death He sought for comfort euery where found none at all But yet is it a certaine kynde of solace and comforte to complayne vnto our freÌ„des of our calamitie though they will not helpe vs. Therfore he commaunded also these three to tarry here and watche That done he went forth a litle and as one cleane destitute of all worldly comforte and vtterly forlorne and paste helpe as touchyng mans helpe fled vnto the father for socoure of whom yet he should not byanby be eased of his griefe Wherfore he fell down flatte on the grounde and lying grouelyng prayed the father that if it were possible the tyme of this battaile might passe awaye The nature of his body feared the tourment death that was nye hand Abba father sayd he Thou canste do all thinges take awaye this cup from me that I drinke not therof Neuertheles let that be doen that thy will hath decreed whiche wylleth nothing but what is moste expedient and best and not as the weakenesse of this body desyreth ¶ And he came and founde them sleping saith to Peter Symon â–ª slepest thou Couldest not thou watche one houre watche ye and praie lest ye enter into temptacion The spirite truly is ready But the fleshe is weake And agayne he went asyde and prayed and spake thesame wordes And he returned and found theÌ„ aslepe agayn For their â—yes were heauy Neyther wyst they what to answere him And he came the thyrde tyme sayde vnto them slepe hence forth take your ease it is enough The houre is cum beholde the sonne of man is betrayed into the handes of sinners ryse ye vp let vs go Loe he that betrayeth me is at hand And iâ—mediatly whyle he yet spake climeth Iudas which was one of the twelue and with him a greate numbre of people with swerdes and staues from the hye priestes scribes and elders And he that betrayed him had geuen theÌ„ a general token saying Whosoeuer I do kisse that same is he take him and leade hym away warely And as sone as he was cum he goeth streightway to hym and saieth vnto hym Maister maister and kyssed hym And they layed theyr handes on him and toke hym And one of them that stoode by drue out a swerde and smote a seruaunt of the hie priest and cut of his eare When he had thus prayed he returned vnto his three disciples whome he left behinde him and found them nowe sleping And then called he Peter who a litle before had made so stout a promyse saying SimoÌ„ slepest thou Couldest thou not watche as much as one houre with me This tyme admitteth no sluggishenesse For he slepeth not that goeth about to destroye vs. Watche and praye lest ye entre into temptacion because ye shall bee in ieopardy to bee ouercomen therwith if it cum vpon you when ye are nothyng prepared The perill is like commune vnto vs all I watche and praye for your health safetie doe you like wyse watche and praye as I do that you maye ouercome with me The spirite is ready and wyllyng but the fleshe is weake The spirite must be stayed and stablyshed with watchyng and prayer leste the fleshe haue the vpper hande When Iesus had thus spoken he went eftsones to the place froÌ„ wheÌ„ce he came made his prayers vnto the father with like tenour of wordes as he dyd before desyring hym that he might not drinke of the cup which was at hand and anon he returned to his disciples and founde them agayne slepyng They napped in the beholdyng of his maiestie insomuch that Peter wiste not what he sayde In like manour do they here slepe in the beholdyng of his infirmitie and weakenesse and knowe not well what answere to make hym rebukynge them Iesus returned the third tyme from prayer vnto his sayed disciples and the thirde time he founde them a slepe Bothe they and we had perished vnles Iesus had watched and prayed for vs al. Therfore after they were wakened he rebuked them because he would by them styrre vp and awaken all slewthfull persons Slepe ye sayde he from henceforth and take your reast You haue slepte ynoughe The thing selfe will now waken you whether you will or no. The very point and momente of the tyme is already cumme Lo the sonne of manne shall anon be betrayed and delyuered into theyr handes that are all set on mischiefe Ryse vp and let vs go mete them For now the lord Iesus had by prayer made himself strong in mynde against the storme of affliccions that was at hand Neither shewed he any time afterward any token of feare or werines but gaue vs an ensaÌ„ple of moste coÌ„staunt and stedfast pacience vnto the last houre He had no sooner spoken these wordes but Iudas Iscarioth one of the numbre of the twelue chosen disciples amonges them taken for the chiefe was cum and with hym a great bende of souldiers fensed with sweardes and staues against Iesus being without armour and weaponlesse Neither lacked there here authoritie The hie priestes scribes and head men of the people sent this power Here marke me good reader the notable conflicte of the euangelike and christian godlynesse againste fayned and counterfayte holynesse Thus is the truthe of the ghospell daylye assaulted thus doeth it alwayes ouercum and get the victorie There is none meter to betraye it then he who professing hymselfe to be a preacher teacher of thesame teacheth those thinges that are of the fleshe There is muche more ieopardie of false doctrine then of the swerdes and staues of souldiours that are notorious and open misdoers Yet dyd not Iudas well trust to his owne strength and policie when he should betraye the lorde He ioyned vnto hym a great bende of souldiers wel weaponed besydes them the authoritie of both the states that is to saye both of the spiritualitie and teÌ„poralitie And all these thynges dyd they in the night hauing awayted as well oportunitie of place as of tyme. There muste nedes be moste horrible darkenesse where Iesus is bound and taken This was the power of darkenesse Satan was suffered a whyle to seme to haue vanquished and ouercum Christ. What greater blindnesse could there be then to go about by mannes policie to betraye hym vnto whom nothyng is vnknowen then with swerdes and staues to assault him who with a becke can do what hym luste Iudas dyd not openly shewe hymselfe to be the captaine of this vngracious compaignie but gaue them firste a token saying whomsoeuer I kysse the same is Iesus Laye ye handes vpon hym and leade hym charely lest he scape froÌ„ you The priestes were well ware of this that the money should not be disbursed vnlesse Iesus were in their handes and custodie Then began Iudas to go a prety waye before the souldiers as though he had goen about sumwhat els but yet he went so before theÌ„ that he was euer in their sight And anon as he was cuÌ„ vnto
Maiesties most noble and victorious Reigne throughly tried and the same aswel in peace as also in soondry warres approued neither at home only but also both in fraunce Scotland more then once or twise declared of whose dexterity aswell in marcial feactes as also in ciuile affaires and in ordring of the common weale of whose fortunate and luckie spede in al his worthy enterpryses of whose happye and prosperous successe in all thinges that he taketh in hande of whose passyng great clemencye moderacy on towardes all people in euerye behalf of whose prudence in all ciuill matiers of whose feithful and vigilaunte administracion vnder your Maiestie in your common weale of whose indifferencie in al causes of iustice to be ministred to your people of whose most vpright integrity not onely in ciuil counsayles but also in matiers of religion for the worde of God purely sincerely to be set forth to Gods glory and to the welth and honour of your Emperial croune and dignitie though no manne is hable to say ouermuch yet wil I rather absteyne to say that I coulde and iustly might doe then I will fill his eares with the troumpe of his owne particular prayses whiche I knowe hym to bee nothyng desirous ne willing to heare Onely I shall pray almyghtie God as al Englande and your other dominions with publique and the same vnceassaunt prayers doe to preserue and kepe him vntil such time as your Maiestie being growen to full manstate and absolute discrecion may rewarde him with condigne thankes for his long and the same most feithful and diligent seruice and the same thing also to doe vnto al the other your moste noble and godly Counsaylours For the blisfull state that your Maiestie endeuoureth and daily trauayleth with their assent consent to set this your Empiere in enforceth as many as loue either you or God daily to breake out into this acclamacion O happy King of suche woorthy Counsailours and o happy Counsailours of such a toward King Neither doe we your most beneuolent subiectes any thing doubte but that your Maiesties godly beginninges so prosperously and earnestly to set foorth Gods worde and glory shal dayly more and more occasyon al Christian kinges princes not onely to spoyle the Romishe Egipt by resuming euery one his owne most due tightful title of supreme head within his own Royalmes dominions by abolishing the vsurped primacie of the papacie of Rome with al the Antichristian tradicions issuing from the same but also in publishing the pure and sincere worde of God to theyr peoples and subiectes euery one And than is it not to be doubted but that Christian loue peace vnitie and concorde whiche hath long and many yeres through the malicious practising of the See of Rome been exiled banished from al parttes of Christendome shall vniuersally in a momente returne agayne to the great glory of God to the quieting of the worlde to the benefite of all Christen common weales and to the confusion discoumfeightyng aswell of the Turkes as also of al other the enemies of God and good people And within your Maiesties Royalmes and dominions it is in the meane time nothing to be mistrusted but that by your most gracious prouision such knowlage of Gods worde shal grow that your people shal be to al others a perfeict ensaumple of all godly conuersacyon and behaueour And where Ezechias and Iosias mayntayned true religion and the vpright wurshipping of God but either for his owne time no lenger I trust your Grace shal confirme establish it for euer in the hertes and bowels of all youre most tendre louing subiectes WheruÌ„to certes there cannot be any so ready or sure a way as by publishing the holy scripture gospel of Christ by establishing the vse therof through most holesome ordeinauÌ„ces statutes lawes iniunccions sincere preachers most godly omelies and exposicions in the vulgare toung And in this behalfe if common writers in trifling profane matiers do with much high suit make meanes to obteine and vse the fauourable acceptacion of Princes vnder whose name title proteccion any such weorke may be the more commended and the better habled vnto the readers how much are we al bound to your highnes who of your own mere good zele and of your own accorde doe willingly set forth in the English toung suche fruictfull bookes wherby all your people may bee edified in religion Emong which verely I knowe not any one booke whome for this purpose of briefly pithily sincerely and familiarely expouning the new testament I may iustly compare or at leste wise preferre to thys presente Paraphrase of Erasmus whiche lyke as the moste vertuous ladie Quene Katerine late wife of your moste noble father and now of your ryghte derebeloued vnkle Syr thomas Seimour knight Lorde Seimour of Sudley and high admyrall of your Seaes did ryght graciously procure to be translated into our vulgare toung so your Maiestie more graciously hath by your most godly iniunccioÌ„s willed to be read vsed and studied by euery curate and pryeste to the vndoubted edifying aswell of them as of all other that with a desyre to knowe God shall eyther reade or heare the same For as a wynnower powereth the chaffe from the corne and the boulter tryeth out the branne from the mele so hath Erasmus scoured out of all the Doctours and commentaries vpon Scrypture the dregges which through the faute of the times or places in whiche those writers liued had settled it selfe amonge the pure fine substaunce he hath tried out the refuse that cleued in any the weorkes of suche as wrote whan the doctrine began by patchyng clokyng to decline to insynceritie the trashe and bagguage stuffe that through papistical tradicions had founde a waye to crepe in this man hath sifted out froÌ„ the right doctrine so that aswel in al other his most clerkely wrytinges as also most specyally in these his Paraphrases vpon the newe testament so auncientely wryten as cannot be emended he bringeth in and briefly compriseth the pith of aâ—l the myndes and meninges of all the good Doctours of the churche that euer wrote In iustificacion of feith in honouring God onely in repentaunce puritie of a Christen mans life in detesting of imagery and corrupte honouring of Sainctes in opening and defacing the tiranny the blasphemie Hipocrisie the ambicion the vsurpacion of the See of Rome in noting the abuses of al the abhominable sectes and rables of counterfeiâ—te religions idle cloisters in bewraiing the iugling sleightes and fine practise of poperie in choice of meates in esteming the differeÌ„ce of daies in manifesting of vaine ceremonies vnder the coulour and pretence of holynesse crept into Christes churche in reprehending pilgrimages with al circuÌ„stances of ydolatrie and supersticion in describing of a Princes office in teachyng obedyence of the people towardes their rulers and Gouernours in declaring of a pastours duetie in shewing the parte of an EuaÌ„gelical
Therefore as oft as they geue any thing to the poore they seke not to be secrete alone but they come abrode in the stretes and where as men resorte And like as players shoulde play theâ—â— pageauÌ„te they call furth a numbre of the people with the sounde of the trumpe to toote and to gase both casting the poorâ— and miserable in the teeth with their miserye and hunting for themselues a vayne and a folish prayse of men Wyll ye heare what they gayne Let the people prayse them neuer so much they haue lost their rewarde of their good dede at goddes hande whiche doeth measure the godly worke of the sincere affeccion of the minde He that geueth for praise glory he selleth his good turne he geueth it not Truely thou must be so far from the affeccion of these men that when thou geueste any almes thy leftehande must not know what thy righthande doeth and thou must not desyre to be loked vpon of man yea and if it wer possible thou thy selfe shouldest not know that whiche thou doest arighte and shouldest forget thyne owne dede and not impate it to any man that thou hast done wel nor stande not in thine owne conceite because thou hast geuen thyne almes but only reioyce inwardly that the poore and nedy is refreshed What if men knowe not yea what if he that is succoured knoweth not hym that succoureth hym It is ynoughe for thee to haue a witnes of the father from whose iyes nothing can be hid He wil rewarde thee although thou haue no thanke at all of man And whan thou prayeste thou shalte not be as Hypocrites are For they vse to stande praying in the synagoges and in the corners of the siretes that they may bee 〈◊〉 men Uerely I saye vnto you they haue theyr rewarde But whan thou prayest entre into thy chambre and whan thou hast 〈◊〉 thy doore pray to thy father which is in secrete And thy father whiche seeth in secrete shall rewarde the openly Semblablie whan ye make your prayers to god doe not folow the guise and vsage of Hipocrites whose special delite is to stande in company of men and in the corners of the stretes so often as they pray for none other enteÌ„t but to be sene of men at whose handes they hunt and loke for the prayse of deuout and holy conuersacion Let them please themselfe and others also with suche gloryous prayers This I assure you nowe they haue their rewarde whiche they loked for And what is more vayne then thys rewarde and for a counterfeit and a false glory they frustrate set theÌ„selues beside that blessed rewarde which god would haue geuen if they had offred in his sight the pure and sincere oblacion of theyr prayers Doe thou therefore contrary wise When thou prayest forsake the multitude enter into thy secrete chamber shut the dores and in secrete vttre thy sincere prayers before thy father It is ynough that he doeth beholde see thy godlynes from whome nothing can be hid He wil reÌ„der vnto thee the euerlasting rewarde These thinges haue I setfurth to teache you by playne and homely exaumples For it is not yll to geue almes sumtime before men or to pray in a multitude and where as men resort but than knoweth not the left hand what the right hande doth when the worke of charitie is not defiled with any affeccion of worldly vanitie Then thou art secrete in thy chaumbre â–ª when thou speakeste vnto god with such perfecte clerenes of minde as though no man did beholde thee He that prayeth in a multitude of menne as earnestely yea peraduenture more vehementely than if he were alone he prayeth in his secrete chaumbre For the ryghte hande and the lefte or the secrete chambre standeth not in the thynges but in the affeccions and desyres of the harâ—e But whan ye pray baâ—le not muche as the heathen doe â–ª for they thinke it will come to passe that they shal be hearde for theyr muche bablinges sake Be not ye therefore lyke vnto them For your father knoweth what thinges ye haue nede of before ye aske of him This also must be considered in prayer It is the affeccion and the harty desyre that moueth god not the noyse of the lippes And it skilleth not how long and how loude the prayer be but howe feruent and syncere the affeccion and desire is Wherfore let the example of the heatheÌ„ men be farre from you which do recite and say long prayers and ful of many wordes redy framed and prescribed vnto them as who woulde say they shoulde obteine nothyng excepte they weried God with bablyng of many woordes repetyng one thyng oftentimes and prescribing and appoynting with recitall of many wordes what when and howe they woulde haue the thyng perfourmed whiche they pray for And yet oftentimes they pray for thynges noysome and hurtefull We ought to aske of God the best thinges and not all thynges and we ought to pray often rather than much and vehemently rather than long finally with the harte rather then with voyce Neyther alwayes with prescrybed and purposed woordes after the custome of the heathen but so much as the feruencie of the minde and rauishment towards god doeth styrre and prouoke Truely your father loueth to be called vpon but not to be taught with long prayer what your necessitie doeth require but to be prouoked through youre godlines to geue the thing whiche the slothfull and sluggishe deserueth not to 〈◊〉 for he knoweth what your necessitie doeth require yea before that he be called vpon After this maner therfore pray ye Our father whiche arte in heauen halowed be thy name Thy kingdome come thy wil be done in yearth as it is in heauen Geue us this day oure dayly bread And forgeue vs our trespasses as we forgeue them that trespasse againste vs. And leade vs not into temptacion but deliuer vs from euell For thine is the kyngdome and the power and the glory for euer Amen Therefore be ye vnlike to the heathen men bothe in life and also in maner of praying And if ye will haue a fourme and maner of the euangelicall prayer prescrybed and set forthe vnto you thys is the worthy prayer wherewith the true and naturall children ioyned with brotherly charitie may speake vnto the heauenly father father vnto all men indifferently of whome although ye haue all thinges yet those chiefely oughte to be requyred whiche make for the attaynemente of the euerlastyng lyfe For all the other thynges he will caste vnto you euen of hys owne accorde as an encrease and aduauntage according to the desires of his children as he is a most bounteful father Whose glory ye ought to regarde aboue al thinges to whome al glory is due in heauen and in yearth To perteine vnto his kyngdome is to conquere the tyranny of the diuell To be subiecte vnto hys will is to rule and reygne Of whose free liberalitie it
breake and the wyne tunneth out and the bottels perishe But they put newe wyue into newe bottels and both are saued together After these thynges certain disciples of Iohn which by the reasoÌ„ of a certain carnall affeccion dyd enuye Iesus magnifiyng Iohn their maister as one more excellent than Iesus ioynyng them selues with the Phariseis go vnto Iesus and feare not falsely to blame him to his face because he vsed his disciples ouer delicately and brought theÌ„ not vp so hardly as Iohn did his whiche semed to promise a more hard and straite disciplyne The Phariseis sought for a fame an opinyon of holynesse among the people by two waies chiefly that is by fasting and praier Wherfore they demaund of Iesus why do we the disciples of Iohn and the Phariseis fast so often pray after the ordinance of our aunceters whiche haue taught that prayer should be commended and set forthe by fastyng and thy disciples vse not like faste Unto this manifest and false reprose because it touched hym not his dysciples Iesus answered very gentely so that he neither reproued the ordinaunce of Iohn neither plainly condemned the fastynges of other men But only shewed that the gentlenes which he vsed towardes his disciples was not of negligence but of policie whereby he brought them by lytle and litle to greater thinges euen as when a wyse and skylful teacher of youth doeth not furthwith feare the tender age with harde thynges but with inticementes allureth it to thynges of difficultie and taketh occasion to answere by that reason of the witnes that Iohn bare For hetestifiyng of Iesus before theÌ„ that thought that Iohn was Christ he that hath a spouse ê™ he is a spouse and his frende standeth by and reioyseth muche because he heareth the voice of the spouse meanyng Iesus to bee the spouse whom the prophecye in the psalme did promise should cum lyke a bridegrome out of his chaumbre and he hymselfe nothing els but the frend of the spouse Iesus therfore putting them in remembraunce of the saiyng of Iohn saieth Can the childreÌ„ whiche be in the chambre of the new spouse whereas al thinges ought to be ioyfull be troubled and greued with the Iewish and lowryng fast chiefly seing the spouse is present Enuy them not for this ioye whiche wyl not long indure Suffer them to be led with this teÌ„dernes gentely and swetely vnto thinges of more perfeccioÌ„ Now they haue their spouse and they be holy set on him they haue no leysure now to faste and they be so tendre that they cannot awaye with it In the meane season they shall growe and were and the tyme shall cum when their spouse shal be taken from them than they beyng stronger shal not onely fast of their owne accord but also they shal be able to suffer sharper showres The Iewes put the chiefest point of their religioÌ„ in of ten fastinges and loÌ„g praiers These thinges as they be not to be reproued yf they be not doen for vaynglory but for godlines so the doctrine of the gospel hath an iye and regarde vnto stroÌ„ger thinges matter of more weight vnto the whiche thynges I frame and fashion my scholers by litle and litle Therfore my manner of teachyng agreeth not with Iohn It is newe that I teach and my doctrine is new and a new maner of teaching is most semely for a newe kynde of doctrine It behoueth not a schole mayster to bee ouer hasty the thing shal declare it self in time whose scholers be better brought vp and taught Old thynges must not be mengled with newe For no manne soweth a patche of new and rawe cloth in an old garment For by this way the hole of the olde garmente is not onelye not mended but also the hole is made greater and more ill fauored because the newe cloth agreeth not with the olde And they that be wyse and polytike menne put not newe wyne into olde vesselles For than a double inconuenience foloweth whilest both the wyne runneth out and the vessels be broken and vtterly lost But rather put newe wyne into newe vesselles whiche maye beare the strength of the wyne nor start a suÌ„der with the boiling and working of the wyne So both the vesselles be saued and also the wine I wil my disciples to be al newe and so I fashion them for me by lyttell and lyttell that in tyme to cum they maye bee strong and styffe to beare the myghte of the doctrine euangelycall Iohn durst put no nother than olde wyne in olde vesselles as fastyng such other which be far froÌ„ those thinges that men of the gospel must perfourm I doe not commit the swete wyne of my doctrine but vnto newe vesselles Whyle he thus spake vnto them beholde there came a certayne ruleâ— and wurshypped him saiyng my doughter is euen now deceassed but cum and laye thy hande vpon her and she shall liue and Iesus arose and folowed hym and his disciples also And behold a woman diseased with an â—ssue of bloud twelue yeres came behynde hym and touched the hem of his garment For she said within her self if I may touche but his vesture onely I shal be whole But Iesus turned him and whan he sawe her said doughter be of good coÌ„fort thy faith hath made the safe And the woman was made whole euen the same tyme. And whan Iesus came into the rulers house and sawe the minstrels and the people makyng a noyse he said vnto them get ye hence for the maide is not deade but sleapeth and they laughed him to skorne But whan the people were put forth he went in and toke her by the hande and the damosell arose And this rumor went abrode into all the lande Iesus speaking these thinges there came vnto him a certain wardeÌ„ of the Synagoge called Iairus falling huÌ„bly vpoÌ„ his knees wurshipped hym and with behement praier besechyng said my only daughter twelue yere of age was at the poynt of death whan I came froÌ„ home and I am afeard leste that she be nowe deade Cum I pray you and lay your hande vpon her that she may recouer and liue Iesus as he was ready to do good to al men whiche asked with plaine trust and confidence whether they were pore or rich Iewes or straÌ„gers forthwith arose vp folowed Iairus whiche made haste home if perhappes he myght fynde his daughter yet alyue The disciples the thicke multitude folowed Iesus And behold as he was goyng there befell an occasion of an other miracle There was amoÌ„g the great multytude of people a certayne woman whiche had been diseased with the bluddy flixe for the space of twelue yeres and had spent her whole substaÌ„ce vpon phisicions and yet founde she none that coulde heale her disease Therfore was she in double miserie for that pouertie was ioyned with her sickenesse This woman when she had conceyued in her hart a great truste and coÌ„fideÌ„ce in Iesus because of
the maliciouse imaginacions of the same vnto the people but by demaunding a question touched and hit theyr conscience throughly home saying I woulde with all my hearte learne of you that professe the knowlage of the lawe whether it bee leefull to helpe the neighboure with dooyng him a good turne on the sabboth daye or elles to leaue the neyghbour destitute of succour in his woe and distresse whoÌ„e a man is able to helpe And whether is it lawfull to saue a mans lyfe on the sabboth daye or els to caste awaye the same For he playnely casteth away an other mans lyfe that whan it lyeth in his power to saue it doeth not saue it And whan the lorde had caste his iyes round about and no man there was that would make any aunswere he sayd vnto the man holde furth thy hand And immediatly he stretched furth his hande at libertie whiche afore was lame and shrounken together and in such case that it could not stiere a whit So great was the vertue and power of Iesus bidding him to stretche it furth What shoulde the Scribes and Phariseis in this case doe The miracle was more euidente then that it coulde bee denyed and veray common reason did allow that a godly thing it was at any manyer tyme to helpe to the preseruacion of men but hauing been long accustomed to the olde soureswig of Moses lawe they coulde not awaye with the muste of euangelicall charitie Wheras of these actes theyr duetie had bene to acknowlage the power of the Godhead and to acknowlage the autour and firste maker of the lawe they are turned into starke staring madnesse And now euen out of hande they enter a consayll emong themselues of commyttyng murder what way they might destruie Iesus bring him to his death This was with those ioyly captaynes of religion a thing lawfull to dooe on the sabboth day wheras to the same it was a mattier of conscience to geue helth to a man being in extreme miserie on the Sabboth daie And it fortuned in those daies that he went out into a mountaine for to praye and continued all night in prayer to god And assoone as it was daye he called his disciples and of them he chose twelue whome also he called Apostles Simon whom he also named Peter and Andrewe his brother Iames and Iohn Philip and Bartholomewe Mathewe and Thomas Iames the sonne of Alpheus and Simon whiche is called Zelotes and Iudas Iames sonne and Iudas Iscarioth the same that was the traytâ—ur The lorde Iesus eftesons departing from the cities and from the greate resorte of people sequestred himselfe and went vnto a mountayne to pray and all the same night did he passe ouer in deuoutly praying vnto god teaching vs a lesson thereby in case we shall bee willyng to beginne any thyng whiche we woulde fayne haue to be luckie and prosperouse in the proceding of it that we than beginne of making our earneste prayer that it maye please God handesomelye and fauourably to sende the good ayde of his spirite vnto the thinges that we goe about to enter And whan it was brode day lighte he called vnto him his disciples whome he had now as perpetual companyons witnesses of those thinges whiche he wrought Out of them he pieked out a certayne nouÌ„ber of special persons whome for this only coÌ„sideracioÌ„ he named apostles because he entended to send them abrode shortelye after as ambassadoures of the gospel throughout all the worlde and theyr office to be nothing els to do but what they had in commission froÌ„ him The names of the said Apostles are these first Symon who afterwarde had his name geuen him in the Sirians tongue and was called Cephas in Greke petros in Latine saxum in Englysh a stone for none other cause verayly but for his sound constant professioÌ„ by the which whaÌ„ the people were in a wauering maÌ„mering what he was Peter being as the voyce of all thapostles together pronouÌ„ced the sentence that Iesus was the soÌ„ne of the liuing god Unto Peter was Andrew his own brother associate as a felowe Then Iames and Iohn Philip and Bartholemewe Mathewe and Thomas Iames the sonne of Alphei and Simon surnamed zelotes Iudas the sonne of Iames and Iudas Iscariothe who afterward betrayed Iesus whome Iesus chose not vnaduisedly as one that wist not what he did but by prouydence to the entente that he woulde by exaumple of this Iudas teache all creatures what an horrible mattier it is to abuse the fauourable goodnesse of oure salueour towarde vs. Yea and in all the whole noumber of the Apostles was there not so muche as any one that was a man eyther of power or of rychesse or of learnyng not one that was eyther a Pharisee or a Scribe or a bishop He pieked them out vnlearned and rawe or grene in cunning euerye one of them to the ende and purpose that he might poure newe wyne into newe bottels And he came downe with them and stode in the plaine fielde and the compaignye of his disciples and a great multitude of people out of all Iewrie and Hierusalem and from the sea coaste of Tyre and Sydon whiche came to heare hym and to bee healed of theyr diseases and they that were vexed with foule spirites and they were healed And all the people pressed to touche hym for there went vertue out of him and healed them all These Apostles thus chosen vnto hym he came downe from the mountayne vntil he were come into a certayn plaine that was able to receiue a great multitude of people For suche thynges as require purytie of moste perfeccion are to be dooen in the mountayne Emong thynges of moste hyghe perfeccion deuoute prayer hath the firste place the next place hath the special chosing out of them to whome the despensacion and stewarding of goddes word is to be committed There were presente also the residue of his disciples and a veraye great noumber of all sortes of the people besides which had come thither out of all Iewry yea and from Hierusalem selfe too and also from the cities of Tyrus and Sydon lying on the sea coast For the hounger of hearing the gospell preached had drawen thither many folkes euen out of ferre parties and many the hope to receiue bodely health had semblably allured For euery one that came Iesus deliuered from all kindes of diseases or impedymentes that they were holden with Yea and they also whiche were vexed of vncleane spirites were made whole And all this geare was doen of hym so lightly and so easily that some with a mere woorde of bidding were restored to theyr helth and others he healed in a moment sodainly with the onely touching of his garmente that he ware For there was in him the fountayn and fulnesse of the effectual vertue and power of God which proceded from hym none otherwise then light doth from the sonne or heate from the fyer and so brought he health vnto all persones
falleth from the table of God than shall ye wishe that ye mighte haue but one droppe of water caste vpon your tongue to coole your mouthe whan ye shall lye in burning heate of fyer vnquencheable Then shall ye wyshe that ye had in this lyfe houngred the ryghteousenesse of God whan ye shal se the litle poore ones plenteously saciate with the aboundaunce of al felicitie and glory in heauen whome in this world ye accoumpted miserable and so muche the more despised because ye saw theÌ„ in penurie and houngre destitute of al reliefe and coumfort and lacking foode and susteynaunce necessarie for the bodye Woe vnto you that nowe laugh For ye shall waille and wepe Woe vnto you that doe now make much good mirth and laughing as folkes pleased euen to youre owne mindes with the prosperous luckinesse of thinges transitorie and as men made drounken with sweete fortune for within a litle shorte space all thinges turned contrarie ye shall wayle and wepe and youre plesaunce that lasted but a moment shal be turned into peyne and torment for euer to endure Doe vnto you when all men prayse you for so dyd theyr fathers to the false propheces Take ye no high conceyte ne pride in your selues whan the world vpon a counterfeicte likenesse of being happie and fortunate doe eyther in woordes or by any other tokens shewe themselues to reioyce on your behalfes as persons not knowing what true felicitie and blisfulnesse is whan they highly extolle and praâ—â—e tho thinges which are abominably and wickedly doeÌ„ of you geuyng vnto deiulishe persecutyng of the truethe of the ghospell the name of zâ—le towardes the lawe the affliccion also and slaughter of good men they call deuour seruice doen vnto god This same most false praise shal not deliuer you from the vengeaunce of god but shall make you worthie of double grieuous punishemente for that ye haue not onely not bene ashamed of dooyng manye wieked dedes of mischiefe but also haue sought laude and prayse for your eiuil doynges And they that shall prayse your wicked doynges the forefathers of the same persons did in lyke manier shewe muche tokens of hygh fauoure long agone to the false prophetes that rebelled agaynste the prophetes of the lorde and vtterly stiered vp aswel the princes as the people to the sleaghing of the same But the prophetes of the lorde did not seke to haue vengeauÌ„ce against theyr persecutours and yet neyther haue the godlye lacked theyr condigne rewarde nor the wieked shall lacke theyr punishmente according And ouerlate shall it than bee for suche to repent theyr extreme hainous offences as at this presente doe nothyng regarde the gener of better aduertisement But I say vnto you which heare loue your enemies doe good vnto them which hate you blisse them that curse you and pray you for them which wroâ—gfully trouble you And vnto him that smiteth thee on the one cheke offer also the other And hym that taketh away thy gowne forbid not to take thy coate also geue to euery man that asketh thee And of him that taketh away thy gooddes aske them not agayne And as ye woulde that men shoulde doe vnto you doe ye also vnto them likewise But choose them hardylye what they are woorthy to haue whiche for good dooen vnto them dooe rendre mischiefe But vnto you that geue eare to my sayinges I geue this new lesson rewle as muste of the mightie strong verdure of the ghospell Not onely requite ye not an eiuill turne dooen to you with an eiuil turne again but also loue ye your enemies doe ye good to theÌ„ that doe eiuill to you For rayling and reprochefull woordes rendre ye frendely woordes agayne and suche woordes as may be for the others welth and benefite Praye ye for them that surmnise false accusacions agaynste you that through youre prayers they maye bee reconciled to God and haue theyr true crymes clerely forgeuen whiche detecte you of false crimes afore men And be ye in any wise so ferre from all hertes desyre to doe a displeasure agayne for a displeasure doen to you that in case a bodie geue thee a blow on the one cheke thou rather offer foorth the other cheke to be strieken too then thou wouldest auenge the first And in case any shoulde attempte to take away thy cloke from thy backe suffer him rather to take awaye thy cote too then thou to come into contencion for the wrong dooen vnto thee The other in this case hath had the displeasure in very dede that did the displeasure and contrariewise he that to his owne damage and losse of the thing hath seene to the keping of peace and tranquilitie hath had aduauntage and gayne thereby and not damage Lette your earneste endeuour bee to doe good vnto all folkes and to hurte no body If any other bodie shall dooe you harme ye haue God to be a redressour and auenger therof If ye shall dooe any manne good in any behalfe ye are sure to this present time shal now do against you the selfesame thing haue their forefathers dooen in tymes paste agaynste the holy prophetes for none other respecte but because the same Prophetes accordyng to the will of God dyd not holde theyr tongues from speakyng the trueth which trueth hath to eiuil disposed persons bene euermore odiouse By example of the sayd prophetes shal ye comforte yourselues For whose names they attempted vtterly to abolish the memory of thesame is now high and holy with al creatures Yet neuerthelesse ye beyng in a assured coumforte through your innocencie and perfeict good liuing must haue no mynde ne thoughte to auenge your owne cause For they shal be assured not to escape without smarte in the ende for that they shall doe vnto you though for a season they seeme fortunate and flourishing rufflers in all pleasure and welth of thys worlde For suche are differred and reserued to tormentes whiche neuer shall haue ende But woe vnto you that are riche For ye haue your consolacion And therfore woe vnto you ryche cobbes the whiche while ye may dooe solace delite your mindes with the treasoures honoures delectable enticementes of this worlde and dooe not remember ne thynke that it will erelong come to passe that this vayne felicitie and pleasaunce shall be taken away from you and after thesame shall ensue woefulnesse and sorowe neuer to haue ende Woe vnto you that are full for ye shall houngre Woe vnto you whiche nowe in this worlde hauing mynde on nothing but your bealies plaie the gluttons and take excesse of all delicate meates and drinkes more to pampre vp the bodie in luste then for the necessitie of nature as though ye were borne to beastly feedyng onely and to nothyng els and as though ye rather mayntayned your lyfe of purpose to eate and drinke then eate and drinke to maynteyne lyfe and beeyng full paunched with gorge vpon gorge haue no mynde to relieue your poore brethren perishing for famyne
as though ye were borne to fede none but your own selues and were not bounde to relieue the necessitie of your neighbour Woe vnto you for whan both these corporal meates and drinkes wherwith ye so delicately and volupteously fede your selfes yea and the bealie too which gourmauÌ„deth shal be consumed than shall ye be houngrie and fynde no reliefe Than shall ye wishe that ye might be so happie as to haue but one of the lytle crummes that falleth from the table of God than shall ye wishe that ye mighte haue but one droppe of water caste vpon your tongue to coole your mouthe whan ye shall lye in burning heate of fyer vnquencheable Then shall ye wyshe that ye had in this lyfe houngred the ryghteousenesse of God whan ye shal se the litle poore ones plenteously saciate with the aboundaunce of al felicitie and glory in heauen whome in this world ye accoumpted miserable and so muche the more despised because ye saw theÌ„ in penurie and houngre destitute of al reliefe and coumfort and lacking foode and susteynaunce necessarie for the bodye Woe vnto you that nowe laugh For ye shall waille and wepe Woe vnto you that doe now make much good mirth and laughing as folkes pleased euen to youre owne mindes with the prosperous luckinesse of thinges transitorie and as men made drounken with sweete fortune for within a litle shorte space all thinges turned contrarie ye shall wayle and wepe and youre plesaunce that lasted but a moment shal be turned into peyne and torment for euer to endure Woe vnto you when all men prayse you for so dyd theyr fathers to the false prophetes Take ye no high conceyte ne pride in your selues whan the world vpon a counterfeicte likenesse of being happie and fortunate doe eyther in woordes or by any other tokens shewe themselues to reioyce â—n your behalfes as persons not knowing what true felicitie and blisfulnesse is whan they highly extolle and praise tho thinges which are abominably and wickedly doeÌ„ of you geuyng vnto deiulishe persecutyng of the truethe of the ghospell the name of zâ—le towardes the lawe the affliccion also and slaughter of good men they call deuout seruice doen vnto god This same most false praise shal not deliuer you from the vengeaunce of god but shall make you worthie of double grieuous punishemente for that ye haue not onely not bene ashamed of dooyng manye wicked dedes of mischiefe but also haue sought laude and prayse for your eiuil doynges And they that shall prayse your wicked doynges the forefathers of the same persons did in lyke manier shewe muche tokens of hygh fauoure long agone to the false prophetes that rebelled agaynste the prophetes of the lorde and vtterly stiered vp aswel the princes as the people to the sleaghing of the same But the prophetes of the lorde did not seke to haue vengeauÌ„ce against theyr persecutours and yet neyther haue the godlye lacked theyr condigne rewarde nor the wieked shall lacke theyr punishmente according And ouer late shall it than bee for suche to repent theyr extreme hainous offences as at this presente doe nothyng regarde the geuer of better aduertisement But I say vnto you which heare loue your enemies doe good vnto them which hate you blisse them that curse you and pray you for them which wrongfully trouble you And vnto him that smiteth thee on the one cheke offer also the other And hym that taketh away thy gownâ— forbid not to take thy coate also geue to euery man that asketh thee And of him that taketh away thy gooddes aske them not agayne And as ye woulde that men shoulde doe vnto you doe ye also vnto them likewise But choose them hardylye what they are woorthy to haue whiche for good dooen vnto them dooe rendre mischiefe But vnto you that geue eare to my sayinges I geue this new lesson rewle as muste of the mightie strong verdure of the ghospell Not onely requite ye not an eiuill turne dooen to you with an eiuil turne again but also loue ye your enemies doe ye good to theÌ„ that doe eiuill to you For rayling and reprochefull woordes rendre ye frendely woordes agayne and suche woordes as may be for the others welth and benefite Praye ye for them that surmuise false accusacions agaynste you that through youre prayers they maye bee reconciled to God and haue theyr true crymes clerely forgeuen whiche detecte you of false crimes afore men And be ye in any wise so ferre from all hertes desyre to doe a displeasure agayne for a displeasure doen to you that in case a bodie geue thee a blow on the one cheke thou rather offer foorth the other cheke to be strieken too then thou wouldest auenge the first And in case any shoulde attempte to take away thy cloke from thy backe suffer him rather to take awaye thy cote too then thou to come into contencion for the wrong dooen vnto thee The other in this case hath had the displeasure in very dede that did the displeasure and contrariewise he that to his owne damage and losse of the thing hath seene to the keping of peace and tranquilitie hath had aduauntage and gayne thereby and not damage Lette your earneste endeuour bee to doe good vnto all folkes and to hurte no body If any other bodie shall dooe you harme ye haue God to be a redressour and auenger therof If ye shall dooe any manne good in any behalfe ye are sure to haue GOD a rewarder of the same In hys handes leat the care of al bothe remayne Bee thou prompte and readye to geue if any body shall desyre any thyng of thee for by suche meanes is mutuall loue of one to an other purchaced and knitte together That if any persone take awaye from thee any thyng of thyne by fraude or by strong hande leatte hym rather haue it then thou to come to make strife or businesse for it Better it is for one to lese his money his house or any piece of his lande then for recoueryng of these thynges wilfully to forsake better And in any wise leat all false guile bee awaye from all youre lyfe but what euerye one woulde with hys good will haue dooen of others towardes himselfe if the case shoulde so require thesame leat him doe towardes his neyghboure and what he woulde not with his good will haue doen to himselfe the same leat him not labour to doe agaynst another For that is to loue the neighboure as one loueth himselfe ¶ And if ye loue them that loue you what thanke haue ye for sinners also loue their louers And yf ye dooe good for theim whiche dooe good for you what thanke haue ye for synners also do euen thesame And if ye lende to them of whome ye hope to receiue what thanke haue ye for sinners also lende to sinners to receiue such like agayn But loue your enemies and doe good lende loking for nothing again and your rewarde shal be greate
loue me through whose free mercy she hath been deliuered from her many fold synnesâ— So hath the greatnes of sinnes turned to a gracious and a blissed good end for her part And on the other side to whom lesse is forgeuen that partie doth not loue so greatly as for exaumple ye Pharyseis thinke your selues righteous for yâ— obseruyng of the lawe and not to haue any great thinges in you that nedeth Gods pardone and therfore your loue and affeccion is the colder towardes the geuer of remission The Lord whan he had spoken all this to the Pharisee sayed vnto the woman Thy synnes are forgeuen thee She had made no praiers in wordes she had made no confession at all in wordes but she dyd muche the more euidently confesse herselfe by her doinges and muche the more effectually did she praye with her teares And this is to Christe the moste acceptable confession of all And with this sorte of prayers is he moste soonest moued to shewe mercie Happie are those teares blissed is that waste losse of swete oyle blessed are those kysses which winne of Iesus to speake suche a worde as this Thy synnes are forgeuen thee For Christ is not one that forgeueth some and other some reserueth backe but he doeth freely pardone all sinnes together not imputyng any parte at all of the former naughtie liuing vnto any persone that is penitent from the botome of the herte ¶ And they that sate at meate with hym began to saye within themselues who is this whiche forgeueth synnes also And he sayed to the woman Thy fayth hath saued thee Goe in peace And now marke me agayne the pharisaicall holynesse True godlynesse doeth as veraily reioyce at an other bodyes good chaunces as at his owne But the Phariseis that sate there altogether at the table enuying the mercifulnesse of Iesus vnto the womanne beeyng oppressed with synne begoonne with secrete thoughtes to murmoure agaynst hym in theyr hertes saying what felowe is this whiche taketh so muche vpon hym that hauyng none other authoritie but his owne he remitteth sinnes too whiche power not one of all the prophetes or patriarkes hitherto hath vsurped No nor the priestes neither do take any ferther thyng vnto them then to praye for the synnes of the people But Iesus knowyng theyr secrete thoughtes because he would the more confirme the womans herte and sende her home agayne to her house a glad woman of a sorowfull sayed vnto her Thy feith and constaunt truste in me hath saued thee Goe thy wayes in peace The Phariseis had perswaded themselues that synnes were forgeuen through burnt sacrifices and through washynges And in dede those thynges had in them a certayne figure of thynges ghostly But the lorde Iesus playnly shewed vnto them that all synnes are throughe the feith of the ghospell full and whole forgeuen for euer to all suche as repente and emende And thus in these thinges whiche we haue made rehersall of hath as it were vnder a certayn shadowe been sette forth a certayne representyng of both peoples that is to wete the Iewes and the Gentyles of whiche two peoples the one that is to saye the Iewes did with kynde and louyng pretense of wordes call and bydde Christe vnto them crying by the space of many hundred yeres Come thou o Lorde and tarye not But whan he was come neyther did they on theyr owne parties receyue him as theyr bounden duetie was to haue doen because they beare themselues bolde on a false perswasion of holynesse whiche they had conceyued in theyr hertes throughe the outewarde obseruyng of the lawe and yet morouer did they murmoure and whine agaynst others that wer willyng to embrace saluacion whan it is offred For while they attempte and laboure throughe the oblacion of outwarde bodily thynges to establyshe their owne righteousnesse â–ª they were not subiecte to the righteousnesse of God which through feyth is freely geuen But the people of the Gentiles to whome Christe was not come forasmuche as besides ydolatrie which reigned in them they wer morouer altogether wedded to al kinde of vices ne had any affiaunce in the woorkes of the lawe in whiche they were altogether ignoraunte assoone as they had knowleage of Iesus did as ye might saie forceably breake in to him where he was and through the plain simplicitie of feith were made woorthie to haue remission of their grieuous offences and did withall possible earnest good myndes embrace kysse the fre gift of god whiche the Iewes did either set at naught or els at leste wyse did coldely and faintlye embrace Albeit there is in this woman an exaumple of repentaunce sette foorth vnto all creatures in generall whosoeuer shall begynne to lothe and hate synnefull dooynges that he turne not hymselfe to Moses or to the Phariseis ne vnto the philosophiers leat him make haste to Iesus onely and to none other None there is more mercifull then he none more enclined to pardone and to forgeue On Iesus leat hym poure oute that he hath tofore been accustomed wastefully to bestowe on his wicked sensualitee vnto the obedient seruice of Iesus leat hym consecrate al his membres whiche to fore did serue his filthy abhominable lustes The touchyng of Iesus shal take awaie all his synnes If he cannot come to touche Iesus head leat hym touche hym by the fete There is no parte of Iesus so basse but that it maye make hym whole from al his synnes A woman there was perfeictely cured and healed from a bloudy flixe whiche had no more but touched the skirtes of Iesus garmente And Iesus is wel contented that it bee imputed to himselfe whatsoeuer ientilnesse or pleasure hath been bestowed on the neighbours yea â—ueÌ„ of the moste lowest degree He will acknowelege any benefite that is doen to any membres of his Leate not therefore all the consideracion of a sinner bee howe muche he hath offended Leat hym not kepe any audite or accompte of his well doinges as though he would be at an euen poynte and rekonyng with Iesus in suche sorte as the Pharisees did But let him only with his veray hert thinke himself to bee naught with all his whole breste conceiue assured hope and truste on Iesus Leat hym begyn to hate that he did once after a naughtie facion loue let hym begyn to loue that once he wiekedly refused and cared not for Faythe shal at the moste mercifull Lordes handes obteigne that merites coulde by no possibilitie hope for And here emong al thynges o moste honeste Theophylus consider me three fold soondrie persones the firste of the woman beeyng a synner the second of the Pharisee and the third of the Iudge The Iudge onely and none but he is in veraye true dede pure from all staynyng or filthinesse of vice and synne or rather is the veray true fountayne of al puritie The woman a synner dooeth nothyng els but wepe wasshe wype kysse and enoynte Here haste thou the markes to knowe the
therfore the lorde of the harueste to sende forth labourers into his haruest Ferre is the roumour and bruite of the gospel spred and manye are sette on fier wyth the gredye desyre of the doctrine of heauen they are wel willyng toward it and wante but onely such as should call and gather their myndes together beeyng of theimselfes bothe ready and full of hast towardes the kyngdome of heauen Gooe ye therefore puttyng youre wholle truste and confidence in the safegarde and maintenaunce of me alone Suche as are great men and hath rewle of thynges suche as are â—iuill shall murmour and grutche againste your doctrine Againste these men doe I send you forth naked wythoute weapon or fense For I sende you not that you should hurte or grieue any man but that ye full of simplicitie and void of all hutte should studye and endeuour your selfes to profite and do good to euery man Seke ye not therefore help at mans hande that ye may therewith armâ— and defende your selfe against the violence and maliciousnes of the eiuil nor take you no care ne thought for your liuing or thinges necessarie but with al readinesse go ye to the buisinesse of the gospel neither carrying scrip nor wallet nor yet shooes with you for ye shal neuer want that shal bee sufficient for nature Salute no man neither the welthy lest ye seme to flattre seke vpon theÌ„ for gaine nor the indurate lest ye seme to fauour theyr vngodlinesse Nor take you no thought for house or lodgeyng there shal be those whiche shall receiue take you in at theyr doores only shewe your selfes pure and vncorrupt mynisters of the ghospell And what house soeuer ye shall entre into first wish praie for peace to the whole houshold That if there be any there that is the sonne of peace that is to say a ientill meke man and one that thristeth the most mekest doctrine of the ghospell your praier shall profite and dooe good and he shall enbrace and gladlye receiue so well wyshyng geastes that yf they dooe not so receiue and welcome you yet leate it not repent you so to haue prayed for them For you shall not lese the rewarde of this your profered seruice nor ye shall not with ouermuche entreatyng nor castyng your selues at the knees of any man require lodgeyng nor shall not as men without shame presse into the house of any of them for so great a thyng and so muche to bee estemed is not to bee offred and thruste into the handes of suche as will not gladlye receyue it and yet ought it to bee profered to euerie man Whosoeuer shall gladly and willyngly receiue you see that you tarie wyth hym not desiryng or lokyng for the pleasures of this life but forsomuche as shall bee necessarye for the susteinaunce of your bodyes drinke and fede on suche thinges as ye shal therefinde emongest theim for it is good reason that he which laboureth in preachyng and teaching the ghospell shoulde liue and be susteined by their liberalitie for whose behoufe he laboureth and taketh peine in case he haue not sufficient of his owne wherof to fynde himselfe ¶ Goe not from house to house and into whatsoeuer citie ye entre and they receiue you eate suche thinges as are set before you and heale the sicke that are therein and say vnto them the kyngdome of God is come nigh vpon you But into whatsoeuer citie ye entre thei receiue you not go your waies out into the stretes of the same and saie euen the veâ—ai dust of your citie which cleueth on vs do we wipe of against you notwithstanding be ye sure of this that the kyngdome of God was come nigh vpon you I saie vnto you that it shal be easier in thaâ— daye for zodeme then for that citie And of this thyng take ye diligent hede also lest ye straighing from house to house despisyng and setting at naught the former hospitalitie lodgeing serche and seke a more delicate lodgeyng and better furnished Leate it suffice you whatsoeuer cometh first to hande that if it shal chaunce you to come into any cities yf the enhabitauntes willingly receiue and entreteine you eate you and drinke you withoute anye choyce and without lothyng or abhorring of any thyng whatsoeuer is sette before you and to the ende ye maye be geastes the more acceptable and the better welcome and also that ye maye with the better credence preache the kyngdome of heauen heale you the sicke folkes of the same citie restore ye the weake and impotente to theyr strengthe delyuer ye suche as are possessed with eiuill spirites And all these thynges doe ye freely without reward and willyngly refusing no creature neither poore ne riche and than saie ye vnto them ye see manifest tokens of the power of God prepare your hertes and myndes to the earneste exercise of innocente liuyng For nowe draweth nere vnto you the kyngdome of God the maladies and diseases of the bodye are nowe taken awaye and ere long shall the maladies of the soule bee driuen awaye also whiche are sinnes That yf ye shall chaunce to come into any citie in the whiche there is none that wyl receiue you make ye no kynde of humble suite vnto them for any intreteinmeÌ„t but come you forth abrode into their stretes and there opeÌ„ly and in the face of the whole citie saie ye vnto them in this wyse We haue freelye withoute any hope of rewarde at your handes offreed vnto you the glad tidynges of euerlastyng life But forasmuche as ye haue despised and not regarded our office we wil take no benefite at all by you Beholde therefore euen the veraie dust whiche stucke vnto our feete we shake and cast of against you for a witnesse that we haue profered and ye forsaken that moste happie tidynges which ought not to bee layed in the lappes of such as wil none of it And yet this thing be you tyght sure of that whether ye receiue it or not receiue it the kingdom of God is verai nere vpon you that if ye wil receiue this tidynges then shal it come to your greate profite commoditee yf not to your great hurte and destruction Be ye contente this waye onely to haue reuenged your selfes If they shall any where despyse you vengeaunce shal light vpon them for it at the due tyme. For this thing verailye I shewe vnto you that in the day of the last iudgement it shal be the better with the zodomites and they shal fynde more grace at the Lordes hande then that citie whiche hathe despysed this so great gracious goodnesse of God freely offred vnto theym All menne dooe muche meruaile at the sharpe and rigorous vengeaunce of God shewed vpon the zodomites but yet dooeth this poyncte somewhat ease theym that they were neuer so many wayes prouoked to emendemente of their liues And the Iewes standyng muche in their owne conceiptes doe vttrelye abhorte and deteste
mannes nature is now in this present world soondrie waies disquieted But suche an one hath a great aduantage and fordele who hauyng caste of all suche maner cares is altogether rauished to thynges heauenly gatheryng hymself together and restyng vpon one thyng But thesame one is a thyng of suche nature that it surmounteth all other thynges in goodnesse the felicitie of whiche one thyng shall not be taken awaye but shal be augmented at the tyme whan that whiche is vnperfite shall bee abolyshed and that that is perfite shall bee opened Neither is there in the meane tyme any mourmouryng to be made against suche persones as though they were altogether idle who sitting still from all bodily seruices do for suche respecte and coÌ„sideracion geue attendaunce to heauenly doctrine cleuyng fast to my steppes being long in learning the thing that thei may afterward teache thoroughly sendyng downe into the bottome of the affeccions of theyr owne heartes the thing that they may afterward prescribe and enioyne vnto others to the ende they may thereby dooe good vnto so muche the greatter noumbre towardes the achiuyng of eternall saluacion And yet shall not suche persons lacke their due reward neyther who accordyng to the exaumple of thy dooyng nowe at this tyme dooe of a godly zele after the rate of the tyme relieue the corporall necessitie of them that haue the cause of the ghospell in handelyng and suche as fede the hungrie as clothe the naked as visite the sicke as gooe to theim that lye in prison as harbour straungers and them that lacke lodgyng All these also shall bee partakers of the rewarde of the ghospell But lyke as in the bodye the iye whiche semeth to be idle dooeth more good seruice then the hande beyng buisily occupied about soondry kyndes of seruice euen so suche as do altogether geue hede vnto those thinges whiche do most nerest coÌ„cerne and touche the life euerlastyng although they seme as holidayemenne to repose theymselfes from all corporall businesse yet they dooe more good then the others because they doe the thyng most chiefly requisite to be doen. Nor the one must grutche not against the other forasmuche as euery one of theÌ„ accordyng to his gyft which he hath receiued of god serueth me in my meÌ„bres The .xi. Chapter And it fortuned as he was praiyng in a certain place whaÌ„ he ceassed one of his disciples sayd vnto him Lord teache vs to pray as Iohn also taught his disciples And he said vnto theÌ„ WhaÌ„ ye pray say Our father which art in heauen halowed be thy name Thy kingdome cum Thy wyll be fulfilled euen in earth also as it is in heauen Our daily bread geue vs this daye And forgeue vs our sinnes For euen we forgeue euery man that trespasseth vs. And lede vs not into temptacion but deliuer vs from euill WHan the Lorde Iesus had by this kynde of representyng the matter and by the exaumple afore goyng taught that they did a great matter and a buisye whoso dyd full and whole geue attendaunce to the doctrine of the ghospell whiche doctrine no person can sincerely handle onlesse he shake himself of from al desires and cares of this world it remained that he should prescribe a point a tenour and fourme of praiyng also For praier is as ye would saye the moste purest sacrifice of euangelicall deuocion vnto the whiche prayer Iesus did oftentimes depart into places of solitary contemplacion and enured his disciples also vnto thesame And prayer is thatsame secrete methyng through whiche the mynd and soule of man beyng as ye would say carryed vp to heauen ioyneth in talke with god all cares and phantasticall imaginacions of earthly thinges set apart In dede the Phariseis prayed both oftentimes and also long together but it was with sadde droupyng countenaunces and abrode where all folkes should see them And Iohns disciples praied also Yea and the Samaritans too prayed on their mountaine The religion of the heathen folkes also had a maner of praiyng after their fashion For as muche therefore as neyther all sortes of menne had one maner of praiyng nor one maner thynges were asked of god in all folkes prayers the Apostles are very desirous and fain to haue a precise fourme and tenoure of praying appoynted vnto them of Christe whiche they oughte to folowe Wherupon whan Iesus according to his accustomed wont had withdraweÌ„ hymselfe with his disciples from the resorte of people into a solytary place for to praye as soone as he had finished his praiers one of the noumbre of his disciples saied vnto hym Maister forasmuche as we are thy disciples mete it is that we should do all thynges by thyne appointment Teache vs therfore a fourme of praiyng also like as Iohn whan he lyued taught his disciples how they should pray Then Iesus whereas he had in many woordes at soondrye tymes taughte his discyples that the praiers of christians neither ought to bee long nor made for ostentacion or vainglory ne for all maner thynges as well one as another he appoynted vnto them a fourme of praiyng suche as hereunder foloweth which although it be common vnto all persones yet doeth it more iustely and directly appertain vnto the mynisters and teachers of the ghospell who beyng as ye woulde saye persones exempted from this world bestowe all their labour and trauail in this onely behalf that the glory of god may be opened renoumed amonge the good and his kyngdom from day to day may more and more florishe in strength and force the kyngdome of Satan vtterly suppressed and brought vnder foote And like as in heauen aboue from whence Lucifer with al his complyces and confederacie was toumbled doune headlong there is nowe no maner rebellion agaynst the wyll of God so among the children of God beyng ordeyned to succede in the place of the auÌ„gels that wer cast out of heauen with Lucifer all thynges may bee dooen after the will of their heauenly father Also that he feede his chyldren with the breade of heauenlye doctrine and grace whiche may make their soules iustie and full fedde vnto the lyfe euerlastyng And in case any offence or trespace bee thoroughe humayne frailtie committed agaynste his wyll that than he mercyfully forgeue hys chyldren lyke a tendre and frendely father as they among theymselfes forgeue one another if one haue any thing offeÌ„ded or trespaced against the other And because that duryng the tyme of their life here in this mortall bodye lyke as they maye profyte and growe to better so maye they contraryewyse fall vnto wurse especiallye the tyraunte Satan by all meanes prouokynge and sâ—irryng them so to dooe that they may vnder the tuicion and wardyng of their heauenly father be safely defeÌ„ded against Satans engiens and that eyther they may not fall into teÌ„ptacion or if they doe fall than he beyng their defendour whiche is the stronger of might and puissaunce they may depart conquerours with they victory As for the tenour of the
shal come ouer fast vpoÌ„ him to leat him haue any time of laisure at all Euery bodye as he shall bee found euen so leate him with renning away as faste as he can saue his life Call ye to remembraunce what chauÌ„ced vnto Lottes wife She did no more but turne her to loke backe and perished immediatly so yll dooeth the swift stroke of the saied eiuil suffre any more delay or tariaunce at all Suche an one what euer he bee shal be the more safe from the perill as shal bee lighter burdened then an other to flee ¶ Whosoeuer wil goe aboute to saue his life shall lose it and whosoeuer shal lose hys life shal saue it I tell you in that night there shal bee twoo in one bedde the one shall bee receiued the other shal bee forsaken Two shal bee a grinding together the one shall bee receiued and the other forsaken Two in the fielde the one shal be receiued and the other forsaken And they aunswered and saied to him where lord He saied vnto them whersoeuer the bodie shall be thither will also the eagles bee gathered together And at that houre or day to goe seke or prouide suche thynges wherewith we commonly vse to sette a sure staigh for our life to come as for exaumple apparel money dwellyng places or suche other thynges shal be none other but casting awaie lesing of the life But suche an one as castyng away from hym al pestreaunce and heauy carriage shal not regard the helpes staighes of this present life but shall leat theÌ„ goe such on one shal be sure to winne life For at that day there shal be no laisure nâ— space to thynke of the lyfe of the body whan the lyfe of the soule shall turne in the whâ—le of beeyng in hassarde and ieoperdy Neyther gooddes ne place ne thys or that kynde of liuyng shall in that peril saue any man but a mynd that is ready to departe a waie hens For of twoo persones beyng as nere together as is possible sodainely shal the one bee taken to life and the other shal be leaft behind to damnacioÌ„ Thus much I tell you to abide vpon That night in which the sonne of man shal come there shall bee two persones liyng in one bedde and them two shall the diuersitte of rewarde soodainly parte in sondre For the one shal be taken vp to euerlasting blisse and the other shal bee leafte behynd to endlesse damnacion There shall bee twoo persones gryndyng in one mille of whiche the one shall bee taken and the other leafte behynd Twoo persones shal be at their housebandrie labouring in the fieldes one of theim shal bee taken vp the other shal be leaft Whan the disciples heard al this as it had been half in a dreme not vnderstandyng what it mente they saie vnto Iesus where maister They were still in a dreame of the fleashe and seke to knowe the place of this kyngdome Than Iesus myndyng vnder a derke couert to signify vnto them that the holy people wheresoeuer they shall bee found shall not bee disseuered from the Lord aunswered wheresoeuer there shal bee caryan thyther will the Eagles also drawe and gather together It forceth not in what place ye be so that ye be with me whiche am the feder of your soules and doe fede theim with myne owne selfe who am the foode of endlesse felicitie The .xviii Chapter ¶ And he putte foorth a parable vnto them signifiyng that men oughte alwaie to praie and not to be wery saiyng Ther was in a certaine citeâ— a iudge whiche feared not god neither regarded man And ther was a certain wedowe in thesame citee she came vnto him saiyng auenge me of myne aduersarie And he would not for a while But afterward he saied within hymself Though I feare not God nor care for maÌ„ yet because this wedowe is importune vpon me I wil auenge hir leste she come at the last raill on me And the Lord saied heare what the vnrighteous iudge saieth And shal not god auâ—nge his elect whiche 〈◊〉 day night vnto hym yea though he differre theim I tell you that he will auenge theim and that quickely Neuerthelesse whan the soonne of man cometh shal he fynde feâ—ih on the yearâ—h ANd forasmuche as the last ende of the worlde beeyng at hande there shall aryse most grieuous persecucioÌ„s against the godlye in somuche that if it maie possibly bee wrought euen the veray elect and chosen persones shal be seduced albeit in veray dede the infaciable peruersnes of the eiuil doeth neuer at any time succeasse to be cruell full of tiraÌ„ny against the good the Lord Iesus teacheth his disciples seruauntes that in al their aduersitees thei shal from none other place aske helpe or succour but at the handes of God neither goyng about any auengemente in the meane whyle nor defendyng one displeasure receiued with dooyng an other for it That if God dooe not at the first houre deliuer theim from affliccion yet must thei not therfore surceasse from praiyng For he wyll vndoubtedly heare the prayers of his seruauntes when oportunitee of tyme shal bee and the delaiyng therof shall turne to the benefite of the Godly yea â–ª and so muche the more grieuously shal the vngodly bee oppressed as they had perswaded theimselfes that whatsoeuer they dyd therin they shoulde dooe it and no man to say blacke theyr iye This lesson did the Lord Iesus with such a parable as here ensueth enprinte in the hertes of his disciples seruauntes There was saieth he in a certayne citee a certain iudge or gouernour beyng bothe a wieked man and also void of al shame honestee as one that neither stood in any feare of God ne had any reuerence towardes any mortal man His wickednesse made hym in case that he feared not God his great power brought hym to the poyncte that he woulde shewe no reuerence to manne And so it was that in the same citie there was a certaine wedowe who beyng sore oppressed of her aduersarie went vnto the sayd high iudge in whose handes rested the highest power and she praied him of his helpe and ayd against the violent oppressyon of her aduersarye Syr sayeth she my matter is veray good and true and yet am I ouertroden throughe the rychesse and frendshyp that myne aduersarie hathe in your courte I am a poore wedowe and alone woman destitute of freÌ„des I praye you see a redresse in the cause of my ryght against the violence of mine aduersary Where he was oftentimes thus spoken to by the wedowe yet neuerthelesse a longe tyme he woulde not bee acknowen of the matter nor woulde not helpe the wedowe whereas suche greate power is geuen to certaine men euen for such a purpose onely that thei should be helpers and succourers of orphanes of wardes beeyng in nonage of wedowes of poore folkes againste the riche men mainteners of brableyng matters At the
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
where his woont was to praie he said vnto them To the enteÌ„t and purpose that ye may bee hable manfully to stande against the tempest that hangeth ouer you watche ye and pray ye leste yf thesame come soodaynely vpon you as ye lye sluggyng and idle it may take you in the trappe ere ye be aware and so maye ouercome you The Lorde whan he had thus muche spoken withdrew hymself from their cumpany to the mountenauÌ„ce in maner of a stones cast to pray solitarily for all creatures like as he should afterward in his own sole persoÌ„ suffre death for all creatures But lyke as his death did not profite idle persones so must not his prayer neither be auaillable but vnto suche as haue diligente and earnest mynde to pray for themselfes too And to geue vs a lesson that the herte is to bee submitted as often as we addresse to speake talke with God He praied his father on his knees bowed downe to the grounde saying Father if it bee thy will remoue thissame cuppe away from me I fele the humain nature which I haue taken to abhorre from death but in this behalfe leat the redempcion of man ouercome â–ª and leat that bee doen whiche thy wil beeyng vnmutable hath determined and not the thing whiche the weakenesse of this body doeth geue aduise or mocion vnto Our Lorde knewe what the wyll of his father was and on his own party he couered to driÌ„ke the cuppe of death for the redempcion of the worlde and he laied vpon hymself the affeccion of his body and studied to prescribe vnto his seruauntes a fourme and trade of praiyng For this maner of praiyng were very fitte for a martir a litle before the time of his martyrdome Thy wyll be dooen and not myne Whether thy wyll be to haue me liue or to dye And this feareful tremblyng of our nature Christe toke vpon himself because he would take it away from his But to the enteÌ„t he would teache vs that at suche tymes we should haue prest helpe readye at the lordes hand whan we had wholly coÌ„mitted our selfes to the wil of god whether it be to lyfe or death there appered vnto him an aungel doune from heauen strengthenyng him As he was cast in great agonie pangues for our behoufe so was he for our behoufe cumforted and strengthened by the auÌ„gell After all this there toke him a certain extreme agonie and trouble of mynde suche as for the moste parte is woont to chaunce vnto menne whan they haue death euen before their iyes and behold it in their myndes And this passion is coÌ„monly woont to be more grieuous theÌ„ very death self Neither did Iesê° disdayne to take this tormente of mynde also for our cause who refused not for our cause to hang on the crosse teaching vs in the meane time to what succours we ought to take our refuge as often as thatsame quaking feare shall take our infirmitie and cease vpon it For liyng doune prostrate vpon the grouÌ„d he praied yet more earnestly Forsoth hereof depeÌ„deth the whole hope of our victory And verify to the enteÌ„t we should be the more stedfaste in time of suffering paine and torment so great trouble of mind toke Christ that droppes of bloude tricled doune to the earth from all his body ouer And whan he arose vp from praier and was cum to his disciples he found them slepyng for heauinesse and saied vnto them why sleape ye Ryse and praye leste ye fall into temptacion Assoone as he arose again from praiyng stode vpright he retourned vnto his disciples and found them slepyng for sorowe and heauynesse Thatsame was not any surfaict that had made them so heauye but the weakenesse of nature it was grieuous dolour of the mynde that had caused their slepe but whoso will in suche a bataill goe awaie a conquerour muste fighte agaynste this weakenesse with the lustie streÌ„gth of the spirite Iesus therfore chideth his disciples and eftsons calleth them vp to pray saiyng why dooe ye in so great daungier and ieopardy geue your selfes to slepe Arise ye and praye leste the tempest growing fast towardes doe oppresse you and ouerwhelme you euen as ye lye sluggyng for the houre is euen now very nere at hande While he yet spake behold there came a cumpany and he that was called Iudas one of the twelue went before them and pressed nigh vnto Iesus to kysse him But Iesus said vnto him Iudas betraiest thou the sonne of man with a kisse whan they whiche were about him sawe what would folowe they said vnto him Lorde shall we smite with the sweorde And one of them smote a seruaunt of the high priest and stroke of his right eare Iesus aunswered said suffre ye thus ferre forth And whan he had touched his eare he healed hym The Lorde Iesus had not yet ended these wordes and euen nowe alreadye appered in sight a rable of vngracious souldiers whom the priestes Phariseis beeyng more vngracious then they had purposely sente for to attache Iesus And that honest maÌ„ Iudas who had but euen a little before been a folower of Christe and a companion with hym at his table and nowe become the guyde of a deuelishe bande of souldiers came afore them a good preatye waie betwene but he had geuen them a token before for so to doe is a thyng coÌ„moÌ„ly vsed in warres that to whoÌ„soeuer he should geue a kisse him should they well wete to be Iesus And whan he had cum sumwhat nere vnto Iesus eueÌ„ ready now to kysse him as he had been wont to do the lord accordyng to his accustomed mildnesse refused not the traiters kisse neither but yet eftsons pricked his conscience to th eÌ„tent that being moued at leastwise with so great pacience fauour of the lord he might haue ameÌ„ded Iudas saieth he arte thou a betraier of the soÌ„ne of man with a kisse Iudas by that word well vnderstode that his herte was not hidden froÌ„ God He knewe the innocencye of the Lorde he was so many tymes with suche myldenesse of the Lorde as neuer the lyke was heard so prouoked to chaunge from his wicked entente and purpose euen a verye flinte stone myghte haue been suppled therewith had not Satan altogether possessed his whole hert with the disease and corrupcion of couetise And truely the deuelishnesse of Iudas was cause of daÌ„nacion to hymselfe alone and no mo But suche personnes as dooe nowe in these tymes with seÌ„blable guile betray the veritie euaÌ„gelical vnto the princes of this world are causers of a more greuous coÌ„fusion are worthy of greater punishement then vnhappye Iudas ouerlate takyng repentaunce of hys facte did execute vpon himselfe Immediately vpon the kisse geuen the company of the harnessed menne came rennyng vnto Iesus to laye handes vpon hym and they were suche as for none other purpose had a mynde and wyl to knowe Iesus but that they myght take hym But happye are
which is called Caluarie there they crucified him and the ciuill doers one on the right hande and the other on the left Than saied Iesus father forgeue theim for they wote not what they dooe And they parted his raymente and caste lottes And the people stode and behelde And the rewlers mocked him with theim sayinge he saued other men leate him saue himselfe if he be veray Christe the chosen of God With this pompe did our prince king goe furth towardes his triumphe There were also led to execucion with him two other offendours whiche were condemned with him but not for thesame matter And this thyng was also a matter procured by the Iewes to the entente they might bryng him in the more slaundre and infamy emong the commē people in that he was matched with suche companions There was also pieked out therunto a place which by reason of continuall execucion of offendours was a place of slaūdreous name and of mortal bloud spilling named of the thing selfe Golgotha because it was white with the skulles bones of folkes that had been there put to death In such a place thā was Iesus crucified in the middes betwixt two theues as though he had been as diepe in as they and partaker of theyr offence forasmuch as he was partaker of theyr punishmēt But whatsoeuer thyng the malice of the Iewes could deuise to the shame and reproche of the Lord Iesus al that did he turne to his owne glory and to our health For he that beyng innocent doeth of his owne will submitte hymselfe to saue men vnto the more worldly shame he humbleth hymselfe somuch the more glory doeth he deserue both afore God and afore man also Thus did it please the wisedom of God to th ende he might by this so notable an exaumple plucke downe our pryde which desire to haue laude and commendacion of men yea for our euill dedes too Nowe Iesus beeyng on heighth and lifted vp into that watch tower or beakō place out of the which he would call all thynges home vnto himselfe willing to shewe a moste perfecte exaumple of pacience incomparable whereas beeyng innocente and one that had so many wayes doen good he had so many harmes peines so many kindes of open worldly shame so many mockes skornes ministred vnto him where also hanging on the crosse which thyng doeth make euen veray mourdreers to bee pietied they gaue him suche bittur woordes of reuilyng as it were more grieuous for a manne to abyde then to suffre death yet is he so ferre from auengeyng hymselfe and so ferre from railyng on them agayne that he prayed his father for thesame persons at whose handes he was vngoodly and shamefully handled Father sayeth he forgeue them for they knowe not what they doe Thissame verayly was that holy prayer of our bishop on the aultare of the crosse offreyng vp once for euer in sacrifice the paschall lambe for the redempcion and health of the whole worlde Neither was his prayer without condigne effecte For many of thesame persons whiche through ignoraunce were doers in nailyng the Lorde on the crosse whan they afterwarde knew the trueth by meane of the Apostles preachyng professed the name of hym that had been crucified Howbeit the malice of the Phariseis also was not altogether without ignoraunce but that was suche grosse ignoraunce as dooeth not deliuer ne discharge them from offence For they might haue lacked that ignoraunce and errour if inordinate affeccions and desires whiche they were led by as bondseruaūtes had not letted them But euen emong these some there were which did of a lyke mynde or zele persecute the Lord as Paul dyd persecute the churche of God Here yf thou consyder moste ientill Theophilus the moste perfite innocencie of Iesus the moste great goodnesse of thesame Iesus towardes all creatures the moste high vertues of his minde in which beyond comparisō he excelled al others and agayne on the contrary parte if thou sette before thyne iyes and beholde the hatred the railyng the reproches the guiles the traines the accusacions and the kynde of death that the wiekednesse of the Iewes put him vnto and shouldest heare hym vpon the veray crosse in the middes of their reuilyng woordes praying his father not to take vengeaunce but to forgeue the weorkers and doers of so hainous a dede shall not suche an one seme vnto thee to be a veray shamelesse persone whiche professing hymselfe a disciple of Christe will goe aboute to bee auenged of a synner seeyng he is a synner hymselfe yea although he haue with a great iniurie and displeasure been occasioned and prouoked therunto Than how ferre do suche persones vnnaturally swerue from this exaumple of Christe as for a lyght woord of reproche will drawe theyr sweordes ready to thrust it in theyr neighbours herte howe ferre also from this exaumple of Christe are suche persons as not digestyng a tauntyng woorde any thing stubbernely or proudely spoken against them do shake whole cities whole kyngdomes with pestilente blouddie warres and enforce whole nacions to the wilful effusion and spilling of one an others bloud But let not vs once moue our iyes from this exaumple let vs beholde and folowe our king Christe subdueyng vpon the crosse all the power of the tyranne Satan and vanquishing all the puissaunce of this worlde and triumphing of all powers as many as auaunce themselfes agaynste the trueth of the ghospell whiche trueth it behoueth not any otherwyse to gette the victory ne any otherwise to triumphe then vnder the standarde of her owne prince which is Christ. Let vs beholde our bishop Christe with an effectuall sacrifice pourgeyng and puttyng awaye the sinnes of all the worlde of all nacions and of all times both past and to come and suffreing punishment in his owne body for all menne so that the thyng whiche he freely offreeth vnto vs we will with sincere fayth receiue and accepte as menne acknowlagyng our vnrighteousenesse and enbracing his vnspeakeable goodnesse towardes vs. Whither doest thou turne thy face awaye thou vnhappie and miserable sinner Our Lord crieth father forgeue them and thou being fallen in despayre of thy selfe doest thou either addresse to hang thy selfe as Iudas did or els art thou an heaper of sinnes vpon sinnes There is no cause why thou shouldest from hencefurth feare the power of Satan Christe hath gotten the victory of hym and to thy behoufe hath he gotten the victory From on high vpon the tree of the crosse where he maye bee sene of all nacions he louingly biddeth us come vnto hym The three angles or armes of the crosse doe a ferre of cal louingly aswell vnto Asia and Europe as also to Afrike and biddeth them come to the partaking of euerlasting helth Iesus ferthermore hanged naked vpon the crosse because he would not haue any thyng of this worldes forasmuche as he was in executyng an heauenly sacrifice teachyng vs by a veray right exaumple of a true matier in dede howe
of his mynde with the swearde of the gospell and then yf he lyste lette hym drawe his swearde against the ennemies of the ghospell But these thynges haue I spoken moste renoumed Prynce in the waye of aduertisement without reproche of any person I open the matter onelye I reprehende no person and the more boldelye vnto your grace I wryte thus because no kynde of suspicion at al of any suche faulte or enormitee can be suspected to be in you There bee none Byshoppes except that of congruence ought to liue more after the gospell then Princes But they oftentymes by simplicitie vnder an assemblaunce of deuocion be deceyued For by the perswasion of suche whiche be thoughte the perfite professours of religion they ofttymes esteme it a poynt of great perfeccion if they daily saie ouer their praiers the which they call their mattens if they see a masse euery daye once The whiche thinges as in a lay prince and a young man also I graunt is a certaine token signe of a well disposed mind yet be there many other thinges that which do more straitly appertayn to a christeÌ„ princes office theÌ„ these For if he foresee that no storme of warre arise that the publike libertie be not diminished ne violated that the poore comminaltie bee not compelled to famishe that no naughty officers be made and permitted in my opinion he shall do a more acceptable seruice to God then yf he should saye these praieres â–ª vi yeres together Yet do I commende the said thinges if that whiche is more principall bee coupled and ioyned therto But and if a prince do suppose that he lacketh no porcion of godly perfeccion putting his confidence in the obseruacion of those thinges settyng a part suche thinges whiche do peculiarly appertain vnto a kynges office and dutie plainly that is the confusion of all religioÌ„ that is the subuersion of the common welth and they that geue suche councel do neither geue profitable nor holsome councell for the prince neither yet for his subiectes It is a good dede to heare seruice if thei be pure that do it but how can I cum in pure life vnto the sacrifice doen in remembraunce of the true and highest prince the which for to redeme his seruauntes bestowed his own life if through my fury my vain glory and negligence so many thousande men bee eyther vexed or vtterlye perishe I thinke it not nedefull to shewe that for the most part princes be neuer at more leisure neither lesse carefull then when thei be at diuine seruice What great thyng is it if a prince saye those praiers at an houre prescribed therfore whiche cannot haue sufficiente tyme and leisure to order and disposeth affayres of a common wealth A prince shall pray inough at full if he saye daily and recite from his hearte the notable prayer of the wyse kyng Salomon Lorde geue me wisdome and knowledge how to behaue my selfe vnto thy people Or the other praier muche lyke vnto thesame the whiche the wyse man as I remember reciteth in the boke of wisdome Geue me wisdome whiche is euer about thy seate that she maie be with me and labour with me that I may knowe what is acceptable in thy sighte for she knowethe and vnderstandethe all thinges and she shall leade me sobrely in my workes and preserue me in her power So shall my workes be acceptable and then shall I gouerne thy people righteously be worthy to sitte in my fathers seate who can haue knowledge of thy vnderstandynge and meanynge except thou geue wisdome and sende thy holy ghost from aboue that the waies of them which are vpon earth maye be refourmed that men may learne the thinges that are pleasaunt vnto the This wisdome that this most wise young maÌ„ desireth to haue may a man chiefly fynde in the holy scripture if a maÌ„ list vnfainedly and with a godly curiositie seke to haue it Otherwise howe is it cuÌ„ to passe that christen mens behauiour and maners partely bee decayed into a conuersacion wurse then the Gentiles or Ethnickes were partly degenerated into a certaine Iudaical supersticion but by reason that the doctrine of the ghospell hath not been had in regarde Notwithstandyng to saye the very trueth in all tymes there hath been euer sum of whome the gospell hath beene hadde in due honoure and reuerence yet neuerthelesse for this fower hundred yeres past the liuely heate and feruencie therof hath been greatlye abated with the most part Wherfore the more we ought to the vttermoste of our power endeuour our selfe that euery man for his parte do reuiue thissame sparkle of heauenly fire again the whiche the eternall veritie Iesus Christe our Lorde hath sent down into the earth wishyng nothyng els but that it maye be feruentlye kyndled and in great circuite to spreade it selfe abrode and be set all on fyer In this our tyme when mans condicions be so corrupted and of so great dissencions in opinions wherby at this houre all thinges be confounded out of order whither shall we rather flee to haue redresse then as S. Hilarie doeth well admonishe vs vnto the most pure fountaine and well spring of holy scripture wherof the moste pure and vnderfiled part be the gospels Neyther oughte the gospel to be mislyked of the supreme powers for this cause as thoughe it dyd as sum saye cause suche to be sedicious and disobedient whose parte and duetie is to bee obedient vnto their princes nay it rather profiteth princes in this pointe insomuche as it doeth teache them to execute the true offices of princes and not to be tirauntes and causeth the people more gladlye to obey euery good prince and more quietly to tollerate and beare with the bad Finally the gospell is not to be blamed if any man do not vse all of the best that thing whiche of his nature is moste excellent and the very best It is called the gospel of peace reconcilyng god and vs to vnitie and secondlye couplyng mutuall loue and amitie betwene eche of vs together If any man stumble at this stone let him blame hymselfe and not the gospell There is no power that man hath no policy no coÌ„spiracy or coniuracion together that is able to â—anquishe oppresse the veritie of the gospel whiche moste mightily setteth furth it self when it is most greuously persecuted But as touchyng these matters I feare me I haue heretofore spoken inough and to muche Now that this paraphrase may with the more fruite bee red after I haue spoken a worde or two of the euangelistes entent and purpose I wyll make an ende After that the lyfe and doctrine of our Lord Iesus Christ by thapostles preachyng and the other Euangelistes wrytinges was spred at large ouer all the world the Euangelist S. Iohn whome Christ so notably loued after all the other toke on hande to write this present gospell not so muche for th entent to compile the historie of the gospel as to make rehersall of
they ought to thanke for theyr saluacion They knowe of whom to bee succoured and whome to leane to They doe depende vpon thee I praye for them I praye not for the worlde but for them whiche thou hast geuen me for they are thyne And all myne are thyne and thine are myne and I am glorifyed in them And nowe I am not in the worlde and they are in the worlde and I come to thee Holye father kepe thorowe thyne owne name them whiche thou hast geuen me that they also maye be one as we are Whyles I was with them in the worlde I kepte them in thy name Those that thou gauest me haue I kepte and none of them is loste but that loste chylde that the scripture might be fulfylled Therefore I praye for them whome beyng withdrawen out of the worlde thou wouldest shoulde be thine and my prayer is that thy goodnes would stablyshe and make the thyng perpetually theyr owne which thou haste begun in them I do not nowe praye for the worlde which being blynded in euyl desyres doeth stubbernly oppugne and reclayme agaynste my doctrine hauyng enuie at theyr owne saluacion when it is freely offred them I praye for them whom thou hast committed to my tuicion because thei be not of this worlde but thine and agaynst the malyce of the deuill they cannot be in sauetie but by thy continuall ayde I therefore o father commende them to thee that it maye please thee to let them be alwaye thyne lyke as I am perpetually thyne for euer And therfore are they myne because they bee thyne For betwene vs are all thynges common For whatsoeuer is myne thesame is also thyne And whatsoeuer is thine thesame is also myne And like as thou arte honoured and glorifyed by my doctryne among menne so am I glorifyed by the beliefe of these whiche sticke vnto me constauntly when as the Phariseis and the scribes stāde obstinately in the deniall therof For these shall after a sorte succede me in offyce and come into my roume and after that I be takē a way out of this world they shall make bothe thy name and myne to be of famouse memorye throughout all the worlde I haue played the preachers parte and dooen my funccion and office therein wherein these shall succede me and come to lyke offyce And nowe am I not in the worlde whiche I do furth with leaue and goe out of it but yet these abyde styll in the worlde in my steade to disperse abrode throughout all nacions of the worlde that whiche they haue learned of me But I leauyng them behynde me come whole to thee O holy father kepe and preserue them in preachyng of thy name whome thou gauest me to teache and so kepe them that they maye preache and teache those thynges which thou haste wylled me to preache and whiche thynges I haue taughte obeying thy wyll in all thynges And this do that as I neuer went from thy commaundementes but in all thynges haue agreed and consented to thy wyll so bothe the doctrine of these and also theyr lyfe do neuer dissent frō myne For so shall our name be truely glorifyed by them yf as we agreyng within ourselues do bothe the one and the other glorifie eche other so euen these neuer dissentyng from vs doe make our name famouse all the worlde thorowe For whatsoeuer they haue taught and doen ▪ because it shall be perceyued to haue come from vs it shall therfore redound and be referred to the prayse and glorie of our name As long as I lyued in theyr company familiarly as a man with men I was diligente to kepe them as thyne and as men that thou haste put me in truste withall euē with bodely seruice and doynges also and I haue reteyned and continued thē hitherto in league with vs. So manye as thou gauest me haue I faythfullye kepte safe and neuer one of this couente or felowship hath perished except one whiche though he lyued in my companye yet was he none of myne but borne to damnacion whiche hymselfe through his owne faulte willinglye called for and occasioned to fall vpon hym For I omitted nothyng that should haue reuoked him and haue brought him to better mynde And this thyng truely dyd not happē by casualtie but holy scripture dyd long tyme before shewe it should come to passe that a familiar and a companion of householde shoulde betraye to death his owne lorde and Maister Notwithstandyng throughe thy godlye deuise and diuine prouidence it is come to effecte and purpose that also this mannes death and damnacion shall be profitable and do good to the publique healthe and saluacion of the whole worlde synce that by hym is procured the thyng without whiche saluacion coulde not be had and sithe also an example is gotten thereby whiche ought to counsayle and admonishe euery man to abyde constantly and to perceyuer in the thyng that he hath once begunne and taken in hande leste he by his owne folie turne to his owne vtter destruccion and cause of his owne damnacion that thyng whiche by the mere bountie and free goodnes of God was geuen hym to obteyne thereby eternall health and saluacion Nowe come I to thee and these wordes speake I in the world that they might haue my ioye full in them I haue geuen them thy worde and the world hath hated them because they are not of the worlde euen as I also am not of the worlde I desyre not that thou shouldeste take them out of the worlde But that thou kepe them from euill They are not of the worlde as I also am not of the worlde Sanctifie them thorow thy trueth Thy worde is the trueth As thou dyddest sende me into the worlde euen so haue I also sent them into the worlde and for theyr sakes sanctifie I my selfe that they also might be sanctified thorowe the trueth But nowe lyke as these matters are dooen by thy eternall wisedome and iudgement euen accordyng as thou wouldest haue it so I now after I haue finished the thynges that thou commaundedst me do leaue the worlde and come to thee But I that shall go hence do in the meane while speake these thynges vnto thee not that I am any thyng doubtfull of thy wyll but that I maye by this prayer comforte and stablishe my disciples to the entent they maye vnderstand how that thou wilt care and prouide for them after that they shall wante the presence and sight of my body and that they maye also put awaye sorowfull pensiuenesse for that they knowe howe that I shall lyue agayne and so theyr ioye to be soone renued agayne when they haue sene me risen from death to life and in conclusion after they haue seene me taken vp into heauen and they to haue receiued that heauēly spirite the holy ghost one that shal be both in steade of thee and me they maye conceyue and receyue no temporall or vnperfite ioye whiche maye ryse by the sight of my body when it is
vp on hyght a cloude receyued him vp out of their sight And while thei loked stedfastly vp toward heauen behold two men as he went stode by theÌ„ in white apparell whiche also sayed ye men of Galâ—le why stande ye gasyng vp into heauen The same Iesus which is take vp from you into heauen shall so cum euen as ye haue sene him go into heauen These were the last wordes that our lorde Iesus spake to all his disciples beyng gathered together into one place at Bethany After which wordes wheÌ„ he had blessed them in syght of them al caryed he was vp on hygh so long vntil that a bryght cloude toke the bodie of him cleane out of syght For thaÌ„ was it full tyme for theym to truste no longer vnto his bodely presence that they might were the more spiritual and myght behold Iesus none otherwise than with the iyes of theyr fayth And for this cause when Iesus was taken vp on hygh the disciples stode with their iyes stedfastly fyxed towarde heauen So hard a thing was it to pul them from him whoÌ„ they loued excedyngly though beyng yet but weake They loked also whether that any miracle should be shewed them from aboue Therfore sodenly two messagers frome heauen appered in mannes likenesse in white garmentes the verye fourme caused them not to feare the bryghtnesse of theyr garmentes was conuenient for the messengers of hym that than hastened to his glory These two did with frendly wordes asswage the disciples sorow that they had conceyued by the departure of their lord and called them backe againe from theyr gasing vp which profited them nothyng vnto theyr vocacion saying ye men of Galile why stande ye here loking vp towardes heauen This same Iesus whiche is nowe taken from you to heauen is returned whence he came as ye haue often heard of hym that he came from his father and that he woulde leauyng you in the worlde returne to his father againe He is not taken vp into the ayre as Helyas was but he is receyued into his fathers Palayce and there shall sitte at hys right hande as partener of the kingdom of heaueÌ„ You sawe him going to heauen with a visible body and yet immortall And likewise in tyme to cum shal he returne that they which would not whiles he was here knowledge him to bee theyr sauiour shal than feele hym to bee a iudge He shal not cum againe to you poorely but from on high shal he shewe himselfe to the iyes of al men with greate glory But a fewe of you sawe him goyng vp but euery manne shall see him at his seconde comming Albeit ye must not loke for him immediatly to returne He himselfe shewed you that the gospel of god should fyrste be preached throughout the world Nowe therfore endeuour youreselues rather to do that For ye were not bidden tarye here but to continue at Hierusalem to the ende that after ye haue there receyued the holye ghoste ye maye luckely take in hande this heauenly businesse Than returned they vnto Hierusalem from the mount that is called Oliuete Whiche is from Hierusalem a sabboth dayes iourney And when they wer cum in they went vp into a parlour where abode both Peter and Iames Iohn Andrewe Phylip Thomas Berthelmew Mathew Iames the sonne of Alpheus Symon zelotes Iudas the brother of Iames. These euery one continued with one accorde in prayer supplicacion with the women and Mary the mother of Iesu and with his brethren The numbre of the names that were together were about an hundred and twentye The disciples than obeyed these wordes departyng from the mount called Olyuete whiche our lorde before his death was so delyted with that veraye often he resorted vnto it and vpon the whiche he last also stoode when he was ready to returne vnto heauen repayred to Hierusalem That hyl is from Hierusalem as farre as it were a lawful iourney on the Sabboth daye that is to saye almoste two myles From this hill went he to suffer that shamefull death of the crosse and froÌ„ thence lykewyse he went to glorye within the sight of this hill is Hierusalem situate and sittyng thereupon had he Prophecied with weping teres the distruccion of thesame Citie In this cytie whiche was a murtherer of the prophetes the lorde willed first the lyght of the gospell to sprede partely for because it was so foresaid by prophetes partely that they should haue no pretexte ne cloke lefte them for their excuse whiche otherwise through theyr owne infidelitie woulde vtterly haue perished Chapostles were more desirous to looke vpward to heauen whither their lorde went before theim but we for profite of our neyghbour must often come doune to thinges which bee rather necessary then pleasaunt When they came to Hierusalem they went vp into a certaine parlour where those discyples abode that were emong the reste moste famylyar with Christe that is to saye Simon Peter and Iohn Iames and Andrewe Philippe and Thomas Bartholomewe and Mathewe Iames the soonne of Alpheus and Simon zelotes whiche in Hebrewe was called Cananeus and Iudas by sirname called Thadeus or Lebbeus brother to Iames the yonger Certayne women besydes tarryed in the same parloure whiche of a deuoute loue folowed the Lorde in hys waie rydyng to Hierusalem and had serued him with their goodes Among those was also Marye the mother of Iesus with certayne other hys kynsâ—olkes whome the Hebrues called his brethren Marke me here a litle the beginning of the churche which was than as young borne They were delyted with the cytie Hierusalem whiche signifieth with the Hebrues the sight of peace But suche that take this worlde for theyr cuntrey dwell not in Hierusalem neither attayne they to the quietnesse of an heuenly lyfe Neyther they that haue their myndes troubled with worldlye desyres dwell in Hierusalem The holy ghoste cutteth not into such hertes They were also delited to be in a parloure whiche is an high place of the house For shoppes or worke houses are wonte to occupye the lower partes of houses But he that maketh himselfe readye to bee a dwellyng place for the holy goste must be vtterly voide of all vile cares This is that holye congregacion whiche oure Lorde Iesus chose among all others This parlour was the first house wherin that godly churche dwelled Nowe marke what was here done They spent not the tyme in brablyng or in idle tales but continued all together of one mynde in holye prayer Christes church is not there where is not agrement and concorde Theyr prayers God accepteth not whiche loue not brotherly Neyther is he woorthye to be heard the prayeth not instantly The holy congregation prayeth al one thyng Where one prayeth for riches an other wisheth the deathe of his enemye an other for long lyfe another for promocion an other an other thinge there is no praier mete for Christes congregacion The reste also of the disciples resorted to the
corps to take sum pitie or compassion for her death There stode about Peter all the wydowes who among other ministeries whiche were prayse worthye chiefely were commended for seruing the holye in all their necessities they mourned her with wepyng teares whiche they let fall more of pitie towarde the poore whome she was wunt to refreshe with many good turnes then for her â—ake that was departed Their weapyng was then a sufficient openyng to hym of theyr myndes what they desyred to haue They called not to rehearsall her good dedes but brought forth to syght the coates and other garmentes whiche Dorcas had already made to clothe the holye withall But this her indeuour in doyng good was by death interrupted Then Peter hauing in remembraunce Iesus example where as he raysed vp the chiefe priestes doughter of the Synagoge after the multitude of those that mourned were first of all put oute of doores commaunded them all to go furth For the widowes were onely they that mourned And weping is a let to prayer And moreouer because that women whiche of their owne nature are weake spirited shoulde not be troubled at the rysyng vp of the deade bodye he would haue none of them to be present â–ª but he all alone prayed knelyng on his knees For the holy ghost by whom all miracles are wroughte is not at all times in like force with maÌ„ But his vertue by prayer is quickened like as fayth is also without the whiche no miracle at al is wrought Whan Peter had made his prayers and conceyued spirituall strength of the holye ghoste he turned hym to the bodywarde and sayde Tabitha rise vp Than shee as these wordes were spoken awaked as though shee had ben in a slepe and loked vpon Peter And after that she had behelde him well sate her down agayne Peter than putting forth his hande to ayde her withall set her vp beyng thaÌ„ on liue and lastly After this maner must they be lifte vp vnto godlines whiche be of their owne selues weake First of all muste god be prayed vnto that he would take mercy vpon them That done they muste be taughte what to do rebuked for theyr lyfe mispent and exhorted to amende Finally they muste haue ayde as Dorcas had to be lyfte vp by good example to more perfeccion of lyfe Whan Peter had called the holy brethren and widowes whome he before had bidden go forthe into the chambre againe whiche were likewise their selues occupyed in praier lokyng for the mercifulnes of the Lorde he shewed them the woman on lyue for them all to beholde That miracle was soone bruyted abrode ouer all the citie of Ioppa and caused manye one to beleue in Christe For that is the very chefe commoditie that cummeth of miracles For it shoulde not otherwyse muche auayle to call one or two amongest so manye thousandes that come by tymes into this worlde and departe thesame vnto lyfe againe whiche muste neuertheles soon after dye And this was an occasion for Peter to tarye manye dayes at Ioppa For where shoulde he that fissheth for mennes soules abide more to his contentacion than there as manye cummeth vnto his nette All this meane whyle abode Peter the chiefe of all the apostles and he that by reason of so greate myracles whiche he hadde wrought both was famous and mighty at one Simons house a tanner by his occupacion The .x. Chapter ¶ There was a certaine man in â—esatea called Cornelius a capitaine of the souldiers of Italy a deuoute man one that feared God with al his houshold whiche gaue muche almes to the people and praied God alway The same sawe by a vision cuâ—deÌ„tely about the ninth houre of the daie and auÌ„gel of god cumming in vnto hym saying vnto him Cornelius when he loked on hym he was afrayde and sayde what is it Lorde He sayd vnto him Thy praiers and thy almes are cum vp into remembraunce before God And now send men to Ioppa call for one Simon whose sirname is Peter He lodgeth with one SimoÌ„ a tanner whose house is by the sea side He shal tell the what thou oughtest to do And when the aungel which spake vnto him was departed he called two of his housholde seruauntes and a deuout souldier of them that awayted on him tolde them all the matter and sent them to Ioppa HYtherto had none of the apostles bene conuersaunt among the heathen but by occasion was that chamberlaine whiche came from Ethiop induced to Christes religion And yet sum of the gentiles were the better that they dwelt nere vnto the apostles For in Cesarea the most floryshing citie of Palestine whiche to fore was called StratoÌ„s castle was a certaine manne named Cornelius captaine ouer a band of meÌ„ which wer of Italie This maÌ„ though by trade of his auncestry he were heathen by reason of his office a man of armes yet as one that desyred to be a christen man he was a good lyuer and feared god Like him was all his whole houshold For it is commenly seene that the residue of the housholde do frame themselues in condicions like vnto the maister of the house He in two poyintes chiefly declared hymselfe meete to take vpon hym Christes religion in liberally refreshing the neady poore and in continuall prayer to the lorde He knowledged the true god for that he learned by reason that he was conuersaunt among the Iewes He knew that his fauour was chiefly obtayned by beyng beneficiall to the poore and by coÌ„tinuall prayer It remayned alwaye certaine that he whiche had already abundauntly ynoughe shoulde haue more geuen hym This man beyng in his prayer not muche before supper tyme the nynth houre of the daye did euideÌ„tly see a vision the angel of god cummyng towardes hym and callyng hym by name Cornelius as though he had ben familiarly acquaynted with hym But Cornelius beholding than the angel and beyng sore afrayed by reasoÌ„ of the maiestie of so rare a personage sayde Lorde what art thou The angell aunswered thy prayers are not spente in vayne neyther yet thy almes dedes wherwith hitherto thou hast earnestly called vpon god to be mercifull to the. For what thou hast bestowed to refreshe the poore the lord vouchesafeth to couÌ„te it bestowed vpon himselfe he wil reward thee in their behalfe which are not able to require Wherfore thou hast not emploied thy benefite on him that wil forget it Thou haste done for thy parte accordyng to his wyll he agayne on thother parte wyll accomplishe that thy requeste whiche thou haste continually by prayer desyred The lorde hath heard thy praiers because thyne eares were not stopped from the poore Nowe therfore this must thou doo without delaye that from hence forwarde the lorde maye shewe vnto the his bountifull goodnes Sende sum of thy seruauntes to the citie Ioppa and enquire there for a certaine man named Simon and desyre hym to cum speake with thee this man in the iyes of the
world is not of any great estimacioÌ„ but in the sight of god highe in fauour by reason of his godlynes and is otherwise called Peter He hosteth at a certaine mannes house in Ioppa whose name is Simon a tanner by his occupacioÌ„ and dewelleth by the sea syde Of this Peter shalt thou learne what thou must do to obtaine saluacion Whan the aungell had this sayde he vanished awaye Than by and by Cornelius sent a couple of his housholde seruauntes and with them one that was a souldier retaynyng to hym whose honeste conuersacion and trustynes he hadde great profe of for not onely all Cornelius owne housholde resembled him in godly liuinge but there were sum souldiers also that folowed the vertuous trade of their capitaine And whan he had shewed them all the matter and effecte as touching his vision he sent them to Ioppa These thinges were done in the euening ¶ On the morowe as they weÌ„t on their iourney and drewe nye vnto yâ— cytie Peter went vp vpoÌ„ the top of the house to praie about the sixt hour And wheÌ„ he wexed huÌ„gry he would haue eaten But while they made readye he fell into a â—â—aunce sawe heauen opened a certaine vesselle came downe vnto him as it had bene a great shete knyt at the fower comets was let downe to the earth wherein were al maker of fower footed beastes of the earthe and vermin and wormes and fowles of the ayer The nexte daye Cornelius messengers went on their iournaye In those dayes so meane an embacie as that was had Peter the chiefe pastoure of Christes Churche no disdayne at And whan as they were almoste at Ioppa Peter thesame time as he was accustomed had gon vp into an hyghe chamber to praye almoste at the syxte houre that is to say about noone And as he was an hungred in his prayer he mynded to eate summe meate after his long abstinence And whyles that meate was a dressyng accordyng to Peters commaundement he was rauyshed with the spirite of god So chaunceth it specially with them that vse prayer and fasting For god discloseth not his mysteryes to the fulle belyes and slouthfull persons His vision was this He sawe heauen open and from thence a great vesseâ—l let downe to the yearth as it had ben a great sheete knotted and fastened with coardes at euery of the fower corners For in olde tyme meate was serued to the table in great brode lynen clothes In this vessell were all kyndes of fower foted beastes and virmin which crepe on the ground and lyue on the earthe and byrdes that lyue in the ayre as well vncleane as cleane together indifferently This was meate that the Iewes dyd abhorte but yet was it thesame that Iesus longed after whan he sayd to his disciples profering him meat I haue meat to eate that ye knowe not ¶ And there came a voyce to him Aryse Peter kill eate But Peter sayed not so lorde for I haue neuer eaten any thing that is commen or vncleane And the voyce spake vnto hym againe the seconde tyme what God hath clensed that call not thou commen This was done thryse and the vessell was receyued vp againe into heauen Whyle Peter also mused in himselfe what this vision which he had seene meaned beholde the meÌ„ which were sent from Cornelius had made inquitaunce for Symons house and stoode before the doore and called out one and asked whether Symon which was syrnamed Peter were lodged there Peter muche maruayling what this vision ment a voyce spake and sayed vnto him aryse Peter kyll and eate And althoughe that the lorde had warned his dysciples that they shoulde make the Gentiles also partakers of his ghospell yet to thintent they should the more boldely dooe thesame he againe was admonished by a vision But Peter as a Iewe yet abhorting the meate that by the lawe was forbyd sayed Oh lorde god forbid that I shoulde eate any suche meates For vnto this day haue I dewly kepte the trade of my forefathers For hytherto neuer eate I any meate that was suspeÌ„ded or vncleane To this thesame voyce that had spoken before made aunswere that whiche God hath made cleane thou whiche art but man call not it vncleane After this vision had thryse appered to this ende that he should more certainly beleue it strayght wayes the vessell was taken vp into heauen Than Peter beyng cumme againe to his remembraunce whyles he was musing with himselfe in a greate perplexitie what this vision shoulde meane and whether it were a dreame eyther els some significacion of goddes wyll beholde those menne that Cornelius had sente stoode at Symons dore the tanner and callyng forth one of the seruauntes enquired whether that one named Peter were hosted there Whyle Peter thought on the vision the spirite sayde vnto him beholde men seke the aryse therfore and get the downe and go with them doubte not for I haue sent them Peter went downe to the men whiche were sent vnto hym from Cornelius sayde beholde I am he whom ye seke what is the cause wherfore ye are come Thei said Cornelius the Capitaine a iust man and one that feareth God and of good report among all the people of the Iewes was warned by an holye Aungell to sende for thee into his house and to heare wordes of the. Then called he them in and lodged them But before that woorde was broughte to Peter that some there were that woulde speake with hym and whyles he satte imaginyng in hys mynd what the vision should meane the spirite of god sayed to hym for god speaketh after sondry wyse to his electe beholde three menne stande at the doore and enquyre for the. Therefore aryse and get the downe and goe with theym nothyng doubtyng For I sent them And then shalte thou vnderstande what the meanyng of thys vision is that thou somuche musest of With that Peter wente downe and came to the menne and sayde loo I am the verye same Symon Peter whome you seke for What is thoccasyon of your cummyng hyther Peter boasted not of his visyon but required the heathens confessyon For the benefyte of grace that cummeth by the ghospell ought not to be thruste before them whiche set nought by it as in lyke maner it ought not to be denyed to theÌ„ that are desyrouse of it Than they aunswered Cornelius whiche by office is a capitayne of a bande of menne but yet a manne of good conuersacion and that feareth God well credited and lykewyse estemed and reported as wel of his owne housholde as also throughout all Iewry was warned by the apperaunce of an holy auÌ„gell that spake to hym to sende for thee home to his house that he myght receyue at thy handes knowleage what he ought to doe to obtayne saluation Peter perceyuing the visions to agree and nowe vnderstandyng what that voyce sygnified whiche thryse had sayed what God hath clensed that accompte thou not vncleane bad them comme nere the
house For it was euentyde and he lodged them This was the fyrst begynnyng of any conuersacion betwene the Iewes and the Gentyles whiche Gentyles by theyr owne accorde preased to be partakers of the ghospell But the Apostles dyd wisely in that they were not to hastye in the settyng forth of this matter that it myght be euydent to all men that they dyd not rashely but by the commaundement of God receyue the Gentyles to the benefyte of the ghospell Cornelius sent for Peter but by the commaundement of the Aungell Peter came downe and mette them but not before he had commaundement by the visyon On the one parte marke the earnest desyre that the Gentiles had to the graciouse benefyte of the ghospel on the other parte the cherefulnesse of him readynes that was desirouse to saue al sortes of men ¶ And on the morowe Peter went away with them and certayne brethren from Ioppa accompanied hym And the thyrde daye entred they into Cesarea and Cornelius awayted for them had called together his kynsmen and his speciall frendes And as it chaunâ—ed Peter to cum in Cornelius met him and fell downe at his feete and worshypped him But Peter toke hym vp saying stande vp I my selfe also am a man The nexte daye Peter went to Cesarea beyng accompanied with certayne christen men from the cytie Ioppa that should beare wytnes of those thinges that were for to be doen. For their mynde gaue theym that sum good lucke was towarde they wyst not what In the meane time Cornelius beyng very desyrous of saluacyon wayted for the retourne of his messengers that should bryng with them Peter and had called togethere as well his nygh kynsfolkes as his other chiefe frendes partely that moe myght be wytnesses of this facte and partely also that moe myghte be partakers of so greate a benefyte But whan as Peter entred into the house of this captayne Cornelius he much reioysyng therat for reuerence towarde him went forth to mete him and fallyng downe to Peters feete worshypped hym perceyuyng to be in hym sum what more excellencie then was semely for a manne to haue Thus ought Christ to be worshipped in his ministers but yet so that the glory dewe vnto God be not attrybuted to manne Then Peter geuing example howe muche the preachers of Christes woorde ought to abhorre ambicioÌ„ and the desire of honoure and howe smalle prayse ought they to chalenge for those thynges whiche be done thorowe vertue of Christes name suffred not thys captayne to lye prostrate vpon the grounde but embracyng hym in his armes dyd lyft him vp saying aryse I am but a man as thou art Geue vnto God this homage for I am but his minister ¶ And as he talked with hym he came in and founde many that were cum to gether And he sayde vnto them ye knowe howe that it is an vnlawful thyng for a man that is a Iew to coÌ„pany or cum vnto an Alien but god hath shewed me that I should not cal any man commen or vncleane therfore came I vnto you without delay assone as I was sent for I aske therefore for what entent haue ye sent for me And commonyng than in thys wyse familiarly wyth him entred into the house together Whan they were cum into the inner house Peter found there a greate numbre assembled together Here conceyued he as a couetous pastour good hope that he shoulde haue great vauntage And so whan Peter was set doune he began as an heauenly oratour to speake to them in thys wyse partly that those that came wyth hym shoulde not haue occasyon to be offended and partly that he myghte stablyshe the captaines houshold in that theyr confydence whiche they had conceyued you know that it is not permytted by the lawes that a Iewe be eyther in household eyther otherwyse in company with aliens men of a sundry kynde of religion and not cyrcumcised Yet I being a Iewe am not afrayed so to doo not yet despising eyther the trade or custome of my countrey but folowyng herein the commaundement of God that signified vnto me by vision that I oughte not to esteme any manne what countrey soeuer he be of to be vncleane or hate worthy for as muche as god taketh no man to be vncleane For onely he maketh holy euery thyng I therefore stickyng to the commaundement of god came hither wythout delay as soone as you sent for me wherfore it is your part to shewe me what the matter is that you sende for me Peter speaketh to all that he maye wynne them all perceyuyng that for thys cause they were assembled together that they myght al at one tyme heare the ghospell preached Marke howe featly Peter playeth the pastours part for he doeth not coÌ„municate the high misteries of the ghospell vnto them before he perceyued them to be desirious to learne ¶ Than Cornelius sayd this day nowe .iiii. daies about thys houre I sat fasting and at yâ— ninth houre I prayed in my house and beholde a man stâ—de before me in bright clothynge and sayde Cornelius thy prayer is hearde and thyne aliues dedes are had in remembraunce in the syght of God Sende men therefore to go to Ioppa and cal for Symon whose syrname is Peter He is lodged in the house of one Symon a tanner by the sea syde whiche assone as he is cuÌ„me shall speake vnto the. Than sent I for the immediatly and thou hast well done that thou art cuÌ„me Nowe therefore are we all here present before God to heare all thynges that are commaunded vnto the of god Than Cornelius before them all rehearsed howe the matter stode saying fower dayes paste I was here in my house fastyng and earnestly in my prayers about the ninth houre of the daye And sodaynly beholde a certayne man whose countenaunce was full of maiestie stoode visible before me in a glystening garment and sayed vnto me Cornelius thy prayer is hearde and thy liberall and bountifull almes that thou hast bestowed on the poore is not forgotten in the syght of God Wherfore sende to Ioppa and desire Symon otherwyse called Peter to come to thee He is hosted in the house of Symon the Tanner nere to the sea Than sente I incontinent messaungers of myne owne folkes vnto thee whiche thyng I had not been so holde to haue enterprysed vnlesse an aungell had so wylled me And I moste hertely thanke you of youre goodnes that vouchesafed to come hyther Nowe therefore we are here present all of one mynde without hurte meanyng towardes any man as we take God to wytnesse very desirous to heare what God hathe geuen you in commaundement to shewe vs. For thaungell that put me in this confideÌ„ce promysed me so and we doubte not but you wyll so dooe forasmuche as you also by the commanudemente of God â—ouchesaued to come and common with vs. Than Peter opened his mouthe and sayd of a trueth I perceyue that there is no respect of persons with god but