reprochfull wordes cleane to withdrawe all men from the beliefe of Iesu. So are the Martyrs euen at this daye ofte tymes scorned and with lyke reprocheful wordes rayled on in their martyrdome and corporall tourmentes so is the veritie of the gospel verated laughed to skorne of the miscreantes whiche is many tymes so hardly handled that it semeth to be vtterly oppressed Yet ceased not this outragious raylyng against Iesus The two theues that wer crucified with hym rebuked the innocent as they honge on the crosse But here also dyd Iesus accordyng vnto his name For he saued one of them And when the sixt houre was 〈◊〉 darcknes arose ouer all the earth vntill the ninthe houre And at the ninthe houre Iesus cried with a loude voice saying Eloi Eloi Lamaz a bathany whiâ—h is if one interprete it my God my God why haste thou forsaken me And sum of them that stode by when they hearde that sayd beholde he calleth for Helias And one canne and fylled a sponge full of vineger and put it on a rede and gaue him to drincke saying let hym alone Let vs see whether Helias wyll cumme and take hym downe At the sixte houre there arose a darknes whiche couered all that lande and endured tyll the nynth Then Iesus destitute of all mannes helpe cryed vnto the father with a loude voyce reciting out of the psalme the prophecy whiche was spoken of hym before Heloi Heloi Lamazabathany the whiche wordes interpreted areas muche to saye in Englishe as my God my God why hast thou forsaken me When some of them that stode by heard hym speake these wordes and vnderstode not well the Hebrue tong they sayde he calleth vpon Hely There be many suche false prophetes and interpreters of scripture euen in our tyme and euer shall be tyll the worldes ende which expounde the wordes of Iesu no better then those scorners did After that when he cried agayn I am a thyrst there ranne one vnto him and â—aught him a sponge ful of vineger fastened to a rede saying Let hym alone let vs see whether Hely wyll cuÌ„ and take hym down from the crosse When he had eftsones tasted the vineger he woulde not drinke therof He thyrsted another wyne whiche they woulde not geue hym that refused to beleue the gospell But Iesus cried with a loude voyce and gaue vp the ghost And the vayle of the temple did rent in two pieces from the toppe to the bottome And wheÌ„ the Centurion which stode before hym sawe that he so cryed and gaue vp the ghost he sayde truly this manne was the sonne of God There were also women a good waye of beholdyng hym among whom was Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Iames the litle and of Ioses and Mary Salome whiche also when he was in Galile had folowed hym and ministred vnto hym and many other weomen whiche came vp with hym vnto Ierusalem Iesus all thynges fulfylled gaue a great skryke and therwith yelded vp the ghost And byanby the vayle of the temple which disseuered those thynges that the Iewes counted moste holy from the syght of the multitude or coÌ„mon people was rent from the vppermoste parte to the lowest Shadowes cease and vanishe away assone as veritie cummeth once to light Neyther should it be any more nedefull for any priest to entre into the sanctuary after that sacrifice was once offred vp and made whiche alone was sufficient to pourge the synnes of the whole world Nowe wheÌ„ the capitaine that stode right against Iesus as a minister and witnes of his death who had sene manye a one before put to execucion sawe howe that contrarye to the manoure of other he yelded vp the ghoste and dyed immediatlye as he had geuen this great skrike he sayd Truely this man was the sonne of God See here the fyrst fruites of the gentiles confessing the vertue and power of Christe He that confesseth hym to bee a man and the sonne of God confesseth him to bee both God and manne Albeit the captaine as yet vnderstode by the sonne of God a man notably beloued of God Marke this also how our sauiour is euery where a sauiour When he was a dying on the crosse he saued one of the theues And anon as he was deade he drewe the captaine vnto the profession of Christen fayth There were also women that stode a good waye of and behelde all that was doen among whome was Mary Magdalene Mary the mother of Iames the lesse and of Ioses and Mary Salome the whiche all the while that Iesus continued taught in Galile folowed hym and ministred vnto hym of their substaunce and besides these diuerse other whiche likewyse folowed hym in his voyage to Ierusalem And now when the euen was come because it was the daye of preparyng that goeth before the Sabboth Ioseph of the citie of Aramathia a noble counsailour which also loked for the kyngdom of god came and went in boldly vnto Pilate and begged of him the body of Iesu. And Pilate meruailed if he were already dead and called vnto him the CenturioÌ„ and asked of him whether he had been anye while deade And when he knewe the trueth of the Centurion he gaue the body to Ioseph And he bought a Lynnen clothe and take hym downe and wrapped hym in the lynnen clothe and layed hym in a sepulchre that was hewen out of the rocke and roled a stone before the dore of the sepulchre And Mary Magdalene and Mary Ioses beheld where he was layed When the euentyde drewe nye forasmuche as it was the preparing daye so called because it was the eueÌ„ of the great Sabboth there came one Ioseph of the citie of Aramathia a noble and a right worthy senatoure who likewise hoped after the kyndome of God This man because he had a good opinion of Iesu was bolde throughe affiaâ—nce of his nobilitie to go vnto Pilate and desyre of hym the body of Iesu. Pilate meruayled yf Iesus beyng but a youÌ„g man were already deade because manye had been wonte to lyue two or three dayes after theyr legges were broken Therfore he called vnto hym the Capitayne who stodeby the crosse and demauÌ„ded of him whether he were all ready dead or no And when by his informacion he was well ascerteined that he was dâ—ad in very dede he gaue the body to Ioseph For Iesus as long as he lyued suffred hymselfe to bee beaten and spit vpon of wycked persons But anon as he was deade he claymed his dignitie and would not bee handled but of godly persons no not somuche as bee seen but of his disciples who were apointed to lyfe euerlasting teachyng therby that no man shoulde chalenge his dignitie in this worlde Let a manne by honour and dishonour by glory and reproche onlye endeuour himselfe to finishe the businesse of the gospell For dignitie beginneth neuer to floryshe tyll after death Ioseph beyng right ioyfull that he hadde obteyned so precious a gifte bought a piece
he had caryed tofore sayed vnto them Why dooe ye yet feare me as the sight of a ghoste seeyng that ye playnly beholde me with your iyes and knowe my fauour of olde and seeyng that ye heare my voyce beyng acquainted and familiar vnto you yet neuerthelesse dooe thoughtes of vnbelief mystrustyng aryse yet still in your hertes euen suche like as are woont to come commonly in mēnes myndes Satisfie ye euery one of your senses vieu and beholde you my hādes my feete they haue manifest prientes of the nailes touche handle ye my syde it hathe the gashe of the speare fele ye my bodye come nerer me with your iyes leaue ye suspectyng of any spirite For a ghoste hath neither fleashe nor bones as ye see that I haue That I entred in hither the doores beeyng shutte that whan my wyll is I am seen and whan my will is I am inuisible it is not any blyndyng of mennes iyes by any sleyght but the gifte of the body beyng now made immortall And euen suche lyke shal your body also be after the resurreccion Whan the lorde had by suche woordes as these taken awaye the feare from thē and had put them in a comforte he shewed foorth vnto them his handes and his feete to be viewed he opened his side that they might handle the manifest dientes of the woundes For it was the lordes pleasure to reserue thesame to the entente that by those euidēt tokens he might than emong his disciples perfectly auouche the trueth of his humain bodye and also that he maye in tyme to come at the laste daie of iudgement enbraide to the Iewes their vnbelief accordyng to the prophecie which sayeth They shall see in whom they haue perced and made holes Nowe wheras some there wer yet still which did not plainly belieue it to bee thesame bodye that they had seen dead but were in case that a certain inebriacion as ye would saye of drounkenship or gladnesse did so holde theyr myndes that they did neither perfectly beleue theyr owne iyes nor theyr eares nor theyr handes for oft tymes we be afeard to belieue the thyng whiche we doe rather then our liues wishe to be true as men fearing leste we should caste our selues into some fooles paradise or false ioye wherof to bee anon after depriued again Iesus vouchesaluyng with all tokens of euidence to bee a Phisician to their vnbelief because there should no spiece of the lyke mistrustfulnesse remaine in vs saied Haue ye any thyng here that maie be eaten For none there is a more vndoubted token or prouf of a man to be aliue then yf thesame take meate And therfore Iesus willed meate to be geuen to the damisell whā she was called again to life sembleably also vnto Lazarus not that we shall fele any hūger after that we be reised agayn to immortalitie but because he woulde as that presēt tyme requyred confirme and make euidente vnto his disciples the veritie of his humain body There wer present at that tyme in the same place a good nūber of his disciples and yet was there but veraye small prouision of viandrye Therfore that that they had they bryng foorth whiche was a morsell of fishe that had been bruiled and a honey combe Than Iesus in the sight of them al eate parte of the thinges whiche were set before hym And he sayed vnto them These are the woordes whiche I spake vnto you whyle I was yet with you that all must nedes be fulfilled whiche were written of me in the lawe of Moses and in the Prophetes and in the Psalmes Than opened he theyr wittes that they might vnderstande the scryptures and sayed vnto them Thus it is written and thus it behoued Christe to suffer and to aryse agayn from death the thyrde day and that repentaunce and remissyon of sinnes shoulde bee preached in hys name emong all nacions and muste beginne at Hierusalem And ye are witnesses of these thynges And beholde I will sende the promisse of my father vpon you But tarye ye in the citie of Hierusalem vntyll ye bee endowed with power from on high And whan he had nowe made all theyr senses perfectely to belieue that he was no sighte of any ghoste but a verai and a liuyng man euen thesame whō they had tofore seen bothe liuing and also dying he taketh recourse vnto the holy scriptures wherunto there ought credite to bee geuen although the sēses of man should neuer so muche crye against it Ye ought not sayeth he to meruaill at the thynges whiche ye see to haue been doen. The scripture cannot lye forasmuche as it hath been wrytten by the inspiracion of the holy ghoste Whatsoeuer thyng hath hitherto been doen thesame had been foreshewed and prefigurate afore in the bokes of Moses in the prophetes and in the psalmes For euen I am veray he whom the figures of Moses lawe did signifie I am the man of whom the holy prophetes promised so many thynges and it is I whose first springyng vp whose progression or goyng foreward and whose cōsummacion the misticall psalmes doe describe And with no lesse trueth shall all the rest of thynges also bee perfourmed which haue in thesame scriptures been foreshewed concernyng my returnyng into heauen concernyng the spirite of God to be sent who after that this bodye of myne shal be taken awaye from you shall make you the more stedfast concernyng the ghospell to bee spredde throughout the whole vniuersall worlde and concernyng the laste ende of this worlde These are the thynges whiche I did so many tymes labour to beate into your heades whan hauyng yet a mortall bodye subiect vnto death I lyued conuersaunt emong you beeyng also mortall At that tyme had not the premisses setled in your hertes now can ye not any longer doubte whan ye see my sayinges to agree with the misticall scriptures and the cummyng to passe or sequele of thynges to agree with them bothe Hitherto as the tyme hath required I haue tendrelye borne with the weakenesse of your fleashe and I haue with grosse proufes laied the trueth of matiers before you From hensforthe growe ye forewarde to a spiritual vnderstandyng of the scriptures There shal ye frō henceforth see me there shall ye heare me And because the misticall bokes are not vnderstanded excepte God open our mynde and reason Iesus opened vnto them the iyes of theyr herte that thei might reade belieue and vnderstād that was written in the scripture For no man doeth vnderstande scripture but he that dooeth beleue it In this ordre sayed Iesus it hath semed good vnto my father to restore mankynde And the thyng whiche he had decreed hath ben set forthe by his inspiracion in bookes of holy scripture The selfe same thyng hath been foreshewed by me before it was doen neither was it possible that it should any otherwyse come to passe because the determinacions of God are immutable and the holy scriptures can as litle
protector gouernour no man shall be hable to take them awaye from me What thyng soeuer the worlde shal goe about the same shall be commodiouse to the shepe and turne to my fathers glorye We will not fyght agayne with weapons or with poyson we will not counter with them and geue rebuke for rebuke but without suche defence we shall yet by a new way haue the victorye That defence alone whiche my father hath geuen me to defende my shepe withall is greater and of more force than all the wepons wherewithall the world shal ryse agaynst me and myne Neyther will my father forsake me nor I my shepe The same thyng that lyeth in me to doe lyeth also in my father to doe And because there is no power of the world that can force any thing out of his handes whiche can dooe all thynges with a nodde neyther can any thyng pull that out of my handes which he hath taken me to kepe As there is an exact companionship of power betwene my father and me so there is a full consent of will We be throughly one all one in power all one in will and nill Then the Iewes agayn toke vp stone to stone him withal Iesus aunswered them many good woorkes haue I shewed you from my father for which of them doe ye stone me The Iewes aunswered him saying For thy good weorkes sake we stouâ— thee not but for thy blasphemie and because that thou being a man makest thy selfe God The Iewes being sore moued with these sayinges not content with so often namyng hys father by whose defence he promised so great thynges tooke vp stones again to stone Iesus But yet no maÌ„ set vpoÌ„ him because his time was not as yet come in whiche he had determined to dye for the saluacyon of mankynde but he assayeth to assuage mitigate theyr furie with gentle woordes The people are accustomed to take vp stones in theyr handes sayth he and so openly to punishe euil doers and common malefactours I haue doen nought els but bestowed benefites on you of my fathers liberalitie I haue better enstruct them that erred I haue comforted them that were in affliccion I haue fedde the hungrie I haue restored the one handed to both I haue made cleane the leprouse I haue healed the sicke I haue driuen away deuils from menne I haue set them on foâ—e that were diseased of the palsey and such as had their â—nowes shrounken I haue put awaye feuers and all diseases and maladies I haue called the dead to lyfe agayn the whole power and auctoritie which my father hath geueÌ„ me hath bene bestowed to succour you it hath bene frely employed to your coÌ„moditie In al these thinges now which is that one thing that ye thinke worthy stoning If he that is good and liberall be stoned what is to be doen to naughtie folke to them that be harmful The Iewes being brought in conclusion to this poynte that eyther they muste bring furthe some faulte agaynste hym or clies aknowlage theyr owne folye leste they shoulde haue no pretext to hyde theyr furie withall we say they are not wont to stone any man for his good weorkes sake but we count thee woorthy to bee stoned for an horrible crime of all other moste greate euen blasphemye And in thys thyng we folowe the auctoritie of the lawe which commaundeth such should be ouerthrowen with stones Who can suffer any longer that thou being a man makest thy selfe God hauyng eftsones god thy father in thy mouthe as though we al were not the children of god and as though thou were by some newe and peculiar waye Gods sonne that thou and thy father may be parteners in all thynges Is not this to take a certayn godhead vpon thee But forasmuche as there is but one God what manne so euer therefore taketh vpon him to be felow with god in power is iniurious to Gods maiestie a rebel Iesus aunswered them is it not written in your law I sayd ye are Gods If ye cal theÌ„ Gods vnto whome the worde of God was spoken and the scripture cannot be broken coÌ„cerning him whome the father hath sanctified and sent vnto the worlde doe ye say that I blaspheme because I sayd I am the sonne of god If I do not the workes of my father beleue me not but if I doe and if ye beleue not me beleue the workes that ye may knowe end beleue that the father is in me and I in him The Lorde Iesus dooeth with suche moderacion make aunswere vnto thys faulte which was layed to his charge that he clearelye auoyded from him the sinne of blasphemie and that also he did not with any terrible woordes more engreue theyr frowardnes and yet he did with great sobrietie defend that his due whiche he ought not to denye because he woulde not haue it vnknowen to vs You sayth he lay blasphemie to my charge because I name God to be my father Is there not a greatter thing than that writteÌ„ in your lawe euen in the Psalmes I haue sayd ye are al gods sonnes of him that is hie If god himselfe geue prayse of the dignitie of his name to them vnto whome the woorde of God was spoken not onely calling them the children of God but gods too and yet was not the maiestie of one god harmed nor that thing can be vntrue whiche is declared in holye scripture howe can ye stretche to me the faulte of blasphemie that doe say I am the sonne of God whome the father hath only sanctified sent vnto the world that by the sonne al should obteine holynesse If coÌ„municacion had betwene God and man make of men gods and the chyldren of God is it not a thing to be borne with if I say that I am gods sonne whiche am the woorde of God it selfe and who was with god before I came into the worlde and am he that hath coumpany with him in all thinges It is no presumpteouse thyng that I take vpon me in my woordes a thyng verely that beseemeth many other by the aucthoritie of scripture But it were more conuenient to iudge by the selfe dedes what name I ought to haue If my dedes dooe not proue me to be aboue a man if they haue not the proofe of godly power beleue not that I am the sonne of God and that God I agree throughly in al poyntes But if ye see God the father shew furth his power in me though algates ye will geue no faithe to my wordes yet at least beleue the dedes that ye see with your iyes and take me for arrogant if I doe not perfourme more in dedes than I take vpon me in woordes If ye would consider those thinges with pure simple mindes it should come to passe that ye would geue fayth to my wordes too and doubte no more but that the father is in me and I in the father that bothe we the one and the other are sociate
standyng forasmuche as Christe hymselfe sittyng taughte the people Yet he that taketh in hand an apostles offyce ought to stande vpright in mynde And here consydre in the meane while Peters dignitie He was the fyrste man readye where occasion required to set foorth the ghospell Than had he put vp hys materiall sweorde wherewithall Christe hymselfe was not pleased and pulled out a spirituall sweord Suche one ought he to bee that is the chiefe byshop among the people Peter stode vp but not all alone he had eleuen apostles standyng besydes with hym leste he shoulde seme to vsurpe to hymselfe some violente gouernaunce One vttered the tale but one for all thother lyke as he alone before openly confessed in the name of all the reste Iesus Christ to be the sonne of the liuyng God But wherupon dyd this shepeherd a pore creature vnlearned so boldely vaunt hymselfe as once to loke vpon so great an assembly of people Excellent oratoures when they shall come afore an assembly of people or in presence of prynces to pronounce an exact oracion whiche they haue canned on their fyngers endes doe chaunge oftentymes their colour cannot vtter their wordes in mynde they are not a lytle abashed But this vndoubtedly was that heauenly drounkennesse thys was that sobrefulnesse of swete wyne He stode in presence before a greate multitude he tooke vnto hym eleuen apostles not as a garison of men for hys defence but as felowes wyth hym of one company he set hys iyes stedfastly vpon the people as one vnknowen to them whome he knewe not he lyft vp hys voice on hyghe and takyng none aduysemente with hymselfe what he woulde saye he spake to them practisyng euen than the selfe same thyng whiche the lorde before had taught him He spake not for his owne lucre and aduauÌ„tage but as a good shepeherde defended hys flocke neyther handled he hys matters with sharpe wordes of mans inuencion but vsed for his defence onelye holy scripture Nowe was this multitude desyrous to knowe what Peter woulde say And let vs lykewyse for oure partes geue hede forasmuche as these hys wordes wer spoken to all men At the beginning whan he had once wyth the mouyng of hys hande asswaged the murmur the noyse of the company he began with such a preface as shoulde without any retorical colour of flattery make them attent Ye that are my brethren sayeth he of Iewry who ought to knowe both the lawe and eke the prophetes and of all other mooste specially whiche dwell in this noble citie of Ierusalem where the fountayne is of religion and knowleage of the lawe somewhat peraduenture here is for you to wondre at but nothyng that any man can iustely fynd faute withall Wherefore all ye that here bee presente geue good eare a whyle to my wordes and learne of me how the thyng standeth For it is touchyng all your profittes so to dooe These men of Galile whom here ye see stand by me are not as some of you suppose drounken wyth newe wyne seeyng it is yet but three of the clocke and no man is woonte to be drounke in the mornyng before the sonne rysyng But nowe ye see that in these men is fulfylled whyche thyng to come god did long afore thys tyme promyse by hys prophet Iohel Herken vnto the prophecy and trusâ—e ye to that that is promised you therein Doe not ye fynde faute with the thing because ye haue seldome sene the lyke but rather enbrace that mercifulnes whiche god dooeth profte vnto you For Iohel being inspired with the holy gost foreseing that god who had giuen to Moyses and some others his prophetes at soondry times his owne blessed spirite for your saluacion would at the last after he had sent his owne onely begotten sonne powre out most plenteously the same spirite not vpon one or .ii. lyke as ye haue seene for these many ages past but a fewe prophetes but vpon all nacions through the worlde whosoeuer woulde with sincere fayth receyue this chereful and gladsome message whiche we at his commaundement doe nowe bring vnto all you hath left that heauenly prophecy in wryting after this manier It shall come to passe saieth the lorde in the latter dayes of the world I will powre out of my spirite bouÌ„tifully vpon all men and sodaynely shall your sonnes prophecy and your daughters and your yong men shall see visions and your olde men shall dreame dreames and vpon my seruauntes and vpon my hande maydes will I powre out of my spirite in those dayes and they shall prophecye And I will shewe woonders in heauen aboue and tokens on the yearth beneth bloud and fyer and the vapour of smoke The Sunne shal be turned into darkenes and the mone into bloud before that the great and notable day of the lorde come And whosoeuer shall cal vpon the name of the lorde shall bee saued These thinges hath the prophet Iohell tolde you in his prophecye many liues a goe And nowe ye see that that he prophecied of as touchyng the plentifull shedyng of the spirite in effect declared before your iyes And it is not to be doubted but that god will as faithfully perfourme the same that thaforesayde Iohell hath prophecied of the plages that shall chaunce But there is no cause why ye shoulde dispayre the prophet teacheth you a sure way to your saluacion seeyng that he sheweth to you the perill and daungier thereof Call ye vpon the name of the lorde and ye shall be saued ¶ Ye men of Israel heare these woordes Iesus of Nazareth a manne approued of God emong you with miracles wounders and signes which God did by him in the middes of you as ye your selues knowe hym haue ye taken by the handes of the vnrighteous persones after he was deliuered by the determinate counsell and foreknoweledge of God and haue crucyfyed and slaine him Whom God hath raised vp and lâ—ced the sorowes of death because it was vnpossible that he should be holden of it For Dauid speaketh of him Afore hande I saw God alwayes before me For he is on my righte hande that I should not bee moued Therfore did my herte reioyce and my tongue was glad Moreouer also my fleshe shall reste in hope because thou wilt not leaue my soule in hell neyther wilte the suffre thine holy to see corrupcion Thou haste shewed me the wayes of lyfe thou shalte make me ful of ioy with thy countenaunce But as touching the maner howe ye muste call vpon the name of the lord lysten ye that are the chyldren of Israell nowe vnto me and to the reste of my tale geue good hede Many of you knewe Iesus of Nazareth whyche persone beeyng long a goe promised by the sayinges of all the prophetes god hath nowe sette abrode before all you to beholde and hath commended hym to you in sondry and great myracles and wonders whiche he hath doen and wroughte by hym beefore all your iyes For verayly god was
onely waye to Goddes fauour to bee the enbracyng of his holy Scriptures the drounyng wherof had enforced God to power his indignacion vpon the Christian worlde He sawe and well perceyued that God of his mercie was wylling to ceasse his wrath and vengeaunce if the Christian people woulde returne to hym He perceyued God to offre his grace vnto the worlde by openyng their iyes if leauyng theyr errour and ignoraunce thei woulde enbrace the clere lyght of the ghospell He sawe moreouer that his moste louyng subiectes of Englande whome his godly exaumple had prouoked to tendre and seke the glorye of God dyd nowe houngre and thirste the righteousnesse of God and the knowleage of his woorde He playnly sawe that no waye there was to a reformacion but by this onely meane yf the autoritie and vsurped supremitie of the See of Rome wer extirped abolished and clene extincte For he sawe his countreimen the Englishe Israelites to bee holden in suche extreme bondage wythin the Romishe Egypte that there was no hope of deliueraunce but by the onely power and myghtifull arme of God reysyng vp some Moses that woulde in the face of that same moste cruell Pharao require that Israell myght bee freely leat goe The huige seuenfold headed draguon was to the simple inferiour people suche an obstacle that they myght not come to Christe and to all Christen princes suche a terrour that they durste not This draguon besydes the monstreous hissing of his curses and excommunicacions and besides the contagious infeccion of idolatry and superstition wherewith he had by his whelpes the cancarde papistes so adblasted the worlde that he had enwrapped and drowned all Christendome in blindnesse and errour he hadde also a mortall styng in his taill wherewyth he ceassed not by all kyndes of deathes and tormentes to destruye and mourdre as manye as woulde once open theyr lyppes agaynste his moste detestable and moste blasphemous abominacions This draguon ceassed not continually to persecute the woman clothed in the sunne that is to saye Christes dere spouse the churche of England but as a rampyng and roryng lyon he stoode euer ready watchyng that he mighte deuoure her chyldren the Christian flocke whiche she nowe groned to bryng foorth to Christe had not the Englishe Michael kyng Henry the eight taken in hande to fight agaynst the sayde draguon and been strengthened of God wyth hys Aungelles the lordes and godlye prelates to caste the sayde draguon that olde serpente and his Aungels oute of Englande This was the great harlotte that sitteth vpon manye waters wyth whome the kynges of the yearthe haue committed fornicacion and the inhabiters of the yearthe been made drounken wyth the wyne of her fornicacion the woman sittyng vpon the rosecouloured and tenhorned beaste full of names of blasphemye she sitting araied in purple and rosecolour and decked with golde precious stones perles and in her hande a cuppe of golde full of abhominacions and filthines of her fornicacion and in her forehead a name of great misterie written great Babylon the mother of whoredome and abhominacions of the yearth and the same whore drounken with the bloude of Saynctes and with the bloude of wytnesses of Iesus Thys was the huyge monstre Hydra to whome the poetes attribute seuen heades some eyghte and some an hundred heades whome aswell king Iohn of Englande as also soondrie other Cstristen princes had attempted to vanquishe but as soone as they had cutte of one heade three other heades grewe vp for it so that euerye wounde that was geuen him was a more confirmacion and encrease of his strength vntyll our Hercules Kyng Henrye the eyghte perceyuyng that no power no puissaunce no weapon was hable to confounde hym sauyng onelye the consumyng fyer of Goddes woorde prouided the Byble to bee sette forth in the Englishe tounge and to bee sette vp in euerye churche where it myght bee read of of his people Long time endured this conflycte betwene our Englyshe Hercules and the Romishe Hydra ere he could bee destruied so fast grewe vp a more numbre of serpentine heades whan any one was cut of For besydes the manyfolde moste monstruous heades of Idolatrye Pylgremages supersticions countrefaicte religions and innumerable abuses mo whiche kyng Henry had to cutte of his whelpes the indurate generacion of papistes deuised all meanes possible to kepe hys auctoritie styll in Englande ne lefte any engin vnattempted to staigh and lette the abolishyng of hys vsurped power abusyng the simple people wyth all kyndes of delusion and iuggleyng of countrefaicte myracles of feigned visions of liyng in traunces of rapcions euen vnto the thyrde heauen of sophistycall learning of holy contestacions of subtily inuented prophecies of bolde comminacions and threateninges of voices auouched to haue come from heauen of peruertyng the sence of scripture to mainteine his power of wrytyng bookes in derogacyon of the kynges procedynges And to the ende there shoulde not lacke any kinde of wickedenesse that the saied Hydra and his adherentes moonkes fryers and other cloystreers were hable to weorke he founde meanes besydes many other stormes of forrayne warres and conspiracies so ferre to abuse the credulitie of the simple ignoraunte people that he brought theim halfe in a detestacion and hatered of Gods woorde and seduced theim to aduenture with a lytle blaste of sedicion to distourbe the cogitacions of suche a noble and a good kyng beeyng than moste eaâ—nestelye yea I maye saye onely sette in studiyng for the establishemente and continuacion of peace and tranquilitie in this Royalme for euer All whiche terrours coulde not appalle kyng Henryes moste stoute courage but that he wente thorough with the reformacion whiche the spirite of God so wrought in hys harte and conscience that he sawe it to bee necessarie and hymselfe to bee chosen of God to bee the instrumente therof All this whyle Englande thoughe not yet veray wyllyngly ne vniuersally receyuyng the grace of the ghospell offreed vnto vs together wyth the moste heauenly iewell and treasure of Goddes holy scripture in the mother language yeâ— neuerthelesse as oure partyes and moste bounden dueties were tenderlye consideryng the moste vigilaunte care and studie and moste earneste trauayle of oure moste gracious soueraigne employed for our behoufe and daily bestowed in fortifiyng all parties of the Royalme agaynst the malicious assaultes and conspiracies of the said Romishe Hydra or any other enemies by his procuremente Englande I saye ceassed not with continuall prayer to beseche the goodnesse of almyghtye God to rewarde the godlye mynde and dooynge of our kyng nowe wearyng oute hys bodye in trauayllyng for vs and spendyng his lyfe in procuryng for our wealth and safegarde wyth a soonne to whome whan he shoulde departe hence to heauen he myght safely committe and leaue his croune with the gouernaunce of vs his moste dere beloued subiectes Thus did all Englande by the space of many yeres persiste in continuall prayer but almyghtie God wyllyng to shewe for what persones he reserueth hys blyssynges as
healing of the lame and blinde and authoritie in casting out of marchandise no manne beeyng so bolde to resist and the children also crying in the temple Os Anna to the sonne of Dauid Thei taking these thinges greuously monished Iesus to cease that crying els it would cum to passe that he shoulde seme to acknowleage suche honour of which they iudged him vnworthy wher as it shoulde haue been theyr partes rather more greâ—ely to prayse hym and to speake well of him whiche beyng auncient men and skilfull in the law and the prophecies seeyng so many miracles myght vnderstande that this is Messias whom they loked for so long tyme. Nowe the children by the instigacion of nature or rather by the inspiracion of God spake that thinge whiche they could not vnderstande for lacke of age Therfore they blinded with enuy and drunken with anger saied vnto him hearest thou what these children saye But Iesus stopping their mouth with a testimonye of scripture dyd ye neuer reade ê™ he of the mauthe of infantes and sucklinges thou haste made perfecte thy prayse will ye therefore that I should shut their mouthe whiche God hath opened to prayse his glory I say vnto you God will not suffer his prayse to he had in silence through your enuye in so muche that if these holde theyr peace the stones wil crye whose hardenes ye excede Therfore Iesus leuyng them with their enuy departed and goyng out of the citie of Ierusalem went vnto Bethania and there tarryed ¶ In the morning as he returned into the citie agayne he was an hungered and whan he had spied a figâ—ree in the 〈◊〉 he came to it and founde nothing theron but leaues only and saied vnto it Neuer fruite growe on the hence forward And anon the figâ—ree wythered away And whan his disciples sawe it they maruayled saying how soone the figgetree is wishered Iesus answering sayed vnto them Ueâ—ely I saye vnto you If ye haue fayth and doubte not ye shall not onely do this that is happened vnto the figgetre but also if ye shal saie vnto this mountaine 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 thy selfe into the sea it shall be doen. And all thinges whatsoeuer ye aske in prayer yf ye â—eleue ye shall receyue them In the mornyng by the waye as he returned vnto the citie he beganne to wexe hungry And when he sawe a figtree nere the waye he came towarde it as hoping to haue sum foode And when he câ—me at it he founde nothyng on it but leaues Therefore as beeyng greued that he was deceyued of his hope he cursed it saying Neuer man see fruite of the hereafter And whan the disciples returned agayne the same way seing the figgetree whiche Iesus cursed than to he withered and the leaues fallen of maruelled and saied vnto him behold the figgetree whiche thou diddest curse is now withered Iesus suffered this to be doen for this purpose that he might inculcate diligently faythe vnto his disciples withoute the whiche he knewe that his death shoulde be vnprofitable to menne For he thyrsted maruelouslye after the healthe and saluacion of mankinde and now desired and longed for his death But whereas he founde an apperauÌ„ce of religion in the Iewes he found not the fruite of fayth which only he hungered for Unto his disciples therfore marueiling at the figge tree so sodenly withered he made answere on this wyse why maruayle ye at this whiche is no greate matter a figge tree to wyther the might of faythe can doe more whiche yf ye possesse both stronge and constante ye shall not onelye doe whiche ye sawe chaunce vnto the figge tree but also yf ye saye to this hill remoue the from thy place and go into the sea youre commaundemente shall be doen forthwith And whatsoeuer ye shall aske in your prayers so that ye haue a sure trust ye shall obteyne ¶ And when he was cum into the temple the chiefe priestes and elders of the people came to hym as he was teaching and sayed By what auctoritie doest thou these thinges And who hath geuen the this auctoritie And Iesus auswering sayed vnto them I also will aske you a certayne thyng whiche yf ye tell me I will also shewe you with what authoritie I do these thynges The baptisme of Iohn whence was it â–ª from heauen or of men But they thought with themselfes saying If we say from heauen he will saye vnto vs Why thâ—n did ye not beleue hym But if we say of men we â—eare the people For all men take Iohn as a Prophet And they answering to Iesus sayed we cannot tel And he sayed vnto them 〈◊〉 I do tell you with what aucthoritie I do these thinges And when he entred into the temple and taught the people the chiefe priestes and certayne of the Seniours of the people not suffering him to be there in his kyngdome freely go vnto him and saye By what authoritie doest thou these thinges And who gaue the this authoritie For sith no manne gaue hym this authoritie either he must say that it was geueÌ„ him of God or els of Belzebub If he had saied of God he shoulde haue saied trueth but he shoulde haue doen nothing but prouoked theim For they aske not that they will beleue whiche might appere by the thing it selfe but falsely to reproue and blame Iesus therfore not ignorant of this thing requiâ—ed their question with an other as though a man shoulde dryue out one nayle with an other I will aske you ê™ he a certayne thyng and if ye answer me to that I will answer to your question The authoritie whereby Iohn did baptise from whence came it vnto him from heauen or from men They toke deliberacion with themselfes what they should answere For they sawe it was a question with two pikes and that they must nedes fall vpon the one They thought in their mindes yf we say from heauen he will forthwith say vnto vs why than did ye not beleue him for he preached the kingdome of God and witnessed with me But yf we saye of men it is to be feared leste the people will make a sedicion because all menne toke Iohn for a Prophete Therfore leste they shoulde be reproued they made answere that they coulde not tell Than spake Iesus And I wyll not tell you ê™ he from whence I haue this authoritie ¶ And what thynke you A man had two sonnes and came to the firste and sayed Sonne go to day and worke in my vineyarde â—e answering sayd â–ª I will not But afterwarde he repâ—uted and wente Than came â—e to the seconde and sayed likewyse And he answered and sayed I will sie and wente not Whether of them twayne did the will of the fatherâ— And they say vnto him the first Iesus sayeth vnto them verely I say vnto you thaâ— the publicans and harlottes got before you into the kyngdom of God For Iohn came vnto you by the waye of righteousnes and ye beleued hym not and the publicans and harlottes dyd
take vpon hym the profession and teachyng of heauenlye doctrine muste renounce and clearelye forsake all worldlye or carnall affeccyons bothe of father and mother and also of kinsfolkes Theyr hope therfore beyng beguyled in sekyng Iesus here emong hys kynsfolkes nowe that carefulnesse for theyr childe did somewhat more earnestely pricke vexe theyr stomackes as in tender parentes it wil doe backe they wente agayn to Hierusalem deming and supposing it to bee possyble enoughe that he had there remayned styll in the house of some frende or acquayntaunce of theyrs But whan the chylde was in vayne sought here also emong theyr acquayntaunce and kynsfolkes after three dayes space it chaunced that hys parentes whan they had no suche hope at all founde hym in the temple not ydle nor playing thys or that childishe toye but sitting still in the middes emong the doctours whome he being but a childe did by course bothe heare teachyng and also did appose and being by course opposed of them agayne did make aunswere not for that it was nedefull for hym to demaunde of any mortall creature what to learne but to the ende that by wisely ministring his opposicions he might rightely enstructe and teache them that professed the perfecte knowelage of the lawe wheras in dede they knew not the strength the pith and the effecte of the lawâ— and all vnder one enflamyng vs vnto an earneste zeale to take good instytucyons and also geuyng a good lesson that no age is ouer younge or ouer soone putte to the learnyng of suche thynges as maye auayle or serue towardes godlye perfeccion For some artes and occupacyons there bee whiche euerye age is not apte but ouer young to learne onely deuocyon and godlynesse is to bee learned by and by from the cradle and the earneste dilygence in applying the same not to bee slacked or releassed at any tyme vntyll the veraye laste daye of a mannes lyfe For there is in it higher degrees and hygher to growe vnto as long as a mannes life dooeth endure And as for Iesus although he were vnknowen bothe to the doctoures and also to the people that stode about yet did he make them all to merueyle at hym that beyng a chylde of a smal age and stature he coulde in his sayinges aunswers shewe furth a certayne woonderfull wysedome yea and ferre excedyng the wysdome of sage olde menne They sawe the age of his bodye to bee tender and ferre vnrype to haue any great wisedome and they hearde a young chylde with singular humilitie and sobrenesse vttering furth and speakyng such thinges as the great doctoures of auncyente yeres and they that semed now to be as high in wisedome as any menne myghte bee thoughte not tedyouse to learne And yet all the while there was in hym no pryde ne haultenesse there was in hym no malapertenesse of cockyng or geuyng tauntes there was in hym no mannier hosting or vauÌ„nting of himselfe which vices are not wont to lacke in boyes whose wittes are rype beefore theyr tyme. But he woulde question with them as one desyrouse and fayne to learne and beyng demaunded anye questyon he woulde aunswere with all possible sobrenesse yea and also with most excellent wisedome And on thys mannier taughte he them without anye spyce or semblaunce of arrogancie that is to saye of presumpteouse takyng of autoritie vpon hym And by these thynges it came to passe that as well the doctoures with whome he disputed as also the partyes that stode rounde about were witnesses of the same disputacion were veraye muche astouned not onely for respect of the chyldes wisedome being suche as had not afore bene hearde of whiche he in demaundyng any questyon and in shapyng any aunswere dyd playnely declare but also for the â—â—re and syngulare sobrenesse of his countenaunce of hys gesture and of hys tongue whiche thynges gaue a more ferther grace of acceptacyon vnto hys vnderstandyng And yet is not thys poyncte neyther withoute a fruictfull mysterye that Iesus who coulde not with any seking be founde emong his familiare acquaintaunce kynsfolkes after the fleshe was sodaynelye founde by chaunce at Hierusalem within the temple For the sayde citie of Hierusalem being of greate name and fame by reason that the worlde had conceyued an opinyon that god was serued there beste of all places did represent aswell the churche militaunte on yearthe as also triumphaunte in heauen For this same Hierusalem is our countrey that we make all our sighyng to bee at forasmuche as we dooe well vnderstande that here in thys transytorye worlde we lyue but as it were in a place of exile or banyshemente not hauing a citie wherin to dwell for euer Whersoeuer therefore all goeth by carnall affeccyons of manne wheresoeuer the earneste studie of the minde is applyed vnto such thynges as perish and dye with this worlde in suche a place neyther is Hierusalem whiche Hebrue woorde is to say in Englishe the sighte of peace neither a temple dedicated to the Lorde And therefore is not Iesus in any suche place to bee soughte who is altogether heauenlye But wheresoeuer is a brest and an herte whiche despyseth tho thinges that pertaine to the carnalytie of fleashe and bloude and panteth for haste that he maketh towarde that same blessed tranquilitie and quietnesse of mynde whiche the bounteouse goodnesse of god dooeth through the faythe of the ghospell assure and warraunte euen here in this presente life and maketh perfecte in the heauenlye Hierusalem aboue in suche a place is Hierusalem in suche a place is the temple that Iesus is delited with in suche a place there is bothe propounyng of questyons and aunsweryng enterchaungeablye not concerning howe a rounde circle maye be made iust fower square not of that whiche in Aristotles philosophie is called Maâ—eria prima as if ye shoulde say in Englishe the first originall stuffe wherof and out of whiche all thinges in the worlde are produced and made nor of that that the same Aristotle and other doe call primum mobile whereby they meane hym that gouerneth the worlde and rolleth the skye aboute without begynning or ending not naming it god but estemyng it to bee some other naturall thyng of it selfe of all whiche thynges a manne may be ignoraunt and yet come to heauen well enough but in suche place as we speake of the opposycyons and aunsweres are concernyng the knowlage of holy scripture by the which god sheweth vnto vs the way wherby we may attayne euerlasting saluacion In suche a place are slayne hostes and sacrifices moste acceptable vnto god that is to wete carnall luste enuie wrathe desire of worldely auauncemente and auarice In suche a place there is with all godlye peticyons and with pure prayers contynuall burnyng of swete sauoures and incence to the moste hyghe contentacyon and pleasyng of god It is therfore the parte of euery body to see and prouyde that he haue Hierusalem within hys owne breste and that he there make readye a temple mete
he tooke the booke because he woulde commende vnto vs the earâ—est settyng of our myndes on the readyng of holy scripture The minister of the Synagoge reacheth furth the booke vnto hym but he tooke it hym shutte Iesus who alone hath the key and openeth that is layed vp hidden in the olde lawe whan he had taken the booke openeth it and turneth it For Iesus himselfe laye secretely hidden and diepely hiddeÌ„ in the lawe And truly mete it was that the Iewes selfes should geue the thyng wherwith they should anon after be conuinced And the booke that was deliuered vnto Iesus was not at all auentures as though it forced nothing what booke it were but it was the booke of the Prophete Esay then whom neuer did there any man eyther more clerely or els more euidently prophecie of Christe and of the doctryne of the ghospel Neither did the thyng by a blynde chaunce so happen but it was so conueighed by goddes prouidence that the booke beyng opened abrode and a leafe turned that same veray place came chiefly fyrsâ—e to hande the whiche dyd moste â—erely and plainly talke of Christe and in the whiche Christe by the mouth of the Prophete speaketh of himselfe in this maner The spirite of the Lord is on me because he hath enointed me to bryng glad tydinges to the poore by preaching of the ghospell hath he sent me to heale the contrite that is to saye throughly broken in herte to preache remission and free deliueraunce to suche as are in captiuitie and syght vnto the blinde to set freely at libertie suche as are all bruysed to preache the yere of the Lorde both acceptable and muche to be wished for and to preache the daie of retribucion Whan the Lord Iesus had with his owne voyce pronounced these woordes standing vpon his feete he redelieuered the booke shut together againe as he had receyued it vnto the minister signifying by his so doing the obstinate vnbeliefe of some of the Iewes who sittyng still beatyng on the letter of the lawe dyd neyther vnderstande ne woulde acknowleage Christe beyng the soule and the lyfe of the lawe Nowe immediatly after this taketh he on hym the parte and office of a teacher and sate hym downe quietly about to expoune the sentence that he had read As touchyng that he read the texte of the Prophete standyng on his feete it was a thing doen for the authoritie of the scripture of God wherunto it is mete that all dignitie of manne do reuerently humble it selfe As touchyng that he taught sittyng downe it is for a declaracion that an expouner and preacher of Goddes holy scripture ought to bee voyde and altogether clere from the troubleous vnquietnesse of all carnall and worldely desyres ¶ And the iyes of all them that were in the Synagoge were fastened on him And he began to saye vnto them This day is this scripture fulfilled in your eares And all bare hym witnesse and wondred at the gracious woordes whiche proceded out of his mouthe And they sayed Is not this Iosephes sonne And he sayed vnto them ye will vtterly say vnto me this prouerbe Phisician heale thy selfe Whatsoeuer we haue heard doen in Lapernaum do the same here lykewyse in thyne owne countrey And he sayed Uerayly I saye vnto you no Prophete is accepted in his owne countrey But partely the newe fame whiche had nowe already begon to be spred abrode of Iesus partely the authoritie of a teacher which he now first of all toke vpon him finally a certayne heauenly grace shyning in his veray countenaunce dyd cause that the iyes of all the people whiche were then present in that congregacion were earnestly fixed on him for suche an audience doeth the Lord Iesus loue as kepe their Sabboth resting from all troubleous desires and affeccions of this worlde suche as with mutuall concorde one with an other are gathered together into one place such as haue the iyes of theyr minde loking none other way but streight vpon Iesus but streight towardes euerlastyng saluacion For he dayly speaketh vnto vs in the misticall scripture of God he speaketh by euangelicall Prophetes that is to saye by the enterpretours expouners of the holy bookes of scripture But happy and blissed are they to whom the Lord Iesus speaketh they geuyng suche earnest iye eare vnto hym For to suche doeth he vouchesaue to open the mysterie of the depe hidden sence For as soone as he sawe the iyes of all the presence caste full and whole and fixed on hym alone he begonne to saye vnto them Ye haue nowe heard the Prophete Esay by the inspiracion of the holy ghost promising vnto you a certaine excellent and mightie teacher who should not out of a worldly spirite teache constitucions of meÌ„ or vaine fables seruing to no good purpose but being aboundauÌ„tly enoynted replenished with the spirite of God should bee senâ—e from thesame to bryng the glad and wishable tidinges of saluacion to suche as are meke and poore in spirite and by reason therof are apte to receyue the holsome doctrine of heauen and whiche teacher should be of power and habilitie to perfourme the thyng whiche he should bryng tydynges of as one endewed with heauenly vertue and power whiche teacher also shoulde freely bryng saluacion vnto all creatures as many as acknowlagyng theyr owne naughtinesse and offences dyd wyshe for saluacion whiche teacher moreouer all manier sinnes beeyng frely pardoned should helpe all suche as had theyr hertes corrupted with many sondrye diseases of vices and of naughty lustes whiche teacher ferthermore should preache deliueraunce and setting at libertye vnto all persones that either beyng geuen to Idolatrie were kepte fast of the deuill as captiues and prisoners or els beyng as thrall to the supersticion of the lawe mighte not reache ne atteigne to the libertie of the spirite whiche teacher besides all this should through faith open the iyes vnto suche as were blynde in soule abode in a moste diepe myste of manyfâ—lde errours in suche wise as with theyr sayde iyes they should be hable to behold and looke vpon the light of the eternall vecitie accordyng to the prophecie whiche thesame Prophete wrote in another place where he sayth the people that satte in darkenesse hath seen a great light Which teacher ouer and aboue the premisses shoulde restore vnto theyr first state of fredome all suche persones as semed to bee all crushed and bruised to pieces by Satan with all kyndes of euilles and which teacher finally should declare in open preachyng that the true Iubilee of the Lorde was now come a tyme lyke as to bee hertely wished for of al creatures euen so with moste ardent myndes to bee accepted and enbraced of all people without excepcion Moses gaue a tradicion of a sabboth of dayes in whiche he commaunded that euery seuenth daye they should all rest from sloumbreyng or vnclenly occupacions he gaue also a tradicion of a sabboth of yeares in whiche he
of youre goodnesse to remedie and cure the faultes as muche as in you doeth lye but the mennes selfes neyther to hate ne to take vengeaunce on them Iudge ye therefore no man so shall it come to passe that ye shall not agayne bee iudged youreselues Condemne ye no man so shal it come to passe that ye shall not agayne on youre owne partes bee condemned Forgeue ye in case any offence or trespace hath bene doen agaynst you and God shall again on hys partie forgeue your sinnes vnto you Bee ye liberall and beneficiall towardes youre neyghbour and the good turne that ye dooe shall returne to you agayne with a vauntage and encrease For there shal be poured in your lappes backe againe a good measure a measure brimfull a measure turned and shaken together euery where that all the lappe maye be full and no corner thereof emptie or voyde and a measure that shall runne ouer the sides for fulnesse althoughe no recompence at all of the good turne that ye haue doen shal returne to you agayn at the handes of men For after the selfesame measure with the whiche ye shall haue measured your liberalitie towardes your neighboure after thesame measure shal the reward be returned home to you agayn at Goddes hande If ye haue bene pynching â—iggishe towardes your neighboure of the same sorte shall ye feele youre rewarde agayn to bee And he putte foorth a similitude vnto them Can the blinde lede the blynde dooe they not bothe falle into the dieke The disciple is not addue hys maister euerie man shall be perfeicte euen as his maister is Why sâ—est thou a more in thy brothers iye but considerest not the beame that is in thyne owne iye Either how canst thou saie to thy brother Brother let me pull out the moâ—e that is in thyne iye whan thou â—eest not the beame that is in thine owne iye Thou hypocrite caste out the beame that is in thyne owne iye first then shalt thou see perfeictly to pull out the moâ—e that is in thy brothers iye And to the ende that the Lorde Iesus woulde the better empriente the premisses in the heartes of his disciples he added moreouer this similitude or parable Can a blynde manne bee guyde to an other that is blynde That if he assaye the mattier dooeth it not come to passe that bothe fall into the pitte Requisyte it is that he bee pure hymselfe from all manyer cryme whiche will take vpon hym to leade an other the righte waye of innocencie How shall one teache an other man what is to bee dooen if himselfe be faste entangled in errour and bee clene out of the waye But it is an harde thyng ye will saye throughlye to endure the obstynate malice of some persones Why are ye agrieued to endure that I my selfe dooe endure Is it reason that the dyscyples state or case bee better then the state of hys mayster He shall bee in perfeicte good case enough if he bee made felowe to hys maister And why doest thou shew thy self an heauie iudge not of indifferent equitie against thy neighbour being thine owne selfe entangled with more grieuous eiuils of vice and sinne why dooe thyne iyes serue thee so well to see an other bodyes faultes whan at thyne own manifolde naughtinesse thou art starke blinde why doest thou espye a lytle mote in the iye of thy brother and doest not considre a whole blocke that is in thyne owne iye And with what face maieste thou bee hable to saye to thy brother brother suffer me to take out a moâ—e out of youre iye whan thou seest not a whole beame that is fast in thine owne True goodnesse being a more merciful iudge vpoÌ„ others doeth of a more sharper sorte chastice it selfe and contrariewise counterfeict holinesse seketh to geat it selfe an opinion of perfeccion by this meanes if winking at the great transgression of it owne selfe it dooe with all extreme rigoure and sharpenesse make an open rayllyng vpon the small lyght trippes of others committed onely of humayne frayltee Doest thou condemne thy brother for his meate or drinke and thine owneselfe with all thy power arte weorkyng confusion and destruccyon to thy brother Heare thou O false counterfaictour of righteousenesse If thou wilt be truely righteouse in dede first of al cast out the great beame out of thine own iye and than if thou shalt so thinke good thou shalte see all about how to take out the litle mote out of thy brothers iye Now after a peruerse kynde of iudgemente as it were setting the cart before the horses thou flatterest pleasest thy selfe in thyne owne good qualities as though they were syngular and at an other mannes thou makeste muche tusshyng and many excepcyons at thyne owne eiuil propertyes thou arte fauourable and stacke of punyshmente at an other mannes faultes all cruell and full of rigour ¶ For it is not a good tree that bringeth furth eiuill fruicte neyther is that an eiuill tree that bringeth furthe good fruicte For euerie tree is knowen by hys fruicte For of thornes doe not men gather figges nor of busshes gather they grapes A good man out of the good â—reasure of his herte bringeth furth that whiche is good And an eiuil man out of the eiuil treasoure of his hearte bringeth foorth that whiche is eiuill For of the aboundaunce of the herte his mouthe speaketh Why doe ye presumpteously take vnto you a laude and prayse of suche thynges as may bee indifferentely common as well to good menne as to eiuill Neyther the habite or vesture neyther meate nor long beeyng in prayers nor brode borders about the garmentes with holye scriptures in them dooe declare a man to be good For a tree is estemed not of the leaues that it beareth but of the fruicte and the fruicte raketh his sape and iuice of the roote whiche sape or iuice if it bee bittur than cannot the tree bring foorthe fruicte of a swete relice And agayne if the sape bee good than cannot the tree bryng furth fruicte of any other sorte then agreable to his sape that it is fedde withall The leaues and the rynde are sensyble to the iye and beguyle a bodye but the sape and the roote are not seene If the hearte bee corrupte eiuil it is whatsoeuer procedeth out from the same if it bee sincere and pure than pure it is also whatsoeuer springeth thethens Euerye tree hath fruicte cummyng of it whiche fruicte it cannot hyde though it woulde For neyther is the figge gathered of the hawethorne trees nor of the bryere dooe folkes gather grapes Good it is whatsoeuer a good man dooeth whatsoeuer he eateth whatsoeuer habite or vesture he gooeth in or whatsoeuer he doeth of all such thynges as of themselfes are neyther good nor eiuill but haue rather a certain shewe and pretense of godlynes then true godlynesse in verai dede Eateth a good man wel he dooeth eateth he not wel he dooeth for bothe dooe procede from
the Romaines and of goddes vengeaunce at whiche thou wilt be plagued for all thy greate transgressyons whiche thou hast had more mynde to heape more vpon more then to lamente or bee sory for that is paste But nowe thou neyther knoweste thyne owne daye ne forescest that other day to come whiche shall not bee thyne because bothe the one and the other is hydden from thyne iyes whiche are in thee almoste vttrely blynded with the drounkennesse of thy flouryshynge welthye state that thou art in at this present Thou neyther hast any remembraunce of the eiuils past whiche thou hast dooen ne foreseest thynges to come which hang ouer thy head nor acknowlagest the prest goodnesse of God towardes thee whiche goodnesse of god because thou doest yet styll most obstinately sette at naught O thou citie vnpossible to bee recured and a common murderer of all suche as bryng vnto thee any woorde of thy saluacion or redempcyon there shall come straungyers of an other lande agaynste thee whiche shall brynge vtter destruccion and ruine vpon thee It will be thy lot to refuse and put from the thy Messias and in his stede to chose Ceasar vnto thy king Thou shalt therefore fynde and fele thy kynges cummyng vnto thee with a ferre other furnyture and prouision then thy king doeth nowe come vnto thee being a bringer of health and a paceable quiete king Thou wilt not nowe receyue hym that cummeth to geue health and safegarde and ere longe shalte thou of force bee compelled to receiue that shall come to geue the vtter confusion For the princes of Rome whome thou haddest preferred beefore thyne owne kyng shall come as enemies in stede of kynges with bendes of men well armed and appoyncted for warre and firste of all they shall enuiron thee rounde about with trenches so that there shall bee no way open to escape out than shall they on euery side encoumpace thee with men and artillery shal with a most streight siege oppresse thee and fynally all thyssame thy gaye buyldynge with temple and all they shall cast downe as lowe as the grounde And not satisfied withal thissame they shal with an vniuersal slaughter destruie thy childreÌ„ of whome thou art now proud and doest sembleably set them in a pride and a pompe by thy gorgeous royaltie and all thyssame glory of thyne they shall in suche sorte wipe away from the roote and foundacion that they shall not leaue so muche as one stone standynge faste mortised on an other to the ende there shall no sygne of thee remayne ne yet any hope of reedyfying thee agayne in tyme to come These thynges in dede shall bee miserable to beeholde but they shall chaunce by thyne owne desert because that being so often times occasioned long many yeres gon by sundry prophetes and now also by Iohn by thy Messias thou doest obstinately despyse the mercie of God Thou shalt therefore fâ—le the tyme of vengeaunce whiche wouldest not knowe the tyme of thy visitacion Euen thou too aswell as others if thou haddest woulde mightest haue embraced thy redempcion being offered Nowe at leastwise thou shalt by thy confusion bee an holesome exaumple vnto others that they maye not in lyke manier despise the goodnesse of God whan it prouoke the them to take better wayes ¶ And he went into the temple and beganne to cast out them that solde therin and them that bought saying vnto them It is written My house is the house of prayer but ye haue made it a denne of theues Iesus after he had spoken the premisses came to Hierusalem and entred into the temple and droue out therhence such as were bying and selling there saying God sayeth in the scryptures This same my house hath bene dedicated not for the trade of bying and sellyng but for praying but ye haue turned it into a denne of theues spoyling all straungiers that come and by your wicked lying in awayte procuring your owne lucre with the losse damage of others By thys fact the lorde Iesus declared how great destruccion those persones dooe bryng into the churche who vnder the pretence and coulour of godly deuocyon applye theyr myndes altogether to filthye lucre who vnder the tytle of deuout wurshipping of God doe attende theyr owne profit not feding theyr flocke but taking away al the swete from them and with their vnpure doctrine sleaghing the soules whome theyr dueties were with pure doctrine to bring vnto lyfe ¶ And be taught dayly in the temple But the priestes and the scribes and the chiefe of the people went about to destroy hym and coulde not fynde what to doe For all the people stacke by him whan they hearde him Thys dooen the Lorde as one beyng nowe fully possessed in hys owne kingdome taughte daye by daye in the temple the vncurable malyce of the Phariseis openly despysed But those whiche were hyghest in dignitie emong the priestes and also the scribes and the ringleders of the people being netled therewithall and stiered to wrathe soughte some occasyon to caste away our salueour They lacked no maliciouse myndes but there appered no hope of bringyng their will to effecte They had hearde the shoutynges of the people in the honour of Iesus they saw in the temple also the whole vniuersall multitude of the people to depende altogether of hys sayinges so greate was aswell the effectuall pith as also the grace of goddes woorde Theyr colde and feble doctrine concerning washynges concernyng the corbone that is theyr treasoury of the churche concernynge the true tythynge of myntes and rue stoode agaynste mens stomakes euen lyke soure wyne after that the people had once tasted the newe must of euangelicall hertinesse On thys behalfe they were afearde lest theyr autoritie shoulde abate they feared decaying of theyr gaynes they feared leste theyr kyngdome shoulde haue a fall And as for the thing whiche at that tyme befell according to the litterall discourse of the storie the same doeth often tymes happen after the morall sence also whansoeuer and as often as they which sitte in the top castel or high chayre of religion and which be persones notorious in the profession of teaching the doctrine of holy scripture doe fall in conspiracie with the secular prynces against Iesus It suche a tyme great is the destruccyon that hangeth ouer the people And thys thing so cummeth to passe as often as the autoritie of the priestes and of the doctoures or open professours of diuinitie dooeth flatter the kynges and monarches of this world as often as the same doctours say Amen to the wilful affeccions and appetites of the sayde worldely prynces with their autoritie wheras theyr partes had bene with wholsome and franke monicyons to tell the prynces of theyr faultes to restreygne and brydle the power of the same and whan the monarches agayne on theyr parties dooe with theyr treasoures and possessyons vnderproppe the others and make themselues as buckelers for the peruerse desires of
The high priestes and the rewlers of our people pursued him to death before the lieutenaunt in conclusion nailled him on the crosse Nowe we had conceyued a certayne maruaylous hope of hym that he should haue redemed the people of Israel as men beyng vtterly in beliefe that he had been the Messias which was long agon promised by the Prophetes But his death which was bothe vndoubtedly true also full of open worldely shame hath taken away this hope from vs. Ye there had no smal hope been put in our heades that it would so come to passe that he would after thre dayes haue returned agayne to life but wheras he was condemned crucified and buried this veray present daye is the thirde daye sence all these thinges fortuned to be doen and yet doe not we see any whitte the more of assured hope sauyng that certayn wemē of the fraternitie of his disciples haue by the reportyng of certayn straunge newes suche as neuer was heard of made vs yea more astouned then we were afore For where these same wemen went furth before sunrisyng to the Sepulchre they say playnly they founde not the body there and affirme moreouer that certayne Aungels appered vnto them sayed that he is aliue And whā no man gaue credite to theyr reporte certayne of our coumpany went also to the graue to proue whether the fond wemens tale had any trueth in it And as concerning the graue selfe they found the matter to goe euen so as the wemen had made relacion For they found it opē and emptie the pieces of linnen also and the other thynges which the corpse had cast of they found within the graue layed vp together in one of the corners But as for hymselfe they found hym not any where at all And he sayed vnto them o fooles and slowe of herte to beleue all that the Prophetes haue spoken Ought not Christe to haue suffred these thynges to entre into his glorie And he began at Moses and all the Prophetes and enterpreted vnto them in all scriptures which were wrytten of him And they drewe nigh vnto the toune whiche they wente vnto And he made as though he would haue gon ferther And they constrayned him sayinge abyde with vs for it draweth towardes nyght and the daye is farre passed And he wente in to tary with them Whan these two disciples had by this tale tellyng simply declared howe greatly they wauered in theyr myndes howe lytle hope they were in of the Lordes promisses than Iesus in dede doeth not yet suffre hymselfe to bee knowen but like some one of Iesus disciples better enfourmed enstructed in the matter chydeth their dulnesse of capacitie rebuketh their vnbeliefe O ye hard witted felowes sayeth he vnapte to bee taught to the vnderstanding of scriptures and of an hard herte slowe to beleue so many holy sayinges of the Prophetes which they haue wrytten of Christ. Why doe these thynges nowe appere straunge vnto you when they bee wrought and doen already seeyng that the prophecies of the Prophetes dyd so many hundred yeres past tell aforehande that they should afterwarde bee doen Why doe ye not conferre and compare theyr foretellynges with the thinges that haue nowe been wrought and executed doe not the scriptures which haue by the inspiraciō of God been written teache howe that it so pleased the prouidēce of God that Christ should suffre these thynges whiche he hath suffred and should after such sorte by an vncouthe conueighaūce restore lyfe by meane of death should by meane of the crosse recouer his kyngdom through open shame of the worlde should enter into his glory This world hath it glory but it is neither true glory in dede nor yet perpetual to endure for euer And suche persons as acquire and get thesame they get it by vaine petigrewes tytles rychesse bounteous geuyng stately porte ruffleyng in the worlde yea and many tymes they get it from men whether they will or no by extorte power But Christ shall by ferre vnlyke waies and meanes recouer winne vnto him emong men his owne glory that he had before the creacion of the worlde because he will shewe vnto all mortall men by what pathway they ought stoutely to breake a passage vnto true glory that shall neuer dye Where Moses hath of this matter taught so many lessons where the Prophetes haue foretold so many thinges are ye yet stil of so grosse a minde and vnderstanding that ye looke for your Messias to be some captaihn wiche shall vsurpe vnto himselfe the kingdom of the world and entre the possessiō therof with charyottes horses elephauntes wilde asses armed hostes of men with gunnes crossebowes ingiens fyer sweorde and bloud Doe ye not yet fele the scripture to be spirituall and the power of Messias not to consiste in garrisons or fortresses by meanes of whiche the princes of this worlde doe either get into theyr handes orels enlarge their temporall kyngdomes but contrariwyse to consiste in vertue and power celestiall Why doe ye not rather serche and try out the scriptures which haue already foreshewed many thynges of Christe and conferre thesame with those thynges which Christe foreshewed of hymselfe vnto his disciples and the which haue come to effect accordyng as he had foreshewed them By that meanes it shall come to passe that neither any thyng of all these matters which haue of late be fallen shall seme vncouthe or straunge and of the thinges which he promised should afterwarde come there shall be no matter that ye will conceyue mystrust of After that the Lorde had with this lytle fitte of chidyng made them more earnest to geue better hede eare to the matter he declared vnto them all the scriptures which openly foreshewed that the thing should so come to passe in Christe which had nowe of late fortuned shewyng that there did so many prophecies figures effectes of thinges in facte cūmyng to passe so iustely accorde in time to gether that it must nedes bee on the one syde a token of a certaine exceding great dulnesse not to espie and marke the same and on the other syde of notable mystrustefulnesse not to belieue it And all his processe he begonne out of Moses and out of the Prophetes and after that gatheryng out of euery booke of holy scripture some one poynte or other which might both enforce the credite of the thinges that had to fore already happened and also purchace credite aforehand to the thinges which were afterward to come And all these places of scripture did he in such sorte conferre one with an other that the matter appered clere and euident Happy were they that euer they were borne who were thought worthy to heare that heauenly teacher with liuely voice expouning thesame thinges at large which he had afore caused to be writtē by the Prophetes hauyng the instinct of his owne holy spirite I because I am not sufficient to
the people of the Iewes in the waye of mockage and skorne For he writeth in manier folowyng He hath neither beautie ne fauour whan we shal looke vpon him there shal be no fairenesse we shall haue no lust vnto hym He is despised and abhorred of men he is suche a man as is full of sorowe and as hath good experience of infirmities We haue rekoned hym so vile that we hyd our faces from him yea he was despised and therfore we regarded hym not Howbeit he only hath taken on him our infirmitie and hath borne our peynes yet we did iudge hym as though he were plagued and cast down of god and punished wheras notwithstandyng he was wounded for our offences and smytten for our wickednes For the chastisement of our peace was layed vpon hym with his striepes are we healed Therfore thus speaketh he of himself in the misticall psalme As for me I am a wourme and not a man the verai skorne of men and the outcast of the people Neither hath the misticall scriptures kept silence of his croune of thorne For vnto the first man Adam it was sayd Cursed is the yearth in thy worke Whan thou shalt tille it thorne and briers shal it cause to budde to thee Thesame that the earth was to the former Adā thesame thing was the Iewyshe people vnto the second Adam For thatsame earth beeyng so many sondrie waies tilled prouoked and occasioned with so many benefites to bryng foorth good fruicte it brought foorth thornes vnto their tiller Now Christe was the spouse of the churche or holye congregacion as ye heard Iohn also testifie and the sonne of the Synagogue being a murdreer of hir owne fleshe and bloud Therfore in the misticall weddyng song the father calleth forth al mē to this cruell sight of the spouse being crouned with thornes Goe ye forth O ye daughters of Sion and behold king Salomon in the croune wherwith his mother crouned hym in the daye of the gladnesse of his herte Forsoth thatsame was an earnest and effectuall louer whiche washed his spouse in his owne bloud and knitte hir vnto hym with a bande and knot vnpossible to be vndoen And this was thatsame daye of espousall whiche he had with so great desire desired so that to hym beyng so earnestly in loue all delay and tariaunce semed long Whan the lieutenaunte leaft nothyng vndoen that he myght doe to quitte Iesus to let hym goe the chiefe men of the Iewes together with the people cryed with murdreyng and rageyng voices out aloude Awaye with hym awaye with hym crucifie hym crucifie hym And see howe Hieremie leaft not that thing vnmencioned speakyng in the persone of Christe I haue forsaken myne owne dwellyng place and haue leaft myne heritage My lyfe also that I loue so well haue I geuen into the handes of myne enemies Myne heritage is become to me as a Lion in the wood it cryed out vpon me But whatsoeuer thyng was doen vnto hym in the waye of open shame that shall he turne into his glory Herode sēt him backe again to Pilate clad in a vesture of white the people of the Gentiles shall in time cumming embrace him for their priest The crue of soldiers did vpon his backe a robe of purple they gaue hym moreouer a rede in stede of a sceptre they set on his head a croune made of thornes Gods people shal acknowlage and shall on theyr knees wurshippe theyr kyng euen of suche a facion ouercumming and trioumphing Herode and Pilate play and daly together castyng Iesus as a boule or a balle to and fro betwene them But in the meane tyme they are made frendes wheras they were tofore at discorde and variaunce by mutuall hatered and euen in theyr veray so doing did they no lesse then ratifie Iesus to be a reconciler and pacifier of all thynges which are in heauen and whiche are in yearth Wherof Iob prophecied in this maner The Lorde reconcileth the heartes of the princes of the yearth Nowe eftsons renewe ye all thatsame sight vnto your selfes by castyng it in your mynde thatsame sight I saye which nowe this last day ye sawe with your iyes that is to wete Iesus goyng out to the place of execucion bearyng his crosse vpon his owne shoulders Had he not geuen tokeninges that it should so be whan he did many tymes saye emong his disciples and the people Whoso doeth not take vp his crosse and folowe me is not worthy of me Forsoth thissame was the sceptre of the king of Iewes that is to saye of all men confessyng the thyng whiche Esai long and many a daye agonne sawe vpon his shoulders whan he sayed And his kyngdome vpon his shoulder A figure therof did Isaac represente so many hundred yeres past whan he bore a faggot of wood vpō his shoulder for hymselfe to be slaine as a burnt sacrifice But Isaac is safe vnto vs a ramme only was slaine that is to say the materiall body of Iesus whiche only could dye but yet so dye that it should within a veray litle time arise to life again And slaine he was without the precinete of the citie and that the thing should so be Christe himselfe had signified tofore by the parable of the housbandemen or fermers which after they had cast the sonne out of the vyneyarde slewe hym But long afore dyd Moses signifie thesame thyng who as ye reade in the booke that is entitled Leuiticus cōmaunded the calf that was stain in sacrifice for the sinnes of the people to be carryed forth without the precincte of the tentes there to be burnt And takyng it in an allegorie that is to saye by the meanyng and not by the wordes was not Iesus burned vp without the precinct of Hierusalem in that he beyng enkiendled with the vnestimable fyer of charitie loue towardes mankinde offreed himselfe vp altogether Whā ye sawe Iesus hanging of a great heighth vpon the tree of the crosse dyd not thatsame misticall serpente come to your mynde whom Moses did in old time hang vpon a stake whiche should be a safegarde vnto all that were stoungen with serpentes yf they did earnestly and steadily cast their iyes vpon thesame The iye of a man is feith And whosoeuer shall earnestely cast this iye vpon Iesus crucified shall immediatly be safe Yea this veray thyng also did Moses foreshewe that it should be that the Iewes beholding Christ hāging on the crosse who by his death gaue life vnto all creatures yet neuerthelesse would not beleue in him For in this maner speaketh he in the Deuteronomie And thy life shal hang before thine iyes and thou shalt feare both daye and night shalt haue no trust in thy lyfe Ye sawe hym hangyng betwene twoe theues and doe ye not acknowlage the prophecie that saied And with the wicked was he reputed Ye sawe the derkenesse of night sodainly ouercast in
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
beleue his witnes yet haue I a more certaine testimonye of my selfe that is to saye my fathers testimonie and witnes who is greater than Iohn and whose witnes cannot be reproued There is no recorde more sure than the very dedes that a man doeth yf ye do perceyue those workes to be worthy for God whiche ye haue seen me dooâ— they beare sufficient witnesse of me that I doe nothyng of my selfe but by hym whiche for your saluacion hath sente me into the worlde wherfore ye haue no cause whereby to excuse your infidelitie and diminishe my credence as who sayeth I alonely were myne owne witnesse and did declare great thynges of my selfe Ye haue Iohns witnes whiche among you is muche regarded and taken to be very weightie howbeit in dede he rather nedeth my witnesse lesâ—e he seme to haue borne false witnes Ye haue the testimonie of my workes so that nowe ye nede not to beleue any mannes sayinges when ye looke vpon the dedes themselfe And if all this dooe not satisfie your vnbeliefe yet haue ye hearde at Iordane the voice of my father from aboue bearing witnes of me But yet my father forasmuche as he is a spirite neither hathe voice whiche maye be perceyued with mannes eares nor fourme or shape that maye bee seen with bodely iyes For Moses did neyther heare him nor see hym in the veraye fourme of his owne mere nature as you suppose he did Onely his sonne hath seen hym and heard him after that sorte â–ª yet neuertheles he hath made himselfe knowen to your senses by some kynde of voyce and thorowe some manner of fourme He spake to the Prophetes and by the Prophetes hath spoken to you He hath spoken to Iohn and by Iohn to you but vnto me he hath spoken as he is of his owne very nature and by me he speaketh vnto you If ye can make no excuse but that Iohn did beare playne manifest witnesse why do ye not beleue hym If ye thinke that God in very dede did speake and was seen of Moses and the Prophetes wherfore do ye not credite those thynges which he hath spoken by them ¶ Searche the scriptures for in them ye thinke ye haue eternall lyfe And they are they whiche testifie of me and yet will ye not come to me that ye mighte haue lyfe I receyue not prayse of men but I knowe you that ye haue nor the loue of God in you I am come in my fathers name and ye receyue me not if an other come in his owne name him will ye receiue Howe can ye beleue whiche receiue honour one of another and seke not the honour that cummeth of God Do not thinke that I will accuse you to my father There is one that accuseth you euen Moses in whome ye truste For had ye beleued Moses ye would haue beleued me for he wrote of me but yf ye beleue not his wrytynges howe shall ye beleue my woordes Uerely ye beleue that the scriptures are come from God and albeit you do diligentely occupie your selues in searchyng of them and put the â—ope and felicitie of your lyfe in them yet euen as ye would not beleue Iohn to whom in other thynges ye gaue very great credite when he bare witnes of me so you beleue not the very scriptures in that whiche is the chiefe poynte of all for they promyse life but through me The father doeth there beare witnesses of me and promiseth that he wil send his sonne by whom men shall be saued But as ye haue heard Iohn and not beleued hym and also the voice of the father and not geuen credite vnto it so neither the witnesse of the lawe nor of the Prophetes sticketh in your myndes And although ye haue theyr bookes euer in your handes and their woordes alwaye in your mouthes yet doe ye reiecte hym whome those scâ—iptures dooe promyse and doe not beleue hym whome the father hath sent accordyng to the promyses of the Prophetes and wheras there is none other entrie into life but by me who hathe been approued to you by so manye testimonies yet ye wyll not forsake all thing and come to me wherby ye maie obtain life withoute difficultie For the gate and entrie of saluacion is to haue beleued the sonne whoÌ„ the father sent There is no cause why I should seke for worldlye glory amonges you by the testimonie of Iohn or the Prophetes but I am sory for youre destruccion whiche through your incredulitie dooe in maner enuye your owne saluacion And besides that I leaue you no maner of excuse to make for your selfe if you will not beleue for I haue brought foorth thus manye witnesses whiche in other thynges be of veray great auctoritie among you and onelye in matters concernyng me for whose cause all thynges wer written and spokeÌ„ ye doe not alowe them ye pretende to wurship and loue God ye haue the prophetes in reuerence by whom he spake and yet you do despise him which was promised of God and doeth declare himselfe by his workes what he is This is a playne argument that ye wurship God with counterfaicte holynes and that ye loue not God in dede whom the lawe commaundeth you to loue with all the power of your soule and your streÌ„gth inasmuche as ye contemne and regarde not his sonne Therfore your infidelitie is not for wante of witnesses but for lacke of true loue towardes God You loue worldly glory you loue money â–ª you loue pleasures and to get these thynges you misuse your selues with false pretence of religion But ye persecute the sonne of God because he teacheth those thynges whiche be contrary to these your wicked desyres albeit his reachyng agreeth with the will of the father These thynges declare that ye loue not god with your herte For he whiche loueth doeth also beleue and obeye and whoso loueth the father cannot hate his moste entierly beloued sonne In lyke maner he that loueth the sender cannot mislyke and contemne the messanger specially consideryng I couet neither glory kyngdome nor richesse among meÌ„ but onely the glory of my father And also I couet that to th entent you maye be saued You see workes wurthy for God and yet I doe not ascribe the worldlye prayse to my selfe but to my father who worketh by me Therfore although ye would â—eme religiously to wurship my father yet ye do not receyue me who am come in his name and doe none other thyng but that whiche he hath prescribed vnto me And looke howe peruersely you do discredite me who cummyng in my fathers name do freely offer lyfe and saluacion euen so fondely shall ye beleue whosoeuer cummeth in his owne name presumpteously takyng vpon hym the glory of God and therewith attendeth his owne busines and not Gods bringyng suche thyngâ—s vnto you as maye leade you into eternal death If ye loue God why do ye murmure and crie out agaynst him that seketh his glory If ye loue euerlastyng lyfe why
Iesus did with this saying couertly notise vnto them that were present that al infidâ—litie set aparte they should quickely go about to beleue the sonne of God whom they coulde not long after see bodily Moreouer he did insinnate therwithall that those which otherwyse coulde not be brought to beliefe than by hearing him speake and seeyng him worke miracles should to none effecte desire to haue him made away whom they despised beyng present And at whose light beyng obiecte to all mennes sight they shut their iyes Furthermore he signified likewise that al suche as of obstinate minde did persist in wilful blindnesse of minde should when time were as menne vnrecouerable and without hope to be amended be lefte to theyr owne folly vnto eternall destruccion euen when aduersaunte miserye is immynent and ready to inuade them whiche calamitie wyll rather cause them perishe than heale them And ouer all this he dyd ensigne them in tyme to come a terrible iudgemente at what season the wicked shall couet to labour aboute businesse of theyr saluacion And it shall not bee lefull for that the night will not suffre it for as muche as they neglected the day in which they myght haue wrought yet for all this euery one whyle he is in state of this bodely lyfe and also after Christes ascencion into heauen hath this dayes lyght of the Apostles and of holy scripture whiche geueth habilitie to doe the thyng that appertayneth to our saluacion But after the bodye be once dead than is his daye awaye from hym nor it cannot worke any thing more but the rewarde of his foredoen dedes is to be hoped vpon and loked for These diffuse sayinges our Lord Iesus than had to quicken and pricke forwarde with feare of the thyng to come men that were slowe to beleue But nowe while the disciples looked for a miracle Iesus spatte on the grounde and of his spattle and duste mixed together he made clay and he anoynted the blinde mans iyes with the clay euen therby resemblyng his fathers or rather his owne worke wherein he made the firste manne of hard clay molified with licoure And to restore that whiche was loste pertayneth to thesame author which fyrst made thesame thynges of nought And to purifie or make whole agayne a thyng that is corrupted is of more power strength than to begette a thyng that is not borne Well but in the meane tyme the noueltie of this plaster made all theyr myndes attentiue and quietely to geue hede and well to considre the miracle that should be wrought and it also proued a stedfast fayth in the blynde man whiche murmured nothyng at hym that anoynted hym but simply obeyeth hym that doeth what hymselfe liste doubtyng nothyng at all of the benefyte what waye so euer it should be geuen The blynde dyd not furthwith receyue his sight but as soone as he was anoynted with the clay he is commaunded to goe to the poole Siloe and there to washe awaye the clay wherewith his iyes were embrued to thentente that both the blynde mannes faithfull affiaunce should be of greater fame for that he made no refusall to doe that he was commaunded and that the noueltie of that straunge sight also the delay whiche was through length of the Iourney should bryng furthmoe recordes of the miracle for the blynde manne â—at not farre of from the temple beggyng by the waye syde And the well Syloe wherof ryseth the poole is at the foote of the mounte Syon of whiche water Esay speaketh too and complayneth that that water was contemned not that the water geueth to any manne helthe but because it beareth the figure of holy scripture Which scriptures of God wheÌ„ as without blusteryng of worldely eloquence they issue furth caulmely and smoothely yet because they bubble out of the priuy hid caues of godly wisedome they haue heauenly violence to remoâ—e the blyndenesse of mannes mynde howe long soeuer it hath continued and to open those iyes wherwith God is seen whom to haue seen is felicitie For Syloe in the Syrians tongue sygnifieth sent For one there is euen specially sente from the father whiche only geueth lyght to mennes myndes for he is the fountayne It did represente Christe hymselfe who euen at this presente tyme also beyng as it were with a secrete power enclosed in holy scripture openeth the iyes of the blynde yf so be that they will acknowledge theyr blyndenesse He must be made more then blynde that will receyue light of Christe He that is wyse to the worlde is very farre of from hope of heaueÌ„ly wisedome he that thinketh himselfe well sighted nor vouchesaueth to haue his iyes closed vp with the clay of Iesus there is no cause why he should hope for the lyght of the ghospell Nowe than whan the blynde felowe a notable knowen manne for his beggyng and knowen also to bee borne blynde wente thither as he was commaunded no doubte but a great croude of people folowed hym as he wente not without laughyng to see his iyes blurred with clay and so twise blynde goyng to a water whiche was of no name through any miracle that euer was doen therin when they were come to the water he washeth awaye the clay from his iyes and returneth home with open iyes and and cleare sight ¶ So the neyghbours and they that had seen hym before howe that he was a begger sayed is not this he that sate and begged Some sayed this is he Agayne other sayed no but he is lyke hym He hymselfe sayed I am euen he Therfore saied they vnto hym howe are thine iyes opened He aunswered and sayed The manne that is called Iesus made clay and anoynted myne iyes and sayed vnto me Goe to the poole Sâ—loe and washe â—nd whan I went and washed I receiued my sight Then sayed they vnto hym where is he He sayed I cannot tell They brought to the Pharisees hym that a litle before was blynd and it was the Sabboth daye when Iesus made the claye and opened his iyes Neighboures therfore and other whiche had knowen hym before neither coulde he but be well knowen to many considering he was a common beggar when they knewe his face but as for his iyes they sawe altered they sayed Is not this he whome we sawe sitting before the temple and begged by the waye syde Some sayde It is he Other contrarie it is not he but it is an other like hym Whyle they disagreed among themselues the blynde himselfe sayed Yes verely I am the same beggar and he that was borne blynde whome ye haue often seen And he thus sayed that his voyce also beyng knowen should cause the miracle be the better beleued But we say they sawe the blinde now see we the see with open iyes How chaunced it that thyne iyes were shut and now are open The man saieth he that is called Iesus made claye and therwith anoynted mine iyes and that doen he sayed goe thy waye to the poole Siloe and there washe thine
mans nature And if in time to come ye feale that nature irketh and repineth against the dreadfull tormentes and deathes wherewith ye be menaced and threatned doe not vtterly sterte awaye as men discomfeited clearly ouercome but let valiantues of mynde alwaye depending of the father of heauens ayde vanquish in you the feblenes and cowardnesse of mans nature But euen nowe also I fele myne owne soule troubled in my selfe because the daye of my death is nye I see a sore greuouse tempest imminent and hang ouer me What shall I saye or whither shall I turne me shall I yelde to the infirmitie of the body which abhorreth death Shal I flee to the succours of the worlde or shall I for the loue of mine owne life neglect the life of the whole worlde no not so I will accommodate and applye my selfe to my fathers will My naturall infirmitie beyng sore incumbred with the horriblenesse of death shall say vnto him Father if it may be kepe me safe from this instant perill of death But charitie whiche muche desireth mans saluacion furthwith putteth to this saying Yet rather for all that sayeth she in case it be fit and expedient so to be let the coueted death come when as after the will of the spirite whiche doeth no where disagree with thyne I haue willyngly and wittingly offered my selfe to death Nowe bryng thou it to passe that my death and resurreccion maye cause thy name to be notable and famouse in al countreys of the worlde that when thou art once knowen the people honoring thee may attayne to eternall saluacion Than came a voyce from heauen saying I haue both glorified it and will glorifie it againe The people therfore that stode by and heard it sayed that it thundred other sayed an aungell spake to hym Iesus aunswered and sayed This voice came not because of me but for your sakes Nowe is the iudgemente of this worlde nowe shall the prince of this worlde be cast out And I if I were lifte vp from the earth will drawe all men vnto me This he sayed signifying what death he should dye After our Lord Iesus had thus prayed with his iyes lift vp into heauen the voice of the father came from heauen saying I haue glorified my name and will after this more excellently set it forth For alredy his name through so many miracles was waxed great and muche knowen among menne by his sonne but moste chiefly by raysing Lazarus from death to lyfe And soone after would he augment the glory of his name in all the nacions of the worlde by the crosse by the resurreccion and by the ascendyng vp into heauen by sending downe of the holy ghost and by the preaching of his Apostles Moreouer the route of people whiche stode not farre of when they heard the voice that came downe from heauen because they toke lytle hede neyther was it euident to them vnto whom that voice did appartayne that cumpany of people I say agreed not in their opinions of the thyng For some did interpretate the voice that they thought they heard to be a thuÌ„der for the voice came out of the cloudes Some againe did interpretate the thyng more fauourably saying some angell did speake vnto hym But Iesus to make them take more hede also to put awaye from him all suspicion of prayse sayeth this voice which is neither noise of thundres nor voice of angell but the voice of my father which hath heard my prayers came not for me who knowe in my selfe my fathers minde but it is come for you that ye maye vnderstand that my father I doe agre and that whatsoeuer I doe he being the authour I doe it for your saluacion sake You haue hearde what my father hath promised as touching my death Nowe shortly must Satan be wrestled withal for good all who is the prince or rather tiranne of this world through sinne hath hitherto kept al theÌ„ in death which loue this world Nowe is the cause of the whole world drawen into iudgemente but falshood beyng reproued trueth shall come to light And whiles the prince of the world the authour of death thinketh himselfe a conquerour he shall through death be put from his tiranny For all men shal be pardoned theyr sinnes through faythe of the gospell Sinne once takeÌ„ away the tirantes force strength is qualled who is valiant mighty in no other weapon saue sinne onely And as he that shall thinke himselfe to haue the victory shal sodainly be expelled his kingdom so I that shal be thought vtterly made away after I be lifted vp froÌ„ the earth wil drawe all thinges on euery side vnto me of right chalengyng that thyng vnto me which hitherto he hath kept in possession by tyraÌ„ny Furthermore in that Christe sayed When I shal be lift vp from the earth because the saying was doubtfull yet right fitte to expresse the thing he would signifie what kinde of death he should dye For they that are hanged vp vpon a crosse hang vp on hye that all men may see theÌ„ a farre of And he gaue them withall a priuey warning of the old story which sheweth that a brasen serpent beyng a figure of Christe and set vp vpon a hie pole did geue to all them that behelde it though it were a farre of presente helpe against the mortall woundes of serpentes The people answered hym We haue heard out of the lawe that Christe bideth euer and howe sayest thou the sonne of man must be lift vp who is that soÌ„ne of man Then Iesus sayd vnto them yet a litle while is the light with you Walke while ye haue light leste the darknes come on you He that walketh also in the darke woâ—eth not whither he goeth while ye haue light beleue on the light that ye may be the children of the lyght And yet were there some in that assembly of people which did coniecte because of the forespeakyng of death that he had spoken of the tormente of the crosse And therupon they stode in argument that he was not Messias which published that himselfe should dye whereas scripture geueth to Messias power and a kyngdome eternall For thus writeth Daniel His power is an euerlasting power which shal not be taken away and his kingdome shal remaine for euer And again Micheas the Prophete speaketh thus His out-going hath been from the beginning and from euerlasting Also Esai sayeth And there shal be no ende of his peace Yea and moreouer the prophecie of the psalmes doeth promise hym a perpetuall priesthood saying Thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedeck Than say they therfore We knowe by the lawe that when Messias shall come he shall abyde continue for euer What meaneth it therfore that thou sayest it shall come to passe that the sonne of man shall be lift vp from the earth but and if to be lift vp from the earth be to dye and yf thou wilt haue the
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
furth of enterludes appointeth time for his players to come and goe euen so doeth here the angell moderate the settyng out of these two persons and their meting For at the same tyme as god would haue it a certaine gelded man being a Chamberlayne toke his iourney a person halfe maymed in that he lacked his stones by reason wherof he was not a perfecte man of body but right wyse for all that and of a manâ—y stomacke an Ethiopian borne blacke skynned but one that shoulde sone after be clothed with a garment of a laÌ„bes flece immaculate as white as snowe and chaunge his naturall complexion in the fonte of baptisme a head officer to Candace quene of Ethiope whom she had made her high treasurer Here speake we of a sorte of people delicatly brought vp by reason of theyr excesse and superfluitie which are well worthy to be in subiection to a woman Riches is the norisher of all superfluitie This man of a deuout mynde had taken his iourney towardes Ierusalem For the temple there was of so great renowme that diuers nacions yea oute of far countreyes came and brought with them sundry gyftes In consideracion whereof the priestes had muche dysdaine and hatred at them that sayd this temple should be once distroyed This chamberlayne meaned well and godly but fowle was he deceyued to seke in the Iewes temple for religion whence it was euen than all ready to depart vnto the heathen And as he was in his repayre homewarde sitting in his chariot he mispent not the tyme in fables or elles in slepe but for the loue that he had to religion was in readyng Esaye the prophete declaring to vs where we ought to seke for Christe For in temples is not he hydden but in bokes of holy scripture ¶ Then the spirite sayde vnto Philip go neare and ioyne thy selfe to yonder charet And Philip came to hym heard hym read the propheâ— Esaye and sayde vnderstandest thou what thou readest And he sayde how can I excepte I had a guyde And he desired Philip that he would come vp sytte by him The â—enour of the scripture that he read was this He was led as a shepe to be slayne like a lambe dumme before his shearer so opened he not his mouth Because of his humblenes he was not estemed But who shal declare his generacion for his lyfe is taken from the yearth The ChaÌ„berlaine aunswered and said I praye the of whoÌ„ speaketh the prophet this of himselfe or of some other man Whan Philip had here in his waye mette with him the angell warned hym againe priuely and sayde go to and approche thou neare vnto this charet Whan Philip had made good spede thyther he heard the Chamberlaine readyng Esay the prophete and streyght therupon perceyuyng his good zele and endeauour vnto religion sayde to him vnderstandest thou what thou readest Than answered he howe should I vnderstand a man as I am geuen wholy vnto temporall busines excepte I had one to expounde to me the secret sence and meaning of the prophete And with that desired Philip the he would step into the chariote and sit by hym that they might the more commodiously talke togyther Up went Philip and sat by the Chamberlayne Marke me how well doth Philip here resemble a trewe preacher of the gospell and howe plainly in this chamberlayne is suche Heathen people described as couet to knowe Christe There must nedes be wonderfull great encrease of all godlynes where the one hasteth in muche desyre to teache the other hartely biddeth hym to his compaynie desirous to learne Here was nothing done by chauÌ„ce god did set al in rule and ordre For this chaÌ„berlaine happened for his parte vnawares vpon that place of the prophete whiche described Iesus Christ. This was the place of Esay he was led as a shepe to be slayne and as a lambe helde he his peace before the person that clyppeâ— hym and not once opened his lyppes Because of his humblenes he was not estemed Who shall declare his generation For his lyfe is taken away from the earth This texte of Esaye whan Philip had repeated to hym the chamberlayne was more enflamed with ardeÌ„t affeccion to knowe whome the prophete spake of and sayd of whoÌ„ I praye the speaketh the prophete these wordes of himselfe or of sum other See how apte this chamberlaine was to learne He had heard that Esaye himselfe was cut in pieces at commaundement of kyng Manasses with a wodden sawe and ignoraunt was he not that prophecies laye sumtymes after suche sorte of doubtefull that what seamed to be spoken of this person or that after the historical sence oftentymes myght after a more priuey or misticall sence pertayne to another But easye is it to teache that person whiche in suche wyse demaundeth ¶ Philip opened his mouth and began at the same scripture and preached vnto him Iesus And as they went on their waye they came vnto a certain water and the ChaÌ„berlaine said see here is water what doth let me to be baptised Philip said vnto him yf the beleue with all thyne herâ—e thou mayest And he aunswered and sayd I beleue yâ— Iesus Christe is the sonne of God And he commaunded the charet to stand styll And thei went downe bothe into the water both Philip also the Chamberlaine and he baptised him And as sone as they were come ouâ— of the water the spirit of the lorde caught away Philip and the chamberlayne saw him no more And he wente on his way reioisyng but Philip was found at Azorus And he walked thorow oute the couÌ„trey preaching in al the cities tyll he came to Lesaâ—ea Than Philip as one that was ready with ryght good wil to teache opened his lyppes and begynnyng at this place of the prophete expounded to hym briefly the principall poyntes of the gospell that is to saye that this person whom the prophete spake of was the sonne of god â–ª throughe whome god had decreed and by his prophetes promysed frely to saue all that woulde put theyr truste in him and that he woulde for this cause haue hym to be borne againe very man of the virgin Mary And where the one natiuitie and eke the other can not be in worde expressed whether it be his eternall generacioÌ„ of his father whiche from euer was withoute circumscripcion of tyme or that he once had of the virgin by the holy ghostes handyworke without maÌ„nes help takyng so vpoÌ„ hym mannes nature that he departed neuer from his godhed the prophete Esay seing this in spirite and muche astoyned therat sayde who shall be able to declare at lengthe his generacion Furthermore that he was the trewe paschall lambe for whose deathes sake his father had appoynted to delyuer not onely the Israelytes but al other nacions also from bondage of synne and from death euerlastyng And therfore delyuered he hym into the handes of the priestes scribes phariseis and head men amoÌ„g the people who brought him
slowe of herte to beleue all that the Prophetes haue spoken Ought not Christe to haue suffred these thinges c And he begaÌ„ at Moses And enteâ—preted in al the scriptures whiche were writteÌ„ of hym Deut. xviii c Deut. xviii d. mat v. and Luke vi Esai ii a Esai xlii Esai lxi Math. xi â— Hiere iiii a Hier. xxxi f Hier. xxxi f Math. xi b Luke ivi d Ihon. iiii c Math. xii a Math. ii d Luke vi a Math. ix c. marke ii e Luke v. f mat viii a marke i. d Luke v. c mat ix a marke ii a Luke i. d. e mat xxvi a mar iiiii Luke â—ii f Iohn xii a math xix a mar x. a Luke xvi d Math. v. f Math. v. g math xv v Daniel ix f Esai lxi a Psal. xliiii b math iii. d marke i b Luke iii d Iohn i. v Daniel ix f Luke xix f Esai i. g psal cxvii c mat xxi a mar xii a Luke xx c Esai xxviii d. and i. Petr. ii b Math. vii d. and Luke vi g Math. xvi ii kynges vii b. ii king vii.c. Esai i. g mat xxiiii b Mar. xiii b Luke xvii c Esai ii a psal cxxiiii Luke xix xxi iii. kyng ix b. Esai ii a Ihon. viii d Esai xxix a Psal. xvii Iohn x.c. Psal. cix a i. kyng ii g mat xxvii a Iohn xxiiii d. Psal. xlix 6 Psal. xlix Psal. iii. a Iohn xiiii b. Osee. vi â— Malach. i. c mat xxvi c and marke xiiii â–ª c and Luke xxii b and i Corinth xi c zacha ix b Esai ix b Esai xi â— Psaml ii a psal xliiii a Math. x. a michea v. a Math. ii a Luke ii a mat xxvii d. Luke xxiii d. Ihou xix d Ge. xlix d Psal. cxxxi b. Esai xi â— mat xxii d mat xii d Luke xx g Esai vii Daniel ii a Batuch iii Dani. ix Gene. xlix Math. ii a Esai xii Esai lx Psa. lxxi a Math. ii c Hiere xxxi Mat. ii b Oiee xi a Mat. iii. b Marke i. b Luke iii. d Iohn i. c Esai xl a Esai ix Psal. lxxvii a. Esai vi Esai liii Esai liii Esai xxxv Luke vii a Esai v. b Mat. xxi d Mar. xii a Luke xx b Mat. xxi b Luke xiii b Mat. xiii b Mar. iiii a Luke viii a Esai lxv Mat. xxvi Mar. xiiii Luke xxii Iohn xviii zachar ix psal lxxxvi â–ª Mat. xxvi Mar. xiiii c Luke xxii f Ioh. xviii c Psal. cxiiii Math. xxvi Luke xxii e Psal. xl â— Psalme xxxvii Psal. liiii Psal xxxvii Zachar. xi Psal. cviii Psalme ii Esai iiii c Luke xxii Mat. xxâ—ii â—reâ— iii. f Hierem. xi maâ— xiiii g mat xxvi c. Luk. xxii g Gen. xxxvii Psal. lviii Luke xxiii Tren iiii Psal cxxvii Esai l. Esai liii Psalm xxi Gene. iii. Balletes ii Luke xxii Hierem. xii Luke xxii Math. x. d. Mar. viii d Esai ix v Gen. xxii v Math. xx d Mar. xii a Luke xx v Leuit. vii Nume xxi Deut xxviii Esai liii v Math. xx v Luke xxii d Amos. viii Zach xiiii v Psal. lxviii Luke xxiii Psal. xxii Luke xxiii Psal. cviii Psal. xxi Psal xxx v Psalm cv Abacuc iii Iohn vii c Deu. xxxiii Luke xxiii Mat. xxii d Mark. xv d Iohn xix g Gene. xlix Ionas i. v. Mat. xii c. Mark viii Luke xi d Iohn vi d. O see vi a As he sate at meate hâ— tooke breade and blissed it c And theyr iyes were opened c. And they sayed betwene theÌ„selues dyd not our hertes burn within vs And found the eleuen gathered together And thei tolde what thinges had ben doen on the waie And he said vnto them peace be vnto you c. A spirite hath no fleashe and bones as ye see me haue He saied vnto thâ— haue ye here any meate Math. ix Marke v.c. Luke viii Iohn xi Than opened he their wittes that thei mighte vnderstaÌ„de the scriptures c And that repeÌ„taunce remissioâ— of synnes shoulde bee preached â—â— his name And behold I wil send the promise of my father â–ª vpon you Iohel ii g Psal. iiii d But tarrye ye in the citie of Hierusalem vntill c. And lift vp his handes and blissed them And wer coÌ„tinuallye in the temple praysing laudyng god The woord was with god c. An accideÌ„t is a thing that may be or not be without corrupcion of the wherin it is as for exaumple one may take awaye the whightnes of a wal yet the substaunce doeth stil remayne All thinges were by it c. The lyghte shineth in darkenes c. The same came as a witnes He was not the light Whiche lighteth euery man By his brethreÌ„ vnderstande his disciples The lawe was geuen by Moses But grace and trueth came by Iesus Christ. When the Iewes sent priestes Who arte thou I am not heÌ„ Art thou Elias He answered no. What arte thou I am the voice of aâ—rier 〈◊〉 wildernes c. I baptise with water .c. Iohn seeth Iesus cuÌ„ming Behold the lambe of God which taketh awaye the sines of the worlde I knew him not I sawe the spirite descende from heauen c. Upon whoÌ„ thou shalte see the spirit descend c. I saw and bare record that this is the sonne of God He behelde Iesus as he walked c. Behold the lambe of god c. And the two disciples heard him What seke ye Rabbi where dwellest thou Cum and se Thei came And abode with him that daye We haue fouÌ„d Messias c. And brought hiÌ„ to Iesus And Iesus behelde him c. Thou art Simon the sonne of Ioanna c. Thou shalt be called Cephas c. He founde Philip. Folowe me c. Philip found Nathanell We haue found him c. Iesus the sonne of Ioseph c. Can there any good thinge come out of Nazareth Philip saieth come see Beholde a right Israelite c. Nathanael sayeth vnto him c. Rabbi thou art euen the very sonne of God c. Thou shalt se greater thinges theÌ„ these c. Uerely verely c. ye shall se the heauens open The mother of Iesus was there c. They haue no wine Iesus saith c. Woman what haue I to doe with thee Whatsoeuer he saieâ—h vnto yo◠〈◊〉 it Fil the waterpottes with water And thei filled them vp to the briÌ„me The beginning of miracles did Iesus c. Iesê° went vp to Ierusalem â–ª c. And found those that sold oxen Destroy this temple and in three dayes c But he spake of the temple of his bodye And they beleued the scripture c. The same came to Iesê° by nighte c. Iesus answered c. Except a maÌ„ be borne of water and of the spirite That whiche is borne of fleshe c. Meruaile not thou that I sayd to thee ye must be borne from aboue The winde bloweth c So is euery one that is borne of the spirite Howe can these thynges be Art thou a maister in Israel
c. We speake as we doe knowe c. No manne asceÌ„deth vp to heauen As Moses lyfted vp the serpent He gaue his one â–ª ye begotten sonne He that beleueth on him is not condemned Because he hath not beleued Men loued darkenes more then lyght Because theyr woorkes were euill For euerye man yâ— euill doth hateth the light He taried with them and baptised and Iohn also baptised c. There was muche water c. And there arose a question c. And they came vnto Iohn All men come to him A man can receyue nothiÌ„g excepte it be c. Ye your selues are witnesses c. I am not Christ but am sent before hym He that hathe the bryde is the brydegrome What he hath seen heard that he testifieth The father loueth the sonne c. He that beleueth not the sonne shall not see lyfe For it was so that he must nedes go thorowe Samaria Than he came to a citie c. And it was about the sixt houre His disciples were goen awaie vnto the toun to bye meate â–ª The womaÌ„ saieth vnto hym c. Sir I perceyue that thou art a prophete our father 's wurshipped in this mouÌ„tayne And ye saye that in Ierusalem is the place where men oughte to wurship Ye wurship ye wâ—â— noâ— what we know what we wurshippe c. I knowe yâ— Messias shall come â–ª whiche is called Christe Iesus sayeth vnto her I that speake vnto the am he I haue meate to eate that ye know not c. Iesus saith vnto them my meate is to do the will of hym that hathe sent me Say not ye there are yet .iiii. monethes end than cummeth haruest And herein is the saying true that one soweth and an other reapeth And he abode there ii dayes The ruler sayeth vnto hym Iesus sayeth vnto hym goe thy waye thy sonne lyueth Then he enquired of them the houre whaÌ„ he began to amende So the father knewe c. And he beleued and al his houâ—holde This is the seconde miracle And there is at IerusaleÌ„ by the slaughter house apoole c. Whan Iesus sawe him lye c. He sayed vnto hym wylte thou bee made whole Sir I haue no man c. And thesame daye was the Sabboth c. Tha asked they hym what man is that c. The man departed tolde the Iewes that it was Iesus Because he doeth these thynges on the sabboth daye Therefore the Iewes soughte the more to kill hym The sonne can doe nothyng of himselfe c For the father loueth the soÌ„ne c Neyther iudgeth the father any man He that honoureth not the sonne c. The time shall come and nowe it is c. For as the father hath life in hymselfe c. Maruailâ— not at this c. I can of mine owne selfe do nothyng yf I should beaâ—e wytnesse of my selfe But I receyue not the recorde of man c. He was a burnyng a shynyng light But I haue greater witnes theÌ„ the witnesse of Iohn for the workes whiche my father hath geuen me to finishe c. Ye haue not hearde his voyce at anye tyme nor seen his shape Ye haue not the loue of god WheÌ„ce shal we by bread that these maye eate Iesê° saieth make the people sitte downe And Iesus toke the bread Labour not for the meate which perisheth This is the worke of God that ye beleue what signe shewest yâ— then I am the bread of life For I am cum downe from heaueÌ„ This is the wil of him that seÌ„t me And they shall bee al taughte of God I am the liuing bread Excepte ye eat the flesh of the sonne of manne This is the bread whiche came down from heauen c. What and yf ye shall see the soÌ„ne of man c. Will ye also go away c. Thou hast the woordes of eternal life c. We are sure that thou arte Christ. c. His brethren therfore sayed vnto hym There is no man that doeth any thyng in secrete c. For his brethreÌ„ beleued not in hym My time is not yet cum c. The worlde cannot hate you I will not go vp to this feast c Howbeit no maÌ„ spake â—penly of hym c. For feare of the Iewes How knoweth be the scripture If any man will be obedient vnto his will He that speaketh of himselfe seketh his owne praise The people aunswered and said thou hast a deuill Who goeth about to kil thee And ye on the Sabboth day circumcise a man Iudge noâ— after the vtter apperance c. Then cried Iesus in the temple c. And I am not cum of myselfe but he that sent me is true And him ye knowe not Ye shall seke me and shall not finde me c. Than sayd the Iewes among themselues whither wil he goe c. If any man thirst let him cumme vnto me and drinke Doeth any of the rulers or of the Phariseis beleue on hym Searche loke for out of Galile a riseth no prophete And the Scribes and Phariseis brought vnto hym a woman taken in aduoutrie Let hiÌ„ that is among you without sinne cast the firste stone at her He said vnto her woman where are thyne accusers Go synne no more I am the light of the world c Thou bearest recorde of thy selfe But ye can not tell whence I am I iudge no man and yf I iudge my iudgemente is true If ye beleue not that I am he ye shall dye in your sinnes Thei vnderstoode not that he spake of his father If ye coÌ„tinue in my woorde c. And the truâ—th shall make you free Whosoeuer committeth sinne c. But if theâ—â— sonne make you free c I speake that whiche I haue seeÌ„ c. Yf ye were Abrahams children c. If god wee your father He that is of god heereth Gods wordes I seke not myne owne prayse c. What makest thou thy selfe It is my father which honoureth me c. Than toke they vp stones to caste 〈◊〉 hym He sawe a man which was blind I am the lyght of the worlde Is this your sonne c. Geue God prayse We are Moses disciples I am come iniudgemeÌ„t c. If ye were blynde ye should haue no sinne I am the good shepehearde I geue my life for the shepe c. I put my life froÌ„ me that I might take it againe Yf thou bee Christ tel vs playnly My father c. is greater than al. c. Lazarus is dead and I am glad for your sakes c. Iesus wept Excepte the wheat corne faâ—l into the ground and dye Lord doest thou washe my feete If I washe yâ— not thou hast no part with me For I haue geueÌ„ you an example Now I tel you before it come One of you shall betray me That he shoulde geue some what to the poore A new commauÌ„dement geue I vnto you that ye loue together Before the cocke crow c. In my
angles of the crosse Neyther did the Prophetes leaue his buiriall vnspoken of neyther For Hieremie representyng the persone of Christe wryteth in this manier My lyfe fell downe into the lake and they put a stone vpon me For ye knowe that he was buiried in a sepulchre of stone and that the mouth of the monumeÌ„te was shutte with a mightie great stone because no body should take awaie his corpse On the preparyng daye well towardes euentide he was laied in his graue there did he rest all the Sabboth that is to saye whan the weorke of mannes redempcion was nowe finished and completed Consider ye whether the prophecie did not foreshewe euen of thissame thing also From the sight of iniquitie saieth the prophecie was the righteous taken awaie his place shall bee in peace Moreouer vntill the tyme of his death he suffred hymselfe to be touched of the wieked after his death he would not be handled ne touched of no body but of his frendes Neither did he from that tyme forthward shewe him selfe to be seen but only to his frendes And of this matier had the aunciente prophecie of Iacob the patriarke geuen a darke significacion and tokenyng who whan he should dye prophecied in this manier of Iuda Naye I shoulde rather saye of Christe Thou layest a long as a lyon who shall reise hym vp Ferthermore lyke as it was his will to dye and to bee buiried so that it shoulde not come to passe that he should rotte in his sepulchre but that after tarying a veray shorte tyme he should arise to lyfe agayn was it not a thyng openly foreshewed of the prophetes doeth not the holy ghoste speake after this manier in the fifteenth psalme Thou shalt not leaue my soule in hell nor shalt suffre thy holy one to see corrupcion No spieces no swete baulmes doe geue this gifte that a dead carkesse shall neuer putrifie forasmuche as continuaunce of tyme doeth forweare the verai spices selfe whiche tyme consumeth euen the monumentes though they be of marble stone but this gifte doeth resurreccion geue whiche geueth immortalitie but all the whole figure of this matier did not Ionas the prophete many yeares sence plainly presente The tempest was imputed vnto him and to entent lest al the companie should perishe he was headlong toumbled into the sea to th ende that by the losse of him being but one maÌ„ the tempeste might be alayed wheras otherwise it threatened death vnto al the company Christe dyed for the sauyng of all creatures to the ende that he alone might pourge awaye the sinnes of all the people Ionas was swallowed vp of a whale and out of the bealye of thesame whale was he rendred againe on the thyrde daye after otherwyse then all folkes loked for Christe was layed in his graue wherhence he promised that he woulde come forth on the thyrde daye For vnto the Iewes requiring a signe from heauen he promised the signe of Ionas the prophete and that hymselfe would after the exaumple of thesame Ionas come forth on the thyrde daye out of the caues of the yearth And howe many tymes did he repeate this thing to drieue it into the disciples myndes that he should dye and returne agayn to life on the thyrde daie And that thing had Oseas the prophete told long afore who sayed After twoo dayes shall he reuiue vs on the thyrde daye shall he reise vs agayn to lyfe Forasmuche therfore as ye haue hitherto seen all thynges agree together the figures of the law the foresayinges of the prophetes the foretellinges of Christ himself and finally the ende of thynges as they haue from tyme to tyme folowed and come to passe howe happeneth that ye nowe as men beyng halfe in a sloumbre or a dreame are vnbelieuers and doe not rather of thynges alreadie pasâ—e coniecture thynges afterwarde to ensue He tolde you afore that betraied he shoulde be and deliuered to the Gentiles that he should be bound scourged skorned and crucified Not one iote of all these thynges but it hath come to passe All the premisses ye haue seen and dooe belieue them but euen he the verai same man told also afore that on the thyrd daye he would arise to life again and that he would by the space of a certain of dayes shewe hymself not vnto the worlde but vnto his disciples Wherefore than do ye not credite those weomen which reporte them selues to haue been adcertayned by the Aungels that he was arisen to lyfe agayn Doth the frailtie and feblenesse of his body deceassed so greatly offende you that ye nowe fall into vtter dispaire as though al thatsame noble promises of his wer vtterly extinct and dead concernyng his kyngdome concerning the power of heauen and yearth to be deliuered vnto the sonne concernyng his ascending vp into heauen and his returnyng from hence vnto his father concernyng his sittyng at the right hande of his father of extendyng and spreding the gospel throughout all the nacions of the world concernyng his glorious cummyng a little before the ende of the world concernyng the immortalitie of the holy concerning the euerlastyng paines and tormentes of the wicked Naâ— wete ye well that death it was whiche opened the waye and entreaunce into the maiestie of all these thynges Euen as ye haue seen hym dying and buried so shall ye see hym returned to lyfe agayne so shall ye see him ascending vp into heauen Ye shall receyue the spirite of God ye shal see the celestial power of god shewe foorth it self in men of lowe degree and of no learnyng ne knowlage worldly ye shall see the light of the ghospell by meane of thesame persones in a litell tyme to sprede ouer all the world with his â—adiaunt beames And that same Iesus who hath here bâ—n set at naught spetted at and had in derision the same Iesus shall all the world wurship as equall with God the father and an eguall partener with him in his kyngdome Finally all mankynde without excepcion shall see him in the maiestie of his father encoumpaced with coumpanies of Aungels iudgeing the quicke and the dead And it hath pleased him that the cummyng of thatsame daye shoulde bee vncertayne to all creatures In the meane season his wille was that his seruauntes shoulde care for nothyng but the kyngdome of the ghospell And all the premisses haue been foreshewed by the prophetes they haue been marked and appoynted out by fygures of Moses lawe they haue been a great porcion of them alreadie perfourmed neyther ought there any manne to doubte but that all thynges shall in theyr due tymes bee presently shewed These wordes of the Lorde Iesus mouthe not onely striekyng the eares of the saied twoo disciples but also percyng and throughly sinking into theyr hertes did so possesse them that neither they felte the trauayle of the waie nor tooke any markes of his face while he spake nor yet remembred to thynke with themselues in theyr myndes
who is thissame that hath the holy scriptures and all the doctrine and lyfe of Iesus so prompte at his fingers endes and the whiche doeth in suche wise hold vs stil moueth the verai bottome of our herte roote◠with talke of suche efficacie and pith This man did we neuer see emōg the disciples and yet doeth nothyng escape him but he knoweth it They dyd nomore but cast a fansie of loue vnto him halfe in a dreame and hadde a great delite to learne Iesus of Iesus self For neuer is he with better lucke or successe learned then whan himselfe vouchesalueth to teache hymselfe vnto vs. Theyr iourney beyng with this other lyke cōmunicacion wel ouerpassed they did now drawe nere to the litle towne called Emaus Than Iesus because he would the more enkiendle their desirefulnesse fēbled made coūtenaunce as though he woulde not make any tariaunce at Emaus but made as though he had yet somewhat ferther waie to goe for the others as men fallen in despatre had forsaken Hierusalem and were in returnyng home into theyr owne countrey where they were borne wheras suche persones as haue truelye belieued in Christe haue here in this world no parmanent citie but doe by continual iourneyng make haste vnto thatsame other citie celestiall But the sayed two disciples because they could not bee plucked awaye from suche a ioly talkyng companion on the waye they praye hym they beseche hym for Goddes sake they make al possible instaunte requeste vnto him yea and in conclusion bothe with desyryng which wolde not haue any nay also with takyng and holdyng him fast by the cloke and vesture that he went in wheras he refused so to dooe they compel him without choyce or remedie to take lodgeyng with them that night now callyng hym by the name maister not that they knewe hym to bee Iesus but because that by his meruaylous talke they coniectured hym to bee no common waifaryng man And this sayed they vnto hym Maister thou haste hytherto shewed thyselfe a swete and frendly coumpanion on the waye now shew thy self also a like geaste vnto vs. Why wouldest thou committe thyself to goyng of a ferther iourney The euentyde now draweth faste on and the sunne draweth well towardes setting in the west Of veray good cause dooe they hate the nighte as many as loue Iesus and yet ought not suche people to feare the nighte of this worlde as haue Iesus to theyr coumpanion And Iesus loueth to be prayed to doe the thyng whiche he dooeth with glad will partely to the entent he maye geue his giftes to persones ientilly deseruyng it and worthie of it and partely to teache vs a lesson that a benefite or good turne is to bee put in the lappe and will he nill he to bee dooen to the neighbour beeyng in necessitee For some persons do in suche sorte offre a good turne to the neighbour as thoughe they were in feare leste the partie to whom it is offreed ▪ would not refuse it and they geue it with suche a countenaunce that they seme to geue it agaynst their stomakes Iesus hereupon entreed the toune and vouchesalued to vse their courteous entreteinmente ¶ And it came to passe as he sate at meate with them he tooke breade and blissed it and brake and gaue to them And their iyes were opened and they knewe hym he vanished out of their sight And they sayed betwene themselues did not our hertes burne within vs ▪ while he talked with vs by the waye and opened to vs the scriptures And they arose vp thesame houre and returned agayn to Hierusalem and found the eleuen gathered together and them that were with them saying the Lorde is risen in dede and hath appered to Symon And thei told what thynges were doen in the waye and how thei knew him in breakyng of breade The sayed twoo disciples beyng glad men of so great and noble a geaste wha◠they had ministred vnto him all manier of thynges whiche are wont to bee ministred to geastes that are welcome to ones house they also layed a table and made readie for supper and as apperteined for men of their slendre hauour thei sette theron for hym suche poore parte as they had The fare was competent meane without any excesse but aboue al thinges their countenaunces that they set theron were good and frendely aunswerable to their moste sincere hertes And now that Iesus was sette at the table with them he tooke bread he blissed it and brake it and than raught it forth to them And because thei knewe this guyse to be as a thyng peculiarly vsed of Christ and no man els that he would before meate geue thankes vnto the father and thā afterward he would breake it with his owne handes and so distribute it emong his disciples These twoo disciples as it had ben sodaynly awakened out of slepe begonne bothe at once to thynke in theyr myndes vpon Iesus And immediatly the impediment that had hitherto been therof beyng now taken away thei knew by that marke that it was veray Iesus in dede And while that a certain sodain kynde of beyng amazed entred into theyr hertes Iesus vanished awaie out of their sight For after the time of his death forthward he did but a litle at once and after a sparing facion shewe hymselfe in presence either for that the infirmitie of mortall men was not hable to abyde the maiestie of his bodye beyng returned to life again or els because they might by litell and litell enure themselues to lacke the sight of his body which was verai shortely after to bee had awaye from them to the ende they should now loue him after the spirite Ferthermore they haue perfect markes to know Iesus but in the house whiche is the churche or holy congregacion they haue no sure markes of him but whan himselfe reacheth forth vnto them the breade of the worde euangelicall For he it is that openeth the iyes wherwith Iesus is by sure markes and tokens knowen On the waye had he broken and geuen them thatsame bread after a misticall sorte whan he opened the scriptures vnto them And the thyng that he had there dooen after the spirite he did afterwarde renewe by a corporall and bodyly token And whan Iesus was in body goen they did now better see him then at suche tyme whan he was in bodye present with them Theyr iyes were holden because they beleued not Now whan he is absent they see him with the iyes of theyr faith After the departure of Iesus awaie from them they ceasse not to talke of Iesus betwene themselues saying how happened that it was so late ere we knew Iesus A certayn kynde of slepe possessed our myndes the blessyng of the bread the breakyng and the geuyng of it vnto vs was the firste thyng that did shake awaye thesame slepe but had we not been as men half a slepe we mighte of his veray talkyng with vs euen aswel