that is my sonne so dere beloued vnto my hert as none other is but he alone therefore herken ye to hym This voice thus sounyng in their eares Iesus was founde alone leste they mighte haue demed the testimonie of that voyce to concerne any other person then eueÌ„ veray him onely And the sayed three disciples ryght so as they were commaunded of the Lorde kept the matter close and reported not the priuity of that vision to any creature aliue vntill Christ had arisen againe from deaâ—h to lyfe after his passion For it was not the Lordes pleasure to haue the maiestie of his Godhed published or openly spoken of before the tyme of his deathe aswell because there shoulde bee nothyng that myght be a lette vnto thatsame sacrifice whereby mankynde was to bee restored as also because that thyng myght not bee openly talked of whiche no man woulde than beleue yf it had bene reported And all vnder â—ne did he therin by an exaumple that was a true matter in dede geue a lesson to vs that in case any excellent good thing be in vs we should raâ—hâ—â— kepe it close then make vauntes or braggues therof and in case we haue any special vertue or good qualitye in vs by the free gyfte of God thesame is to bee declared and shewed in deedes rather then by makyng many gaie or high woordes of it ¶ And it chaunced that on the nexte daye as they came down from the hille muche people met hym And beholde a man of the coumpaignie cried out saiyng maister I beseche the beholde my sonne for he is all that I haue and see a spirite taketh hym and soodaynely crieth and he knocketh and beateth hym that he foometh againe and with muche peine departeth from him whan he hath rent hym I besought thy disciples â—o cast hym out they coulde not Iesus aunswered and saied O feithlesse and crooked nacion howe long shal I bee with you and shall suffre you Bryng thy soonne hither As he was yet a cummâ—ng the fâ—ende rent him and tare him And Iesus rebuked the vncleane spirite and healed the childe and deliuered him to his father And they were all amased at the high power of God The nexte daye folowyng Iesus came downe from the hyll with his said thre disciples And he fouÌ„d a mighty great multitude of people gathered about the residue of the disciples whom he hadde lefte there behynd hym whan he addressed hym to goe vp to the mountayne But the people assoone as they espied Iesus returnyng agayn went to mete hym For they had found a great lacke mysse of his presence And there had happened a freshe matter why they should require to haue his presence For one of yâ— couÌ„paignie cryed out to hym saiyng maister I most humbly beseche thee leat the extreme miserie of a sonne of mine moue the. For I haue no mo but him alone and he is holden with an extreme tyrannous deuill whiche dooeth euerye other whyle soodaynlye take hym and vexeth hym sundry waies that pitie it is to see with much greate roaryng flasshyng hym on the grounde and so wrestyng his limmes as though he woulde teare them from the body of hym and he fomyng at the mouthe for peine all the whyle And as often as he taketh hym he scracelye departeth from hym vntyll all hys body be rent and torne I praied thy disciples to caste out this spirit They did their best but they haue not bene hable to dooe it Than Iesus well perceiuyng that the thyng hadde so chaunced by reason of the fathers vnbeliefe that prayed for health to his soonne and in consideracion of his disciples feithe beeyng yet hitherto but weake he cryed with a loude voyce saiyng O nacion full of mistrustyng and of an herte nothyng single howe long tyme shall I bee conuersaunt emong you and shall suffre these thynges Can I not yet all thys whyle bring thus muche to passe to make you haue a perfeicte feyth and truste in me dooeth the weakenesse of thys bodye of myne so muche leate you And turnyng hymselfe to the man and requyring of hym afore hand to haue a more stedfast feith he saied Bring thy sonne hither to me And as soone as the young thyng was brought to Iesus the eiuil spirite that was in him tooke him quasshyng the chylde on the grounde and immediatelye Iesus restored hym to hys health and gaue him to his father agayne made perfectely whole where his father had brought him thither vnpossible to be cured by any mannes helpe The more miserable that the sight of this eiuill had been so muche the more did the people euery one of them meruaill to see howe quickelye the childe was holpen out of hande by the vertue and power of God But whyle they woondred euery one at all thynges which he dyd he saied vnto hys disciples seate these saiynges sâ—ncke downe into youre cares For it wil come to passe that the sonne of men shal bee deliuered into the handes of menne but they wiste noâ— what the woord ment and it was hidden from theim that they vnderstoode it not And they feared to aske of hym that saiyng But whan the fame of Iesus weaxed euery daye more and more famous through suche actes as these A certayne temptacion of worldly glory entred into the hertes of his disciples by reason that they hadde suche a maister in whose name euen they also themselfes dyd manye great actes to be woondred at But Iesus calleth them home from this affeccion to the contemplacion of his lowe state of abieccion in this worlde at whiche the time was not long to come when they woulde be offended and slaundred The glorie of dooeyng miracles sayeth he is now a matter of delectacion vnto you but it is a thing much more materiall for you depely to enprint in your hertes these sayinges of myne from which your myndes dooe gretlye abhorre For that thyng ought ye moste of all to haue in mynde whiche it shall behoue euerye one of you to folowe As for glorie leat me alone to see for that For the thing muste nedes come to passe that I haue already tolde you and yet nowe agayne I saye vnto you which is that the soonne of man whose glorie and fame dooeth nowe delite you shall ere long be attached and shall bee deliuered into the handes of menne and shall sundrye waies suffre much affliccion and shal lastely be put to death This tale though it had bene once or twise heard out of his mouth yet had not it well settled in the myndes of the disciples For they coulde not well beare in mynd the thing which they had no luste to heare They abhorred the mencion of death as men setting al their mindes on the glorie of Iesus not hauing al the while any intelligence or vnderstanding that the glorie of the Lord was most chiefely to be renoumed and made famous through the open worldely shame of hangyng on the
chyldren of the Hebrewes and fyshers to descry hym But he admitted no recorde of the deuils though it were true The noughtines of the person that telleth the trueth doth hurte thesame And he doeth more harme with his lies whiche hath gotten himselfe credence afore by some true tale tellyng This was then done accordyng to the hystorie But to open the secrete sence and meaning hereof We se very many euen nowe adayes that cum flockyng vnto Simon Peters house whiche as I sayde before bare the fygure of the Churche For the citie of Capernaum representeth the whole world the setting of the sunne fygureth the deathe of Christe The gate of the house signifieth baptisme whiche is beset with repentaunce of the former lyfe truste to obtayne soule healthe of Iesus The sycke people sitte aboute the gates that is to saye the Publicans and sinners desyre to be receiued into the felowship of the churche They should not deserue to behealed except they surely beleued that Iesus bothe could and would geue them helth The churche of Christ conteyned in it but a very small numbre so long as he y◠lanterne lyght of the world liued in yearth But after his death a great multitude of people began thither to resorte out of al the countreis of the world ¶ And in the morning very early Iesus when he was rysen vp departed and wēte out into a solitarye place and there prayed Symon and they that were with him folowed after him and when they had found hym they sayed vnto hym all men seke for the. And he saied vnto them Let vs go into the next tounes that I may preache there also For therfore I am cū And so he preached in theyr sinagoges and in al Galile cast the deuils out These thinges so done when the Lorde Iesus who came not for this onely purpose to cure corporal diseases whiche he sendeth many tymes to his to the intent they maye be whole in soule when I saye he sawe the multitude greatly desyre to be healed of their bodely diseases and not with lyke affeccion couet to heare his heauenlye doctrine wherewith the maladies and diseases of the soule are cured the nexte daye as though he had bene desyrous to take some ease and rest he deceyued them for he roose verie earlye in the morning and went from Capernaum into a solytary place where he made his prayers to the father genyng hym thankes for the benefites wyche he had decreed to geue vnto mankynde by hym And here are sundrye ensamples prepared for our instruccion Fyrste he teacheth vs that we must assone as we haue done our neyghbour good departe away leste we seme to loke after any mede or reward of those that we haue done good vnto Secondarilye we are taught manye tymes to leaue of the teachyng of holsom doctrine for a season to styre vp a desyre in vs to aduaunce the same Finally we learne also that we ought to refreshe and quicken the spirite by often goyng asyde into solitary places I meane not suche goynges aparte as are for pleasure and pastime but for prayer and heauenly contemplacion because we maye retourne from thence more willyng in spirite and better disposed to helpe the weake Euery man which hath chaunged place is not goen into wildernes but he that hath cleane seuered his mynde from worldly cares and wholly bent himselfe to the studie and contemplacion of heauenly thinges When Simon Peter and the reste of the disciples vnderstode that Iesus was priuilye departed they folowed after til they had founde where he was For it is not beseming that the true disciples of Iesu be any tyme awaye from their maister whome they ought in all thynges to folow In the meane season when the people whiche flocked early in the mornyng to the gate of the house had also learned how Iesus was gone awaye they lykewyse folowed hym into the wildernesse Many there be that folow Iesus but none fynde hym oute saue alonly his disciples who after they haue once founde him do shewe him vnto other Wherfore they tolde the lorde how there was a great multitude of the citizens of Capernaum come thither to seke him The lorde then answered again saying It is sufficient at this present to haue layed these foundacions among the Capernaites Nowe it is tyme for me to go in like maner and viset the litle tounes and villages here about that I maye likewyse there preache the kyngdome of god ▪ For I came not to preache to one citie alone but to declare saluacion to all men For this cause the Lorde trauayled through the tounes and villages of all Galilee preachyng in their Synagoges curyng diseases and castyng out deuils because the ignorant people shoulde by reason of his mighty dedes and myracles geue firme credence vnto his doctrine And there came a leper to him besethyng hym and knelyng downe and saying vnto hym If thou wilt thou canst make me cleane And Iesus had compassion on hym and put furth his hande touched hym and sayth vnto him I will be thou cleane And as sone as he had spoken immediatly the leprosy departed from hym and he sent him awaye furthwith and sayth vnto him Se thou saye nothing to any mā but get the hence shewe thy self to the priest and offer for thy clensyng those thynges whiche Moses commaunded for a witnes vnto them But he assone as he was departed began to tell many tynges and to publishe the saying insomuche that Iesus coulde no more openly entre into the citie But was with out in desert places and they came to hym from euery quarter It chaunced on a tyme whē Iesus had taught the people in a certaine moūtayne many goodly lessons concerning the perfeccion of the euangelike or christian profession that there met him as he came doune agayne a certaine man infected with leprosy a disease vncurable and abhorred of all men in whome was shewed to the corporal iyes a figure of those thinges which he wrought by inuisible operacion in the soules of the hearers The leper hated his filthy disease and had a meruelous great confidence in Iesu. Here thou seest a figure of a sinner which returnyng from vicious liuyng and entendyng to amend is at the nexte dore to saluacion The same leper feared not the people although he knewe right well that they abhorred his company but onelye regarded the goodnes of Iesu. Wherfore he ranne vnto hym and fell downe at his knees What woulde the proude Pharisey here do He would crye hence with this ougly and abhominable creature leste he infect euen oure very iyes He would call for water to washe awaye his noysome and contagious breath This would the Pharisey do more vncleane in soule then any leper in body But what doth the moste meke and gentill Lord whiche onely was pure and cleane from all spot of synne He commaundeth hym not to be had out of his sight nor to be remoued awaye from his knees It
what is doeÌ„ That pitifull creature desyred not Iesus to helpe hym but yet to saye the trueth it was a kynde of desyre for hym to cum in to the syght of mercyfull Iesu. The Lord because he woulde haue them all to take good heede vnto the miracle that he entended to worke called forth the man with the lame hande and sayed aryse and stande in the myddes of the people And with that he arose and conceyued good hope that he should be made wholle Then Iesus turned hym to the Phariseis whose secrete thoughtes he was priuey vnto and sayed vnto theym What is your opinion whiche take vpon you to knowe the lawe Howe and with what thynges is the Sabboth daye broken With doing of good deedes or of euill by preseruyng of a mans lyfe or destroying thesame They knewe right well for what purpose he moued this capcious question If they had answered that it had been better for the reuerence and solemnitie of the Sabboth to suffer their neighbour to perishe then without scruple of conscience to helpe him in perill and necessitie the people coulde not haue suffered so vnreasonable an answere cleane repugnaunt to the lawe of nature Agayne yf they had sayed he might lawfully haue dooen it then had they brought themselfes in case that they coulde not haue charged him with any false surmise as theyr entente and purpose was to do Therfore they thought good to holde theyr peace and saye neuer a worde And yet whiles they so dyd they plainely declared vnto the people theyr malicious wilines for that beyng prouoked by this question to amendement of lyfe they of an obstinate mynde were still desyrous to picke quarels Nowe to the intent that this question shoulde the easlier be assoyled and answered to he put furth another lyke questioÌ„ asking whether there were any among them that kept the sabboth daye so hygh and holy that if a shepe of his chaunced to fall into a dyche on that daye woulde suffre it to peryshe and in no wyse be so hardye as to drawe it out There was none so blynde in that assembly but he knewe ryght well howe muche the helth of manne ought to be regarded before the helth and preseruacioÌ„ of a shepe Truly he killeth whoso maye saue that thing whiche he suffereth to peryshe Wherfore after the Lorde had loked for an answere and perceyued howe all the Phariseis lyke confederates not because they were ignoraunte of the trueth but of an ostinate malice helde theyr peace he loked rounde about and behelde them she wyng outwardly with his countenaunce howe wrothe and sorye he was for theyr vncurable wickednes who when they toke vpon theÌ„ to be gydes of the blynde had themselues heartes so blynded with worldely lustes that they willyngly refused to see the moste radiant and cleare light of veritie For there is no blindnes more vncurable then when a manne is bothe wittingly willyngly blynde They sawe that the dumme beast might lawfully be drawen out of the hole lest it shoulde peryshe without anye violacion or breache of the sabboth and woulde in no wyse see that it was lyke lawfull to prouyde for mannes helth vpon thesame daye Therfore the most gracious Lorde to teache vs that we ought not to withdrawe our selfes from helping of our neyghboure for the vncurable frowardnes of the euill the Phariseis contemned turned him to the manne with the withered hande and in the audience of the people who were desyrous to see the ende of this matter sayd vnto him Stretche out thy hande That voyce was scarcely heard But he stretched it out sodainly chaunged and seruing him aswell to do euery thing withall as the other whiche was neuer lame Whome would not these reasones haue conuerted and brought from his erroure whom would not so euident a miracle haue moued to glorify God But the Phariseis infected with the leuen of enuie were therby prouoked to imagine more mischiefe Certes these are those same corrupt and alwayes vnryght iudgementes of the Phariseis They passe more vpon a dumme beaste then vpon a manne more vpon the apparell then the body more vpon meate then lyfe more vpon the bodye then the soule more vpon worldly thinges then heauenly thinges more vpon the fleshe then the spirite more vpon menne then God So true is it that there is no greater mischiefe in the worlde then is peruerse and aukewarde holynes Among men it is counted to cum of a wonderfull vertue with worde onely to restore a mans lame hande and make it whole agayne But it is a much greater vertue and benefite to restore the dead and lame powers of the soule What a pitifull lame hande hath he how dead how voide of all pitie and compassion who when he seeth his neyghbour in necessitie doeth not geue him his almes when he seeth him erre and stray out of the right waye doeth not teache and refourme him when he seeth him oppressed with iniuries doeth not helpe hym when he seeth him ydle doeth not styrre hym to good woorkes Suche handes had the Phariseis who woulde rather enuy the Lord then be restored by him vnto the helth of theyr soules Such feble and weake persones hath the Synagoge But the churche of Christ receiueth neither deafe dumme blynde feble halte nor lame Whoso is diseased and vexed with any euils let him cum into the syght of Iesu and he shal be cured He will inspire vs with his holy spirite and that whiche was before lame and without lyfe shal then be made quicke and alyne agayne They that with true faithe wholy committe themselues vnto the Lorde do returne home cured of theyr diseases Contrariwise such as trust to theyr owne righteousnesse are made wurse by other mennes benefites and good deedes They that are puffed vp with a Pharifaicall spirite wylleth well to none but to themselues Agayne suche as haue receyued the spirite of Iesu goe about nothing els but to dooe good to all men ¶ And the Phariseis departed and strayghtwaye gathered a counsell with theym that belonged to Herode agaynst him that they myght destroye hym But Iesus auoyded with his disciples to the sea And a great multitude folowed him from Galile and from Iewry and from Ierusalem and Idâ—â—ea from beyond Iordane and they that dwelled about Tyre and Sydon a great multitude of menne whiche when they had hearde what thinges he dyd came vnto him For assone as the Phariseis were departed out of the temple albeit in the presence of the people they durst not speake one worde against Iesu yet now after they had sent for suche as belonged to Herode to the intente theyr conspiracy should be the stronger for none knewe better the feate howe to worke mischiefe then the Herodians they all layed theyr heades together secretly debated the matter betwene themselues howe they myght destroye Iesus whom as they sawe ferre to excell them in myghtie dedes so they perceyued that it was not possible for them
shoulde lykewyse cumme when he would returne into the worlde agayne a iudge bothe of the quicke and deade but when that time shoulde come because it was not expedient he woulde in no wyse haue it knowen Therfore he began to speake of these matters in suche wyse as here ensueth Beware sayeth he lest any manne deceiue you For there shall manye come who wyll chalenge and take vpon them my name and euerye of theim wyll fayne hymselfe to be Christe and by his craftie delusion deceiue manye vncircumspect persons When ye shall heare of warres tidynges of warres be ye not troubled For suche thynges must nedes be but the ende is not yet For there shall nacion ryse agaynste nacion and kyngdome agaynst kyngdome And there shal be pearthquakes in al quarters and famishement shall there be and troubles These are the beginning of sorowes But take ye hede to your selues for they shall bryng you vp to the counsayles into the Synagoges ye shal be beaten yea and shal be brought before rulers and kynges for my sake for a testimoniall vnto them And the gospell must first be published amonge all nacions The great busynes rufflyng of the world will shew that my cuÌ„ming approcheth the worlde is nighe at an ende But you muste not strayghtwayes when warres are moued or when there is any terrible bruite or rumoure of warres to be moued be so dismayed therwith as though thesame time wer already present For these thinges shall cum and yet shall not th ende of the world furthwith ensue They shall only be preludes of the ende that is to come euen as in an olde mans bodye diseases oftetymes thauncing are foretokens that his body shal shortely decay and perishe The temperature of the qualities is the thyng whiche preserueth bodely health But when by reason thesame qualities do stryue one agaynste another the whole body is distempered then is it an argumente that the destruction thereof approchethe There shall nacion ryse agaynste nacion realme agaynst realme and one of them go about with great powers and hostes of men to destroye an other Moreouer the yearthe it selfe as thoughe it were not content to norishe so wicked and vngodlye people shal be shaken with yearthequakes and so shall there be in sondrie places of the worlde greate dearthe and famyne because it shall deny men theyr naturall foode and sustenaunce Furthermore the ayre as though it were angrye with thesame vngodly folkes vnworthy of life and breathe shal be noysomme and deadelye When ye see manye of these signes and tokens yet loke ye not byanby for domes daye For these euiles shall be onelye the begynninge of the calamitie to come Neyther shall youre selues be free from suche euils troubles And therfore loke well aboute ye leste ye bee clapte in the neckes or creye be ware For men shall accuse you and brynge you before councels and synagoges and yee shal be presented before kynges and rulers to aunswere in causes of lyfe and deathe not for any offence or euyl dede doen on your behalfe but onelye for the profession of my name and this shall they do because all the worlde maye knowe howe they were worthely caste out of the kyngdome of God sithens they so persecuted the preachers of thesame But lette not these thynges muche trouble your myndes The cruelnes of wycked persons shall brynge nothing to passe agaynst the proceding of the gospell Neither can anye man slea you before your tyme. For domes daye shall not come before the gospell be preached throughout all the worlde ¶ But when they leade you and present you take ye no thought neyther ymagine afore hande what ye shall saye but whatsoeuer is geuen you in the same houre that speake For it is not ye that speake but the holy gost The brother shall delyuer vp the brother to deathe and the father the sonne and the children shall ryse agaynst their fathers and mothers and shal put theÌ„ to death And ye shal be hated of al meÌ„ for my names sake But whoso enduceth vnto the ende thesame shal be safe You nede not therefore to prepare you any worldly succours agaynste the violence tiranny of persecutours or take thought how to escape their iudgementes When there is any accion commensed agaynst you loke ye goe appeare leste ye seme to despise the publike authoritie For this thinge also shall make much for the enlarging and spreading abrode of the gospell But when ye are goyng to appeare be you not carefull studying with your selfes what answere to make and how to tell your tale for that ye are not sene in the lawe but men ignoraunt in ciuill plees as the common sort of the people are wonte to be carefull in suche case who make Oratours and Rhetorcians theyr atturneys and proetours in pleadinge of matters But whatsoeuer cumme the vnto your myndes that speake you For your selues shall not be authours of suche wordes as you shall speake but instrumentes onely The holy ghoste shall speake by you suche thynges as shal be expedient for the busynes of the gospell But suche persecucions must ye not onely looke for of alyauntes and enemyes but also of your frendes and kynnesfolkes For one brother shall take the lawe of an other and accuse hym of deathe worthye crymes all naturall loue and affeccion cast aside And the father shall likewise accuse the sonne contrary to naturall loue and kyndnes Furthermore the children shall also rise agaynste their parentes and cause them to suffer death And where as ye hurte no body but brynge the tydinges of saluacion to all men yet shall ye be hated of all them that loue this world onelye for the dyspleasure and malyce they beare to my name whiche you shall preache But in all these euils it shal be nedefull for you to be armed with perseueraunce and constancie of minde For whoso continueth in his good beginninges to the ende shall be safe because no calamitie is able to destroye him that with constant harte and mynde beleueth the gospell Moreouer when ye see the abhominacion of desolacion wherof is spoken by Daniel the prophet stand where it ought not let him that readeth vnderstand Then let them that be in Iewry sie to the mountaines and let him that is â—n the house top not go down into the house nether enter therein to fetche any thyng out of his house And let him that is in the fielde not turne backe agayne vnto the thynges whiche he lefte behynde hym for to take his clothes with him Woe shal be then to them that are with childe and to them that geue sucke in those dayes But praye ye that your flyght be not in the winter For there shal be in those dayes suche tribulacion as was not from the beginninge of creatures whiche God created vnto this time nether shal be And except that the Lorde should shorten those dayes no fleshe shoulde be saued But for the electes
Lorde Iesus dooeth afterward call him foxe For this is the wily craftines of euill prynces of this worlde vnto whome if it shall at any tyme fortune right professours of the ghospel to be called to seruice either the gospellers muste eschewe the coumpany and conuersacion of suche maysters in whose houses they shall sooner be marred and broughte to naughtinesse on their own parties then they shal turne the others to better waies orels thei muste prepare their mindes aforehande to the like rewarde for shewyng the trueth without dissimulacion that Iohn fortuned to get for his labour For whan Herode nothyng growyng out of kynde from the maners and facions of his father and others his auncestours plaied many wieked and tiraÌ„nous partes pillyng pollyng the people pulling away all libertie by oppressioÌ„ punishyng in others the same thynges in whiche he was a common offender hymself vsing all offices of magistrates vnder him as sale ware for money vsyng also to sell the ministracions of priestehood kepiÌ„g within his house openly in the face of all the world one Herodias the wife of Phylyp beyng his brother and had by force of strong hand taken her away from his sayed brother yet beyng aliue together with a doughter of the same Philippes this holy man because he coulde not abide suche incest and vnnaturalnesse of mariage in a kynges house from whens especially aboue al other places it was conuenient that example of keping the lawes should procede aduertised him to refrain himself from suche a wicked misdede But with a deiulish king the deiulishe request of a gierle beyng a minion dauncer together with the suggestion of a deiulish woman weighed more then the holsome aduertisement of so vncorrupt a man with the whiche good aduertisemeÌ„t he was nothing the better but remained stil so ferre out of the way from being ameÌ„ded that vnto his hainous enormities afore past he added one dede of myschief more the most vngracious that euer was that is to wete casting Iohn into pryson and procedyng so ferre at laste in outragious woodnes that he caused the heade of the moste innocent man to bee chopt of and so gaue it to the wenche for a reward of her vicious wanton dauncyng ¶ And it fortuned that whan all the people receiued baptysme and whan Iesus was baptysed and dyd praye the heauen was opened and the holye ghoste came downe in a bodely shape lyke a doue vpon hym And a voyce came from heauen whiche â—ayde Thou art my beloued sonne in thee do I delite But now to returne to the discourse of the storie before that the lord Iesus would entre into the buisie office of preachyng which he entended with in the coumpasse of a short tyme to accoÌ„plishe and bryng to a perfite ende to the entent that he would leaue no one poynt of humilitie or of righteousnes vnfulfilled thought no disdain to cum with the residue of folkes vnto baptisme not to be purified himself whiche he neded not but to consecrate and halow the lauacre or fount of eternall saluacion to our behofe through his baptisme He huÌ„bled himself but that notwithstanding he was aswel by the voice of Iohn as also by the most clere testimonie of his eternal father opeÌ„ly coÌ„mended in the face of all the people to the entent that they might knowe him eueÌ„ by the face to by sight of whoÌ„ the prophetes had aforetymes spoken muche by prophecie and of whoÌ„ Iohn had openly witnessed So than at that time a great numbre of the common people wer in baptising and in the same cumpany Iesus Christ cuÌ„ming as one emong the mo had instantly desired of Iohn to haue baptisme as though he had been like other meÌ„ subiect to sin Iohn would haue refused to baptise him acknowlagyng him as the autour geuer of puritie of whom he ought rather to had been baptised hymself And thissame testimony was geueÌ„ first of Iohn to the dignitie of Iesus being there personally in place eueÌ„ before al the multitude of the people but the heaueÌ„ly father did by a more euident marke disseuer his sonne Iesê° from the residue of the cuÌ„pany that wer baptised For vnto al the rest whaÌ„ they were in baptising there appered no signe ne token at al. But immediatly after that the lord Iesê° was baptised as he was now makingÌ„g his deuout praiers to god teaching vs thereby that whan the state of innocencie is perfitely renewed through baptisme we ought immediatly to coÌ„uert and bestow our selues to such studies exercises as are of the spirit emoÌ„g which deuout praier hath the first place heauen opened which his baptisme set wide opeÌ„ to vs where as vntil that day it had been shut vp froÌ„ vs. And froÌ„ thens came doun the holy ghost bâ—ing of hiÌ„self in dede inuisible but for that time enuested clad with a figure or likenesse visible because he should be seene with the iyes of men And as for the likenesse it was of a doue because that this bird beyng as a sygne to represent innocencie or simplicitie had many hundred yeres afore brought a braunche of an oliue tree into the arke of Noe for a tokeÌ„ that the wrathe of God was pacified and also a caucion or pledge of warraÌ„tise that the floudde was at an end And in dede the said floudde of Noe by whiche the worlde was at that time scoured and pourged of all naughty creatures did conteine a misticall figure of our baptisme wherby all our sinnes are drowned vp our bodies and soules bothe beyng preserued in perfyte safetie In this lykenesse than dyd the holy ghoste descende downe reste vpon the holy toppe of the lorde Iesus head openly betokenyng that he it was whom God the father had plenteously anoynted with all heauenly giftes of grace whiche gyftes he woulde afterwarde poure out vpon al persons as many as by puttyng their affiaunce and truste in him wer or should afterward bee graffed in the brotherhoode of his bodye thoroughe baptisme There came also vnto him besides this likenes of a doue an euident testimonie of his fathers voice not now declared by the prophetes not by Moses not by angels but publyshed by the father selfe not that theÌ„ father may in his verye owne lykenesse as he is bee either heard or seen or by any sence of the body coÌ„prehended or perceyued but lyke as the holy ghoste beeyng inuisible did openly shewe hymself to the iyes of men in a visible signe euen so the heaueÌ„ly father sending doune a voice through the elementes aboue did seÌ„sibly pearce the eares of meÌ„ And the voice that souned from on high was in these wordes Thou arte mine owne onely dere beloued sonne in whom I am throughly pleased satisâ—ied To none of al the holy meÌ„ that euer were in olde time was there euer any testimonye of suche lyke sorte as this geuen A doue cumming before pointed out certainly to whome this voyce did apperteine to th entent that
fyshes but that thou mayste replenishe my churche with preachers of the ghospell And that that the Lorde spake vnto Petur thesame did euerye one of them vnderstande to be spoken vnto them too Therefore euen oute of hande theyr botes beeyng conueighed to lande and all thynges lefte euen there behynde them they wente after Iesus voide of all care concernyng thinges corporall and with all theyr whole myndes bente to the purpose to bee fyshers of men ¶ And it fortuned as he was in a citie beholde there was a man ful of leprosie and whan he had spied Iesus he fell flat on his face and besought him saiyng Lorde if thou wilt thou canste make me cleane And he stretched furth his hande touched him saiyng I will bee thou clene And immediatlye the leprosie departed from him And he charged him that he shoulde tell no man But goe sayeth he and shewe thy selfe to the prieste and â—ffre for thy clensing according as Moses commaunded for a witnesse vnto them To this noble office of fishyng for to catche menne they were to be framed with enstruccyons and good lessons they were to bee trayned with misticall exaumples To the entente therefore that he woulde declare no vice or faulte to be so abhominable ne so deadlye that is not by and by forgeuen to anye that wyll acknowelage his disease and will through the feyth of the gospel earnestly call for remedy at the hande of the heauenlye phisician Iesus it so fortuned that in a certayne citie a certayne man there was right greuously infected with the impediment of the leprosie and al the whole bodye ouer veraye full of a foule and a lothely scourue to see And this sorte of people was in suche wyse abhorred emong the Iewes that all suche were cleane exiled from coumpaigniyng with any others and the lawe in expresse wordes did streightly forbidde and charge that none suche shoulde bee so muche as touched for the daughter of infeccion that woulde immediatly folowe thereby But a greate deale fouler and muche more to bee abhorred is the leprosie of the mynde then of the body But the Iewes whereas themselfes swimmed as full as theyr skynnes myghte holde of many great vices that laye inwardlye hydden within the skinne yet dyd they so greatly deteste and abhorre ethnikes publicanes and other persones knoweÌ„ to be sinners that in case it happened them at any time no more but to talke with any suche as sone as they came home agayne to theyr owne houses they would make a washyng of all theyr body from top to toe as thoughe they had taken some veraye sore infeccion But Christes mynde was to haue his disciples ferre from this presumteous clenesse of the Iewes To the manne therfore beeyng thus piteously arayed with the leprosie it was a great good turne that he sawe Iesus He acknowelaged his vnclenes and iudged hymselfe a man vnworthie to holde vp his face and looke on the Lorde seeyng that it was to bee abhorred and lothed of all men for the foule ploches of the leprye but beeyng muche ashamed of hymself fel down postrate and groueleyng on his face and spake out woordes bothe full of humility and also of assured truste in the Lorde That he hydde his face was a poynte of one that acknowelaged his owne eiuill that he prayeth to bee made whole was a poynte of one beeyng of vndoubted affiaunce in the goodnes of Iesus Christe beeyng bothe of power to dooe all thynges and readilye offreyng it selfe vnto all creatures Lorde sayeth he I knowe my soreto bee vncurable by any physicke of man percase I am a man not worthye of suche benefite at thy hande but yet neuerthelesse this one poynte am I fully perswaded in that thou arte hable to make me clene of all my disease yf it were thy pleasure Thou haste hearde the faythfull truste that I haue of thy power there restethe no more but that thy goodnes bee iudge whether it will vouchesalue to extende hys mercye to suche a poore felowe as I am plagued with extreme affliccyon and paste râ—medy of mans cure There coulde not bee a fuller confidence towardes the Lorde then whan the manne hadde already acknoweleaged his power what he coulde doe yet neuerthelesse all the iudgemente whether he woulde dode the benefite or no to remitte wyllynglye vnto hym who knewe it to bee otherwhyles expediente for vs to bee plagued with the maladies and diseases of the bodye and the prosperous successe of thynges temporall to bee nothyng for oure behouâ—e But Iesus beeyng delited with this so perfeicte confidence and feyth of the man muche to bee pityed dyd not onely not remoue hym awaye oute of his syght but also setteth hym on his feete wheras he lay prostrate and stretching furth his hande touched the lepers face saiyng Where thou requireste my goodnes I will it so to bee And because thou dooeste openlye proteste thy selfe to beleue my power bee thou clene And euen with the woorde speakyng the leprye where with he hadde long tyme bene full al ouer and ouer went clene away from al his body The discyples in the meane whyle learne a lesson how that in no wise they ought to turne awaye theyr faces from any persone beeyng intangled with neuer so enormeous and detestable synnes so that the partye acknoweleageyng his disease earnestely desyre remedye at the goodnesse of Christe with perfecte truste to receyue health For yf the Lorde who onelye and none but he was pure from all manier leprye of viciousnesse vouchsalued with his owne handes to touche a creature that was to bee abhorred of all folkes howe muche lesse conuenienteis it that the disciples whom the Lordes onely goodnesse hath made clene from theyr sinne and whiche neyther bee altogether clene from all offences and not oute of possibilytie to fall into all enormities shoulde thynke foule to bestowe theyr diligente cure in healing the diseases of others Suche â—â—nier touchyng dooeth not defyle the toucher but scoureth and clenseth the partye that is touched The partye that is touched is furthewith made pure and he nothyng the lesse pure that toucheth hym at lestewyse yf by the instrument of a true Apostles handes Iesus selfe dooeth vouchesalue to touche him And nowe because the lawe remitteth the iudgement to discerne whiche is a lâ—prie and whiche not not vnto all persones at auenture but to the priestes onely the Lorde woulde not haue this miracle bruited abrode by the rumoure of the vulgare people onelye but to the entente that the truethe of the matter might the more certaynely be knowen he gaue a streight charge vnto the partie that was healed not byandby to noyse abrode the benefite whiche he hadde receyued but fyrste and foremoste according to the playne ordre of the lawe to resort vnto the priest by whose iudgement he had afore be condemned of lepry and disseuered from coumpaniyng with other folkes that yf he sayeth Iesus whan he hathe vewed thy bodye shall geue
on the manne commaunded the wicked spirite to departe out of him And the partie that was possessed of the deuil fel downe at the knees of Iesus For a certain priuie power of the vertue of his godhed had drawen the partie vnto him But the vncleane spirite made an houge roring out through the mouth of the miserable selie creature sayd O Iesus the sonne of the most high god in heaueÌ„ what haue I to do with thee I beseche thee do not torment me For the coÌ„maundement of the lord wrought strongly vpon hym to leaue the manne whom he had by a long space vexed Many tymes and ofte would this wicked spirite cease on the man woulde after so manifold pieteous sortes moste cruelly tormente and vexe him that breakyng all his fetters his chaines and al thinges that he was bouÌ„d withall he should bee driuen and feased of the deuill into desert places Wherfore the sayed spirite was yll wyllyng and loth to leaue his olde habitacion Yea and moreouer full sore was he afeard â—este the day had been now cum in whiche they should bee adiudged to euerlastyng payne and torment of helle there to be eternally punished for all the euil woe which here in this world they torment and plague men withal So than it was not repentaunce of his euill doynges that enforced him to these praiers but feare of punishemente But Iesus to the ende that the greatnes of the miracle should bee the better knowen to all folkes demaunded of the wicked spirite what was his name He auÌ„swered a legioÌ„ mening by this souldierly word perteiniÌ„g to warfare that the manne was possessed not of one deuill alone but of an immunerable multitude of deuils for there is no one great sinne without a great ambushmente of vyces together in a clouster But there is no sickenesse of the mynde so greuous there is none so great a multitude of great offeÌ„ces but it geueth place and departeth at the commaundemente of Iesus And all these deuyls beyng now in feare therof praied Iesus that in case it could not bee auoyded but that thei must nedes be cast out of that maÌ„ which thei were in yet at least wyse they myght not be commaunded to go doune into the depe pitte of hell whiche place they know to be ordeined for them at the last day of iudgemeÌ„t And not ferre from thesame place vpon a certain hill whiche lay harde by in maner directly aboue thesame water there was a greate heard of swyne feedyng at their pasture so that euen by that very point we may perceyue that the said countrey was heathen and wholy geuen to al vngodlines For the Iewes by their lawe did not ne might eate no swynes fleshe And the deuils made request that by the sufferaunce of the lorde they myght haue libertie to flitte out of the man into the said hogges so great a desyre iuste had the wicked spirites to doe hurt and mischiefe And Iesus to make the thyng bothe the more euident and also the more terrible suffred them to haue their desire And immediately the deiuils leaft the man weÌ„t into the hogges and streyght waies was al the whole hearde carried hedlong in a furious rage as fast as they might driue into the poole and were there drowned stone dead As soone as the swyneheardes sawe this they were sore afrayed and went theiâ— waies thence as fast as thei might renne into the tounes and villages to beare tydynges al about what was happened The inhabitauntes of the countreye scarcely beleuyng the tale that the swyneheardes tolde went foorth to see the prouffe and tokens of that so vncredible a matier And cumming to the place they see the hearde to be now peryshed and loste whiche a litle before was an hearde of a mighty great multitude And the man also whiche tyll that tyme was possessed of many deiuils and for his notable mischiefe that he did in the countrey was well knowen vnto euery body hym they fynde now all quiet and pacient and of whole mynde wearyng clothes on his bodie and sitting at the fete of Iesus For of an harbourer of deiuils was he sodaynly made a disciple and scholar of Iesus And whereas to fore he was tumbled and dryuen by wicked spirites to all kyndes of mischief now by the ientyll and meke spirite of the most merciful lorde he is in framyng to all earnest and deuout exercise of godlynesse Ferthermore they whiche had been there present and hadde with theyr owne iyes seen the maÌ„ before possessed of deiuils and had heard that there was a legion that is to saye a great noumbre of deiuils in him and nowe sawe hym in suche a litle while made perfectly whole they reported to the residue of the people what had befallen Wherupon a certayne feare came vpon them all where as they should rather haue glorified god and louingly enbraced the power of him who had restored health to a most miserable creature beyng otherwise past all hope of recouerie They would fayne therfore haue had Iesus goen as people dreding his power but not knowyng his goodnesse and they be more moued with the losse of theyr cattel then with the health of the man restored again Yet durste thei not be bolde to banishe or driue him out of their region but the Gerasens ientilly desyre and praye him in the name of all the whole countreye to departe out of theyr coastes so great feare had taken and possessed them all And he gat hym into the shyppe and returned backe agayne Than the man out of whome the deuils were departed besought hym that he might bee with him But Iesus sent hym awaye saying goe home agayne to thyne owne house and shewe what thynges soeuer god hath doen for thee And he went his way and preached throughout all the citeâ— what thynges soeuer Iesus had doen vnto hym And Iesus because he woulde not caste an holy thing emong dogges returned agayne to his shippe But the partie whiche was deliuered from deuils desyred Iesus that he might continue in his coumpaignye and awayte on hym seeyng that he was bound vnto hym alone and to none other for receiuing his health But Iesus woulde not suffre it but sayed vnto hym returne to thine owne house to the ende that by thyne owne relacion and by sight of thee all folkes maye certaynely knowe what thou were afore and what thou arte now through the benefite of God Thy countreymen refuse to haue me come and be emong them yet bee thou at the leastewyse a wytnesse emong them what ill frendes they haue been to themselues in castyng me out of theyr region The man obeyed the lordes biddinges and goyng into Decapolis and throughout euery citie he declared and talked in all coumpaynies that he came emongst what great and high benefites he had receyued at the handes of Iesus And thissame was yet some manier of entreaunce and fyrst settyng foorth of preachyng the gospel emong folkes
doeth light thee with his brightnesse Now although many there were emong the Iewes whose hertes by reason of their owne wilfull and stubburne maliciousnesse the light of the ghospel did make more blynde then they were afore yet the trueth ought not from hens foorth to bee suppressed forasmuche as the knowlage therof should bryng veraie many to eternall saluacion For the obstinate malice of vnbeleuers muste not be any lette or hindreaunce to the good Wherfore the trueth muste bee brought to open lighte to the more horrible grieuous damnacion of the eiuill persones and to the saluacion of the good sorte No body lighteth a caÌ„dle faith he and hideth it in apriuie derke corner or couereth it by whelmyng a busshell ouer it but setteth it in a candelsticke that it maye geue light to suche as are wyllyng to enter into the house Thesame that the house is without a candle thesame that the body is without iyes euen thesame is the soule without knowlage of the trueth which commeth by mere vnfayned feith If thyne iye be single and nothyng perished ne infected with any other inordinate desyres of this world it will receiue the light of euerlastyng trueth and al thy body shall haue the fruicion of this lyght in suche wyse as it shal no where stumble nor iutte agaynst any thyng But in case the iye of thy bodye be corrupted or bleamished then shal all the whole body be entrieked and ready to take harme in the derke For of feith commeth iudgement and statutes or ordeinaunces of good liuing This is the fountaine of all goodnesse whiche if it be putrified it cannot bee chosen but that all the other thynges must be corrupted also See therfore that this iye wherewith the trueth is seen maie be pure in thee and clere without any corrupcion leste that the selfe membre which onely is apte to receiue light and which onely must shewe light to al the whole bodye be encoumbred with derknesse For thesame thyng beyng infected which is the heade and the roote of all good workes euen those verai thynges whiche seme to bee good are not good And contrariwyse the thynges whiche seme vnto the Pharisees to bee eiuill shall not bee euill if the fountaine wherhence they do spryng foorth bee pure and clere from all infeccion What thyng a candle is to an iye well clarifyed euen the lyke thyng is the woorde of God to the soule beeyng well pourged through the singlenesse of feith from naughtie affeccions Whatsoeuer procedeth not of feith is synne That if the iye of thy bodye shall be syncere and pure as a thyng made all light with the candele of euangelicall trueth than shal it geue parte of his light vnto all the membres so that there shall not bee any derkenesse at all in any parte of the body by reason that the iye shal looke foorth to the behofe of all the membres thereof And so whatsoeuer thyng the hande shall doe it shall not bee in any daungier of harme in the derke but all the whole body shall bee lightsome euen as the whole house is lightsome whaÌ„ the brightnesse of the candle geueth his light all about ¶ And as he spake a certayne Pharisee besought hym to dyne with hym and Iesus wente in and fate downe to meate Whan the Pharisee sawe it he meruayled that he had not firste washed before dyuer And the Lorde sayed vnto hym Now do ye Pharisees make clene the outsyde of the cuppe and the platter but your inwarde parte is full of rauenyng and wickednesse Ye fooles did not he that made that whiche is without make that whiche is within also Neuerthelesse geue almes of that ye haue and beholde all thynges are cleane vnto you But woe vnto you Pharisees for ye tythe Mynte and â—ue and all manier herbes and passe ouer iudgemente and the loue of God These ought ye to haue doen and yet not to leaue the other vndoen And euen immediately herupon there folowed a matter whereby thesame that the Lorde had taught might as ye would saye bee playinly declared For the phariseis forasmuche as they had an iye foule blemished setting righteousnesse in ceremonies longyng to the body they did wilfully leat slippe those thynges whiche are not seen but with the pure clere iyes vnto whom the candle of euangelicall trueth sheweth light supposed the light to bee there where derknesse was and than did they stumble and renne agaynst thynges moste of all whan they thought theimselues to goe gaily well vpright and they iudged there to bee a grieuous enormitie where none at all was and contrariwise where a sore offense or transgression was there wened thei to bee none at all For they had theyr iyes sore bleamished with the supersticion of the lawe with ignoraunce with disdeineful pride with enuie with couetise with hypocrisie with other naughtie vices Than a certayne Pharisee prayed Iesus to come dyne with hym Iesus made no refusall as one that was euer readie to offre hymselfe vnto euery bodye to the entente he might drawe all creatures vnto hym And whan the lorde had sette him down at the table without washyng his handes afore and that contrary to the guyse of the Pharisees this saied Pharisee begoonne to meruail with hymselfe secretely in his mynde what the cause should bee why the Lorde had not washed before he satte down to his meate And euen by an by of a thyng which neither maketh a man good nor ill there spryngeth a thyng which is in veraye dede euermore yll And as for the Pharisaicall ceremonies whiche consiste in thynges perteyning to the bodye haue this propertie naturall to them cummyng euen of theyr veraye kynde that they brede slaunderous backebityng euill suspicions peruerse iudgementes variaunce hatred muche bralling Iesus therefore well knowyng thissame to be the chiefest corrupcion of euangelicall godlynesse did sharpely rebuke the Pharisaicall supersticion saying Moses did in olde tyme appoynt certain ordinarie constitucions customes of purifyng which neuerthelesse did conteyne a figure representacion of pourgeyng clensyng the soule For to this ende it serueth al that euer that same lawe did derkely set foorth in shadowes But as the tyme now is where in consideracion of the trueth clerely apperyng foorth it is mete for those shadowes of the olde lawe by litle and litle to vanish awaie ye Phariseis whiche professe the perfect knowlage of the lawe do enbrace thatsame parte of the lawe onely whiche is of least weyght of all towardes true godlynesse And ye do not onely offend in this behalfe that ye enbrace the carnalitie of the lawe not passyng on the spirite of the lawe but also by reason of carnall ceremonies added to the lawe and constitucions of your owne making ye wyll in any wyse be reputed to be of more holynesse then the veray coÌ„maundementes of God The puritie consisteth in the inculpablenesse and innocencie of the herte But as for ye do euery other whyle make muche
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
last whan she woulde make none ende of criyng vpon hym the iudge begoonne thus to thinke within himself Although I neither stand in feare of God ne beare any reuerence to any man aliue yet because this wedowe is importune vpon me with her vnsaciablenesse in that she will not bee aunswered I wyll help to rid her from the oppression of her aduersarie not for any good mynde that I beare her but leste she wil els at length come againe and beeing so many times shaken of will with her raillyng sette a greate blurre on myne honestee and good name in that I occupiyng the roume of the chiefe iustice iudge in this citee haue yet neuerthelesse wilfullye and stiffely leate a wedowe bee without helpe or redresse whan she was wrongfullye ouertroden Whan Iesus had thus tolde out all this parable he sayed by and by after it Doe ye heare what this iudge saieth being both an vngodly man and an il disposed Beeyng ouercomed with the importunitie of praiyng and entreatyng he holpe the wedowe and God who is moste iuste and mercifull towardes hys elected beeyng called vpon with nightly and also daily praiers and criynges wyll he weaxe deaffer and deaffer and not deliuer his seruauntes from the violence of such as oppresse them but wyll with a slowe and a pacient mynde suffre theim to bee oppressed with affliccions and neuer see anye auengemente ne redresse therof Nay this I saie vnto you to bee bold on he wil not suffre it to bee so but eyther he wyll conuerte theyr hertes in sort that their wyll being chaunged they shall ceasse to dooe you any more affliccion or els he wil take awaie from theim habylitie and power to dooe harme or els suche as bee hys elected he wyl for altogether quickely deliuer from all eiuil and remoue them to a place of rest euerlastyng I wys whan that same laste daye of iudgemente shall bee ons come nowe shal neither Satan nor his weorking tooles the yll men bee of power any thyng to doe against those whome God hath specially chosen asyde to be partakers of hys kyngdome For whan the wickdenesse of the eiuill sorte shall bee weaxen so high that it can growe no higher than shal the sonne of manne sodainly come and in verai dede sooner shal he come than the eiuill menne thynketh for But at the tyme whan the sonne of manne shall come shall he trowe ye â—ynd feith vpon the yearth For aswell the multitude as also the peruersenesse of eiuill persones shall bee so greate that feith shal remaine perfeict and whole but with a fewe Yet not withstanding with whomesoeuer thatsame constaunt feyth and trust in God shal be found thesame persones shall be deliuered God beyng the auenger of their cause ¶ And he tolde this parable vnto certaine whiche trusted in theimselfes that they were perfeict and despised other Twoo men went vp into the temple to praie the one a pharisee and the other a publicane The pharisee stoode and praied thus with hymself God I thanke thee that I am not as other men are extorcioners vniust aduouterers or as this Publicane I fait twife in the weeke I geue sithe of al that I possesse And the Publicane standing a ferre of would not lift vp his iyes to heauen but smote vpon his brest saying God be thou mercifull to me a sinner I tel you this man departed home to his house iustified more then the other For euerye one that exalteth hymselfe shall be brought lowe And he that humbleth hymselfe shal bee exalted So with the parable afore goyng he putte suche people in a feare as beeyng openly wieked were daily scourges vnto the godlye But there was a pharisaicall sorte of ryghteous men puttyng their trust in their owne weorkes and presumpteously taking vnto themselfes the lande and title of righteousnesse by the same weorkes wheras no creature is iust afore God and such dyd not onely stande in their owne conceiptes like fooles but also in comparison of theim selfes despised others as sinners whereas the humilitie of the others is more acceptable before God then the woorkes of anye suche The Lorde Iesus aswell against persones of suche pharisaicall righteousnesse as also to the coumforte of synners from the botome of theyr hertes mislikyng themselfes putte foorth suche a parable as here ensueth So it befel that twoo certaine persones went vp into the temple for to praie of whiche persones the one was a Pharisee and the other a Publicane The Pharisee staÌ„dyng nigh to the propiciatorie or mercie seate as if ye should saie in Englishe the high aulter like one that was woorthye to talke wyth God eueÌ„ at his veray elbowe praied in this sorte within himselfe I thanke the o God for that I am not lyke vnto other menne whiche liue by robbyng and stealyng whiche encrease their substaunce by fraude and guyle whiche pollute other marryed mennes beddes wyth aduoutrye or finallye whyche bearyng offices of infamye and slaundre dooe piele the people of God for their princes pleasure of whiche sorte thys publicane here is one I dooe not geue my selfe to excessiue eating and drinking as the most parte of people dooe but I fast twyse in the Sabboth that is to saie twyse euery weke and so farre am I from defrauding of any bodye that I geue coÌ„tinually the tenth part of al my goodes in almes to the poore This was the manier of praiynâ— of this the swellyng proude pharisee who althoughe he recited thynges thâ—â— wer true and gaue thankes to God yet euen in this verai pointe he displeaseâ— the iyes of god that he liked hymselfe well plaiyng the flaterer towarde hymself and full of despitefull woordes againste the neighbour The Publicane contrariewise alltogether mislikyng hymself because hys conscience yeldeâ— hym gyltie of many sinnes stode a farre of from the holy thynges so muche ashamed and repentaunt in hymselfe that he durst noâ— so much as lyft vp his iyes to heauen but he knocked his brest saiyng O God be thou mercifull vnto me a synner The pharisâ—y did no more but geue thankes as one that thought hymselfe to want nothyng vnto perfite godlynesse neither dooeth he confesse any offences wheras eueÌ„ in this very praiyng he did most grieuouslye synne makyng vauntes of his owne doynges and despising one that was penitent a proud presumptuous prayser of hymselfe and a rashe accuser of the neighbour The Publicane on the other parte maketh no rehersall ne mencyon at all of his well dooynges He onely acknowelagyng his eiuils knocketh his brest that knewe what state it stode in and lamentably calleth for the lordes mercie Wyll ye knowe the ende of these contrarye maners of praiyng The said Publicane who had cum a synner into the temple wente his waye home more righteous in the sighte of God then that same Pharisee who thoughte hymself a man of moste perfite iustice For whosoeuer magnifyeth hymselfe in his owne mynde shal be cast downe in the syghte
by autoritye of holy scripture whiche holy scripture in dede they dyd not disalowe but yet they dydde reade thesame not hauyng theyr myndes on it to marke it as they should doe Ueraily saieth he to be a thyng possible enough that the dead may arise agayn and that the soules dooe not dye together with the bodyes euen Moses hymselfe dooeth teache you to bee true whose autoritie forasmuche as ye dooe in other matters acknowlage ye ought not in this case to reiecte For Moses hath written that God spake vnto hym after this manier oute of the bushe whiche he had seen in redde flamyng fyer to burne without anye consumyng or wastyng I am the God of thy father the God of Abraham the God of Isaac the God of Iacob c. Now were Abraham Isaac and Iacob at that tyme alreadye buiried in graue That if according to your opinion euery one which dyeth dyeth for altogether and dyeth neuer to be recouered agayn how doeth god call hymselfe god of theim that be none suche For seing that God is the veray true liuing god himself or rather more truely to speake is veray lyfe selfe it is a thyng vnconueniente that he should call hym self the God of suche as by meane of deathe are vtterly perished and gonne for euer But they are not so gon forasmuch as the chieffer parte of theim remaineth aliue that is to were the soule beeing the parte whereby our life is in vs. In other liuyng creatures besydes man death is an vttre perishing for euer for in theim aswell the bodye falleth altogether downe as soone as it is destitute of lyfe as also the soule which in theim is naught els but a certayne harmonye and proporcionate agreyng together of the qualites and humours of the bodye whiche as soone as thatsame temperature is dissolued vanisheth awaye immediately as a thyng of nothyng But in man deathe is nothyng els but a pluckyng of the soule in soondre from the bodye so that the better parte of the twoo that are in vs remayneth styll vncorrupted and the bodye only is for a season not vttrely perished neyther but as ye woulde say putrified And thesame body to be restored agayn by the power of god at the resurreccion ought not to seme any meruaill vnto you forasmuche as ye daily see of a dry graine of sede caste awaye into the earth and there putrified a newe and a liue tree to spryng vp whiche laie hydden in a litle smale and deade selâ—e grayne now buiried in the grounde Therefore such as are dead to you ward are dead in dede forasmuche as ye are not hable to reuiue them agayne but euerie one of them yea euen they that are deade also dooe lyue to godwarde in whose hande it is whansoeuer his wyll shall bee to restore the soules that haue beene plucked awaye euerie one to theyr owne bodies agayn Whan the Sadducees at these saiynges helde theyr peace not hauyng a worde to speake certayne Scrybes allowed the talke of Iesus because that concernyng this case the Pharyseis and the Scribes did consente in opinion agaynste the secte of the Sadducees Notwithstandyng lyke as the opinion of the Phariseis and Scrybes was in this behalfe righter then the opinion of the Sadducees so were their hertes more replete with mischiefe and vngraciousnesse For in suche a place dooeth there lesse parte of malice remayn where there resteth more of grosse ignorauÌ„ce and defaulte of learnyng Thus after that Iesus had in vayne beene tempted and proued of soondrye sectes of the Iewes for he had afore this tyme aunswered the Phariseis to their question concerning the greateste precepte of the law and not one of them al had had suche spede as he woulde in that yâ— he had attempted no man durst auenture any more to be buisie or to beginne with him in demaundyng of any questions ¶ And he saied vnto theim Howe saie they that Christe is Dauids soonne And Dauyd himselfe saieth in the booke of the Psalmes The Lorde saied vnto my Lord sitte thou on my right hande till I make thine enemies thy foote stoole Dauid therefore calleth hym Lorde and howe is he than his sonne Iesus therefore of his own mocion whan thei wer gathered together in a pâ—uÌ„pe did bid theim aunswere him who would to a question that he would demaunde not beeyng a question full of baites to take theim in trippes but a questioÌ„ that concerned their soule health He demauÌ„ded whose sonne the scripture dyd pronounce that Messias should be â–ª They beyng not ignoraunt that it had by prophecie bene foresaied that Messias should in tyme cummyng bee borne of the linage of Dauid made answere without any stoppes or staighes Dauids sonne To this Iesus said But Dauid being enspired with the holy ghoste speaketh of Messias after this manier in the Psalmes The Lord said vnto my Lord sitte thou on my righte hande vntil I make thyne enemies thy foote stoole Howe agreeth it that Dauid â–ª shoulde calle him Lorde whome he acknowelageth and taketh for his sonne For the sonne is inferiour to the father and more reason it wer that the soonne should in the waye of honour and reuerence call the father Lorde then contrarie wise This question coulde not one of theim all soile and for that presente Iesus thoughte it sufficiente as ye would saye by a misticall â—iedell to haue geuen theim a litle intimacion or inclyng of his nature of Godhed by the whiche nature of his Godhed he was superiour vnto all the Patriaâ—kes forasmuch as he was egual vnto God the father albeit euen after his humain nature also he excelled all creatures And they reputed the memorie of Dauid to bee holy and precious but hym whome Dauid acknowelaged bothe for his soonne and also for his Lorde hym they caste of not through ignoraunce of the lawe but of a iudgemente beyng blinded with peruerse and corrupte affeccions Than in the audience of al the people he saied vnto his disciples Beware of the Scribes whiche wil goe in long clothing and loue gretinges in the markettes and the highest seates in the Sinagogues and the chiefe roumes at feastes whiche deuoure wedowes houses feigning lâ—ng praiers thesame shall receiue great damnacion Forasmuche therfore as the malice of this generacion was past al hope of grace and not curable by any salues that could be it remained that the simple and vnlettred multitude of the people should haue good warning geuen them that they might not bee trained in and deceiued by coulouring and crafty conueighaunce of the others who whereas they were voyde of al religion or true deuocion yet dyd they countrefeicte the highest godlinesse possible hauyng iye to none other marke but only to theyr own glory and lucre and for that same onely cause murmouryng and pratyng all manier wayes possible agaynst the glory of God and agaynst the health of their neighboures For there be none more deadlye enemies of true godlinesse then suche as by
whan shall it cumme to passe or by what signe maie we bee hable to knowe the saied tyme to be alreadye come But Iesus whose wyll is to haue his disciples euermore in a readinesse against all assaultes of eiuyll mysauentures dyd by his doubtfull and entrieked communicacion sette theyr myndes in suspence perplexitie makyng a medley of many soondrye matters together concernyng affliccions which they should afterwarde abide for preachyng the ghospel concernyng the beatyng down and the miserable plague of the citie of Hierusalem and concernyng the ende of the worlde the houre and tyme whereof it was his pleasure to haue vnknowen to all creatures to the entent they should continually euermore be in a readinesse The disciples mindes ranne altogether vpon a kyngdome But the Lorde was more willyng to haue theim knowe the thyng that did more nerelye touche them and to knowe those other matters the veray speakyng and mencionyng whereof their hertes vttrely abhorred because thei wer as yet but weake and fraill menne For they had better fansie and will to heare woordes pleasaunt to the eare of worldelye coumforte and solace then to heare thynges concernyng the coumforte of the soule health The foresaied blessed reigne will one daye surely come and at his due tyme wil it come but the care and charge thereof it is moste expediente to put in the handes of God and to leat hym alone withall our partes it is in the meane tyme so to behaue our selues that we maye not seme vnworthye of that kyngdome For there is no cummyng to the glorye of thesame reigne but by meane of soondrye affliccions Against such affliccions it behoueth our hertes to be well armed Iesus therefore saied Oute of all doubtes come I will and displeigh the maiestie of the reigne Euangelicall But see ye yâ— ye bee not seduced enbracing an other Christe in stede of me For before the prefixed tyme at whiche I wyll come there will come many whiche wyll vsurpe my name vnto them and will boldely auouche of themselfes and saie I am Christ. The tyme is at hande Be not ye any thyng moued with the wordes of such in case they shall call you any whether goe not ye after theim Ueraily when ye shall heare al the worlde to be in a garboile of sedicioÌ„s of warres manye persones shall plaie the prophetes and shall allege the ende of the world to approche But be not ye any thyng feared with suche rumours as though the last daie be euen than byanby at hande For in dede suche thynges as these shal fortune but the ende of the worlde cometh not euen streight waie in the necke thereof For these shall bee nothyng els but certain preauÌ„bles of the said extreme distresse which shall bee to the eiuil sorte an vttre castyng awaie and to the good it shal bee an examinacion or triall a purifâ—yng of them As whan the bodye is towardes the poyncte of diyng the signes tokens therof be stroÌ„g diseases hauing come vp growen in thesame bodyes through an vnnaturall disteÌ„perature of the humours so shall these terrible coÌ„mocioÌ„s and hurleyburley foreshew the end of the world which hurleyburley maÌ„ns self doeth procure vnto hymselfe by reason that he is infected with inordinate lustes affeccions Through mans peruersenes shal the veray nature of thynges be shaken out of al due ordre course detestyng as it wer the malice of man strongly ensourgeyng for the redresse aueÌ„gemente of their vngraâ—â—â—usnesse With greate vproares garboile shal there bee arisinges of nacion against nacion royalme against royalme And whereas there is nothyng more distresseful theÌ„ warre yet doeth man purchace wilfully procure this pernicious confusion vnto hymselfe through aÌ„bicion through folye through couetise through hatred and throughe other lyke corrupt affeccions Yea verai nature selfe shal ouer besides the premisses cause many sore yearthquakes in many soondrye places in sorte as though the world tooke high skorne disdeigne for that it wer forced to beare men beeing suche vngodly wicked creatures There shal morouer cum great pestileÌ„ces which by their infeccion shal waste awaie coÌ„sume a mightie great nouÌ„bre of people in sort as though the aire were armed weaponed to doe vengeaunce vpoÌ„ the ciuil sort whereas it was for this purpose first ordeined sette for maÌ„nes vse that with it holsome breath it should bothe geue nourish life vnto al creatures Ferthermore throughe penurie of the fruites of the yearth there shall come famiÌ„ne in case as yf the yearth should say that she would not geue foode vnto her children being so wicked agaysnt God to whom eueÌ„ the dumme elementes also doe their bounden seruice duetie The sea also shal bee throughly moued with strauÌ„ge vnwont rages of tumbleyng and tossing wheras thesame too had aforetymes been accustomed to serue to the vse of man Yea besides all the premisses the veray skye and heauen shal shewe woondreful signes testifiyng the wrathe of God For the sunne shal bee turned to derkenesse the moone into 〈◊〉 blasyng sterres shal in straunge likenesse shewe theimselfes other vnnaturall woonders shall appere beeyng vncouth worthie to bee meruayled 〈◊〉 But lyke as a mannes bodye â–ª doeth not streight waie passe out of the world whaÌ„ it is strieken with extreme great sickenesses and yet neuertheles thesame or 〈◊〉 lyke diseases euer now than cummyng vnto him taking him agayn 〈◊〉 declare that the tyme of his death is not ferre of right so whan the world 〈◊〉 with such manier eiuils as aforesaied be ratleed an shaken together yesame euils shal geue a great significacion tokening of the world drouping now apaâ—â— towardes his last date and faste growyng towardes decaye and ruine But before al these thinges they shall laie handes on you and persecute you deliueryng you vp to the Sinagogues and into priesoÌ„s and shall bring you vnto kinges rewlers for my names sake And this shal chaunce you for a testimoniall Bee at a sute poyncte therefore in your hertes not to studie before what ye shal answer For I wil geue you a mouth and wisedome where against al your aduersaries shal not be hable to speake or to resiste But ere thissame woefull distresse shall thus cease vpon all the world at once there shal excedyng great peruersenesse of men come afore which shal prouoke the goodnesse of god to wrathe For whan ye shall preache my name throughe whiche they maye be saued they shal laie handes vpon you and shal persecute you with al kynde of dooyng yll or mischiefe vnto you they shal hale you and pul you vnto their counsaile houses of assemblie as though ye wer culpable malefactours Thei shal ferthermore cast you in prieson thei shal aâ—taine and condemne you at the benches of kinges and rewlers not for anye youre transgression but for your great and high well dooyng that is to wete for the professing
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
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
for syghyng pleasaunt raymente for an heauy mynde Ye haue heard what maner one the prophecie promised that he shoulde be nowe rekon in your myndes whether he came not euen suche an one as he was promised What sexe what age what state high or lowe did he remoue or putte of from his beneficiall goodnesse not children not wemen not Publicanes not synners not harlottes What kinde of disease did he cry fie vpon or turne his face from not lepres not men possessed with deiuils not persones possessed with bloudie flixes not folkes diseased with the palsie What coulde bee more meke or ientyll then this saying whiche ye haue heard spoken of his owne mouth Come vnto me all ye that laboure and are loden and I shall refreshe you for my yoke is swete and my burden is light learne ye of me that I am meke and lowe in herte and ye shall fynde reaste vnto your soules What mother hath euer so loued so suffred and so cherished hir childreÌ„ as he did his disciples Besydes all this the lawe of Moses neyther was geuen to all peoples nor to al ages Christes lawe like as it is geueÌ„ vnto al nacioÌ„s so that it in no age ne time be chauÌ„ged vntill th ende of the world And coÌ„sidre ye in this behalfe also howe all poyntes doe iustely agree one with an other Firste and formoste howe clerely plainly Hieremy did prophecie vnto you afore that the circumcision of the body shall ceasse together with the sleaghyng of beastes in sacrifice the solemnisyng of Sabbothes the obseruacion of dayes the difference of meates the fastes the vowes and the residue of ceremonies whiche were for a season for this purpose geuen that they might be vnto the Iewes as figures of thynges spirituall Plough your lande sayth he and sowe not emong the thornes Be ye circumcised in the Lorde and take ye awaie the foreskynne of your hertes all ye of Iuda and all the enhabitauÌ„tes of Hierusalem Again in a certain other place thesame Prophete sayeth Beholde the dayes shall come sayeth the Lord and I shall make a newe league and couenaunte to the house of Israel to the house of Iuda not after the tenour of the couenaunte whiche I couenaunted with your fathers forthwith he added a manifest difference betwene thatsame lawe beeyng rough and vnpossible for any man to beare whiche was not without good cause written in stones whiche stones did by their hardnesse represente the hardnesse of the Iewes hertes and betwene the lawe euangelicall by meane wherof innocencie is freely offred through fayth This shall be the couenauÌ„t sayeth he whiche I will make with the house of Israel after those dayes sayeth the lorde I shall plante my lawe in the inward partes of them and in theyr hertes will I wryte thesame And forthwith teacheth he that the shadowes also of the lawe shall cease as soone as the lyght of the trueth is shewed forth And from thensforth shall no man teache his neighbour nor his brother saying Knowe thou the Lorde For all people shall know me from the leaste of theÌ„ to the moste sayth the Lorde for I shall haue mercy on theyr iniquitie and I shall neuer remembre theyr sinnes any more And doe not ye remembre how Christe spake and did all thinges agreable herunto whaÌ„ he was yet liuyng Did he not manifestly denounce and geue warnyng of an ende of the lawe whan he sayed The lawe the Prophetes reigned vntill Iohn The Iewes wurshipped God prayed vnto him in the citie of Hierusalem But what sayed Iesus to the Samaritane woman The houre shall come and it is nowe already present whan ye shall neither in this mountaine nor yet at Hierusalem wurship the father but in spirite shall they wurship hym Did he not secretely without making any woordes beginne to abrogate the lawe whan he healed on the Sabbothes the Phariseis in vain roaring against hym Whan he spake in the defence and maintenaunce of his disciples against the slaundreous querelyng of the saied Phariseis at what tyme hys disciples plucked the eares of wheate in the corne field on the Sabboth day whan he plaied the aduocate for thesame his disciples in a seÌ„bleable querele pieked against them by thesame Phariseis for that they dyd not kepe theyr soleÌ„ne faste But a great dele more at what time he healed the lepre without any ceremonies and which thing the lawe forbiddeth touched one with his handes after he was coÌ„demned of the lepry by the priestes and at what time he did without any remedy of the lawe forgeue sinnes vnto the maÌ„ possessed with the paulsey to the woman sinner that rushed into the Phariseis house vnbidden while they were at diner to many moe besides these For the law had commauÌ„ded burnt offreynges to be sacrificed for their synnes and that any offence committed should be pourged and cleÌ„sed with certain sacrifices and oblacions appoynted by name But Christe beeyng a newe reforger of the old law in stede of burnt offreing did substitute charitie There be saith he many synnes forgeuen hir because she hath loued muche He substituted feith in stede of sacrifice at an other tyme also whan he sayed O sonne haue thou a sure feith and trust thy synnes are forgeuen thee Yea yet more manifestly also at a certain other seasoÌ„ did he shew vnto you a diuersitie of both lawes the new the olde forbidding diuorce which the lawe of Moses had by permission graunted also whan he forbidde swearing which the former lawe of Moses had not forbidden also whan he coÌ„maunded to loue the enemies wheras the olde lawe did permitte both to hate the enemie and also to be aueÌ„ged on him for any trespace Did he not once for altogether abrogate take awaie al autoritie from the priestes the Scribes and the Phariseis in that they did yet still hold the grosse letter of the lawe fast in their teeth Let them alone saied he they are blind and guydes of the blind And had not the Prophetes foreshewed this thing also that thynges carnall should in tyme cummyng geue place to thynges spirituall Doe ye not remembre what Daniell the Prophete doeth wryte That preuaricacion sayeth he may be at the vttermoste and that synne may haue an ende and iniquitie may be wyped cleane awaye and euerlasting righteousnesse may be brought in and that the vision and the prophecie may be fulfilled and the holy of holyes may be enoynâ—ted Whan ye heare that the prophecies are consummate and brought to theyr perfeite effect verayly ye doe nowe vnderstande that suche thynges as are alreadie past and doen ought not any longer to be looked for as if they were still to come and wheÌ„ ye heare eternall righteousnesse ye vnderstande that the righteousnesse of the lawe whiche was to endure but for a whyle is nowe abolished Whan ye heare that Messias is to be enoynted who is the holy of all holyes and he
haue coniectured that himselfe was Iesus in that he did with such a long processe so meruailously tell vs so many thinges of Iesus Whan he did in talkyng familiarly with vs on the waie expoune vnto vs out of the scriptures the mysticall derke speakinges of the figures and prophecies did not we fele a certain woondrefull feruentnesse of herte suche as the talke of the Scribes and the Phariseis doeth not engeÌ„dre the like in the hertes of the hearers But euen of such lyke sorte as this are the lorde Iesus woordes woont to bee vnto suche folkes as heare them with a simplicitie His woordes or sermons would pricke the conscience it would moue the myndes with affeccions it would rauishe it would burne it would enflame and it woulde leaue certaine sparcles and stynges or priccles behind it in the hertes of the audience And whan they had bothe the one to the other confessed plainly that they hadde bothe of lyke sorte been strieken in their hertes did not now any thing doubte but that he was veray Iesus self returned again to life they streight waie lefte Emaus although the daie did nowe growe fast awaie with greate spede they gotte them backe again to Hierusalem to th entent that they mighte make the other disciples also partakers of so great a ioye and that by mutual conferring one with another the feith of all the cumpanie might be confirmed For the lord hath a great desire to haue the benefites of his free gift in suche wyse to be spred ferther and ferther abrode emong men that through their mutuall doyng of good one to another aswell charitie maie growe emong them as also good desertes maie encrease in them whiche God maie rewarde They were slowe whaÌ„ they leaft Hierusalem because Iesus beyng one that kept talke with them beguyled them of felyng any werinesse of the waie and plucked out of theyr mindes all desyre of beyng in theyr hosterie But the gredinesse aswell of bearyng tydynges backe agayn of that that had happened as also of knowyng againe on the other syde what had befalleÌ„ to the others made them as light as though they had had wynges on their fete whan they returned backe again to Hierusalem Whan they were come thither they founde the eleuen Apostles for now had Iudas ben abated from the noumbre of the twelue And with these eleuen there were many disciples mo present who not tarying vntill these twoo had reported all theyr tale leapyng of theyr owne mocion for ioye made relacion to thesame that after the vncertain hope whiche the women had fyrst of all creatures made vnto them of the lordes arisyng again from death to lyfe there was present knowlage come that he was arisen in veray true dede For they sayed he had appeared vnto Symon Peter The woordes of this Peter because he was of a principall estimacion emong the Apostles had more credite with the disciples then the wordes of women afore For it pleased the lorde Iesus to cuÌ„forte this Peter first and to confirme him with his presence whoÌ„ he knewe besydes the euill of vnbelief whiche was in the rest also aswell as in hym to bee greued with the priuie knowlage in his conscience of forswearyng his maister The twoo disciples aforesaied beyng glad men of these newes doe sembleably on theyr parte also make relacion howe whan thei were on the waye goyng towardes Emaus there came a certaine man beyng of none acquaintaunce with them and ioyned hymselfe together with them in coumpanie in the lykenesse of a wayfaryng man who by takyng an occasion had tolde and recited manye thynges of Iesus repeatyng out of the bookes of Moyses of the Prophetes whatsoeuer thyng had been foreshewed concernyng Iesus and also recityng what had fortuned and what was afterward to happen and how they had no knowlage of hym by any token till at last by the peculiar and speciall custome that he had euermore tofore vsed to blisse to breake and to geue bread vnto theÌ„ ¶ As they thus spake Iesus hymselfe stood in the middest of them and sayeth vnto them Peace bee vnto you It is I feare ye not But they were abashed and afrayed and supposed that they had seen a spirite And he sayed vnto theÌ„ why are ye troubled and why do thoughtes arise in your hertes Beholde my handes and my fete that it is euen I my selfe Handle me and see for a spirite hath no fleashe and bones as ye see me haue And whan he had thus spoken he shewed them his handes and his feete And whyle they yet beleued not for ioye and woondred he sayed vnto them haue ye here any meat And they offred him a piece of a broiled fishe and of an honey combe And he tooke it and did eate before them Whyle they with suche holy talkes as these do on bothe parties counforte and glad themselues some of them beleuing and some yet still doubting the Lorde Iesus sodainly entred in whan the doores were all shutte and was not seen commyng thither but sodaynly was standyng euen in the middes emong them For in suche lyke sorte do the angels soodainly appere visible whan theÌ„selues will and again soodainly vanishyng awaie whan them lyketh And as good spirites whaâ— they appere are accustomed with frendly and amiable speakyng vnto men to take all feare out of them to the entent that the weakenesse of mannes nature maye not bee any thyng dismayed or troubled righte so the Lorde because he shewed himselfe visible bothe sodainly commyng in and also in the euentide being now weâ—ed verai darke he speaketh vnto them with an amiable salutacion saying Peace be vnto you It is I feare ye not This speaking although it ought of good cause to putte awaye all feare yet neuerthelesse so great was the weakenesse of some of the disciples that hauyng theyr herte at theyr verai mouth for feare they dyd not belieue that it was Iesus but supposed themselues to see some spirite They had seen hym not long afore dead and buiryed they sawe hym not to had entred at the doore but to had appered sodainly Wherfore it coulde in no wyse synke in their hertes that it was Iesus bodye that they sawe but some spirite For the common people reporte suche manier fables howe that the gostes of dead folkes doe oftentimes appere to suche as they wyll and to represent to mortall mennes iyes a certain lykenesse of verai naturall bodyes and yet not to haue any materiall and veraye body in dede Emong these was Thomas who vnto the disciples reportyng that they had seen the Lorde had sayed playnly that he would neuer belieue it except by puttyng his fingers into his syde he hadde serched all the prientes and holes of the nailles and of the speare Iesus therfore to shewe an vndoubtable trueth vnto them all that bothe he was aliue and also bare aboute with hym a veray reall body in dede and not any other bodye then thesame whiche
their malice by his godly wysedome that he deliuered the aduoutresse oute of the stonecasters handes and yet did not clerely absoyle her as fautlesse leste he should seme to abrogate Moses lawe whiche was necessarily geuen to cause men refraine from euil dedes This I say did Iesus who came not to breake and abrogate the lawe but to fulfil it and againe on the other syde he did not condemne her because he came not into the worlde to haue sinners loste but to saue them For of trueth Iesus doeth euery where so moderate his woordes as touchyng those ordinaunces whiche the worlde obserueth necessarily euen to preserue a publike peace and for a common quietnes that he neither muche alloweth them nor improueth them but vpō occasion therof geueth monicion that generally all vngraciousnes is to be eschewed and not onely these dedes whiche worldly prynces lawes do punishe For truely there be in goddes iudgement crymes more horrible than these which yet the lawe doeth not punish notwithstanding they cannot escape punishment at goddes hande where he taketh on hand to reuenge the doer Therfore Iesus doeth neither refuse the iudgement which was cōmitted vnto him forasmuche as he is iudge ouer all nor he doth not appoint and cōmit the woman which was giltie vnto the men that wer in readinesse to cast stones neither doeth he cleare the woman of the matter who in dede had deserued to be punished but with silēce he succoureth her that was pulled hurried to pain to preserue her vnto penaunce and that she mighte with due repentaunce bee better aduised and conuerte to healthe and saluacion He gaue no aunswere by worde of mouthe but he spake the more by his dede He knewe the selye giltie woman to bee a sinner but he also knewe her accusers whiche woulde haue been thought righteous to be more sinfull then she was He did not take away Moses lawe but he shewed the mercifulnes of Christes newe law whereof he was thauctor he informed them that drewe the faultie womā to cruel pain to loke well vpon thēselues and according to gods lawe to examine their owne conscience duely euery one to shewe himself suche a one towardes his neighbour that had offended as he would haue god to iudge hym This thyng our Lorde Iesus did for our instruccion and he bowed downe hymselfe to signify that a man al statelinesse and pride layd doune wherwith any man flattered himself and of an hault minde despised his neighbour should descende doune into himself and loke wel vpon himself and being bowed doune Iesus wrote vpon the grounde euen to geue vs warnyng that God shall iudge euerye man after the lawe of the gospel The lawe written in tables made them by an vntrue righteousnes proude and arrogant The law written vpon the grounde maketh euery man through a conscience and knowlage of his owne infirmitie meke and mercifull vnto his neighbour Now whiles the Iewes preaced still vpon him to knowe his iudgemente although he had already by his dede pronounced it he stoode vp and so tolde them playnly his minde that wyst not what he meant by his doing and sayd He that is among you without synne let him cast the first stone at her With this saying he did not clearely assoyle the offender but he pearced their consciences And euery one of them knowynge himselfe giltie feared leste Iesus to whom they sawe wer knowen euen moste hid and seret thynges should haue published their vngracious actes When he had thus pricked their conscience he stouped doune againe and wrote vpon the grounde as it wer by that dede paintyng before theyr iyes what he would haue them to do He noted their arrogancie whiche toke vpon them to be holy when as in dede they were more synfull then those whom the lawe extremely punished For she whom they had brought foorth to be stoned with the commō handes of manye had not kylled her husband but through the frailtie of the fleshe had geuen the vse of her body to an other man and so committed aduoutrie They beyng full of enuy hatered complainyng couetousnes ambicion and deceite laye in wayte to kyl the lorde of the whole lawe who alone was free in al thynges and clerely pure from all synne Therefore vpon this the lordes answere euery one knowing himself giltie being afrayed lest he shoulde be bewraied and his faultes disclosed went out of the temple one after another the seniors the Phariseis the Scribes the Priestes and other head men goyng before and the rest folowing them For they whiche among that sorte wer taken for the very pillers and mainteiners of religion and iustice were euen sowsed in mormities and inwardly moste great synners When these folkes were goen out of whom neuer one was cleare and without fault Iesus remained alone who onely was without fault And nowe the synful womā found him which neuer hadde doen synne a mercifull iudge wheras she should haue had theim cruel murderers who were themselues giltie of grieuous sinnes Therfore the woman seing their crueltie stoode alone as a wofull synner before Iesus that was alone a woman ready to perishe before a Sauiour a sinfull creature before the fountaine of all perfeccion and holynes She quaked for feare euen of a very conscience but the clemencie of Iesus whiche shewed it selfe euen in his countenaunce put her in good coumfort and in the meane whyle our lord as it were a man occupied about an other thyng wrote vpon the grounde so that the Iewes as it well appeared wente a waye not as men afraied with the lordes threathynges but condemned in their owne consciences At lengthe Iesus stoode vppe and when he sawe that all were goen and the woman all alone and fearefull he speake curteously vnto her sayinge woman wher are thine accusers hath any man condemned the She answered no mā si◠Then Iesus sayed neither will I that came to saue all men bee more vnmercifull then they nor condemne her whom they haue not condemned The rigour of the lawe doeth punishe to feare men the fauourablenesse of the gospell seketh not the deathe of a synner but rather his amendemente and lyfe Therfore go thy waye and sinne no more hereafter By this example our lorde Iesus taught those that taketh vpon them to be shepeherdes ouer the people and to be teachers of the gospell howe greate sufferaunce and gentelnesse they ought to vse towardes them whiche fall into synne by frailtie for considering that he in whom was no synne at al shewed hymself so merciful towardes an open sinner how great ought the bishops gentilnes to be towardes offēders when as they themselues haue many times more nede of Goddes mercy then they against whose faultes they be very angry or in case they be not so synful certes their life is not without some spotte at leaste waye truely they maye by the frailtie of man fall into all kynde of synne ¶ Then spake Iesus agayne vnto them
afterward vnto Pilate beyng than iudge and liutenaunt of the prouince to th entent he mighte be crucified And for as muche as his wyll was to dye for oure sakes no aunswer made he before him for his releasement but as he had bene a shepe suffred pacieÌ„tly al their mockes and al their punishementes But there hid he the puissaunce of his diuine power and submitted himselfe for mans sake to the lowest degree of humilitie The Iewes supposyng verely that he was none other thing at all than he seemed to be condemned hym and putte hym to death This is it vndoubtedly that the prophete speaketh of In his humblenes is his iudgement exalted An innocent is to death condemned whiche shall cum once agayne on hyghe and surmountyng all other and shall iudge the quicke and the dead But god the father hath called his sonne backe to lyfe againe the thirde daye After what tyme of his resurreccion was he the space of fowertie dayes conuersaunt on yearth bothe seen often and felte of his disciples corporally and than finally in syght of them all lyfte vp he was into heauen And the tenth daye after his ascencion sent he downe from heauen the holy ghoste who in suche wyse enspired the apostles hertes and their toungues also that they myghte without all feare publyshe vnto all people through out the world Iesus of Nazareth for the chiefe authour and founâ—ayne of lyfe and health euerlastyng not by any helpe of Moses lawe but by faythe and baptisme Of all these poyntes rehearsed none there is that Moses law hath not in figures sygnified that the prophetes haue not before spoken of yea that Iesus hymselfe hath not taught and promised The chamberlayne whiles that Philip was declaryng to hym these poyntes of the gospel with other many mo was ware by chaunce of a litle spring of water fast by the waye and sayde vnto Philip why prolong we so great and weyghtye a matter See where water is at hande Thou hast nowe enformed me and I am all ready What shall let but that I maye forthwith be christened Than aunswered Philip there is no let at all yf thou stedfastly beleue and kepe with all thy herte those thinges whiche I haue taught the. This promyse alone is made at baptisme Than aunswered the chamberlaine right gladly I beleue that Iesus is the very same Christ whoÌ„ the prophetes hath promysed I beleue that he is the sonne of god for whose sake al men haue profered theÌ„ health euerlastyng Philip caused the chariot furthwith to stand styll It was a noble carriage richely garnished semely for hym that was an head officer to a barbarous quene But downe alowe muste he come that shall be founde mete for baptysme and strip himselfe naked of all garmentes Bothe wente down into the water and there Philip christened the chamberlayne a poore man the riche a simple and an abiect the puyssauÌ„t and mightie a man in himselfe right perfect of all his lymmes the vnperfect that lacked parte of his meÌ„bres a Iewe the Ethiopian So litle regarde here was had to mannes personage There is no disagreaunce where is faith in Iesus Christe and consent of mynde together in one accorde After baptisme there was neyther chaÌ„berlayne nor Ethiopian but a newe creature And as for Philip as soone as he was come out of the water an aungel of the lord toke him away and more of him saw not this chamberlaine neyther after desyred he to haue his teaching being once inspired with the holy ghost in baptisme but as one righte glad at the hert that he had learned Christes fayth made an ende of his iourney that he might at home likewyse publishe the name of Christe among his countrey men of Ethiop Fynally the aungell set Philip downe in the nexte citie called Azotus whence he came and takyng thence his iourney in euery place where village or towne did lye in his waye he preached the gospell vntyll he came vnto Cesarea a citie in Palestine where his dwellynge was The .ix. Chapter ¶ And Saule yet breathyng out threatninges slaughter against the disciples of the Lord went vnto the hie prieste desyred of him letters to cary to Damasco to the Synagoges that if he found any of this waye whether thei wer menne or women he might bring them bound to HierusaleÌ„ And wheÌ„ he iourneyed it fortuned that as he was come nygh to Damasco sodeÌ„ly there shyned rounde about him a light from heauen he fel to the earth and hearde a voyce saying to hym Saul Saul why persecutest thou me And he sayde what arte thou lord And the lorde sayed I am Iesus whom thou persecutest It is harde for the to kycke against the prycke And he both tremblyng astoyned said lorde what wylt thou haue me do And the lord said vnto him arise go into the citie it shal be tolde the what thou must doe WHyle these thynges were in doing Saule in all his procedynges againste the Christians expressed muche crueltie not onely within the walles of Hierusalem but where els he perceiued that the disciples whiche were scattered abrode had spred also the worde of the gospell purposyng than more and more with himselfe not onely to threaten them and to enpryson but to kyll and murther them in sundry wyse went vnto the hygh Byshop to th entent that by maintenaunce of his authoritee he myght the sooner consume them desyred to haue his letters of commission not onely to cities nygh there about where he had already exercised his crueltie but vnto Damasco a citie in Phenicea far of from Hierusalem dyrected vnto the Synagoges of the Iewes there dwellyng for that ende that he might thorowe their ayde at commaundement of the high Byshop bryng fast bounde to Hierusalem whomesoeuer he had taken faultie in this heresye â—yther menne or women These and suche lyke thinges was Saule moued to doe of a plaine and no dessemblyng mynde supposyng with himselfe accordyng vnto the Lordes saying that his deuoure and seruice herein was pleasaunt to God And therfore God suffered not his handes to be polluted with innocentes bloude but called hym abacke in the myddes of his rage For whan he was almoste at his iourneyes ende not far from the citie Damasco a sodaine light from heauen shone about him and sodainlye as he was fallen for feare vpon the ground hearde he a voice saying vnto hym Saule Saule why doest thou persecute me ThaÌ„ Saule as one stricken with a great maruayle who he should be that on hygh aboue and so myghty complayned of wroÌ„g as it were done by his freÌ„de and in doubt whether he were some aungell or els God himselfe aunswered fearfully who art thou O Lorde Than sayed he I am thesame Iesus of Nazareth whome thou supposeste to be deade whereas I dooe liue reigne in heauen But thou in persecucioÌ„ of my disciples of my name doest persecute me also vnawares thereof But all thy labour