditacion to the helpe and comforte of his euen Christen For vnto the place where as at that season they found the lorde Iesu there resorted an vnnumerable multitude of people so that it semed as it had bene an ebbing and flowyng of cummers and goers the whiche would suffer the Apostles being then weary by reason of theyr iourney to take no reste no not so muche as to eate their meat Wherfore after the people were sent away they toke shippe and sayled to the syde nighe to Bethsaida from thence went with the Lorde into a solitary place But neyther chaunced it them here long to kepe themselfes close and secrete For the light of the â—angelike veritie can in no wyse be hydde This going aparte did nothing els but make the people more gredy to folowe them Some there were who diligently marked whyther they weÌ„t that is howe they toke their gate to the wyldernesse marchyng on the citie of Bethsaida and byanby as it was noysed abrode that Christe woulde make hys abode there a great multitude of all sortes of people resorted thyther a foote out of all the tounes there aboutes who made so good spede in their iourney that many of them came thyther soner a foote then Christ and his disciples whiche had the vauntage of the water A manne would haue sayde that the tyme had bene alredy present when the people woulde goe about forcibly to enter into the kyngdome of heauen When Iesu perceyued howe an vnnumerable multitude of people was assembled together whiche had with very muche payne and difficultie trauayled thyther a foote so true is it that he gate him not out of the waye nor commaunded them to departe for theyr importunacie that he came out of the secrete place where he was in manoure to meete them goyng about to teache his disciples by sundrye wayes and meanes howe they should at all tymes be willing ready to set forth the gospell And so when the moste gracious Lorde Iesus came forth sawe a very great but a confuse rablement of all sortes of people for there were men wemen children he was moned with compassion and shewed with iyes countenaunce as we commonly say euen with the verye forehead an vnfayned sorowe of mynde fashionyng thaffeccion that ought to be in him who is a teacher of the gospell The people thirsted after holsome doctrine And that was plainlye declared both by the quicke spede they made and also by the paynes they toke in their iourney Loue made theim swifte of foote But they were as it had been a sort of shepe wandring hither and thither for lacke of a good shepheard For the Priestes Phariseis and Scribes nothing regarding theyr flocke fed their owne belyes Therfore Iesus takyng compassion on these simple and disordered people began to exercise thoffice of a faythfull shepheard Firste of al he refreshed theyr myndes with great aboundaunce of the meate of holye doctrine and then immediatly healed the sycke folkes whom they brought with them ¶ And when the day was nowe far spente his disciples came vnto him saying this is a deserte place and now the tyme is farre passed let them departe that they maye goe into the countreye round about and into the townes and bye them bread for they haue nothing to eate he answered and sayd vnto them gâ—ue ye them to â—ate And they sayd vnto hym shall we go and bye two hundreth peny worth of bread and geue them to eate He saied vnto theÌ„ howe manye loaues haue ye â–ª go and loke And wheÌ„ they had searched they sayd fiue and two fyshes And he commauÌ„ded them to make them all sitte doune by companies vpoÌ„ the greue grasse And they saâ—e doune here a rowe and there a rowe by hundredes and by fiftyes And when he had taken the fiue loaues and the two fishes and loked vp to heauen he blessed and brake the loaues and gaue them to his disciples to set before them and the two fishes deuided he among them all And they all dyd eate and were satisfyed and they toake vp twelue baskettes full therof and of the fyshes And they that dyd eate were about fyue thousand men After that muche tyme was spent herein and now the thing it selfe gaue a watche worde that the multitude had lykewise nede to be fedde with corporall foode the disciples folowing the mercy and pitiefulnesse of their Maister aduertised him therof saying Lorde thou seest how a very great number of people is cum thus far without any vitayles and purueyance And this is a deserte place and meale tyme is past They desyrous to heare thy doctrine forget themselues and can in no wise be seuered from the. Wherfore let them depart to th entent they maye repayre into the countrey and villages nexte here about to by them eates to eate Then Iesus teachyng his disciples how a multitude should be fedde made answere yea do ye rather who shal be shepheardes in tyme
benefites in theyr soules and there digeste the meate whiche they haue receyued who after they be cum home their bodies beyng now as it were well fedde do by good workes doing practise suche thynges as they haue learned ¶ Anon he entred into a ship with his disciples and came into the partes of Dalmanutha And the Phariseis came furth and began to dispute with him sekinge of him a signe from heauen tempting him And when he had sighed in his spirite he saythe why doth this generacion seke a signe Uerely I saye vnto you there shall no signe be giuen vnto this generation And he left them and went into the shippe agayne And departed ouer the water These thynges so doen Iesus forthwith departed thence and hasted an other waye The heardman muste neuer be conuersaunt with his flocke but when it is to be holpen He hath healed the sicke taughte the people and fedde those that were in ieopardy to perishe for hungre After all these benefites stiâ—â— to tarrie with them semeth to bee a pointe of suche a one as loketh for summe thankes or gramercies The necessitie of the multitude whether it be bodily or ghostly is by all manour of meanes to be holpen but the nature of the people is suche that for the least good tournes of all they are wonte to geue moste hartie thankes It is the smallest benefyte that canne be to feede and nourishe the body it is a greater to heale it and the greatest of all to heale and feede the soule with holy doctrine None of them made him a kyng for the doctrine that he preached â–ª the diseases he cured But for meate they gaue him a kyngdome And leste they woulde nowe haue done the like agayne he departed straighte wayes from them and takyng with him his disciples whom he chose because they shoulde alwayes accompanye him he toke ship and so came vnto the coastes and borders of Dalmanutha or Magedan And that the vnbeliefe of the Phariseis may the oftener appeare they came likewyse hither out of theyr countrey not to be healed but to pike quarels For they had enuy at his miracles and enuied also the people whiche were holpen with so manye of his benefytes For this cause they began to reason the mattier with him as though the miracles which he shewed had not been wrought by the heauenly power because they were as they sayed but base and after a common cast Wherfore in case he would haue them being men far aboue the commune sorte and as you would saye heauenlike felowes to beleue in hym they required hym to shewe some signe from heauen as Moyses obteyned Manna from thence and Helye brought to passe by his prayers that fyre sodaynlye discended from thesame place and consumed both the burnt sacrifice and the wood and to be shorte al the water that was in the trenches or cesternes by the altare The Lorde knowing right well that whatsoeuer he had done they would haue had a quarell to him therfore for if there had been any wonderfull signe or token shewed theÌ„ from aboue wheras the princes of darkenesse do raigne they might with much more apparaunce of trueth haue ascribed it vnto Beelzebub then those thynges whiche they saw with theyr iyes hearde with theyr eares and handled with theyr handes chiefly because it is a commune practise among the experte in arte Magike to cause sodayne showers and dasshes of rayne thunder lightnyng hayle and tempest the Lorde I saye perceyuing this sighed in his spirite shewyng thereby how wofull he was for theyr so obstinate vnbeliefe And as though he had been in a fume and chafed with anger spake vnto himselfe on this wife What a froward nacion is this whiche after so manye miracles sene yet neuerthelesse requireth a signe as thoughe she had neuer sene none before Then he tourned him to the Phariseis and sayed Of this one thing I assure you there shall no signe be nowe geuen vnto this nacion the whiche onely to tempt me she requireth from heauen But she shall haue a signe geuen her that she loketh not for from beneath And it shall bee the signe of Ionas For this Ionas after he was swalowed vp the space of three dayes and beleued to haue been dead was deliuered againe out of the whales bely when no man thought it euen so the sonne of man after he hath been hid about thre dayes space in the belly of the earth shall rise vp alyue agayne contrary to all your expectacion and wening When the Phariseis vnderstode not these wordes Iesus departed from them as from desperate persons and retourned vnto the shippe and so passed ouer the water Thus the Lorde Iesus desirous of mannes helth ofte times chaungeth place not seking for sacrifices wherof he had long agoe his fyl but true faith This scarcely found he in the worlde but yet euery where rather then among the priestes Scribes Phariseis and head men of the people So yll doth the faith of the gospel agre with theÌ„ that haue the world at will ¶ And they had forgotten to take bread with them neyther had they in the shippe with them more then one loafe And he charged them saying take hede beware of the leauen of the Phariseis and of the leauen of Herode and they reasoned among them selues saying We haue no bread and Iesus knewe it and sayth vnto them why take ye thought because yeÌ„ haue no bread perceyue ye not per neyther vnderstand haue ye your â—erâ—es yet blynded haue ye â—yes and se not And haue ye cares and heare not Do ye not also remember when I brake fyue loaues among fiue thousande men How many baskettes full of broken meat toke ye vp They sayde vnto hym twelue When I brake seuen among fower thousand how many basketes of the leauing of the broken meate toke ye vp They said seuen And he sayde vnto them howe happeneth it that ye do not vnderstand Here as they sailed the disciples called not to remembraunce how they had forgotten to prouide themselues of breade For they hadde but one loafe with them in the shippe Iesus perceiuing howe they were carelesse by reason of forgetfulnesse and not for the faith they had in him gaue them warning therof and by that meanes caused them to be carefull afreshe Albeit this their carefulnesse came not so muche of distrust as it did of an humaine negligence and forgetfulnesse For hauing theyr myndes wholy fixed vpon the woordes â–ª and deedes of Iesu thei hadde no remembraunce of breade and it was expedient for vs that they so oft tymes forgatte howe a greate numbre of people was suffised with fiue loaues to th entent it shoulde the deplier be fastened in oure mindes howe those personnes shall wante nothyng who with pure harte and mynde continuallye cleaue vnto Christe That shippe is sufficientlye prouided for that hathe in it that one loafe which is Christe Iesus Wherfore his pleasure was to sturre vp this
slayne or els thy life be saued with the losse of thy hande thou wouldest not sticke in this case to choppe of thy hand and so with the losse of one membre were it neuer so necessarie to redeme thy lyfe It were a thyng more to be wished to attayne saluacion with thy parentes and frendes by the ghospell but if that can not be brought to passe then is it muche better for the to forsake thy parentes who doe not onely refuse to be saued themselues but also goe about to bring thee to lyke confusion and so to enter into lyfe euerlasting as a man would say maymed then with thy sayd parentes and frendes to be cast in to hell that is to saye into fyre whiche can neuer be quenched There the worme repentaunce that gnaweth the conscience of the wretched creatures dieth not For they liue onely to theyr tourmente and payne There the fyre wherwith the damned soules are tourmented is neuer put out There shall bothe thy parentes and thou repent but to late and in vayne thou for that thou folowedst theyr vnlawfull affeccions to thine owne damnacion and they because they would not be aduertised by the when thou exhortedst them to saluacion Neither shall their calamitie helpe the nor thy torment any thing release or diminishe theyr payne Moreouer the damnacion of the parent that would not be saued shall not be layed vnto his charge who hastened to doe the busynesse of the gospell Lykewyse after this manour cut of thy foote consydering with thy selfe that it is better for the to cūme halt and lame to lyfe euerlasting then with whole feete to be throwen into hell where neyther the fyre canne be quenched nor the worme dyeth There is nothyng dearer to man then his iye nothyng more pleasaunte then wyfe and chyldren But if thou be brought to this strayte that eyther thou must nedes for theyr pleasure forsake the ghospell and be damned with thē or els forsake them then whome as touchyng worldly affeccion there is nothyng more deare vnto the in this case stycke not to plucke out thyne iye and caste it awaye reckening it to be muche better for the to enter with one iye into the kyngdome of heauen where there is lyfe eternall then to haue both thyne iyes whole and with them to be throwen into the fyre of hell Lette not here the wepyng and waylyng of thy wyfe nor the swete wordes of thy children any whit moue the. They are fooles to wepe because they are forsaken sith they myght haue folowed the if they had would All worldly affeccions muste be set aside when goddes commaundement compelleth it so to be All losses of corporall thinges ought to be counted for gaynes whensoeuer euerlasting lyfe is to be purchased It is no delicate and pleasaunt thing to professe my name Persecucions and worldlye affliccions shall arise on euery syde which maie withdraw you from your purpose But suche as take in hand the ministracion of the gospell muste vanquishe all these thynges He that will be a mete ministre or preacher of the euangelike doctrine muste wholely yelde him selfe to the will of God to th entent he maye in no wise neyther for feare of persecucion nor by reason he is corrupted with any enticementes of fleshely appetites swarue from the pure veritie of gods worde and the gospell ¶ Euery man shall be salted with fyre and euery sacrifice shall be seasoned with salte Salte is good but if the salte be vnsauery what shall ye season therewith Haue salte in your selues and haue peace among your selues one with an other For as no sacrifice after the lawe of Moyses is lawfull saue alonely that whiche is salted eyther with fyre or salte or els with both euen so whosoeuer will professe the phylosophie and doctrine of the ghospell muste nedes be pourged with fyre from all worldly affeccions and be also poudred with salte that he maye in no wyse be corrupted with the infeccion or contagiousnesse of yuell menne Worldly wysdom is vertulesse and vnsauoury and neyther preserueth him that hath it from worldlye corrupcion nor yet is of force to preserue other Nowe must the teacher of the gospell doo both that is to saye bothe fynde the meanes that he be without corrupcion hymselfe and also take awaye thesame from other This canne neither be done by the phylosophers wisedome nor by the Phariseis doctrine but only by the vertue of the euangelike philosophie whiche with the tartenesse of truth byteth awaye and consumeth what thing soeuer is in man in daunger of corrupcion The same thyng doeth also that fyre of the spirite of God whiche lykewyse consumeth all carnall affeccions and purgeth mens soules therof yea and in manour transformeth into God what thing soeuer it hathe once caught in so muche that they whoe were before tyme entangled with the cares of worldlye vanities are nowe thesame vtterly contemned all together rauished with the lone and desyre of heauenly thynges Whoso is seasoned with this salte can by no manour of inticementes be corrupted and fall from the puritie of the spirite of the ghospell He that is pourged with this fyre will despyse whatsoeuer the persecutoure can threaten him withall There is nothing better then fyre yf a man vse it aright nothyng more profitable then salte But yf the fyre be colde if the salte be made vnsauery and vertulesse what then remaineth to season the vnsauerie and symple people with all If they that professe the spirite of the gospell frayed with the threateninges of menne doe forsake theyr profession and for feare of displeasure feede and vpholde with theyr flattery the folye of princes whome theyr dutye had been boldely to rebuke what hope then remayneth If suche as professe the salte of the gospell doe not only not heale the corrupte affeccions of other with the tartenesse of truth but also fall themselfes for theyr parentes and frendes pleasures and because to obtaine earthlye vanities from the hope of the kyngdome of heauen and winne hell expouning and wrestyng the doctrine of the gospell whiche is the greatest offence of all after thaffeccions and lustes of man What then is there left to season mannes folye with all sithe that both thei who ought to haue been the seasoners are theim selues corrupted and the thyng is also tainted whiche onely was left in the worlde to bryng it at one time or an other to amendement Therfore to th entent you maye bothe ouercum cruell persecucions and also contemne all wordly affeccions for the gospels sake and to th entent also you maye bothe prouide for your owne soule healthe and bryng as many as maye be to saluacion lette eche of you haue in him the falte of the gospell Lette there be peace and mutuall amitie among you Salte shall make you without corrupcion and concorde stronge and myghtye Whereas variaunces do raygne there is not the salte of the gospell Where as the vice of ambicion is there is neyther
your hertes if any body haue ought offended you For vnder this condicion shall your father in heauen release you your trespaces If you will not forgeue youre neighboure the fault whiche he hath committed againste you neyther will the father of heauen pardon the offences wherby ye haue trespaced his goodnesse ¶ And they came againe to Ierusalem And as he walked in the temple there came to him the hye priestes and the Scribes â–ª and elders and sayde vnto hym by what authoritie doest thou these thinges And who gaue the this authoritie to do these thinges Iesus answered and sayd vnto them I wil also aske of you a certaine thing and answere ye me and I will tell you by what auctoritie I do these thinges The baptisme of Iohn whether was it from heauen or of man Answere me And they thought in themselues saying yf we saye from heauen he wyll saye why then dyd ye not beleue hym But yf they had sayde of men they feared the people For all men counted Iohn that he was a very prophete And they answered and sayd vnto Iesu we can not tell And Iesus aunswered neyther tell I you by what auctoritie I do these thinges These thinges done on the waye they came againe to Ierusalem and Iesus according to his accustomed manoure went vnto the temple The presence of Iesus in the temple is soule health in the churche Neyther besemeth it suche as are in Christes stede to be any where oftener then in the temple They be in the temple whiche entermeddle with those thinges that pertayne to god and not vnto this worlde What maketh a bishop in a caÌ„pe amoÌ„g warriers what hath he to do in theatres that is to saye in stages places ordayned for the people to behold sightes and enterludes in what maketh he in princes courtes The phariseis Scribes priestes and elders were by bodily presence ofte in the temple but as touching the spirite they were a great waye of Therfore when the hye priestes ioyning vnto them the Scribes and headmen of the people because the matter shoulde seme to be done by a lawfull counsaile sawe howe Iesus had all the multitude in the temple diligently harkening and listening vnto his doctrine and also howe by reason of his miracles he raygned and played the kyng as it had ben in another princes kyngdom for he droue â—ut marchantmen and suche as carried vessels through the temple they went and interrupted hym in his preachyng renuing their olde manoure of false reprouing and saying by what authoritie doest thou these thynges And who hath gyuen the licence thus to do They were not able to disproue his doctrine neyther coulde they denie his miracles being so many and so euident with all nor fynde faute with them sithe he wrought them all for mannes preseruacion and that freely They sought occasion of authoritie whereby they mighte haue some quarell against him For they would not in any wise that this glory should haue been geuen vnto God but all their whole dryft was to haue their owne authoritie euery where highliest estemed If Iesus whome they beleued to be nothing els but a man had taken vpon hym goddes authoritie then would thei by an by haue made a matier of blasphemy of it If not then had there not been to seke a forged matter of sedicion to laye againste hym for that by his owne priuate authoritie without leaue and licence of the priestes and elders he presumed to do suche a thing in the temple What neded them to moue this question of authoritie sith his very dedes declared that all that was done was done by the might and power of God sithe the thyng it selfe plainlye shewed how this was he whom God by his Prophetes promised long ago to cumme sithe the father after his baptisme declared with his owne voyce that this was his singularlye beloued sonne whome they should obeye Nowe the authoritie of the priestes whiche they misused was good for nothing els but to lette gods glorye Howbeit their frowarde wilfulnesse dyd also make muche for the aduauncyng and setting forth of his power and goodnesse Iesus therfore because he was not ignoraunt where about they wente for what aunswere soeuer he had made they would haue found faute ther with and as yet the time was not cum for him to disclose and confesse who he was Iesus I saye auoyded this deceitfull question with another wise demaunde On this condicion sayth he will I make aunswer vnto your question yf you will aunswer me firste vnto mine The baptisme of Iohn whether was it from heauen or of men Soyle me this question Marke howe easlye goddes wysdome snarleth mannes wylinesse whiche vseth all the crafte and policie that maye be againste it They hadde hartes replenished with all worldlye subtiltie they deuised all the gylefull wayes that could be inuented And yet whyles they made traines to entrap hym they perceiued that there were snares prepared and layed for themselues For they thought thus in their mindes If we saye from heauen then will he replie Why dyd you not then beleue him when he bare witnesse of me If we saye of men we stande in ieopardie to be assaulted of the people For Iohn was of very great authoritie among the people and the memorie of him was reputed blessed and holy because no man doubted but he was a prophet in dede And for this cause albeit they were proud felowes and of an haut courage yet thought they it better to be a litle ashamed then openly to be reproued or stoned to death Therfore vnto Iesu who required an aunswere they sayde We cannot tell Then Iesus paying them home againe with a lyke aunswere sayd vnto them If you know not to me warde that ye know neither will I shew you by what authoritie I do these thinges that I do Compare my dedes with Iohns and then waye and ponder with your selues whether it be mete if ye doubted not of his authoritie to doubte of mine The .xij. Chapter ¶ And he began to speake vnto them by parables A certaine man planted a â—ynty 〈◊〉 compassed it about with an hedge ordeined a wynepresse and bustded a toure and let it out to hier vnto husbande men and went into a straunge couÌ„trey And when the time was cum he sent to the husbandmen a seruaunt that he mighte receyue of the husbande meâ—ne of the fruite of the vyneyarde And they caught him and beat him and sent him awaye again emptie and morâ—ouer he sent vnto them another seruaunt and at him they caâ—◠〈◊〉 and brake his deade and sent him awaye againe all to reuiled and againe he sent another and hym they kylled and manye other beatyng sum and kyllyng sum And so when he hadde yet but one beloued sonne he sent hym also at the laste vnto them saying they will feare my sonne But the husbandemen sayde among themselues this is the beyre cum let vs kyll hym and the inheritaunce shall
redempcion in Christe and by Christ sealed with his most precious bloud the Antichrist of Rome seduced the simple people to putte their affyaunce for remission of synnes and obteinyng the ioyes of heauen by his pardones conteined in a piece of parchement or paper with a lumpe of lead haÌ„ging at it and to be bought of him or of his generacion the monkes and fryers for money in stede of the holy bible legenda sanctorum the miracles of our ladie and martiloges whiche themselfes deuised and neuer durst sette forth vntill the partie of whom they were made had been an hundred yeres dead for feare of beyng taken in a lye in stede of obeiyng our liege lord and soueraigne to be subiect to forein potentates with other abuses so innumerable that no tyme or wordes may suffice to declare or reken them vp And in this blindnes had EnglaÌ„d still continued had not god of his infinite goodnes bottoÌ„les merry reised vp vnto vs a new Ezechias to confouÌ„d al idols to destroy al hillalters of supersticion to roote vp al counterfait religions to restore as muche as in so litle time maye be the true religion wurship of god the syncere preachyng of gods word and the booke of the lawe that is to say of Christes holy testament to be read of the people in their vulgare toung That if in so litle time hauing no more helpe but the mere texte of the Bible the people through the goodnesse of god and the instincte of his holy spirite haue had the iyes of their hart and soule so opened that they haue not onely espyed the abuses afore mencioned and thousandes mo in whiche the Romyshe Babilon hath certain hundred of yeres holden all christendoÌ„e captiue and thrall but also haue so coÌ„formed themself to the syncere doctrine of Christe that they do with most glad wyll with most earnest zele and with most studious diligence enbrace the truthe abhorre the errours wherin theâ— were afore drouned detest the supersticions wherwith they were afore delited hounger and thirst the syncere knowlage of Gods word by the goodnes of God and the gracious prouision of our moste noble Ezechias Kynge Henry the eyght nowe daily minystred vnto them how is it likely that they would profite in godly knowlage if they had sum other godly exposicion or declaracioÌ„ of sum good syncere writer vpoÌ„ the new Testament for their ferther edifiyng Of whiche sorte truely there cannot one manne be picked out more apt and mere then Erasmus especially in this his Paraphrase which your highnesse of a moste godlye zele hath thus procured to be tourned into Englyshe whose doctryne as it is not in any poynte after my poore iudgemente corrupte so dooeth it without violence or extremitie of wordes vtter the doctryne edifye the conscyence declare many abuses detecting the enemies of Goddes woorde and supplanters of his ghospell by suche true and liuely markes that they maye be easilye knowen so that it cannot bee doubted but it should bee vncredible furtheraunce towardes the rypyng of the knowelage of Goddes woorde yf it myghte or shall so stande with the pleasure of one fayde moste gracious soueraigne Lorde beeyng nexte and immediately vnder God our supreme heade Whiche thyng verily I would wishe and praye to God myghte so frame for two consideracions the one because that the people hauyng the Paraphrase of Erasmus shall haue the pyth of all the doctours and good writers that haue any thyng sette foorth for the declaracion of the ghospels the Actes and the Epistles so that Erasmus may stand one alone in as good stede as a great numbre of other expositours setfoorth together and the other because my herte dooeth wyshe that the setting forth of gods glory the destroiyng of idols the confoundyng and defacing of all popish trumpery the publishing of the bible gospell of Christe so godly by his highnesse entended so stoutely entred and so luckily begon might by thesame our most gracious soueraigne be in such wyse prosecuted brought to effect that whan heauen no loÌ„ger willyng to spare him to the worlde but that he must geue place to nature shall call him to receiue a croune of immortalitie and he for desire therof shal willingly surreÌ„dre and geue vp this emperiall croune of worldly dignitie to the moste regal Impe his sonne our noble prince Edwarde he may deliuer to thesame a people so well framed and trained to his hande that the same may with al ease prosperous successe and without any let of stumblyng blockes to be layed in his way by papistrie continue the godly trade nowe at this daye well begonne and thankes to god luckily proceding I would wish as in dede I hope no lesse that he might not nede to be put to any ferther trauayl or cure but wel to coÌ„serue and kepe thinges in thesame stay and ordre that his most noble father mindeth to leaue all vnto him Our Dauid Henry theight hath alreadye so substancially cast the foundacion and reised the buildyng of the Temple that I trust it shal be no burden for our young SalomoÌ„ to consummate and fynyshe the same whan his tyme shall cum But nowe I perceiue my selfe while I entre into opening the desire praier of my herte to haue entered into suche a large fielde of talke which the experience of kyng Henries exaumple concernyng the trade of religion and the hope of prince Edwarde to be a right folower of so right a ledyng father doth minister vnto me that except I here sodainly breake of I am drawen to wade so fer in their praises that I were not hable in long tyme to fynde any way out again Omitting therefore at this present the moste worthye and moste lustely deserued prayses of them bothe I shall tourne my style sum what to treate of Luke whome it pleased your highnes to commit vnto me to be translated Whiche coÌ„maundement whan it came firste vnto me in your graces name although I knewe how litle it was that I could do in this kinde yet was I glad that your coÌ„maundemente dyd so iustlye concurre with the determinacion of myne owne minde and purpose For I had long time afore with mature deliberacioÌ„ and also with aduised eleccion apointed with my self to traÌ„slate this paraphrase vpon Luke assoone as any suche libertie might be and to make it vnto your grace a testificacion of my duetie and thankefull remembraunce of your manyfolde benefites afore doen to me of your mere bountie And two thynges there were that had moued me to take this prouince most specially in hand yeâ—â—e because that as Luke is the longest of all the Euangelistes so is he of al men noted to haue written his gospel moste exactely aswell by relacion of the Apostles which were present and conuersaunt with Christ while he liued on earth as also by the instruccions of Paul who was moste earneste and full in the iustificacion of feith and most piththy against the iustificacion of wordes albeit
euery side dryue cleane awaye the darkenesse of all the Gentyles and that thy people Israell mighte haue whereof not without good cause to glorye thy people Israell I saye beyng in true dede thy veraye owne not after the fleshe onelye wherehence in dede the begynnyng of thys saluacyon hathe proceded but after a spirituall kynred whiche is acquired and purchased throughe the faythe of the ghospell For suche an one veraylye is to bee called by the name of Israel whosoeuer earnestly fixeth deuout and godly iyes vpon this same lyght and with the violence of faythe forceablye breaketh into the kingdome of heauen In tymes paste hitherto the people of the Iewes hath gloryed and made all their vaunte vpon Abraham Isaac and Iacob they haue gloryed and made great vauntes of Moses of theyr temple and of the prophetes but now from hensforth the gostly Israel which is here and there in suÌ„dry places dispersed throughout all the worlde shall glory on thy sonne whome thou hast vouchsalued to sende after all the others here mencyoned as one that in greatnesse in vertue and in power is ferre aboue them all Nowe at thys presente in dede he lyeth hidden in a corner not knowen as he ought to bee but of veraye fewe persons but in tyme to come the lighte of hym shall blase abrode and he shall with hys bryghte shynyng beames lyghten all quarters and coastes of the worlde And his father mother meruelled at those thinges whiche wâ—re spoken of him And Simeon blâ—ssed them and saied vnto Marie his mother beholde this childe is set to bee the falle and vprising again of many in Israell for a signe which is spoken against And moreouer the swâ—orde shal perce thy sâ—ule that the thoughtes of many hertes may be opened Nowe the mother of the infaunte and Ioseph seeyng all thys to bee spoken of the olde manne Simeon by the inspiracion of the spirite of god conferring it also with the other thinges that had gone afore said neuer a worde but merueyled in theyr myndes what the olde mannes wordes might meane But Symeon whan he had blissed the chylde and also had prayed god to sende the parentes muche ioye of hym turnyng hymselfe vnto Marie sayde vnto her This sonne of thyne although he hath bene geuen vs of god to the ende that he may geue vnto all persons euerlasting saluacyon yet through the defaulte of manne it shal so chaunce that lyke as he shall lift vp to the hope of euerlasting health a great maignye whiche shall willingly enbrace the gifte of God euen so a greate number of the people of Israell vtterlye despysing the bounteouse goodnesse of god cummyng towardes them and offreyng itselfe vnto them shall bee cast downe to eternall damnacion For whan the trueth shal by thys thy sonne be opened and published manye shall fall whiche afore seemed to stande and many shall aryse vp that seemed to lye in the duste He hath bene looked for of all the Israelites but he shall not bee receyued of them all For he shall be set vp vnto all for a signe suche an one as neuer hath yet beene set vp sence the beginning of the world but yet shal he be one that shal haue many a man to speake agaynst him deny him The Phariseis the Scribes the bishops shal make much murmuring and prating against him the vnbeleuers and heritiques shall make muche clamouring and roryng agaynst hym And so muche sediciouse brablyng shall from euery place bee reysed agaynste hym that euen thou thy selfe shalte not bee withoute some parte of the euilles that shall come For the crueltie of them shall not lyght vpon suche persones onely as shall beleue on thy sonne but also thy verye owne hearte and soule shall the sweorde of doloure and gryefe perce Suche a sygne hath it pleased God to shewe furth before the iyes of al menne that the cleare light of the trueth being once shewed furth to shine abrode the thoughtes of men might and should be discouered which afore laye hidden in theyr heartes and that the course of thinges shoulde in suche wyse be turned the contrarie waye as the thyng selfe might playnelye declare that they were ferre of from the true ryghteousnesse which in the sight and iudgemente of men semed to sit euen in the high chaire of righteousnesse and suche to bee manifestelye founde wieked as had gotten and taken into theyr owne handes the doctryne and teachyng of true relygyon towarde god and contrarye wise suche as afore were reputed for men ferre out of the waye of true religion and godlinesse might be playnely declared to haue bene muche more nere vnto true relygyon then the others and suche as semed vnto the worlde to bee reiected and paste all grace or hope of recouery suche shoulde the vnfeigned readynesse of beleuing in god admitte and leatte in firste of all to the kyngdome of heauen The Scribes and the Phariseis haue contynually Messias in theyr mouthe they haue the lawe euermore in theyr mouthe they haue ryghteousnesse alwayes in theyr mouthe they keepe often and muche in the temple they tarrie long in theyr prayers they faste often they walke vp and downe notably besene with theyr brode phylacteryes but they hide in theyr heartes a thyng ferre contrarye to that that they shewe in outwarde semblaunce But the wily and wicked thoughtes of suche the light of the trueth of the ghospell whan it aryseth shall playnely fynde out and detecte Publicanes harlottes and sinners are by these counterfaictes of holyenesse debarred from all sacres or holy rites of the temple But suche shall god receiue firste of all into the kyngdome of heauen The Gentiles whiche haue bene geuen to idolatry sodaynly chaunging theyr life shal with gredy zeale affeccion enbrace the doctrine of true godlynesse the Phariseis and Bisshops in whose handes and power the keye of the â—awe and of relygyon dyd reste shal with most obstinate endeuoure resist it and be agaynst it The night hath no perfect iudgemente of thinges but ofte times in stede of the thynges selfes it sheweth to the iye the onely shadowes and vayne counterfaites of thinges but the sunne whan it is vp and geueth cleare lyghte it dryueth awaye all blinde casting of mistes before mennes iyes shewing euery thyng in his owne likenesse and geuing to euery thing hys owne coulour All this dyd that same godly olde manne speake reioysing and making glad chere from the botome of his hearte whiche the holy ghoste had throughly enspired ¶ And there was a prophetiâ—â—e one Anna the daughter of Phanuell of the tribe of Aâ—er whiche was of a greate age and had lyued with an housbande seuen yeres from her virgynitie And she had bene a wedowe about fower score and fower yeres whiche departed not from the temple but serued god with fastinges and prayers nyghte and daye And she came furthe that same houre and praysed the Lorde and spake of hym to all them that looked for
crosse And in dede they hearde a speakyng of death but it was as it had been half in a dreme nothyng well vnderstandyng what the thyng ment whiche was spoken and yet durste they not demaunde anye questions of hym what these woordes might mene hauyng freash in theyr remembraunces that Petur whan he was somewhat ouer bolde and buisye with Iesus had hearde Iesus saie vnto hym auaunt out of my sight thou Satan thou haste no saueryng of those thynges that appertein to God but altogether of such thinges as appertein to yâ— world ¶ And there entred a thought emong them whiche of theim should bee greatest whan Iesus perceiued the thought of their hertes he tooke a chylde and set hym harde by him and sayed vnto them whosoeuer receiueth this childe in my name receiueth me And whosoeuer receiueth me receiueth hym that sent me For he that is least emong you al the same shal bee greatest After al this same Iesus wente to Capernaum And so it was that forasmuche as the disciples wer yet carnal because they had seen the glory of weorking of many miracles and because they had hearde the maiestie of the kyngdome of God promysed and because theimselfes too had dooen many woondrefull thynges aboue nature at the name of Iesus a certayn worldly thought entred into theim which at laste braste out thus ferre that as they were going on the way they reasoned together one with an other whiche of them shoulde sute highest in the kyngdome of heauen For they dreamed that such a like order shoulde bee in the kyngdome of heauen as they had seen in the courtes of worldely princes or in ryche folkes houses in whiche he that is more proude and quicker or bolder spirited then an other is he is the more Iolier felowe Than Iesus althoughe he knewe well enoughe what it was that they had emong theimselfes kept disputacions of yet as soone as he was come into the house he demaunded of theim what the matter was that they had so hardelye disputed and reasoned of by the waie And they all plaiyng mum and not hauyng a woorde to saie because they wer halfe ashamed of the matter Iesus to shewe that their thoughtes and their priuie talkes behynd his backe wer not hydden ne vnknowen to hym toke a litle innocente childe in his hand and set hym hard by his syde and callyng the twelue together vnto hym he sayed ye dispute of greatnesse whiche of you shal bee greatteste The greatteste with me are those that are moste inferiours What is more playne without fraude or guyle then this litle chylde or what thyng more lowe Euen veray suche muste ye become if ye will be chiefe in the kyngdome of the ghospel The kyngdome of feith and charity knoweth none ambicion it is not acquainted with plaiyng the Lorde it can no skill of tirannye whatsoeuer persone receiueth vnto him suche a childe as this in my name receiueth me myselfe and whosoeuer receiueth me receiueth hym that hath sent me If I haue plaied the Lorde towardes you than reason you also who shal be the chiefe emoÌ„g you but if I haue rather vsed my self as a willing and a readye seruaunte to the commodities of all persones knowe ye that he shal bee a great man emong you all who in contemnyng of glory in humilitie and submission and in feruent affeccion to bee as a seruaunte to dooe all creatures good shal bee the least and moste inferiour of all men ¶ And Iohn aunswered and saied maister we sawe one castyng out deuils in thy name and we forbad hym because he folowed not with vs. And Iesus saied vnto him forbid ye hym not For he that is not against vs is with vs. And because they had hearde hym saye that litle ones are to bee receiued in the name of Iesus it came into Iohns mynde that they had excluded and debarred a certayne man from the fraternitie of ministring the ghospel He therefore is in a doubte whether that lyke as all men were to bee receiued vnto the felowship of the saluacion of the ghospell so in lyke manier all men wer to be admitted to the ministracion of preachyng the ghospell and to the weorkyng of miracles And in this poyncte was hydden a litell spice of a certaine secret pangue of enuye God had tofore geuen power vnto the twelue onely to caste out deuils and to heale diseases Thys dignitie they thoughte not meâ—e to bee made common to any others And therefore Iohn saied maister at the tyme whan beeyng sent foorth by thee we executed the office of preachyng the ghospell abrode we sawe a certaine man casting out deuils in thy name though he bee none of the noumbre of vs twelue no nor dooeth not soe muche as folowe thee neyther This man as one beyng a straunger to our brotherhood we forbadde that he shoulde no more so dooe Than Iesus although he would in no place suffre hymselfe to be preached of by the wicked spirites yet teacheth that men of what sorte soeuer they bee are not to bee forbidden from hauyng to do in the ghospel although they do thesame of no veray sincere hert so that saith he the thyng that they doe they doe it in the name of Iesus and doe thesame thyng that ye dooe For whosoeuer is not an aduersarie vnto vs doeth euen in that veraie poynte make on our syde that he doeth not against vs. To such a thyng as is straunge and by all possible waies to be euerye where published abrode al fauour doeth auaile The miracle is not his that doeth it but Goddes who sheweth his power by man as by his ministre and instrument Therfore whatsoeuer persone sheweth any miracle by callyng vpon my name dooethe publishe and spred abrode my glory and debarreth himself of al title to speake 〈◊〉 of me from thensforth whose name he hath found so effectual ful of power ¶ And it fortuned whan the tyme was come that he shoulde bee receiued vp he sette his face to go to Hierusalem and sent messagiers before him And they went and entred into a city of the Samaritanes to make ready for him And thei would not receiue him because his face was as though he would gooe to Hierusalem Whan hys disciples Iames and Iohn sawe this they saied Lord wilt thou that we commaund fyer to come down from heauen and consume them euen as Helias dyd Iesus turned about and rebuked them saiyng ye wotte not what manier spirite ye are of For the sonne of manne is not come to destroy mennes lyues but to saue theim And they went to an other â—owne And so it befell that the time beeyng nowe veraye nere at hande when Iesus leauyng the yearth should be receiued vp into heauen the Lorde had already entred his iourney and shewed eueÌ„ plainly by his countenaunce that he was bounde towardes Hierusalem as one that purposely minded to be in the way agaynst the occasioÌ„ of his death should come He
the veraie name and remembraunce of the saied zodomites whome the wrath of God by a terrible exaumple and presidente for menne to beeware by dyd vtterlye destroye but a more horrible and dredefull punishement abideth thesame Iewes if they beeyng stirred and prouoked with so many benefites and so many miracles shall neglecte and despise the goodnesse of God Woe vnto the Corazin woe vnto the Bethsaida For if the miracles had been doen in Tyre and Sidon which haue been doen in you thei had a great while agoe repented of their sinnes sitting in heaâ—en cloth and ashes neuerthelesse it shal bee easier for Tyre and Sydon at the iudgement then for you And thou Capernaum which are exalted to heaueÌ„ shalt be thrust down to hell He that heareth you heareth meâ— and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth hym that sent me Woe bee to thee Corazain woe bee to the Bethsaida cities of Israell For if the miracles whiche haue been shewed in you had been shewed in the cities of the Gentiles Tyrus and Sidon whiche ye crie fye vpon accoumptyng theim abhominable they would haue called themselfes home to emendement yea and sittyng in heareclothe and ashes they woulde haue dooen penaunce for theyr synnes whereas ye beeyng veraye styffe necked agaynst God dooe stand highly in your own conceiptes and thinke your selfes faultlesse Woe bee to the Capernaum whiche swellyng nowe in pride of richesse and swymmyng in the delices of sensualitie appearest to be exalted aboue the moone as high as heauen on that daye shalte thou bee caste downe euen vnto the diepe pitte of helle For albeit ye be homelye and lowe messagiers yet for that you shall come vnto them in my name and shal shew vnto them the vnestimable gift of God the condemnacion of suche as shall despise you shall not bee small For he that heareth you heareth me whiche speake vnto theim by the instrument of your mouthes and contraryewyse he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth hym that hathe sente me For I dooe not of myne owne head any thyng speake whiche I haue not receiued first of my father nor ye shall speake nothyng whiche ye shall not first haue learned of me Therfore as my doctrine is the doctrine of my father and not myne so youre preachyng shall bee my preachyng and not yours The lorde Iesus whan he had with suche woordes as these duelye enstructed and armed the threscore and tenne disciples he sent them foorth to assaye and proue themselfes how well they coulde dooe in preachyng of the ghospell And the seuentye returned again with idye saiyng Lorde euen the veray deiuils are subdued to vs through thy name And he saied vnto theÌ„ I sawe Satan as it had been lightenyng fallyng downe from heauen Beholde I geue you power to treade on serpentes and scorpions and ouer all manier power of the enemye and nothyng shall hurte you Neuerthelesse in this reioyce not that the spirites are subdued vnto you but reioice that your names are written in heauen And whan the matter had woondrefullye well prospered in their handes they returned home again with great mirth ioye saying Maister not only diseases are driuen awaye by vs but vncleane spirites also are subiect vnto vs in the name of thee Then Iesus to arme and fense theyr myndes agaynst the disease of vainglorie which vleth by stealth to crepe and enter yea into holy meÌ„ also putteth foorth vnto them the exaumple of Lucifer who for his pride was sodainly cast downe from so great felicitie I sawe quod he Satan fall out from heauen euen like the lightening Great was his dignitie in heauen and yet for that he was puffed vp with pride sodainly was he cast from the higheste place in heaueÌ„ into the botome of helle pitte How much more than ought you to beware of pride whiche carrye aboute with you a mortall bodye subiecte to all perilles and daungiers here in yearth Great is the power which I haue geueÌ„ you but I haue geuen it you not to any such entent yâ— ye should therby weare proude and high minded but to the ende yâ— by your miracles men should geue and attribute greater fayth and belefe to the ghospell I dooe not require at your handes again that which I haue ons geuen you so that ye wil not abuse it For I geue you power by the whiche you shall trede serpentes scorpions vnder your foote yea if there bee any other thyng by meane wherof Satan your enemie maie be hable to hurt you Not one of all suche thinges shal haue power to do you hurt And yet is it not expediente for you to glory oâ— to vaunt your selfes concernyng any suche thing because spirites are subiecte to you For these thinges shal be dooen also by wicked and euil men but reioyce ye in this thyng that youre names are alreadye written in heauen for thither shall your mekenesse and lowelinesse thither shall your simplicitie bring you from whens Lucifer through his pride and haultenesse of mynde fel yf ye shal still persiste and continue in this your entente and purpose That same houre reioyced Iesus in the holy gost and saied I thanke the O father lord of heauen and earth that thou hast hid these thinges from the wise and prudent and hast opened theÌ„ vnto babes Euen so father for so pleased if the. Al thinges are geuen me of my father No man knoweth who the soonne is but the father and who the father is but the sonne and he to whom the sonne wil shewe him And he turned to his disciples and saied secretely Happie are the iyes which see the thinges that ye see For I tell you that many Prophetes and kinges haue desired to see those thinges whiche ye see and haue not seen theim and to heare those thinges whiche ye heare and haue not heard them And whan the lorde had saied these woordes byanby he beganne to reâ—oyce in the holye ghoste and to geue thankes to his father for the prosperous successe of the ghospell teachyng vs euen at thesame tyme by exaumple of hymselfe that in case any thyng come luckilye to passe through our handes whan we go about it we should reioyce not with any humaine affeccion but with spiritual and ghostely reioycing not taking to our selfes any parte of the prayse or glory but euermore reioycyng that the glory of god is so set foorthe and magnified and reioycyng at the profite of our neighbour I rendre thankes saieth he vnto thee o lord and father the maker of heauen and yeâ—rth for that these so hygh thynges thou hast kepte secrete hidden from such as after the worlde are reputed wyse and politique hast opened the same to the litell tendre ones to the inferiour meane sorte to the ignorauntes and to suche as after the iudgemente of the worlde haue no great wytte nor experience And thus veraily is it dooen o father for
so the kyngdome of God whan it shall moste of all seme to bee extincte and vtterly abolyshed for euer euen than shall it sprede furthe it selfe abrode in moste largest compace of all And agayne to what thyng may I saye the kyngdome of God to bee like It is lyke vnto a litle lumpe of leauen which a wise housewyfe did hide in three bushels of mele poured together and there leafte it as ye woulde saye buiried vntill the strength of the leauen by litle and litle turned all the sayed mele though there were a great quantitie of it so in lyke manier the lowe and humble doctrine of the gospel shal one day throughly possesse all the vniuersall nacions of the worlde And he went through all cities and tounes teachyng and iourneying towardes Hierusalem Than sayed one vnto hym Lorde are there fewe that be saued And he sayed vnto them stryue to enter in at the streight gate for many I saye vnto you wy I seke to enter in and shall not be hable Whan the good manne of the house is rysen vp and hath shut to the doore and ye begynne to stande without and to knocke at the doore saying Lorde Lorde open vnto vs and he aunswere and saye vnto you I knowe you not whence yeare than shall ye begynne to saye We haue eaten and dronken in thy presence and thou haste taught in our stretes And he shall saye I tell you I knowe you not whence yeare departe from me all â—e that woorke iniquitie There shall be wepyng and gâ—ashyng of tâ—the whan ye shall see Abraham and Isaac and Iacob and all the Prophetes in the kyngdome of God and ye your selfes thruste out And they shall come from thâ—â—aste and from the weste and from the northâ— and from the south and shall sytte downe in the kyngdome of God And beholde there are last which shall be firste And there are firste whiche shal be laste Iesus after that he had thus muche spoken made haste to the place where the grayne of the saied mustarde seede was to bee dygged into the yearthe and where the leauen was to be hydden in the meale For he was on his iourney towardes Hierusalem where he knewe that he shoulde bee slayne But by the waye as he went throughe euery citie and strete or village he taught all creatures because there shoulde no piece of tyme be loste to the ghospelwarde And because he had tofore taught certayne high matâ—ers concernyng that menne shoulde sell all the substaunce that they had concernyng howe men should liue from hande to mouthe after the manier of the rauens and the lilies and concernyg howe one ought not to continue in strife and contencion with the aduersary a certaine persone cometh vnto him and saied Mayster is it true that there are but fewe whiche atteigne to saluacion For I iudge that there is not so great a multitude that wyll enbrace these thynges whiche thou teacheste And yet on the othersyde the parable of the grayne of mustardsede and of the lumpe of leauen appereth to promise the contrarye that is to wete that the effectuall power of the kyngdome of God shall come to many Than Iesus willyng to shewe that in dede the fame and the knoweleage of the doctryne euangelicall yea and also the working of miracles should come vnto veray many but yet that no man should come to saluacion which would not lay clene a waye from him all lustes and desires of this worlde and bee a folower of poore Christe sayed dooe all the earnest endeuoure and labour that ye can to enter by the narowe gate That thing maye not suche persones atteygne as iye slugging full of slouthfulnesse Menne muste putte their good willes and labour therto the entreyng is narowe but it leadeth to the wyde waye of the kyngdome of heauen This gate can not receyue suche as are burdened with rychesse suche as haue an heape of honours and promocions vpon theyr backes suche as are full paunched with excessiue delicate fare suche as are heauie laden with couetise suche as are puffed vp and swollen with pryde They that are of suche sortes do choose the brode and the wyde roumed waye and at the fyrst vieu delectable and flatteryng but ledyng the streight pathe to death And therefore make ye greate shifte to entre now whyle the waye thereto lyeth open shake of and caste from you all your packes and fardels that the narowe entreaunce maye be hable to receyue you For this I playnly saye vnto you There shal be one daye many whiche shall bee desirous and faine to enter and shall not be suffred to enter by reason that the commyng thereto shal nowe be stopped vp For whan the good man of the house shall be gon in and shall haue shutte the doore after him which dooeth now stande wyde open for all persones that will doe theyr true endeuour to goe in than beeyng ouerlate to emende ye will acknowleage your errour and hauyng enuie at suche as are entred ye shall begynne to stande watchyng at the doore and to knocke at the gates saying Lorde and Maister open the doore vnto vs. Than the good maÌ„ who could not be heard afore whan he desyred you to come in shall agayne not heare you but shall aunswere in this manier I heare the name of Maister but I knowe none of you for my seruauntes goe ye and seke hym whome ye haue serued Than shall ye begynne to saye Maister how happeneth that thou wilt not nowe knowe vs Thou were borne emong vs we haue eaten and droÌ„ken with thee in coumpany and in our stretes hast thou taught many a lesson and we are thy disciples yea and moreouer in thy name we haue healed sicke folkes and haue cast out deuils Here at these wordes shall the good man aunswere These thynges that ye reherse do not make vnto me disciples of the true right sorte Him that foloweth thesame steppes that I haue goen hym will I knowe for my disciple Whose men or from whence ye are cannot I tel Hence away from me it shall nothyng auayle you to haue knowen the lawe to haue heard me teache shall nothyng auayle you the cousinage or kynred of birth or nacion or the familiaritie of conuersacion in eatyng and drynkyng with me shall nothyng auayle you miracles shewed and doen in my name shal nothing auayle you Whosoeuer enuieth or hateth his brother whosoeuer seketh waies for his owne glory with the iniurie of Gods glorye whosoeuer preferreth money before the loue of his neyghbour suche an one of whatsoeuer nacion he is come is none of myne Go your wayes hence therfore to receyue the rewarde mete for you at the handes of hym whome ye haue wurshipped and serued My seruauntes because they haue with me and for my cause suffred persecucions and tribulacions shall with me enioye the pleasaunt swetenesse of the feaste that neuer shall haue ende Ye the which haue set more by the pleasures of the
wealth or rychesse of power of glorie and renoume in worldely estimacion But in humilitie in tractablenesse in pacient suffreaunce in charitable geuyng and in the other goodes of the mynde they are in veraye true dede bothe ryche men of power and also full of glory in the sight of God And the high pathwaye vnto this felicitie is shutte vp to no man That if ye Pharisees will not vouchesalue to entre others will preuent you and take vp your roumes the Gentiles will entre in and all the nacions of the worlde will entre in They cannot bee kept out nowe that the doore is sette open they breake in by plain force and violence if thei be not receiued in Ye see publicanes souldiers sinners harlotes how thei come rennyng thither These sortes of people despisyng all that euer they are oweners of contemnyng all volupteous pleasures of this worlde trustyng to the promisses of the ghospell dooe with all their herte applye theimselfes to the true gooddes of the mynde and whereas ye stande without doores whose partes it had been firste of all others to enter yea and also to bring in others whiche would enter they whome I haue rehersed dooe through the feruentenesse of feith through their promptenesse of mynde breake in whether we wyll or will not And suche kinde of violence dooeth the kingdome of heauen loue Neither is there any cause why for the affeccionate louers of the law to make suche a great criyng out that the lawe is nowe abrogate that the prophetes are nowe abolished Nay thissame is not an abolishyng of the lawe but an accoÌ„plishing and perfeictyng therof For mothers dooe not vse to make weping and wailling that their soonne is loste whan he is of a boye weaxed and growen vp to bee a man Now a veray great poynte of folye it were for one to enbrace in his armes the counterfaicte porterature of a man whan he may enbrace the verai mannes selfe who was so portured out and no lesse poyncte of foly to speake to the maker of a promisse whan one maie be sure yf he will to haue presentely in his handes the veray thyngselfe that was promised The thyng than must be compared with the image and in case thei doe agree the one with the other than acknowlage thou the thing that hath beene set out in shadowes and enbrace thou that is perfourmed and geuen in facte If the proufe of the thinges dooe agree with the promisses of the prophetes discharge theim as true men of theyr promisse and enbrace thou that is truely perfourmed and brought to effect And ferthermore if thou se with thine iyes right many thinges to haue come to passe whiche were marked oute by the shadowes of the lawe for the law is spiritual and ghostly â–ª if in a great maignie causes the end and proufe of the matter be aunswerable to the olde and auncient foresaiynges of the prophetes than beleue thou that all the other thynges also shall with semblable assuraunce bee perfourmed in time to come whatsoeuer the lawe the prophetes haue saied shall hereafter come to passe What in the lawe was carnal and grosse thesame geue the place to thynges of more perfeccion but what in thesame is spirituall thatsame not onely is not abrogate or fordoen but also is brought to his iust and full perfeccion For the lawe permitteth to the wedded houseband vpon geuyng his wyfe a testimoniall of her diuorcemente that he maie putte his wyfe awaye from hym and bring an other newe wyfe home in her stede but by the lawe of the ghospell whosoeuer refusyng his true wedded wyfe maryeth an other dooeth committe aduoutrie And he that maryeth the woman diuorced committeth aduoutrie For neither of the men hath his own wyfe nor neither of the weomen her owne housebande And aswell the comon reason of nature as also euangelicall sinceritye dooeth in all earnest wyse require perpetual amitie without anye breache and an vnion not possible to be dissolued or plucked in sondre not only in matrimonie but also in al freÌ„dship Neither is there any occasion or grounde why any should finde cauillacions that the doctrine of the gospel is repugnauÌ„t to the thinges prescribed by Moses For Moses in consideracion of your hardenes of hert durst not precisely require of you the thyng that he rather wished then conceiued anye hope of and sore against his mynde did he leat you haue diuorcemente at your willes lest if it had been denied your hatred against your wiues woulde haue braste out into some more furious and cruel dedes of mischief towardes theÌ„ He therfore whiche requireth that is of more perfeccion dooeth make vp the lawe and not abrogate the law as a father is not contrary to himself if the same hauing a great whyle afore been somewhat with the tendrest ouer his sonne to leat him haue his own bridle while he was of tender age do require more of hym whan he is come to ful age theÌ„ he did require of him before And as for this I assure you of and saie I told it you that both the skie and the yearth and yet is there nothing that shal longer endure then those two shal yet both of them sooner passe then any one litle ioâ—e or title of the lawe shal perishe but that al be perfourmed whatsoeuer hath beene foresaied or prophecied â—o veraye true it is that I am not come to bee an abolisher of the lawe ¶ There was a certaine riche man whiche was clothed in purple and fine white and faâ—ed deliciously euerie day And there was a certain begger named Lazarus which laie at his gate full of sores desiring to be refreashed with the â—rummes whiche fell froÌ„ the riche mannes bourd and no man gaue vnto him The dogges came also licked his sores And it fortuned that the begger died and was carried by the Aungels into Abrahams bosome The riche man also died and was buried And beeing in hell in tormentes he lifte vp his iyes and sawe Abraham a ferre of Lazarus in his bosome and he cried and said father Abraham haue mercie on me sende Lazarus that he maie dippe the â—ieppe of his finger in water and coole my tongue for I am tormented in this flame But AbrahaÌ„ saied soÌ„ne remembre that yâ— in thy life time receiuedst thy pleasure and contrarie wise Lazarus receiued peine But now is he conforted and thou art punished Beyond al this betwen vs and you there is a great space sette so that they which would goe from hence to you cannot neither come from thens to vs. Then he saied I praie thee therefore father send him to my fathers house for I haue fiue brethren for to warâ—e them leste thei come also into this place of torment Abraham saied vnto him they haue Moses and the prophetes leat them heare them And he said Nay father Abraham but if one come vnto them from the dead they will repent He saide vnto him
of god And whoso casteth hymselfe doune in his owne herte shal be exalted on high in the sight of God They brought vnto him also young children that he should touche theÌ„ When his discyples â—â—we it they rebuked them But Iesus whan he had called them vnto him said Suffer children to cum vnto me and forbid them not For of suche is the kingdom of god Uerilye I saye vnto you Whosoeuer receiueth not the kingdom of god as a child shall not enter therein And beholde an other occasion whereby for the Lorde to commende vnto vs humilitie and softenes coupled with simplicitie and plainnesse Mothers brought their young babes vnto Iesus to the entente he should touche them and blisse them thinkyng that it shoulde come to passe that thesame chyldren should by that meanes be in the more safetie froÌ„ suche chaunces and diseases as that age is commonly woont to bee in daungier of The dyscyples whan they saw the thyng rebuked the women because thei did with suche tryftyng matters trouble the lorde hauyng otherwyse as they thoughte his handes ful enough of bussinesse already But Iesus although he knewe al thissame to bee dooen by his said disciples of a certayn good diligence declaring their readinesse to dooe their duetie towardes hym yet to expresse vnto vs an exaumple of simplicitie of humilitie and of innocencie and al vnder one to geue â— lessoÌ„ vnto pastours that they ought not to despise any body be he neuer so meane or so weake he called his disciples together vnto him saied Suffre ye the children to cum vnto me nor be not against it that thei may be brought vnto me for vnto suche belongeth the kyngdom of god Leat an exaumple be shewed foorth vnto all creatures that they may vnderstande to what degree of perfeccion they ought to grow These litle ones knowe no fashions of clokyng ne counterfaityng they are not acquaynted with pryde ne haultnesse of â—ooke they knowe not the way to strike agayn whan they are steiken they can no skill to geue reuiling wordes again thei know not what auarice meaneth they can no skill of ambicioÌ„ it is mere innoceÌ„cy that is in them it is mere simplicitie without any fraude or guile This woorde I saye vnto you to truste vnto the kyngdome of God receyueth none but suche as bee reforged and chaunged accordyng to this paterne Therfore onlesse a man cum to the doctrine of the gospell with the lyke simplicitie that these children are of he shal not enter into the kingdome of God And a certain rewler asked him saiyng Good maister what ought I to do to obtein eternall life Iesus said vnto him why callest thou me good None is good saue god onely Thou knowest the coÌ„maundemâ—â—es Thou shalt not coÌ„mitte aduoutry thou shalt not kill thou shalt not steale thou shalt not beaâ—e false witnesse honour thy father and thy mother And he said aâ— these haue I kept froÌ„ my youth vp Whan Iesus heard that he said vnto him yet lackest thou one thyng Sell al that thou hast and distribute vnto the poore thou shalte haue treasure in heauen and cum folowe me Whan he heard this he was sorye for he was very ryche Whan Iesus sawe that he was sorye he said With what difficultie shal they that haue money entre into the kingdom of god It is easier for a camel to go through a nedles iye then for a riche maÌ„ to enter into the kingdome of god And they that heard it said And who than can bee saued And he said The thynges whiche are vnpossible with men are possible with God Than agayne came there vnto Iesus one of the great states and the heademen as one that shoulde bee euen in verye facte a plain declaracion what it ment that Iesus had saied concernyng the state of chyldren And thus sayed the great man Good maister what maye I dooe to atteyne euerlastyng lyfe Than Iesus willyng to notifie that this surname good serueth to none but to god onely who of his very propre nature is good aunswered hym thus Why dooest thou cal me good None is good sauyng god only not for that the lorde dooeth not acknowlage the surname of good as due vnto hym as touchyng that he was God but because the sayed ryche man attributed the woorde good vnto Iesus as beeyng a man yea and woulde peraduenture haue taken it to himself too if any such occasion had cum in place He therfore did not after a right sorte call Iesus good whom he did not yet beleue to bee god And for this cause did the lord at that time refuse the honour of this title because he wel vnderstâ—de the demaunder of the question not to be vtterly voyde of swellyng pryde as one that thought himself to abounde in many good woorkes And Iesus because he would shewe foorth the mannes sore saied Thou knowest the preceptes of Moses lawe that is to wete Thou shalt not kyll thou shalt not committe aduoutrye Thou shalt not doe thefte Thou shalt not beare false witnesse Honour thy father and thy mother To these woordes sayed the other as one myndyng to beare a way a prayse and commendacion of perfite righteousnesse Al these poyntes euery one of them haue I duely kept euen from the beginnyng of my youth This saiyng was not ferre from that saiyng of the Pharisee aboue specified but it was a great dele short of the symplicitie of the young chyldren laâ—t afore declared One faulte therfore there was opened hereby but there was an other priuie faulte hidden besides also whiche made him vnapte for the kyngdome of God Iesus therefore because he woulde discouer the other fault too said Thou lackest one pointe yet That if thou wylt enter the kingdome of the gospell goe thy waies sell all that euer thou hast in thy possession and by distributyng it abrode in almes to the poore laye vp a treasure for thy selfe in heauen That dooen beeyng free and rydde from all lette and vncoumbraunce come than and folowe me The sayed demaunder whan he had heard these wordes was striken with great sorow for he was exceding ryche He was not yet reduced nor broughte to the paterne of a young child forasmuche as the loue of rychesse had possessed his herte Than Iesus seing hym to depart an heauy man who did in suche sort sue for to come to the blisse of the kyngdome of heauen that neuerthelesse he coulde not contemne the rychesse of this world turned to his disciples and as one beyng in a great meruail he saied How hardely shall those whiche are heauy laden with the burden of rychesse enter into the kyngdome of God through the narowe gate For an easier thing it is for a camell to perce through the iye of a nedle then for a riche man to entre the kingdoÌ„e of god The disciples beeyng with these woordes sore troubled in their myndes saied If no ryche maÌ„ do entre thyther who
conscience that thou bee partaker of my welthyer state Take thou vnto thee the rule of tenne cities After this seruaunt cuÌ„meth the seconde who beyng required his accoumpte sayed My Lorde thy pounde which thou deliueredst me for a stocke to occupy hath encreased fiue pouÌ„des to thy behoufe This mannes industrie also though inferiour to the other yet his lord did very well commende and accordyng to the rate of thine industrye sayeth he bee thou also a rewler ouer fiue cities WhaÌ„ the resydue also vpon their accoumpte and rekenyng made and geuen vp had bene rewarded with some dignitie euery one according to their rate more or lesse at last came a seruaunt euen one alone the moste slouthfull luske of all that euer were and of the wurste honestie to bee put in truste or credite Who whan his mayster required his streight accoumpte made him this aunswere My lord behold here I bryng you againe the pounde whiche ye put me in truste withall I haue kepte it euer sence that tyme hitherto safely layed vp in a cloute because ye should haue it agayn safe and sound as it was I haue so well auoided to be a wastfull spender of it that I haue not so muche as once touched it with my handes And so thought I better to doe then to come in hasarde or perill leste if mine occupiyng had ill framed I should haue had buisines with you For I was afrayed of you as one not ignoraunt what a rigorous cruell maÌ„ ye are and couetous of lucre in so muche that ye will not onely geue nothing of your owne but also wil take away from thence where ye layed nothing at all and will gather in haruest froÌ„ suche places where ye neuer sowed grain Than the lorde not onely offended with the slouthfulnesse of his seruauÌ„t but also for that he laied his owne faulte on the condicions of his mayster beyng throughly out of pacience he sayed Thou slouthfull seruaunt and vntrustie felowe yea and moreouer a false accuser of thy maister thou hast geuen sentence against thine owne head Thou knowest thou sayest that I am a rygorous cruel man and couetous of lucre takyng vp money froÌ„ thence where I layed downe none and reaping there where I sowed nothyng at all And yet thatsame very pointe ought to haue quickened the to some actiuitie in best yrâ—yng thee to haue deliuered foorth my money to the kepers of the banke For I would doubtelesse haue comen and would haue streightly required it together with the encrease of entresse because I had for suche a purpose put it into thy handes that it should encrease through thee At these wordes of the lord whan the vnprofitable seruaunte helde his peace and had not a woord to speake the lord said to the others that stode by Take ye a way the pound from hym and geue it vnto hym that hath the tenne poundes The other seruauntes meruailyng therat sayed my lorde what nedeth to geue hym here any more he is ryche and welthy enough For he hath tenne pounde Than saied the Lord It forceth not to you what he hath So haue I thoughte it good and so dooeth it stande with reason and equitie in this rekenyng that whose hath with his faithful industrie encreased his maisters substauÌ„ce my bounteous goodnesse muste vnto suche an one geue some ferther surplusage to the ende he maie styll haue more and more aboundaunce Contrariewise whoso hath by reason of his slouthfulnesse gotten hymselfe no gaynes at all suche an ones nede shal my liberalitie so litle helpe that euen the very same that he hath too shal be taken away from him The stocke was mine and the gaines and encrease therof due to me your partes it was to perfourme your due labour Now I bountifully geue vnto you bothe the stocke and also the encrease of thesame Thus farre the Lord Iesus did by a derke and mystical fourme of speakyng teache his disciples that in the buisy trade of preachyng the ghospell euery man oughte to shewe hymselfe faythfull and industrious euen to the vttermoste and as for theyr rewarde to looke for at the secounde coming of the lorde at what time he shal nowe appere mightie and high after that the kingdome of the church shal be recouered into his handes and deliuered vp to his father For at the first Iesus was knowen but in Iewry onely he seemed to be but a litle king or duke of one citie and no more whan the deiuyll reygned without redresse throughout all the vnyuersall nacyons of the worlde as in a royalme that was an other mannes and none of hys And the same Iesus couetyng to recouer into hys owne possessyon agayne throughe preachyng the ghospell that Satan had by tyrannye entred vpon leafte the lande of the Iewes and tooke a voyage into heauen but not till he had firste diligentlye enstructed hys dyscyples to the trade of occupying in the affayres of the ghospell whiche hys discyples he put in truste with the dyspensacyon of the woorde of God conteyned in the ghospell as a certayne stocke to playe the occupiers withall wherof great gaynes might growe vnto the lorde beyng righte couetous of suche mannier encrease and he put them in truste that they should draw vnto the kingdome of the gospel whomesoeuer they might Publicanes harlottes souldiers Grekes Romaynes Scithians Frenchemen Gothians Sarmatians and all others And that thys they shoulde doe vntill the lordes returne who will come againe in the ende of this worlde to distribute vnto euery one euerlastyng rewardes for theyr dedes And come agayne will he not onlesse he shall firste haue subdued the worlde to the domynyon and empire of the ghospell and all the nacyons of the whole worlde to ioyne together into one churche and congregacion But whyle he earnestely goeth about thys by meane of hys disciples the Iewes emong whome alone and no moe God hitherto seemed for to reigne by reason of theyr knowlage of the lawe and of the autoritie and beeing in the right trade of religyon beeing his subiectes of whome and emong whome he was borne whereas they oughte specially aboue all others to haue loued him and by all mannier meanes to sticke to hym in recoueryng hys kingdome dyd not onely doe hym no helpe at all but also were a lette agaynsâ—e hym crying beefore the chyefe Iustice and iudge We haue no kyng but Ceasar And the selfe same thyng dydde they agayne afterwarde playnelye denouncyng vnto the Apostles and commaundyng them to make no more mencion from that tyme furthewarde of the name of Iesus Moyses they were willyng to haue to theyr kyng Christe woulde they none of For they hated him because he contraryed theyr naughtie lustes and appetites We see euen yet still at this day too after what sorte the nacyon of the Iewes haue withdrawen themselues from the kyngdome of the gospell and with howe stiffe and stubberne hatefulnes they haue conspired agaynst hym vnto whome is geuen by his father all power in
law had promised Therfore by their malice it came to passe that the light whiche brought eternall lyfe to the beleuers therof was to them occasion of greater blyndnes But their frowardnes could not hinder the health of theym that beleued in it but rather the blindnes of the Iewes made open way for the Gentiles to the lyght of the ghospel They which vnto that time were taken for the people of God which onely did boaste theimselues in the wurshipping of the true God in the religion of the lawe in the kynred of the fathers and in the promises of Gods testament turned theimselues from the sonne of god when he came to theim And therefore the Iewes being righteously caste out as rebels to the ghospell the grace of the ghospell remoued thence to the Gentiles that the course of thinges being altered they whiche before swelled in pride thorowe the false colour of religion shoulde openly declare their wickednes reiecting the sonne of him whom they wurshipped for God And on the other parte thei which before were vtterly contrary to true religion and dyd wurship beastes and stockes for their goddes shoulde enbrace the holynes of the ghospell by faith howebeit vpon this occasion the Gentyles were so admitted to bee saued by the ghospell that neyther the Iewes nor any other nacions at all shoulde be excluded from hauing entry therunto so they woulde put away their stubbernes and shewe theymselues obedience to faith which is the principall and onely gate to eternall saluacion But as many as receyued hym to theim gaue he power to be the sonnes of God euen them that beleued on his name And albeit many both of the Iewes and the Gentiles whiche loued the worlde more then God withdrewe themselfes from this lighte yet the cumming thereof was not in vayne Firste of all it did manifeste their infelicitie whiche thorowe their owne faulte did depriue themselues of so greate goodnes frely offered vnto them Neyther coulde any man doubte but that by the iuste iudge mente of God they shoulde be reserued to eternall deathe Furthermore it caused that of the contrary parte it shoulde more euidently appeare howe notable the liberalitie of God was to them which with a simple redy faith would receiue the woord of the gospel And for that cause he that was bothe the sonne of God and God did humble himselfe to our lowe estate to thintente that thorowe faith he might exalte vs to his highnes Therfore he toke vpon him the rebukefull misery of our mortalitie to make vs partakers of his godly glory Therefore also he woulde be borne a corporal man of the virgin to thintente we should be borne again spiritual of God and for that purpose he came downe into the earth to carry vs vp into heauen The stately scribes and pharisees the proud kinges and powers of the worlde the stoute and hau◠philosophers were reiected because they woulde not beleue But to this high dignitie were admitted men of lowe degre of litle estimacion without renoume vnlearned persons bondemen barbarous men and sinners whom the worlde hath in no estimacion at all of whom nothing is required but pure faithe neither cunninge nor noblenes of bloode nor yet the professyon of Moses lawe but all that did receyue this worde of what nacion or condicion so euer they were of his behalfe he gaue to theim this dignitie that they beinge graffed in Christ thorow faith and baptisme and hauing professed his name should be made euen the children of God that they mighte bee made by adopcion the same thinge whiche Christe was by nature And what can bee higher then this honour that they whiche before were the children of the deuill inheritours of hell shoulde thorowe faithe onely be made the children of God the brethren of Iesu Christe and coinheritours of the kingdome of heauen As touching the flesh we were all borne the children of wrath of our firste father Adam but by the worde of God we be released from that sinfull kinred touching the spirite we be happily borne again of God by Iesu Christ. Which wer borne not of blood nor of the will of the fleshe nor yet of the will of man but of God For finally God takethe for his children not suche as bee borne the children of Abraham by mans sede or actuall luste in generacion but those that be borne of God by faith Our first father Adam had begotten vs after an vnfortunate and miserable sorte for he begate vs to deathe and hell Moreouer they whiche are borne touchinge the carnal birthe bee not all borne to one estate for some he borne to a kingdome some to bondage But Christe Iesus the auctor of our newe generacion doth regenerate al men without difference to like dignitie that the bondage of sinne and the misery of mortalitie put awaye thorow faith and grace they may be made children of the lyuyng God And the same woorde became fleshe and dwell emong 〈◊〉 Neyther is it any meruail though man be transformed after a sorte into the felowship of the godly nature seyng the woord of God did submit it selfe for this cause to take our fleshe that is to say a mortall body of the virgine ioyning together in himselfe two thynges moste vnlyke God and manne what thing is more frayle or more vile then mans fleash and what thing is more mighty or more excellente then God Neuer meruaill that these thinges were knit to gither It was God that did it Neither mistrust that men may be made the children of God seynge he loued vs so that for our sake he himselfe would be made the sonne of man doubtles he toke vpon him no fantasticall body for who coulde loue a vain vision or a disceitful illusion but truely he toke vpon him the body of a manne that is to say the full and perfect nature of man abhorring not so muche as that parte wherby we be subiect to death and dooe very litel diffre from the kinde of brute beastes And he bacame not man for a small time redy by and by to put awaye that thinge whiche he had taken but to proue assuredly that he toke his manhed not deceitfully or vnder a colour he was long conuersaunt in earth he was hungrie thirstie diuers waies punished suffred death was seen with iyes hearde with eares and touched with handes And to thintent this dignitie should alwaye remaine with mankinde the godhed hauing the manhed with it and in it being glorified sittinge on the righte hande of the father allmighty dooeth stil dwell in vs. And we sawe the glory of it as the glory of the onely begotten sonne of the father full of grace and trueth Neuertheles he lacked not his godly maiestie when he in his manhed walked here in earth for we whiche liued familiarlye with him are witnes that he was both God and man we haue seen him hungry athirst slepinge wepinge vexed and dyinge We haue hearde him speake with the voice of a
last day of that feast was cum whiche was moste solemnely kept with moste great resorte of people with great religion for when this day was past euery mā was glad to repayre home againe Iesus stode vp in the temple as though he also would leaue the coūtrey of Iurye doth halow that moste solemne day of that great feast with a notable sermō and therwith purueyed vitailes of euangelicall faith of the ghospell for theim that should iourney Nor he did not onely speake openly but also cryed with a firme and a stayed voyce therby declaryng that the matier was mete to be heard of all folke The Phariseis had babished the simple people with fained and colde religion and had tangled theyr consciences with mannes ordinaunces And surely the multitude had nothing els almost in admiracion that Iesus sayd or did but his miracles But for somuche as they had not drounke of the spirite of the gospell they toke the lesse spirituall profite at his handes Therfore Iesus called and allured all menne openly from the barren and colde doctrine of the Phariseis vnto himselfe promisyng them the spirite whiche once being receiued not only they by his grace themselues shall attaine to the true euangelicall doctrine but shall also by theyr preachyng issue foorth vpō other great aboundaunce and efficacie of wysedome I am sayth he the fountaine of helthfull wysedome whoso thirsteth let him aske nothing of Moses the Phariseis the Scribes or of the priestes Let him cum to me and drinke of this well And whosoeuer beleueth my wordes thesame drinketh Therfore whosoeuer beleueth on me desyrously drinketh vp my wordes as the scripture biddeth bearing witnesse of me he shal not weaxe dry throwe infidelitie but the draught that he dronke of the spirite of God shall bring foorth in his heart a well that shall runne euermore and plentifully in suche wyse that out of his heart shall flowe not onely small litle streames but also great plēteous fluddes wherwith the drynesse of the Gentiles shal be watered therof shall spring muche fruite of the ghospell By this parable far of speakyng Iesus did meane that fertile and plēteous spirite whiche afterwarde they should receiue that woulde beleue on him whiche spirite after that the Apostles had receiued foorthwith they begon with great confidence to preache in diuers toungues to the whole worlde the philosophie of the gospel to distil into the soules of all that beleued on Christ thesame spirite that they receyued from heauen For albeit that many at that time had sum smattering and were sumwhat entered into knowlage of the faith for all that the verye effectuall and plentifull spirite was not yet cum to any of them for because Iesus was not by his death and resurreccion glorified nor had not ascended vp to heauen to sitte on the fathers right hande from whence he should sende that spirite to his Apostles But the misterie of the crosse was to be perfourmed before whiche thing could not be doen and accomplished except his glorious maiestie had been kept secret and as it were dissembled for a season and they also could not be made able to receyue that diuine spirite vnlesse they had first been framed and fashioned therunto by many miracles sayinges and doinges Therfore the Lorde Iesus doeth call and byd all folke to this well of the water of lyfe yet he compelleth no man againste his wyll nor he excludeth no man so that he cum athirst Many of the people therfore when they heard this saying sayed of a trueth this is a prophte but other sayd this is Christ but sum sayd shall Christe cum out of Galile Sayeth not the scripture that Christe shall cum of the sede of Dauid and out of the toune of Bethleem where Dauid was So there was discencion amōg the people because of him And sum of them woulde haue taken hym but no man layed handes on hym When the Lorde Iesus had spoken this and many mo lyke thynges though they were not fullye vnderstande yet they dyd woorke sundrie myndes and affeccions in the multitude of the people for sum vpon sight of so many miracles and the great auctoritie of his wordes sayed truly this is a very prophete Again other that thought more hyghly of him sayed yea this is that very Messias whom the prophetes haue promised in their prophecies On the contrary syde other being corrupted with pharisaicall leuen went about to reproue and confute these mens opinion by the very woordes of the prophetes whiche tolde before that he shoulde ryse out of the tribe of Iuda and out of the towne of Bethleem Christe was thought with moste part of men to be borne in Nazareth because he was nursed there and broughte vp with his parentes whiche dwelte there and also because he beganne his preaching in Galile and for the moste part had his abode there But the people of Ierusalē and the Iewes that were of the tribes of Iurie toke the people of Galile as men nigh neighbours vnto the heathen and were myxte together but for halfe their countreymen because they neyther excelled in knowledge of the lawe nor euer had any prophete in whome they might worthily reioyce They knewe verily that Messias was promysed to the tribe of Iuda not to men of Galile and that he shoulde cum of the seede of Dauid who had his princely palace at Ierusalem And thus therfore they dyd chalenge vnto them honour of Christ to cum whom they themselfes being with malice corrupted nowe at his very cumming did persecute They say therfore it is not lyke to be true that this man should be Messias if you do ponder and straitly examine the prophecies When Christe shall cum shall he cum to vs oute of Galile doth not the prophecies manifestly saye that Messias shall come of the sede of Dauid who was certainly of the trybe of Iuda And further more it also expresseth the tounes name where he shoulde bee borne that is to say Bethleem whiche is the citie of Dauid that was geuen to Iudas for his parte or tribe Therefore forasmuche as the prophecie dooeth plainlye shewe that he shoulde cum of a kynges stocke of the moste holye tribe of all Iuda out of a princely toune howe can it stande and accorde that this man shoulde be Messias whose parentes be poore and of no estimacion and cummeth to vs out of a vile toune of no name whiche standeth in Galile a countrey of no renowme After this sorte the people disputed of Iesus with diuers iudgementes and there was dissencion among theim for his sake Yet did not Iesus accumpany himselfe with theim in this disputacion because they did not dispute with suche simple purenesse of mynde that they dyd deserue to bee taught and it was not yet tyme to declare hymselfe howe great and excellent a man he was For yf they had vprightly and truely desyred to knowe who he was they themselues might haue learned of Iesus kinsfolkes
in them any gospellers voyce because they were not true shepeherdes For their voyce soundeth nothyng shepeheardlyke But more lyke the voyce of a robber and of a rauenous woulfe I am I tell you the dore There is no healthfull entryng into the churche and kingdoÌ„ of heauen but by me whether thou wilt be shepeherde or shepe If any entre in by me he shall attain eternall health and shal be without all daunger of theues and murderers but through this shepehearde shall go into the shepefolde safe and take the fruicion of the blessed quietnes of contemplacion and shall again go out into the pastures to practise and put in vre the office of charitie And there shal no where lacke pastures but in all places shall be matter to do good vpon to the intente he maye bothe profit other and he hymselfe through good dedes repayre home agayne to the shepefolde more fatter and better likyng Thus now ye haue one token wherby ye maye discerne a shepe from a goate a true shepeherde from a false He that beleueth not on me yet maketh himself a shepeheard of the people of him ought men to beware And his voice shal thaÌ„ disclose what manier one he is if his woordes haue no taste of Goddes glorye if they sauoure not of the peoples health but of his owne praise of gaine of worldly subtiltie and of tiranny let the shepe take hede to themselues and beware of him for he is a thefe and a murtherer he is no shepehearde And he is the more daungerous because he fameth himselfe to be a shepeheard And in case the voyce be not a sufficient profe take hede to theyr dedes A thefe cummeth not but for to steale kyll and to destroye I am come that they mighte haue lyfe and that they might haue it more aboundauntly I am the good shepeherde A good shepeherde geueth his life for his shepe an hired seruaunt and he whiche is not the shepeherd neither the shepe are his owne seeth the woulfe comming and leaueth the shepe and flieth and the woulfe catcheth and scattereth the shepe The hired seruaunte flyeth because he is an hyred seruaunte and careth not for the shepe I am the good shepeheard and know my shepe and am knowen of myne The thefe cummeth for none other purpose but to steale and to get himselfe vile and filthy gaine of the harmes of an other mans flocke The murderer cuÌ„meth not but to worry and destroye and to practise tiraÌ„ny vpon the flocke vnto the whiche to haue dooen good had been his parte and duetie Thre wayes therefore it shal be lefull to decerne the true shepeheard from the thefe or prayecatcher If he entre not in by the doore that is to saye yf he dooe not acknowlage me by whome onely there is hope of eternall healthe If he speake not those thynges whiche agreeth with the doctrine of God thyrdely if his intente be directed any other waye than to those thynges that appartayne to Goddes glory and saluacion of the people If none of these faultes can be found in me but if rather the father of heauen haue opened the doore if I speake those thinges whiche accordeth with the meanyng of the lawe whiche are agreable to the will of the father of heauen yf I doe no where hunte for lucre or mine own prayse but obeying my fathers pleasure thirst after nothyng els but al folkes health than vnderstande ye that I am the true shepehearde and acknowlage ye my founder my voyce my desyre and study They that auaunt themselues to be shepeheardes goe aboute this verely euen to get themselues commoditie of your discommodities who than fare best whan the flocke fareth wurst I that haue entred in by the doore came for none other thing but that the diseased shepe should bee healed the dead should liue and the quicke shoulde be fatted with all kynde of vertues He is taken for a good shepehearde which liueth in dede of the reuenewes and yearely profites that come of his shepe whiche purloyneth nothyng or nothyng deuoureth But an euangelicall shepehearde ferre passeth this vpright dealyng For he doeth not onely not spoyle as the thefe doeth not onelye not teare in pieces as the praie catcher doeth but also bestoweth his owne life for to defend his shepe so farre of it is that he would for any gayne sake hurt the flocke that he is put in trust withal or lose that which he hath taken in hand to kepe Therfore the other sort that braggue vpon theyr beyng shepherdes are woulfes no shepeherdes But if ye demaunde an exaumple and a profe of a good shepherde it is I that am a good shepherde whiche do not onely my selfe not seke my commoditie of the flockes harme â–ª but I also dooe frely geue of myne own goodes yea and my lyfe too to resiste theim that come againste the flocke to endammage or greue it I dooe that for my shepe that one frende will not doe for another He cannot be a shepherde vnlesse he be pure from all singular profite and priuate commoditie except also he set euen his owne life at naught whan at any time the flocke standeth in ieopardy For ther be many thinges that make incursion against the health of the flocke Therfore he that is a true shephearde and in his herte careth for the flocke for none other skill but because he louâ—th the flocke redy to do his commaundemente that gaue him that flocke to be kepte safe and not to be nye shorne spoyled slayn or worried he defendeth the health of his shepe euen with the losse of his owne lyfe But contrary he that is an hierelinge hath taken the ouersight of the flocke for his owne aduauntage yet although he doe rightlye gouerne and rule the flocke whiles al thinges be caulme and quiet yet if there hange any ieopardye of life thereupon that is to were if he see the woulfe prease vpon him furyously he betrayeth the shepe and leaueth the flocke to the woulfe to be scattered abrode and so pece meale to be worried and saueth his owne lyfe by runnyng awaie And what is the cause Nothing els but because he is an hired seruauÌ„t and no shepeherd True charitie hath no respecte to the rewarde Whereas consideracion of the reward hath place there is either no charitie â–ª or vnperfite charitie And if there be any duetie doen it is not doen with that good wyll that a true shepehearde would dooe it with all But where the thyng moste requireth the very naturall shepehearde there thaÌ„ is the flocke deceitfully betrayed whiles the hired shepeherde runneth awaye And why is that Because when that he hath considered the matter after worldly iudgement he counteth it better that an other mans flocke do perishe than himselfe to come in perill of life And yet is this maner of men some deale better than they whiche playe the woulfes themselues against the flocke vnder the false title of shepeheardes For there be
and sawe fower foted beastes of the yearth and vermine and wormes and foules of the ayre In this matter it becommed not Peter to holde his peace but he tolde all the matter euen frome the begynnyng howe as it had chauÌ„ced in this wise Certes I duâ—st not breake the lawe whiche we haue deliuered vs of our forefathers but in this poincte folowed I him whiche is aboue the lawe I was in the citie Ioppa fastyng and in my prayers that no manne can suspecte it to be a vayne dreame And whan I had commaunded as very hungre enforced me some meate to be dressed I was in the meane time rauyshed and in a traunce sawe this vision A great vessell muche after the fourme of a greate linen sheete knitte fast at fower corners was let downe from heaueÌ„ and came to me Werupon whan I had sette myne iye being very hungry I loked what maner of meate there was And there I sawe dyuerse kyndes of fowerfoted beastes besydes those that were noxious beastes with other sondrye kyndes also of beastes â–ª that crepe on the yearthe and fowles of the ayre whome the lawe by expressed commaundement woulde vs to abstayne fro And I hearde a voyce saying vnto me Aryse Peter sley and eate But I sayed not so Lord for nothing commen or vncleane hath at any tyme entred into my mouthe But the voyce answered me againe saying from heauen count not thou those thinges coÌ„me which God hath clensed And this was done thre times And all wer taken vp againe into heauen And beholde immediatly there were thre men all ready cum vnto the house where I was sent froÌ„ Cesarca vnto me And the spirite sayed vnto me that I should go with them wtout doubtyng Moreouer these .vi. brethren accoumpanyed me and we entred into the mans house And he shewed vs how he had seen an angell in his house which stoode and sayed to hym sende menne to Ioppa and call for Symon whose sirname is Peter he shall tell thee woordes wherby both thou and all thyne house shal be saued Whiles I was lookyng on this I hearde also a voyce whiche exhorted me that I shoulde not sticke to eate thereof and sayed vnto me aryse Peter kyll and eate To whome I made than answere God forbyd For to this daye hath no vnclene meate entred into my mouthe Than aunswered the voyce eftsones in this maner call not thou whiche art but man those meates vncleane whiche god hath purified This vysion dyd three tymes appere And afterwardes all those meates whiche I thought worthy to be abhorred were taken vp into heauen And after I was cum to my selfe whyles I reuolued in my mynde what this vision whiche so often apered shoulde meane the spirite of god forthwith gaue me knowlege that there were three men at the doore where I hosted sent from Cesarea that would speake with me And the same spirite commaunded me that I shoulde not sticke to goe with them I obeyed the visyon and by the holy ghostes sendyng I tooke my iorney to Cesarea not alone but I tooke syxe brethren with me to beare wytnesse of all those thynges whiche I dyd by the commaundement of God And brefely er entred into the mannes house that had sente for vs. There he in presence of vs all shewed howe that fewe dayes before whyles he was fastyng and hys prayers at home in hys house he had seene an Aungell standyng before hym in a glistenyng garment when it was brode daye and saying vnto hym Cornelius sende some of thy seruauntes to Ioppa and let theym desyre Symon otherwyse named Peter in thy behalfe to take the paynes to come speake with the. He shall tell the those thynges whereby thou and all thy housholde maye be saued I perceyuyng these visions to had agreed on both partes and perceyuyng farder howe earnest theyr desyre was with out all dissimulacion beganne to teache them those thynges that our Lorde Iesus had willed vs to preache And as I began to preache the holy gost fell on them as he did on vs at the begynnyng Than came it to my remembraunce howe that the lorde sayed Iohn baptised with water but ye shall be baptised with the holy ghost For as muche than as god gaue theÌ„ like gyftes as he dyd vnto vs when we beleued on the Lord Iesus Christ what was I that I should haue withstand god Whan they heard this they helde theyr peace glorified God saying than hath God also to the Gentyles graunted repentaunce vnto lyfe I had not fully fynished my communication but beholde the holy ghost cummyng from heauen entred into theym in lyke maner as he at the fyrste tyme had into vs and they began to speake dyuerse languages euen as we than spake Thys was an euident token that their faythe was approued before God And euen than the very thyng it selfe shewed what this hard vision to vnderstande that I had seene dyd meane For these were those same fowerfooted creping beastes and fowles whiche we that are circumcised do abhorre but goddes wyll is to haue theym purifyed thorowe faythe yea he wyll not that we take anye thyng as vncleane whiche thorowe faythe of the ghospell is made holy And farther I remembred the wordes that the Lorde spake vnto vs whan he was ready to ascende to heauen Iohn baptised in water but you shal be baptised in the holy ghoste And we diepe the body in water but it is not water that gyueth saluacion vnlesse by faythe we obtaine the fierye baptisme And whan as the matter of it selfe in effect was euident enoughe that they had receyued the baptisme whiche Iesus the lorde had promysed and that the same fauoure thorowe faythe was employed on those whiche wer not circumcised whiche we before had receyued not because we had so deserued by kepyng of the lawe but thorowe our fayth wherby we beleued our lorde Iesus Christ how coulde I be agaynste the wil of god Was it for me to staye that they shoulde not be baptised in water whiche were than already baptised in the spirite of God seyng that water is nothyng elles but a token of the grace that shal be geuen vs from heauen But than was grace gyuen them before without oure ministerie So that to deny them to be baptysed in water had bene nothynge elles but to improue that whyche God had done Whan they had hearde these hys wordes they helde theyr peace and praysed God saying than the verye thyng in effect is euidently declared that God hath gyuen repentaunce not to the Israelytes onely but to the Gentyles also that they therby maye obteyne lyfe euerlastynge And these were the firste frutes of the Gospell that the churche had of heathen by Peters procurement For before hym none other durste so doo but Philip onely and that also not without monicion of an aungell They also which were scattered abrode through the affliccion that arose about SteueÌ„ walked throughout vnto Phenice and Cypres and Antioche preachyng
these woordes she entreated the Apostles to tary as gestes at her house a good space Here is an example for preachers that they refuse not ientylnesse profered vnto theym by those that are newlye conuerted to Christe yf it be readely and instauntly profered leste they seme not to knowledge them for theyrs And on the other syde they ought not to preace on them vntyll they be desyred lest they seeme to craue rewardes for preaching the ghospell But he that hathe receyued a spirituall or ghostely benefyte ought ernestly to cause those that haue so doen for hym to receyue at his handes againe corporall benefytes yf they shall haue nede therof ¶ And it fortuned as we went to prayer a certaine damsell possessed with a spirite that prophecied met vs which brought her master and maystres muche auauntage with propheciyng The same folowed Paule and vs and cryed saying these men are the seruauntes of the moste high God whiche shewe vnto vs the waye of saluacion And this dyd she many dayes But Paule not contented turned aboute and sayde to the spirite I commaunde the in the name of Iesus Christ that thou cumme out of her And he came out the same houre And it chaunced as we wer goyng to praye as our custome was that a certayne damsell met vs whiche had in her the spirit of the deuyll Pithon whiche by propheciyng and tellyng thinges before hand gotte greate auauntage to her master and maystresse She ouertakyng and folowyng Paule and vs cryed saying These meâ—ne are the seruauntes of the high god whiche are cum to teache you the wayâ— of saluacion And where as she contynued thus dooyng many daies Paule beeynge dyscontented leste that he shoulde seme to knowlege that prayse whiche the wenche beeyng possessed with a dyuell attributed vnto hym turned to her and sayed to the spirite I commaunde the in the name of Iesus Christ that thou depart out of her And the spirite lefte her immediately And whan her mayster and maystres sawe that the hope of their gaynes was gone they attacked Paule and Silas and dreue them into the market place vnto the rewlers and brought them to the officers saying These men trouble our citie saying they are Iewes and preache ordinaunces â–ª whiche are not lawfull for vs to receiue neyther to obserue seeyng that we are Romaynes And the people ranne againste theym and the offyceâ—s rent their clothes and commaunded theym to be beaten with roddes And when they had beaten theim sore they caste them into pryson commaundynge the iayler of the prison to kepe theim diligently Whiche whan he had receiued suche a commaundement thrust them into the inner pryson and made theyr feete fast in the stockes But the damsels maister and maystres seyng that theyr bauÌ„tage was goen toke Paul Silas brought them violently into the market place before the chiefe of the citie there before the officers accused theym saying These men whiche are cum hyther from sum straunge cuntrey do trouble all the whole cytie forasmuche as they beeyng Iewes borne teache vs a newe relygion and teache vs newe ordinaunces whiche is not lawfull for vs to receyue seeyng that we lyue accordyng to the lawes of the Romaynes whiche wyll not permitte ne suffer vs neyther to receyue any straunge goddes nor to practyse any newe kyndes of wurshyppyng the goddes Upon these complayntes the people there emoÌ„g whom the veray name of a Iewe was in great hatred clustryng all in a cage together made assaulte vpon the Apostles And the officers to satysfye the people in their furye cut a sondre theyr garmentes for wrathe and commaunded them to be beaten with roddes And beeyng not satysfyed with this punishement whaÌ„ they had laied many a sore stripe on theim they caste them in pryson commaundyng the iaylour to kepe them dyligently The iaylour whan they had so streyghtly charged hym for the better safegarde layed theim beneathe in a lower pryson and yet was not contented but sette them faste in the stockes This lucke had they at theyr fyrst entryng to preache in Macedonie Marke here that euermore either lucre or ambicion or els supersticion letteth the furtheraunce of the ghospell But whan the worlde moste cruelly rageth in persecucion of Christes members than especially appereth comforte from heauen At mydnyght Paule and Silas prayed and lauded God And the prysoners hearde them And sadenly there was a great ertâ—quake so that the foundation of the pryson was shakeÌ„ and immediately al the dores opened and euery mannes bandes wer loosed When the keper of the pryson waked out of his slepe and sawe the pryson dores open he drewe out his swearde and woulde haue kylled hymselfe supposing that the prysoners had bene fledde But Paule cried with a loude voyce saying do thy selfe no harme for we are all here About mydnyght Paule and Sylas not passyng for theyr whyppyng nor yet that they were cast into pryson praied and song hymnes in the laude prayse of God thankyng hym that he had vouchesaued to do theym beeyng hys seruauntes suche honour as to lette theym suffer these iniuries for hys name And other whiche were prysoners there hearde theym meryly syngynge the prayse of God and of hys sonne Iesus Christe and meruayled that they in suche aduersitie coulde be so merye And sodaynely came a greate yearthequake insomuche that all the whole pryson was shaken euen the foundacyon and all and all the doores of the pryson were open with the same and all the prysoners gyues and other lyke bondes were loosed The keper at the greate noyse and tumblyng that was made awaked and whan he had starte foorth and founde all the pryson doores wyde open thynkyng vpon and verely imagynyng that the prysoners were all gone and hauyng in remembraunce the charge that he had of the officers pulled out hys swearde and was aboute to kyll hymselfe wyllyng rather to slaye hymselfe then fyrste to suffer manye paynefull tormentes and afterwarde at the hangmannes hande whiche was execucioner of the towne to suffer death But Paule whiche laye beneth in the darke seyng hym about suche a dede cryed out wyth a loude voyce that although the man were astonied yet he made hym hearken vnto hym and sayde Beware holde thy handes and hurt not thy selfe for thou shalte haue no damage by vs. For we are all here and not one of vs fled hence ¶ Than he called for a lyght and sprang in and came trembling vnto Paule and fel downe at the feete of Paul and Sylas and brought them out and sayd Syrs what must I doe to be saued And they sayd beleue on the lorde Iesus and thou shalt be saued and thy housholde And they preached vnto hym the woorde of the lorde and to all that were in his house And he toke them the same houre of the nyght washed their woundes and was baptised al they of his householde streyghtway And whan he had brought them in to hys house he set meate before them and
mynde But these men whatsoeuer they do do it to hauke for a vayne opinion of holynes with the simple people And they set abrode their Philacteries and enlarge the borders of their garmentes and loue the vppermoste seates at feastes and to sit in the chiefe place in counsels gritinges in the market and to be called of men Rabbi But be ye not called Rabbi For one is your maister that is Christ and all ye are brethren And call no man your father vpoÌ„ the earth For one is your father whiche is in heauen neyther be ye called maisters for one is your maister that is Christ. He that is greateâ—â— among you shal be your seruauÌ„t But whoso exalteth himselfe shal be brought lowe and he that humbleth hymselfe shal be exalted For whan God after that the commaundementes of the lawe were geuen added Thou shalt tye them in thy hande and they shall not bee remoued from thyne iyes meanyng therby that we ought neuer to forgette the commaundemeÌ„tes of God but after their rule to frame all the doinges of our life these men neglectyng vtterly to kepe the commaundementes of God yet they magnifie themselues among the people with a false apperaunce They walke vp and doune bearyng about brode Philacteries they go with brode gorgiouse imbroderinges and shewe furth the commaundementes of the lawe written in them where as in their lyfe they neuer appeare These should haue been written in theyr hartes and expressed in theyr lyfe So they should please the iyes of God vnto whom onely our lyfe should play her pageaunt But this beholder and loker on despised they seke after vile praise of the rude multitude And whereas it becummeth a teacher euery where to expresse noble vertue in his maners and sayinges and also in his countenaunce these men do nothyng els but that that is very vayne and also scant worthy and meteÌ„ for manne If they be called any where to supper there they place themselues chyldishly and ambiciously because the more honorable place is offered vnto them In Synagoges and common councels they loue the honour of the high seate Whan they be in the market they reioyce to be saluted honorably They set vp their combes as often as they heare of the people that honorable title Rabbi as who saith they only be worthy of honour or be only wyse where as for this they be least estemed with god because they seme to themselues greatest and in this they be most folishe because they seme to themselues most wise Honor is due only to God who only is great in dede and to be honoured The praise of wisedome is due onely to God and authoritie is due only to God If any of these thynges be in men it is but a certayne shadowe only yf it be compared to the greatnes of God and it cummeth also from the bountefulnesse of God Therfore yf men yelde any honour vnto menne for the gyftes of God whiche they suppose to be in them he to whom it is geuen ought not to chalenge it to hymselfe but to yelde the whole vnto hym from whom he hath all yea and that freely yf he hath any goodnesse But I would not that ye my disciples should be like vnto them but rather remembring my exaumple and doctrine flee the arrogant name of wisedome nor please not your selues yf any manne call you Rabbies that is to saye our maisters For there is one vnto whom this name truely agreeth and this is your common maister But you in comparison of hym be nothyng els but felowe scholers and brethren together among whom mutuall charitie maketh all lyke And it is not cumly that any man prefer himselfe before another but the contencion is farre contrary that is to saye that one geue honour to an other and one with gentlenes and duetie preuente an other Therfore call no man maister in earth seyng that whatsoeuer holsome doctrine ye haue ye haue it all of God and be bounde to hym for it By hym he teacheth whosoeuer teacheth rightly By his inspiracion he profiteth whosoeuer truly profiteth Nor yelde not heareafter vnto manne in yearth the honorable name of father sith ye haue once professed the heauenly father vnto whom ye be bounde both for lyfe and for whatsoeuer ye haue and vpon whom ye do wholy depende Let no manne therfore chalenge vnto hym the honour due vnto God only let no man geue that to man which is due to God only To whom only all prayse honour and thankes must be geuen If any man teache well let the wisedom of God be praised in him which doth shewe furth and communicate herselfe by him If any man doth the parte of a father in diligence and carefulnes let the goodnes of God be praysed in hym which doeth prouide for you by him But the lorde Iesus spake not these thinges as though it were a wicked thing to call a maister by the name of maister or call a parent by the name of a parent but by this communicacion he endeuoureth to plucke out vtterly from the mindes of his their pharisaicall ambicion whiche chalenge vnto them that that was Gods requireth honour of the people for the doctrine which was not theirs but Gods as though they were the authours and not rather ministers Furthermore he noted the simplicitie and flatterye of the people whiche praysed them immoderately as though they were more bound to men than to God And because he perceyued that there sprang of suche ambicion poyson and destruccion of the congregacions therfore he finisheth his communicacion with this clause he that is greatest among you he shal be your minister For what he hath he hath receyued it els where and hath receyued it freely and hath receyued it for this that he should geue it to other Therfore the greater he is by the gyftes of God he shall not be the more arrogante but the more carefull to bestowe them and the more lowly and humble leste he should lese at once by arrogaÌ„cy that that goddes liberalitie hath geuen vnto him Let him geue all the glory vnto God the authour chalengeyng nothing vnto himselfe but the diligence of an humble minister He is great in dede whiche is least in his owne conceyte And he begynneth now to be least with God which is great in his owne conceyte And if a maÌ„ crake and auaunce himselfe of the free giftes of God being spoyled of them whereof he maketh himselfe vnwoorthy of the greatest he is become the leaste Contrarywise he that doeth submit humble himselfe knowlegyng and setting furth his weakenes and knowlegyng the gyftes of God wherby he is great or els shewing and vttering them to the profite and commoditie of his brethren he because he prouoketh goddes liberalitie through his modestie the gyftes beyng increased of great he is made greater ¶ But woe vnto you Scribes and Phariseis Hipocrites For ye shut by the kyngdom of heaueÌ„ before men for ye neither go in
pleasure art worthyly tormented Thou turnedst thy face from the Lazare beeyng ful of sores biddedst away with hym out of thy syght whereas for thyne owne parte thou were all in thy swete sauoures and perfumes and now is he in mine armes smooth and clere skynned from top to toe Thou wouldeste not vouchsalue to leate hym come within thy house and I am content to haue hym sytte in my lappe Thou diddest neither with meate ne drinke refreash hym beeyng in extreme penury and nowe is he refreashed with eternall rest whiche knoweth no vexacion of houngre ne thirste And with what face dooest thou at his hande aske refreashemēt of cooling thy mouth seyng that he not veraye long sens could obteine no refreashyng at all of the In case thou haddest cladde him whan he was naked if thou haddest fedde hym whan he was houngrie if thou haddest geuen him drynke in his thirst if whan he laye without thy gates thou haddest gathered hym into thy house if thou haddest doen some cure on hym beeyng all full of sores he would nowe again obtein some coumforte for thee and some releace of thy tormentes and would receiue the again on his partie into his brotherhoode and coumpaignie Thou wreatched miser where is nowe thy fine silkes and thy purple where bee thy perfumes where be thy feastinges and bāquettynges where is thy pipyng and dauncyng where bee so many thy pleasures mixt with ambicion and vain glory Whyle thou wer aliue no kynde of wyne could please thee for beeyng cloyed with theim so great was the deliciousnesse of thy mouth neither wouldeste thou all the whyle so muche as geue a lyttell water to Lazarus beyng thirstie and nowe thou canst not obteine no not soe muche as a poore droppe of water to refreashe the scaldyng heate of thy tōge In stede of thy galaunte manours whiche thou haddeste than thou haste nowe the derke doungeon of hell for thy delicate pastimes euerlasting peine for thy testynges and songes continuall wepyng and owlyng And so much the more past remedye is your extreme distresse that an huige great gapyng hole dooeth kepe vs and you in soondre in sorte that if any would gooe from hens thither where ye are and helpe you thei cannot nor if any of you would assay to come vp from thens hither he cannot nowe that by the iudgemente of God which cannot be chaunged there is vnto al sortes their due place limited for theim to remayne in In the life season there was a tyme to refreashe the neighbour by dooing good turnes and pleasures one man to an other and to be relieued the one of the other agayn now is it ouer late here to wyl or desire that cannot possibly bee doen. In thy delicate pleasaunt pastimes thou wouldeste nedes bee alone with suche as thou wer thy selfe but Lazarus and such other as Lazarus was thou wouldest not suffre to come ons in thy coumpaignie And nowe art thou again serued of thesame sauce for thy labour Whā Abraham had this spoken the riche man beeyng put of from all hope that himselfe should obteine any reliefe is desirous at leastwise to prouide some good waies for certain brethren of his whiche he had yet aliue lest that if they ledyng their liues after the same facion should come into the same place the felyng of his peine and woe should by suche coumpaignie being ioyned vnto hym increace vnto hym whereas he was in myserie and extremitie enough al ready But he dooeth nowe in vain become an humble suiter whiche tofore vsed to putte of from hym the lazare man when thesame made muche crouchyng and knelyng vnto him for succour If the great derke doungeon saieth he bee a let that there can no helpe be ministred or dooen to my selfe yet thus much I praie thee that thou wilt send Lazarus to my fathers house For I haue fiue brethren aliue that he may geue warnyng and aduertisemente vnto theim leste that in case they folowe my steppes they shall come hither to bee felowes and partakers here with me of these wofull sorowes and peines that I am in But rather leat theim relieue the necessitie of the poore with suche gooddes as they haue and leate them not vse their rychesse to the sensualitie of the fleash but to the godly deuocion of the mynde ne leate theim not sette their fansye and loue on suche thinges as for a season are swere and delectable in the worldly life but on such thynges as maye purchase rest for euer to endure Thus saied the riche man whom the extrem◠tormentes whiche he nowe hadde experience of made bothe an humble suppliaunte and also a teacher of other though it were nowe ouer late But after death there is no praiers that wil serue ne yet maie a man haue lycence to geue any warnynge or counsaill For nothyng haue the deade to dooe with the liuyng Abraham therefore made him this aunswere It is nothyng requisite that Lazarus bee for anye suche cause as this called awaye frō his quiete reste Thy brethren if they bee disposed to bee honeste men and to do wel haue Moses and the prophetes leat them herken to them For they in theyr bookes speake vnto al creatures Than the riche man beyng an hard suiter and a peticioner that would not be satisfied yet neuerthelesse ouerlate saied to Abraham O father Abraham as for Moses they will not heare no nor the prophetes neither but yf one of the dead might come to theym to bring theim sure and perfecte woorde howe sore and grieuous tormentes tho persones doe here suffre whiche dooe there passe their liues after myne exaumple whiche all ryche folkes for the moste parte doe they will amend and frame theimselfes to better rewle and gouernaunce Hereunto Abraham said yea that thou speakeste is the colourable laiyng of excuses of suche persones as are disposed neuer to leaue ne forsake that they doe naughtily and viciously loue The autoritie of Moses and of the prophetes is greater with theym then the autoritie of Lazarus a poore begger shoulde bee That yf they geue no eare ne regarde to them truely if one should arise again from death to life they would not heare him neither Than would they fynde stoppes and cauillacions that it were the walkyng of some ghoste or to bee some eiuill spirite By these wordes dyd the Lord Iesus couertely geue a nippe to the vnbeliefe of the Iewishe nacion who because thei did not in verai true dede beleue Moses and the prophetes doe euen yet still at this present crie out agaynst Christ also beeyng restored aliue oute of his sepulchre and nowe sitting on the righte hande of his father whereas in veraye dede they woulde beleue that hath bee doen yf they had truely beleued Moses and the prophetes tellyng shewyng long afore that it should so bee By this parable dyd Christe coumforte hys disciples who shoulde afterwarde for the loue of the kyngdome of heauen endure and abyde
many affliccions in this worlde and by the selfesame parable dooeth he feare the phariseis the Scribes the experte lawyers the priestes the headmen the ryche folkes the proude sorte the fierce perillous men and such as liue to the behoufe commoditie of themselfes and no mo to the ende they myght at leastwyse for feare of punishemente if they would none otherwyse refourme their vngodly lyfe For otherwyse it shoulde come to passe that they should there an other daye bee mocked again whiche here in this worlde were mockers and skorners of Christe whan he called them to better waies The xvii Chapter He saied vnto his disciples It cannot bee but offences will come Neuerthelesse woe vnto him through whom thei come It were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his necke and he cast into the sea then that he should offende one of these litell ones Take hede to your selfes If thy brother trespace against thee rebuke him if he repent forgeue him And though he sinne against thee seueÌ„ times in a daye and seuen tymes in a daie turne again to the saiyng it repenteth me thou shalte forgeue him NOw so was it decreed by the heauenlye father â–ª so was it expedient for the saluacion of mankynde that the proud Phariseis should bee offeÌ„ded with the weakenesse of the humain bodye nature whiche the Lorde had taken and that the same Phariseis shoulde punishe hym with affliccion yea and also should putte hym to deathe beeyng in fourme of pouerty of low degree brought in fourme of mekenes humilitie that thei should also be in mind to shew neuer a whit more of mercy or fauour to his disciples neither if they folowed the steppes of their maister But as the vnbeliefe of the eiuil disposed vngracious sort doeth wrappe the godly in affliccions so is the pacient suffreing which the good meÌ„ haue in them an occasion of the greater daÌ„nacion to the eiuil But yet neuertheles God vseth the malice of suche ferre otherwyse theÌ„ thei meane it to the benefite of the whole world Iesus therfore sayeth vnto his disciples emong whoÌ„ was Iudas who was afterwarde to bee the causer fyrste beginner of offence that is to say of slaundre grutche of conscience an occasioner to betray Iesus vnto death being a man after the worldly estimacion selie of lowe degree Albeit yâ— wickednesse of the saied Iudas made the redeÌ„pcion of the world the sooner to come his daÌ„nable ende was an holsome ensaumple to all creatures It cannot bee auoided ne chosen saieth Iesus but that offences must shall happen but yet is that none excuse to him through whose default such offence of conscieÌ„ce shal arise For it were a great deie more expedient for such an one to be cast headloÌ„g into the sea with a great lidger milstone tied about his necke then to be an occasion of suche slaundre or offence to one of these that are such litle tendre ones to the worldeward For they haue God to be an auenger of their cause who thinketh hymselfe to bee hurted in thesame litell ones whan they are hurted And a lesse my sauenture it is for a man to endure punishement here in this world bee it neuer so sharp then by offending the conscieÌ„ces of litle ones whoÌ„ God loueth wilfully to seke procure euerlasting tormentes in helle Beware ye therefore It lieth not in you to auoide but that such slaundres of conscience shal arise but it is your partes to beware that none suche arise through your faulte or occasion And the best way or meane howe for you to auoide that no such offence of conscience maye bee imputed to you is if not onelye ye shall not geue anye occasion of slaundre or offence of conscience to any body through your fault but also yf anye suche thyng bee ministred vnto you by others ye eyther wype it cleâ—e awaye through your mildenesse or elles suffre it with your good exaumple of pacience and in no wyse dooe the like to any of them again For ye shall haue vexacion and vproares arise against you not at the handes of the wicked sorte onely but also beeing as ye are mortal menne made of frail metalle there shall euen emong youre selfes manye times arise offences and trespaces whiche ye muste remedye with brotherlye and charitable admonicion whose proprety and condicion is neyther to bewraye or disclose the offendour if there may be anye reformacion in him and yet to haue pardone readye for hym in case he repente and bee willing to emende If therefore it shall by any chaunce happen that thy brother haue commytted any trespasse agaynst thee doe not â—ynke at the fault as though thou knewest it not leste the leattyng it to escape vnspoken of maye bee to the other an occasion of more boldenes eftsons to do the lyke but playe thou the faithfull phisician that is to saye shewe thou him his disease with a lighte chydyng in secrete to the ende he maye bee refourmed with beeyng ashamed of that he hath doone He wil sooner heare a frendely man that shall tell hym of hys faulte then a troubleous or brablyng accuser whome he must repute and take for an open enemie For suche is the nature of manne for the moste parte that he will with a better will sette himselfe in a staigh and quiette by good aduise and counsaile then he will yelde to be ouer troden with wrong It cannot but appere to bee a great poyncte of ientilnesse whan one secrtely telleth a bodye of his faulte But he that openlie detecteth a manne and requireth to haue hym punished semethe not to bee of any suche minde or will to cure his brothers sore but rather to notifie and publishe the same to his dishonestee and open confusion That in case thy brother beeyng tolde of his faulte by the shall emende and acknowelage his offence leat forgeuenesse bee ready whiche maye familiarly and louinglye receiue him again as soone as he is refourmed and so ferre bee thou froÌ„ on s thinkyng howe to redresse it by auengemente that thou saue the parties honestee also as muche as in thy power lyeth That if the same partye through humain frailtie shal eftsones be falleÌ„ in relapse of thesame or an other suche lyke offence yea although he trespace against the seuen tymes in a daie and than doe seuen tymes in a daye repente agayne and earnestelye appliyng himselfe to pacifye thee shall saye I haue doone amysse I am sorye for it forgeue me forgeue thou him the faulte from the botome of thy herte This ientilnesse of forgeuyng and releasyng one an others offences and trespaces shal after a muche better sorte mainteine peace and concorde emong you then mutual requiting of one shrewde turne or displeasure for an other ¶ And the Apostles sayed vnto the Lorde increace our faith And the Lord saied if ye had faith like a grain of mustard sede ye shoulde saie