talke obteined a mitigacion almoste of the wholle taxe whiche the sessours had afore agreed vpon and appointed vnto the weomen to contribute These exaumples of eloquence in weomen lyke as they are but verye fewe in noumbre so are they thynges of no suche highe excellencie to be meruailed at For what great matier of woondre is it that emong so many thousaÌ„des three or fower should be founde hable to speake before a iudge in open audience or what strauÌ„ge case is it to be reputed if some one or two weomeÌ„ haue ben fouÌ„d wittie or learned in the Latine toungue beeynge their owne natiue language which euerie carter and handicraftes man than spake though not al thinge so finely as the learned men and Oratours dyd what high matier of praise and commendacion is it if a few weomen being either wines or daughters to excellent fine Latine men could in continuaunce of a greate manye yeares speake Latine well â–ª yet are these weomen specialy chronicled in histories as notable yea and syngulare exaumples worthy perpetuall fame and memorye for their wytte learnyng and eloquence After these heathens Hiereme in his Epistles writeth speciall high praises and commendacions of Eustochium the mother Paula the daughter and Blesilla the daughters daughter of whiche euerye one were passyng well sene not onely in holy scryptures but also in Latyne Greke and Hebrewe whiche toungues they learned exactely in a veray shorte tyme excelled in the same The like testymony he geueth of Marcella a veray noble woman in Rome whome he reporteth to had in his time so well profyted in the knowleage of holy scriptures that after his departure from Rome yf there were any doubtefull question or any poynte of difficultee concernyng scripture all folkes woulde resorte to hir as to a iudge hable and also sufficient to decise any matier of controuersie or ambiguitee that happened emonge them But this knowleage extended no ferther then to the priuate edifyinge of theyr owne selues with a very fewe others and thesame in suche places where Latine was their mother toungue and their natiue language But nowe in this gracious and blisse full time of knoweleage in which it hath pleased almighty god to reuele and shewe abrode the lighte of his most holy ghospell what a noumbre is there of noble weomen especially here in this realme of Englande yea and howe many in the yeares of tender virginitie not onely aswell sene and as familiarlye traded in the Latine and Greke tongues as in their owne mother language but also bothe in all kyndes of prophane litterature and liberall artes exactly studyed and exercised and in the holy scriptures and Theologie so ripe that they are able aptely cunnyngly and with muche grace eyther to endicte or translate into the vulgare toungue for the publique instruccioÌ„ and edifying of the vnlearned multitude Neyther is it nowe any straunge thing to heare ientle weomen in stede of moste vaine communicacion aboute the moone shynyng in the water to vse graue and substanciall talke in Greke or Latine with their housebandes of godly matiers It is now no newes in Englande to see young damysels in nobles houses and in the Courtes of princes in stede of cardes and other instrumentes of idle trifleing to haue continually in theyr handes eyther Psalmes Omelies and other deuoute meditacions or els Paules epistles or some booke of holy Scripture matiers and as familiarlye both to reade or reason therof in Greke Latine Frenche or Italian as in Englishe It is nowe a common thing to see young virgins so nouzeled and trained in the studie of letters that they willingly set all other vayne pastimes at naught for learninges sake It is nowe no newes at all to see Quenes and Ladies of moste highe estate and progenie in stede of Courtly daliaunce to enbrace vertuous exercises of readyng and wrytyng with moste earneste studie both erely and late to applye themselues to the acquiring of knowlage aswell in all other liberall artes and disciplines as also moste specially of God and his moste holy worde wherunto all christen folkes of what estate or degree so euer they be ought to the vttermoste of their possible powers moste principally and moste earnestly themselues to geue dedicate But what a great cause of publique reioycyng o lorde maye it be that in this time of Christes harneste euerie good bodye moste busily applyinge the worke of his vocacioÌ„ towardes the inning of the lordes corne some by instructyng the youth some by teachyng scholes some by preachyng to their simple flockes some by godly inducing of their families some by wrytyng good and godly treatises for the edifying of suche as are willing to reade and some by translating good bokes out of straunge touÌ„gues into our vulgare language for the helpe of the vnlearned the most noble weomen of bloude and estate royall are no lesse diligent trauaillours then the best in any of the aboue named offices mete for their sexe ne take any manier skorne or disdeigne in the labour of drawing this haruest home to bee ioyned as yâ—kefelowes with inferiour persons of moste lowe degre and condicion Howe happie art thou o England for whose behoufe and edifying in Christe Quenes and Princesses spare not ne ceasse with all earnest endeuour and sedulitee to spende their tyme their wittes their substaunce and also their bodyes And in this behalfe lyke as to your highnesse moste noble Quene Katerine aswel for composyng and setting foorth many goodly psalmes and diuerse other contemplatiue meditacions as also for causyng these paraphrases of the moste famous clerke and moste godly writer Erasmus of Roterodom to bee translated into oure vulgare language Englande can neuer bee able to render thankes sufficiente so may it neuer bee able as her desertes require enough to praise magnifye the moste noble the moste vertuous the moste wittye and the mooste studious Ladye Maries Grace daughter of the late moste puissaunte and moste victorious Kyng Henry the eyght of moste famous memorie and moste derely beloued systur to the king our soueraigne lorde that now is it maye neuer bee able I saye enough to prayse and magnifie hir Grace for takyng suche great studie peine and trauaill in translatyng this paraphrase of the said Erasmus vpon the gospel of Iohn at your hyghnesse speciall contemplacion as a noumbre of right well learned men woulde bothe haue made courtesie at and also would haue brought to wurse frame in the doyng O how greatly maie we all glory in suche a pierlesse floure of virginitee as her Grace is who in the middes of Courtly delices and emiddes the enticementes of worldly vanities hathe by her owne choice and eleccion so vertuously and so fruictefully passed her tendre youth that to the publique comforte and gladfull reioycing whiche at her byrth she brought to all Englande she doeth nowe also conferre vnto thesame the vnestimable benefite of fâ—rtheryng bothe vs and our posteritee in the knowleage of Goddes worde and to
in this matier For they beyng muche desyrous of their maysters auauncement and to wynne moe vnto him feared lesâ—e that many of the Gentyles myndes woulde be alienated and turned awaye from Christe because they coulde not abyde the lawe And againe they thoughte it not expedient to geue a iuste cause to the Iewes to forsake the ghospell as thoughe it were dysagreeyng from the holye lawe forasmuche as they were so earnestlye rooted in the lawe whyche they had receiued of theyr forefathers and had at that tyme in great reuerence that they mighte not sodainly be plucked from it And when there was muche dâ—sputing Peter arose vp and saide vnto them ye menne and brethren ye know how that a good while ago God did choose emoÌ„g vs that the Gentiles by my mouth should heare the word of the gospel and beleue And god which knoweth the hertes bare them witnesse and gaue vnto them the holy ghost euen as he did vnto vs and put no difference betwene vs and them seyng that with faith he purified their hertes Now therfore why tempte ye god to put on the disciples neckes the yoke which neither our fathers nor we are able to beare But we beleue that through the grace of the lorde Iesu Christ we shal be saued as they do Than all the multitude was pleased and gaue audience to Barnabas and Paule whiche tolde what sygnes and wunders God had shewed emong the Gentiles by them Wherfore bothe parties beyng in earnest disputacion and reasonyng and bothe parties allegyng testimonies out of scriptures and groundyng theyr argumentes vpon thesame Peter arose vp and spake vnto them in this wise Brethren wherefore call ye this matter into controuersy or disputacion as though it were doubtfull and as who sayth that it were in mannes arbitrement to allowe or dysailowe that thing that god hath already allowed Your selues do knowe that fewe yeares since it chaunced me to haue the practyse of suche a lyke thing in Iewry as ye finde fault withal emong all the Gentiles nowe For whan ye likewyse grutched that Cornelius his householde were Christened I shewed vnto you all the whole matier howe that I toke my iourney to Cesarea not of myne owne heade but by the commaundemente of God to preache his ghospel to the Gentiles also that they throughe faythe in hym might obteyne saluacion And where as they that hearde me than preache the gospell were vncircumcised and free without bondage of Moses law yet neuerthelesse god who estemeth not man of his apparel or outwarde furniture but of the inwarde affeccion of his herte whiche he alone doeth knowe gaue vs manyfest tokens that he approued theyr faythe forasmuche as he whiles they harkened vnto vs powred on them his holy ghoste yea so plentifully that they spake diuerse languages as well as we and that also before they were christened so that he put no dyfference as concernynge the gracious fauour that cummeth by the gospell betwene them whiche were not circumcised and vs that are Iewes For their hertes be clensed through fayth playnely declaring to vs that thys fauour doeth not consist in the power of the lawe to geue it vnto men but in fayth whiche maketh man acceptable in the syght of God For God geueth not his holy spirite to the vncleane And they had nothing els but eueÌ„ a playne beliefe whan the holy ghost came downe vpon them Wherefore nowe seeyng that God hath expressed his mynde and will that the Gentiles shoulde bee receyued to the ghospell and shoulde bee partakers therof throughe onely faith without the burden of the lawe why than dooe ye prouoke and tempte God whiles that contrary to his will ye go about to lay vpon the disciples neckes this so heauy a yoke of the lawe whiche they were neuer hitherto vsed vnto and the whiche neyther our forefathers nor yet we oure selues that wer borne vnder the lawe coulde euer bee hable to beare For whyche of vs all euer kepte the lawe as it oughte to bee kepte Wherfore there remayneth no hope for vs to attayne vnto saluacion by kepynge of the lawe but we truste to bee saued by the grace of oure Lorde Iesus Christe beeyng in this behalfe nothynge better then the Gentiles vnto whome he willed thys gyft to bee frely communicate and parted as he freely gaue it vnto vs also By these woordes of Peter the contencious disputacion betwene the Pharisees and those that were of opinion contrarye was ceassed And so afterwarde the multitude quietly harde Barnabas and Paule shewing by howe sondrye myracles and woonders whiche had by theyr handes bene wroughte amonge the Gentiles God had witnessed that his will was that the Gentyles shoulde bee made partakers of the ghospell without kepeynge of the heauy burden of the lawe accordyng as he had declared his mynde beefore to Peter whan he was preachyng Christe in Cornelius house by sendyng downe the holy goste vpon them ¶ And when they helde theyr peace Iames answered saiyng Men and brethren herken vnto me Simeon tolde how god at the beginning did visit the Gentiles to receiue of them a people in his name And to this dooe agree the wordes of the prophetes as it is written After this I wil returne and will buylde vp agayne the Tabernacle of Dauid whiche is fallen downe and that whiche is fallen in decaye of it wil I build again I wil set it vp that the residue of men myght seke after the lorde and also the Gentiles vpon whome my name is uained saith the lord which doeth al these thinges knoweÌ„ vnto god are al these his workes froÌ„ the beginning of the world Wherfore my senteÌ„ce is yâ— we trouble not them which from among the Gentiles â–ª are turned to God But that we write vnto them that they abstayn themselues from filthynes of ymages and from fornicacion and from strangled and from bloude For Moses of olde tyme hathe in euerye citie them that preache him in the synagoges whan he is read euery Sabboth day Whan they had ended their communicacion Iames whiche otherwyse was called Iames the iust or Iames the good and was commonlye named the brother of our lorde to whom the apostles had than coÌ„mitted chiefe autoritie arose and approued their sayinges in this wise Brethren for asmuche as ye haue quietly heard the other that spake vnto you I pray you heare me also whiles that I shew you my conceite what I thinke best to bee doen in this matter Symon Peter declared euen now that thinge whiche all we knowe to be very true how that first it pleased god whiche had great pitie vpon mankynde seeyng in what distresse and extremitie of peryll and daunger to be lost the Gentyles were and how they were all gyuen to worshyppinge of idols to chose hym a people euen of those also that semed to bee none of his people a people that shoulde be well accepted with him and call on his name as wel as we And that same thinge whiche
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
the filthines of her disease she durst not speake vnto Iesê° before so many witnesses Therfore as though she would steal a benefite secretely she came priuely behynd his backe and touched the hem of his garment For thus she perswaded her self if I touche but the vttermost part of his garmente I shall he whole and by and by his garment once touched the flyxe stayed the woman perceiued that the helth of her body was restored But Iesus willyng suche a notable exaumple of faythe not to bee hid and teachyng withall that the glory of God ought not to be conceled to then tent he would haue the benefite to be confessed he turneth vnto the multitude saying who touched me Whan all denied it Yet sum body touched me ê™ he For I feele a power goyng out from me Here Peter and the other disciples not knowyng what Iesus mente saye Lord thou seest the thicke multitude thrusting the on euery side doest thou aske who touched the sith so many touche the But whan Iesus as ignorant who had touched him loked about hym as seking for the priuie toucher the womaÌ„ being onely priuy of the thing perceiuing that she could not be hid froÌ„ Iesus al shame fastnes set apart fearing and trembling fell downe at Iesus feete and confessed al the matter as it was what disease she had how many yeres she had been sicke and how she had spent al her substance in vain vpon phisicioÌ„s and how that she perswaded her selfe that by the onely touching of the skirt of his garment she myght be healed and howe by and by after the touchyng she felt perfit health of her body It was the wil of Christ that these thiÌ„ges should be declared before the multitude not to put the womaÌ„ to shame neither to purchase himself prayse of men but by this example to teach all meÌ„ what sure confidence and trust is hable to do and by the example of the woman to establishe the faith of the warden of the Synagogue which he perceyued sumwhat waueryng and withall to reproue the Phariseis for their vnbelefe Therfore Iesus lest he should seme to be angry and to take away his benefite againe comforted the woman trembling for feare and said my dâ—ughter be of good comfort Thy faith hath obtained thee health Depart in peace with a quiet and a careles mynde My wil is that this benefite shal continue with the though thou hast stollen it from me As Iesus was speaking these thynges certayne came from the wardens of the Sinagoges house and tolde him that his doughter was dead that there was no cause why to trouble Iesus For they toke Iesê° to be nothing els but sum notable phisicion whiche was hable by his facultie to restore health to them that were alyue but not to restore the dead to lyfe And therfore they thoughte it but vayne to call a phisicion bee he neuer so excellente to a dead maÌ„ Iesus perceiuyng that the father of the maide was muche amased with this tidinges comforted him saying Feare not only haue faith and trust that the maide shal be whole and she shall be whole It is in thee that thy doughter may be whole And now whan they wer cum to the warden of the Synagoges house Iesus suffered not the multitude to enter in nor the other disciples besyde Peter Iames and Iohn and the father and mother of the mayden But al her kinsemen and frendes did wepe and after the countrey maner they beate their bodies bewailing her and criyng out and such other thinges as men be wente to do very folishely in the funerals of riche men and greate men Iesus bad them cease from theyr wailing for the mayden was not deade but a slepe Meanyng thereby that the mayden was dead to them whiche coulde not rayse her but vnto him she slept only to whoÌ„ it was more easy to raise her from death than to other to rayse her from slepe Whan the familiars and frendes of the warden perceyued not these thinges they laughed Iesus to skorne because they knew certaily that she was dead seing her whaÌ„ she died Therfore after that he had thrust forth from the funerals the mourning multitude he taking the father and the mother of the maiden entred into the parler where as the corps of the mayden dyd lye And Iesus takyng the virgin by the hande said MaideÌ„ aryse And furthwith whan at the word the mayden rose she walked also that the fayth of the miracle might be the more certain For he did not onely restore lyfe sodainly but also strength and cherefulnes And wheÌ„ the parentes of the maiden were greatly amased he gaue theÌ„ in commauÌ„dement and desyred them instantly to tell no body what was doen both that he myght auoid the suspicion of vayne glory for this chiefly ought to be doen with the heades of the Sâ—nagoge which did al thinges possible to obtaine the praise of men and also that they myght shew furth with greater faith and credite the thyng that was doen if they commaunded to kepe silence yet would nedes tel the thinges that they had seen doen to the Phariseis and to the Prelates of the Synagoge For he knewe the disposicion of man which he minded to vse to the profite of others And whan he departed he badde them geue the maideÌ„ meate vsing the part of a phisicioÌ„ making as though it had been no myracle whiche thyng established the fayth of the miracle the more And whan Iesus departed thence two blynde men folowed him criyng and saying O thou sonne of Dauid haue mercy on vs. And whan he was cum into the house the blynde came to hym and Iesus sayeth vnto theÌ„ beleue ye that I am hable to do this They said vnto hym Lord we beleue Then touched he their â—yes saiyng accordyng to your faithe be it vnto you And their iyes were opened And Iesus charged them saiyng see that no manne knowe of it But they when they were departed spred abrode his name in al that lande Now whan Iesus left the house of the warden of the Sinagoge and returned to his owne house two blinde men folowed hym whiche had heard the fame of his miracles and therof conceyued an hope to obtain health especially hearing of his goodnes towardes al men wer they neuer so meane But when they coulde neither see Iesus nor cum vnto him yet with a loud crie for loue of health and for feruentnes of faith farre of they crie vpoÌ„ Iesus with gentle praier saiyng O soÌ„ne of Dauid haue mercie vpon vs. Iesê° in the way aunswered them nothing differring his benefite that the miracle might be the more manifest endeuouring alway to allure yâ— Iewes to faith and by the very thynges many wayes to reproue the Phariseis vnbelefe The captain had faith trust the woman had faith and trust they that caried the man sicke of the palsey did beleue and trust the Iewes and Phariseys dyd distrust
and wer also full of malice enuy But whaÌ„ Iesus was cum home the blynde men were receiued into his house who with stiffe hope folowed hym Than Iesus geuyng exaumple vnto others firste demaunded them of theyr faith Beleue ye ê™ he that I am hable to perfourme your requestes And they without any delay sayde Lord we beleue Than Iesus touching their iyes with his hande sayed As ye beleue so be it to you not chaleÌ„ging to hym self the restoryng of the sight but imputyng it to theyr fayth trust declaryng that chiefely vnbelefe made vs vnmeete for the bountyfulnesse of God whiche is prest and readye for all men Assoue as Iesus had spoken the iyes of the blynd wer open so that they saw clerely Here Iesus willing to warne vs couertly that although glory of it self foloweth the good dede yet we muste flee it rather then desire it he charged the blynde menne verye earnestly that no man should knowe this dede But the ioying of their newe felicitie spred the fame of Iesus the more through out the whole countrey emong all them that knewe of their olde blindnes As they went oute behold they brought to hym a dumme man possessed of a deuill and whan the deâ—uill was caste out the â—umme spake and the people maruelled saiyng It was neuer so seene in Israel But the Phariseis said He casteth out deuils through the prince of deuils And Iesus went about all cities and townes teachyng in their Syngogues preachynge the glad tidynges of the kyngdome and healyng euery sickenes euery disease among the people Whan the blynde were departed there was an other miserable manne offered vnto hym who was vexed with a deuill whiche toke awaye the vse of his tonge that the man neither was wel in his wit to wishe for helth nor had no tonge to aske for it He therfore because he had neede of an other mannes fayth was offered vnto Iesus Whiche withoute any tarriyng cast out the deuil and furthwith the dumme spake The multitude marueiling at so great spedines of miracles ready in all kynde of diseases beyng neuer so incurable sayed among them selues There was neuer manne emong the Israelites that wrought so many miracles to easily CoÌ„trariwise the Phariseis blynded daylye with malyce more and more where as the thynges that were doen in the sight of all menne could not be denyed yet to the enteÌ„te they myght withdrawe from hym the mindes of the people that had him in veneracion they falsely slauÌ„der him that he casteth out deuils not by the power of god but by the myght of Belzebub the prince of deuils ThaÌ„ which vntrue slauÌ„der what could be a more mad thing As who should say one deuill driueth out an other or as who should say Belzebub the enemy of mankynd gaue lyfe to the dead health to the sicke sight to the blynde speche to the dum These illes cum from them oftentimes which Iesus of his goodnes hauing coÌ„passion vpon meÌ„ toke away with suche corporall benefites as might seÌ„sibly be perceiued preparing them for the capacitie of spiritual benefites But most meke Iesus was not offeÌ„ded with suche malicious reproch but deuised more for the health of all men because he sawe the Phariseis to whome it apperteyned to see for the healthe of the people so lyttell to helpe and succour that also they enuyed the commodities of others Iesus therfore as a good shepeherde walked thorough al cities and stretes laboring to heale both the soules and bodies of all men teachyng in their coÌ„gregacions and preaching the kingdome of heauen into the whiche none bee receyued but suche as be voyd of all diseases of the soule and healing also al kyndes of diseases and sickenesses But whan he sawe the people he was moued with compassion on them because they were destitute and scattered abrode as shepe hauyng no shepeherd Then saieth he vnto his disciples the haruest is plenteous but the laborers are fewe Pray ye therfore the lorde of the harueste that he wyll send labourers into his haruest Further whan Iesus sawe the multitude swarming on euery syde and euery day more thicke and now gredy of health and sincere doctrine and coÌ„nsidered withall that the Priestes Phariseis and Scribes vpon whoÌ„ the people hitherto did hang to do any thing rather then to preserue the people and that they were whole geuen not to the gâ—ory of God but to their owne glory to their owne lucre to theyr own bely and to their own pleasures in whoÌ„ if there wer any religioÌ„ it was but coloured and counterfaited so that it was very noysome vnto true religion and considered also that the people was but rude and grosse and yet in the way of amendment for they lokyng to be healed in their bodies folowed with a simple and plaine faithe glorified god and although yet they vnderstode not the doctrine of the gospel yet they did not reiect the same Contrariwise whan he coÌ„sidered the Phariseis and the Scribes where as they had the Prophetes and the law yet to be blinded with worldly desires and also to resist the doctrine of the gospel the good shepeherde was moued with pitie and compassion because he saw them lyke vnto wanderyng shepe skatered a sunder and destitute of a shepherd and running vnaduisedly hither and thither Iesus therfore coÌ„sideryng that in the Phariseis whiche played the wolues rather than the shepherds the flocke had no hope that the people through miracles was nowe sumwhat prepared to receiue the doctrine of the gospell he sayd vnto his disciples whom he had now well gathered together I see a great harueste but very few laborers The fame of the gospel is spred abrode euerywhere The feruencie of many is stirred vp whiche seme ripe and redy to heare the wisedome of the gospel But where be they that wil take vpon them to preache teache Where be they that will teache purely and sincerely neyther sekyng after glory of man nor after gayne and lucre but teachyng so sincerely as ye see me teache Truly suche a cumpany of men must not be neglected beyng kindeled with the desire of the heauenly doctrine What is than to be done but to desyre and require the lord of the haruest to thruste into his harueste the ydle and vnwilling laborers For the occasioÌ„ is now and lingeryng is daungerous I knowe that it is more pleasaunt for you to be with me but the tyme is at hand that ye must shewe some profe of your selues and that ye must begin to shew forth for the saluacion of other that whiche ye haue receiued of me The .x. Chapter ¶ And when his twelue disciples were called vnto hym he gaue them power against vncleane spirites and to caste them oute and to heale all maâ—er of sickenesse and all manner of disease The names of the twelue Apostles are these The first Simon whiche is called Peter and Andrewe his brother Iames the sonne of Zebedee and Iohn his
the ground sumtime he is dryuen into the fier sumtime into the water he fometh he gnasheth with his teeth coÌ„sumeth awaye And because I could not haue you I desired your disciples to cast out the deuil they could not But Iesus to heale the vnbelefe of all men crieth out in maner angerly O nacion vnbeleuing and without faythe how long shall I be among you in vayne howe long shall I suffre your vntractable and froward maners I haue doen so many miracles and profitte nothyng and therwith coÌ„maunded the chylde to be brought because the miracle might be the more euident and â—otable to all men Which when he was brought and seen of Iesê° furthwith euen there before theÌ„ al the spirite toke hym and the chylde was hurled vpon the ground and tumbled and fomed a miserable sight to see ThaÌ„ Iesê° the more to declare the greatnes of the disease asked the father how long it was sith the chyld began to be vexed with this disease The father made aunswer and sayed from his infancy and not without daunger of his life For oftentimes he droue him into the fier sumtyme into the water to destroy him I know that it is a soore disease yet yf thou caÌ„st do any thing haue mercy vpoÌ„ vs help vs. Iesê° hearyng yf thou canst sumwhat reprouyng the weakenes of his faith as who saieth any disease wer of greater might than the power of God sayth vnto him Aske not what I am able to do but loke what thou art able to beleue For if thou trust fully nothing is so hard but it may cum to passe to him that doth beleue trust At this word the father conceiuyng a trust and a more sure hope with plentifull teares criyng out made aunswer Lord I beleue and if any thing waÌ„t in my trust and belefe supply thou it of thy goodnes and help my vnbelefe In the meane time when Iesus espied the multitude of people runnyng to gase desyrous to see whether the thyng that came not to passe to the discyples should cum to passe to Iesus he threatened the vncleane spirit saiyng thou deaf and dumme spirit I commaund the go out from him and teturne not a gain vnto him hereafter But the spirite went froÌ„ the chylde with howlyng yet first he tore him and vexed him so vehemently that he lay for dead and many warranted that he was dead So strong and tough was the violence of the disease But Iesus taking the child by the hand lifted hym vp he arose Like as the father did hardly beleue so his soÌ„ne was hardly heled ¶ Than came the disciples a part to Iesus and said why could not we cast hym out Iesus said vnto them because of your vnbelefe For verily I say vnto you yf ye haue fayth as a grain of musterde seede ye shall say vnto this mountayne Remoue from hence to yonder place and it shall remoue and nothing shal be vnpossible vnto you Albeit this kynde goeth not oute but by prayer and fastyng In the meane season the disciples wer heauy in their mindes fearing leste thorough their default they had lost the power of doyng miracles wheras before they had gloryed that deuilles also were obedient vnto their worde before the multitude they kepe sylence for shame But whan Iesus was cuÌ„ into the house they goe vnto their maister and demaund of hym why could not we cast out this deuill sith this power was once deliuered vnto vs froÌ„ thee Iesus to confyrme the faythe and trust of his disciples which oughte to be so great that sumtyme it myghte helpe the distruste of others sayeth The weakenesse of your fayth partely was the cause For the violeÌ„ce of the disease was vehement and the fathers fayth weake and waueryng your faythe was not so mightie that it was equall and hable against both these difficulties For it is sumwhat werish with mannes affeccions and faultye by the reason of the leauen of vaynglorye And ye had faythe lyke the seede of mustarde which beyng vile and litle yet when it is broosed it sheweth a sharpe quicknes of her nature and sowed in the grounde springeth vp into a large tree nothing should be so harde but with a word it should be brought to passe out of hande Yea if ye should say to the hil remoue from hence and goe into an other place it would doe it forthwith as it was commaunded But this kynde of deuylles wherewith the chylde was possessed is not cast out vnlesse fayth be confirmed and strengthned by prayer and fastyng The violence of the disease was strong and tough and by continuaunce of time it was tourned into nature Agaynste suche maner of faultes we must fyght with fastynges which do subdue the body being brought lowe vnto the spirite and also with praier whiche obteyneth the help of god By this coÌ„municacion Iesus taught that greuous vehement and muche accustomed dyseases of the mind must be driuen away with strong vehemente remedies And whan they were in Galile Iesus sayd vnto them It will cum to passe that the soÌ„ne of man shal be deliuered into the handes of men and they shall kyll hym and the third daye he shall rise againe And they were exceadyng sory But now Iesus whan he was in Galile to the entent he might fortify make strong the mindes of his disciples lest they should be ouer much troubled with his death again he doth iterate beate it into theÌ„ that the sonne of man must be delyuered into the handes of men and killed of them that the thyrde day he should rise agayn from death This saiyng did grieue the mindes of the disciples aboue measure which so loued their lord albeit theyr affeccion and loue was yet carnal that their eares could not suffre any mencion of death For they coulde not vnderstande that Moses and Helyas called the death of Iesus a glory renoume and that that death should bryng health and saluacion to the whole worlde And although like as they were heuy and fadde at the mencion of death so they ought to haue bene chereful glad at the mencion of the resurreccion yet their mynd abhorred so muche from the remembraunce of deathe that surelye they vnderstode not what it ment to dye and the thyrde day to rise agayn For they thought it better vtterly not to dye seeyng that he was hable to doe that whiche was hable to reuiue again from death And whan they were cum to the citie of Capernaum â–ª they that vse to receiue tribute money called a didraÌ„me came to Peter and said Doth your maister pay a didraÌ„me He saith yea And whan he was cum into the house Iesus preuented him saying What thinkest thou SimoÌ„ Of whom doeth the kynges of the earth take tribute or toll of their children or of straungers Peter sayeth vnto him of straungers Iesus sayd vnto hym than the chyldren be free Notwithstanding leste we shoulde offende them goe
recken one was brought vnto hym whiche ought hym ten thousand talenies but forasmuche as he was not able to pay his lord commaunded him to be sold and al that he had and payment to â—e made The seruaunt fell doune and besought hym saiyng Sir haue pacâ—â—ce with me and I will pay the all Tâ—an had the Lord pitie on the seruaunt and looâ—e him forgaue hym the det After that Peter had hearde these thynges diligentlye supposyng that all that Iesus had reasoned of condemnyng and assoylyng pertayned chieflye vnto hym he conceyued in his mynde a certayne doubte because that Iesus saying after the thyrde reprouyng let hym be vnto thee as an Heathen or a Publican semed to appoint a certain nuÌ„bre which who so passed although he that had offended did repente yet he should not bee receyued vnto grace Therfore to be more exactly taught in this thyng he went vnto Iesus lord ê™ he how often shall I pardon my brother if he offend me and after what numbre of faultes shal he be repulsed from pardon After the seuenth fault This noumbre Peter dyd propose as greate ynoughe wheras Iesus made mencion but onely of the thyrde reprofe Than Iesus shewyng that in these thynges whiche be doen against vs we must be very gentill and easie in forgeuenes I doe not saye ê™ he that ye must forgeue vnto the seuenth faulte but vnto the seuenty times seuen shewing that no noumbre ought to be prescribed to a christian forgeuyng but as often as he that hath offended doeth repent so often euen with the hart his offence is to be forgeuen vtterly pluckyng out from a christen mynde all desyre to reuenge And leste that any maÌ„ should thynke it hard and vniust Iesus teacheth it to be very equall and iust by a similitude For this is not so muche a clemeÌ„cy as a recoÌ„pence For whaÌ„ we offende sumtyme agaynst our neybour but muche more both oftner and more greuously against God whoÌ„ as often as we offend the more greuously we sinne the greater that he is against whom we sinne And the greater benefites that we receyue of hym the more vnworthy we be to obteyn pardone either of our neybour or of God who doth pardon him that sinneth a thousand tymes yf that he repent if we thinke it muche to pardon our brother offendyng much lesse chiefly sith god doeth forgeue vs our trespasses on this condicioÌ„ that we moued by his example should be gentle and easie to be intreated towardes our neybour Therfore ê™ he the kyngdome of heauen is lyke a riche and a myghtye man who hauyng a great familie thoughte to take a count of his seruauntes And whan he began to counte he founde one that ought hym ten thousande talentes And whan the sum was greater then the detter was able to pay the lord commaunded both him and his wyfe and children and al that he had to be sold that the creditour might be coÌ„tented with the money that was made But the seruaunt falling doune with meke suite at the lordes knees I pray the ê™ he to graunt me sum respite and in processe of tyme I wil pay the al. And the lord hauyng compassion of the seruaunte whiche humbled himselfe before hym graunted more than he desyred For he did not onely not bringe hym into the lawe but forgaue hym the whole summe The same seruaunt wente out â–ª and founde one of his felowes whiche ought him an hundreth denaries and he layed hande on hym and wrythyng his necke drew him and sayde paye that thou owest And his felowe fell doune and besoughte hym saying haue pacyence with me and I will pay the all And he would not but went â—nd caste him into prison tyll he shoulde paye the dette So when his felowes sawe what was doen they were sorâ—e and came and tolde vnto theyr Lorde euery thyng that was doen. Than his lorde called hym and sayd vnto hym O thou vngracious seruaunte I forgaue the all that det whan thou deâ—â—redst me shouldest not thou also haue had compassion of thy felowe as I had pitie on the And his lorde was wrothe and deliuered him to the tormentoures till he payed all that was due vnto hym So lykewyse shall my heauenly father doe also vnto you yf ye from your hartes forgeue not eueryone his brother their trespasses But that seruaunt beyng now free and at libertie whan he was goen out of his maisters sight by chauÌ„ce met with one of his felow seruauÌ„tes which oughte hym a lyttle money that is an hundreth denaries he forgettyng his maisters clemency toward hym forthwith layed hand vpon hym and â—egaÌ„ to plucke the miserable man saying â–ª pay thy det This felow seruaÌ„t fallyng doune at the knees of his felow seruauÌ„t beseched hym with as many wordes as the other besought his lord maister deale paciently with me and I wil pay you al. But the creditour would not be intreated but repelled the humble sutour and plucked him into prison tyll he had payed his det Now the other felow seruauntes whiche had seene the meruaylous clemency of their maister toward the seruaunt whan they saw so great crueltie of their felow seruaunt moued with great grief and sorow declared vnto their maister all the matter toward his felow ThaÌ„ the maister stirred with anger called vnto him his seruaunt whom he had pardoned al. Thou naughty seruaunt ê™ he dyd not I beyng thy maister forgeue the suche a great summe for none other cause but that thou madest humble suite vnto me was it not mete therfore that thou beyng a seruaunt shouldest forgeue thy felow seruauÌ„t a litle moneye and haue compassion vpon the humble sutoure lyke as I had compassion on the Surely so great gentlenes of mine towarde thee oughte to teache the gentlenes toward thy felow seruaunt And now the maister being sore angrye deliuered him to the tormentours to be kept in prison vntyll he repayed the whole sum that was forgeuen before After this example your heauenly father wyll deale with you Euery of you is in det vnto him much more whom euery man often doeth offende Men also do trespasse agaynst men but yet farre lesse But vnlesse euery man forgeue his brother and that with all his harte lighter offences doen against hym the father wyll not only not forgeue you the greater trespasses doen against him but also wyll reuoke and call backe those whiche he had forgeuen The .xix. Chapter ¶ And it came to passe that when Iesus had finished these saiynges he departed from Galile and came vnto the coastes of Iewry beyonde Iordan and muche people folowed hym and he healed them there AFter that Iesus with this communicacion had instructed framed his disciples vnto well doing towardes the simple and vnto gentlenes toward the offenders he lefte Galile and went ouer Iordane into the coastes of Iewrye as goynge towardes his death to cum which the Phariseis secretly went about And thither also folowed many flockes of people bearyng
saying â–ª These last hath wrought but one houre and thou hast made theÌ„ equall with vs whiche haue borne the burden and heate of the day But he answered one of them sayinge Frende I dothe no wrong 〈◊〉 an thou not coâ—enaunted with me for a denary Take Haâ—ts thine and go thy waye I will geue vnto this laste euen as to the. Is it not lawfull for me to do as I will with mine owne goodes Is thyne iye euil because I am good So the last shall be firste and the first last For many â—e called but fewe are chosen Further toward night the lorde of the vineyarde geueth commaundement to his bayly Call all the workemen and pay them theyr hyer so that thou begin with the last and cum to the firste Therfore they that came last that is aboute eleuen of the clocke and laboured in the vineyarde the leaste parte of the daye were called firste of all and a denarye was geuen to eche of them Whan they that were called earely in the morninge perceyued this because they came longe before into the vineyarde they thought that after the raâ—e of the time they shoulde receyue greater wages But a denary was geuen vnto eche of theÌ„ Therfore when they sawe that they which were not like in space of time yet were made lyke in wages they departe murmurynge agaynste the lorde of the vineyarde and saye These whiche came at eleuen of the clocke haue laboured but one houre and yet thou makeste them lyke vnto vs in wages who haue continued the whole daye in laboure and haue suffered the heate of the daye whereas they came a lytle before nyght when the heate was nowe paste But the householder made aunswere to one of them for all Frende why hast thou enuy that I am liberall vnto others My fre liberalytie towardes other hurteth not the. For I doe the no wrong Did I not bargayne with the so that thou shouldeste haue a denarye for thy dayes laboure Thou haste done thy laboure thou haste thy couenaunte I haue nothinge more to doe with the. Take that that is owed vnto the and departe Thou werte hiered hither for wages to doe thy labour not to appoynte me what I shall doe Thus it is thought good vnto me to geue him that came last as muche wages as I geue the. Thou doest lese none of thyne if I geue this man any thyng of my liberalitie Shall I not be at libertie because of the to do with my own what I will Is thy iye therefore vexed with enuy because thou seest me liberal toward whom it pleaseth me This similitude Iesus brought willing depely to graffe in theyr mindes that God naturally beneficiall towardes al men ceasseth not by diuers wayes and in diuers ages to prouoke and moue al men to the seruice of true godlines In whiche they that haue exercised themselues diligently shall haue for rewarde euerlasting lyfe from the which none is excluded geuing eare whan he is called This reward like as it is in no case due vnto our merites but is of the goodnes of god yet it cummeth not without our endeuour yet we be bound to the caâ—ler for this also that we cum to the seruice of godlynes and that we continue in it vnto the euentide of the day For they that be called and refuse to go into the vineyarde they disapoynte themselues of theyr wages And although among sayneâ—es there is neyther enuy nor murmuryng against god yet with these saynges he expressed the high honoure that was shewed to the last whiche had the first place in rewarde Whiche dignitie in so noble that a man might haue cause to enuy Yet the good Iewes also at the beginning murmured against the Gentiles because they cumming of idolaters straungers from Moyses law finally vncircumcised should sodenly be made equall vnto them in the grace of the gospel and be admitted to the same saluacion beeyng incumbred with no burden of the lawe whereas they long exercised in the ordinaunces of Moyses were nothyng better than Gentiles whiche were now admitted to the profession of the gospell being a litle before of a wicked life Therfore the Gentiles had more forgeuen them but the Iewes haue no cause to brawle with God therfore sithe they also maye attayne to like felicitie And if they had rather enuy than folowe let them thanke themselues that they be cast of for theyr vnbelefe the Gentiles in the meane tyme obteining for the redines of theyr faith that thing which the Iewes thought that they onely ought to haue Therfore whoso is called let him furthwith make haste or els he shall be called in vayne excepte he take hede that he be also elected And all be called but few deserue to be counted among the elect Therefore Iesus ended his parable with thesame clause that he began with â–ª So shall they be last that were firste and firste that were laste For many be called and fewe chosen And Iesus goyng vp to Hierusalem toke his twelue disciples asyde in the waye and sayeth vnto them Beholde we do goe vp to Hierusalem and the sonne of man shal be betrayed to the chiefe of the pristes and to the Scribes and they shall condemne him to death and shall deliuer him to the gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified and the thirde day he shall ryse agayne After this Iesus beyng a whyle in Galile began to drawe nere to the place of his death going towarde Hierusalem And now whan he had instructed and framed his disciples many wayes as concernyng despysing of ryches neglecting of parentes and kinsfolkes of chastitie of great modestie of the rewardes that they should haue also in this lyfe he leadeth secretly aparte his twelue apostles whom he had chosen and thoughte mete to commit the mistery of the crosse vnto whiche the multitude was not yet able to beare And yet he tolde of his deathe vnto the people when he spake of Ionas and of the pulling downe of the temple and the making vp of it againe in three daies but so he tolde them of it that they vnderstode not what was sayed before that they sawe it done He had opened the mistery of the crosse vnto his disciples as to them that were more strong and able now once or twyse speaking vnto them playnly But because men forget lightly that whiche they be not glad to heare of and doe not lightly let sinke into theyr hartes the thing whiche the mynde abhorrethe the Lorde Iesus to confyrme hys apostles agaynste the storme that was at hande openethe vnto them more playnely and distinctly not onelye that his death was nere but also telleth them of the mockes and affliccions whiche oftentymes be more greuouse than deathe itselfe Beholde ê™ he we go to Hierusalem and the sonne of man shal be betrayed to the chiefe priestes and Scribes whiche nowe goe aboute to laye in wayte for him And they will not rest to blame and accuse him vntill
neyther why any should be enuiouse at an other mannes dignitie for who can enuye him whiche studieth no nother thynge but to do an other man good and that if nede be with the losse of hys lyfe Also if honour be geuen vnto them they take it not vnto themselues but yelde it vnto God And when they departed from Ierico muche people folowed hym And beholde two blinde men sitting by the way whan they heard that Iesus passed by they cryed sayinge O lord the sonne of Dauid haue mercy on vs. And the people rebuked them that they should holde theyr peace But they cryed the more saying Haue mercy on vs o lorde the sonne of Dauid And Iesus stoode still and called them and sayde What will yeâ— that I shall do vnto you They say vnto him Lorde that our iyes maye be opened And Iesus had compassion on them and touched theyr iyes and immediately theyr iyes receyued sight and they folowed him And whan he went with his disciples out of Ierico a great multitude of men folowed him And behold two blind men sate by the wayes side whiche wheÌ„ they perceyued by the noyse that it was a great multitude and askynge what it shoulde be knew that it was Iesus whiche passed by wheÌ„ they could not see him and if they had sene him coulde not go vnto hym for the multitude they spake vnto Iesus with a loude voyce saying Lord Iesu the sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon vs. Iesus made as though he hearde them not to thintente that theyr faythe and feruentnes might be the more manifeste to all men The people seyng that Iesus made no aunswere at their crying and suppossing that it was paynefull to him that twoe blinde common beggers made such a clamoure at his eares rebuked them and bad them holde theyr peace But they through a constante truste in Iesus whom they heard saye to be beneficiall towardes all men cried out louder and sayde agaâ—ne Lorde the sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon vs. Iesus therfore when he had sufficiently declared theyr fayth to them all had taught vs by theyr exaÌ„ple that we should beate at the eares of God feruently and constantly yf we will obtayne anye thynge stode still for they could not folow but onely with crying and commaunded theÌ„ to cum to him At his worde they cum Iesus askethe them what they would with theyr great crying and what they woulde that he shoulde do for them Iesus was not ignoraunte what they desired but he would that the disease that they were troubled wyth should be knowen to all menne by theyr owne confession that the faythe of the miracle mighte be the more certayne Lorde ê™ they we desire that oure iyes maye be opened by your helpe They speakyng these thynges with a great affeccion declare that blyndnes was a great griefe vnto them And he is nexte vnto light whiche is very wery of his blindenes Than Iesus shewyng his pietifull affeccion both in countenaunce and iyes with whiche affeccion euery gospeller ought to bee sory for other mens harmes touched theyr iyes and forthwith their iyes beyng opened they saw and with others they folowed Iesus So Iesus with his touching healeth the mynde blinded with worldly desyres and lighte is geuen to this ende that we maye folowe his steppes The .xxi. Chapiter And when they drewe nye vnto Hierusalem and came to Bethphage vnto mounte Oliuete Then sent Iesus two disciples saying vnto them Go into the towne that is oâ—ce agaynst you and anone ye shall fynde an asse bounden and a colte with her looce them and bring them to me And if any man saye ought vnto you saye ye The lord hath nede of them and streyght waye he wyll let them go All this was done that it might be fulfilled whiche was spoken by the Prophete saying Speake ye to the doughâ—er of Syon beholde thy kyng cummeth vnto the meke sitting vpon an asse and a colt the fole of the asse vsed to the yoke THerfore Iesus goyng forwarde to HierusaleÌ„ laboured about this diligently with his disciples to fasten in theyr mindes that he went to his death wittingly and willyngly and that no man shoulde hurte him yf he woulde resiste Therfore he beate it into them so often that he must go to Hierusalem and there suffre death And wheras sumtyme he semed to wythdrawe himselfe from perill it was not for feare but to kepe himselfe vnto the tyme apoynted of the father The whiche when it was than at hande he dyd not onely not hyde hymselfe but willyngly put furthe hymselfe and so putte furth himself that with the noueltie of his pompe he styrred the mindes of the whole cytie againste him and in the meane season he ceaseth not from myracles he ceaseth not from preachyng of the trueth also he reproueth the lyfe of the Phariseis more frely or frankely he casteth the marchauntes out of the temple by the whiche thinges he knewe that all theyr myndes woulde bee the more vehemently styrred against him Whome because he had prouoked against him with well doyng he made them not vnfaultie but gaue them lybertie that they might do the thing that they would do Therfore now being nere to the citie of Hierusalem he came into the mount of Oliues where he thought good to frame a new maner of pompe of his cumming by the which in maner he mocked the pryde of this worlde and by this spectacle he somewhat comforted his disciples beyng yet but weake that they might the more quietly beare the death of theyr Lorde Therfore from this hill he sente two of his disciples saying go ye into the village that is ouer agaynste you and as soone as ye enter in there ye shall fynde a female Asse tyed and her fole with her whereon neuer hath any manne yet sitten looce them bothe and bring them hither vnto me And if any manne saye any thing vnto you demaundyng why ye looce them whither or to whom ye leade them make none other aunswere but that the Lorde hath nede of them At this worde they will suffer them furthwith to be brought These thinges were doen partlye because they shoulde vnderstande that nothing is to hym vnknowen and that he hath power to commaunde whom he will and what he will if he woulde vse his power partely that the Iewes might know at lest wise by this very token that he was Messias because they sawe this strauÌ„ge kinde of entring prophecied in tyme paste by the Prophete Zacharie For thus he did prophecie Saye ye doughters of Syon beholde thy kyng cummeth to thee meke and humble sitting vpon a she asse and vpon a colte the fole of a yoked beaste The disciples went and did as Iesus commaunded them and brought the Asse and the â—olt and put on them theyr clothes and set him theron And many of the people spred theyr garmentes in the waye And other cut downe â—oughes from the trees and strawed them in the waye Ferther the
one from another And because they should the more profite and edifie he sent them out by two and two puttyng vs in remembraunce by this couplyng of them together of brotherly charitie without which there cummeth no profit of the ghospell He lymited vnto euery couple as it had bene to certaine deputies or lieutenauntes theyr prouince For this was verye expedient to be done for the enlargyng of the kyngdome of the ghospell He sent them out weaponlesse leste that mans aydes shoulde chalenge any thing in this heauenly busynesse Further leste theyr authoritie should haue been litle estemed for as muche as they were but fishers vnderlinges simple folkes and vnlettered he gaue theÌ„ that power wiche worldlye pryncesâ— are not able to geue to theyr ambassadours and deputies For he gaue them power to deliuer men of diseases and to caste out diuels What like thing can the Emperour geue He can geue abouÌ„daunce of golde and syluer hoostes of men battayle axes and all manoure of artyllarye engynes belongyng to warre whereof he hath great store pleÌ„tie But there is no heade officer or deputie of his who hathe so great vertue that he can by calling vpon themperous name heale so much as mennes iyes when they be bleared And he gaue this power vnto his disciples vnder condicion that they should therewith freely and without rewarde takyng helpe all those that neded the same Now to th entent they should be the better prepared to take in hande and execute that office whiche requireth suche a ministre as is quicke and spedy and not a luskyshe loyterer or sluggerde he charged them to carry no manour of baggage vitaile or weapoÌ„ with them in this iourneye saue a rodde only not a scrippe to put theyr vitayles in not somuche as breade whiche maye be carryed about without a scrip nor gyrdels laden with money neyther weare any bootes vpon theyr legges but only be â—hod with saÌ„dals to kepe the soles of theyr feete that neyther the stones shoulde hurte nor thornes pricke them and fynally to content themselues euery manne with one garment The enteÌ„te of Iesu who gaue these enstruccions was nothing els but after a grosse manour to inculke and beate into the heades of his disciples who were as yet rawe and ignoraunt howe suche a one as taketh on hym the ministracion of the gospell ought to be disburdened and free from all care of corporall thynges leste any sodaine chaunce befall that maye hyndre the encrease and procedyng of the heauenly doctrine As this busynesse was farre diuerse from worldly affayres euen so was this kynde of ambassade or legacion new and suche a one as had not bene vsed before They receyued a fourme of doctrine leste they shoulde presume to teache any thyng whiche theyr maister had not taught them before And this thyng helde they commune with the legacions of manne where it is death to passe the limites of the commaundementes or commission They are sent all of one lorde with lyke power leste any disdaine or priuye malice shoulde aryse among them They are sent by two and two together because they shoulde remember brotherly charitie and one brother ayde another They are sent to sundry places and countreyes to th ende that mo should take profite of the gospell They haue power geuen them to heale diseases but in the name of Iesu because that lyke as they receyued another mannes lerning to dispence and teache faithfully and not theyr owne so should they knowe that it was goddes power and not theyrs wherwith they cured diseases He forbad them to carry about eyther scrippe bread money or two coates because they should with full affiaunce hang vpon the promise of theyr maister and haue sure confidence to be safe from all the force and violence of theyr enemyes through his helpe and perfitlye knowe that by his prouidence they shoulde want nothyng pertayning to the temporall necessitie of the bodye For where as nothyng is able to suffice sensualâ—ie and pleasure so the leaste thing that maye be sufficeth the necessitie of nature Neyther dyd the Lorde speake these wordes meaning therby as thoughe it shoulde neuer belefull for those that be ministers and preachers of the ghospell to carry about with theÌ„ any necessary litle fardell or money since the Apostles and byshops are not in our tyme afrayed so to do Yea paraduenture it is more prayse worthy yf a man woulde on his owne propre coste and charge teache the ghospell but by suche manoure of figuratiue speakynges called of the Grekes hyperbole his entente was to plucke oute of his disciples myndes who were as yet grosse and rude all carefulnesse for those thynges that are wont to be an hinderauÌ„ce or let vnto the minde wheÌ„ it goeth about any heauenlye enterpryse els wist he well that they would not forget to speake as foloweth Thou sendest vs out to countreyes that we know not and makest vs who are naked and weaponlesse to be many wayes in ieopardye of our liues But who shall fede vs if hunger cum vpon vs who shall defende vs if anye violence be vsed againste vs who shall clothe vs if it chaunce to be colde weather Thou wylt haue vs to teache frely Thou wylt we cure men for naught But he that liueth in a straunge countrey neadeth many thynges This pensyue and filthie carefulnesse because for the most parte it springeth of distruste he earnestly went about to wede out of theyr mindes as a thyng not besemyng the greatnesse and weyghte of suche a busynesse as they were deputed vnto Furthermore the figuratiue manour of speakyng that he vseth serueth hereunto that suche thinges as he teacheth them maie the depelier be fastened in theyr rude and ignoraunt myndes For the teacher of the ghospell shoulde nothyng offende yf he ware shoes or had two coates being amoÌ„gest the barbarous people called â—etae or els yf he dyd take vitayle and a good summe of money with him beyng in gate to the sandes of Afrike or to summe nacion where as there is no ientle entertaynement and receyuing of strauÌ„gers But what thyng so euer hyndreth the procedyng of the gospell the same is vtterlye to be renounced Nowe considre me with how great a burthen they goe charged to the ministracion of the ghospell who carrie aboute with them princely ryches dignities promocions worldly pleasures and a gredie desyre to be auenged yf any thyng happen to their griefe and displeasure This fardell that Christ speaketh of here is rather in the mynde then in carying about of scrippes and superfluous clothing Who so wyll not cast awaye all these fardelles I meane of mynde the same is not meete to be the messenger and ambassadour of Iesu Christ. Likewyse there is a figuratiue speakyng in the thinges whiche he licenceth them to vse For he geueth them leaue to vse eche one a wande and a payre of sandals The lightest manoure of shooe that is is the sandall and it so saueth the feete from takyng
the maliciouse imaginacions of the same vnto the people but by demaunding a question touched and hit theyr conscience throughly home saying I woulde with all my hearte learne of you that professe the knowlage of the lawe whether it bee leefull to helpe the neighboure with dooyng him a good turne on the sabboth daye or elles to leaue the neyghbour destitute of succour in his woe and distresse whoÌ„e a man is able to helpe And whether is it lawfull to saue a mans lyfe on the sabboth daye or els to caste awaye the same For he playnely casteth away an other mans lyfe that whan it lyeth in his power to saue it doeth not saue it And whan the lorde had caste his iyes round about and no man there was that would make any aunswere he sayd vnto the man holde furth thy hand And immediatly he stretched furth his hande at libertie whiche afore was lame and shrounken together and in such case that it could not stiere a whit So great was the vertue and power of Iesus bidding him to stretche it furth What shoulde the Scribes and Phariseis in this case doe The miracle was more euidente then that it coulde bee denyed and veray common reason did allow that a godly thing it was at any manyer tyme to helpe to the preseruacion of men but hauing been long accustomed to the olde soureswig of Moses lawe they coulde not awaye with the muste of euangelicall charitie Wheras of these actes theyr duetie had bene to acknowlage the power of the Godhead and to acknowlage the autour and firste maker of the lawe they are turned into starke staring madnesse And now euen out of hande they enter a consayll emong themselues of commyttyng murder what way they might destruie Iesus bring him to his death This was with those ioyly captaynes of religion a thing lawfull to dooe on the sabboth day wheras to the same it was a mattier of conscience to geue helth to a man being in extreme miserie on the Sabboth daie And it fortuned in those daies that he went out into a mountaine for to praye and continued all night in prayer to god And assoone as it was daye he called his disciples and of them he chose twelue whome also he called Apostles Simon whom he also named Peter and Andrewe his brother Iames and Iohn Philip and Bartholomewe Mathewe and Thomas Iames the sonne of Alpheus and Simon whiche is called Zelotes and Iudas Iames sonne and Iudas Iscarioth the same that was the traytâ—ur The lorde Iesus eftesons departing from the cities and from the greate resorte of people sequestred himselfe and went vnto a mountayne to pray and all the same night did he passe ouer in deuoutly praying vnto god teaching vs a lesson thereby in case we shall bee willyng to beginne any thyng whiche we woulde fayne haue to be luckie and prosperouse in the proceding of it that we than beginne of making our earneste prayer that it maye please God handesomelye and fauourably to sende the good ayde of his spirite vnto the thinges that we goe about to enter And whan it was brode day lighte he called vnto him his disciples whome he had now as perpetual companyons witnesses of those thinges whiche he wrought Out of them he pieked out a certayne nouÌ„ber of special persons whome for this only coÌ„sideracioÌ„ he named apostles because he entended to send them abrode shortelye after as ambassadoures of the gospel throughout all the worlde and theyr office to be nothing els to do but what they had in commission froÌ„ him The names of the said Apostles are these first Symon who afterwarde had his name geuen him in the Sirians tongue and was called Cephas in Greke petros in Latine saxum in Englysh a stone for none other cause verayly but for his sound constant professioÌ„ by the which whaÌ„ the people were in a wauering maÌ„mering what he was Peter being as the voyce of all thapostles together pronouÌ„ced the sentence that Iesus was the soÌ„ne of the liuing god Unto Peter was Andrew his own brother associate as a felowe Then Iames and Iohn Philip and Bartholemewe Mathewe and Thomas Iames the sonne of Alphei and Simon surnamed zelotes Iudas the sonne of Iames and Iudas Iscariothe who afterward betrayed Iesus whome Iesus chose not vnaduisedly as one that wist not what he did but by prouydence to the entente that he woulde by exaumple of this Iudas teache all creatures what an horrible mattier it is to abuse the fauourable goodnesse of oure salueour towarde vs. Yea and in all the whole noumber of the Apostles was there not so muche as any one that was a man eyther of power or of rychesse or of learnyng not one that was eyther a Pharisee or a Scribe or a bishop He pieked them out vnlearned and rawe or grene in cunning euerye one of them to the ende and purpose that he might poure newe wyne into newe bottels And he came downe with them and stode in the plaine fielde and the compaignye of his disciples and a great multitude of people out of all Iewrie and Hierusalem and from the sea coaste of Tyre and Sydon whiche came to heare hym and to bee healed of theyr diseases and they that were vexed with foule spirites and they were healed And all the people pressed to touche hym for there went vertue out of him and healed them all These Apostles thus chosen vnto hym he came downe from the mountayne vntil he were come into a certayn plaine that was able to receiue a great multitude of people For suche thynges as require purytie of moste perfeccion are to be dooen in the mountayne Emong thynges of moste hyghe perfeccion deuoute prayer hath the firste place the next place hath the special chosing out of them to whome the despensacion and stewarding of goddes word is to be committed There were presente also the residue of his disciples and a veraye great noumber of all sortes of the people besides which had come thither out of all Iewry yea and from Hierusalem selfe too and also from the cities of Tyrus and Sydon lying on the sea coast For the hounger of hearing the gospell preached had drawen thither many folkes euen out of ferre parties and many the hope to receiue bodely health had semblably allured For euery one that came Iesus deliuered from all kindes of diseases or impedymentes that they were holden with Yea and they also whiche were vexed of vncleane spirites were made whole And all this geare was doen of hym so lightly and so easily that some with a mere woorde of bidding were restored to theyr helth and others he healed in a moment sodainly with the onely touching of his garmente that he ware For there was in him the fountayn and fulnesse of the effectual vertue and power of God which proceded from hym none otherwise then light doth from the sonne or heate from the fyer and so brought he health vnto all persones
Phariseye euen the Samaritane is to bee loued of the Iewe yf he dooâ— hym good yet the Iewes who coulde perfeictlye saye by rote at their fingers endes Thou shalte loue thy God aboue all thynges thou shalte loue thy neighbour as well as thine owneself in the veraye owne person of Christe dyd breake both those commaundementes at ons being on the one parte reprochefull of theyr woordes agaynste God whose woordes they woulde not beleue whose miracles they staundreously reported to bee doen by the power of Beelzebub for the father beeing veraye God was in the sonne beyng veraye God and on the other parte they hated the neighbour which did them benefite for that they wroughte alwayes to destruye and putte hym to death who freely broughte healthe and saluacion vnto all creatures And suche an one hathe fulfilled aswell the one as the other of the commaundementes aboue rehersed which doeth in Christe both loue god aboue al thinges and man also hauyng moste highly doen for hym as himselfe For true it is that he is loued in hys membres in whome sembleablye he is offended whan their weake conscience is offended and is putte to open shame of the worlde whan they bee putte to shame and is putte to death whan they be putte to death ¶ It fortuned that as they went he entred into a certain toune And a certain woman named Martha receiued him into her house And this woman had a sistur called Marie whiche also sate at Iesus feete and hearde his woord But Martha was coumbred about muche seruing and stoode and saied lord doest thou not care that my sistur hath lefte me to serue alone Bidde her therefore that she helpe me And Iesus aunswered and saied vnto her Martha Martha thou arte carefull and troubled aboute manye thynges veraylye one is nedefull Marie hath chosen the good parte whiche shall not bee taken awaie from her With this Parable whan Iesus had taughte howe muche they were to bee loued who bestowyng theyr wholle tyme in thattendaunce of euangelicall doctryne haue none other care ne entente but to learne of Iesus the doctryne of lyfe whereof they maye geue parte vnto all persones and also how greately they are to bee loued who forsakyng and leauyng all seruice that is to be doen with the bodye dooe altogether attende suche thynges as concerne the soule there was a chaunce euen there to bee seene by the whiche thys documente and lesson may be the better enpriented in our minde for by suche plaine exaumples of experience the hertes of the grosse and ignoraunt sort are the more piththily and effectually framed For whan Iesus hauing voyd time of laisure froÌ„ other businesse was walkyng vp and downe with his disciples who hauyng geuen ouer all care of worldely matters attended onely to the gospel and nothing els it fortuned that they entred into a certain litle toune And there a certain womaÌ„ called Martha receiued and entreteined hym in her house This woman had a sistur called Marie They had eyther of theym eguall loue towardes the lorde but theyr course of liuyng was of twoo soondrye sortes The exercise also of theyr deuocion towardes God was of twoo soondry sortes lyke as in one bodye there bee soondrye vses of the lymmes and in the bodye of Iesus whyche is the churche there bee soondrye gyftes of the spirite For Marye as ye would saie makyng holy daye from all businesse that was to bee doen about the house set herselfe downe at our lord Iesus feete listenyng to hys talke wherewith she was so rauished that forgeattyng all other thynges she coulde not be plucked awaye from hym Contrariewyse Martha beeyng carefull aboute the prouydyng of the dyner ranne vp and down she was much vnquiete as one hauyng bothe her handes full and as buisye as coulde be that no manier pointe myght bee wantyng of all suche thinges as belonged to the sweteentreteinyng of the lorde and of his disciples It was one loue towardes the lorde that possessed them both but it would not suffre Mary to bee pulled awaie from his fete and it made Martha to destiere her vp and downe about the house and suffred not her to stande still by the lorde Thus dyd one and thesame zele force two sisturs vnto dooynges of two soondrye sortes whereas in louyng and making muche of Iesus they did throughly accorde Notwythstandyng Martha forasmuche as she was not hable but to her great paines to doe al thynges alone whych apperteined to the prepayryng of all thinges in ordre as it should be and sawe her sistur lyke an holydaye woman sittyng at the feete of Iesus she made no querele of vnkyndnesse to her sistur whom she knewe wel enough could not be pulled away but she halfe blamed Iesus who with suche wordes as he spake kept her awaye from puttyng to her helpyng hande beeyng than requisite Maister saith she doest thou nothyng care that my syster suffreth me to doe all the seruice my self alone Commaund thou her therfore that she helpe me orels I knowe she wyll not be pluckt away from thee except thou bidde her so great is the swetenesse of thy talke But yet in the meane time the diner must bee dressed and I beeyng but one sole woman am not able inough to dooe al that is to bee dooen At these woordes our lorde being delited with the zele of dothe the women dooeth nor disallow the diligence of Martha nor chydeth her whan she murmured against her syster but yet sumwhat taketh Maries parte saiyng O Martha Martha in dede thou art tormented with carefulnesse of dressyng the diner and art all vnquiet and drawen this way and that way about many thynges But there is one thing aboue all others necessary whiche ought continually to be doen if it might bee dooe thou make an ende of thy busynes that thou hast in hande howsoeuer thy prouidyng makyng ready for vs shall frame we shall be coÌ„tented with it But Marie hath choseÌ„ to her a great dele the better parte who hauyng forgotten thynges requisite for the body is altogether occupied in suche matters as do concerne the soule Therfore it were not reason that she should be pluckt away from thynges of the principall best sorte whiche she hath specially chosen and to be thrust oute to offices of basser seruice I doe in very good parte take this good loue and zele of thyâ—r whiche now at this tyme prepareth a repaste for me my dysciples but I am more refreshed and better filled at their handes which take into their soules my woordes that they may haue saluacion therby This is the meate whiche dooeth moste singulerly fede me this is the drinke wherwith I am refreshed Whoso is embusâ—ed with prouidyng for thynges perteinyng to the body is drawen many wayes into soondrie cares and an ende of all suche poyntes of takyng paynes shall at suche tyme cum wheÌ„ through she apperyng of immortalitie all necessities shal ceasse with whiche the wekenesse of
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
to be the head of all holinesse and religion All your glory shall be transposed from you and shal go from you vnto the Gentiles And your own selfes shal geue sentence and iudgement against your selfes And as for me in dede ye shall put me to death but this I playnly affirme vnto you ye shall not see me before that ye shall saye Blessed is he that cummeth in the name of the Lorde This shall be your open protestacion whiche the trueth shall enforce you to vtter but yet this notwithstandyng ye shortely returnyng at once to the naturall inclinacion of your forefathers shall put him to death whom ye magnified afore with suche high wordes The .xiiii. Chapter And it chaunced that he went into the house of one of the chiefe Phariseis to eate bread on the saboth day and they watched him And behold there was a certain man before him which had the dropsie And Iesus aunswered and spake vnto the lawiers and Phariseis saiyng Is it lawfull to heale on the sabboth day And they held their peace And he toke him and heale◠him ▪ and let him goe and aunswered them saiyng whiche of you shall haue an asse or an ore fallen into a pitte and wil not straight way pull him out on the Sabboth day And they could not aunswere him again to these thinges ANd so it befell afterwarde that beyng desyred to dyner by a certayne manne that was one of the chyefe among the Pharyseis he wente to the mannes house and there toke his repaste with hym And it was a sabboth daye And there sate at thesame table also many Phariseis who according to their accustomed woont watched Iesus yf he shoulde speake or dooe any thyng whiche thei might slaunderously reproue in him And loe euen ready for them an occasiō of a false accusacion againste hym For there was there in presence a certayne manne possessed with the dropsie a disease for the moste parte vncurable by any Physike talowe coloured and swollen all his body ouer But a blessed turne it was for this pieteous creature that he came in Iesus sight For vnfortunate is suche a sinner as withdraweth or hydeth himself frō the sight of him who would faine haue all people to be saued Nowe Iesus knowyng well enough what thought the phariseis and lawiers had in their myndes demaunded of them whether it were a thyng standyng with Gods pleasure to geue health on the sabboth daye vnto a man beyng otherwyse ready to perishe and dye Whan they held their peace and would make none aunswer Iesus calleth vnto him the partie whiche had the dropsye and by touchyng him with his handes he healed the man and bidde him goe his waies Immediatly the mannes coulour was chaunged and the swelling of his fleshe abated to the due course again And although this dede was woonderfull yet the solemnitie of the sabboth day beyng broken as they interpreted it did highly offende the Phariseis But Iesus shewyng their religion to be of a peruerse contrary sorte in that they would be offended in the preseruyng of a mannes life and in sauing of an asse were not offended made aunswer to their secrete thoughtes said If an oxe or an Asse of any of youres had fallen downe in a diepe pitte on the sabboth daye whether would the partie tarie vntil the sabboth day were al past orels makyng no tariaunce at all would he straight waye euen thesame daye geat out his beaste that it might not miscarry If the preseruyng of an oxe or an asse doeth weigh so muche with you that ye thinke not the sabboth daye to bee broken why is your herte offended for that I haue on the sabboth day geuen health to this man who was in ieoperdy to haue died out of hand of the disease of the dropsie In case it bee the bodily worke and laboure that is weighed there is more bodily labour in halyng an oxe or an asse oute of a great depe pit thē in makyng this man whole of his disease I haue no more but seen him touched hym and bidden hym goe his way If it be the persone that ye esteme then ought ye more to tendre the preseruyng of one sole māne then of a right great noumbre of oxen or asses At all these woordes the Phariseis plaied mum For their hertes were so corrupt so peruerse that whan thei had no aunswer to make against the plain and clere trueth yet could thei not mollifie thēselfes to allowe that they sawe doen of Iesus That in case thēselfes had been hable to haue doen any suche lyke thyng they would with al the trompettes in a countreye haue blowen abrode their own glory But because the lord Iesus would that the glory of all his doynges should redoūd to his father which was god of heauen he euerywhere discouered the peinted holynesse of the phariseis who had ouerlōg already mocked and seduced the plain simple people with their cloked hipocrisie For they hūted for their own glory among men and therfore they enuied at the glory of god And this was a true dropsie of the soule growing first of a corrupt iudgemēt of the mind as the dropsie cūmeth of the liuer being corrupted or perished For the said phariseis setting al their glory in such thīges wherin there was no gloriyng to be made were swollē with outforth and puffed vp in haultnes pride where al their entrailes withinforth wer miserably corrupted and putrified He put forth also a similitude vnto the geastes whan he marked how they pressed to the highest roumes and said vnto them whan thou art bidden of any man to a wedding sit not down in the highest roume leste a more honorable man than thou be bidden of him and he that bid him and thee come and say to thee geue this man roume and thou then begin with shame to take the lowest roume But rather whan thou arte bidden goe and sitte in the lowest roume that whan he that bidde thee cummeth he may say vnto thee ▪ frende sitte vp higher Then shalt thou haue wurship in the presence of them that sitte at meate with thee For whosoeuer exalteth himselfe shal bee brought lowe and he that humbleth himselfe shal bee exalted The Lorde therefore who had with onely touchyng healed the man that had the dropsie was very desyrous to cure these mens disease also with the medicine of holsome woordes and doctryne For whatsoeuer the Phariseis did they did it for pride and for vainglorious bosting For they woulde goe walkyng vp and downe in their philacteries they would stand praiyng in the open stretes where soondrie waies mete much people passe by thei would haue a trompet to blowe afore thē whan they gaue almes Whan they fasted thei had a feate to discolour their faces that thei might loke pale thei would goe hunting about to haue glorious salutacions and gretinges in the stretes and where they came to diner or supper they loked and sought to sit vppermoste at mens
the stewardeshyp thei maie receiue me into theyr houses So whaÌ„ he had called all his maysters debtours together he saied vnto the first how muche owest thou vnto my maister And he sayed an huÌ„dreth tunnes of oyle And he sayed vnto hym take thy bylle â–ª and sytte down quickely and wryte fiftie Then sayed he to another how muche owest thou And he sayed â–ª an hundreth quarters of wheate He sayed vnto hym take thy bylle and wryte foure score And the Lorde commended the vniust steward because he had doen wysely For the children of this worlde are in their nacion wyser then the children of light And I saye vnto you make your frendes of the vnrighteous Mammon that whan ye shal haue nede they maye receyue you into euerlastyng habitacions ANd all thissame that hath hitherto been sayed did moste specially and moste directely touche the Pharisees takyng muche indignacion that the Lorde Iesus as one that remeÌ„bred not his owne highe dignitie dyd receyue Publicanes and knowen synners to the familiar coÌ„uersacion of lyuing with him in coumpaynye But anon after he returning to his disciples aduised and exhorted theim to a more larger fauourablenesse that they should not onely not murmour agaynst the goodnesse of God but also they should by all meanes and wayes possible folowe thesame goodnesse of God on theyr owne behalfes earnestly applying theimselues to dooe theyr neyghbour good by euery occasion relieuyng thesame with succoure of thynges necessarie for the body easyng theyr hertes with wordes of coumfort exhortyng them to goodnesse teachyng them what they ought to dooe admonishyng theim whan they dyd amisse and forgeuyng theim whan they trespaced agaynst theim And where he would teache vs that our ientle goodnesse in thus dooyng shall not perishe to vs warde but that contrariwyse it is layed vp in store for vs agaynst the lyfe to come whatsoeuer thyng is here bestowed on our neyghbour he propouned forth this sentence by a parable of suche sorte as foloweth A certayn great ryche man there was who had committed the bestowyng and housebandyng of all his goodes and thynges vnto a steward of his This steward was complayned on to his Lorde that beeyng more prodigall then reason was he wasted and consumed his gooddes awaye The Lord therefore callyng for his steward sayed vnto hym why doe I heare this bruite fame of thee Come on make thyne audyte and accoumpt of thy stewardship For I am not mynded ne wyllyng that thou shalt any longer haue the ordreyng or disposicion of any more gooddes of myne But the stewarde as soone as he vnderstoode that it was lyke within a litell shorte tyme to come to passe that he should be put out of his office of stewarde did in the same litell short time subtilly and craftily prouyde for hymselfe Some men haue rychesse some men haue learnyng others haue experience of the worlde and so one man hath one qualitie and another man another And what thyng euery persone hath wherby he maye be hable to do his neyghbour good it is the substaunce of our riche Lorde and Maister whiche substaunce it is our office vountifully to bestowe on our neighbour For no mortall man is hymselfe the lorde of suche qualities and giftes as he hath but a stewarde and a dispensour onely This office of dispensyng is soone taken awaye For all the life here in this worlde is but shorte and after this lyfe there is no longer power ne libertie to do good And a plain waster is that manne of the lordes substaunce whosoeuer bestoweth after his owne affeccion that that he hath and doeth not with parte therof relieue his neyghbour The stewarde therefore beyng sure within a litle tyme to be remoued from his stewardeship consulteth with his owne minde and aduiseth himselfe saying what shall I now best do seeyng that my lorde and Mayster taketh awaye from me the power and office any longer to haue the dispensyng of his gooddes And wheron to lyue I haue not For I gathered nothyng together for myne owne behoufe whyle I might haue doen. There is nothyng lefte nowe for me to do but either to digge in the fielde for hire wages from daye to daie or els to go about euery where on begging But to digge and delue I lack strength and to begge I am ashamed But as happe is I haue euen now sodaynly deuised in my brayne how to make a ioly prouision for my selfe I will procure and geat my selfe some frendes with my maisters gooddes And the sayed frendes bearyng wel in mynde my beneficiall goodnesse towardes them wil receiue me into theyr houses whan I am put out of myne office of stewardship Hereupon he calleth together all his maisters debtours one by one and saeyth vnto the fyrst how muche arte thou behinde with my mayster endebted vnto him the partie aunswered An hundred bates of oyle and a bate as some wryters do accoumpte was a kynde of measure emong the Hebrewes conteynyng seuen gallons of liquour or theraboute Than ê™ the stewarde haue here take thyne obligacion and sitting down quickly wryte thou fiftie in stede of an hundred My mayster is ryche enoughe I wyll haue thee saue the one moytie clere to thyne owne auauntage by my good helpe This doen he sayed to the secounde and howe much oughest thou who aunswered an hundred quarters of wheate Than quod the stewarde take the bille of thy hande and wryte foure score As for twentie quarters whan it is abated my mayster will neuer perceyue and to thee beyng a poore man twentie quarters saued will do good seruice stede And after thesame sorte plaied he with the other debtours also In case this fraude had been espyed or knowen to the foresayd ryche man his steward had neuer escaped vnpunished for it But yet the lord Iesus for an exaumple of beneficial liberalitie praised vnto his disciples the deuise of the said stewarde though guylefull yet wyse and politike and exhorted al his to the folowyng of hym geuing a sharpe checke to our sluggishnesse in that that men seruyng this world are more prouident and forecastyng and also more diligeÌ„t and industrious in prouydyng for theyr bodily susteynaunce and liuyng then suche persones who hauyng clerely renounced the worlde do ensue thynges eternall are in making prouision for themselues towardes the euerlasting life in heauen And a foule shame it is for vs that they in theyr kynde are so wyse so full of good prouision all the buisinesse beyng onely for lighte trifiyng matiers and thynges that shall anon after come to nothyng whan we are slacke by dooyng good turnes and pleasures to our neighbour to purchace geat sure stayes of the lyfe immortal seeyng that by reason of the vncertain terme of this present life euery of vs ought to loke for no lesse to cum but that we must heare spoken to vs by our maister the wordes which the said stewarde heard spoken vnto him Thou maiest no more from this time forwarde exercise
heauen and in earth We will not haue thys manne say they to reygne ouer vs and while they will in no wise serue Christe they are as bonde slaues vnto all the tirannes of thys worlde they are bonde seruauntes to Satan a moste mercilesse tiranne and where they se here there in euery place throughout the whole worlde the Christians to reioyce in the freedome of the spiryte they dooe yet styll holde faste with theyr teeth the vnsauerye lettre to whome they are bounde lyke vnto men assigned and appoynted to the glebe or turfe But the sayde Iewes in vayne crying agaynste hym the kyngdome of the churche is recouered and established in geatting and establishyng wherof as many as shall haue doen theyr feythfull trauayle shall bee crouned with glory and honour in the kyngdome of heauen accordyng to the quantitee or rate of the fruicte whiche they haue broughte in the lordes vineyarde But nowe the Iewes beeyng obstinatelye vnbeleuyng what rewarde shall they haue Euen that thyng also dyd the Lorde declare in the residue of thesame parable at the latter ende For after that he had punished the vntrustie seruaunâ—e he sayde moreouer yea and those subiectes of myne in nacion my countreymen but in hearte enemies whiche by a sedicious ambassade sente vnto me praied me that I shoulde no more come to bee theyr kynge ne to reygne ouer them bryng ye them hyther that they may bee put to deathe euen here in my syghte and bee punyshed of me for theyr rebellyon Thys punyshmente is deathe euerlastyng whiche a bydethe all suche as obey not the ghospell and glad tydynges of the sonne of God For at that tyme shall they worthylye fynde hym vnpossible to bee appeaced forasmuche as they nowe obstinately contemned hym beeyng mylde and full of mercie ¶ And whan he had thus spoken he proceded furth taking his iourney to goe vp to Hierusalem And it fortuned whan he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethanie besyde the mounte whiche is called Oliuete he sent two of his diciples saying goe ye into the towne whiche is ouer agaynste you into the whiche as soone as ye are come ye shall finde an Asses colte tyed wheron yet neuer man sate looce him and bring him hither And yf any man aske you why doe ye looce hym Thus shall ye saye vnto him the Lorde hath nede thereof They that were sent went their waye and founde euen as he had sayed vnto them And as they were a loocing the colâ—e the owners therof sayde vnto them Why looce ye the colte And they sayde for the lorde hath nede of him and they brought hym to Iesus and cast theyr rayment on the colte and set Iesus theron And as he went they spred theyr clothes on the way And whan he was nowe come nigh to the going downe of the mounte Oliuete the whole multitude of the disciples began to reioyce and to prayse God with a loude voice for al the miracles that they had sene saying blissed be the king that cometh in the name of the Lorde peace in heauen and glory in the highest The lorde whan he had spoken the premisses went foorth on towardes Hierusalem where he shoulde afterwarde accomplyshe thatsame excellent sacrifice for the redempcyon of mankynde and oute of the beakon place of the crosse he should like a couetous an ambicious kyng plucke al thinges vnto hymselfe For although there haue euery where bene many in tymes paste and manye hereafter shall bee whiche will crye by theyr veray dedes we will not haue thys man to bee kyng ouer vs yet is there no nacion so ferre distauÌ„t or out of the waye from the Iewes from whence he shall not plucke a veray great noumber vnto hym Wherfore he doth eftsones beate into their heades in facte that he had afore represented in zacheus whiche thyng he dydde anon after in a longer parable expresse more at large For the lorde dooeth in the meane while procure the same thyng whiche he procured many tymes afore also whiche was that it might bee clere and euidente vnto all creatures that whatsoeuer he shoulde afterwarde suffer he did of hys owne accorde willingly wetingly suffer it otherwise that he was of power to dooe whatsoeuer his will was to doe And now forasmuch as he had determined by the meane of the moste extreme worldely shame fall that might bee to recouer into his possession the highest glorye possible emong men and the disciples beeing not yet fullye apte ne hable to receiue the vnderstandyng of thys mystery didde looke for some matier whatsoeuer it was of greate royaltie and a thyng of some high enterprise to the estymacion of the worlde at the lordes handes It pleased hym afore hys death for a litle season to flatter or rather to mocke theyr affeccions and also to mocke the glorye of thys worlde â–ª shewyng howe vayne it is and howe slippie to truste to seeyng that after so greate tokens of ioyfull receyuyng of hym after so manye cryinges and shoutes made in hys honour after so muche earneste fauour of the people deathe on the crosse dyd immediatelye folowe in the necke therof Whan Iesus therfore was come to the mounte whiche is called Oliuete nere vnto twoo lytle townes situate in the syde of the same mounte from whence Hierusalem was nowe afore them within sighte he sente out two of hys disciples on an erand Goe your wayes sayeth he to the litle towne that ye see yonder foreryght agaynste you at the entreyng whereof ye shall see a young colte of an Asse standyng tyed without the doores vnbroken as yet for any manne to ryde on on whome hathe neuer any man sitten vntie hym and bryng hym to me That if anye bodye shall bee agaynst it and demaunde wherefore doe ye vntie the colte Ye shall thus aunswere hym the lorde hath nede of hym The dyscyples departed they founde the colte tyed they addresse to looce hym And in the whyle were there certayn persones presente who asked as ye woulde saye beyng against their dooyng why doe ye looce the colte They as they had tofore bene commaunded made aunswere The Lord hath nede of him The name of the lord being oâ—s heard they suffered the colte to beled awaye Than broughte they hym vnto Iesus And whan they sawe that the lorde was mynded to mounte vpon hym the lyke whereof for all that he had neuer tofore that tyme vsed to dooe the dyscyples beecause he shoulde not vpon the bare rydge of the colte sitte to muche vneasily cast their robes abrode vpon the beastes backe And now Iesus sitting on the coltes backe goyng onward some spred abrode their garmentes euen on the veray way partly for to doe him honour and partly lest the colte being vnbroken and also vnshod should hurt his hoofes with stuÌ„blyng at the stones And whan they were nowe come to the foote of the hyll were goyng directly towardes the citie of Hierusalem a certayn woonderfull affeccion
as touchyng your rewarde leat your myndes be onely vpon your office and dutie it shal be mine office to prouide for you as touchyng your dignitie If ye shal be true folowers of my humilitie ye shall also be partakers of my glorie if ye shal be felowes with me in takyng suche part of affliccions as I do thē shall ye also haue suche part of immortalitie in heauen as I haue And hitherto haue ye persisted continued with me in mine affliccyons by which affliccions it hath pleased my heauēly father to haue mine obediēce throughly tried and approued Neither lownesse of degree nor pouertie not the trauailles of this life not the obloquie of men not the Phariseis laiyng await for you not the threatenyng of men of power hath disseuered you frō coumpaniyng and liuyng with me wheras others haue fallen away frō me wheras others haue not had the bold spirit to professe thēselfes disciples of mine That yf ye shall still persist in thesame mynde that ye haue hitherto had and shall not irke in the meane tyme to folowe my humilitie to the end ye may the better profit all persones I againe on my parte shall bryng to passe that ye shall an other day bee partakers of the glorye of my kyngdome For it hath so pleased my father that this shal bee the waie to the kyngdome of heauen And thesame haue I heretofore opened vnto you will doe again thorough my death By meane of lowenesse my father shall exalte me to the glorye of a kyngdome by temporall affliccions to ioyes euerlasting And like as there is a kyngdome prepared for me of my father because I in the meane whyle accordyng to his will doe behaue and vse my selfe as a minister and not as a Lorde euen so will I after that I am exalted to the dignitie of my kyngdome prepare the feloweshyppe of the same kingdome for you that folowe my steppes in suche wyse that ye whiche haue not sought for honour here in this worlde but haue behaued your selfes as ministers and seruauntes vnto all others diligently dispensing the doctrine of the ghospell shall sitte with me at my table in my kyngdome not now as ministers but as the honourable chyldren of god And where ye are nowe for my sake reputed amōg the Iewes for persones moste abiect ye shal at that houre sitte as head men of dignitie vpon twelue thrones iudgyng the twelue tribes of Israell For at that day shall the vasenesse of suche people appere as at this present seme to sitte on high benche in this world so shall your highnes who seme at this daye to be the outcastes of the world Thus muche did the lord Iesus speake vnder a figure qualifiyng and tēperyng his wordes to the rawnesse of his disciples whiche rawnesse be suffered for these causes to remaine a long season in them partly because he would in vs the more effectually plucke out suche worldly affecciōs as the disciples wer at that time subiect vnto partly because we should learne with great pacience fauour to suffre the weakenes frailtie of other folkes vntil they may growe to thinges of more perfeccion And the Lord said Simon ▪ Simon beholde Satan hath desired to lift you as it were wheat But I haue praied for thee that thy faith fail not And whan thou art conuerted strength thy brethren And he said vnto him Lord I am ready to goe with thee into prison to death And he saied I tell thee Peter the cocke shall not crowe this daye till thou hast thrise denied that thou knowest me There was no more remaining but for hym to arme the mindes of his disciples against the tempeste euen than approchyng and to roote out of theyr hertes the puttyng of their trust and confidence in themselfes For the sodain stormes of affliccions dooeth to no persones so ouer geue an ouerthrow then to suche as haue a confidence and boldenesse in their own strength But suche persones as vtterlye mistrustyng theyr owne assurednesse that is to say all worldly aide and mainteinaunce of man do wholly depend of goddes defēce and helpe suche none others are hable to stand sure against all the vproares tumultuous businesses of this presēt worlde So than tourned he his tale vnto Peter to the entent he might by exaumple of Peter trayne and correcte them all For he knewe Peter to be of a more quicke and prest spirite thē the others and to bee one that put very muche confidence in hymself of a tendre good affeccion certes but yet humain and worldly For he had not yet receyued thatsame holy spirite of god being the bounteous geuer of al vertue He therefore saied Simon Simon beholde Satan hath earnestlye desyred to haue you all that he might winow and sifte you as they do wheate of a purpose to blow you in soondre if he might And he would so haue doen in dede in case ye had been or should be leaft to your own frailtie but I haue hartyly prayed my father for thee Peter that although thy faith wil be somwhat waueryng yet it maye not fail clene away The first exaumple hereof it hath pleased hym to shewe vpon thee whiche trustest verye muche on thy selfe to the end that beeyng come to thyselfe again after thy falle thou maiest by exaumple of thy self confirme thy brethrē whā thei shal through the same frailtie bee fallen to the end they may euery one of them vnderstande that no man may possibly of his own strength bee an hable matche againste the malyce of Satan onlesse he bee stayed with my aide and mainteinaunce Peter whan he heard these wordes trustyng yet still in his owne strengthe aunswereth Lorde what fallyng a way from thee or what conuersion doest thou tell me of Naie thou shalt perceiue and fynde me a constant man in faith and vnpossible to be ouercomed And like as I haue not hitherto at any tyme forsaken thee so will I not forsake thee at any tyme hereafter neither insomuche that I am ready to put my self in extreme daūger of my life with thee whether it be to go into prisō yea or to death either This saiyng of Peter procedyng truely out of a good a plain menyng hert but yet not euē throughly knowē vnto hīself the lord immediatly repressed with this aūswer ▪ what saiest thou Peter Art thou he that wilt go into prison to death with me Naye I tell thee another contrary tale aforehād For it will so cum to passe that thou wylt thrise reneague me wilt sweare thou knowest me not euē this presēt night before the cocke crowe twise so great shal the storme of afflicciō be vpō thee And he said vnto th◠whan I sēt you without wallet or scrippe shoes lacked ye any thing And thei said no. Thou said he vnto thē but now he that hath a wallet let him take it vp and likewise his scrippe and he
where his woont was to praie he said vnto them To the enteÌ„t and purpose that ye may bee hable manfully to stande against the tempest that hangeth ouer you watche ye and pray ye leste yf thesame come soodaynely vpon you as ye lye sluggyng and idle it may take you in the trappe ere ye be aware and so maye ouercome you The Lorde whan he had thus muche spoken withdrew hymself from their cumpany to the mountenauÌ„ce in maner of a stones cast to pray solitarily for all creatures like as he should afterward in his own sole persoÌ„ suffre death for all creatures But lyke as his death did not profite idle persones so must not his prayer neither be auaillable but vnto suche as haue diligente and earnest mynde to pray for themselfes too And to geue vs a lesson that the herte is to bee submitted as often as we addresse to speake talke with God He praied his father on his knees bowed downe to the grounde saying Father if it bee thy will remoue thissame cuppe away from me I fele the humain nature which I haue taken to abhorre from death but in this behalfe leat the redempcion of man ouercome â–ª and leat that bee doen whiche thy wil beeyng vnmutable hath determined and not the thing whiche the weakenesse of this body doeth geue aduise or mocion vnto Our Lorde knewe what the wyll of his father was and on his own party he couered to driÌ„ke the cuppe of death for the redempcion of the worlde and he laied vpon hymself the affeccion of his body and studied to prescribe vnto his seruauntes a fourme and trade of praiyng For this maner of praiyng were very fitte for a martir a litle before the time of his martyrdome Thy wyll be dooen and not myne Whether thy wyll be to haue me liue or to dye And this feareful tremblyng of our nature Christe toke vpon himself because he would take it away from his But to the enteÌ„t he would teache vs that at suche tymes we should haue prest helpe readye at the lordes hand whan we had wholly coÌ„mitted our selfes to the wil of god whether it be to lyfe or death there appered vnto him an aungel doune from heauen strengthenyng him As he was cast in great agonie pangues for our behoufe so was he for our behoufe cumforted and strengthened by the auÌ„gell After all this there toke him a certain extreme agonie and trouble of mynde suche as for the moste parte is woont to chaunce vnto menne whan they haue death euen before their iyes and behold it in their myndes And this passion is coÌ„monly woont to be more grieuous theÌ„ very death self Neither did Iesê° disdayne to take this tormente of mynde also for our cause who refused not for our cause to hang on the crosse teaching vs in the meane time to what succours we ought to take our refuge as often as thatsame quaking feare shall take our infirmitie and cease vpon it For liyng doune prostrate vpon the grouÌ„d he praied yet more earnestly Forsoth hereof depeÌ„deth the whole hope of our victory And verify to the enteÌ„t we should be the more stedfaste in time of suffering paine and torment so great trouble of mind toke Christ that droppes of bloude tricled doune to the earth from all his body ouer And whan he arose vp from praier and was cum to his disciples he found them slepyng for heauinesse and saied vnto them why sleape ye Ryse and praye leste ye fall into temptacion Assoone as he arose again from praiyng stode vpright he retourned vnto his disciples and found them slepyng for sorowe and heauynesse Thatsame was not any surfaict that had made them so heauye but the weakenesse of nature it was grieuous dolour of the mynde that had caused their slepe but whoso will in suche a bataill goe awaie a conquerour muste fighte agaynste this weakenesse with the lustie streÌ„gth of the spirite Iesus therfore chideth his disciples and eftsons calleth them vp to pray saiyng why dooe ye in so great daungier and ieopardy geue your selfes to slepe Arise ye and praye leste the tempest growing fast towardes doe oppresse you and ouerwhelme you euen as ye lye sluggyng for the houre is euen now very nere at hande While he yet spake behold there came a cumpany and he that was called Iudas one of the twelue went before them and pressed nigh vnto Iesus to kysse him But Iesus said vnto him Iudas betraiest thou the sonne of man with a kisse whan they whiche were about him sawe what would folowe they said vnto him Lorde shall we smite with the sweorde And one of them smote a seruaunt of the high priest and stroke of his right eare Iesus aunswered said suffre ye thus ferre forth And whan he had touched his eare he healed hym The Lorde Iesus had not yet ended these wordes and euen nowe alreadye appered in sight a rable of vngracious souldiers whom the priestes Phariseis beeyng more vngracious then they had purposely sente for to attache Iesus And that honest maÌ„ Iudas who had but euen a little before been a folower of Christe and a companion with hym at his table and nowe become the guyde of a deuelishe bande of souldiers came afore them a good preatye waie betwene but he had geuen them a token before for so to doe is a thyng coÌ„moÌ„ly vsed in warres that to whoÌ„soeuer he should geue a kisse him should they well wete to be Iesus And whan he had cum sumwhat nere vnto Iesus eueÌ„ ready now to kysse him as he had been wont to do the lord accordyng to his accustomed mildnesse refused not the traiters kisse neither but yet eftsons pricked his conscience to th eÌ„tent that being moued at leastwise with so great pacience fauour of the lord he might haue ameÌ„ded Iudas saieth he arte thou a betraier of the soÌ„ne of man with a kisse Iudas by that word well vnderstode that his herte was not hidden froÌ„ God He knewe the innocencye of the Lorde he was so many tymes with suche myldenesse of the Lorde as neuer the lyke was heard so prouoked to chaunge from his wicked entente and purpose euen a verye flinte stone myghte haue been suppled therewith had not Satan altogether possessed his whole hert with the disease and corrupcion of couetise And truely the deuelishnesse of Iudas was cause of daÌ„nacion to hymselfe alone and no mo But suche personnes as dooe nowe in these tymes with seÌ„blable guile betray the veritie euaÌ„gelical vnto the princes of this world are causers of a more greuous coÌ„fusion are worthy of greater punishement then vnhappye Iudas ouerlate takyng repentaunce of hys facte did execute vpon himselfe Immediately vpon the kisse geuen the company of the harnessed menne came rennyng vnto Iesus to laye handes vpon hym and they were suche as for none other purpose had a mynde and wyl to knowe Iesus but that they myght take hym But happye are
those folkes who labour to knowe the euangelcail woorde of God of a purpose to be folowers of Iesus Than the other disciples seyng suche violence to be attēpted entended towardes their maister loue ministred suche boldnesse of herte vnto theim that they saied to the Lorde Lorde wilte thou that we striekē with the sweorde They had freashe in remembraunce what the lorde had tofore saied vnto them of byinge of a sweord but because they had seene in him perpetuall myldenesse neuer faillynge they doubted whether he woulde suffre theim to occupie any sweordes But Peter who loued the lorde more feruentely then the others and who had aboue all the reste made a voluntarie promise of hardie and stoute actes neuer taried for the Lordes answere but stroke with the sweorde at one of the chief priestes seruauntes whiche firste enterprised to laye hande on Iesus as one that expressed or resembled the crueltie of his maister But the mildnesse of the lorde moderatyng the stroke Peter no more but cutte of the felowes right eare Happie are those persones that euer they wer horne whose eare that hath hitherto herkened to the wicked priestes and to the carnal lawe is cutte of and beyng restored and set on agayn of Christe doeth how herken to suche thynges as are materiall to euerlastyng saluacion The eare cutte of was a wounde more subiect to the obloquie and ill speakyng of the people than it was daungerous for the life or bodie but yet neuerthelesse a wounde vncurable because the gristle of the earepiece beyng once cut in twoo cannot close ne growe together again But Iesus to whome no wound is vncurable after he had chidden Peter for that contrarie to the euangelicall myldenesse but remembryng styll the olde lawe he had begonne to fight with the sweorde restored vnto Malchus his eare and sette it on againe so that there appered no signe of any woūd that euer had been there For the souldiers and seruauntes did least offence of all whose mere folye serued the turne of the priestes the Phariseis and the Scribes malice Peter should rather haue bestowed his fierce angre vpon thē had it not so pleased God that euangelicall victorie shoulde consiste in pacient suffreyng Than saied Iesus to the high priestes and rewlers of the temple and the elders whiche were come to hym Ye bee come out as vnto a thief with sweordes and staues Whan I was dayly with you in the temple you stretched forth no handes against me But this is euen your veraie houre and the power of derkenesse Than tooke they hym and led hym and brought him to the high priestes house Than Iesus to declare that he willyngly suffred all thynges turnyng hymselfe to the cumpaignye whome the priestes and Scribes had sente sayed vnto them what chaunce is befallen that ye now armed and weaponed with sweordes and clubbes haue issued foorth of the citie by night and do thus come rennyng hither as it were in fourme of open warre to vanquyshe a common robber defendyng himselfe with the sworde and makyng resistence Whereas I haue been dayly with you in the temple readie to come to for euerie bodye that woulde and a naked man without any weapon no creature layed any handes vpon me Truely ye had than euen thesame wille that ye nowe haue but his wylle was than a lette vnto you whome no creature is hable to resiste For the tyme in which I was determined to suffre was not yet come But this is your tyme the night tyme and this is the power of darkenesse permitted of God The Lord Iesus immediately whā he had thus sayed without makyng any strongleyng or resistence willyngly offreed hymselfe to be bound with cordes The coumpainye as soon as they had him fast brought him into the house of Cayphas who at that time was the chiefe head of the priestes that is to saie of the moste naughtiest porcion of all the whole people of the Iewes Into the inner courte of this Caiphas palaice had gathered thēselues together the conuocacion of the priestes the Scribes the phariseis and the heade rewlers of the people and also there hadde gathered into thesame place the other multitude whiche either of a feare or of affeccion or of being deceiued with a wrong opinion wer as instrumentes of the foresayd companies malice But Peter folowed a ferre of And whan they had kiendled a fyer in the myddes of the palaice and were set down together Peter also sate-downe emong them But whan one of the wenches beheld hym as he sate by the fyer and looked vpon hym she sayed this same felowe also was with hym And he denyed hym saying woman I knowe hym not And after a litle while an other sawe hym and sayed thou arte also of them And Petur sayed man I am not And about the space of an houre after another affirmed saying Uerailye this felowe was with hym also for he is of Galile And Petur saied Man I wote not what thou sayest And immediatly while he yet spake the cocke crewe And the Lorde turned backe and loked vpon Peter And Peter remembred the woorde of the Lorde how he had sayed vnto hym before the cocke crowe thou shalt denye me thryse And Peter wente out and wept bitterly In the meane tyme the disciples beyng strieken with feare had renne awaye one to one place and another to another place But Peter who had nothyng prosperously played the man in his maisters behalfe in makyng a fraye with Malchus but yet neuerthelesse had not vttrely putte awaye all hope that the matier should recouer and doe well enough folowed after Iesus a good waye behynde He also toke a good herte to hym and aduentured in the derke to entre into the hall of the bishops palaice and to make one emong the presse of the other seruauntes as a man vnknowē to any body there And beyng a fyer made of coles in the myddes of the palaice courte because the night time was colde emōgst the other seruauntes sittyng by the fyer to warme them Peter also sate emongst the moe and warmed himselfe by the coles whome whan a certayne wenche of the house had espied sitting in suche facion that his face was euen full in the light of the fyer beholdyng hym somewhat steadily she knewe him by sight of olde and because she would declare herself to be of her maisters sorte she cryed out by an by in the hearyng of al the other coumpaynye yea and this felowe too was with him that is taken This was not a thyng doen by casuall chaunce but so it pleased the dispensacion of God tho thentente the confidence whiche Peter had in hymselfe might the better be caulmed and damped who wheras he had tofore made suche a royall promise vnto the lord that he would not shrynke to goe with hym euen to veray death too did now at the worde of a peluishe woman reneague his maister For Petur being feared with this saying of
recite all will make relacion but of a certaine noumbre of places gathered out of that same blissed talkyng of Christe with the sayed two disciples Whiche places would God that the Iewes would at leastewyse euen now at last geue eare vnto and would leaue looking for any other Messias and would with earnest zele and affeccion embrace this man Iesus who is geuen to the worlde an onely salueour and redemer whereby they myght be saued and myght be made free yf not from the empire of Cesar yet at leastewyse which is a more blissefull thyng from the tyrannie of the deuill that they myght with theyr captaine Christe atteyne the kyngdome not of this worlde whiche is fraile and transitorie but of heauen whiche knoweth none ende As for Moses saied he the Iewes doe in maner no lesse then wurship as a certain God because he cōducted and brought the people of Israel out of Egypte and deliuered vnto them in deserte a lawe through the obseruing and kepyng wherof they should atteyne deliueraunce safegard and should come to a lande flowing with honey mylke But thissame Moses what other thing was he but a certain shadowe of Christe to come For he was not the sonne of God but the seruaunt ▪ nor he did not in veray true dede deliuer the people seeyng that they were afterward in bondage vnder the king of Babilon nor he was not vtterly without synne no nor neuer entred in his owne persone into the lande vnto the whiche he was a guide and captayne to the people And in case he had entred it had been no great matter seeyng that there be idolatres enhabiting in the selfe same lande euen at this present daye All these thynges beeyng vnderstanded after the fleshe doe conteyne no great matter in them But Christe is thatsame true and right Moses who by his owne propre power doth deliuer not the Hebrewes onely but also all the vniuersall nacions of the worlde as many as doe put theyr affiaūce in him all suche doeth he deliuer from the vengeaunce and stroke of God he deliuereth them from the tyranny of the deuill he deliuereth them from the derkenesse of errours he deliuereth them from the abhominable bondage of synnes and whan he hath first clensed them with his owne bloud he bryngeth them forth into the fredome of the spirite beyng to them a perpetuall guyde and coumpanion also vntill he bryng them through and past all the daūgiers of this presente lyfe vnto thatsame heauenly lande aboue plenteously flowyng and rennyng ouer with all kindes of blisse and felicitie He is the true Moses who made a lawe ghostely and euangelicall whiche lawe should not teache a corporall righteousnesse through ceremonies sacrifices of beastes but should geue true and perfeite righteousnesse through feith and charitie And that suche an one should spring vp Moses himselfe foresayed For thus speaketh he in the Deuteronomie The Lorde thy God shall reise vp vnto thee a Prophete of thyne owne nacion and of thine owne brethren as he hath doen me him shalt thou heare And forthwith euen in thesame Deuteronomie the Lord confirmeth the promisse of Moses saying I shall reise vp vnto them a Prophete out of the myddes of their brethrē lyke vnto thee and I shall put my woordes in his mouth and he shall speake vnto them all the wordes that I shall cōmaunde enioyne him to speak Ye haue here the prophecie of Moses now compare the thing with the prophecie There sprang vp none after Moses which hath by any meanes eagually matched him in authoritie sauing only Iesus Christ who hath in suche wise resembled Moses that he euery waye ferre passed Moses He was the maker of a newe testament but thesame testamente for euer to endure And this testamente hath he consecrated not with the bloud of a calfe but with his owne bloud He was the maker of a newe lawe but it was such a lawe as should bryng present helth Moses was but the ministre and seruaunt of God but this Christ was his sonne and came downe from heauen and taught those thynges whiche he sawe aboue with his father as one hauing within himselfe a perpetuall vncessaunte power to doe whatsoeuer his wyll is Moses vpon the mountayne talked with God in a cloude Christ hath proceded and come foorth from the brightenesse of his father Moses taught and deliuered the shadowes of thynges Christ taught and gaue the trueth Moses did in such sort make intercession for the sinnes of the people that hymselfe hath nede of an other mediatour for his owne offences Christ beyng clere from all synne pourged and clensed the sinnes of al ages times aswell past as to come Moses fasted fowertie daies Christ dyd thesame so that one might at leastewyse by that token knowe him to be the seconde Moses Moses brought the lawe firste downe from the mountayne Christe on the mountayne taught the perfeccionyng of the lawe whan he pronounced those straunge beatitudes neuer afore heard of He taught often tymes also in the temple whiche is sette in the mounte Sion whiche thing was doen according to the prophecie of Esai that sayeth The lawe shall come out of Sion the woorde of the Lorde from Hierusalem But at what tyme the lawe of Moses was made and geuen all thynges wer wholly replete with terrours for to snibbe hamper the hardenesse of herte that reigned in the people Christe came milde amiable rather then terrible conuincing them with reason prouokyng them with benefites alluryng them with mekenesse offreyng himselfe to all menne and readie for euery manne to geue them health and ouercummyng them with paciente suffreaunce And suche maner an one had the holy sayinges of the Prophetes afore promised that he should be For ye haue read what Esai hath wrytten I haue geuen hym my spirite that he may shewe foorth iudgemente and equitie emong the Gentiles He shall not be an out cryer nor lifte vppe hys voice his voice shall not be heard in the stretes And a brused rede shal he not breake the smokyng flaxe shall he not quenche but faithfully and truly shal he geue iudgement not be pensife nor carefull that he may restore righteousnesse vnto the earth and the Gentiles also shall kepe his lawes Againe the same Esai in a certain other place maketh Messias speakyng in this maner The spirite of the Lord God is vpon me for the Lord hath enoynted me and hath sent me to preache good tydynges vnto the poore that I myght bynde vp the wounded hertes that I might preache deliueraunce vnto the captiue and open the prieson to them that are bounde that I myght declare the acceptable yere of the Lorde and the daye of vengeaunce of our God that I myght coumforte all them that are in heauinesse that I myght geue strength of herte vnto them that mourne in Sion that I myght geue I say beautie in the stede of ashes ioyfull oynctement
carnall loue of weomen plucked awaye from God and drawen euen vnto idolatrie Consider ye nowe in what sorte the woordes of Nathan doe agree with the woordes of Esai Thou shalt saieth Esai be called the citie of the ryghteous man and the faithfull citie And of all meÌ„ that euer were there hath been none besides only Christe alone who myght be called purely righteous not only free from all corrupcion or infeccion of synne but also suche an one that by and through him all men are iustified and made righteous And what doeth Christe require of his seruauntes but fayth And for thesame consideracion did he call his churche which caÌ„not skill of the workes of the lawe the faithfull citie wholly altogether staighyng and trusting on him alone Whan ye heare that this citie shal be redemed in iudgement ye see the confidence and trusting on the ceremonies of the lawe to bee taken awaie For God iudgeth not man of his workes but of his fayth not of meate or drinke not of the garment or of solitarie quiete liuing but of the godlynesse of mynde And the iudgement is this that suche persones as shal beleue in Christe shall through the death thesame Christe who suffred peines and tormentes for all creatures be redemed from theyr synnes and shal be iustified through his righteousnesse yf they folowe goe the steppes of their head and captaine Ye heare nowe and knowe the spirituall citie and teÌ„ple which caÌ„not be shewed ne pointed vnto with mens fyngers as neither the kyng and workemanselfe can be poynted vnto according to the lesson here folowing which himselfe taught whaÌ„ he was heare liuing whan they shall saye Beholde here is Christe beholde yonder he is beleue ye them not The Iewes glory in the mounte of Sion whiche beareth the temple But after this there shal be a ghostly Sion bearing vp the myndes and soules of them that beleue froÌ„ the couetous desire of thynges earthly to the study of thynges celestiall of whiche the Prophete Esai prophecied vnto you saying And there shal be in the last dayes an hill prepared the house of the lorde in the top of mountaines it shall be lifted vp aboue all hilles And all nacions shall flowe vnto him there shall many peoples goe and shall saye Come ye let vs clyme vp to the mountaine of the lorde to the house of the God of Iacob and he shall teache vs his wayes we shall walke in his pathes for forth of Sion shall the lawe come and the woorde of the lorde forth of Hierusalem Dauid also doeth ofttymes make mencion of this spirituall mounte They that trust in the Lorde as the mounte of Sion shall not be moued for euer whiche dwelleth in Hierusalem And of this materiall temple of whiche the Iewes are nowe proude howe it shall shortely be cast downe euen Christe also prophecied Your house saieth he shal be leaft deserte waste vnto you And that the selfesame thyng should euen so come to passe God had before that tyme threatened vnto Salomon as ye reade in the third booke of the kynges And the temple whiche I haue poynted marked out to my name I shall cast out froÌ„ my sight Israel shal be into a prouerbe into a common talkyng stocke to all peoples this house shall be into an exaumple Euery body that passeth by it shall be astouned for woondres and shall hisse at it and shall saye wherfore hath the Lorde thus doen to thissame lande and to thissame house And they shal aunswer Because they haue forsakeÌ„ the Lorde their God For this is thatsame house the prouoker with whom God doth by his Prophetes so often tymes chyde and bralle and whiche so ferre forth fell froÌ„ their God that his only sonne they hoighced vp nayled on the crosse Yea and moreouer in stede of a people carnall and stifnecked the Prophete doeth promise a people peaceable obedient euen vnto death For in maner folowyng doeth Esai speake and they shall forge theyr swordes into plugh shares their speares into sithes and sicles One nacion shall not lift vp the sworde against an other nacion neither shall they any ferther forth be exercised to fightyng in battayle Ye house of Iacob come ye and lette vs walke in the light of our God Are not these woordes consonaunt and agreable to the woordes of Christe in whiche he promised that he would of the very stones reiâ—e vp children vnto Abraham and whan he called himselfe the lyght of the worlde whom whoso folowed should not walke in derknesse whan he cast at them this saying of the Prophete Esai This people honoureth me with their lippes but their herte is ferre from me And as for a newe people he promiseth vnto hymselfe by the Prophete Oseas a people not makyng vauntes and braggues of theyr workes but acknowlageyng the mercy of God And it shall be in a place where it shall be saied vnto theÌ„ Ye are none of my people it shal be saied vnto theÌ„ the children of the liuing God And again And I shall haue mercy on the same people whiche was destitute of mercy signifying the people of the Gentiles who wheras it hath hitherto serued idolles shal shortly receiue the doctrine of the ghospell which the Iewes hath refused forsaken of whom the Psalmiste Dauid also hath prophecied tofore A people whom I knewe not hath serued me in hearing of the eare hath it obeied me Did not the woordes of Christe agree with this prophecie whaÌ„ he saied I haue other shepe too which are not of this folde euen them also must I nedes bryng home Forsouth the priesthood and the kyngdome restored and made newe again dooeth make all thinges newe And as for a newe priest the holy writte of the Prophetes had promised aforehande For the misticall psalme renneth in manier and forme folowyng The Lorde hath sworne and it shall not forthynke hym thou art a prieste for euermore after the ordre of Melchisedec Melchisedec beeyng bothe a priest and a kyng the priest of the highest god for he was not instituted by the lawe and the kyng of Salem that is to saye the kyng of peace signified Christe who neither hath had begynning ne neuer shal haue endyng Thissame Christ not through the bloud of calfes or of goates but through his owne bloude entreth into the high holy place to make intercessioÌ„ for the synnes of all the whole worlde And this sacrifice he executed in the altare of the crosse offreyng himself a moste pure sacrifice vnto God the father Suche a prieste certes had god long agon promised vnto Helias whan he was readie to dye I shall sayeth he reise vp vnto my selfe a feithfull prieste who shall doe after myne owne herte and after myne owne mynde and I shall builde vp vnto him a feithfull house and he shall walke before myne enoynted people al dayes for euer And veraily this is
came into the worlde and I was sent into the worlde from him to teache you to knowe him that throughe your belefe ye might be saued For I came not of mine owne head as other dooe sekyng their owne praise rather then Goddes honour teaching their owne commentes and fantasies and not the doctrine of God And he that sent me is true and for because I haue it of him whatsoeuer I speake therfore my sayinges be also true ¶ Then they sought to take him but no man layed handes on him because his houre was not yet cum Many of the people beleued on him and sayd Whan Christe cummeth will he do moe miracles then these that this man hath doen The seniors and rulers being stirred and sore heated with these woordes weaxed more wood and chafed more in their heartes because he toke vnto him suche authoritie before the people and openly rebuked theim of their peruerse wickednes They had muche a do to holde their handes of him for now their angre was turned into woodnesse they now passed nothing of that good aduisement and deliberacion wherwith they were purposed to make him awaie secretly But though their will was readye to do that mischieuous deede yet no mā at that time laide handes vpon him Christ willing so to haue it because the time was not yet cum whiche his father had appointed to worke therin by his death the saluacion of the worlde For as he willingly dyed so coulde not he against his will be taken It lay in him to stay mennes mindes were they neuer so fierce nor no mannes power could preuaile against him vnlesse it had pleased his exceding charitie towardes man to be crucified for the saluacion of the world but the priestes Scribes Phariseis and headmen of the people whom for their holy profession and knowlage of the lawe it had behoued first of all other to haue acknowlaged Christ perseuering in their wycked purpose euen of corrupte mindes many of the comminaltie and of the vnlearned in the lawe whiche as they were of the lesse auctoritie and learning so they had more good mindes and deuocion did so beleue our Lorde Iesus woordes and miracles but not yet of trueth fully persuaded that Iesus was Messias howbeit they were brought to this poinct that they semed apte to be persuaded If this man say they be not Christ as the Phariseis thinke he is not yet it is muche to be meruailed at how he hath so great power in workyng miracles For yf Messias himselfe shoulde cum shoulde he do greater thinges then whiche this man doeth ¶ The Phariseis hearde that the people murmured suche thinges concerning hym And the Phariseis and hie priestes sente ministers to take hym Than saied Iesus vnto them yet am I a litle while with you then goe I vnto him that sente me and ye shall not fynde me whither I goe thither can ye not cum But the Phariseis and the seniors whose part had been to haue allured and inticed the vnlearned multitude vnto Christe after that they perceiued there was many of the people inclined towardes hym fel to suche furious headines that they were determined euery way without any stoppe that he ought to dye whiche was thought would obscure their honour Suche a pestilence is ambicion when it is couloured with pretence of religion and doctrine But in the meane tyme feare of daungier and neither shame nor pitie stayed theim from manifest doing of that enormitie Therfore they did hyre priuely the common catche polles to take Iesus in the sight of the people and when they had taken hym to bring him to them as an euill doer But Iesus that knewe their priuie conspiracie conspired against him and could not be taken excepte he had liste himselfe sumwhat openeth vnto them by darke sayinges that the time should come when as he would voluntarily offre himselfe to death wheras then they sought his death in vain and in a maner also gaue them warning to be more glad of him and wel to vse him whiles they had hym For the tyme should be that all in vain they shoulde desire him being absent whom they did persecute beyng present specially when as they coulde not cum to the place whiche he shoulde conuey himselfe to For he went euen to death whereunto as yet they might not folowe him He returned again to heauen thither was no mortall bodye able to pursue after him Well Iesus spake vnto them in this manier I am yet a litle while with you then goe I vnto him that sent me Ye shall then seke me and not fynde me and where I shal goe to ye cannot cum The Lorde Iesus spake these thinges vnto them couertly as he was wont to dooe many mo thinges that they should not vnderstande them before they were put in vre and finished And the darkenes of speaking maketh a man diligent to seke the matier And whē the thinges be exibite and dooen the wordes are more surely beleued Finally the thing grue to this point that it was well knowen to all men that whatsoeuer our lorde suffered he suffered it aduisedly and vpon deliberacion not of casualtie he suffered it willingly and not of necessitie Though these wordes were spoken to all men in generall yet it did most specially pricke the Phariseis seruauntes whiche were sent to take Iesus against whom they perceiued that they coulde nothyng do except he were willyng And whiles he toucheth secretly their inwarde conscience he declareth that he knoweth what thyng soeuer is moste secretely hid in mennes heartes And therwithall he winneth those hertes vnto him through his gentilnes whose wicked enterprises he did not disclose vnto the people ¶ Then sayd the Iewes among themselues whither will he got that we shall not fynde him will he goe amonge the Gentiles whiche are scattered abrode and teache the Gentiles ▪ what maner of saying is this that he sayd ye shall seke me and shall not fynde me and where I am thither can ye not cum Therfore when as the multitude did not vnderstande this his saying they reasoned among themselues what meaneth this that he sayeth where I goe to thither can ye not cum will he priuely steale awaye and goe to sum farre countrey among the heathen people will he suffre himselfe to forsake this holy lande and holy people to go dwell among wicked prophane people whither he thinketh we will neuer folowe him or will he wander hither and thither like a vagabounde among the Gentiles dwellyng farre awaye that he cannot be found of vs In the last day that great day of the feast Iesus stode and cryed saying If any man thirst let him cum vnto me and drinke He that beleueth on me as sayeth the scripture out of his belly shall flowe riuers of water of lyfe But this spake he of the spirite which they that beleue on him should receiue for the holy ghoste was not yet there because Iesus was not yet glorified But when the
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
many tymes offend hym with their doynges I neuer dissent from that whiche is my fathers pleasure As he spake these wordes manye beleued on hym Then sayed Iesus to those Iewes whiche beleued on him If ye continue in my worde then aâ—â— ye my very disciplesâ— and ye shall knowe the trueth and the trueth shal make you free They aunswered hym We be Abrahams seed and were neuer bounde to any man sayeste thou than ye shall be made freeâ— Iesus aunswered them Uerely verely I saye vnto you that whosoeuer committeth sinne is the seruaunt of sinne And the seruaunt â—â—â—deth not in the house for euer but the sonne abideth euer If the sonne therfore shall make you free then are ye free in dede I know that ye are Abrahams sede but ye seke meanes to â—â—l me because my worde hath no place in you I speake that whiche I haue seen with my father and ye do that whiche ye haue seen with your father When as at that season none did fully vnderstaÌ„de these sayinges yet there was many among the people whiche thought them not vngodly And diuerse conceyuyng good hope of the thynges whiche Iesus promysed them beleued hym but yet not perfitly for they were still ignoraunte but as they wer then able to vnderstande the doctrine of the gospell There was in dede a certayne way prepared to fayth already although they wer not yet so far forwarde as they should be brought afterwarde The Lorde Iesus therfore doeth exhorte them to perseuer in the thynge wherin they were metely wel entred vntill they might atteyne the perfyte knowledge of him For faith of good men doeth eueÌ„ beleue those thynges whiche it vnderstaÌ„deth not The malice of the Phariseis waxed alwaye wurse and wurse He sayeth vnto them take you no exaumple at these which do wilfully perishe it is a good beginnyng for you some deale to beleue my sayinges from which if other mens infidelitie do not withdrawe you and if ye will firmely abide in that yeare entred vnto I which do professe heauenly trueth and no Pharisaicall doctrine will take you for my very owne proper disciples And you whiche hitherto haue embraced the shadowes of Moses lawe for truthes shall in processe of tyme knowe all trueth And the knowen trueth shall make you free But the Iewes not perceiuing that Christe mente of that libertie whiche the gospell teacheth whiche libertie doth not chaunge any worldly aduauncement as to deliuer the bodye from the intereste that the maister hath ouer it but setteth the mynde at libertie from sinne from leude and worldlye desyres from the tirannye of the deuil from feare of death from bondage of Pharisaicall ordinaunces from the yoke of carnall obseruyng of the lawe The Iewes I saye not vnderstandynge this makethe aunswere disdaynefully for they wer proude of the nobilitie of theyr carnal aunceters We say they by successioÌ„ come of Abraham the Patriarche and are naturally free men borne and not onely free but noble gentlemen also neither did we euer serue any man as boÌ„de men What libertie therfore doest thou promise vs as though we were bonde seruauntes nedefull of manumission This aunswere declared the Iewes to be grosse whiche put their affiaunce and glory in carnall thynges neglectynge spirituall thinges whiche commende vs to God They tooke purenes to consiste in wasshyng of the bodye of cuppes and of vessels though they had theyr soule polluted with sinfull vices They despised other in comparison of themselues because they were bodely circumcised wheÌ„ as they had an vncircumcised mynde They thought themselues holy because they caried about with them the lawe written in brode scrolles rounde aboute theyr heade when as they be holye to God whiche haue the lawe wrytten in theyr myndes and expresse the same not in scrolles but in theyr dedes So nowe they wer proude in herte because after the fleshe they came of Abraham as though it were a great matter to be borne of holyones when before God they be noble and famouse whiche of whosoeuer they be borne do expresse the condicions of holy men in their maners Therefore when Iesus had reproued them for two causes both because thei were ignoraunt in the trueth and also because they serued as bondemenne they dissembled the fyrste and stomaked the lesse weyghty matter for ignoraunce of the trueth is a fault of the mynde to be a seruaunte is no euyll thynge of the mynde but a lacke of worldlye fortune Nowe therefore oure Lorde Iesus teacheth plainlye what seruitude he ment You sayeth he disdayne that I promâ—â—e liberty because in your owne coÌ„ceyte ye be free that is to saye the naturall â—â—ee children of Abraham but there is an other kynde of seruitude muche more vyle and myserable from which no noblenes of aunceters be it neuer so greate can clayâ—ie fredome and make a man free Ye haue not a man to your lorde from whose bondage ye are to bee made fâ—e but hereof I do wellassure you whosoeuer sinneth maketh himself seruaunt to synne and looseth his fredome he is verily a naturall borne fremaÌ„ that is subiect to no dishonestie nor giltie of sinnefull vilanye This is the fredome whereof ye maye worthely reioyce before God But whosoeuer is addicte to sinne hath the deuill his lorde and is moued and drawen at his pleaâ—re and arbitremente although he maye dayme kâ—nne and can bryng his peâ—igrue to moste holy aunceters For an other mans holynes taketh not awaye the bondage of them that succede in bloude but euery man is taken and estemed after his owne dedes a seruaunt can not make his felowe seruaunt that is also sinfull as he is partaker of his fredome but he only maketh men free and sâ—tteth at libertie whiche onely is voyde of all sinne For albeit a seruaunte do for a tyme certain thinges in the house yet because he is a seruaunt and no heyre he hath no perpetuitie or enterest there for euer but is put out of the house when it pleaseth the maister but because the sonne is heyre and Lorde of the house he hath continuall right in the house nor he hymselfe onely is free in dede without all seruitude but he may also make other folke free If ye therfore desire this freedome there is no cause why ye should loke to haue it of Moses or from the Patriarkes or your priestes whose ministracion was for a while neyther was any of these vttrely voide of all sinne nor had autoritie to abolishe or put awaye sinnes ne yet did any of them knowe the trueth exactely and at full But if one cleaue fast to the sonne to whom is geuen the whole perpetual power of the house thesame of whatsoeuer stocke he be borne maye well hope to haue true fredome Therfore Abraham dyd not begette vs free Moses did it not the Priestes did not with their sacrifice make vs free If the sonne shall make you free from errour and sinne ye shall be truely and fully free You
yet was he the more knowen through the fame of the late doen miracle it was not vnknowen abrode that Iesus was at Bethania And an on verie many came thither out of the citie thicke and threfolde partely to see Iesus whose fame and renowne the myracle that was so notable dyd muche encrease partly also they came to see Lazarus whom they hearde to be raysed from death to lyfe The curiositie that is naturally geuen to man caused them thus to doe Moreouer enuy and despite against Iesus had so blinded the myndes of the priestes and the Phariseis that it did not suffice their malice to put Iesus to death but they fel in deuice also howe to make Lazarus away against whom they coulde lay no colour or likelyhood of any fault They had cast out of theyr Synagogue the blinde man because he did boldly defende Iesus glory among thē nowe their enuy was growen to suche malice that they were in mynde to kyll Lazarus a mā of great estimacion and power of whom they were neuer by any woorde or dede prouoked and offended and against whom they coulde not imagine any thing and kill him would they for nothing els but because many Iewes being moued with so manifest a myracle did fall awaye from the Phariseis conspiracie and beleued in Iesus On the nexte daye muche people that were come to the feast when they heard that Iesus should come to Ierusalem toke branches of palme trees and went forth to mete him and cried Hosanna blissed is he that in the name of the Lorde cummeth kyng of Israel And Iesus got a yong asse and sat theron as it is written feare not daughter of Sion beholde thy kyng cummeth sittyng on an asses coite But the daye folowyng when as a great route of men which were assembled at Ierusalē because of the feastfull day had knowledge that he would leaue Bethania and come to Ierusalem to doe him honor came they to mete him with branches cut of from the palme trees wherwith they strawed the waie that he should goe by For of this tree were theyr garlandes made that gate victorie and it was a tree perteyning to triumphes alwaie grene long and hye hard to be climed vpon but of a pleasante swete frute and by a certayne peculiar power of nature it riseth vp againste the weight and burden that is layed vpon it And that saying whiche is written in the Psalmes Osanna prayse and honor be to him that being loked for of vs cummeth in the name of the Lorde was cried vp aloude like as the people is wonte to publishe and witnes a common ioy Iesus also euer before this tyme bearyng a full lowe sayle and a contemner of worldely glory was than contente to come to Ierusalē with a newe solemne portely shewe For after he had gotten vnto him an asse he rode vpō her wheras before he was wount to walke his iourneyes on foote partly to teache his howe vaine is the honor of this worlde partly to ratifie that whiche Esay prophecied of him for it is written Feare not daughter of Sion beholde thy kyng cummeth to thee meke gentle sitting vpon the colte of an asse Suche a pompe certainly becummeth well the kyng of the spirituall Ierusalem whiche is the churche ¶ These thinges vnderstode not his disciples at the first but whan Iesus was glorified then remembred they that suche thynges were written of hym and that suche thynges they had doen vnto him The people that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his graue and raysed him from death bare recorde Therfore mette him the people also because they hearde that he had doen suche a miracle The apostles verily at that season vnderstode not these thinges supposyng thē to be doen by casualtie but after that Iesus through death through his resurreccion by sending downe the holy gost was glorified than cōferring the thing that was doen with the wordes of the Prophetes they wel perceiued that the wordes whiche the people cried out a loude also the thing that he thus cummyng did was written of hym For there were some whiche loked for suche a kyng as worldly kinges be Christes pleasure was to haue those mens expectacion decided declaring that the kyngdome of the ghospell doeth not consist and stande in the aide and defenses of this worlde but in mekenes and heauenly doctryne This great and notable affeccion that was in the people came of those mens stirryng and prouocacion which had of late been presente a litle before at Bethania when the Lord raysed Lazarus out of his graue and so they made relacion of that thyng whiche they sawe with theyr iyes to other And therof came it that suche a preace of people came foorth to mete Iesus because they had learned of them that sawe it how that this wonderous miracle suche one as had neuer been hearde of since the beginnyng of the worlde was wrought by hym And accordyng as the thyng broughte with it in open apparaunce a certain godly power so had he suche honour geuen vnto him as was neuer geuen to any prophete The pharisees therfore sayed among themselues perceyue ye howe we preuayle nothyng Beholde al the whole world goeth after him There were certayne Grekes amonges them that came to wurship at the feast thesame came therfore to Philip whiche was of Bethsaida a citie in Galile and desired him saying Sir we woulde faine see Iesus Philip came and tolde Andrewe And agayne Andrewe and Philip tolde Iesus That thing droue the myndes of the priestes and phariseis almost into desperacion neyther do they repent them of theyr wicked enterprise but there was a spitefull mutteryng emong them and they sayed ye perceiue that with all our crafty policies and deuices against him we go nothyng forwarde in oure purpose but the more we do resist the more doeth his autoritie florishe the more earnestly doeth the people fauour hym Before this he had but fewe disciples beholde nowe the whole world falleth from vs to hym in somuche that nowe it is sumwhat daungerous for vs openly to arest him The vngraciouse phariseis had this communicacion to thintent thei might thereby stirre and prouoke eche one another to set on and sodainly to come vpon the lord Iesus with more succour and greater guiles wherfore thei did not atchieue and accomplishe this mischieuous acte before they had the graund consent of the Phariseis the scribes the priestes and the auncient rewlers the people also as in dede theyr mynde is vnconstant beyng inflamed with thesame fury and wicked mynde yea and with Pilate the viceroyes auctoritie neyther yet withoute deceytfull craft brought in withall by Iudas the traytour The people notwithstanding did that tyme so fauour Iesus that the Gentiles also whiche for religion sake came to Ierusalem there to praye muche desired to see Iesus The reuerence of that temple was so great that out of farre countreies many went thither of deuocion to serue god and for
as he wente aboute to washe his feete euen so nowe he is taught not to truste in his owne strength nor credite hys owne affeccions but distrustyng hymself to depende vpon the helpe of Christe what saieste thou Peter sayeth Iesus howe stoute thynges of thy selfe doest thou promise vs to doe wilte thou bestowe thy 〈◊〉 for me nay but veray experience shall teache thee howe true the saiyng is whiche I speake euen nowe and coulde not bee beleued of thee that is to saye whither I goe thou canste not folowe me the profe therof is at hande For this be thou well assured of that this nyght before the cocke shall crowe that is to saye at the firste cocke crowyng thou shalte haue denied me thrise muche lesse shalte thou bee hable to saue my lyfe with thyne With these woordes our Lorde did restrayne Peters stoute saying although it came of great loue and therewithall warned other that in perylles they shoulde not truste in theyr owne strengthe but whensoeuer they broughte to passe any suche thyng they should knoweledge it to come of the power gyfte of God At these thynges Peter helde his peace as one that was not yet all free from carefulnesse concernyng the betraying whiche Iesus had made menâ—â—on of ¶ The .xiiii. Chapter ¶ And he saied vnto his disciples let not your herte be troubled ye beleue in God beleue also in me In my fathers house are many mansions If it wer not so I would haue tolde you I goe to prepare a place for you And yf I go to prepare a place for you I wyll come againe and receiue you euen vnto my selfe that where I am there may ye bee also and whither I goe ye knowe and the way ye knowe WHen as at this saying whiche sygnifyed that a certayne straunge and ouâ—ragious tempeste was imminente and hanged ouer theim whiche storme shoulde also driue Peter that was moste mannely to so greate erroure that he shoulde thrise thesame nyghte denye the Lorde when as I saye the disciples wer therewith stricken euen to the hertes and after Peters exaumple euerye one stood in dreade of himselfe Iesus beeyng a maister of moste gentlenes dyd with moste fayre and pleasaunt wordes comforte his troubled and sorowfull disciples saiyng All these thynges shall be doubtles whiche I haue tolde you of beforehande But yet there is no cause why ye should therewith be hertelesse or dismayed cruell thynges shall bee dooen againste me and the lyke shall after be dooen againste you nor I am not ignoraunte howe greate the infinnitie of mans nature is But notwithstanding if you will put youre whole affyaunce in God and me ye shall not neede to feare anye violence of wicked men God is almighty and he alone maye doe more than all they that fearcelye stryuen againste vs. And verilye euen by Moyses lawe you truste to hym and in case ye do truely truste to hym it also behoueth you to trust to me I through him and you through me shal haue victory yf distrustyng your owne proper ayde defenses ye wyll fyxe all youre affiaunce and hope vpon me Nor deathe it selfe shall be able to dysceyuer vs lyke as ye shall at a tyme bee partakers of affliccions so shall you bee of croune and glorye I wyll fyrste shewe the waye and exaumple howe to fyghte and to gette victorye by me shall boldnes bee geuen vnto you and felowshyppe of glorye Onely trust vnto me Nowe than In my fathers house be many dwellynges readye 〈◊〉 them that haue victorye for neyther are rewardes prepared for me alone neyther shall Peter alone folowe me but all those that cleaueth vnto me by charitie and fayth of the ghospell shall bee recompensed seuerallye and haue euerye one his rewarde prepared for hym For vnlesse I knewe certaynly that dwellyng places were alreadye prepared for you which are to receiue you that shall in a whyle bee taken oute of the hurly burly of this worlde into the felicitie of euerlastyng lyfe I woulde nowe beforehande haue admonished you That I dooe therefore goe before to my father is to thentente I maye there prepare a place for you also whome I wyll not suffre to be dissociate from me And nowe because I knowe it to be certayne that in my fathers kyngdome euery manne hath his mancion in a readinesse for hym you haue no neede to bee carefull of beyng recompensed it onelye lyeth you vpon hande to fyght manfully And though I dyd go farre awaye to prepare a place for you yet is there no cause for all that why ye shoulde in the meane while thynke your selfe succourlesse for I shall come agayne vnto you for to receyue you wholye vnto me neuer after to departe from me For than wheresoeuer I am there shall you also bee there is no matter why to distruste your cummyng thyther where as I nowe goe to before you and in very dede ye do knowe whither I do go and the waye thyther By this darke parable our Lorde dyd geue them some littell knowledge that he shoulde go to his father but none otherwyse than by death of the crosse The thyng that was gone to was worthye to be desired and well liked but the way to it was thought worthy to be misliked and not to be beloued The disciples coulde not but knowe this hearyng the Lorde so often speakyng thereof but penâ—fenes and obliuiousnesse made theym ignoraunte in the thyng that they knewe ¶ Thomas saieth vnto him Lord we knowe not whether thou goest And howe is it possible for vs to know the waie Iesus saieth vnto him I am the waie and the trueth and the life No man cummeth vnto the father but by me If ye had knowen me ye hadde knowen my father also and nowe ye know him and haue seen him And so therfore Thomas being very desirouse to knowe certainely whyther our Lorde woulde goe sayeth Lorde when we knowe not whether thou goest how can we knowe the waye thither but rather where thou sayeste we knowe both we be in dede ignoraunte in both with this blunte althoughe vehemente saiyng Thomas dyd in a maner force oure Lorde to tell more playnly whyther he woulde goe thence whiche thyng all they dydde for a space euen long to knowe Of trueth Iesus enstructyng framyng and fashyoning his litle by litle doeth in dede teache the thyng that they wishe to knowe but he doeth it as yet couertly to thentente that the thing might more depely be fixed in their mindes whiche they shoulde haue muche a doe and long tyme to learne That is to saye that after he hadde lefte his mortalitie he shoulde retourne agayne to his father from whence he came before he was incarnate but withall he teacheth that the waye vnto the father is open vnto no manne but by the sonne whiche onelye shoulde open the waye to heauen whiche onely shoulde instructe mennes fayth with heauenly knowledge and shoulde bee the onelye fountayne of immortalitie to whome whosoeuer dydde
becummeth not you to be ignoraunt of my fathers wyll verely I shall than speake vnto you whishtlie and without wordes but I shall speake assured and manifeste thinges if so bee ye aske them yea and than also the holy ghoste shall incense you what to aske and howe to aske in my name whiche in case ye so do surely though it were a great matter and a thing of difficultie yet shall the father for my sake not deny it you askyng it And I doe not nowe speake this as if ye shall obtaine your requeste by my mediacion in suche sorte as men doe sumtime at a kinges hande that is but a maÌ„ obtaine their requeste at the desyre and suite of sum one that is in fauour with the kyng whiche peticion the kyng woulde not els haue graunted but that he was content to geue it for his sake whiche did commende set forward the suters supplicacion but as for my father althoughe he loueth to bee asked of by his sonne by whome his will hath beene to graunte all thynges to menne yet that notwithstandynge he wyll otherwise consente to your desyres not onlye for the loue that he beareth towardes his sonne but whiche he hath also towardes you for he loueth not his sonne so that he loueth not you but whomsoeuer the sonne loueth those the father loueth also Therefore he loueth you not for your workes sake but for that ye loue me semblablie and beleue that I am cum out from hym for this is to loue the father euen to loue his sone and to beleue the father is euen to beleue the sonne He of trueth dooeth not beleue whiche denyeth the sonne to haue cum from the father and not to haue sayed and doen all thyng euen by the fathers auctoritie I was already with the father before I came into the worlde euen for to cary you vp takyng vnto me this mortall body that ye se but for your cause came I into the worlde euen for to cary you vp into heauen Now than the thynges beyng once doâ—n whiche the father gaue me in commaundemente I doe euen for your sake leaue the world as touchyng bodily presence and returne again vnto the father and truely whatsoeuer is or shal be doen here it is and shall bee doen to bryng you to saluacion ¶ His disciples sayed vnto hym lo nowe â—alkeste thou plainly and speakeste no prouerbe Nowe are we sure that thou knowest all thynges and nedest not shal any man should aske the any question Therfore beleue we that thou camest from god Iesus aunswered them Nowe ye do beleue beholde the houre draweth nye and is already cum â–ª that ye shal be scattered euery maÌ„ to his owne and shall leaue me alone And yet am I not alone for the father is with me These wordes haue I spoken vnto you that in me ye mighte haue peace For in the worlde shall ye haue tribulacion but be of good there I haue ouercum the world The disciples beynge boldened with these sayinges begunne sumwhat to stande in their owne conceite and as though they had of theyr owne strength beene able to abide and heare their lordes death that was at hande they answere on this wyse loke saye they euen now at this present doest thou fullfill the selfe thynge whiche thou promisedâ—t afterwarde to doe for nowe withoute any darkenes of parables thou speakeste plainly out what thou wilte do neyther nedeth it to aske the any further question For thou knoweste all thynges and with thy good wordes hast deliuered our hertes from sorowe so that we nede no further communicacion why we nothinge doubte but that through hope of thy ioye to come wee shall boldly and paciently suffre the thynge that is imminent and cumming towardes vs and we do therfore finallye and verily beleue that thou art cum out from god because thou seest throughly the very botome and secrecie of our hertes And than the Lord Iesus whose maner was euery where sharply to controll and restraine whatsoeuer humayne and worldely arrogancie ambicion or selfe affiance he perceiued to arise in his discyples heartes that they mighte plainely learne to distruste their owne strength and vertue whereby they myghte dooe nothyng and wholly to depende vpon the hande of God the father The Lorde Iesus I saye dyd thus abate and acoole that arrogancie whiche was suche that thoughe they yet vnderstoode not what he sayed thoughe they had no true belefe and as yet were not meete for the stormes that wer cummyng vpon theÌ„ for all that they tooke on hande the thing that was to be asked of God by prayer And he aunswereth them after this sorte What dooe I heare the thynge whyche I promyse to geue you hereafter whan ye shal be made stronge and be staied by my doctrine and by the inspiracion of the holy ghost ye now proudely take on hande before due time as if ye might do at least sumwhat by the helpe and assistence of maÌ„s owne power and vertue when as rather the tyme is full nyghe that ye shall declare howe strengthelesse yeare of your selfes For ye shall not onely bee vnable to go through the instante tempeste but leauing me alone in the handes of the sergeauntes catchpolles whiche shall violently draw me to the deathe of the crosse ye shall run awaye eche one a â—ere waye through feare so amased that ye shall not one beare cuÌ„pany with another to your succoure and comforte whyles euery one shall feare other leste by any others telling he mighte be bewrayed and come in daunger albeit in dede I nede not your aide and helpe I shall of trueth be forsaken of all my frendes but yet shall I not be desolate because the father shall neuer leaue me Therefore I do speake these thynges vnto you that distrusting your owne strength ye maye reste and staye your selfe in me The worlde shall make greate commocioÌ„ and fiercely rise againste you as it doeth agaynst me but bee bolde and shrynke not remeÌ„bryng that I haue conquered the worlde ye shall take exaumple at me and shall trust to be holpen by me ye shall also haue victorie but through me beyng of youre owne nature very weake and yet when tyme and occasion shall require ye shal be throughe my spirite stronge and vnuanquished The .xvii. Chapter ¶ There wordes spake Iesus and lift vp his iyes to heauen and sayen father the houre iâ— cum â–ª glorifie thy sonne that thy sonne also may glorifie the. As thou haâ—â— geueÌ„ him power ouer all 〈◊〉 that he should geue eternall lyfe to as many as thou hast geuen him This is life eternall that they might know thee the only true god and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sente AFter that Iesus had with this kynde of talke partelye comforted his disciples and partely taughte them and geuen them also instruccion againste the daungerouse storme that was imminence and cumming vpon theim than for so muche as he had by woorde of mouthe aduertised
ignoraunt that Iudas woulde come thither with a bande of harueysed men to attache hym because Iudas that betrayed hym knewe full well that our Lorde Iesus was wonte often to gette hymselfe Secretely thither late in the night with his disciples to praye They tooke the night tyme for this cause leste the company that Iesus had with him shoulde make resistence and let them to take hym For Iudas that was of a disciple become a traytoure and of a cumpanion to hym that was a redemer made a capitaine of theuishe souldiers came into the gardeyne where the lorde beyng with his disciples prayed with the bād of men whiche he had taken vnto hym by the appoyntmente of the Bishoppes and Phariseis with whome he had couenaunted to betraye Iesus and bryng hym into theyr handes And verily they brought with them fierbrandes and lanternes by meanes whereof he might be discerned and knowen in the night Nor they came not withoute sweardes and staues agaynste the force and violence of Christes disciples yf percase any would haue profered to defende their lorde Howbeit Iesus knowyng all thynges that were wroughte and dooen agaynst him to teache playnly that hymselfe wittingly and willingly did suffer al that he suffered not tarying for theyr cumming went forward to mete them as they were cumming towardes him and of his owne mynde vnforced asked them whom they sought leste for lacke of knowledge they myght haue layed handes vpon some of his disciples And when they had answered hym Iesus of Nazareth he sayed boldely vnto them I am very he whom ye seke There was then also Iudas Iscarioth present and his bande of mē with him whiche Iudas had a litle before betrayed Iesus with a kysse vnder a false pretended frendeship ere the Lord had spoken these woordes Yet did Iesus neither in the meane time bewray him of whom he was betrayed nor spake any rough rebukefull woordes against the souldiers that were hyred to attache him because he would styll euen tyll all were fully ended shewe his disciples exaumple of gentlenesse and modeste mekenesse But as soone as Iesus had sayed vnto them I am he the bande of men beyng soore afrayed went backwardes and fell to the grounde not able to sustayne and abyde the violence of the Lordes voice Then asked he them agayne whom seke ye They sayed Iesus of Nazareth Iesus answered I haue tolde you that I am he If ye seke me therfore let these goe their way that the saying might be fulfilled which he spake of them whiche thou gauest me haue I not lost one After that they were come to themselfes againe and made ready to set vpon Iesus the secound time the Lord asked them once againe whom they did seke And when they had nowe answered as before saying they sought Iesus of Nazareth he made them a lyke bolde answer as he had doen before and sayed I toulde you euen very nowe that I am thesame manne ye looke for And if ye seke me I do lycence you to medle only with me suffer ye therfore these to go theyr waye against whom I geue you no interest at this present The cause why Iesus did thus was to declare by a manifest tokē that he could not haue been apprehended except he had permitted himselfe to be taken in that he had once with one woorde put backe and cast downe to the grounde both a desperate and an armed multitude of souldiers and Iudas selfe too that shameles traitour Moreouer lyke as he gaue thē leaue to take himselfe so on the other syde he restrayned them from hauyng power ouer his disciples because he had tolde beforehande that the fiercenesse of that storme should for that presente time light vpon his owne head alone and as for the rest although they were somewhat ouerthrowen deiect yet should they be safe without hurte vntill he should see them agayne herein declaring hymselfe to play the parte of a good shepeherde which redemeth the health of his flocke with the losse of his owne life Then Symon Peter hauing a swerde drewe it and smote the hye priestes seruaunt and cut of his right eare The seruauntes name was Malchus Therfore Iesus sayeth vnto Peter Put vp thy swerde into thy sheathe shall not I drinke of the cup which my father hath geuen me Then the cumpany and the captayne and ministers of the Iewes tooke Iesus bounde hym and led hym away to Aunas firste for he was father in lawe to Cayphas whiche was the hye priest thesame yere Cayphas was he whiche gaue councell to the Iewes that it was expedient that one man should dye for the people Nowe then Symon Peter whiche bore a notable ardente loue towardes his Lord because he had made a great braggue of himselfe no lesse then that he would be content to dye to saue his Lordes lyfe seing the armed band of men to lay hand vpon Iesus forgat what the Lorde had sayed vnto hym And so beyng in a sodayne rage drewe out a swerde not tarying to bee commaunded of his Lorde to doe it stroke the Byshops seruaunt whose name was Malchus but the stroke light not as he would haue had it he onely stroke of the felowes right eare euen accordyng as the Lorde did staye his hande to the entent he should geue but a small wounde Howbeit Iesus did forthwith of his owne gentlenesse heale the man againe And in dede the Lorde suffered him that should be a ruler of his churche to fall of a godly zeale truely into this errour for that he might afterward more surely and more effectuously put awaye all desire to doe vengeaunce and shake of altogether priuate reuenging and vse of weapons since he had once rebuked him whiche as yet hauing no contrary commaundement did of very deuocion and of a godly affeccion goe aboute to defende his moste vertuouse godly Lorde against the wicked So then Iesus verily put awaye by his diuine power the force of the men of warre from Peter but yet withall he chideth Peter as a disciple when he seeth hym hotely set to fyght out the matter and sayth Peter what doest thou Hast thou forgotten what thou hast heard of late whiles thou diddest exhorte me not to dye that is to witte howe thou wast called Satan and commaunded to folowe behynde To what purpose is thy swerde drawen because thou wouldest hynder my death whiche I goe to suffer willingly and apoynted so to doe by my father It becummeth the to folowe and not to repell my crosse Therfore put thy swerde into thy sheath Matters of the ghospel are not so to be defended It thou wilt succede me as my vicar thou must fight with no other swerd than of Gods woorde whiche cutteth away sinnes and saueth the men Shal not I drinke of this cuppe of death whiche my father hath geuen me to drinke How shall it come to passe all we to be one according as I prayed to my father excepte that like as I doe obey
them Children haue ye any meate They aunswered him no. And he saieth vnto them Cast out the net on the right hande and ye shal fynde Nowe than because they lacked theyr Lordes helpe by whom they were woonte to be fedde of the mere fre bounteousnes of frendes Peter wente in hande againe with his olde facultie to get his lyuinge with his owne handes lest he should be burdenouse to any man or to be fed by any others lyberalitie in idlenesse For then he might not preache and he thoughte it was no right that he whiche serued not the ghospell should lyue of the ghospell Therfore in the twie lyght because they shoulde haue goen abrode vpon theyr peryll in the daye Peter saieth I go a fishyng The reste than saied vnto him We also wyll go a fishing with the. And so goyng foorth a doores togetherwarde they entred into the shippe And they fished all that night in vayne For they gaâ—e neuer one fishe to the intente that waye shoulde be made for a miracle and therwith as in a misterie to be signified that the labour of an Euangelist is all in vayne vnles Christe do prosper the mannes endeuour But now when it waxed daye Iesus stoode on the shore but the dysciples knewe not it was he partely for the distaunce that was betwene him them and partely because it was scant daye also partely because the Lorde woulde not furthwith be knowen Therfore Iesus spake vnto them from the shore saying Children haue ye any meate They than forasmuche as they knewe not the Lorde by his voyce but supposed him to be some other manne whiche came to the sea to bye fyshe made aunswere that they had none that they could selle him because they had taken nothing Iesus than to declare litle and lytle who he was sayed vnto them Caste out the nette on the righte syde of the shyppe and ye shall fynde that ye coulde not hytherto They caste out their nette and anon they were not hable to drawe it for the multitude of fishes Then sayed the disciple whom Iesus loued vnto Peter It is the Lord. WheÌ„ Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord he girded his coate vnto him for he was naked and sprang into the sea The other disciples came by shyppe for they wer not farre from lande but as it were two hundred cubites and they drew the nette with fishes They dyd as he bad them for through werynesse of their vaine laboure and of a great desire to take some fyshe they conceiued some hope byanby so great a multitude of fyshes was taken that the net was laden withall and coulde vâ—neth be drawen vp to the boate And wete ye well this was euen a resemblaunce of the multitude of men whiche afterwarde by the preachynge of the apostles should be brought and ioyned to the churche out of the whole world of what language or countrey soeuer they were By the noueltie of the thing that disciple whome Iesus loued was moued to be more attentyfe and to marke the thing and so knewe Iesus And incontinently aduertysed Peter who was altogether busye aboute drawynge vp the nette that it was the Lorde whiche standyng on the shore commaunded to looce and caste oute the nette Peter beyng alway one man and lyke himselfe did forget both the nette and the fishe and toke his shyrte for before he was naked and coulde not abyde but sprang into the sea and so came he first of all to the Lord. The other disciples came to him by shyp for they were not very farre of the shore but as it were two hundred cubites and they altogetherward drewe the nette full and laden with fyshe Assone as they were come to lande they sawe hotte coales and fishe layde theron and breade Iesus saieth vnto them bryng of the fyshe whiche ye haue now caught Symon Peter went vp and drewe the nette to landeful of great fyshes an hundred and thre and fiftie And for all there were so many yet was not the nette broken And when they wer come to lande they sawe vpon the bancke hotte coales and fishe layed theron and breade withall Therfore Iesus commaunded theÌ„ also to bryng of their fyshes whiche they now caught Than Peter returned againe to the shippe and drewe the nette to land full of great fishes in noumbre an hundred and thre and fyftie This also made it seme the greater a myracle that when there was so great a multitude and that of great fishes yet was not the nette broken in sundre with the weight therof The thynge dyd represent the humble churche and as to the worlde weake and narrowe yet suche a thing as shall embrace all the nacions of the worlde the Lorde Iesus beyng the head and chefe gouernour therof Iesus saieth vnto them come and dyne And none of the disciples durste aske hym what art thou for they knewe that it was the Lord. Iesus than came and tooke breade and gaue them fyshe lykewyse This is now the third tyme that Iesus appered to his disciples after that he was raysed againe froÌ„ death So wheÌ„ they had dyned Iesus saieth vnto Symon Peter Symon Ioanna louest thou me more than these He sayed vnto hym Yea Lord thou knowest that I loue thee He sayeth vnto hym Feede my lambes Furthermore to shewe a more certeintie that he was verye manne and no ghoste he therfore approuyng the veritie of his body by beyng sene with meÌ„s iyes heard with their eares and handled with handes would also eate meate with them He therfore inuited his disciples to the dyner which was there ready for theÌ„ The disciples sate downe but all whus ht and spake no wordes for the maiestie of the immortall bodye toke from them their accustomed boldnes In dede they knewe hym to be the Lorde but nowe he appeared after a more high and gloriouse sorte as one of great noblenesse and excellencie Therfore none durste aske hym who arte thou and yet of the very thynge it selfe they knewe hym to be the Lorde although the shewe and semblaunce of his bodye was chauÌ„ged Iesus therfore came to the feast and as his maner was brake bread with his owne handes and gaue it to them and fishe likewise by exauÌ„ple and dede teaching his whome he had specially chosen to bee shepeherdes of the churche to fede his euangelicall flocke with holy doctrine But yet suche as hymselfe had taught them And this is now the thirde time that Iesus appeared certayne spaces betwene to his disciples for he was not in theyr company continually After dyner was doen the lorde Iesus in maner declaryng by worde of mouthe the thyng whiche in his facte he signified committed his shepe to Peter that he should feede theÌ„ but he first thrise required loue of him to the entent he mighte powre into the mindes of his disciples that no man is a fitte shepeherde of an euangelicall flocke excepte he whiche beareth suche loue towardes them that he is put in truste withall
or of any other nacion This theyr couÌ„sell which was as folyshe as myght be spoken pleased all the whole assembly and euery man with one assent agreed therto For than had they perceiued that the apostles were valiaunt of courage and would not alter or chaunge their myndes Thei perceyued lykewyse that this miracle was not vnknowen to all the people they were not to learne that Iesus name was with them of no small efficacie and for mans health a present remedy Howe could they than for shame commauÌ„d or what hope had they to haue that name kepte vnder specially seyng they myght thorowe the selfesame name attayne vnto eternall saluacion Suche verely are the counsels of prynces of Byshoppes priestes and of other the chiefe of the comminaltie as ofte as they gather theyr assemblyes together by policie of mannes witte Sometyme there be amonges them whiche canne playnely see what doeth well agree with good reason but yet they perceyue in folowyng of thesame some losse should ensue of their renowme decaye of ryches or some other suche lyke incommoditie ¶ And they called them and comâ—aunded them that in no wyse they should speake ne teache in the name of Iesu. But Peter and Iohn answered and sayed vnto them whether it be right in the sight of God to herken vnto you more then to god iudge ye For we cannot but speake that whiche we haue sene and heard So threatned they them and let them goe and found nothyng howe to punyshe them because at the people For all men praysed God because of that whiche was doen For the man was aboue fowertie yeare olde on whom this miracle of healyng was shewed Whan eche of them had well allowed this decree they called in the apostles it was declared to them in name of the whole counsell that they shoulde teache no man on lyue Iesus doctrine ne make in any wyse mencion of hys name eyther by stelth vnwares to them ne yet in hearyng of any multitude neyther openly ne priuely at home or els abrode O the folyshe wysdome of the worlde they could not kepe him in his graue whan he was deade nowe goe they about to bury or suppresse the name whiche is wunte alwayes after death to be better knowen Peter and Iohn after the counsels decree was rehearsed them with solempne authoritie made this aunswere thereunto very constauntly but without any woorde spoken to mans rebuke Iudge ye your selues that knowe the lawe whether it be well before God that we shoulde be more obedient to you than to Gods commaundemente God hath heretofore sayed by the mouth of his Prophetes that it should euen thus come to passe Christe the sonne of God thus commaunded vs and so lykewyse that heauenly spirite whom he promysed vs to sende downe from his father infourmeth vs secretly and putteth into our myndes that we should for all mennes saluacion publyshe the name of our lorde Iesus Christe bearyng wytnesse also to that that we haue sene and heard Yf ye mynde to be of an vpright iudgement ye also will submit your selues to the wyll of God If not whatsoeuer ye decree of vs truly we may not otherwise do than speake that we sawe with oure iyes what we heard with our eares and that God who ought to bee aboue all men obeyed would haue preached abrode to all men Whan the counsell had hearde of them this aunswere so wysely made and franckly they wente nought els about but to make them sore afrayed wyth threatnynges Alas a counsell without all hope of recouery they haue no argument to perswade no reasons or causes why they shoulde rebuke neyther testimonies they haue of scripture wherwithall to teache Their whole authoritie is but threatninges O the wicked conscience alwayes fearful Their desyre was to punishe the innocentes a malicious will was ready in them but they beyng as they were prynces yet were afraied of theyr symple poore subiectes meÌ„ in publike office in dreade of pryuate persones many in numbre in feare of fewe yea men defensed of them that were vnarmed men of learnyng of men vnlearned as for thapostles had neither any retinewe nor garde for their defence nor bandes of noble estate assured to them But lordes they were of that that no yearthly power was hable to geue as to make the lame at the name of Iesus Christe to aryse and walke To do man good thapostles were in power myghtie but as touchyng hurte they were voyde of all strength And so were the apostles for that tyme dimissed of that counsell beyng charged with their sore threatenynges Yet had not the chiefe counsellers cast of theyr caÌ„kred malice but differred it in mynde to get afterward some other occasion For they could fynde no waye to punishe them and that because of the people whome they feared hauing no regarde in themselfe at all to god For all men highly praised them as touchyng that miracle whiche was done in healyng the lame criple And eche manne noted it the more bycause the persone in whome this miracle was wrought was aboue fowertie yeres of age So was he borne and thus many yeres set foorth this begger to the open sight of the worlde his infirmitie so that no man coulde accuse or finde fault with their doinges as though his impediment had be counterfeite or els some lyght or small deformitie not worthy consideracion Assone as they were let go they came to theyr fellowes and shewed all that the hie priestes and elders had sayed And whan they heard that they lift by their voices to god with one accorde and sayed Lorde thou art God whiche hast made heauen and earth the sea and al that in them is which in the holy ghost by the mouth of thy seruaunt Dauid our father hast sayed why dyd the heatheÌ„ cage the people imagine vaine thinges The kinges of the earth stode vp and the rulers came together against the Lorde and against his anointed Than Peter and Iohn beyng dispatched of the counsell retourned to their company beyng than in theyr high parlour altogether carefull in mynde what ende should come of that consultacion whiche was in hande and rehearsed to them in ordre all the whole matter what the princes had layed to theyr charge and of the aunswer that they had made thereunto The inward true loue that eche one bare to other replenyshed theyr heartes vpon these tydynges tolde them with excedyng Ioye The disciples were glad that the chiefe and pieres of all thapostles were dimyssed Thapostles on the other parte reioysed in the bountâ—ousnes of their lorde by whome his disciples attained vnto suche ioye God after this maner and sorte tempereth all thynges in his seruauntes so that with sorowe he mingleth ioy to the ende that they may be hable paciently to suffer and endure aduersitie and that they on thother syde may for gladsome thynges rendre hertie thankes and in heauinesse pray vnto the Lorde After the whole company had than heard the
more and more both of men and women insomuche that commonly they would bryng forthe the sicke folkes into the stretes and suche as were not able to go on foote by reason of great sickenes those set they out abrode vpon couches and beddes that agaynst Peters cuÌ„myng his shadowe as he passed by myght at the leastwyse ouershadowe some of them Ueraily in them was that promyse perfourmed whiche Iesus the Lorde had made speakyng thus of hys disciples and greater thynges than these be shall they doe Iesus healed some persones by touching the hemme of his garment â–ª but no man healed he by touching of hys shadowe The fame of theyr myracles spred euery daye ferther abrode insomuche that a great multitude of people came out of the cities bordering nigh there aboute vnto Hierusalem bryngyng with them those that were is sundry wise diseased and troubled of vncleane spirites whiche were made whole euerychone In suche a wondrefull successe of thynges mete it were for vs to obserue howe sobre and demure the Apostles were at all times who claymed no renoume or glory for theyr doynges but referred all prayse that was gyuen them to the name of theyr maister Iesus ¶ Then the chiefe prieste rose vp and all they that were with him whiche is the secte of Saduceis and were full of indignation and layed handes on the Apostles put them in the common pryson But the Aungell of the Lord by nygh opened the pryson doores and brought to them forth and sayed go and stande and speake in the temple to the people al the woordes of this lyfe Whan they hearde that they entred into the temple early in the mornyng and taught But the chiefe priest came and they that were with hym and called a counsell together and all the elders of the children of Israell and sene menne to the pryson to fet them After that the name of Iesus Christe began in this maner to be knowen wonderfully well with all men and the swete odour of the ghospel to spreade it selfe euery daye farther abrode Byshop Annas a prelate of false religion could not abyde the encrease of this trewe religion Besydes all other namely they that were of the Saduceis secte toke his part forbycause the Apostles beare witnesse pryncypally of our maister Iesus Christes resurrection Whiche thing caused the Phariseis that defended the resurrection agaynste the Saduceis to be more quiet towardes the Apostels It had afore been decreed that this busynesse shoulde be layed on slepe by dissemblyng therat for a time But maliciouse enuy goâ—te the vpper hande of this theyr decree or counsayle and furyousnesse in them shooke of all feare For the head priests whose mynde SathaÌ„ troubled with enuy beyng assisted with the Saduceis set hande on the apostels had them to warde laying them in no priuate prison as though they shoulde bee examyned vpon suspicion but in a common pryson as though they had be taken in some manifest acte of myschiefe A pryson was chosâ—n oute veray strong leste they myght by some meane escape or els be taken awaye through some commocion of the poeple But the holy woorde of the ghospell can neyther be bounden ne kepte in prison by mannes wytte and policie For Iesus who is the defendour of his owne elected senâ—e his Aungell that opened by nyght the pryson doores and brought them forth and sayed be ye nothyng vnquieted in mynde wyth these maliciouse priestes but rather holde on the holder as ye haue begonne Go your waye and in the temple steppe vp and preache to the people what soeuer he gaue you in commaundement to preache to all nations of the world The time was once whan he would not suffre you to publishe him for Christe But nowe is cumme the tyme that he spake of to you saying there is nothynge hyd that shall not bee openly shewed and what is whispered in your eare that preache ye vpon the house toppes The apostles beyng encouraged at this the angels exhortacioÌ„ came into the temple early in the mornyng and according to their accustomed manier taught the people whiche were many there in numbre The high bishop beyng ignoraunt what was doen by nyght of the angell ioyned himselfe in confederacie wyth the Saduceis and certayne other supporters of that wilfull mynde that he was of and came into the counsell house Thither was called all the whole counsell of prestes of officers and temple rulers with all the whole ordre of elders among the people of Israell For than were they all the sorer incensed agaynst them for theyr disobedience and had determined to ordeyne some crueller punishemente for theym But here consider in the meane whyle good reader the malicious impudencie of the priestes that where as they had no iuste matier to lay to the Apostles charge yet brought they aboute in their great assembly what euer they lusted because theyr sentence whyche was cursed and vngodly shoulde appeare in that that it was decreed by consent of the whole counsell good and ryghteous After that the head men were sette downe eche one in his place after a stately manier the sergeauntes were sent to bryng forth thattached persons before them into theyr sessions Whan the ministers came and founde them not in pryson they returned and tolde saying the pryson truely we founde shut with all diligence and the kepers staÌ„ding without before the doores But whan we had opened we founde no man within Whan the chiefe preist and the rewlers of the temple and the hie priestes heard of this they doubted of them wherunto this would growe The sergeauntes came vnto the pryson they founde the kepers watchyng at the pryson doore The doore was set open But whan they were come in none of the apostles coulde they fynde nor any prynt or token what way they had escaped Than went the ministers backe agayne vnto the counsell and tolde them what they had sene We founde sayde they the pryson on euery side surely shutte and the kepers standyng fast by the doore But whan the doore was open and we let in no man founde we there All they were muche troubled in theyr myndes at these tidynges and specially the temple rewlers and the head pryestes and as menne beyng at theyr wittes ende dowted sore what ende should ensue of this busines Than came one and shewed them Beholde the men that ye put in pryson stande in the temple and teache the people Then wente the ruler of the temple with ministers and brought them without violence For thei feared the people lest they should haue ben staned and whan they had then brought them they set them before the counsell And the chiefe priestes asked theÌ„ saying did not we streightly coÌ„maund you that ye should not teache in this name â–ª And beholde ye haue fylled Ierusalem with youre doctryne and intende to brynge this mannes bloud vpon vs. The meane time that they were in suche doubt whiles they were trembling for feare in their consultacion
is in vaine For it shall be harde and paynfull for the to beate thy heeles againste the prycke For thy striuyng is not against manne but againste god whose wil no manne is hable to resiste Wherfore thine offeÌ„ce herein is double the more and nothing shalt thou preuaile therby and yet doe thy selfe a shrewde turne Saule hearing this trembled for feare and as one amased saide Lorde what wylte thou haue me doe By this answere his erroure appeared to haue cumme of plaine ignoraunce and of no malice To instructe once suche erpsons it were sufficient But it was expedient that an high and fierce stomake were plucked downe and suche one that mynded nought els but to threaten and kylle were made afrayed to th entent he myght be easlye taught Than sayed the lorde to him aryse and go into the citie There shalt thou learne what is for the to do The lorde stryketh man in suche a sorte that it maye be for his health so he casteth downe that he maye set vp so maketh he them blynde that he maye lighten them Saule beyng in his cruellrage was throwen downe headlyng but after that he became meke and ready to obeye he was byd stande vp ¶ The meÌ„ which iourneyed with him stoode amased hearyng a voyce but seyng no maÌ„ â—â—d Saul arose from the yearth when he opened his iyes he sawe no man But they led hym by the haâ—d brought him into Damasco And he was three daies without sight and neither did eate nor drinke And there was a certaine disciple at Damasco named Ananias to him said the lord in a visioÌ„ Ananias And he sayd beholde here I am lorde And the lord saide vnto him aryse and go into the strete whiche is called streyght â–ª and seke in the house of Iudas after one called Saule of Tarsus For beholde he praieth and hath sene in a vision a man named Ananias cumming in to him and puttyng his handes on hym that he might receiue his syght Whyle these thinges were thus in doyng the men that went with Saule in his iourney stode amased hearing certainly one talke to Saule but seing no man Than Saule vpon good comforte that he toke hereof arose vp The first step to vertue is to be set vp on foote And beholde againe an other myracle although his iyes were open he could not see Than those that came in his company lead him by the hande into the citie of Damasco And yet was not he than forthwith admitted to the gyfte of the holy ghoste that it shoulde be noted of vs that came after for an example howe it were not mete to laye hande forthwith vpon eache person but firste to see them that are newlye instructed diligently tryed and prepared by fastyng praier Wherefore than lyke as the apostles abode at Hierusalem ten dayes space in expectacion of the holy ghoste so taryed Saule at Damasco three dayes seing none yearthlye thyng with his corporal iyes but thinwarde iyes of his soule were in the meane space clearly illustrate al that whyle receyuyng no foode but his mynde was fed the meane time with heauenly doctrine There was the same tyme at Damasco a disciple for so were they than called whiche had receiued the gospel named Ananias The lorde had piked oute this Ananias by whose handes his pleasure was bounteously to replenishe Paule with giftes of his holy spirit And therfor hym spake he vnto beyng a sleape in his dreame and sayd Ananias He on the other part anon perceiuing that god called him made answer lo I am here lorde as who sayth disclosyng a true christian herte ready at all commaundementes Than sayde the lorde ryse vp and go thy waye into the streat whiche they commonly call streyght and aske at Iudas house for one Saule who was borne in Tarsus For lo there is he in prayer suyng to haue grace and liberall comforte from vs. At the very same tyme Saul lykewise as he was in prayer thoughte the one Ananias had entred into the house to hym and layde his handes upon him to thintent he myght receyue againe his iyesight Euen so the lorde prepared in their mutuall vision eache one for other ¶ Than Ananias answered lorde I haue heard by many of this man howe muche euil he hath done to thy sainctes at IerusaleÌ„ and here he hath authoritie of the high priestes to bynde all that cal on thy name The lorde sayde vnto him go thy waye for he is a chosen vessell vnto me to beare my name before the Gentiles and kinges and the childreÌ„ of Israel For I wyl shewe him howe great thinges he muste suffre for my names sake But Ananias sore afrayed at the name of Saule who for his cruelty was than muche spoken of among the christians made aunswere I haue heard lord of many one howe sore this man hath vexed thy blessed saintes at Hierusalem and yet not so contented but nowe is he hither come also beeyng put in authoritie by a streyght commission from the hygh byshoppes to laye theÌ„ al fast in fetters that call vpon thy name Herunto the lorde agayne made aunswere I knowe right well howe ye my shepe are muche afrayed of that rauenous wolfe But there is no cause why thou shouldest feare For that wolfe haue I chaunged into a right gentle shepe Wherefore see thou go vnto hym boldly For hym I haue chosen to myne owne selfe as a notable instrument to carye my name before the Heathen before kynges of the yearth and the chyldren of Israel What he hath done hytherto was not done of malyce but of a zele to the lawe of his countrey And forasmuche as of plaine ignoraunce his iudgemeÌ„t failed him sum tryall hath he shewed of his towardnesse how earnest a defendour of my gospell I am lyke to haue of him in tyme to cum Hitherto hath he scryuen against the professours of my name beyng armed therunto with bulles from the high byshoppes with threatnynges and with fetters for them Hereafter more manfully shall he fight and stoutly beyng armed but with my spirite and gyrte with the sworde of my euangelicall worde againste all them that hate my name For the glory and renoume wherof far greater affliccion shall he willyngly suffre than nowe of late he prepared againste you ¶ And Ananias went his waye and entred into the house and put his handes on him and sayde brother Saule the lorde that appeared vnto the in yâ— waye as thou cammest hath sent me that thou myghtest receyue thy sighte be fylled with the holy ghost And immediatly there fell from his iyes as it had ben scales and he receiued sight arose and was baptised and receyued meat and was comforted Ananias well encouraged at these wordes departed thence and entred into Iudas house he founde Saule praying and layde his hande vpon hym and sayde brother Saule the lorde Iesus Christe that appered vnto the in the waye â–ª as thou waste cumming hither hath sent me to the
corps to take sum pitie or compassion for her death There stode about Peter all the wydowes who among other ministeries whiche were prayse worthye chiefely were commended for seruing the holye in all their necessities they mourned her with wepyng teares whiche they let fall more of pitie towarde the poore whome she was wunt to refreshe with many good turnes then for her â—ake that was departed Their weapyng was then a sufficient openyng to hym of theyr myndes what they desyred to haue They called not to rehearsall her good dedes but brought forth to syght the coates and other garmentes whiche Dorcas had already made to clothe the holye withall But this her indeuour in doyng good was by death interrupted Then Peter hauing in remembraunce Iesus example where as he raysed vp the chiefe priestes doughter of the Synagoge after the multitude of those that mourned were first of all put oute of doores commaunded them all to go furth For the widowes were onely they that mourned And weping is a let to prayer And moreouer because that women whiche of their owne nature are weake spirited shoulde not be troubled at the rysyng vp of the deade bodye he would haue none of them to be present â–ª but he all alone prayed knelyng on his knees For the holy ghost by whom all miracles are wroughte is not at all times in like force with maÌ„ But his vertue by prayer is quickened like as fayth is also without the whiche no miracle at al is wrought Whan Peter had made his prayers and conceyued spirituall strength of the holye ghoste he turned hym to the bodywarde and sayde Tabitha rise vp Than shee as these wordes were spoken awaked as though shee had ben in a slepe and loked vpon Peter And after that she had behelde him well sate her down agayne Peter than putting forth his hande to ayde her withall set her vp beyng thaÌ„ on liue and lastly After this maner must they be lifte vp vnto godlines whiche be of their owne selues weake First of all muste god be prayed vnto that he would take mercy vpon them That done they muste be taughte what to do rebuked for theyr lyfe mispent and exhorted to amende Finally they muste haue ayde as Dorcas had to be lyfte vp by good example to more perfeccion of lyfe Whan Peter had called the holy brethren and widowes whome he before had bidden go forthe into the chambre againe whiche were likewise their selues occupyed in praier lokyng for the mercifulnes of the Lorde he shewed them the woman on lyue for them all to beholde That miracle was soone bruyted abrode ouer all the citie of Ioppa and caused manye one to beleue in Christe For that is the very chefe commoditie that cummeth of miracles For it shoulde not otherwyse muche auayle to call one or two amongest so manye thousandes that come by tymes into this worlde and departe thesame vnto lyfe againe whiche muste neuertheles soon after dye And this was an occasion for Peter to tarye manye dayes at Ioppa For where shoulde he that fissheth for mennes soules abide more to his contentacion than there as manye cummeth vnto his nette All this meane whyle abode Peter the chiefe of all the apostles and he that by reason of so greate myracles whiche he hadde wrought both was famous and mighty at one Simons house a tanner by his occupacion The .x. Chapter ¶ There was a certaine man in â—esatea called Cornelius a capitaine of the souldiers of Italy a deuoute man one that feared God with al his houshold whiche gaue muche almes to the people and praied God alway The same sawe by a vision cuâ—deÌ„tely about the ninth houre of the daie and auÌ„gel of god cumming in vnto hym saying vnto him Cornelius when he loked on hym he was afrayde and sayde what is it Lorde He sayd vnto him Thy praiers and thy almes are cum vp into remembraunce before God And now send men to Ioppa call for one Simon whose sirname is Peter He lodgeth with one SimoÌ„ a tanner whose house is by the sea side He shal tell the what thou oughtest to do And when the aungel which spake vnto him was departed he called two of his housholde seruauntes and a deuout souldier of them that awayted on him tolde them all the matter and sent them to Ioppa HYtherto had none of the apostles bene conuersaunt among the heathen but by occasion was that chamberlaine whiche came from Ethiop induced to Christes religion And yet sum of the gentiles were the better that they dwelt nere vnto the apostles For in Cesarea the most floryshing citie of Palestine whiche to fore was called StratoÌ„s castle was a certaine manne named Cornelius captaine ouer a band of meÌ„ which wer of Italie This maÌ„ though by trade of his auncestry he were heathen by reason of his office a man of armes yet as one that desyred to be a christen man he was a good lyuer and feared god Like him was all his whole houshold For it is commenly seene that the residue of the housholde do frame themselues in condicions like vnto the maister of the house He in two poyintes chiefly declared hymselfe meete to take vpon hym Christes religion in liberally refreshing the neady poore and in continuall prayer to the lorde He knowledged the true god for that he learned by reason that he was conuersaunt among the Iewes He knew that his fauour was chiefly obtayned by beyng beneficiall to the poore and by coÌ„tinuall prayer It remayned alwaye certaine that he whiche had already abundauntly ynoughe shoulde haue more geuen hym This man beyng in his prayer not muche before supper tyme the nynth houre of the daye did euideÌ„tly see a vision the angel of god cummyng towardes hym and callyng hym by name Cornelius as though he had ben familiarly acquaynted with hym But Cornelius beholding than the angel and beyng sore afrayed by reasoÌ„ of the maiestie of so rare a personage sayde Lorde what art thou The angell aunswered thy prayers are not spente in vayne neyther yet thy almes dedes wherwith hitherto thou hast earnestly called vpon god to be mercifull to the. For what thou hast bestowed to refreshe the poore the lord vouchesafeth to couÌ„te it bestowed vpon himselfe he wil reward thee in their behalfe which are not able to require Wherfore thou hast not emploied thy benefite on him that wil forget it Thou haste done for thy parte accordyng to his wyll he agayne on thother parte wyll accomplishe that thy requeste whiche thou haste continually by prayer desyred The lorde hath heard thy praiers because thyne eares were not stopped from the poore Nowe therfore this must thou doo without delaye that from hence forwarde the lorde maye shewe vnto the his bountifull goodnes Sende sum of thy seruauntes to the citie Ioppa and enquire there for a certaine man named Simon and desyre hym to cum speake with thee this man in the iyes of the
and moued all menne to be repentaunt for theyr former lyfe And yet this notwithstanding they whiche boaste and crake vpon the perfite knowledge of the prophecy knewe him not And they whiche loued better theyr owne kyngdome then the kyngdome of God delte by him not as he deserued but as them lyked For he camme accordyng to the prophecies of Esaye and Malachy crying in wildernesse how the great and terrible daye of the Lorde was present howe the axe was alredy put to the rote of the tree and that euery manne shoulde spedely endeuour him selfe to auoyde the vengeaunce of God cumming But this Hely who openly without regarde of person rebuked euery mannes vices they despised and put to deathe Neyther wyll they more gently entreate Messias then they haue done his forecurroure Hereby Iesus declared howe Iohn was Hely not after the body but after the similitude of spirite who whyles he neyther spared kynges ne phariseis was caste into prison and beheaded As they dyd by the forewalker so wyll they doe by his Lorde The same thyng wyll they lykewyse doe by those Apostles that shall folowe hym For whosoeuer hath sincerely preached that goddes kyngdome should cumme thesame hath suffred many affliccions of the vngodly And whoso syncerely preacheth yâ— it is already come must nedes suffre the lyke With these wordes Iesus called backe his disciples froÌ„ the dreame of glorye to the remembrauÌ„ce of the storme that was to cum and hanged ouer theyr heades that is to saye from pleasaunt thynges to necessarye ¶ And when he came to â—is disciples he sawe much people about them and the Scrybes disputyng with them And sâ—â—ayghtwaye all the people when they beheld hym were amased and ranâ—e to him and saluted hym And he asked the Scryâ—es what dispute ye among them And one of the company aunswered and sayed Mayster I haue brought vnto the my sonne which hath a dumme spirite and whensoeuer he taketh hym he teareth hym and â—e someth and gnasheth with his teethe and pyneth awaye And I spake to thy disciples that they should caste hym out and they could not In the meane whyle that they had thus commoned together they were come into the sight of the people at what seasoÌ„ a great multitude were gathered about the disciples whome Iesus left beneath in the playne He sawe also the scribes reasonyng the mattier I wot not wherupon with his disciples Now when the people had espyed Iesus vnloked for on theyr behalfe forasmuch as he had preuely conueyed himselfe awaye with a fewe of his disciples they were astonyed and met him cummyng full and whole and saluted hym Iesus was not ignoraunt what the scribes disputed on but yet he asked what the mattier was where vpon they reasoned to th entent that euery body might knowe what was done And when both the disciples the scribes helde their peace for very shame the disciples for that they assayed to cast oute a diuell and coulde not bryng it to passe and the other because that in the presence of the disciples they depraued the name of Iesu as a thyng vertulesse and of no efficacie one of that multitude who ministred the occasion of the â—â—asoning shewed the whole matier euen as it was vnto Iesu. Mayster sayeth he I brought hither my sonne vnto thee who is vexed with a dumme spirite of whome he is pitifully tourmented For whensoeuer the spirite teketh hym he dasheth hym agaynste the grounde and then the childe fometh at the mouth gnasheth with his teeth and cryeth out and all this whyle he pyneth and consumeth awaye by reason he is thus vexed Because thou wast not here I desyred thy disciples that they would chase awaye this spirite and deliuer my sonne They assayed to doe it and coulde not ¶ He answereth him and sayeth O faythles naâ—ion howe longe shal I be with you howe long shal I suffer you Bryng him vnto me And they brought him vnto him And assone as the spirite sawe him be taâ—e him and fell downe on the grounde walowinge and fominge And he askethe his father howe longe it is ago sence this happened him And he sayeâ— of a childe and oftetymes it hath caste him into the fier into the water to destroye him But yf thou canst do any thing haue mercy vpon vs and helpe vs. Iesus sayed vnto him yf thou couldest beleue all thinges are possible to him that beleueth And strayght waye the father of the childe cryed with teares saying lorde I beleue helpe thou my vnbelefe When the lorde heard this to shewe that feblenes of fayth was the verye cause why the yonge man was not delyuered of the spirite he makynge as thoughe he had been wrothe and in a fume sayed O faythlesse nacion whiche yet canst not by so many miracles as I haue done be brought to belefe Howe longe shall I lyuynge here in earth striue with your vnfaythfull obstaclenesse howe long shall I beare with you when wyll you come forwarde in those thynges that be of the spirite when wyll you beleue those thynges that you see not syth you beleue not the thynges whiche you see with your corporall â—yes bryng hym hyther to me And they brought hym vnto hym That sinne cleaueth fast wherunto the synner hath from his chyldehood accustomed But after he was brought vnto Iesus he was wurse vexed then he was before by reason of the conflicte which arose betwene the spirite desirous to amende and sensualitie tollyng and alluryng hym agayne to his accustomed synfull lyuyng For anon as the fiende sawe Iesus he feelyng a contrarye power to his tooke the younge manne and soore vexed hym insomuche that beeyng dashed agaynste the grounde and rolled to and fro he fomed at the mouth This was a pitifull syght to all the people But it is a muche more pitifull syght when the sinner possessed with greuous suâ—â—es and of long continuaunce is lykewyse vexed in soule Howbeit there is no synne vncurable vnto Iesu. The Lorde because the other shoulde also knowe in howe euyll case he was asked his father howe long it was since his sonne fyrste beganne to bee thus vexed he answered againe of an infante And the spirite doth not onely sayeth he thus vexe hym as thou seest but also casteth hym oftetymes headlong into the fyre and many tymes into the water because to destroy hym Here thou hearest a very sore and cruel malady tourned into nature and therfore the father feared leste it had been vncurable For he sayed moreouer But yf â—ou bee able to doe any thyng haue mercye on vs and helpe vs. He dyd well to desyre the mercy of Iesu who could alleage no merites howbeit thou hearest a waueryng faythe when he sayeth But yf thou bee able to doe any thyng c. That faythe Iesus refourmeth saying doubte thou not what I am able to doe For yf thou couldest beleue there is nothyng but strong and stedfast fayth may obteyne it Assone as Iesu had sayed so the
father had better hope and comforte then he had before and declaring the great desyre of his minde with teares and weping sayed I beleue lorde and yf my belefe be vnperfite healpe thou my weakenesse ¶ When Iesus sawe that the people came â—unnyng together vnto him he rebuked the soule spirite saying vnto hym Thou dumme and deafe spirite I charge the cum oute of him and enter no more into hym And the spirite when he had cryed and rent hym soore came out of hym and he was as one that had beeâ— deade in somuche that many saied he is deade But Iesus caught his hande and lift him vp and he rose And when he was cum in to the house his disciples asked him secretly why could not we caste him out And he saied vnto them this kynde can cum forth by nothyng but by prayer and fastyng In the meane season the people came runnyng together on euery syde to see this sight When Iesus sawe they were come for his wyll was to haue them all to bee witnesses of the miracle then putte he furthe that almyghtie voyce wherwith he calletth to life again when it pleaseth him euen the dead He threatned the foule spirite to handle hym accordyngly vnlesse he would incontinente departe saying Thou deafe and dumme spirite I charge the to gette the out of the man and that thou neuer from henceforthe enter into him again Iesus is in a fume with the spirite because he may shewe mercye vpon the man geuyng vs a lesson what we ought to doe in healyng of sinners A man must so rebuke vice that he may seme to loue the soule health of the person And because we should knowe that man laboureth speaketh in vayne vnlesse Iesus speake with hym by his secrete vertue and power the disciples commaunded the spirite to go out but all was in vayne because Iesus was awaye He is awaye so oft as our fayth is colde and wauering by the which fayth his wyll is that we obtayne all thynges What was doen at the emperious voyce of Iesu By and by the spirite went out But to the entent it should appeare that he wente out agaynste his wyll he cryed and vexed the sely wretche very sore at his departure For nowe laye he vpon the grounde for dead in somuche that many sayed he was dead in dede Thou seest here a figure of a peniteÌ„t person and him who turneth from great and accustomed synnes to amendemente Nowe hathe the hatred of synne delyuered hym from synne howbeit he is at the next doore to desperaâ—ion whoso both knowleageth his owne filthinesse also hath gods iustice in remembraunce But yet lyeth he happily deade that is deade to synne For then remaineth there nothyng elles but that he begyn to lyue agayne to righteousenesse And this benefyte geueth also our most bounteous sauioure Iesus without whome there is no safetie He caught the felowe by the hande and lifted hym vp as he laye in this traunce and furthwith the same who before seemed deade recouered hys former strengthe and throughe the benefite of Christe rose vp stronge and lustie But vnlesse Iesu had nowe geuen hym newe grace to leade a godlye lyfe it had been to no purpose that he was deliuered from the dyuell at the contemplacion of his fathers fayth Nowe heareth this deafe manne whiche before had his eares stopped with worldely lustes agaynst the doctryne and woorde of the gospell Nowe speaketh this dumme felowe who before was tongue tyed speachelesse by reasoÌ„ of the passions and wilfull pangues of the fleshe Nowe is the same at rest and quiet who before styred with the furious rages sumtime of sensualitie and pleasure of the body sumtime of ambicion â–ª desire of worldly aduauÌ„cemeÌ„t others whiles of wrath nowe of enuy nowe then of couetousnesse was as it had been rauished and caryed by the constraynte of sum vncleane and violente spiriâ—e All these thinges saw the Apostles and saied nere a worde for that they durst not interupt the lorde The Scribes also helde their peace being now assured by the thing selfe howe it was not by reason the name of Iesu was vneffectuall and vertulesse that this felowe was no sooner ryd of the spirite but for the weakenes of fayth And as it chaunced vnto this yonge manne bodely so chaunced it to the Pharise is spiritually They were not healed of their sinnes bicause they beleued not the woorde by the onelye vâ—rtue wherof they mighte haue been healed But when Iesus was cum into the house the disciples now beyng with him alone asked him what was the cause why they could not cast out the deuyl syth they had afore cast out so many in his name For they were disquieted in mynde with a certayne humayne carefulnes leste they had vnwares offended the Lorde and by that meanes loste the power whiche he once gaue them to worke miracles Iesus who is not wont to take awaye agayne what he hath once geuen but to encreace the same yet wyll not he haue his gyftes negligently kepte and after a rechelesse sorâ—e and nowe hath he sufficiently declared in the father of hym that was healed how weaknesse of fayth was the only impediment why the deuyl wente not forthe the whiche faythe was not as yet so strong in the disciples as it ought of congruence to haue been Iesus I saye aunswered that there was a certayne speciall kinde of dyuels which coulde not otherwyse be expelled then by praier and fastyng For these be the two engynes which are of moste force agaynst wicked spirites For by prayer the strength of fayth is renued and quickned as it chaunced vnto the yonge mannes father who sayed Lorde helpe my vnbeliefe And by fasting bycause it contayneth a certaine forbeatyng of all carnall pleasures the rebellion of the fleshe is subdued He muste haue a cleane spirite himselfe whoso goeth about to caste out vncleane spirites of other Iesus and the thre disciples were newly retourned from prayer The reste of them kepte compaynie with the multitude and dyd neyther faste ne praye and for that cause were not able ynoughe to caste out a dyuell whiche had so faste holde and was so familiar The more the trust of our selues encreaseth in vs the more the power to worke miracles decreaseth The more the power of the fleshe is mortified in vs the stronger is the holy goste by whose onely power soule spirites are expelled We muste therfore ofte tymes praye that the strength of fayth may in vs be encreased we muste also mortifie our fleshe continually to th entent that the spirite of Iesu Christe may liue in vs. To be shorte Christe doethe nowe prepare his disciples againste that houre when they shall be commaunded to watche and praye leste they fal into temptacion But because they toke a nappe after supper the weake fleshe had the vpper hande ¶ And they departed thence toke their iourney thorow Galile and he would not that any man should know
it maketh them the better to fele the misse lacke of hym that is readye for to do them good Certes by this myracle they might haue been moued aswel to reuerence acknowelage his power against the vertue whereof the conspiryng of the furious multitude was not hable any thyng at all to dooe as also to loue the goodnesse of hym who when they had attempted the vttermoste mischiefe agaynst him that laye in theyr powers yet was rather willyng to reserue them to a tyme of repentaunce then to cast them awaye at the wurste to eternall punishemente ¶ And he came down to Capernaum a citie of Galilee and there taughte them on the Sabboth dayes And 〈◊〉 wer aâ—â—ouned at his doâ—trinâ— for his pâ—â—achyng was with power And in the Synagogue there was a manne whiche had an vnclene spirite of a deuill cryed with a loude voyce saying lear me alone what hast thou to doe with vs thou Iesus of Nazareth Art thou come to destroye vs I knowe thee what thou art euen the holy of God And Iesus rebuked hym saying holde thy peace and come out of hym And whan the deuill hadde throwen hym in the middes he came out of hym and hurte hym not And feare came on them all and they spake emong themselues saying what manier a thyng is this For with auctoritie and power he commaundeth the soule spirites and they come out And the fame of hym was spred abrode throughout euery place of the countreye round about Iesus therfore forsakyng the proude citie of Nazareth beeyng rebellious agaynst the doctrine of the ghospell came downe and toke his waye toward a citie of Galilee called Capernaum beeyng a citie of great rychesse and therfore drouned in all râ—ottâ—us excesse in al vesuptuousnesse in ambicion in pryde and in the other vices whiche customably are compaynyons to rychesse But here because of their volupteous sensuall liuing he vsed no familiaritie of carnall conuersacion emong them whiche familiaritie hath euermore been a breder of conteÌ„pte hath vsed to make menes autoritie the lesse regarded Wherfore here also in Capernaum as his custome was elswhere to do he wente into the teÌ„ple vpon the Sabboth daye and preached For the wickednesse of the Nazareans beyng so great that they had goen about wilfully to murdre hym being their best frende could not so weighe hym that beyng offended with so haynous a dede of mischief as that was he would forsake the couÌ„trey of the Iewes and foorth with putte ouer the gyft of the gospel from them vnto the Gentiles but now he fulfylled in dede thesame thyng whiche he afterwarde taughte in wordes to his disciples whiche is that whan they wer drieuen out of one citie they should flee vnto another not settyng theyr mynde ne deuisyng how to auenge theyr iniurye but how to sette foorth the gospell ferther and ferther in suche wyse as the malice of those that droue them awaye out of theyr tounes myght profite to the expedicion of settyng forewarde the profession of the ghospell And Capernaites although they wer men all geuen to worldly affaires nor muche abhorred from the maniers of the heathen emong whome by reason of the trade of bying and sellyng that the one vsed with the other they were often conuersaunt he found muche more ientil and honeste in taking or interpretyng his woordes and dooynges then he founde his owne countreymen the Nazareans to whom neuerthelesse for his well knowen and throughly tryed and continual perfeccion of lyfe he ought to haue been more derely beloued For the Capernaâ—â—es very greatlye woondred at the doctryne of Iesus consyderyng that it was no washe miengled geare nor peynted and glossed as was the doctrine of the Pharisees of washynges of truely paying the tithes of Mynt and Rue of castyng gyftes into the offryng boxe of god and of suche other lyke thynges whiche rather conteined supersticion then vertuous doctrine and whiche were layed vpon the simple people to mayteyne the glorye and lucâ—e of the pharisees whereas they theimselues that taughte these thynges kept not so muche as the chief commaundementes of the lawe but the doctrine of Iesus was found substaunciall and full of auctoritie For first whatsoeuer he taught was moste certaine trueth and also agreable with naturall reason Secondarily it was of it selfe muche materiall vnto true godlynesse and to eternall saluacion Ferthermore â–ª his singular perfeccion of liuyng caused his doctryne to bee regarded accordingly And ouer and besydes al this many a miracle was there wrought and shewed by hym with suche power and vertue as hadde neuer been vsed ne seen there whiche euidently declared the doctrine that he taught to bee of God and not of mannes spirite For the Lorde Iesus did his myracles not for lucre or vaine glory but firste with them he succoured the wofull necessities of suche persons as were in extreme distresse to the ende that by doyng them benefites he might winne theyr hertie loue and secondely the miracles were for a tyme shewed to the bodely iyes to the ende that by the same miracles they myght learne to beleue those thynges whiche though they were inuisible yet were more earnestly then any corporall benefites to bee desyred lastely they were a fygure and a representacion of those thynges that were wrought in theyr soules It was now the Sabboth daye and the people religiously and with great deuocion rested froÌ„ the workes forbidden whiche yet of theÌ„selues were not euill as for exauÌ„ple to go a iourneye to kiendle a fyer to grynde theyr corne to presse theyr wynes or to â—otche vp theyr garment beeyng broken or seamerent Without foorth in dede it was Sabboth daye that is to saye the daye of reste but within theyr myndes there was a great trouble and vnquyetnesse whiche the spirite of Satan did there reyse who woondrefully tossed and vexed theyr myndes with dyuerse mocions of coâ—eâ—ise of pryde of wrath of auengyng displeasures and of envie For there and no where els is the true Sabboth where the spirite of the Lorde quieteth the mynde to reste from all vicious and inordinate lustes And of this thing there was euen than presente a certain figure in theyr sinagogue whiche was a certayn man whose bodye was possessed with an vnclene deuill and this exaumple was to vs halfe a warning and a puttyng in remembrauÌ„ce in how muche more miserable and piteous case they are whose myndes are possessed with eiuils of vires yea more foule and ilfauoured then that deiuill was For what deiuill is more vnclene or more noysome then lecherous concupiscence then wrathe then ambicion then the gredie desyre of moneye then enuie then hypocrisie With these deiuils suche others lyke were the Iewes for the moste parte possessed who dwelt in the Synagogue whiche synagogue had not as yet receyued the spirite of Christe but was vexed with so many deiuils as there reygned vices in them Neither were they hable to receyue the moste mylde spirite of the gospell
vntyll the Lorde Iesus expulsed and droue out from them that euill spirite of Satan that helde them in his possession Wherefore the sayed partie so possessed with Satan beeyng not hable to abide the newe vertue of Iesu whiche priuely vttered it selfe began to crye out horribly roryng Oh out out what haste thou to do with vs thou Iesus of Nazareth Art thou come to destroye vs before the tyme we knowe what tormentes abydeth vs at the last daye But nowe thy presence tourmenteth and vexeth vs before that daye We require no saluacion of thee we aske no release of peyne but onelye praye thee to delaye or deferre it vntill than We neuer felte the lyke of these tormentes by the presence of any other prophete Wherupon it is not vnknowen to vs who thou art For doubtlesse thou arte thatsame onely holy of God that shall conquier all vngodlynesse and drieue out of the worlde all vnclenesse The lawe hath his holinesse the lawe hath his clenesse but thou arte he onely whom god had sanctifyed and declared holy with heauenly holynesse The lorde Iesus would not suffre hymselfe to bee praysed or spoken of by that wicked spirite but would all the glory of his prayse to bee referred to his father onely and to come from hym knowyng right well that this confession of the deiuill came not foorth of a syncere fayth but of a malicious will and purpose For he professeth Christe to bee Iesus and to be the sonne of God only to geat hym to confesse thesame of hymself and playnly to vtter what he was to his harmes dooyng the selfesame thing by the mouth of this man that Satan the temptour of hym had to fore gonne about to dooe and had laboured in his owne persone he professeth Christe of a subtile and craftie mynde not that hymselfe might atteyne saluacion but that he myght lette and hyndre the saluacion of others Neyther was it loue that caused hym to vtter that voyce but feare of punishemente Wherfore as an eiuill and malicious vile slaue of a desperate mynde vnpossible to bee recouered to grace he deserued to heare these thankes for his confession Holde thy peace thou vnclene spirite and departe from that man whom by tyrannie thou doest possesse I am come to saue men And whan the deiuil had throwen hym in the myddes he came out of hym and hurt hym not At this emperiall and almightie voyce of Iesus commaundyng hym to departe the vnclene spirite whan he had throwen down the man vpoÌ„ the yearth and vexed hym he departed from hym so that no harme appered dooen vnto the man beyng now safe and clene delyuered That he threwe hym down it was an euident signe of his peruerse wyll and a token that sore agaynste his mynde he forsoke thatsame his dwellyng place That he hurt hym not it proueth playnly that the wieked spirites can hurt none of them whiche dooe wholly commit themselues vnto the salueour For the goodnesse of this one Iesus onely is of more strength to saue man then the malice of innumerable deiuils to destroye or hurt thesame Other men whan they labour to deliuer mennes bodies from noysome spirites are woont to take for the purpose to vse all possible kindes of remedies and thynges of vertue and strength to putte awaye that eiuill as are for exaumple certayne prayers speciallye prescribed and appoynted therefore and made with certayn woordes apte for that purpose burnyng of frankincense sprincling of holy water or other thinges accustomed certayn herbes hauing a vertue and propertie to expell them with many other kyndes of ceremonyes not vnlyke the feacte of sorcerie and witchecrafte And yet right seldome is it seen that those thynges expell an eiuill spirite That if at any tyme he dooe departe out of him he leaueth behinde him some tokens and markes of his manyfest malice either tearyng awaye some membre and lymme of his bodye as a legge or an arme or els leuyng behynde him some disease sickenesse vncurable But whan the people sawe that at the mere worde and sharpe commaundement of Iesus the eiuill spirite sodaynly departed from the manne so that he was perfectly healed and not so muche as the leste marke or signe that could be of his eiuill remayned they all that sawe this doen were astouned and began to wondre And thus they talked emong themselues of Iesus What a straunge case is this that we see now suche a thyng doen as the lyke hath not been reade ne herde For he hath the vnclene spirites vnder his rewle and obeysaunce and commaundeth them And his commaundementes are of suche mightie power and autoritie that they byandby acknowleagyng hym more of power then themselues dooe forsake a man in suche wyse that after they bee goen out of hym perfect health returneth in place of sickenesse Thus the sight of this so woondrefull a miracle caused that the name and fame of Iesus bruited and spred abrode this acte not onely in the citee of Eapernaum but also throughoute all that region euen into the Synagogue of the Iewes whiche lackyng the spirite of Christe made an vprore and a stiere through the spirite of Satan against the trueth of the ghospell throughe the inspiracion of whiche Satan the Nazareans attempted to murdre the saluaour as is aforesayde ¶ And whan he was arysen vp and come out of the synagogue he entred into Symons house And Symons mother in lawe was taken with a great feure and they made intercessioÌ„ to hym for her And he stoode ouer her and rebuked the feure and the feute lefte her And immediately she arose and ministred vnto them Than departed he from the Synagogue and entred into the house of Symon to whom the name of Peter was afterward geuen whose mother in lawe was holden with a veray sharpe feure This womans kinsfolke and alliaunce besought Iesus that as he vndesired had expulâ—ed and drieuen out the deiuill from the man as is aforesayed in the Synagogue he woulde bee so good at the desire of a great manye frendes as to heale this woman of her feure and the rather forasmuche as she was of the allyaunce and affinitie of Peter a disciple of his owne whome he entierly fauoured Than Iesus to shewe and declare hymselfe readye to dooe good bothe priuatelye and openlye aswell to his acquaintaunce as to those that were straungiers vnto hym yea and vnto all ages young or olde to all sexes men or women and to all states and degrees ryche or poore he came nighe and standyng harde by the woman he threafued the feure commaundyng it to departe And foorthwith at the Lordes comaundemente the sickenesse wente quite awaye and the strength and lustinesse of her bodye returned agayne not by littell and littell as it commonly dooeth in those whiche are cured at the handes of phisicians but the sickenesse beeyng soodainelye drieuen awaye the whole strength and lustinesse of perfect health with a cherefulnesse of moode was
or occupy thy roume of steward And this tyme for as muche as it is bothe to euerye man vncertaine whan it shall come and also otherwyse to no man any better then a thyng of veraye short continuance we must make hast that al our worldly goodes bestowed on the poore in the way of almes we maye prepare and geat our selues prouisioÌ„ to serue and bring vs to the life euerlasting For by that meanes shall it come to passe that we also shal be made partakers of the good deedes which other men haue doen for as muche as we haue with our temporall goodes holpen them For whoso dooeth with part of his substaunce help to aide and maynteyn any man beeyng buisily occupied about the cause or affaires of the ghospell to bee settefoorth thesame shall again in the kyngdome of heauen be relieued and made partaker of the well doynges of an Euangelist that is to say a writer or a preacher of the ghospell Therfore saied the lorde And take ye good wayes for your selfes in season while time is after the exaumple of the sayd worldely wyse and politike steward Procure vnto your selfes good frendes of an euil thyng to th end that at suche tyme whan ye shall at the commaundemente of the lord be compelâ—ed to depart out of the tabernacle of this mortal body thei may receiue you into tabernacles euerlasting An happy permutacion it is whan transitory thinges make chauÌ„ge with thinges eternal And what is more vile or ferther froÌ„ vertue then the rychesse of this worlde They are vneath at any tyme gotten without guile falsehode And other wayes or meanes either to saue them or els to encrease them there is none but thesame that they are gotten by It is a possession of much buisinesse and encoumbraunce and yet is it neither out of daungier of miscarriyng there whyle ne any waye a thyng of long contynuaunce For they folowe not theyr maister whan he departeth hens yet notwithstandyng with thesame a man may bye that is euerlastyng and whiche may do hym good stede and seruice in the life to cum So it shall cum to passe that the thing whiche in case it be hoorded vp and hiddeÌ„ maketh a manne vnrighteous and thrall to many cares thesame if it bee layed out and bestowed in dooyng charitie shal bee an instrument of euaÌ„gelicall righteousnesse while bothe he that is a minister of the ghospell is relieued with necessaries and a reward cummeth to the geuer with a large encrease of entresse He that is faithful in that whiche is leaste is faithful also in muche And he that is vnrighteous in the leaste is vnrighteous also in muche So than if ye haue not been faithful in the vnrighteous Mammon who wil beleue you in that which is true And if ye haue not been faithful in an other mans buisines who shall geue you that whiche is your own No seruaunt can serue two maisters for either he shall hate the one and loue the other orels he shal leane to the one and despise the other Ye cannot serue god and Mammon Whoso as a steward hath the disposyng and beestowyng of a mortall mannes gooddes by suche meanes and none els is founde to be faithful and trustie if he after a verye pynchyng sort bestow that he is put in truste withall But contrariewyse God who is ryche for and towardes all creatures would fain haue it moste bountifully laied out that he hath purposely delyuered out of his handes to be eueriwhere distributed and taketh him for an vntrustie seruaunte whosoeuer kepeth to himself as his owne propre goodes that the lordes will and mynde was to be made common to al people as often as the necessitie of the neighbour doeth so require Therfore whoso in disposing of a thing of the least value possible behaueth hymself otherwise then his moste liberal master would haue him shal he not seme a person vnworthy to whose honestie his maister should committe the dispensacion of higher thinges All that euer we haue is the lordes and not ours corporall rychesse and whatsoeuer this worlde produceth is the only bounteous goodnesse of God The doctrine of the gospel the other ghostly giftes are the goodes of almightie god not for any suche purpose geuen vnto vs that our selfes and no mo should haue the fruicioÌ„ of thesame but to bestow them lyke good stewardes to the vtilitie profite of our neighbour But thus muche oddes there is betwene those two sortes of goodes or treasours that suche thinges as pertein to couÌ„fortyng or cherishyng of the bodie because they be without vs and not in vs they neyther be our propre owne nor continuall vnto vs. They are the goodes of the world rather then ours Moreouer because thei haue an outward likenesse of felicitie after the worlde wheras in very dede they are a sore lette and hinderaunce to the happye or blissefull state of man they bee not the thyng neither that they are named to bee For they are named goodes whereas in very dede they are the thynges whiche bryng a man to the state of extreme miserie and wretchednesse The rychesse therefore of the mynd and soule are the true richesse in dede riches that maye bee called our owne not as though we were not bounde to God for them but because they leaue not their possessour in the life to come at lestwise if a man vse them now in this present life as he ought to dooe And lyke as in a coÌ„mon weale no maÌ„ is auaunced to the head office of gouernoure as maiouraltie or suche others excepte he haue firste in the roume of Counstable and in suche other inferiour offyces shewed an ensaumple of his perfyâ—e honestie and vprightenesse and as in a priuate familie the distrybutynge of precious thinges is not coÌ„mitted but to such an one as hath euideÌ„tly shewed himself faithful to fore in matters of lesse weight so doeth the lord teach vs that the dispensacion bestowing of the rychesse euangelicall whiche onelye and none els are true rychesse in dede and our propre owne is not to bee put to the credite and truste of suche an one as hath nothyng faithfully distributed money beyng a thyng as moste vileste of all euen so beyng an other maÌ„s and none of his owne For whoso cannot sette worldly rychesse at naughte will not syncerely distribute the richesse of the soule And the lord stil beating suche thynges into the myndes of his disciples saied whoso is faithful in a thing of leaste value it is a very great likelihode that thesame will be faythful in a great matter too And again he that is vniust in a litle thyng wyll bee vniust in a great matter also For that man whose herte the care of a thyng nothyng worth in the worlde may bee hable to moue to dooe amysse wyll muche sooner with a greatter occasion bee drawen to dooe amysse That if in the wicked Mammon that is to saye in false riches and
goodes gotten with falsehood as commonly in very true dede it is ye shal not shewe yourselfes faithfull to the Lorde who hath deliuered you thesame to be disbursed and distributed abrode what manne wyll commytte vnto you the bestowyng of the true rychesse of the mynde And if in a thyng of an other mannes whiche canne not perpetually continue with any man ye haue been nothyng trustie who will putte in your handes suche a thyng as might perpetually in tyme to come bee your owne And a lighter offence and trespace dooeth he whiche vnfeythfully handleth the rychesse of this world then he whiche vnfeythfully dispeÌ„seth the treasoures of the gospell The kyngdome of god requireth to haue all the whole maÌ„ And the mynde it requireth to haue free from the loue of all worldely thynges Neyther is it for any man to attempte or goe about to make a medley of the worlde and the ghospell together whiche ghospell is the kyngdome of heauen For if no man can bee a seruaunte common and indifferente vnto twoo maisters at once because that scarcely any twoo men dooe so well agree within themselues that one seruaunt is hable with his due attendaunce to satisfye them bothe at once but that the one or the other sette at naught he muste of force be compelled to sticke to the one of them alone howe muche lesse can ye be hable to serue God and Mammon bothe at once beeyng maysters so ferre discordyng together that there is not so muche as any one poynct wherin they agree And seruaunt vnto Mammon is that man what euer he be that setteth a great piece of his heauen in rychesse and for that cause laboureth with al earnest applying of his mynde to geat veray great aboundaunce and thesame to vpholde maynteine and encreace whan it is gotten And suche an one leapeth for ioy whan his substaunce multiplieth and is sore vexed in his herte if it be taken awaye from hym by any misfortune And seruaunte to God is he who either shakyng of from hym the gooddes of this world or els possessyng them as though he possessed them not dooeth with all earnest applying of hymself go about the prouision of the thynges whiche make to euerlastyng saluacion And these thynges heard the Phariseis also whiche were couetous and they mocked hym And he sayed vnto them Ye are they whiche iustifie your selues before men but God knoweth your hertes For that whiche is highly estemed emong men is abhominable in the sighte of God All the woordes and talke afore goyng though it wer specially and purposely spoken to suche as beleued themselues possible enough to bee Christes disciples though they wer charged and loden with the carefulnesse of richesse the Phariseis also did heare whose hertes beyng as it were olde boâ—tels could not hold ne receyue this newe muste of the doctrine euangelicall For they wer couetous and gredie not onely of money but also of glorie They wer haulte mynded fierce and men that would be auenged of euery matier Therfore they skorned the doctryne of Iesus who moued meÌ„ to charitable liberalitie to not caryng for to be auenged to the not passyng on glorie ne on theyr lyfe neyther And certes this worlde also hath and euermore shall haue his Phariseis who trustyng to theyr owne force will haue in derision the doctrine of humilitie of fauour in pardonyng offences of tractablenesse and of liberalitie A mouth enured and accustomed to the soure turned wyne of worldly wysedome policie abhorreth froÌ„ this heaueÌ„ly muste Maie it also please God to vouchesalue one daye to dampe the tauntyng mockes of suche persones lykewyse as he did at this present sharpely reproue these Phariseis beeyng scorners whan he sayed Ye swell in pryde with the vayn countrefaictes of goodnesse settyng foorth your peynted sheathe in the face of men who esteme a man of his ryches of his gaye apparell of the obseruacion of ceremonies and of those thynges do ye purchase vnto your selues also a laude prayse of holynesse where in veray dede ye are neither ryche nor holy nor in happie or blissefull state nor yet great men For god who onely seeth and beholdeth your hertes estemeth a maÌ„ by the veray goodes of the soule And suche a man and none other is ryche who is rych before God he is iust that is iust in the sight of God that man is great who beeyng litle in his owne estimacion is great by the iudgement of God For moste commonly it chaunceth that suche a thyng as to men semeth some high matier and to bee had in high veneracion is with God reputed a thyng abominable ¶ The lawe and Prophetes reygned vntyll Iohn and sence that tyme the kyngdome of God is preached and euerie man sâ—riueth to goe in Easier is it for heauen and yearth to perishe then one title of the lawe to fayle Whosoeuer forsaketh his wife and maryeth an other committeth aduoutrie And he whiche marieth her that is diuorced from her houseband committeth aduoutrie also Ye dooe yet still hold the rynde of the lawe fast in your teeth and ye glorye in the shadowes of thynges wheras now the kernell within is to bee opened that the lighte of euangelicall trueth arisyng maye on euery syde dryue awaye all shadowes Ye must now disacouainte estraunge your selues from yeâ—oure old wyne of Moses lawe drynke in the newe muste of more souÌ„der doctryne The figures of the lawe had their time What the holy sayinges of the prophetes did promise was looked for But figures ceasse nowe that the trueth hath appered foorth neither is propheticall promisyng any longer looked for nowe that the thyng whiche they had promised is in veray facte perfourmed and geuen From shadowes ye must goe foreward and growe to the veritie And from the feith of the promyses ye must grow vp to the loue of the thyng beyng now sent and geuen in dede Iohn was as ye would saye a marchyng bordre or a particion diuidyng and seueryng the lawe with his figures and the prophetes with their promises from the ghospell which ghospell doeth in veray facte dede geue aswell that the lawe had with his figures signified and appoyncted as also that the prophetes beyng enspired with God had promised shoulde come Iohn preached that the kyngdome of God was already come And that veray thyng forsouthe it is which the lawe had in shadowes marked out and that veray thyng it is that the prophetes solemnely spoke of afore And ye see the thyng self to be agreable to Iohns preachyng For euer sence his tyme the kyngdome of God is continually preached vnto al people and many dooe with glad hertes gredely take the blissefull and heauenly newes They drynke newe muste they take the doctrine of God they contemne yearthly thinges and growe ryche with goodes and treasoures heauenly They cast money awaye from them but they woorke miracles they haue no armour ne weapoÌ„ but they cast out deuils They are not men of