tollerable emong you to doe good to a man or to do yll to saue a manne or to destroy hym For he destroyeth hym who whan he maye saue hym doth not saue hym But they all helde theyr peace leste the people should thynke them cruell yf they should saye it were not lawfull to helpe and succour a miserable manne on the sabboth daye or leste they should lese theyr occasion to blame Iesus yf they had answered it had been lawfull They therfore saying nothyng Iesus hymselfe bryngyng furth an example leused the knot of the question Whiche emong you ê™ he shall be founde so religious and deuoute a keper of the sabboth day that yf it chaunce one of his shepe to be in daunger by fallyng into the dyke on the sabboth daye wyll he not put to his hande furthwith to plucke her out If auarice can do so muche with you that ye had rather breake the sabboth daye than to diminyshe your substaunce by one shepe howe muche more ought charitie to preuayle and obtayne of you to helpe your neyghbour on the sabboth day whiche is farre better than a shepe It is manifest therfore I reporte me to you to be lawfull to helpe your neyghbour with a good turne vpon the sabboth daye But whan Iesus perceyued that theyr enuy woulde not be mitigated neyther by these woordes nor by the syght of the miserable man and that they would not be moued by so euident and playne reason casting his iyes about taking it greuously and beyng sory for suche great blindnes of theyr heartes he turned vnto hym that had the drye and withered hande and sayed Put furth thyne hande and at that woorde he put furth his hande as plyaunt and nimble as the other was Than the Phariseis went out and helde a counsayle agaynst hym howe they myght destroye him But Iesus whan he knewe it departed thence and muche people foloweâ— hym and he healed them all and charged them that they shoulde not vtter hym that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esay the Prophete who sayeth Behold my sonne whome I haue chosen my beloued in whome my soule hath muche delyght I will put my spirite in him and he shall shewe iudgement vnto the Gentyles He shall not stryue nor crye neither shall any man heare his voyce in the stretes He shall not breake the broused â—eede and he shall not quenche the smokyng flaxe tyll he sende furth iudgement vnto victory and the Gentyles shall trust in his name The Phariseis driuen into a rage by this so notable an acte when they perceyued that they had loste an occasion to accuse Iesus departyng out of the Synagoge leauyng the multitude whom they perceyued to beare a good mynde vnto Iesus consulted secretly with the Herodians whiche also had to do with Iohn his disciples which enuyed your glory of Iesus by what meanes they myght rydde Iesus out of the waye They had nowe a will toward murder and nothyng lacked but a meete occasion But Iesus not ignoraunte what they intended withdrewe himselfe from that place lesse he myght seme to haue geuen some occasion of extreme delyng to the rageyng and furyous men He myght haue spytefully represte them he myght haue ouerwhelmed them with miracles he might haue destroyed theÌ„ also but mynding to shewe the euangelicall mekenes he gaue place to theyr rage fury yf perhaps they would relent and repent and thus farre he gaue place vnto them that â–ª neuertheles in other places he distributed his heaueÌ„ly doctrine vnto the multitude which folowed him thicke and threfold and as many sicke men or otherwise myserable as were brought vnto hym he healed them For his tyme was not yet come the ghospell was not yet sufficiently spred abrode Wherfore he gaue place to them not to prouyde for hymselfe but to take from them the occasion of a wicked dede to teache withall that the wysdome of the ghospell ought not to be defended against the disobedient with threatnynges wyth checkes or contencions but with mildenes mekenes Therfore he coÌ„maunded the multitude that folowed hym that they should not disclose hym leste the rumour spreadyng abrode the Phariseis myght bee stirred more and more Neyther was this thyng doen by chaunce but it was prophecied nowe long before by the Prophete Esay that it should so come to passe In the wrytinges of the whiche Prophete the father doeth descrybe and set furth the victorye of his sonne obteyned thorowe mekenes and the saluacion of the ghospell translated to the Gentyles for the pertinacye and stubbernesse of the Iewes sufficiently knowen to all men Behold sayeth he my sonne whom I haue chosen before other behold my dere beloued in whom my soule is delited I will geue vnto hym my meke and gentle spirite by thinspiracion wherof he shall shewe iudgement not onely to the people of Israel but also to all nacions He shall not doe this tumultuously or violently For he shall not chyde nor shall not crye out against them that be conâ—enciouse No man shall heare his voyce in the stretes as they be wonte that warre with the tong He shall geue place to the inuincible malice but he shall endeuour to bryng all vnto saluacion He shall geue none occasion to the yll of theyr incurable destruccion but he shall sane all yf by any meanes they can turne themselues vnto the better He wyll not despise the weake he wyll not despyse the feble in whome there shall remayne any good hope he wyll cheryshe them rather than oppresse them He wyll not breake the browsed reede and he wyll not quenche out the smokyng flaxe vntyll the trueth of it selfe by the processe of time haue the hygher hand and vntyll the madnesse of the wicked through theyr owne default breake out so farre that all men maye perceyue that they be worthely repelled and cast awaye Than the Gentyles shall enbrace his doctryne whiche the Iewes despised and put theyr trust in hym whome the Iewes refused to trust ¶ Than was brought vnto hym a blynde and dumme man vexed with a deuyll and he healed hym insomuche that the blynde and dumme both spake and sawe And all the people were amased fayed Is not this that sonne of Dauid But whaÌ„ the Phariseis heard it they sayed This felowe dryueth not out deuils but by the help of Belzebub the prynce of deuils But whan Iesus knew their thoughtes he sayed vnto theÌ„ Euery kyngdom deuided against it selfe shal be brought to naught And euery citie or house deuided against itselfe shall not stand And if Sathan cast out SathaÌ„ he is deuided against himselfe 〈◊〉 than shal his kingdom endure And if I cast out deuils by the help of Belzebub â—y whose help do your children cast them out Therfore they shall be your iudges But yf I cast out deuils by the spirite of God shall is the kingdom of God come vnto you Or els how can one enter into a strong mans
hande and the loue of many shal be colde But he that endureth to the ende thesame shal be safe And this ghospell of the kyngdome shal be preached in all the worlde for a witnesse to all nacions and thâ—n the ende shall come And ye in the meane season shall not be free from suche maner of illes and miseries For in this tumulte hurly burly of thynges men shall plucke you into diuerse affliccions and finally kyll you and in the meane season ye shall be hated not onely of the Iewes but of all the Gentiles not for your ill dedes but because ye professe my name In the meane time many being offended and greued with aduersities and ouercummed with punishmentes shall swarue from the professing of my name and one shall betraye an other one kinesman shall betraye an other one frende an other whom nature hath coupled with the bandes of charitie they shall hate eche other There shall be also another kynde of ill more greuouse and intollerable There shall arise false Prophetes and false teachers who counterfeiting to preach my ghospell shall see to and prouide for their owne glory their owne lucre and theyr owne belly and instede of my spirite they shall inspire theyr owne disciples with the spirite of Sathan and in the stede of the kyngdome of heauen they shall teache the kingdome of this worlde They whom punishmentes and tormentes could not ouercome shall be caught in the snares of these menne For there is not a more deadly enemy than a familiar and a fayned frende In these mischifes and miseries a man shall not loke for muche comfort of his brothers and frendes For the multitude of sinnes beyng so great the charitie of many shall waxe colde But yet as for you there is no perill so that ye perseuer and continue vnto the ende with a constant and a valiant courage No greatnes of aduersitie can destroy any man but him that lacketh the ryght mynde And I wyll not suffer you to peryshe nor the ghospell to be oppressed Nay by these tumultes and troubles the strength of the ghospell shall encrease more and more and the storme of ylles shall be able to doe no nother thyng agaynst you but to make your godlynes to be the better tried and the more to appeare For the ende of the worlde shall not come before that this ghospell of the kyngdome of heauen be preached throughout al the kyngdomes of the worlde and hath come to all nacions leste they that would not obey myght pretende ignoraunce When this shall be doen than shall come the ende of the worlde Whan ye therfore shall see the abhominacion of desolacion that was spoken of by Daniell the Prophete standing in the holy place whoso readeth it let hym vnderstande Wherof if ye seke a token this is it Whan ye shall see the abhominable Idoll whiche shall endeuour vtterly to subuerte the religion of the ghospell of the whiche Daniell in tymes past prophecied vnto you saying and in the middes of the weeke the sacrifice offeryng shall be taken a waie and the abhominacion of desolacions shall be in the temple vnto the ende of the worlde when ye shall see I saye this abhominable Idoll set in the temple that is in the towre of holynes he that readeth the prophecie of the Prophete let him vnderstand This woorde is misticall and requireth a spirituall reader Than let them that be in Iewry flee vnto the mountaynes and let not hym whiche is in to the house toppe come downe to take any thyng out of his house And let not hym that is in the fieldes retourne backe to fetche his clothes Therfore when this storme shal be at hand they that be in the cities of Iewry let them forsake the cities and flee into the mountaynes and they that be in the toppes of the houses let them leape downe not come downe to take any thyng a waie with them out of their houses they that be found in the fielde at that tyme let them not runne backe to theyr house to fetche theyr apparell For than there shall be no leysure to prouyde for theyr goodes For it is a great matter yf they can saue theyr lyfe with spedy flyght For thother thinges may be recouered but the lyfe once loste cannot be restored ¶ Woe shal be in those dayes to them that are with childe and to them that geue sucke But pray ye that your flyght be not ill the wynter or on the Sabboth day For than there shal be great tribulacion suche as hath not been from the begynnyng of the worlde vntyll this time nor shal be And except those dayes should be shortened there should haue been no fleshe saued but for the electes sake those dayes shal be shortened Therfore women with childe and women that geue suche shal be in an yll case in those dayes For they that be great cannot caste of the burden of theyr belly to flee awaye spedely nor they that geue sucke cannot caste of theyr children whom they loue more tenderly than themselues lyke as they doe caste of money or apparell But as for you who shall not be lette neyther with house neyther with possessions nor with children ye must onely pray that it chaunce not so that ye be compelled to flee in the wynter or on the Sabboth day For ye must flee spedely and farre But the wynter by the reason of roughnes and shortnes of dayes is not commodiouse for them that iourney on the Sabboth day the religion of your lawe letteth you that ye cannot flee farre For at that time there shal be so sore and vehement affliction as was neuer synce the worlde was made vnto this daye and hereafter neuer shal be And yf the calamitie should be so continuall as it is vehemente no man should be lefte alyue Theyr malyce did deserue vtter destruccion but for the electe be they neuer so fewe those dayes shal be shortened Than yf any man saye vnto you Lo here is Christe or there beleue it not For there shall aryse false Christes and false prophetes and shall shewe great signes and woonders insomuche that yf it were possible the very electe should be brought into errour Beholde I haue tolde you before Wherfore yf they say vnto you loe he is in the deserte goe not ye furth Beholde he is in the secrete places beleue it not For as the lyghtnyng cummeth out of the East and appeareth vnto the west so shall the cummyng of the sonne of man be For wheresoeuer the dead caâ—ras shall be â–ª thyther wyll also the Egles be gathered together In this confusion and hurly burly of thynges whan my cumming shall be loked for men must take diligent hede that they be not deceyued throughe the crafte of deceyuers For there shall ryse many false Christes whiche shall boaste themselues to be Christe and be not but be rather myne aduersaries whiche also shall saye that they be Prophetes and be not
that euery man ought to loue his neyghbour with lyke affeccion as he loueth hymselfe Nowe synce this is the moste principall and greatest of all the commaundementes in the whole lawe why doe you then of an vnright iudgement breake that whiche is chiefest and alwayes continueth for the obseruacion of those thynges whiche are of lesse value and shall not endure for euer The tyme once hath been when the Sabboth was not holy daye And the tyme shall cum when to all true and Godly men euery day shal be lyke holy But the tyme neuer was nor neuer shall be when it hath not or shall not be an holy dede for man to succour his neyghbour in his nede The law forbyddeth murder Truely he murthereth whoso when it lyeth in his power to saue a manne doeth not succour hym at all And this lawe is permanent and shall continue for euermore The same lawe forbiddeth also to woorke vpon the Sabboth daye Nowe what a wrong shapen holynesse is this yf a man whiles he feareth to breake the Sabboth suffer his brother to peryshe when he wyll not sticke to plucke out his asse fallen by chaunce into a dyche vpon the same daye without anye feare or scruple of conscience to breake the seuenth or Sabboth daye When Iesus had with these and suche lyke manifeste reasons declared how aukewardly deuout and holy they were he added this generall sentence The Sabboth day ê™ he was instituted for mens cause and not men made for the Sabboth daye The sonne of manne came not to destroye men but to saue them And for that cause hath he power yea cleane to take awaye the Sabboth so ofte as mans health so requireth And that whiche I haue spoken of the Sabboth is to be thought and demed of all like constitucioÌ„s They were all instituted for a season to this ende that the sturdye and disobediente people shoulde by little and little accustome themselfes to obey goddes commaundementes to thintent that they might by corporal figures be brought and as it were ledde by the hande to the vnderstanding of spirituall thynges He breaketh the Sabboth daye godlily who nothyng troubled with euill lustes breaketh it onely for the good zeale he hath to helpe his euen Christen Fastyng is a godly thing but thesame is made vngodly and detestable if it beyng only instituted for mannes soule helth be abused to the destruccion both of body and soule Againe a vowe is a holy thing but thesame is made vnholy yf a man by reason of a supersticious mynde he hath to perfourme it bee withdrawen from the perfourmaunce of suche thinges as nerer appertayne to true godlynesse He doeth well and lyke a good holy manne whoso maketh his oblacion at the aulter But agayne that is an vnholy gift which a manne offereth before his neighbour be made at one So is it also well doen to passe litle vpon the coulour and fashioÌ„ of apparell so oft as it behoueth a man so to do because man was not made for the garmentes sake but the garment first inuented for the vse and commoditie of man In lyke manner meate is ordained for mans cause and not man made for meates sake Wherfore it is lofull to eate all kyndes of meate when mans necessitie so requireth For all these corporall thinges wherin you put perfit righteousnesse as your temple sacrifices meate clothing holy dayes fastynges vowes and offered giftes are vnholily obserued yf for the obseruacion therof the health of your euen christen be in any wise hurt or appairâ—d And againe they are well and holily kept if charitie towardes your neighbour so requiriÌ„g you nothing regarde whatsoeuer is carnall but truly perfourme in your hertes that whiche suche corporall thinges be figures significacions of Of such manier of constitucions Moyses was the minister and not the auctour the seruaunte not the maister Suche as with a seruile minde cleue still vnto him do very supersticiouslye keepe those thynges that are comprised in the letter of the lawe But they that sticke vnto the sonne of man who is Lord ouer the whole lawe and teacheth howe all thinges whiche were figured by those corporall shadowes and figures ought to bee obserued after the spirituall sence and meanyng are free and clene discharged in conscience from any longer obseruing of suche Iewishe ceremonies The .iij. Chapter ¶ And he entred agayne into the Sinagoge and there was a man there whiche had a withered haÌ„de And they watched him whether he woulde heale him on the Sabboth day that they myght accuse him And he sayed vnto the man whiche had the withered hande Aryse and stande in the middes And he sayth vnto them whether is it lawfull to do good on the Sabboth dayes or to do euill to saue lyfe or to kyll But they helde theyr peace And when he had looked rounde aboute on them with anger morning on the blindnesse of their hartes he sayeth to the man stretche forth thy hand and he stretched it out And his hande was restored euen as whole as the other WIth suche wordes the lord Iesus as he walked on the way in the fielde both disproued the false reprofe of the Phariseis and also defended his innoceÌ„t disciples But to the intent we should plainly learne that none are more geuen to pieke quarrelles then suche as haue conceyued a wrong opinion of theyr owne holinesse after Iesus was entred into the Synagoge there to teache the people accordyng vnto his accustomed maner occasion was eftsones ministred bothe to hym to dooe a good and a charitable deede and also to the Phariseis to surmyse sum matter agaynst him For there was one there present among the people who had whiche was a pytifull syghte to beholde a withered and a lame hande and therfore carryed about with hym a dead member that dyd hym no slede and so muche the more miserable was he because he was wonte with his hand labor to fynde both himselfe and also all his poore houshold But oh malicious and wicked Phariseis quicke syghted to depraue and finde faute with Christes benefites but blynde to vnderstand the heauenly doctrine By those thinges that they sawe with theyr corporall iyes they knewe that he was a naturall man and yet by his deedes and miracles that he wrought they perceyued not his diuine power They sawe howe the sely felowe was in a miserable case knew ryght well that Iesus was mercifull and straight wayes gessed what would cum of it And nowe 〈◊〉 they about to seke a quarell not agaynste the disciples as they dyd before for pluckyng the eares of corne but againste the Maister himselfe who defended them They marke whether he beeyng of nature ready to helpe all that are in distres and misery dare in the presence and syght of the Synagoge heale a man vpon the sabboth daye because that yf he so do they may accuse him of breakyng the Sabboth for as muche as they shall haue the people to beare witnesse with them
Iesus I saye beeyng moued with mercy sayed vnto hym wilt thou be made whole wyllyng to declare hereby to the standers by the fayth sufferaunce of that man also to make them besydes this perceyue the violence of that disease declaryng therby howe no man can be cured of the vyces of the soule vnles he hate his owne sickenes haue a desyre to be made whole For it is not to be doubted but that he desired health whiche so many yeres had lyen besydes that poole with a constante hope of health and being so ofte disapointed ceased not from his hope nor dispaired Therfore the sicke man of the palsey made no aunswer to Iesus question and yet conceyuing some good hope vpon his so cherefull demaunde sheweth that he lacketh no will nor that he mistrusteth for all the greatnesse and long continuaunce of his disease but that he should be healed in case he were brought into the poole howbeit he sayth he lacketh a man to helpe to beare hym who myght in due season cary hym into the poole assone as the water should be stirred For when other perceiued that the poole was stirred euery man made haste for himselfe to entre first so to obteine alone the benefite of helth but as for the sayed sicke man being slowe by reason of his disease lackyng one to beare hym dyd but in vayne crepe forth towarde the lake for asmuche as an other had gon into it before hym Truely the sicke mannes meaning in this his saying was lowely and shamefastly to desire Iesus that he beyng a man of strength piteouse as it semed by his woordes would when time were cary him downe into the poole whiche thing he durst not requyre of hym opēly but yet after he had disclosed his necessitie he shewed what hindred his helth for the sicke man knew not Iesus But Iesus being well pleased with the mans pacient sufferaūce whiche did not as the moste parte of suche miserable creatures are wont to doe that is to say cry out wishe himselfe dead and cursse the daye he was borne in neyther was he offended with Iesus askyng him whether he would be made whole or no and therfore did not saye or make any clamour that Iesus had him in derision our Lord being in likewyse moued with his so constant hope to recouer his helth and in conclusion willing to shewe both that they which were healed by the mouyng of the foresayd poole were cured by his power that it was an easy ready thing for hym euen only with a becke to take awaye all diseases both of body and soule he saied vnto the sicke man ryse take vp thy couche and goe thy waye And the woorde was no soner spoken but the man was healed so healed that not only he was clerely deliuered frō his disease who els should haue been fainte and feble like as they are wont to be which are cured by phisike but this man I saye was so throughly healed y◠without any stay of mans helpe he rose vp vpon his fete caried awaye his bed vpon his shoulders so beyng strong inough to beare his owne bed did walke forth and bare it home in all mennes sight as a remembraunce of his long continued disease And thesame daye was the Sabboth The Iewes therfore sayed vnto him that was made whole It is the Sabboth daye it is not lawfull for the to carry thy bed He aunswered them he that made me whole saied vnto me take vp thy bed and walke Then asked they him what man is that whiche saied vnto the take vp thy bed and walke He that was healed wist not who it was for Iesus had gotten himselfe awaye because that there was prease of people in that place And it was the Sabboth daye whan the sicke man of the palsey dyd these thinges wherat the Phariseis toke occasion to finde faulte with him which Phariseis did supersticiously mainteine suche thinges of the lawe as were carnall geuen but for a time and contēned those thinges which were chiefe and should still continue amonges thē it was counted a wicked dede to doe any busines on the Sabboth daye but to deceyue their neyghbour vpon the Sabboth daye they toke it but for a trifle They would haue it seme an vngodly thing that a poore sicke mā should cary away his bed vpon the Sabboth daye but to grudge and enuy his helth they thought it no faulte They knew this man which was sicke of the palsey well inough that he had lyen sicke many yeres They did well perceiue that he was nowe strong and had no tokē or apparance of his disease in him Of so great a miracle they ought both to haue glorified God and to haue reioysed in his behalfe which was cured vnles they had been very wicked against god enuiouse toward their neighbour Therfore these like peruerters of true religion fall in hand and chide with him which caried awaye his couche This is the Sabboth daye say they which ought to be kept with rest quiet It is not lawfull for the to cary awaye thy couche he not dissemblyng the benefite that he had receyued to deliuer hymselfe from their enuy of that faulte by the autoritie of Iesu shewyng that he which coulde doe so great a thyng with his woorde semed to be greater than either man or the Sabboth daye the poore man I say maketh this answer to the spitefull Iewes he that made me whole with his very woorde only commaunded me to cary awaye my couche walke When they heard this wheras they ought by reason of the miracle to haue beleued it they did not only enuy him that was cured but also wēt about to deuise matter against him by whom he was cured who is the man saye they whiche badde thee cary awaye thy couche and walke for they would haue burdened him with the faulte of breaking the Sabboth day as they had doen many tymes before Nowe he that was healed knewe not Iesus by name but onely by sight howbeit at that tyme he coulde not shewe hym vnto them because that Iesus after he had spoken to the sicke man of the palsey immediately withdrewe hymselfe from the multitude partely lest his presence shoulde more prouoke the Iewes enuy and partly that he beeyng absente the miracle should be the better knowen by the reporte of hym whiche had felte the benefite of health Afterwarde Iesus found him in the temple and sayde vnto hym behold thou arte made whole sinne no more lest a wurse thyng happen vnto thee The man departed and tolde the Iewes that it was Iesus whiche had made hym whole And therfore the Iewes dyd persecute Iesus and sought the meanes to slea hym because he had doen these thinges on the Sabboth daye But after the miracle was made manifest and euidently proued Iesus willyng that the autour therof also should be knowen when he met with the man
chylde And she shall beare a sonne not for the but for the worlde In the meane season thou shalt be called his father and thou shalt be the keper of the mayde rather than the housbande When the chylde is borne thou as the father shalt geue it a name not a name after thine owne fantasie but that name that God agreably vnto the thyng dyd destinate and appoynt vnto hym before the creacion of the worlde And thou shalte call his name Iesus that is to say sauioure for this is that same Messias desired loked for so many yeres who accordyng to the sayinges of the Prophetes shall deliuer all his people from theyr synnes not by the sacrifice of beastes but throughâ— his owne bloude And he wil not onely be content to geue freely this so great a benefyt but whan we are purged froÌ„ the synnes of our former lyfe he will geue vs also very perfect and eternall saluacion All this was doen that the thyng myght be fullfylled whiche was spoken of the Lorde by the Prophet saying thus Beholde a mayde shal be with chylde and shall bring furthâ— sonne and they shall call his name Emanuel whiche is by interpretacion God with vs. And surely none of all this matter is brought to passe by chaunce or fortune but by the decree and prouidence of god For the thyng that we shewe to bee doen the same in tymes past the lorde himselfe promised that he woulde do it speakyng by the mouthe of his prophete Esay and setting furth in fewe wordes bothe the straunge newnes and the greate fruite and profit of this concepcion Beholde sayeth he a virgin shall conceyue and bryng furthe And this is the straungenes of it for when was it euer hearde a mayden to haue borne a chyld without blemish of hir virginitie Nowe herken what is the fruite profite And his name shal be called sayeth he Emanuel which soundeth in Hebrue God with vs. For this only one shal reconcile his prople vnto god and where as he was offended and displeased he shall make hym fauourable and mercifull and beyng conuersaunt emong men he shall powre the moste aboundant goodnes of god in them and at last they hauyng knowledge and experience of his effectuall doctrine of the might of his miracles of his present efficacy and strength and of the vehemencie of his diuine spirite showyng it selfe after a new sorte in them that shall beleue they shall crie and not without a cause God is with vs. If thou acknowledge the prophecy as truely thou doest acknowledge geue attendaunce and honour to this mystery and kepe close this secrete priuitie Now whan Ioseph awoke out of slepe he dyd as the Angell of the lorde â—ad him and toke his wife vnto him and knewe her not tyl she had brought furth hir first borne soonne and called his name Iesus Whan the messinger of the hygh God had spoken these thynges Ioseph waking from slepe both merely and cherefully dyd obey the oracle He setteth aparte al his purpose of discorde and taketh his wife more nerely vnto hym that no man might suspecte any discorde or disagrement to be betwene theÌ„ And now he perceyuing that she was wholly dedicated vnto god of heauen doeth honoure in hir the godlye mistery nor dareth not touche hir whome god had taken onely to hymselfe He is diligent in seruice but he forbeareth to company with hir as hir husbande In the meane reason that heaueÌ„lye fruite waxeth ripe in the holy woumbe of the virgin whiche cummyng furthe at his time of his mother the virgin toke not away the integritie of his parente but did consecrate and sanctifye the same Further Ioseph as he was commaunded of the angell bearing the countenaunce of a father hitherto gaue a name to the chylde Iesus whan after the fashion of the countrey he was circumcised the â—yght daye The .ii. Chapter Whan Iesus was borne at Bethleem a towne is Iewrye in the tyme of Herode the Kyng beholde there came Magians from the Easte to Hierusalem saying Where is â—e whiche is borne the kyng of the Iewes For we sawe his starre in the Easte and are cum to wurship him HItherto ye see howe many thynges do accorde and agree with the godly sayinges of the prophetes He is borne of the same auncetours and of the same tribe and familie that the prophecy promised he should be borne Also the supputacion and counte of the wekes when Daniel prophecied that he shoulde cum dothe consente and agree Also the strange Natiuitie dothe agree in that that he was borne of a virgin without helpe of man And the name doth agree A Sauiour was promysed a Sauiour was loked for Iesus signifieth a Sauiour Furthermore the name of the countrey and of the towne doth answere to the fayth of the Prophetes for he was borne not farre from Hierusalem in a litle towne called Bethleem and that in the countrey of Iewry for there is a towne in Galile also of this name in the tribe of zabulon and he was borne in the time when Herode an Idumean by birthe and not a Iewe obteyned the Kyngdom ouer the Iewes that no man neded for to doubte but that now was the time that Messias should be borne the whiche Iacob the Patriarche many yeres before prophecied should cum to passe saying The scepter shall not be taken from Iuda nor a ruler from his thighe till that he cum which should be sent Truely this is he the holyest of all at whose entring all the anoynting of the Iewes ought to haue ceased and geue place Nowe ye shall vnderstande by what wonderfull meanes he began by litle and litle to be knowe to the world For he would be manifest open vnto all whiche came to saue all that bothe he might be knowen vnto good men to theyr saluacion that he myght take awaye from the wicked all excuse of ignoraunce He was promised chiefely to the Iewes he was borne of them he was firste preached vnto theÌ„ of the Angels syngyng glory on high vnto God and in the yearth peace emong men of good will The shepherdes beyng taught by the voyce of the same Angels told of the childe that was borne offered the first fruites of fayth at the maunger where the babe was borne By the secrete inspiracion of the spirite he was knowen of Elizabeth of Simeon Annâ— the prophetisse Firste of all he shewed himself vnto poore humble persones whom he knew to be most presâ—â— redy to receaue fayth For the proud woulde not lightly receyue him beeyng huÌ„ble nor the riche him being poore nor the stoute him beyng meke nor they that wer intangled with the desyres of this worlde woulde receyue him that was heauenly And because he was promised not to the Iewes only but also to the Gentiles yea to al the nacions of the world he would euen at the very entery of his begynnyng be knowen of them also to thinâ—ent he might declare and
their own accorde For the labour care of maÌ„ can make nothing so elegant and fit as the prouidence of nature And if the heauenly father doth ga 〈◊〉 and clothe so freshely the vile grasâ—e which shortely shall perishe and to day is freshe in the fieldes and to morowe cut downe and dryed and caste into the furnes why haue ye so litle trust in him sith he hath geueÌ„ you thinges of greater excellencie and sith he hath made you to be immortal and sith also he hath specially prepared you for the glory of hys name that ye will thinke that ye shall lacke apparell which ye ought to seke for and prepare not for adourning and gaynesse but for necessitie and nedefulnes Therefore take no thought saying what shall we eate or what shal we drinke or wherwith shal we be clothed After all these thinges the Gentiles seke For your heauenly father knoweth that ye haue nede of all these thinges But rather seke first the kingdome of God and the righteousnes therof â–ª and al these thinges shal be cast vnto you Be ye not careful for to morowe for to morowe shall care for it seâ—fe sufficient is vnto the day his owne trauayle Therefore ye that haue god to your father so benignely prouiding for the birdes prouiding for floures and grasse of the whiche the one lacketh reason the other hath no feling sith ye se and perceiue that he tendreth maketh so much of you enduing your body which is made with merueylous prouidence with a soule reasonable and like vnto the angelical mindes not disdaining that ye shoulde be called his children chosing you out from emong all men through his free charitie by whose pure lyfe and sincere doctrine he might be knowen glorified through out all mankinde whoÌ„ he hath appoynted to thinheritauÌ„ce of the euerlastyng lyfe Cast away this carefulnes of vile and filthy thynges saye not doubtfully and fearefully what shall we eate what shal we drinke or what shall we put on These be the sayinges of the heathen and not of Christen men for they either beleue not that god is or els beleue not that he is carefull ouer men Neither haue they learned that there is any other better life to set their mynde and care vpon Therfore distrustyng goddes helpe 〈◊〉 mannes felicitie in thynges of the bodye they prepare with muche carefulnes those thinges that do perteyne to their liuing apparel or other commoditie of the body They leape for ioy when these thynges chaunce vnto them they sounde for feare when these thynges be in daunger They be vexed with sorowfulnes and sumtyme hang themselfes when these thynges bee taken awaye And thus through carefulnes cleauyng vnto these corruptible thinges they neither liue pleasauntly here nor can lift vp their hartes vnto the study and desire of heauenly thynges Emong men who is so wicked a father that wil not prouide for his children thinges necessary for the sustentacion of theyr life Ye haue a father so riche so bountefull so circumspecte that he is sufficient for all to enriche all and leue nothyng vnprouided for be it neuer so litle or vile And feare ye that he will not prouide for his children these thynges without the whiche they cannot lyue Laye this carefulnes vpon him he knoweth well that ye haue nede of all these thynges And he is not so harde that he wyl withdraw thinges necessary from such as be occupied in his busines But sum wyll saye what then Shall we not gette vs with oure handye worke whereby we maye norishe our selues our wyfe and our children where by we maye ease the pouertie of the poore Yes truely but wythout all carefullnes For truely the common people dothe double their misery bothe laborynge with the body and beyng also carefull in the mynde They sowe beyng carefull leste that whiche they sowe shoulde not cum vp they moâ—e beyng careâ—â—â— leste the warrier or the these should take awaye that whiche is cut downe befor it be laied vp in the baâ—â—e they lay vp in theyr graner beeyng carefull leste any infeccion shoulde hurte their corne or lest any fyer shoulde rise and destroy it Finally because they haue aniye to plenty and not to the present necessitie they heape vppe for a long time and they neuer haue ynough as thought they were sure to lyue longe Wherfore if the matter so requireth ye muste labour but without al carefulnes Yf ye chaunce to haue money without fraude and muche busynes take it â–ª but in suche wyse that the carefulnes thereof wythdrawe you nothyng froÌ„ the busynes of the gospel For your matters are greater than that the carefulnes of lighte triefleyng corruptible thynges should withdrawe you from them Let your chefe care be aboute that â–ª good thyng â–ª in comparison of the whiche these worldly thynges be of no value nor reputacion The kyngdome of God must be set vppe that is to saye the doctrine of the gospell by the which we attayne vnto the heauenly inheritaunce Whereof I haue chosen you to be the preachers and setters furth and haue showed you what excellent vertues be nedeful to the doyng of this thyng â–ª that is bothe to loue your enemyes and to wyshe well vnto them who seketh your destruccioÌ„ These thynges because they be chiefe and highest whiche come not vnto you from youre father without your diligence and carefulnes ye must first chiefly seke for them The other smaller thinges whiche pertayne vnto the necessitie of this life the good gracious father wyll casâ—e vnto you as an augmentacion and that of his owne accorde without any carefulnes on your behalfe that for bothe causes ye shoulde render thankes vnto his bountifulnes bothe because he hath geuen you those high and these thinges you endeuoryng vnto the same and also because he hath caste vnto you these thynges withoute any carefulnes on your behalfe He wyll not haue you greued with cares whiche 〈◊〉 more troubled but not the better And this busines that ye take in hande is so great and weighty that it requireth the whole mynde ryâ— and voyded from all cares Wherfore as men that liueth from daye to daye beynge contente with thynges presente at hande be not greued nor vexed wyth carefulnes of thynges to cum lyke as the common sorte of men dothe doublyng theyr affliccion both doyng what they can to prouide for the present necessitie and troubling themselues with feare of thinges to cum Whatsoeuer this daie offereth vnto you receyue it w e thankes geuing Let the morow care for it self whatsoeuer it bryngeth Yf it bryng any good ye shall not hange in hope Yf it bryng any yll ye shall not preuent your trouble with feare of yll to cum This life hath his affliccions whiche it nedeth not to double with feare For it is ynoughe to suffer them when they cum so that it is not nedeful for feare to make them presente before they cumme Tyme
wildernesse Suche as goe about to get a name and gaynes by iugglyng castes and woorkyng of Magicall miracles desyer to be in those cities whereas moste haunt and resorte of people is But oure sauiour Iesus in that he ofte tymes shunneth muche assembly of people plainly teacheth vs what we ought to do He that is able to worke the miracles of the gospell doeth not so muche desyer the great multitude as the feruent mynde and affeccion of beholders In great cities many resorted vnto hym for this purpose only to delite their iyes with newe and straunge sightes No man foloweth Iesus into the wyldernesse vnlesse he long after hym with a certaine vehement desire and affeccion He that forgoeth al pleasures of good tounes and foloweth Christ thorow rough and cumberous places foloweth hym to his great commoditie For he that loueth hym vnfaynedly doeth in all thinges folowe hym whome he loueth through reproche hungre despoylyng of substauÌ„ce banishmeÌ„t imprisonment tourmentes and death And suche folowers of Christ were figured by those that came flockyng out of all countreis and partes of Galile vnto Iesu who kept hymselfe close in desert and solitary places The .ij. Chapter BUT whithersoeuer a man flieth vertue hath euer her fame and glory folowyng her euen as the shadow foloweth the body For he that is vnfainedly good caÌ„ neuer be but one maner of man and lyke himselfe And as there is alwayes light whithersoeuer the body of the suÌ„ne remoueth euen so to what place soeuer true godlinesse remoueth there is alwayes great resort of people Now wildernesse was no longer wildernesse after the lorde Iesus the true light of this world was gon thither And yet the persone in whome is the power to worke the myracles of the ghospell ceaseth not asmuche as in him lyeth to auoyde such places wheras muche people is assembled to beholde hym for that he knoweth certainly what a perilous vice vainglory is Neuerthelesse the feruent desyre he hath to helpe and do all men good doeth oftimes cause hym though it be againste his nature to haue recourse thither againe And by this meanes cummeth it to passe that whiles the good man is compelled to remoue from place to place the moe receiueth benefite at his handes ¶ After a few dayes also he entred into Capernaum agayne and it was noysed that he was in the house and anon many were gathered together insomuche that now there was no roume to receiue them no not somuche as about the dore He preached the worlde vnto them And there came certaine vnto him bringyng one sicke of the Palsey whiche was borne of fower men And when they could not come nye vnto him for prease they vncouered the roofe of the house that he was in And when they had broken vp the â—oofe they did with â—dâ—des let downe the bed wherin the sicke of the Palsey lay When Iesus sawe their fayth he sayd vnto the sicke of the Palsey sonne thy sinnes be forgeuen thee Wherfore Iesus geuyng vs ensample bothe to flye vayne glory and also continually to doe good to our euen christen within fewe dayes after returned agayne to Capernaum from whence he semed to be dryuen away before by reason of the great importunitie of the people whiche euen in the night tyme lay about the gates of the house wherin he soiourned For as he made Bethleem muche renoumed by his byrthe and Nazareth very famous by his educacion and the countrey of Egypt happy because he fled thyther for his preseruacion and safegarde so did he as it were adopte and choose Capernaum to be his countrey bothe by his ofte tarrying there and also by shewyng of many fayer miracles in the same He came agayn hyther in maner by stealth and fyrste kepte hymselfe secrete in a house before it was knowen in the citye that he was cum But as the Sunne can not be hyd so the Lorde Iesus can not be kept close and secret The rumour whiche as it is commonly seen rose of a few persons had now bloweÌ„ abrode throughout the whole citie that Iesus was in the house And furthwith thither flocked suche a multitude of people that all the house was fylled and not onely that but also the porche and al the places about the dore were not sufficient to receiue them It is a blessed house whither Iesus is cum to dwell and neuer departeth thence agaynt That house is the churche For Capernaum beareth the figure of the whole worlde wheresoeuer the Gentyles inhabite Certes at Ierusalem the Iewes cast Iesus out of the temple and among the Gentiles the kyngdome of heauen suffereth violence and the multitude of all sortes of people entreth into it after a certaine forcible fashion The Christian Nouices sitte aboute the gates greatly desyring to be admitted into the Lordes house muche houngryng and thirstyng after the rightuousnes of the kyngdom of heauen And verily Iesus excludeth no manne from this house neyther poore nor ryche whole nor sycke so that he haue a vehement desyre to heare hym Wherefore the Lorde teachyng vs that we ought alwayes chyeflye to care for our soule health and afterwarde for our bodies fyrste of all ministred vnto them the doctrine of the ghospell wherwith the diseases and maladies of the soule are cured For this cause such as are disposed to geue almes to the poore do very well yf they geue them fyrste a bryefe exhortacion that maye make them the better in mynde and soule and then departe with theyr charitie For the common sort of people be of suche a disordered iudgement that they are more desyrous of those thynges whiche are expedient for the body then of those that pertayne to theyr soule health The lord euidently declared vnto vs by his ensample that our chiefe care oughte to be for that parte whiche is the chiefeste parte or porcion of man in that he fyrste taught and then by and by healed suche as were diseased Nowe whyles Iesus was teachyng and busye about curyng the diseases of theyr soules there came vnto hym certain men bringyng with theim one that was sycke of a Palsey whose synowes were so resolued in all partes of his body through the violence of the disease that he could not styrre out of his bed but was fayne to be caried thither vpon fower mennes shoulders Here hast thou plainly set out the very ymage and fygure of a minde whiche is by worldly lustes and desyres made so womanlyke and dissolute that it can in no wise lift vp it selfe to doe any thyng that is good godly but lyeth styl in the bedde of lowe and filthy cares and neuer remembreth any thyng that is hygh or celestiall Nowe when they sawe howe they coulde not for prease of people that sate so thicke about the gate and porche bryng this sycke man to the sight of Iesus they lifted hym vp vpon the house and after they had remoued the slates and made a way in they let hym doune bed and all
whiche the ghospell teacheth then whiche the Paradoxes that is to saie the straunge opinions of the philosophiers dooe teache And the sayd philosophiers doctryne not one of the princes did euer make anye a dooe to destroye or suppresse and yet of it owne accorde it vanyshed awaye lyke as did also theyr lawes and the arte magicall and the rites of sacryfices For what creature dooeth at this daye sacrifyce vnto the Gods of the Heathen or slaygheth beastes in sacrifice as the Iewes did What persone dooeth now knowe of Zoroastes What man setteth an heare by the misticall riddels of Pythagoras Who readeth the lyfe of Apollonius Tyaneus any otherwyse then as a certayne dreame Yea or rather who vouchesalueth to reade it at al For where Aristotell is at these dayes of greate name and fame in the scholes leat hym neuer thanke his owne fâ—cte therefore but the Christians For euen he had perished too yf there had not been made a medley of Christe and hym together in our schooles of diuinitie Against the philosophie Euangelical beeyng yet but tendre and euen but newly spryngyng vp the worlde arose at the first chop with all his force and power by meane of the Iewes vnder the pretexte and coulour of religion fightyng agaynst the fountaine of all religion by meane of the philosophiers beeyng hable muche to doe in all kyndes of â—earnyng by meane of the Sophisters beyng felowes vnpossible to bee ouercoÌ„med in stiffenesse of holdyng argumentacions by meane of the rhetoricians beyng meruaylous in the force of eloquence by the tyrannes beeyng armed with all sortes of shewyng crueltie by meane of kynges lieutenauntes magistrates by suche as were cunnynng in magike and sorcerie and perfecte in the sleyght of castyng mystes ouer mennes iyes and other senses and by meane of eiuyll spirites beeyng the lordes of this worlde All suche tumultuous buisynesse as these as a sea of eiuils swellyng vp and ouerflowyng dydde the power of the trueth Euangelicall receiue endure breake throughe and vtterly ouercome For at the lighte of the ghospell whan it came it was reason that all counterfaictes of worldly power should clene vanishe a waye Up shot that same ghospell and shewed it selfe beeyng plaine and lowe whiche all men wâ—â— great a doe endeuoured to ouertrede and kepe downe The bokes of suche persones as with singular high witte with woondrefull learnyng and with exquisite eloquence wrote agaynst the ghospel vanished awaye of theyr owne accorde as it had been certayne dreames insomuche that they are not at this day remaynyng to bee had neyther excepte if any fragmentes or small pieces haue been saued of the Christians by reason of wrytyng agaynst them in confuting them The kynges and princes dooe nowe bough downe to honoure the thyng which to fore they weÌ„t about to destroie the power of magike is vanished awai and gone the euill spirites are cast out that they howle and rore agayn philosophie hath confessed her ignoraunce and geuyng ouer the foolishe wisedome of the world it hath enbraced the wysedome of the crosse the rethoricians write oracions in the prayse of Iesus Christ the poetes do hisse the olde goddes out of place and in the lieu and place of Goddes innumerable all their song and composyng is nowe of Iesus Christe alone Thissame so great a chaunge of the world begoonne within a fewe yeares after Christ was putte to death to be made generall and common through al the whole worlde and withoute any maintenaunce or supportacion of maÌ„ it encreaced from tyme to tyme still more and more vntyll the piece of leauen beeyng miengled in three peâ—kes of meale did â–ª â—auen and turne al the whole batche and vntill the graine of mustard seed beeyng digged into the yearth did ferre and wyde spleygh his boughes abrode ouer Asia ouer Afrike and Europe And ouer and besydes all this those persones who layed theyr battrey agaynst the trueth Euangelical to cast it â—owne and to destroye it not onely had diuerse and sondry kyndes of terroures wherwith euen very manly stomakes also might haue been quayled that is to weâ—e open coÌ„maundementes by proclamacion consistories places of iudgemente forfaityng of al theyr goodes to the princes attaindres and depriuacions banishementes priesons tormentes of burnyng plates scourgyng with â—oddis axes wherwith to choppe of theyr heades ieobettes fiers to burne them wylde beastes to cast them to that thei might be deuoured deathes but also they had diuerse and soondrye allurementes wherewith an herte though it wer right coÌ„tinent might bee corrupted Ceasar would saye to some one of them Rencague thou and forsake Christ and be thou the chiefe emong all my piers and except thou so do all thy gooddes shall be forfayte to my behoufe I wyll shewe all extremitie of rigour towarde thy wyfe and children and thyselfe for thyne own part shalt bee cast to wylde beastes in a denne Who did in suche cases as these perswade so many thousandes and bryng them in mynde with reioycyng to take it whan theyr promocions and dignities were taken from them whan theyr gooddes were spoyled that whan they sawe those parties haled with all violence to huige tormentes and execucion of death who nexte after God were moste derely beloued vnto them they should geue thankes to God and finally that themselues whan they might easly haue escaped and whan they might haue enioyed suche high commodities should of theyr owne voluntary wylles offâ—e themselues to bee cruelly martyred No power of humayne eloquence could this haue dooen but the godlye power of the trueth was hable whiche laye hidden in the graine of mustardsede Neither did the philosophiers doctrine lacke alluremente The Stoykes promised libertie and fredome true rychesse health reigne other thynges magnificent and royall to be spoken The Epicureans made highe woordes and promises of pleasure to the cares of men The Peripatetikes dyd couple the good giftes of the bodye with vertue But the doctrine of the ghospell as it did not drawe any body vnto it with any worldly terrours so on the contrary parte how feâ—re was it from hauyng any thyng commendable in outwarde shewe to see to naye rather howe many thynges did it conteine vttrely vncredible It telleth newes of one Iesus nailled on the crosse who had by his death deliuered mankynde and this Iesus to be bothe god and man borne of a virgin and one that had returned agayne from death to life and was nowe sitting at the right hande of God the father and thesame Iesus to had been a man that had taught suche persones to bee in blissed case as for the profession of his name did mourne and warle did suffre thirst or hungre were put to affliccion wer euill spoken of or were putte to death and that all men shall in time to come arise to life agayn and that the godly sorte at that daye thesame veray Iesus beeyng their iudge shall haue immortalitie to their lotte the wicked shall haue the peines of hell for euer without
a syncere mynde doeth altogether embuisye and occupie himself in preachyng the ghospell Moreouer Iesus lyke as he did admit all persons what euer they were to the helpyng forwarde of the ghospell so did he vse not to admit eyther his mother or any of his brethren and kinsfolkes to hindre the effectuall procedyng of the ghospell Whan muche people were gathered together and were cum to hym oute of all cyties he spake by a similitude The sower wente out to sowe his feede and as he sowed sum fell by the waye syde and it was troden downe and the foules of the ayre deuouted it vp And some feâ—on stones and as soone as it was sprong vp it withered away because it lacked moystnesse And some felle emong thornes and the thornes sprang vp with it and choked it And some fell on good ground and sprang vp and bare fruite an hundreth folde And as he sayed these thinges he cryed He that hath cares to heare let hym heare And on a certaine daye whan he was goen forth of the house vnto a lakes syde by reason of the great multitude of people whiche resortyng vnto him to heare hym and there syttyng on the shoore banke buisely teachyng the people so great a multitude of bothe men women out of the cities thereby came rennyng to heare hym that the people gatheryng so thycke about hym he was coÌ„streigned to go into a bote and therehens as it had been out of a chayre or pulpite he taught the multitude beyng assembled of all sortes of people and spake many thynges vnto them vnder the misticall derke couert of similitudes parables partely that he might the more effectually stiere vp in them an earneste desyre to learne and partely that it might the more diepely settle and reste in their mindes that had been enpriented by a mystical derke colour of speaking First therefore he putte foorth a similitude or parable to aduertise them all with gredie myndes to receyue the preachyng of the gospell and not to reakon in sufficient to haue heard it onlesse they bestowed it whan they had heard it to the vse and exercise of godlynesse There went forth quod he a certayn housbandmanne to sowe his sede and while he dooeth euerywhere caste his sede abrode leauyng no place voyde as one that coueâ—ed as muche encreace as was possible the sedes were receyued in diuerse and sondrye places of the ground not beyng euery one of eguall fruitfulnesse to beare For some of the sedes whan they were cast fell by the high wayes syde and these sedes partly wer troden on and all to bruised with the feet of suche as wente by the waye the remnaunte because it was not couered with earth the birdes of the ayre dyd eate vp Agayn some sedes fell in stonie places of the soyle and beyng receyued with thynne couert of earth whiche scarcely hydde the stones it sprong vp in dede a litle while but because it had not earthe ynoughe vnderneathe it to geue it moystre to the full rypenesse anon after it was shot foorth aboue grounde it dryed vp and withered awaye as soone as any feruent heate of the sunne came to it and so euen in the first bladyng it perished Agayne some of the sedes fell emong thornes and sprong vp in dede also but the thornes that sproÌ„g vp with it because they quickely shoote vp and do commonly sprede themselues abrode of more thickenesse and heigth also then the corne dooeth it came to passe that the blade that had come of good sede was smouldred and stiefled vp so that it could not shoote vp so high to haue the open ayer at large But yet did not all the sedes fall vnluckily For some there was that fell vpon good earth and whan it was sprong foorth brought fruite an hundredfold double Whan the Lorde had thus muche sayed because he knewe that the woordes whiche he had spoken wer not perfectely vnderstanded of euery bodye and yet willyng to haue them afterward beare wel in mynde the parable whiche directly concerned the welth of all creatures he cryed with a loud voyce saying no that hath eares apte to heare the wysedome of the ghospel leat him herken weâ— to the woordes whiche I haue nowe spoken For they requyre to haue an hearer neyther grosse of capacitie and vnderstandyng nor that wyl stande gaping and yeanyng whan he should geue eare as though he were more then halfe in slepe And they apparteyne to euery one of you without excepcion There bee some which lyke vnto dead images haue eares but not to heare me They haue eares enough to serue them vnto Pharisaicall constitucions towarde the doctrine of true godlinesse they are starcke deafe ¶ And his disciples asked hym saying what manier of similitude is this And he sayed Unto you it is geuen to knowe the kyngdome of God but to other by parables that whan they see they should not see and whan they heare they should not vnderstande The parable is this The sede is the worde of God hose that are besyde the waye are they that hearâ— than commeth the deiuill and taketh awaye the woorde out of their hertes leste they shoulde beleue and be saued They on the stones are they whiche whan they heare receyue the woorde with ioye and these haue no rootes whiche for a while beleue and in tyme of temptacion goe awaye And that whiche fell emong thornes are they whiche whan they haue hearde go forth and are choked with cares and rychesse and voluptuous liuyng and bring foorth no fruite That whiche fell in the good ground are they which with a pure and good herte heare the worde and kepe it and bryng foorth fruicte through pacience And the disciples whiche were nerest about Iesus and moste familiar with hym desired hym to declare the derke misterye of the parable To whom thus he sayed vnto you as vnto familiar frendes of household it is geuen to know the misticall secretes of the kyngdome of God The courtes of temporall kinges haue certain priuities belonging to theÌ„ and matiers of counsail which are kept priuie from the multitude of the common people and from all suche others as haue nothyng to do in the courte the kyngdome of the ghospell also hath in lyke manier secrete priuities belonging to it whiche many not without consideracion and good cause why be vttered to euery body at all auentures but must so be sette forth as they maye be seen onely of them which are of house holde belonging to God almighties court and vnto others it must be enwrapped and shadowed in derke parables to the entente that suche as are vnwoorthie persones whan they see it maye not see it and whan they heare it maye not vnderstande it And as for the parable this is the secrete menyng of it The sower is the sonne of man the grounde the herte of man the seed is the woorde of the ghospell It is not yearthly seed but
that is my sonne so dere beloued vnto my hert as none other is but he alone therefore herken ye to hym This voice thus sounyng in their eares Iesus was founde alone leste they mighte haue demed the testimonie of that voyce to concerne any other person then eueÌ„ veray him onely And the sayed three disciples ryght so as they were commaunded of the Lorde kept the matter close and reported not the priuity of that vision to any creature aliue vntill Christ had arisen againe from deaâ—h to lyfe after his passion For it was not the Lordes pleasure to haue the maiestie of his Godhed published or openly spoken of before the tyme of his deathe aswell because there shoulde bee nothyng that myght be a lette vnto thatsame sacrifice whereby mankynde was to bee restored as also because that thyng myght not bee openly talked of whiche no man woulde than beleue yf it had bene reported And all vnder â—ne did he therin by an exaumple that was a true matter in dede geue a lesson to vs that in case any excellent good thing be in vs we should raâ—hâ—â— kepe it close then make vauntes or braggues therof and in case we haue any special vertue or good qualitye in vs by the free gyfte of God thesame is to bee declared and shewed in deedes rather then by makyng many gaie or high woordes of it ¶ And it chaunced that on the nexte daye as they came down from the hille muche people met hym And beholde a man of the coumpaignie cried out saiyng maister I beseche the beholde my sonne for he is all that I haue and see a spirite taketh hym and soodaynely crieth and he knocketh and beateth hym that he foometh againe and with muche peine departeth from him whan he hath rent hym I besought thy disciples â—o cast hym out they coulde not Iesus aunswered and saied O feithlesse and crooked nacion howe long shal I bee with you and shall suffre you Bryng thy soonne hither As he was yet a cummâ—ng the fâ—ende rent him and tare him And Iesus rebuked the vncleane spirite and healed the childe and deliuered him to his father And they were all amased at the high power of God The nexte daye folowyng Iesus came downe from the hyll with his said thre disciples And he fouÌ„d a mighty great multitude of people gathered about the residue of the disciples whom he hadde lefte there behynd hym whan he addressed hym to goe vp to the mountayne But the people assoone as they espied Iesus returnyng agayn went to mete hym For they had found a great lacke mysse of his presence And there had happened a freshe matter why they should require to haue his presence For one of yâ— couÌ„paignie cryed out to hym saiyng maister I most humbly beseche thee leat the extreme miserie of a sonne of mine moue the. For I haue no mo but him alone and he is holden with an extreme tyrannous deuill whiche dooeth euerye other whyle soodaynlye take hym and vexeth hym sundry waies that pitie it is to see with much greate roaryng flasshyng hym on the grounde and so wrestyng his limmes as though he woulde teare them from the body of hym and he fomyng at the mouthe for peine all the whyle And as often as he taketh hym he scracelye departeth from hym vntyll all hys body be rent and torne I praied thy disciples to caste out this spirit They did their best but they haue not bene hable to dooe it Than Iesus well perceiuyng that the thyng hadde so chaunced by reason of the fathers vnbeliefe that prayed for health to his soonne and in consideracion of his disciples feithe beeyng yet hitherto but weake he cryed with a loude voyce saiyng O nacion full of mistrustyng and of an herte nothyng single howe long tyme shall I bee conuersaunt emong you and shall suffre these thynges Can I not yet all thys whyle bring thus muche to passe to make you haue a perfeicte feyth and truste in me dooeth the weakenesse of thys bodye of myne so muche leate you And turnyng hymselfe to the man and requyring of hym afore hand to haue a more stedfast feith he saied Bring thy sonne hither to me And as soone as the young thyng was brought to Iesus the eiuil spirite that was in him tooke him quasshyng the chylde on the grounde and immediatelye Iesus restored hym to hys health and gaue him to his father agayne made perfectely whole where his father had brought him thither vnpossible to be cured by any mannes helpe The more miserable that the sight of this eiuill had been so muche the more did the people euery one of them meruaill to see howe quickelye the childe was holpen out of hande by the vertue and power of God But whyle they woondred euery one at all thynges which he dyd he saied vnto hys disciples seate these saiynges sâ—ncke downe into youre cares For it wil come to passe that the sonne of men shal bee deliuered into the handes of menne but they wiste noâ— what the woord ment and it was hidden from theim that they vnderstoode it not And they feared to aske of hym that saiyng But whan the fame of Iesus weaxed euery daye more and more famous through suche actes as these A certayne temptacion of worldly glory entred into the hertes of his disciples by reason that they hadde suche a maister in whose name euen they also themselfes dyd manye great actes to be woondred at But Iesus calleth them home from this affeccion to the contemplacion of his lowe state of abieccion in this worlde at whiche the time was not long to come when they woulde be offended and slaundred The glorie of dooeyng miracles sayeth he is now a matter of delectacion vnto you but it is a thing much more materiall for you depely to enprint in your hertes these sayinges of myne from which your myndes dooe gretlye abhorre For that thyng ought ye moste of all to haue in mynde whiche it shall behoue euerye one of you to folowe As for glorie leat me alone to see for that For the thing muste nedes come to passe that I haue already tolde you and yet nowe agayne I saye vnto you which is that the soonne of man whose glorie and fame dooeth nowe delite you shall ere long be attached and shall bee deliuered into the handes of menne and shall sundrye waies suffre much affliccion and shal lastely be put to death This tale though it had bene once or twise heard out of his mouth yet had not it well settled in the myndes of the disciples For they coulde not well beare in mynd the thing which they had no luste to heare They abhorred the mencion of death as men setting al their mindes on the glorie of Iesus not hauing al the while any intelligence or vnderstanding that the glorie of the Lord was most chiefely to be renoumed and made famous through the open worldely shame of hangyng on the
so the kyngdome of God whan it shall moste of all seme to bee extincte and vtterly abolyshed for euer euen than shall it sprede furthe it selfe abrode in moste largest compace of all And agayne to what thyng may I saye the kyngdome of God to bee like It is lyke vnto a litle lumpe of leauen which a wise housewyfe did hide in three bushels of mele poured together and there leafte it as ye woulde saye buiried vntill the strength of the leauen by litle and litle turned all the sayed mele though there were a great quantitie of it so in lyke manier the lowe and humble doctrine of the gospel shal one day throughly possesse all the vniuersall nacions of the worlde And he went through all cities and tounes teachyng and iourneying towardes Hierusalem Than sayed one vnto hym Lorde are there fewe that be saued And he sayed vnto them stryue to enter in at the streight gate for many I saye vnto you wy I seke to enter in and shall not be hable Whan the good manne of the house is rysen vp and hath shut to the doore and ye begynne to stande without and to knocke at the doore saying Lorde Lorde open vnto vs and he aunswere and saye vnto you I knowe you not whence yeare than shall ye begynne to saye We haue eaten and dronken in thy presence and thou haste taught in our stretes And he shall saye I tell you I knowe you not whence yeare departe from me all â—e that woorke iniquitie There shall be wepyng and gâ—ashyng of tâ—the whan ye shall see Abraham and Isaac and Iacob and all the Prophetes in the kyngdome of God and ye your selfes thruste out And they shall come from thâ—â—aste and from the weste and from the northâ— and from the south and shall sytte downe in the kyngdome of God And beholde there are last which shall be firste And there are firste whiche shal be laste Iesus after that he had thus muche spoken made haste to the place where the grayne of the saied mustarde seede was to bee dygged into the yearthe and where the leauen was to be hydden in the meale For he was on his iourney towardes Hierusalem where he knewe that he shoulde bee slayne But by the waye as he went throughe euery citie and strete or village he taught all creatures because there shoulde no piece of tyme be loste to the ghospelwarde And because he had tofore taught certayne high matâ—ers concernyng that menne shoulde sell all the substaunce that they had concernyng howe men should liue from hande to mouthe after the manier of the rauens and the lilies and concernyg howe one ought not to continue in strife and contencion with the aduersary a certaine persone cometh vnto him and saied Mayster is it true that there are but fewe whiche atteigne to saluacion For I iudge that there is not so great a multitude that wyll enbrace these thynges whiche thou teacheste And yet on the othersyde the parable of the grayne of mustardsede and of the lumpe of leauen appereth to promise the contrarye that is to wete that the effectuall power of the kyngdome of God shall come to many Than Iesus willyng to shewe that in dede the fame and the knoweleage of the doctryne euangelicall yea and also the working of miracles should come vnto veray many but yet that no man should come to saluacion which would not lay clene a waye from him all lustes and desires of this worlde and bee a folower of poore Christe sayed dooe all the earnest endeuoure and labour that ye can to enter by the narowe gate That thing maye not suche persones atteygne as iye slugging full of slouthfulnesse Menne muste putte their good willes and labour therto the entreyng is narowe but it leadeth to the wyde waye of the kyngdome of heauen This gate can not receyue suche as are burdened with rychesse suche as haue an heape of honours and promocions vpon theyr backes suche as are full paunched with excessiue delicate fare suche as are heauie laden with couetise suche as are puffed vp and swollen with pryde They that are of suche sortes do choose the brode and the wyde roumed waye and at the fyrst vieu delectable and flatteryng but ledyng the streight pathe to death And therefore make ye greate shifte to entre now whyle the waye thereto lyeth open shake of and caste from you all your packes and fardels that the narowe entreaunce maye be hable to receyue you For this I playnly saye vnto you There shal be one daye many whiche shall bee desirous and faine to enter and shall not be suffred to enter by reason that the commyng thereto shal nowe be stopped vp For whan the good man of the house shall be gon in and shall haue shutte the doore after him which dooeth now stande wyde open for all persones that will doe theyr true endeuour to goe in than beeyng ouerlate to emende ye will acknowleage your errour and hauyng enuie at suche as are entred ye shall begynne to stande watchyng at the doore and to knocke at the gates saying Lorde and Maister open the doore vnto vs. Than the good maÌ„ who could not be heard afore whan he desyred you to come in shall agayne not heare you but shall aunswere in this manier I heare the name of Maister but I knowe none of you for my seruauntes goe ye and seke hym whome ye haue serued Than shall ye begynne to saye Maister how happeneth that thou wilt not nowe knowe vs Thou were borne emong vs we haue eaten and droÌ„ken with thee in coumpany and in our stretes hast thou taught many a lesson and we are thy disciples yea and moreouer in thy name we haue healed sicke folkes and haue cast out deuils Here at these wordes shall the good man aunswere These thynges that ye reherse do not make vnto me disciples of the true right sorte Him that foloweth thesame steppes that I haue goen hym will I knowe for my disciple Whose men or from whence ye are cannot I tel Hence away from me it shall nothyng auayle you to haue knowen the lawe to haue heard me teache shall nothyng auayle you the cousinage or kynred of birth or nacion or the familiaritie of conuersacion in eatyng and drynkyng with me shall nothyng auayle you miracles shewed and doen in my name shal nothing auayle you Whosoeuer enuieth or hateth his brother whosoeuer seketh waies for his owne glory with the iniurie of Gods glorye whosoeuer preferreth money before the loue of his neyghbour suche an one of whatsoeuer nacion he is come is none of myne Go your wayes hence therfore to receyue the rewarde mete for you at the handes of hym whome ye haue wurshipped and serued My seruauntes because they haue with me and for my cause suffred persecucions and tribulacions shall with me enioye the pleasaunt swetenesse of the feaste that neuer shall haue ende Ye the which haue set more by the pleasures of the
There is nowe no more to do but that ye embrace the thing which is present lest whan that same day shal sodainly come whiche shal make perfect and shall shewe this kyngdome it fynde you vnreadye ¶ And he saied vnto his disciples the daies will come whan ye shall desire to see one daie of the soonne of man and ye shall not see it And thei shal saie to you see here see there Goe not after theim nor folowe theim For as the lightening that appereth out of the one parte that is vnder heauen and shineth vnto the other parte which is vnder heauen so shall the sonne of man bee in his daies but first muste be suffre manye thinges and be refused of this nacion And where the disciples neyther dyd not well vnderstande this who on their partes also dreamed that the yearthlye kyngdome of Israell shoulde bee greatly enlarged Iesus turnyng vnto them did so tempre his woordes as he myght make them to be alwaies ready against the last day of iudgement and yet take awaye from them the carefull searchyng of the tyme whan it shoulde bee and myght rather arme theÌ„ to the tempeste of the crosse euen than already veray nere approchyng The tyme saieth he vndoubtedly shall come whan ye shall desire to haue the fruicion of the syght of the sonne of manne but euen so muche as for one dayes space whereas now that he is presente manye an one dooe set naughte by hym and yet ye shall not haue your wishe nâ— desyre And yet shall there not want some persones who flatreyng the earnest fainesse of men shall attempte and make somewhat a dooe to shewe hym as thoughe he wer present saiyng loe here loe there but geue ye no credit to suche manier prophetes If they shal say Here he is amongest vs go not ye if they shal say loe yonder he is a ferre hens gooe ye not thyther to folowe theym Leate your beliefe be to credit suche thynges as ye see to haue been told and spoken afore by the holy prophetes and to be now at this present fulfilled This onely one thyng it was not goddes pleasure that is should bee made open to the world and therefore it pleased hym not that the tyme thereof shoulde bee knowen aforehand because it is so moste expediente for the health and saluacion of all men whom his will and mynde is that they bee in a readinesse againste all tymes and houres Therefore lyke as lightenyng soodainlye flashyng foorthe dooeth shewe his fierie brightenesse from one syde of the aier as ferre as the other syde against it before ye haue any perceiueraunce that any suche thing is to come so shall the cummyng of the soonne of man bee certes with no small glorye but yet vnloked for at suche a daye as hymself and no mo knoweth will in any wyse haue thesame to you vnknowen But his maiestie he shal not shewe foorth before that he shall haue throughly fulfylled the dispensacion of his lowenesse and humilitee For the waye to the brightenesse of the kyngdome of God must first bee shewed and the doore of the kyngdome of heauen muste first be opened that men maie entre in Otherwise to a veray smal benefite or commoditie should the kyngdome of God come for suche persones partes as haue not prepared themselfes to thesame Than ere the maiestâ—e shall shewe it selfe whiche ye dooe affeccionately desire before the due tyme the soonne of man must suffre manye thynges and muste bee condemned of this nacion to the ende that as in a fyer fyrst mounteth the smoke and than afterward shooteth vp the flame so maye the glorie of god more clerely shewe forth it self after the open shame and reproche of this worlde And as it happened in the daies of Noe so shall it bee also in the daies of the sonne of man Thei did eate and drinke thei maried wiues and wer maried euen vnto that sâ—â—e daie that Noe went vnto the arke the floud came and deâ—â—â—uied them al. Likewise also as it chaunced in the daies of Lot Thei did eate thei dranke thei bought thei solde they planted thei builded But euen thesame daie that Lot went out of zodome it rained with â—ier and brimstone from heauen and destruied them al. Euen thus shal it bee in the daie whan the sonne of man shal appere At that daie he that is on the house toppe his stuffe in the house leat him not come downe to take it out And leaâ—e not him that is in the field turne backe again to the thinges that he leaâ—t behinde Remembre Lottes wyfe But that the saied day may not take a man tardie the remedie and prouision is easie if euery one so prepaire hymself to be in a readinesse as though thesame day wer euen nowe euerie momente cumming at hande But men beyng wedded vnto the worlde will promysse and waraunt themselfes of a longer daye ere it come yea or that suche a day will neuer come at all and beyng carelesse by reason of suche hope they will idlely geue themselfes to their own lustes and appetites Therefore thesame chaunce shal come in the daies of the soonne of man whiche happened in the dayes of Noe. They toke wyues and they gaue out their daughters to mariage as though the floudde which was differred for a time would not haue come at al. But the euil misaueÌ„ture came soodainlye vpon theim tooke them tardy Onely Noe with a fewe mo was saued by meane of the Arke The residue perished euery one of them And eueÌ„ a muche like lighte also there was to bee sâ—one in the time of Lot for because there was some delay made of goddes vengeaunce thei conceiued an opinion that it should be vnpunyshed whatsoeuer synne they committed And therupoÌ„ beeyng voide of al care they eate and dranke they bought and sold thei plaÌ„ted set trees thei made buildinges But the stroke vengeaunce of god lighted soodainly vpon theim also whan they wer al voide of care thought nothing vpon it For the selfe same daye whan Lot forsooke the citie of Sodome and departed his waie thens it rained down fier and brimstone from heauen and sodainly destruied them al. And euen the veray same thing to see to shal there bee in the worlde whan the sonne of man shal soodainly shewe forth his maiestee Whansoeuer that daye shal growe come fast vpon the worlde leat al care of worldly thynges be shaken of Leat euery man in the present perill no more but looke for sauing himseâ—fe to escape as he may Therfore whoÌ„soeuer thatsame day shall find in the house toppe al his gooddes leaft beneath in his house leate him not go down to take away with him such gooddes as he hath there but leat him onely thynke vpoÌ„ sauyng of himself Semblably if the saied daye shal by chaunce sodainly finde any man abrode in the field leat him not flee home to escape it for the peril
ignorauntes the symple sorte and suche as can no skyll of fraude or falsehoode appeare to bee of the Assishe kinde but they haue the lorde to theyr directour who will not leat them straygh out of the way who not onelye vouchesalueth to sytte on theyr backes but also to haue hys habytacion in theyr heartes whiche he gouerneth with hys owne spirite And the beastes were bare vntil than but the Apostles doe couer theÌ„ al ouer with their robes that is with theyr doctrine and with exaumples of holy conuersacion preparing them for Iesus to geatte vp vpon whiche Iesus what he once dyd after the fleashe the same he neuer ceassethe to dooe after the spirytuall sence The way was rough but the same way dooe the disciples make sure enough to goe vpon by spreadyng theyr garmentes abrode vpon it that is shewyng the way of godly conuersacion to be easye in case a man goyng by the exaumples of the holy submit hymselfe to be vnder the lorde Iesus Than goe they vpon braunches of palmes and vpon greene leaues of trees that is by the memorye of the mattirs the virgins and the confessoures continuallye bearyng floures and keping theyr freashe grenesse For what a great noumber of good exaumples doeth on euery syde offer themselues vnto such as are entred in the way of godly deuocion Great store of such exauÌ„ples doe the very bokes of the Iewes minister eueÌ„ to the GeÌ„tiles also And these shew tokens of gladnesse in thys coltes behalfe whoâ—oeuer they bee that acknowleage Christe for theyr lorde and owner Neyther doe there want Phariseis at thys day too ne neuer shall want or fayle in whome the glorye of Chrste shall cause herte burning and enuie For they had lieffer haue it cryed vnto themselues Osanna in the highest lauded be he which cometh in the name of the lorde wheras they come not in the lordes name but in theyr owne But the Iewes euen at thys daye kepyng sylence of the glory of Christ whiche they haue enuye at the stones vnceassauntly crye it out being nowe become the children of Abraham Here doe the people of Hierusalem crye awaye with hym awaye with hym dooe hym on the crosse Irishe men Scottes Englyshe men Frenche menne Sarmacians Germaines crie landed be he that cometh in the name of the lorde Such people as whyle they sette theyr heartes on aduauncyng theyr owne glory doe labour to derken the glory of Christe and those whiche for the respect of theyr owne priuate commodytye dooe suppresse and depraue or corrupte the sinceritie of holy Scripture whyle they desyre to haue theyr owne greatnesse set out in mens talke and the glorye of Christe to be leaft vnspoken all suche veraylye playe the partes of those Phariseis whiche attempted to stoppe the mouthes of the chyldren of the Hebrues whiche chyldren God had enspyred to sing foorthe the glorye of hys name and of hys sonne whome he had geuen a salueour vnto the worlde Yea and thys poyncte also hathe some holesome significacion in it that there is firste a stiepe cumming downe from the mount of Oliuete and than afterwarde an euen and smoothe waye ouer a playne and anon agayne an other goyng vp vnto the mounte of Sion for vpon thys mounte of Sion was the temple of the Lorde builded Except the former mount had oyle wherby the light of feyth might be nourished and maynteyned there coulde bee no cummyng downe from the affyaunce of the lawe by which the Iewes swel in pride nor from trustyng in philosophie by which the Gentiles thinke themselues ioly felowes For the firste steppe and degree of growing forwarde in goodnesse is through feyth But than muste we approche the house of the cheke for Bethphage is so muche to say in the Sirians tounge For thys is the cheke not that puffethe vp in haultenesse of mynde or looke but that is ready to come foorth with the confession of our offences committed agaynste God Neyther muste we bee ferre from Bethanie whiche is called the house of obedyence For all creatures are not obediente vnto the ghospell But yet herehence cometh the begynning of health After the downehyll the waye lieth ouer a playne being on euery syde strawen with the braunches of good exaumples vntyll we eftsones come to the rysyng vp of the hyll towardes the mounte of Sion whiche is called the tooryng hylle or peake or hygh beacon place or watchyng toure from whence to see a ferre of For thys is verayly that same hygh toppe of vertue out of whiche as it were out of an hygh peake or beakon place altho thynges are a great waye beneath looked downe vpon and contemned of whiche thys worlde maketh greate moustre and shewe as if they were hyghe thynges aboue the moone And the mynde beeyng nowe drawyng well towardes heauen beholdeth suche thynges as are euerlasting and the which doe surmount the coumpasse of al mans reason ¶ And Whan he was come nere he behelde the citie and wept on it saying If thou haddeste knowen those thinges whiche belonge vnto thy peace euen in this thy day thou wouldest take hede But nowe are they hidde from thyne iyes For the dayes shall come to thee that thy enemies also shall cast a â—antie about thee and compace thee rounde and kepe thee on euery side and make thee euen with the grounde and thy children which are in thee And they shall not leaue in thee one stone vpon an other because thou knowest not the tyme of thy visitacion And whan the lorde Iesus was nowe come so ferre onward that Hierusalem was somewhat nere and was full in fighte afore him viewing and beholdyng the same cytye portely and gorgeous of buildinges flourishing in menne in richesse and in opinion of holinesse and deuocion towardes God proude of their state that the world was in at that presente day and voyde of all thought and care by reason they knewe not of thextreme distresse and myserie that was to come vpon them he being earnestly moued with compassion wept and with woordes sodaynly brastyng out without any suche talke afore goyng as it were one sighing and sobbing for sorow he muche lamented the destruccyon of the same citie and spake to thys effecte ensuyng If thou also dyddest nowe as well as I dooe knowe thys day of thyne in whiche is offred vnto thee peace and remission of thy great synnes past thou wouldeste earnestlye sette thy minde to embrace that is offered Forsooth thys is thy day in whiche thou art occasioned to emendemente and in whiche the goodnesse of God prouokethe thee to repentaunce and dooeth prouoke thee with the hygheste and vttermoste degree of bounteous goodnesse and with so high a degree of goodnesse that there can be no more dooen to it The mercifulnesse of God so often tymes despysed of thee vouchsalueth after a certayne newe mannier to visite thee to the ende thou mayeste at lestewise by thys meane weaxe mylde and reformable There will come an other day not of thyne but of
coloure some cause of death maye be layed vnto hym Whereupon thus speake they vnto hym If thou be thatsame Christe whome accordyng to the godly sayinges of the prophetes we looke for tell it vs playnly But Iesus knowyng them to moue suche question 's not of any purpose to learne the trueth but to hunt for some matier of false accusacion agaynst hym thus made answere vnto them If I shall tell you what I am ye wyll not geue credite vnto me and in case I shoulde question with you by the testimonies of the scriptures what maner of mā it was promised that Messias should be and whether thesame tokens doe iustely agree in my person ye wyll not aunswere accordyng to your consciences as men that haue not anye earnest desyre to learne that is true nor yet to teache it Neyther wyll ye vpon any suche cause or consideracion acquite and discharge me if I shall declare myne innocencie vnto you For ye doe not by youre opposyng and examining me meane eyther vpō knowlage of the trueth to discharge me if I be innocent or to condēne me beyng found guiltie as in lawfull iudgementes is commonly vfed to bee doen but for this entent that the thyng which ye haue determined to doe ye maye seme to doe by some tytle and colour of iustice Therfore wyll not I tell you the thyng whiche though ye knowe yet ye wyll not knowe but an other thing will I tell you whiche ye shall one daye fynde to be true The sonne of man who at this present moment by reason of the weakenesse of his humayne nature and of his humilitie is not agnised and knowlaged of you beyng proud and hault mynded men shall in tyme to come be aboue earth on hye syttyng on the right hande of Gods Maiestie These wordes did Iesus speake to th entent that forasmuche as they had more mynde and wyll to putte Iesus to death because he was in fourme of humilitie by whome they mighte haue been saued then to enbrace hym they should haue knowledge that they should an other daye see hym a iudge a punisher of theyr vngodlynesse whō being a salueour promised and so many hūdred yeres loked for they would not now acknowlage Suche a worde semed vnto them all a meete and sufficient occasion to laye some false accusacion agaynste him in case he woulde no more but openly take vpon hym that he was the sonne of god Whereupon they saye Why than arte thou thatsame sonne of God of whome the foretellynges of the prophetes doe make mencion To this question doeth Iesus in suche wise tempre his aunswere that he neither woulde deny hymself to be that he was nor geue vnto them any occasion or matter falsely to laye to his charge nor yet as touchyng hymselfe shewe any spyce or poynte of arrogancie For the Lorde had more minde eche where by his actes and dedes to declare his diuine nature of godhead that was in him then in woordes to professe it or take it vpon him He therfore in this wyse shaped his aunswere Ye saye that I am after an hūble and lowly sorte geuing a by knowlage that the thing whiche they demaunded in manier fourme of a question as a thyng doubtful might with as fewe wordes as they vsed by only alteryng the manier of pronunciacion be spoken in a playne affirmacion that so it was But they iudgeing thissame to be a cause sufficient enough wherefore to accuse hym of blasphemy then the which crime there was none other emong the Iewes more worthie death sayed Why doe we yet styl require witnes we oure owne selues haue hearde a manifeste blasphemie out of his mouth Upō this verdite did all the whole coumpainy quickely agree as men that had afore decreed by any title whatsoeuer it were to put Iesus to death The .xxiii. Chapter And the whole multitude of them arose and led hym vnto Pylate And they began to accuse hym saying We founde this felowe peruertyng the people and forbidding to paye tribute to Ceasar and saying that he is Christe and a kyng And Pilate opposed hym saying arte thou the kyng of Iewes He aunswered hym and sayed thou sayest it Than sayed Pilate to the high priestes and the people I fynde no faulte in this man And they were the more fierce saying He moueth the people teachyng throughoute all Iewry and begonne at Galile euen to this place WHan they had found out a cause as to theimselues appered fit enough to put hym to death it remayned that they might remoue also the enuie and displeasure of his death from themselues and laye it on others Wherupon they thought it best to shift him ouer from themselues into Pilate the lieutenauntes handes to bee arayned before him to the entent he might seme to had been putte to death not by the Iewes but by the Gentiles Wherefore all the counsayle with the multitude also whom they had drawē to the partakyng of theyr wicked dede aryse vp altogether and bring Iesus to Pilate the Lorde president and lieutenaunte of Iewry For he though he were no Iewe hymself yet was an head officer there vnder the Emperour And here first of all the Iewes doe deliuer to the Gentiles and alienate from themselues theyr Messias beyng sent of God to them The Gentiles receiue him and wurship him whan he was commended and betaken to them The Lorde was already condemned by a foreiudgement in the counsaile of the Iewes with whō any pretense or coloure were it neuer so slendre did suffise as with mē that with rageyng madnesse thirsted the death of the innocent But because at the benche of a Pagane and heathē iudge there was more equitie in ministryng of iustice then in the courte of the Iewes it was necessarye to haue forged witnesses whiche shoulde laye many and great crymes to his charge who alone of all creatures was clere from all crime The beginnyng of theyr accusacion was of this sorte We founde and tooke this felowe with the manier as he was subuertyng our nacion For he forbade that any tribute should bee payed to the Emperour and in all his talke he hath auouched himselfe to be Messias the king These two crimes they thought they had gaily well deuised and that thesame crimes should excedyng greatly moue the mynde of the Lorde deputie for that aswel the one as the other of them comprised a spice of high treasō against Cesar So naughtily do these moste shamelesse craftie forgers of lyes assaulte the veritie euangelicall For what can bee deuised more shamelesse then suche lyes as these Iesus afore that tyme whan a piece of coyne was shewed vnto hym had made aunswere in this manier Geue and pay ye vnto Cesar such thinges as belong vnto Cesar and to god such thinges as belong vnto god And to be made a kyng whereas it had afore been willyngly offreed hym by the Iewes of their owne mocion he woulde none of it but fled
for he that hath the charge committed to hym to see all thinges wel furnished is euer wont to abstayn from wyne whiles other folkes doe drinke And partely because he being well skilled in tast and hauing a fyne iudgement therein myght more trewely geue verdite of the wyne theÌ„ the rest of the geastes whose tastes myght seme to bee dulled with drynking of muche wyne before ¶ When the ruler of the feaste had tasted the water that was turned into wyne knew not whence it was but the ministers which drew the water knew he calleth the brydegrome and sayeth vnto hym Euery man at the beginning doeth set furthe good wine when men be drunke then that whiche is wurse but thou hast kept the good wyne vntill now This beginning of miracles did Iesus in Cana of Galile and shewed his glorie and his disciples beleued on hym But as soone as the ruler of the feast had tasted of the wine that was turned out of water knew not where they drewe it suspecting the fame to be in the seruauntes that coÌ„trary to the custome of other they deferred to bring in such wine vntil the latter end of the feast he calleth the bridgrome to hym desyring to know of him by what occasion the fault chaunsed Others sayeth he which make a solemne feast at the beginning thereof bryng to the table of the beste sortes of wine afterward wheÌ„ their geastes being already drunke haue their mouthes out of tast powre in drinke vntemperatly theÌ„ they bring serue of the wurst sort But thou coÌ„trariwise hast reserued vnto the end of the feast this wine which is better more pleasaunt than any that was serued yet And by this oâ—casioÌ„ the miracle of the thing that was doeÌ„ spred abrod litle by litle emonges maâ—â— And afterward by examining the seruauntes of this thing it was knowen that the water was not onely turned into wyne but also into very good wine And as forthe waterpottes they had no mistrust but that they were onely dedicate and ordeyned for water The seruauntes put water to water and filled them vp to the brimme after they had drawen of the same which they powred into the vessels they offered it to the gouernour of the feast who was sobre The bridgrome knoweth well inough that there was no such wine prouyded nor prepared They wente to the waterpots and found them ful of the selfesame good wyne With this dede our Lorde Iesus began the working and setting foorth of his miracles in Cana a towne of Galile intending by litle and litle to shew furth tokens of his godly power to the worlde For first of all this thing was doen in a matier not very weightie also priuatly yea almost to please his mother and kinsfolkes withal whiche had him in lesse admiracion because they were his familiars of his kinne And this miracle was not much noted of very manye but afterwarde it grewe to bee hadde in greatter credite with moe yet in the meane while the fayth of his disciples that were present was stablished concerning Iesu who hauing promised greater thinges perfourmed that whiche he had promised And besides that this miracle wherby he framed as it were a beginning to the rest that he should do afterward was not in vain For firste of all he woulde honour the mariage with his presence knowing before-hand that in tyme to come there should be some which would condemne it as an vnpure filthye thing whereas an honourable mariage and vndefiled bed is a thyng most acceptable to God Moreouer Iesus dyd as it were shadowe vnto vs by a certayn figure that thing whiche he then chiefely went aboute For now was the tyme come that in steade of the vnsauery waterishe lettre of Moses lawe we should drinke the pleasaunt wyne of the spirite of the gospel by reasoÌ„ that Christ turned into our more welth that thing which was without strength vnprofitable For the law was not only vnsauery to the Iewes without Christ but also hurtfull deadly They which haue not beleued in the ghospel doe stil drinke of the water of Moses law but they which haue beleued Christe doe happely waxe warme growe liuely toward the loue of heauenly lyfe through the moyst swete licour of his heauenly doctrine And this was not doen before that Christ had ioyned vnto him the churche hys spouse Also the mother of Iesu was present there representing the forme of the sinagogue whose autoritie is diminished yet she telleth the lacke of the wyne but she her selfe doeth not remedy it Neuertheles she was for our behoufe mother vnto him which doth reioyce and coumforte our mindes with the swete wine of his spirite The names of the places also do agree to the mistery of the thing For Cana of Galile betokeneth possessioÌ„ of a ready passage froÌ„ one place to an other For now was the original beginning of a new people gathered together which should remoue from the letter of the lawe to the spirite of the ghospell from the world to heauen ¶ After this he went downe to Capernaum he and his mother and his brethren and his disciples and there continued not many dayes â–ª After Iesus by thys miracle had begonne to declare his mightie power emonges his kinsfolkes in a towne of smal renoume he went downe to Capernaum That citie is in the selfesame Galile of the Gentiles all ryottouse and swelling in pryde by reason of the plentie of richesse therin beyng also nye vnto the lake of Genazareth and in the coastes of zabulon and Neptalim But according to the wisedome of the ghospel that thing which is highely estemed in the world is abiect and litle set by afore God Iesus mother with his brethren and disciples went down thither with him but they taryed there very fewe dayes Neyther was there any miracle doen in that place But this benefit semed to be doen in the meane time for his mothers kinsfolkes pleasure whoÌ„ now he would no longer cary about with him for asmuch as he would take in hand greater thynges because that worldly affeccion and loue should chalenge vnto it no parte of those thinges whiche were doen for the glorye of the heauenly father And the Iewes Easter was euen at hande and Iesus went vp to Hierusalem and found sitting in the teÌ„ple those that solde oxen shepe doues changers of money And when he had made as it were a scourge of small coardes he droue them al out of the teÌ„ple with the shepe and oxen and powred out the chaungâ—ers moâ—ey and ouerthrewe the tables And sayd vnto theÌ„ that solde dooues haue these thinges hence and make not my fathers house a house of marchaundies And his disciples remembred it that is written the zele of thine house hath euen eaten me Therfore Iesus leauyng his kynsfolkes behynde at Capernaum seeketh time and place mete to declare openly hys power and auctoritie which he
had receiued of his heauenly father not of men For euen then the most high and solemne feast of the Iewes was at hand which is called Easter and after the Hebrewe tounge is as much to say as a passing ouer They did kepe this day as an holy feast euery yere in the remembraunce of the olde story because their elders had safelye passed ouer oute of Egipte when they wente into the lande whiche God had promised them But now that thing whiche they did honour but in figure was doen in dede by Christ that is to say he now brought to passe that men hauing forsaken the darkenes of errours and cloude of sinne should be remoued and brought through the fayth of the gospelâ— â—o innocencie light and immortalitie forasmuch therfore as at that time there was at Ierusalem a great number of people which out of al the partes of Sirya did asseÌ„ble there againste that feastful day Iesus wente thither nowe going vp towardes hys fathers busines wheras before he went down to CapernauÌ„ to obey please his kinsfolks withal And furthwith he goeth into the temple which place is wont to be ofte gone to of a religiouse minde to serue god therin And verelye Christ was the maister of true religion who when he entered into the temple which was ordeyned for deuout religion wurshipping of god founde there thapparaunce not of a teÌ„ple but rather of a market place For he founde verye many there which in that holy place did exercise themselues about filthie yea sinful gaine so turned into robbery that which was ordeined to geue occasioÌ„ of godly religion For to thinteÌ„t that straungiers might haue somewhat to offer they solde to them of an hye pryce shepe oxen dooues other suche lyke thinges whiche according to the custome of the Iewes were woonte to be offered or geuen to the priestes but in the meane while the sellers bargained with the priestes and leuites that the sayd priestes leuites should sel agayne to theÌ„ by a lesse pryce the selfesame beastes that the priestes had receyued of them which had offered whiche thing the sellers did because they myghte sell those beastes agayn to other straungiers with a double gaine So it was brought to passe that by powling the straungers the filthie gayne whiche rose double by selling one thing twyse shoulde be deuyded betwene the merchauntes and the ministers of the temple And to haue more quicke and readye marchaundise ther was presente according to the custome of their coÌ„mon market chaungers of money and bankers such as did chaunge the greater coynes for money of smaller coyne or golde for siluer or els did exchaunge strange coyne for coyne of that place And thereby also they had shamefull gayne litle dyfferyng from vsurie Iesus then declaryng by hys very acte how great a pestilence corrupt desyre of lucre is to the church and howe far al they ought to be from thys disease which professe themselues rulers of religyon of the gospell made him as it wer a scourge of smal cordes as though he would driue dogges out of goddes temple And both with great indignacion and auctoritie he droue them all out of the temple displacyng and throwyng downe bothe the merchauntes and their wares And did not onely put out the men but also the shepe and oxen that there shoulde remayne behynde no suche filthie baggage Yea and besydes that he scattered abrode the chaungers money vpon the ground and ouerthrew also their boardes teaching how these thinges ought vtterly to be troden vnder foote of the wurshippers of true religioÌ„ Moreouer as if he had bene moued with indignacion therat he sayd to them which sould the dooues haue these thinges hence and make not my fathers house an house of marchaundise And hys disciples when they sawe Iesus beyng at all other times quiete and meke here now how earnestly he chased out those which did vnsemely vse and defyle the godly religion of the temple with theyr fowle and sinnefull gayne the disciples I say remembred the prophecie whiche is in the three score and eyght psalme The zele of thy house hath euen eaten me Then aunswered the Iewes and sayd vnto him what token shewest thou vnto vs seeing that thou doest these thinges Iesus aunswered and sayed vnto them destroy this teÌ„ple and in three daies I will reare it vp But as for the Iewes when they had hearde that he namyng his fathers house did as it were by a certayne peculier and singular way declare himselfe to be the sonne of god and saw hym also so hyely take vpon hym openlye and in apparaunce to be so very angrye with them whiche semed to further bothe the priestes profite also the religiouse seruice of god they crie out vpon hym and saye If god be thy father and if thou wilt reuenge the contempte and iniurie of thy father doe soÌ„e miracle that we may perceyue thou doest these thinges by the auctoritie of thy father If thou doest these thinges by thyne owne auctoritie it is presumpcion And if thou dost them by goddes autoritie what token she west thou that we may beleue thee But Iesus knowing that they would slaunder him in case he had wrought any miracle to shew himselfe therby seeyng he neuer yet did any miracle but onely to succoure them that lacked helpe in theyr nede to thintente that the same thyng whiche was a proufe of hys godly power should be also a benefit helpe vnto the necessitie of man he promised theÌ„ a tokeÌ„ vnder a parable which tokeÌ„ if he had theÌ„ opeÌ„ly declared they would not haue beleued in so much as they did not beleue it wheÌ„ it was doeÌ„ in dede The tokeÌ„ was coÌ„cerning his death resurreccioÌ„ The same was also signified by Ionas which tokeÌ„ Iesus had promised after he had doen many miracles also at such time as they required him to shew suÌ„ tokeÌ„ that should cuÌ„ froÌ„ heaueÌ„ But now he promiseth although more darkely that selfesame token to theÌ„ who as yet were but ignorauÌ„â— The teÌ„ple wherin they were at that time occasioned him to say as he did of the which teÌ„ple yâ— Iewes dyd boast theÌ„selues beyond measure Breake down this temple sayth he in three dayes I wil set it vp agayn This parable not so much as his Apostles did vnderstand But at leÌ„gth wheÌ„ they had knoweÌ„ sene his resurreccioÌ„ they perceiued the meaning of his saying by theffect of the thing it selfe For Iesus ment it by the temple of hys owne body whiche they through their malice should pul downe by putting it to death he by his godly power should raise it vp again within thre daies The Iewes thought thys saying not onely to fonde and without reason but also vngodly and wiâ—ked For it was an vngodly thyng to commaund a temple of so great religion to bee broken and to set vp agayne within three dayes so laboriouse a building semed to be a saying contrarye
to the Iewes of greater hatred and enuy wrought no miracle emong the Samaritanes neyther tourned he in to them but by the waye and at theyr desire nor yet dyd not he lodge emong them lenger then two dayes but forthwith he maketh an ende of his purposed iourney and so goeth forth on his waye into Galile Moreouer albeit his owne countrey lay in his waye here in this iourney yet would he not turne into it not that he did despise it but that by reasō of the contempte and lacke of belefe of his owne countreymenne to whom he was knowen and also of kindered as concerning his māhood he had no hope that the gospell should bring forth any fruite there and than his preaching should haue doubled the faulte of theyr vnbelefe For by this meanes theyr faulte was the lesse in not beleuing Iesus doctrine And whē our Lord was asked the questiō why he did not goe to his owne nacion to shewe of what power he was in his aunswer he vsed that auncient prouerbe whiche the common people vseth that is to saye a Prophete is nowhere contemned but in hys owne countrey and emong his owne kinsfolkes For such are the affecciōs of men that familiaritie bringeth contempt And they exteme many thinges for none other cause but that they come frō farre straunge countreys Furthermore forasmuche as in Galile by reason of Iohns testimonie and the miracle which Iesus hymselfe had doen there of late a ryght honest brute and fame was spred of him they of Galile receiued him when he came thither specially because at Ierusalem they had seen hym dryue the byers sellers out of the Temple and other thynges which he had doen there with great authoritie in the presence of the people for at that tyme they also of Galile were assembled at Ierusalem to kepe the holy and feastfull day All these thynges verily doe condemne the incredulitie of the Phariseis and betoken that the grace of the ghospell shall remoue from them to the Gentiles The Samaritanes doe beleue at the reporte of one symple woman They doe in maner force hym beyng a straunger to lodge with them They confesse hym to bee Messias and the redemer of the worlde when as yet he had not vouchsaued to worke any myracle emong them The people of Galile beyng but a grosse naciō and vnlearned in the lawe who neuer had any Prophete emong them after they had seen his miracles began to beleue They of Ierusalem both priestes Phariseis and Scribes which seemed to kepe moste perfectly the religion of the Iewes and also were excellently learned in the lawe did obstinately fynde faulte both with Iesus doinges and sayinges Therfore the more iust and religious euery man thought himselfe to be so muche the farther was he from the godlines of the ghospell and agayne the further of he semed in mannes iudgement from the knowledge of the Prophetes and the lawe whiche dyd promyse Christe and the more contrariouse to the Iewes religion so muche the nerer he was vnto Christe whom the lawe had promysed to come and more apte to receyue the doctryne of the ghospell So Iesus came agayne into Cana of Galile where he turned the water into wyne And there was a certayne ruler whose sonne was sicke at Capernaum as thesame heard that Iesus was come out of Iewry into Galile he went vnto him and besought hym that he would come downe and heale his sonne for he was euen at the poynte of death Then sayed Iesus vnto him excepte ye see signes and woonders ye will not beleue The ruler sayeth vnto him Sir come downe or euer that my sonne die Iesus sayed vnto him Goe thy waye thy sonne liueth The man beleued the woorde that Iesus had spoken vnto him And he went his waye and as he was nowe goyng downe the seruauntes met hym and tolde him saying thy sonne liueth Then required he of them the houre when he began to amende And they sayed vnto hym Yesterdaye at the seuenth houre the feuer lefte hym So the father knewe that it was thesame houre in the which Iesus sayed vnto him Thy sonne liueth And he beleued and al his housholde This is agayne the seconde miracle that Iesus dyd when he was come out of Iewry into Galile Therfore Iesus beyng entred into Galile wente againe to Cana a toune of the saied Galile where not long before he had turned water into wyne That miracle at the first being knowen but to a few when afterward it was commonly bruted abrode caused the people to haue some good opinion of Iesu but yet not suche as was wurthy for his dignitie for very fewe dyd beleue that he was Messias many toke him to be but a prophete Therfore Iesus went againe to Cana not to get any prayse for the miracle which he had doen there but now at this time to reape some corne of that sede which he had sowen secretly for this was the thing that he thirsted for coueted that is to say the faith of men wurthy of the ghospell and here againe an occasion rose to lay to the Iewes charge their vnbelefe for at that time there was in Galile a certaine ruler which was the Emperours deputie in prophane and temporall causes who was neither Iewe nor Samaritane but an heathen manne and clene contrary from the Iewes religion he had a sonne whom he loued entierly whiche lay very sore sicke and in great daunger of life in the citie of Capernaum when he heard that Iesus had left Iewry and was come into Galile he leauing his sonne at home departed out of the citie of Capernaum came to Iesus requiring him very earnestly to go with him to Capernaū and heale his sonne because the vehemencie of his disease was such that the sicke man could not be caried to Iesus for he was euē at the poynte of death when the forsayed ruler departed from hym Nowe Iesus declaring the faith of this ruler to be as yet vnperfit in that he dyd not rather beleue that his sōne could be healed vnles Iesus himselfe had gon thither as though he called vpon a physician or els as though Iesus could not restore euen the dead vnto life but Iesus rather rebuking the incredulitie of certain Iewes which would not beleue after they had seen his miracles sayeth vnto the ruler I doe alowe their belefe sayeth he whiche doe credit my woorde alone without confirmacion of miracles ye beleue not me vnles you see tokens and miracles The ruler was so myndful of his sonnes perill and ieopardy that he made no answer to this saying of our Lorde Iesus because he thought such cōmunicacion was but a wasting of time wheras the disease required a present remedie Therfore he requireth him more importunately to make haste to come to Capernaum before his sonne were dead as though he shoulde come in vayne in case he dyd come after he had geuen vp the ghost whereas it was as easie to Iesu to
whiche neuerthelesse no man can be pure vnlesse he study to washe awaye many tymes through the mercy of Christe the infeccion that he hath taken by the cumpanie of men Therfore sayeth he I will not washe againe the reste of your body but onely your feete for ye be cleaâ—e but not euery one of you In this excepcion our Lord Iesus did touche the conscience of Iudas Iscarioth for he knewe well inough who should betray him to the Iewes The gentlenesse of Iesus was so great that although he knewe him yet would he not bewray him to other nor reiecte him from hauyng his feete washed neyther would he put him backe from his holy Supper nor yet from the communion of his body and bloud he doeth only touche his conscience who knewe himselfe wel-ynough that he might repent emende himselfe after he should perceiue that he was not vnknowen to the Lorde whom he was determined to betray Therfore was he the cause why Iesus sayd verily ye are cleane but not all So after he had washed their feete and receyued his clothes and was set downe he saied vnto them againe Wote ye what I haue doen to you ye call me maister and Lorde and ye saye well for so am I. If I then your Lorde maister haue washed your feete ye also ought to wash one an others feete For I haue geueÌ„ you an exaumple that you should doe as I haue doen to you Uerily verily I saye vnto youâ— the seruaunt is not greater then his maister neyther the messenger greater then he that sent him Yf ye vnderstand these thinges happy are ye if ye doe them I speake not of you al I knowe whom I haue choseÌ„ but that the scripture may be fulfilled he that cateth bread with me hath lifte vp his hole against me Nowe tell I you before it come that when it is come to passe ye might beleue that I am he When Iesus had finished this kinde of seruice towardes his twelue Apostles he put on againe his garmentes sate downe to sup with them but in the meane while he doeth once againe put into their myndes the exaumple of lowelines which he had shewed theÌ„ leste they should forget the thing which was necessary for theÌ„ for he sayth doe ye not vnderstaÌ„d what is meÌ„t by that I haue washed all your feete ye call me maister Lorde and there is good cause why ye should so doe for doubtlesse I am thesame that ye call me and seyng I haue washed your feete that am in very dede your maister Lorde you that are brethren and seruauntes together shall muche lesse grudge eche one to serue an other continually For I that am so farre aboue you haue therfore geueÌ„ you this example that you should not be lothe to doe the lyke among you that be felowes whiche I haue doen to my disciples seruauntes and that one brother should be ashamed to take vpon him the pryde of a tyraunt ouer his brother and likewise a seruaunt ouer his companion seyng I that maye worthyly take vpon me the preeminence of this dignitie haue humbled my selfe to washe your fete Neyther is there cause why any manne should say the thyng that I doe is to vyle abiecte and seruile The greater a man is the more it behoueth him to humble himselfe The pestilence of ambicion doeth crepe in euen emong euangelicall vertues When ye shall doe myracles through my name when ye shal prophecie than ought ye chiefly to remember that thing whiche I haue doen this day vnto you ye may not defend the autoritie of the gospel with high lookes with pryde nor with violence by other meanes shall that be attayned That thing verily cannot be denied which is certainly knoweÌ„ by naturall reason that is to say howe there is no seruaunte greater then his maister nor the messenger that is sent to doe any other mans businesse is greater then he that sendeth him ye knowe me to be your maister and hereafter ye shall knowe it better ye are my messengers and I am the authour of your Message Therfore it were a shame for you to be puft vp with pryde or to be fierce and cruel against the flocke that is committed vnto you or also among your selfes considering ye haue found me so meke and curteous a Lord and maister Because nowe ye vnderstande this if ye doe it hereafter ye shal be blessed after my doctrine which I so often repeate vnto you leste it should any waye be forgotten But all you shall not obtayne this blessing In dede I haue chosen you all to the honourable roumth and office of an apostle But all you shall not aunswere to the worthynesse of this office Blessed shall they be which shall vse the Apostles office after myne example But there is among you that shall so lytle folowe this myne example towarde his brethren and companions with whom he hathe heretofore been felowe like that he shall lift vp his head against me whiche am so great a Lord and suche a maister But it was long agon prophecied in the Psalme that this thing should be where as it is thus sayed he that shal eate my bread shall lyfte vp his hele against me I doe nowe shewe you before it come to passe that this thyng shall be because when ye shall see that doen whiche scripture hath spoken of before ye maye beleue that I am he of whom it hath prophecied and that nothing is doen against me by chaunce or aduenture but all this matter is moderate according to Gods determinacion And like as he that followeth mine example is happy so shal he be vnhappy whosoeuer he be that had rather folowe that trayters doing that myne For he shall haue in time to come many folowers of his naughtinesse which shall set more by money then by the glory of myne name and pretendyng the honour of the Apostles name shall traiterously misuse the office of an Apostle and shall deface thapostles office Uerily verily I saye vnto you He that receyueth whomsoeuer I sende receyueth me and he that receyueth me receyueth him that sent me But the greater the dignitie of this office is so muche the greuouser is the faulte to abuse the honour of that profession thorowe playing the traytour for this I tell you assuredly whosoeuer receiueth him that I send receiueth me and whosoeuer receiueth me receiueth hym that sente me for as I being my fathers messenger do nothyng but accordyng to his wil so you that be my messengers and Apostles yf you faythfullye put in execucion the thyng that I haue commaunded you shall bee so receiued of godlye folkes as thoughe I spake in you lyke as my father speaketh in me who teache none other thyng but that whiche he hath limyted ¶ Whan Iesus had thus saied he was troubled in the spirite and testified and saied Uerely verely I saie vnto you that one of you shall betraye me Then the disciples loked one on
knew perfectly what should happen of these thinges which ye se now perfourmed in Iesus of Nazareth who doubtlesse was borne as touching his humanitie of Dauids kinred family Ferthermore sins that it is euidently knowen that Iesus in his lyfe tyme dyd affect no worldly kingdome and neuer sate vpon Dauids regal seate but was most spitefully dealed with al it appereth plainly that there was some other kingdome promised which as the prophetes say hath none end He could not sit vpon Dauids seate if that he being once slayne had neuer arisen to lyfe againe He therfore is arisen from deathe to lyfe agayne and sytteth nowe vpon Dauids seate that is to saye vpon the seate of hys eternall father the Lorde of all thinges that are in heauen and eke in yearth This was it vndoubtedly that Dauid beyng inspyred with the spiryte of prophecie spoke of before and what he before hath spoken that is come to passe And although Iesus soule went downe to hell yet there it was not withholden but rather deliuered the soules whiche were from libertye restreigned Yea although his body was layde in graue voyde of all lyfe yet there it did not rotte or putrifye but god who in all hys promises can not lye hath called his soule from hell againe and hath restored the same to his owne former body Of this thing we all beare witnes whom here ye see standing whiche haue traded our liues familiarly with him whiche haue heard him oftimes say that he shoulde bee both crucifyed accordyng to the prophetes sayinges and afterwarde aryse the thirde day to lyfe agayne We were those persons that both sawe him a dooyng and hearde him and nowe bee witnesses of his resurreccion to whome he hath oftetymes appered not alonely as one seen of vs and heard but felt also with our handes we knewe his voyce we knew his face we knew felt the printed dentes of his woundes finally he eate togither in coÌ„pany with vs to thintent that we might be wel assured to se the very same body there with vs that lay in his sepulchre ¶ Seâ—s nowe that he by the right hande of God is exalted and hath receyued of the father the promise of the holy goste he hath shed forth this gifte which ye now see heare For Dauid is not ascended into heauen but he sayeth The Lord saied vnto my Lord syt thou on my ryght hande vntill I make thy fooes thy foote stole So therfore let all the house of Israel know for a suerty that God hath made that same Iesus whom ye haue crucified lorde and Christe Wherfore than the selfe same person whome man ouerthrew and brought to extreme vilany and reproche god hath now aduaunced to the heigth of eternall glory whiche glory he shall once set open manifestly to all men at the ende of the world and now doeth he in the meane season put forth with you the power of his godhead by secrete operacion of the holy gost whiche he whiles he liued vpon earth promised to send vs from his father Now hath he beyng returned agayne to heauen powred from thence the same spirite vpon vs bounteously accordyng to Iohels prophecie aboue mencioned And of him cummeth this straunge miracle that ye see and heare vs speake in languages whiche you beyng gathered here together out of sondrye nacions do semblably vnderstand And like as the prophecy of the resurreccion can not be vnderstand of Dauid as we haue to you declared euen so that thing which was prophecied of his ascending vp to heauen and of the sitting on the right hande of god his father and of his euerlasting kingdome can not perteyne to Dauid like as the Pharisees theymselues reasoning with out maister confessed For Dauid neuer ascended vp to heauen as he that had before retourned to his lyfe agayne and yet for all that in the misticall psalme thus sayeth he beyng enspired with the spirite of prophecye the lorde sayd to my lorde sit on my right hande vntill I make thyne enemies thy footestole Wherefore than the matier is playne that this prophecye was spoken of god the father who hath exalted to heauen Iesus the sonne of Dauid as touching his humanitie but as concerninge the spirite the lorde of Dauid and would that he should sit by him as copartener of his kingdome Therfore let al the whole people of Israell be wel assured that the selfe same Iesus of Nazareth whome ye once crucifyed god hath now aduaunced to the kingdome of heauen and hath made him lorde ouer all and Messyas that is to say the annoyncted whome ye loke for as your Messias whiche was promised of all the prophetes nowe many hundred yeres agoe ¶ When they heard this they were pricked in their hertes and saied vnto Peter and vnto the other apostles Ye men and brethren what shall we doe Peter sayed vnto them repent of your synnes and be baptised euery one of you in the name of Iesus Christe for the remission of synnes and ye shall receyue the gifte of the holy ghoâ—t For the promyse was made to you and to your children and to all that are a farre of euen as many as the Lorde our God shall call And with many other woordes bare he witnesse and exhorted them saying Saue your selues from this vntoward generacion Then they that gladly receyued his preaching were baptized and the same daye there were added vnto theÌ„ about three thousande soules This tale of Peters made the hearers thereof sore afrayed For they wer prime to their owne doynges howe they had cryed out vpon Pilate crucifye hym crucifye hym crucifye hym and perceyued by reason of the prophecie howe he was made on the righte hande of hys father copartener of hys kingdom vntyll all his enemies were broughte vnder his fotestoole Whom they had put to deathe beyng as he was vnto them beneficiall of the same nowe sence he is cum vnto his reigne were they afrayed leste he woulde take vengeaunce vpon them This is a beginning to a mannes saluacion to knowleage his faulte and to feare the payne deserued for the same Therfore they beyng than pricked in conscience sayde to Peter and to the reste of the apostles what must we do welbeloued brethren It is wel whan a man feling hymselfe of a giltie conscience dispaireth not but ensearcheth for remedye Nowe what doeth Peter in this case who represented a sobre and a meke shepeherde he exerciseth no tyranny amongest them with reprocheful checkes he heapeth not together theyr faultes he putteth not them abacke with a delay he willeth them not to kyll beastes for sacrifice but declareth to the sorowfull hertes a remedy euen at hande putting no difference bitwixt them that had crucifyed Iesus and those whiche had not consented to that wicked acte For none of them all was cleane without sinne And therfore sayeth he doe ye repent your lyfe that is past and let euerychone of you be baptysed in water in 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
to bee smitten before thou hearest the matter contrary to the lawe whiche forbyddeth that any man shoulde be punyshed excepte he be lawfully conuicted and cast Than they whiche stoode nexte vnto Paule sayed vnto hym Doest thou in this wise reuyle Gods high priest To suche extreme tyranny was than the priesthoode of the Iewes come that they claymed it as a thing lawfull for them againste right and equytie to do euery man hurte and yet would not they permit other meÌ„ freely to speake Whiche was an euideÌ„t token that their priesthood shoulde not long continue after it was come to the extremitie of all mischiefe Than Paul perceyuing that he should nothing furder his cause vnder such a iudge thought that best it was onely to seke occasion howe that assembly myght be dissolued Wherefore he aunswerd Brethren I was vncertayne that this man was the high priest Els I remembre well that it is written in the booke of Exodus Thou shalte not speake euyll by the Prince or rewler of the people After he had with this aunswere somewhat appeased these that warned hym thereof he ymagined some occasion howe he myght auoyde the tumulte and murmouring of the people For lawfull it is to voyde peryll by crafte wheras appereth no hope of profityng Whan Paule perceyued that the one parte were Saduceis and the other Phariseis he cryed out in the councell Men brethren I am a Pharisee the sonne of Pharisee Of the hope resurrecion froÌ„ death I am iudged And whaÌ„ he had so sayd there arose a debate betwene the Phariseis the Saduceis and the multitude was deuyded For the Saduceis say that there is no resurreccion neither aungell nor spirit but the Phariseis graunt both Wherfore Paul consideryng that in the congregacion there were two sortes of menne the one Sadduceis the other Phariseis whiche agreed not one with an other sayed with a loude voyce in audience of the counsell so that euery man might here him Brethren I am a Pharisey and my parentes were Phariseis and I am arrayned for because that I preache that the dead shal aryse agayne After he had thus sayed there arose dyssencion betwene the Phariseis and the Sadduceis And the multitude also that was presente seeyng them at variaunce varyed among themselues and were of sundrye opinions and partes For the Sadduceis in asmuche as they beleue that the soule dieth with the body do neyther alowe resurreccion nor suppose that there is any spirite or aungell The Phariseis on the other part beleue both that resurreccion shal be and that there be bothe Angelles and spirites Wherefore the multitude with great clamour began to make trouble And there arose a great crye and whan the Scribes whiche were of the Phariseis parte arose they stroue saying we finde no euil in this man Though a spirite or an angel hath appered to him let vs not striue against God And whan there arose great debate the captayne fearing â—est Paul shoulde haue ben plucte a sundre of them commaunded the souldiers to go downe and to take him from among them and to bring him into the castle In the meane space certayne Scribes of the Phariseis secte arose and contended in the fauour of Paule and sayed We perceyue nothynge wherein this man hath transgressed And yf that the holy ghoste or an aungell hath spoken vnto him it is not oure parte to contende ne striue with God This they sayed vpon the occasion that Paule the day before had shewed theÌ„ that the lorde had appered vnto hym by a vision in the temple So muche doeth it auayle in cases alredye râ—wled and determined to be of this secte or of that But whan this dyssencion encreased more and more by reason that the Sadduceis cryed out so sore against the Phariseis and the matter seamed lyke to growe to nothing els but to an extreme and deadly commocion the marciall fearing lest that Paule shoulde be plucked in pieces among them commaunded the souldiers to go downe and take Paule from the throng and to bring him into the castell againe The night folowynge God stoode by him and sayed bee of good chere Paul for as thou hast testified of me in Ierusalem so must thou beare witnes also at Rome Than was it tyme that God shoulde somewhat coumforte him that so manfully had wrastled for hym seyng that these troubles were so sore and yet sorer wer at hande Wherefore the nexte night againe the Lorde stoode by hym saying Be of good courage Paul These troubles shal not make an end of the for the tyme of death is not yet come but yet is it to come that euen as thou hast valiauntly borne witnesse of me at Ierusalem so shalte thou witnesse of me at Rome also Thou hast doen thy parte in this citie whiche is the chiefe in all Iewry it remayneth nexte that thou do the same in Rome whiche is the head citie of all the worlde And whan it was daye certayne of the Iewes gathered themselues together and made a vowe saying that they would neither eate nor drinke tyll they had killed Paul They were moe then fowertie men which had made this conspiracion And thei came to the chiefe priestes elders and sayed we haue bounde our selues with a vowe that we wil eate nothing vntyll we haue slayne Paul Nowe therefore geue ye knowledge to the vpper captayne and to the councell that he bring him forth vnto vs to morowe as though we would knowe some thinge more perfectly of him But we or euer he come nere are ready to kyll hym But as soone as it was day certayne Iewes made a conspiracion and cursed them selues to the deuyll and to damnacion yf they dyd eyther eate or drinke before they had slayne Paule so greate malyce had they conceyued againste hym And it was no small noumbre that had made this conspiracie but they were aboue fowertie These persons wente to the high priestes and elders and shewed them their entente and purpose sayinge We haue moste depely cursed our selues to be perpetually damned in hell if we eyther eate or drynke before we shall haue slayne Paule Nowe must ye lykewyse put vnto your helpyng handes to the furtheraunce of our request that we maye the more easely bryng to passe that thinge whiche we are all desyrous to doe Sende ye woorde to the highe marciall both in your names and also in the name of the whole counsell that he bryng Paule before you againe pretendynge that ye wyll enquyre more dilygently of him forasmuche as yesterdaye ye coulde not by reason of the commocion And we shall so prouyde that he shall not come safely into the castell againe as he yesterdaye dyd but before he come to the place where the counsell shal be kepte we wyll be ready to slay him ¶ When Paules syster sonne heard of their laying wayte he wente and entred into the castell and tolde Paul And Paul called one of the vnder captaynes vnto him said Bryng this
I haue spoken For this thing was not dooen in a corner but openly and the rumour of it was sparsed throughout all Iewry Than Paul turned himself to Agrippa and sayed O kynge Agrippa beleue ye the Prophetes to bee true I knowe ye doe beleue them And he that beleueth them cannot chose but beleue the ghospell which sheweth that it is cum to passe that the Prophetes sayed shoulde cum Than Agrippa breakyng his communicacion sayed vnto Paule Thou doest sumwhat perswade me to becum a Christen man Than sayed Paule veraily I would wyshe of God with all my herte that ye shoulde beleue not onelye sumwhat but throughly and not your selfe onely but also that all men that heare me this daye shoulde be lyke me this thing onely excepted that I would not wyshe any of them to bee thus in bandes as I am ¶ And whan he had thus spoken the kyng arose vp and the deputie Bernice and they that sate with them And whan they were gone aparte they talked among them selues saying This man doeth nothing worthy of dâ—â—th or of bandes Than sayed Agrippa vnto Festus This man might haue been let leuse yf he had not appealed vnto Cesar. Whan Paul had this saied the kyng the presydent and Bernice arose and all the other that late there by And whan they had gone asyde to common of the matter they agreed euery man in this opinion that they sayed that Paule hath committed nothing worthy death ne yet of imprisonment Wherfore it had cum to passe that Paul had been dimissed had not kyng Agrippa sayed vnto the president Festus this man myghte haue been quytte yf he had not appealed vnto the Emperour The .xxvii. Chapter ¶ Whan it was concluded that we should sayle into Itaâ—y they delyuered both Paul and certaine other prisoners vnto one named Iulius an vnder captaine of Cesars souldiers And we entred into a shyp of Hadramicium and leused from lande appoyncted to sayle by the coastes of Asia one Aristarchus out of Macedonia of the countrey of Thessalonica ratiyng stil with vs. And the next day we came to Sydon And Iulius courteously entreated Paul and gaue him libertie to go vnto his frendes and to refreashe himself And whan we had launched from thence we sayled hard by Cypres because the wyndes were contrary And whan we had sayled ouer the sea of Cilicia and Pamphilia we came to Myra whiche is in Licia ANd after that kyng Agrippa had geueÌ„ suche senteÌ„ce that euen as Paul had appealed to the Emperoure so shoulde he goe into Italy they deliuered Paule and with him certaine other prysoners in handes vnto the vnder captaine of the Emperours souldiers named Iulius And thaÌ„ entred we into a shyppe whiche came froÌ„ Hadramicium a citie of Affrike whiche shoulde set vs vp in Asia the lesse forasmuche as her iourney laye by the coastes of Asia at what time Aristarchus out of Macedonia a Thessalonian borne contynued with vs and would nedes beare vs company in our iourney And so the nexte daye after we had leused from Cesarea we arriued at Sydon There the captayne Iulius forasmuche as he entended to handle Paule gentilly permitted him to goe out of the shyp and to goe visite his frendes yf he had any in Sidon to the ende that he might the better bee refreshed of them And whaÌ„ we had leused thence also we adueÌ„tured not into the maigne sea but tooke the left hande and shored by the sydes of Cypres for because that the wynde was against vs. After we had passed ouer the sea whiche is righte againste Cilicia and Pamphilia we came to Myra whiche standeth on the sea syde in Licia ¶ And there the vnder captaine found a ship of Alexandria ready that sayled into Italy he put vs therein And whan we had sayled slowely many dayes and scarce wer cum ouer against Guydon because the wynde withstode vs we sayled hard by the coastes of Candie ouer against Salmon with much worke sayled beyoÌ„d it and came vnto a place whiche is called the fayre hauens nygh wherunto was the citie of Lasca Whan muche tyme was speÌ„te whan sayling was nowe ieopardouse because also that they had ouer loÌ„g fasted Paul put them in remembraunce and sayed vnto them Syrs I perceiue that this vyage wyll be with hurte and muche damage not of the ladyng and shyppe onelye but also of our lyues Neuerthelesse the vndercaptayne beleued the gouernoure and the mayster of the shyp more then those thinges whiche wer spoken of Paul And because the hauen was not commodiouse to wynter in manye toke councell to departe thence yf by any meanes they might reache to Phenice and there to wynter whiche is an hauen of Candie and lyeth towarde the Southwest and Northwest wynde When the Southwynde blewe they supposyng to obtain their purpose leused vnto Asson And saâ—led past all Candie There met the capitayne with an other shyppe whiche had cum from Alexandria a citie of Egypte and was readye to sayle into Italye and shyfted vs into thesame And after that we had sayled many dayes slowly and scarcely at the last were cum ryghte againste Guidus by reason that the wynde was against vs we turned to the Ylande Candie nighe to a citie of the fame YlaÌ„de whiche is sytuate on the very sea banke and is called Salmon or as sum menne called it Sammonium After we had with muche a dooe passed by Salmon we came to an other hauen of Candie that is called fayre hauens This place was not far of from the citie of Lasea And after that we had spent a long season in this nauigacion or saylyng Paule perceyuing that it was daungerous sayling not onely forbecause they could not kepe such course as they would haue kepte by reason of the winde being against them but also because they had ouer long absteyned from meate he admonished and warned the mariners in this wyse Syrs I perceiue that this saylynge wyll be daungerous and full of damage and peryll not onely of the burden that is in the shyppe and the shyppe it selfe lykewyse but of our lyues wherefore we were better cease from saylyng forwarde But the captayne gaue â—are to the mayster of the ship and to the Sterne man rather then to Paules sayinges And for as muche as there was no conuenient hauen where they might couch to lye at rode beynge wynter season manye were of this mynde that yf they possyblie coulde they woulde sayle as farre as Phenice whiche is an hauen of Candie hangyng into the sea towardes the Southwest and Northwest wynde In the meane tyme the South wynde blewe and they trustynge that they might obteyne their purpose and that they might reache to Phenice leused from the sea coaste of Asson that is a citie of Candye and shored by the coastes of Candie But not long after there arose againste theyr purpose a flawe of wynde out of the Northest And whan the shyp was caught and could not resist the
wynde we let her go and she draue with the wether But we wer carryed into an Yle which is named Clauda and had muche worke to cum by a boate whiche they toke vp and vsed helpe and made fast the shyp â—earing leste they shoulde fal into the Syrtes And so they let downe a vessell and were carried But within a shorte space there arose a sodeyne and boysterous wynde whiche the shyppemen feare moste of all other wethers and they call it a whyrle wynde and a pierrie And thesame because it cummeth betwene the North and the east is called the Northeast wynde After this wynde had taken the shyppe the shyppe could not withstande the tempest we let her go at al aduentures whither soeuer the windes and waues would cary vs. And whan we were at the last brought into a certaine Yland whiche is on the south syde of Candie named Clauda we had much worke to get a boate wherby we myght succour our selues if any thing chaunced otherwyse then wel And whaÌ„ at the last we had drawen the boate vp into the shyp they vsed other polices to preserue the ship for feare lest that she chaunce to breake by beatyng herself on the shalowes flattes thei girded the shippe about with ropes thei feared lest the wynde shoulde driue them in to the Syrtes whiche were certayne flattes quicke sandes not farre from them south warde seyng that the pierie blew and droue that waye and therwith they let downe a certaine vessell to staye the ship that she should not runne so fast forwarde And by suche meanes we beeyng sumwhat holpen droue with the wind and were caried forwarde The nexte daye whan we were tossed with an exceading tempest they lightened yâ— shyp and the thirde day we cast out with ouâ— handes the tacklyng of the shyppe When at the last neither the Sunne nor starres in many dayes appeared and no small tempest lay vpon vs al hope that we should escape was then takeÌ„ away But after long abstinence Paul stode furth in the myddes of them and sayed Syrs ye should haue harkened to me not haue leused from Candie neyther to haue brought vnto vs this harme losse And nowe I exhorte you to be of good chere For ther shal be no losse of any mannes lyfe amoÌ„g you saue of the ship onely For there stoode by me this night the Aungel of god whose I am whom I serue saiyng feare not Paul thou must be brought before Cesar And loe God hath geuen the all theÌ„ the sayle with the wherfore Syrs be of good chere for I beleue God that it shal be euen as it was tolde me howbeit we muste be cast into a certayne Ylande But the tempeste styl continuyng whan we had been tossed and water-beaten very daungerouslye the nexte daye they went to extreme shyftes for they vnloded the shyppe and caste all into the sea for to lyghten and sumwhat to ease the shyppe But whan the tempest styll contynued the thyrde daye we caste awaye ouer boorde with our owne handes the tacklyng of the shyppe And forasmuche as neither the Sunne ne yet the starres appered for the space of manye dayes but the tempeste styll waxed more and more euerye manne was in despayre and looked for none other but deathe And moreouer by reasoÌ„ of this troublous sayling they had eaten no meate of a long space ThaÌ„ Paul standyng in the mydle amonge them sayed Syrs ye should before haue folowed my councell whan I gaue you warning that ye should not leuse from the sea coaste of Candie For yf ye hadde so doen ye hadde escaped this daungier and also this losse of goodes But forasmuche as that nowe cannot be vndoen againe that is paste begynne yet at the laste to folowe my councell and to waxe wyse Be of good chere for not one of you shal peryshe The shyp onely shal be loste This is no dreame that I speake but the Aungell of god whoÌ„ I serue and wurshyppe stoode by me this night and sayed Paul be not afraied thou shalt not perishe here but thou muste firste appeare before Ceasar and not onely thou shalt escape safe but God hath heard thy praiers and geueÌ„ vnto the all these that are in shyp with the wherefore I say be of good chere For I doubt not but that it shal cum to passe that god hath promised by his Aungell And yf ye wyll knowe howe we shall escape safe with our lyues I wil tell you we shal be cast vp into a certayne Yland there shal we be saued but not without shypwrecke But whaÌ„ the fowerteÌ„th night was cuÌ„ as we wer sailyng in Adris about mydnight the shypmen demed that there appered some countrey vnto them sounded found it twenty â—adoms And when thei had goâ— a litle further they sounded againe and found fiftene â—adoms Then fearing lest they shoulde haue fallen on some rocke they cast fower ankers out of the sterne and wished for the day As the shypmen were about to flie out of the ship whan they had let downe the boate into the sea vnder a colour as though they woulde haue cast ankers out of the foreshippe Paul sayed vnto the vnder captaine to the souldiers except these abyde in the shyppe ye can not be safe Then the souldiers cut of the rope of the boate and let it falle away And so whan the fourtenth nyght was cum well on and we were saylyng in the sea whiche was called Adriaticum the mariners lokyng furth aboute myddenight supposed that they saw lande And beyng mynded to proue whether that they might safely arryue thyther they let downe a lyne with a plummet whiche the shypmen call in the Greke toung Bolis because it is cast down into the water to sounde and they founde that it was twentye fadoms depe than sayled we a litle farther and they let downe againe the plummet and sounded and founde that it was fiftene fadoms And whan they perceiued that it wexed shalower shalower fearing leste they should hytte vpon sharpe rockye places they caste fower ankers out of the sterne and wysshed for day that they might certainely perceiue what countrey it was that appeared Than the mariners hauing smal hope to saue the shyppe forasmuche as they perceyued that they were not farre from lande they first thought to saue themselues and for that cause they lette downe a boate into the sea feynyng and semblyng they went not aboute to conueigh them selues away but pretendyng that they would lette down the ankers out of the foreparte of the shippe because the tempest was great But Paul perceyuyng what they entended and knowyng that the mariners could not be missed but must nedes helpe to saue the reste that wer in the shyp warned the vnder captaine saiyng Except these men abyde in the shyppe ye can not be saued Whan the souldiers hearde this worde they out with their swerdes and cutte the ropes that the boate hong by
and lette fall into the sea And whaÌ„ the day began to appeare Paule besought them al to take meate saying this is the fowertenth day yâ— ye haue taryed coÌ„tinued â—asting receiuing nothing at all Wherfore I praye you to take meate For this no doubte is for your â—elth for there shal not an heate fal froÌ„ the head of any of you And whan he had thus spokeÌ„ he toke bread gaue thankes to God in presence of them all whan he had broken it he begonne to eate ThaÌ„ were they al of good chere and they also tooke meate We wer altogether in the shyppe two hundred thre score and syxtene soules And wheÌ„ they had eaten ynough they lyghtened the shyp and cast out the wheate into the sea But whan the nyght by litle and litle vanyshed awaye and day began to breake Paul exhorted them all to eate sum meate sayed It is now fowertene dayes sence ye eate any thing and ye are styll fasting wherfore I woulde councel you to take summe sustenaunce for it is for your health so to dooe lest that whan ye haue escaped this tempest ye bee in daunger for lacke of foode For ye muste not thinke in your mynde what shoulde we nede to eate seeynge that we shall streyght wayes dye For this wyll I promyse you that not somuche as an heare of any of your heades shall peryshe Whan Paule hadde thus sayde he tooke breade in his handes and gaue thankes to god in syghte of them all and whan he had broken it after the ensample of Iesus the lorde than began he to eate And the others beyng than sumwhat reuiued and encouraged partely by Paules exhortacion and partely by his ensample began also to eate We were in noumbre in the shyp two hundred threscore and syxtene Whan they had taken susteinaunce they eased the shyp that she myghte approche nere vnto the lande and they cast out a great quantitye of wheat whiche they had brought out of Egypt towardes Italye For Egipt had been of long continuaunce a sure storer and furnysher of Rome with wheate and other grayne When it was daye they knew not the land but they spied a certaine hauen with a banke into the whiche they were mynded if it were possible to thrust in the ship And wheÌ„ they had taken vp the ankers thei comitted themselues vnto the sea leused the rudder boudes hoyced vp the maine sayle to the winde drue to the land And whaÌ„ they chaunced on a place which had the sea on both sides they thrust in the ship And the fore part stucke fast and moued not but the dyâ—der parte brake with the violence of waues After that it was day they sawe lande but they knew not what countrey it was But thei perceiued that it had a certaine creeke by reason that the banke stretched furth on bothe sydes into whiche creeke they purposed yf they possiblye might to dryue the shyppe And so they toke vp the ankers and committed theÌ„ selues to the sea and leused withal the ioyntes of the sterne and the rudder to the intent that they might vse them also at their pleasure and ease to guide and to turne the ship whither they thought best Then thei set vp the saile and than thei turned also the crosse piece wherupon the sayle hangeth to the wynde and hauyng the wind with them hastened toward the shore But whan they could not geâ— into the creeke as they had purposed but by violence of the wyndes wer driueÌ„ into a place the hong a great way into the sea there they pytched in the ship And the fore part of the shyp being fastened in the ground which was there shalowe stoode stiffe and the hinder part leused asunder by violence of the waues And than was there none other remedy but that euery man should shift for himself and swimme furth ¶ And the souldiers councel was to kil the prisoners lest any of them whan he had swimmed out should runne away But the vnder captaine wyllyng to saue Paule kepte them from their purpose and commaunded that they which could swymme should cast themselues first in to the sea and scape to land And the othâ—â— he commaunded to go some on boordes some on broken pieces of the ship And so it came to passe that they escaped all safe to lande Than the souldiers thoughte it best to kyll the presoners leste that any of theÌ„ whan he had swimmed furth to lande should happen to runne awaye but the captaine was against this cruel vnmerciful counsel beyng desyrous to saue Paul forasmuch as by his meane they all had bene preserued And lest that any one should perishe he commaunded the suche as coulde swymme wel should first leape into the sea and swymme to lande And they that could not swimme should partly take boordes and lye on them and partly help themselues with other instrumentes of the shyppe and so to escape to lande By this meane at the last it came to passe that euery one came safe to lande The .xxviii. Chapter And whan they were escaped than they knewe that the Yle was called Melite And the straungers shewed vs no litle kyndenesse for they kyndled a fyer and receyued vs eueryâ— one because of the present rayne and because of the colde And whan Paul had gathered a boundell of stickes and layed them on the fier there came a vyper out of the heate and caught him by the hande When the straungers sawe the beast hang on his hande they sayed amonge themselues no doubt this man is a murtherer Whome thoughe he haue escaped the sea yet vengeaunce suffereth not to lyue And he shooke of the vyper into the tyer and felt no harme Howbeit they awayted whan he shoulde haue swolue â–ª or fallen downe dead sodaynly But after they had looked a great whyle and saw no harme cum to him they chaunged their myndes and sayed that he was a God ANd whan they wer gotten on land they knew not what Yland it was but afterwardes they enquited of the inhabitours and heard that it was called Melite Thesame Melite is situate lyeth betwene Epirus and Italy towarde the northe parte of Sicile Than the people therof pietiyng our myschaunce entertayned vs very gentilly For they made a great fier for vs brought vs al together to it beyng sore handled what with meate and what with cold And whan Paule had gathered a great boundel of stickes and had cast them on the fyer a vyper whiche before was euen styffe for colde and laye hydden there beyng stiered vp with the heate crept forth stynged the hande of Paul But the inhabitauntes of Melite seeyng this venemous beast hangyng by the styng at the hande of Paule sayde vndoubtedly it must nedes bee true that this felowe is sum murderer whiche though he haue escaped the daungier of the sea being cast vp by tempest yet the vengeauÌ„ce of god suffereth not him to remayne on lyue
But as soone as Paul perceyued the vyper styng him he cast her of into the fier and had no hurte at all But the people that looked on him supposed it would cum to passe that the poison would get through yâ— vaines and that his body would strayght waye burne and swell or that he woulde sodaynly fall downe dead the strength of the poyson percyng furthwyth to the hearte And whan they had marked a greate whyle to see what woulde becum of Paule and sawe that he had no hurte by the stynging of the vyper with like lyghtnesse they eftfones chaunged their mynde and saied that he was a God For the inhabitours of Melite had not yet hearde the fame of Iesus whiche gaue this to al them that professed his name that no strength of poyson wer it neuer so extreme or deadly myght hurt them In the same quarters wer landes of the chief man of yâ— Yle whose name was Publius which receyued vs lodged vs thre dayes courteously And it fortuned that yâ— father of this Publius lay sycke of a feuer a blouddye â—â—ix To whoÌ„ Paul entred in prayed laye his handes on him healed him So whan this was doen others also whiche had diseases in the Yle came wer healed which also did vs great honour And whaÌ„ we departed they laded vs with suche thynges as were necessary And nere besydes the shore where we arryued laye a lordshippe belonging to the chief man of the Yle named Publius who receyued vs into his house and for the space of thre dayes entertayned vs very gentilly The same tyme Publius father was sicke of an agewe and of a blouddye flixe so sore that he kepte his bedde This Paule hauyng in mynde the commaundement of his mayster â–ª came in to the dyseased person and whan he had made hys prayers to God he layed his handes on hym and healed hym Whiche thyng after it was bruted abrode ouer all the land others lykewyse that wer sycke came vnto Paule and were healed Wherefore they as long as we continued there shewed vs muche gentilnes and whan we made readye our selues to departe they brought into our shyppe all maner necessaries After three monethes we departed in a shyp of AlexaÌ„dria which had wintred in the yle whose badge was Castor Pollur And whaÌ„ we came to Syracusa we taried there thre daies And froÌ„ thence we fette a coumpace came to Rhegium And one daye after the south wind blew we came the nexte day to Puteoli where we founde brethren were desired to cary with theÌ„ seuen dayes so came we to Rome And froÌ„ thence whaÌ„ the brethreÌ„ heard of vs thei came to mete vs at Appii forum at the three rauernes WhaÌ„ Paul saw theÌ„ he thanked God wexed bolde And whaÌ„ we came to Rome yâ— vnder capitayne delyuered the priesoners to the chiefe capitayne of the host but Paul was suffered to dwell by hym selfe with a souldier that kept hym And so whaÌ„ we had continued three monethes in the Ylande we gotte an other shyp of Alexandria that al the winter had harboured in Melite The baner of it had paynted on it Castor and Pollux for theyr badge whome the Grecians doe call Dioscuros and suppose that they prosper those the sayle on the sea whan they appeare sitting ioyntlye together the one by the other on the crosse pyece whereunto the sayle is fastened Whan we had entred into the shippe we leused from Melite And after that we arriued at Syracusa a citie of Sicilie harde vpon the sea we taryed there three dayes Than leused we from Syracusa shoring about by the coastes of Sicilie we came to Rhegium a citie in the borders of Italy situate and liyng wythin the territory that belongeth to the Brutians From thence is but a smale iourney to Sicilie For on that syde bothe Sicilie and Italy sumtime ioyned together vntyll suche tyme that the vyolence of the sea dyuyded the one countrey from the other breakyng in betwyxte them no more but a myle an halfe for which cause the GreciaÌ„s called it Rhegium From thence a day after it chaunced vs to haue a good wynde that is to saye a sowthwinde so we sailed to a toune called Puteoli Where we mette with christen men which desired vs to tary there with them for a certain space Wherfore we satisfyed their request and remayned there seuen dayes thence we wente streyght to Rome And forasmuch as the brethren that wer at Rome had heard that we wer cummyng thyther for the name of Paul was very wel knowen among al the christen men that were than at Rome by reason that he had wrytten afore the time an epistle vnto them certayne of them came forth of the citie to a place that is there called Appii forum and to a certain place called the three rauernes to mete vs. And whan Paul sawe theÌ„ he was muche coumforted perceiuyng that there also were sum that hertily fauoured the gospel and geuyng god thankes he toke a bolde hert with him and hoped wel And whan we were cum to Rome the vnder captaine deliuered the others that wer in boÌ„des vnto the chiefe captayne of the army there But Paul had libertie to abid and remayne at his libertie sauyng onely that he had one souldier to kepe him And after three dayes Paul called yâ— chiefe of the Iewes together And whan they were come he sayd vnto theÌ„ Men brethren though I haue coÌ„mitted nothing agaynst yâ— people or lawes of the Elders yet was I delyuered prisoner froÌ„ IerusaleÌ„ into the handes of the Romaynes Which wheÌ„ they had examined me would haue let me goe because there was no cause of death in me But whaÌ„ the Iewes spake contrarye I was constrained to appeale vnto Cesar not because I haue ought to accuse my people of For this cause haue I called for you eueÌ„ to see you to speke with you because that for the hope of Israell I am bounde with this theyne And forasmuche as he was brought to Rome in bandes wyth others lest anyâ— of the Iewes shoulde suppose that he was thus serued for sum trespace after the thyrde day he called together all the heades of the Iewes the were abydyng at Rome and spake vnto them in this wyse Brethren sayeth he whereas I haue commytted nothyng agaynste my countreymen or els against the tradicions of our forefathers beyng cast in bandes at Hierusalem I was deliuered into the handes of the Romaines who brought me into Cesarea before the president Felix afterwardes before Festus Which after they had examyned my matter would haue quitte me for asmuche as eueÌ„ as they themselues graunted they founde nothyng in me worthy death But whan the Iewes maliciously renouÌ„ced and cried agaynste me I was compelled to appeale to Cesar not because that I am offended wyth my countreymen for this matter or that I intende in lyke maner to accuse them of anye thynge before
to all reason Then sayde the Iewes xlvi yeres was this temple a building and wilt thou reare it vp in three dayes But he spake of the temple of hys bodye Assone therefore as he was risen from deathe agayn his disciples remembred that he had thus sayd And they beleued the scripture and the woordes whiche Iesus had sayde And as they vnderstode the thing so they answered accordingly saying Men labored very sore the space of .xlvi. yeres after that the BabiloniaÌ„s had brought Iewry into captiuitie to repayre this temple and wilt thou set it vp again in thre daies Our lord Iesus made no aunswer to that obieccion knowing that he should haue doen no good in case he had made playne his darke saying wheÌ„ not so much as his owne disciples yea after they were instructed by his doing of so many miracles his so manifolde preachinges could abide to heare hys death spoken of nor beleue the mistery of his resurreccion Yet this saying did cleue and remayne still as a certayne seede in the myndes of the hearers but it brought furth sundry fruites in soondry persones For the Iewes kepyng the same still in theyr remembraunce did lay thys saying to hys charge before the wicked priestes as a cryine worthye of deathe The disciples in as muche as at that time they could not vnderstande it yet bearing it in theyr mindes dyd meruayl what it should meane vntyl the tyme that after hys resurreccion the holy ghost taught them how Christ by the name of the temple ment his own bodye that was muche more holy then the temple whiche the Iewes dydde honour so religiously for so muche as the fulnesse of the godheade dyd dwell therin And yet emongeste them it was sacrilege to defile and violate that temple of stone but they were nothing afrayed synfully to throw downe the most holy temple of hys moste holy and precious bodye Howbeit Iesus the verye Salomon who had builded this temple for his owne selfe of the virgin Marie did restore it agayne within three dayes after they had pulled it downe according to the prophecies of the prophetes Therfore the disciples conferring the scryptures with Iesus saying at thys tyme dyd perceyue thys hys resurreccion to be the greatest token wherby he declared to the Iewes his godhed For albeit we haue red that some men haue risen againe from death to life yet no man did raise vp himselfe to life but onely our lord Iesus For he onely had power in himselfe to leaue his life and to reuiue it agayn when he would And so by these principles beginninges Iesus did stiâ—re vp al the Iewes mindes to loke for greater thinges in hym against theyr hye feast which was nowe at hande When he was in IerusaleÌ„ at Ester in the feast day many beleued on his name wheÌ„ they saw his miracles which he did but Iesus did not commit himselfe vnto them because he knew al men neded not that any maÌ„ should testify of him for he knew what was in maÌ„ But after that he had taried at Ierusalem certayn dayes of the feaste of Ester by his miracles and doctrine had as it were sowen some sedes of the faythe of the ghospel many being moued rather with the miracles whiche he did theÌ„ with his woordes did credite his saying and beleued him to bee the sonne of god whome he preached himselfe to be For the Iewes be not so much moued with reason as with the sight of miracles but Iesus then shewyng to vs the very forme and fashion of a teacher of the gospel to whose wisedome it apperteyneth not euen at the firste to commit to the myndes of ignoraunte persones all the misteries of his hye doctrine whose geÌ„tlenesse it behoueth to beare with and to suffer them that be yet but weake and vnperfit vntill they may attayne to hier thinges Iesus I say because he knewe theyr fayth was yet but wauering and vnperfite and theyr myndes not hable to receyue the mysteryes of the wisedome of the gospel he dyd not auenture himselfe emong the common sort lest the peoples affeccions should be sodainly altered where by some commocion were like to rise For there were many that were sore vexed with this auctoritie of Iesus specially they whiche dyd suppose that hys doctryne and glory shoulde hinder theyr lucre and auctoritie The enuie of the Phariseis and Scribes had not yet brast foorth into open slaundering of hym but neuerthelesse they kepte enuie and malice close in theyr heartes deceitfullye sekyng occasion to hurte hym And therfore because at this time Iesus coulde dooe litle good emong them lest he should geue euil persones occasyon of greater euyll he withdrewe himselfe from them forasmuch as he knew the secret thoughtes of them all neither neded he to bee tolde any thyng of any manne For he who was ignoraunte in nothing knewe euen of hymselfe the verye secrecie of euery man there Neyther yet in the meane whyle dyd Iesus make any prouisyon to saue himselfe who willyngly came of veraye purpose to suffer deathe for the saluacion of the world but he toke away from theyr malice occasyon wherby they shoulde els haue sinned ¶ The .iii. Chapter ¶ There was a man of the phariseis named Nicodemus a ruler of the Iewes Thesame came to Iesus by night and said vnto him Rabbi we know that thou art a teacher come from god for no man coulde doe suche miracles as thou doest except god were with him AMongest many whiche had conceiued some good opinion of Iesu by seing him do his miracles there was a certain man called Nicodemus who was of the phariseis secte and one of the noumber of them whiche were taken emong the Iewes for chiefe rulers Thys Nicodemus knowing right wel that there were many of his ordre and secte which did enuie Iesu and lay in waite to doe hym displeasure went vnto Iesu but it was in the night tyme declaring by that dede how he was as yet but weake wauering in hys loue toward Iesu whome although heretofore he had in great admiracion neuertheles he woulde not for hys sake sustayne anye losse of hys own renoume glory emong men nor yet for his loue would he be brought to be hated enuied of his own cumpany but this came rather of feare then of vngodlines and surely more of worldly shamefastnes then of frowardnesse and of trueth this maner of shamefastnes hath so great power in some folkes myndes that they whiche can litle regarde bothe theyr goodes and their lyfe cannot ouercome this kinde of affeccion which is specially graffed in those hertes that be naturally disposed to gentlenes For he which was the chiefest emong the rulers of the Iewes was ashamed to bee taken for poore Iesus disciple And he who was placed in the hiest seate of the Synagogue feared to be put out of that place But Iesus the moste milde and gentle teacher who doeth not breake the broused reede nor
He deserued not to be buryed yet ought he thence to be remoued lest his dead body should infecte that pure and holy companie Here peraduenture some wyll meruayle at Peters sharpnes towardes Ananias that but late before so â—entily entreated them that had crucified Christe to receyue pardon for their offences ascribyng all that was doen to ignoraunce and proferyng the penytent person health of soule euerlastyng But here rebuked he this person so sharpely for witholdyng a small porcion of money contrarye to his lyberall promyse that there was no hope at all for him to come by pardone For why Iesus the Lorde that had geuen commaundement for all men to be called by meane of baptisme to their saluacion pardonyng theyr offences woulde teache by the example of violent death in a fewe persons howe muche the offence is more greuous to fall in synne after baptysme and lyght receyued of the ghospell not nowe of any vnaduisednes or ignorauÌ„ce but of a wilful dissimulacion And Peter knewe that the moste pestilent plague that the plaine simplicitie of the ghospell could haue should spring of dissimulacioÌ„ auarice and therfore euen at the begynnyng of the churche a notable example was openly set forth to admonishe all people the none should escape whosoeuer folowed the steppes of Ananias the vengeauÌ„ce of god although that his offence were not in this world forthwith punished As for the losse of the money was not here rekened vpon but his mystrust in God and mocking of his holy spirite Peter hymselfe punished not the person but for his soules health sharply he rebuked him But bycause he neyther brast out into wepyng nor expressed any woorde at all of repentaunce God toke vengeaunce on hym And thus of goddes wonderfull mercy towardes manne one was stricken that many might be saued An example of iustice was set forth towardes hym that dyed and mercy besydes was largely powred out on many one that toke heede at his example to eschewe synne And it fortuned as it were aboute the space of thre houres after that his wife came in ignoraunt of that which was doen. And Peter sayd vnto her Tell me sold ye not the lande for so muche And she sayed yea for so muche Than Peter sayed vnto her Why haue ye agreed together to tempte the spirite of the Lorde Behold the fete of theÌ„ whiche haue buried thy housband are at the doore and shall carry thee out Than fel she downe strayghtway at his feete and yelded vp the ghost And the young men came in and found her dead and caryed her out and buried her by her housbande And great feare came on all the congregacion and on as many as heard it And as it were about the space of thre howres after beholde the wyfe of Ananias not knowing what had chaunced to her housband as folkes knowe later almoste then other what euill is done at home in theyr owne house came in beyng priuy to that her housbandes craftie deceyte and in wyll ready also for her parte to gette vayne prayse vnto whose vngodly imaginacions Peter aunswered saying tell me woman solde ye the lande for so muche and for no more then this She muche lyke to her housbande aunswered without any shame yea verayly for somuche haue we solde it Than Peter sayed to her why hast thou with thy housbande together agreed to tempte wyth a lye not vs but the spirite of the lorde whom ye see workyng in vs But forasmuche as it liked thee to be felowe wyth thy housbande in this wicked dissimulacion thou shalt be lyke wyse partener with him in punishment Beholde they stande at the doore whiche buried thy housbande and the selfe same persons shall carry the out She than immediatly as these woordes were spoken fell downe and yelded vp the ghoste In went the young menne vpon thesame and founde the woman deade Than they carryed her foorthe and buried her by her housbande A sharpe example this was but yet profitble for manne and not ofter put in vre than once of thapostles And yet did not Peter the ientileste creature that than was lyuyng inflycte thys punishement but as he that was inspired with the holy ghost expressed it in woordes For Peter than knewe by secrete inspiracion of the holy ghost what was already doen and what was for to be doen. God to whom all thynges be knowen wyll see theÌ„ punished that vnder couloured falsehood doe mocke apostolyke persons though that they be suche as may be deceyued For all men hath not all tymes that gyfte of the holy ghost that Peter had at that tyme. Nowe marke howe happily of an euell occasion it succeded Wondrefull great feare sprang through the whole Churche of the faythfull by meanes of that deathe whiche these twoe persons ryght woorthyly suffered yea other also that than beleued not were stricken with feare of this example ¶ By the handes of the apostles were many signes and wonders shewed emong the people And they were altogether with one accorde in Salomons porche And of the others durst no man ioyne himselfe to them neuerthelesse the people magnified them The number of them that beleued in the lorde both of men and weomen grewe more more insomuche that they brought the sicke into the streates and layed them on beddes and couches that at the least way the shadowe of Peter when he came by might shadow some of them and that they myght all be deliuered from theyr infirmities There came also a multitude out of the cities round about vnto Ierusalem bringing sick folkes and them whiche were vexed with vncleane spirites And they were healed euery one Moreouer many and great myracles were wrought emong the people by the apostles wherby it myght playnly appere to all men that this notable effecte came to passe by some dyuine power aboue al strength of man And as many as sticked to the ghospell abode all with one accorde together in the porche called Salomons porche For than were not they desyrouse to be hyd in corners but the tyme requyred that the candle beeyng set vpon the candlesticke shoulde gyue lyght to all that entred into the house As for the others which had not yet by baptysme booked themselues as souldiers to fyght vnder the baner of Christes capitayne none durst company with them For they perceyued this sorte of people to be dedicate to God and holy and therfore of a certayne reuerent feare withdrewe themselues from theyr company lyke as the temporall sorte of men are wonte to drawe backe frome halowed thynges whiche be for euer dedicate to the temple For the people hated them not but had them in an honourable reuerence for the excellent vertue or giftes of god whiche clerely shone in them And notwithstandyng that the example of Ananias Saphira had made many one sore afrayed that none durst frame themselues after a counterfeyte fashion vnto their coumpanie yet after thys the multitude of the faythfull encreased euery daye in numbre
more and more both of men and women insomuche that commonly they would bryng forthe the sicke folkes into the stretes and suche as were not able to go on foote by reason of great sickenes those set they out abrode vpon couches and beddes that agaynst Peters cuÌ„myng his shadowe as he passed by myght at the leastwyse ouershadowe some of them Ueraily in them was that promyse perfourmed whiche Iesus the Lorde had made speakyng thus of hys disciples and greater thynges than these be shall they doe Iesus healed some persones by touching the hemme of his garment â–ª but no man healed he by touching of hys shadowe The fame of theyr myracles spred euery daye ferther abrode insomuche that a great multitude of people came out of the cities bordering nigh there aboute vnto Hierusalem bryngyng with them those that were is sundry wise diseased and troubled of vncleane spirites whiche were made whole euerychone In suche a wondrefull successe of thynges mete it were for vs to obserue howe sobre and demure the Apostles were at all times who claymed no renoume or glory for theyr doynges but referred all prayse that was gyuen them to the name of theyr maister Iesus ¶ Then the chiefe prieste rose vp and all they that were with him whiche is the secte of Saduceis and were full of indignation and layed handes on the Apostles put them in the common pryson But the Aungell of the Lord by nygh opened the pryson doores and brought to them forth and sayed go and stande and speake in the temple to the people al the woordes of this lyfe Whan they hearde that they entred into the temple early in the mornyng and taught But the chiefe priest came and they that were with hym and called a counsell together and all the elders of the children of Israell and sene menne to the pryson to fet them After that the name of Iesus Christe began in this maner to be knowen wonderfully well with all men and the swete odour of the ghospel to spreade it selfe euery daye farther abrode Byshop Annas a prelate of false religion could not abyde the encrease of this trewe religion Besydes all other namely they that were of the Saduceis secte toke his part forbycause the Apostles beare witnesse pryncypally of our maister Iesus Christes resurrection Whiche thing caused the Phariseis that defended the resurrection agaynste the Saduceis to be more quiet towardes the Apostels It had afore been decreed that this busynesse shoulde be layed on slepe by dissemblyng therat for a time But maliciouse enuy goâ—te the vpper hande of this theyr decree or counsayle and furyousnesse in them shooke of all feare For the head priests whose mynde SathaÌ„ troubled with enuy beyng assisted with the Saduceis set hande on the apostels had them to warde laying them in no priuate prison as though they shoulde bee examyned vpon suspicion but in a common pryson as though they had be taken in some manifest acte of myschiefe A pryson was chosâ—n oute veray strong leste they myght by some meane escape or els be taken awaye through some commocion of the poeple But the holy woorde of the ghospell can neyther be bounden ne kepte in prison by mannes wytte and policie For Iesus who is the defendour of his owne elected senâ—e his Aungell that opened by nyght the pryson doores and brought them forth and sayed be ye nothyng vnquieted in mynde wyth these maliciouse priestes but rather holde on the holder as ye haue begonne Go your waye and in the temple steppe vp and preache to the people what soeuer he gaue you in commaundement to preache to all nations of the world The time was once whan he would not suffre you to publishe him for Christe But nowe is cumme the tyme that he spake of to you saying there is nothynge hyd that shall not bee openly shewed and what is whispered in your eare that preache ye vpon the house toppes The apostles beyng encouraged at this the angels exhortacioÌ„ came into the temple early in the mornyng and according to their accustomed manier taught the people whiche were many there in numbre The high bishop beyng ignoraunt what was doen by nyght of the angell ioyned himselfe in confederacie wyth the Saduceis and certayne other supporters of that wilfull mynde that he was of and came into the counsell house Thither was called all the whole counsell of prestes of officers and temple rulers with all the whole ordre of elders among the people of Israell For than were they all the sorer incensed agaynst them for theyr disobedience and had determined to ordeyne some crueller punishemente for theym But here consider in the meane whyle good reader the malicious impudencie of the priestes that where as they had no iuste matier to lay to the Apostles charge yet brought they aboute in their great assembly what euer they lusted because theyr sentence whyche was cursed and vngodly shoulde appeare in that that it was decreed by consent of the whole counsell good and ryghteous After that the head men were sette downe eche one in his place after a stately manier the sergeauntes were sent to bryng forth thattached persons before them into theyr sessions Whan the ministers came and founde them not in pryson they returned and tolde saying the pryson truely we founde shut with all diligence and the kepers staÌ„ding without before the doores But whan we had opened we founde no man within Whan the chiefe preist and the rewlers of the temple and the hie priestes heard of this they doubted of them wherunto this would growe The sergeauntes came vnto the pryson they founde the kepers watchyng at the pryson doore The doore was set open But whan they were come in none of the apostles coulde they fynde nor any prynt or token what way they had escaped Than went the ministers backe agayne vnto the counsell and tolde them what they had sene We founde sayde they the pryson on euery side surely shutte and the kepers standyng fast by the doore But whan the doore was open and we let in no man founde we there All they were muche troubled in theyr myndes at these tidynges and specially the temple rewlers and the head pryestes and as menne beyng at theyr wittes ende dowted sore what ende should ensue of this busines Than came one and shewed them Beholde the men that ye put in pryson stande in the temple and teache the people Then wente the ruler of the temple with ministers and brought them without violence For thei feared the people lest they should haue ben staned and whan they had then brought them they set them before the counsell And the chiefe priestes asked theÌ„ saying did not we streightly coÌ„maund you that ye should not teache in this name â–ª And beholde ye haue fylled Ierusalem with youre doctryne and intende to brynge this mannes bloud vpon vs. The meane time that they were in suche doubt whiles they were trembling for feare in their consultacion