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
walked by the Sea of Galile he sawe Symon and Andrewe his brother casting nettes into the Sea for they were fyshers And Iesus sayd vnto them Folowe me and I wyll make you to become fyshers of men And streyght waye they forsoke theyr nettes and folowed hym And when he had gone a litle further thence he sawe Iames the sonne of zebede and Iohn his brother whiche also were in the shyppe mending theyr nettes and he anon called them and they left their father zâ—â—ede therein the 〈◊〉 the hyred seruauÌ„tes and folowed hym After the Lorde Iesus had with suche wordes moued and styrred vp the myndes of the Iewes to receiue the newe Phylosophy and doctrine of the ghospell he lykewyse began after the ensample of Iohn to gather certaine disciples but fewe in number and suche as were vnlettered persones and of lowe degree to the entent that when he had through theyr ministery conuerted all the whole worlde it shoulde plainly appeare how this kyngdom was the very kyngdom of God and not a worldly kyngdom Therefore as he trauayled on a daye by the lake or sea of Galile he ispied Symon and Andrewe his brother labouryng together and aboute to caste their nettes into the water For they were fishermen and by this occupacion gat their lyuyng The basenes of theyr crafte made for the aduauncyng of goddes glory The concorde of the two brethren sygnified the consent and agremente of the churche The crafte of fyshing bare the figure of the ministracioÌ„ of the ghospell which by vertue of Goddes worde plucketh vp into the lyght of veritie and loue of heauenly thynges suche as are drowned in the darkenesse of ignoraunce and the fowle stinkyng puddell of worldly cares And thus fyrste of all fyshed he for these two fyshers Come ye ê™ he and folowe me for I will make you begynne from this day forwarde to fyshe after men Assone as the Lord Iesus had spoken the word the two brethreÌ„ leauing theyr nettes euen as they were folowed him without any tarying For Iesus voice hathe in it a certaine heauenly charme or inchauntment And goyng thence a lytle forwarde he sawe other two that is to were Iames the sonne of zebede and Iohn his brother who were also trymmyng and mendyng theyr nettes in the shyppe and makyng themselues ready to go a fyshyng And these two notwithstanding their myndes were bent another waye he sodeinly spake vnto callyng and commaundyng theÌ„ to folow hym Now that thou mayest know young men of an euangelike faith they made no tarying but leauyng their father zebede with his hired seruauntes in the shyp streyght wayes folowed theyr caller Thus beganne Christe to gather the ciefe prelates and ministers of his Churche cleane refusyng the priestes and Phariseis of IerusaleÌ„ with all their pompe and pryde ¶ And they came into Capernaum and streyghtwaye on the Sabboth dayes he enterd into the Synagoge and taught and they were astonyed at his learnyng For he taught theÌ„ as one that had authoritie and not as the Scribes And being accompanyed with such a felowshyp he came vnto Capernaum This Capernaum was a citie muche florishyng in substaunce but no lesse proud vngodly and vicious than it was welthy Here byanby he beganne to playe the parte of an Euangeliste or preacher of the ghospell For vpon the sabboth daye he entred into the Sinagoge and taught the Iewes openly not the vayne fables of the Phariseis but declared vnto them the very true meanyng of the lawe which was in dede spirituall and not carnall And the people perceiued him to be a newe teacher his doctrine also to be of a new sort Thei sawe he was a maÌ„ of lowe degre that suche as accoÌ„panied him were but fewe in numbre very rascals men of no reputacion yet wondered they greatly at his wordes for that they breathed a certaine godly vertue For he did not after the maner of the Scribes teache triflyng coÌ„stitucions of men or olde wyues tales of genealogies and pedegrewes but his wordes were pithâ—hy and of authoritie and the wonderfull great miracles he wrought caused those verities that he spake to be beleued What thyng soeuer is humayne and worldly the same is of litle price and estimacion when Goddes power begynneth once to put furth his strength and efficacie ¶ And there was in their synagoge a man vexed with an vncleane spirite and he cryed saying Alas what haue we to do with the thou Iesus of Nazareth Arte thou cum to destroye vs I knowe the what thou arte euen the holy one of God And Iesus rebuked him saying holde thy peace and cumme out of the man And whaÌ„ the vncleane spirite had torne him and cried with a loude voyce he came out of him and they were all amased insomuche that they demauÌ„ded one of another among themselues saying What thing is this What newe doctrine is this For with authoritie commaunded be the foule spirites and they obeyed him And immediatlye his fame spred abrode throughoute all the region bordering on Galile And lo byanby there was occasion ministred for him to worke a myracle For in that assembly was there a certaine felowe whiche was vexed with an vncleane spirite This wicked spirite coulde not abyde the heauenly spirite speakyng in Christ. For he beganne to clatter agaynst his heauenly doctrine crying aloude and saying O Iesus of Nazareth what hast thou to do with vs Arte thou cumme to destroye vs before the tyme I right well knowe who thou arte Certes the selfe same holy one whiche the prophete Daniel promysed long sithens whom God hath singularly sanctified aboue al other The lorde Iesus eyther because the tyme was not yet cumme that he should openly confesse who he was or els because he was not pleased with this confession beyng vndoubtedly true but yet made â—hroughe constraint of feare and of a wicked spirite who sythe he is of hymselfe a lyer and delighteth to deceiue man was not to be hearde in the presence of the people when he spake the trueth lest any manne woulde haue taken occasion there by to beleue hym afterwardes when he had lyed the lorde Iesus I saye rebuked hym and sayed Holde thy peace and departe out of the man and so shalt thou better declare who I am And furthwith at the lordes coÌ„maundemeÌ„t the vncleane spirite forsoke the maÌ„ But at his departure he tare him cryed out with a loude voyce so that it euidently appeared thereby how he fled awaye not wyllingly but by force and constraint of Gods power And here was shewed the fygure of a manne possessed with the spirite of the deuyll Is not he vexed wyth the worste cruellest of all the deuils whiche is wholly possessed with ambicion couetousnes rancour malice hatred pleasure of the body suche other lyke deuilishe lustes and appetites Suche as are vexed with these spirites canne in no wyse abyde to heare the gospell preached but yell and crye oute agaynst it as the deuill dyd saying what
to disproue him with wordes The Phariseis and suche as were of Herodes retinue were not louers and frendes together and yet for to destroy the author of helth they agreed all in one O mischieuous concorde O blyndnes muche in deede to be lamented What shall the priuey traynes of worldly deceite preuayle againste him vnto whome nothyng is vnknowen The Lorde teaching vs by his ensample that we ought many tymes to gyue place for a season to the vncurable obstinacie of the euill leste through farther prouocacion they becum more mischieuous conueyed hymselfe thence and wente asyde agayne vnto the sea The goyng asyde of Iesu is no kinderaunce to the ghospell but an encreasyng and furtheraunce of thesame For yf so be that the Pharise is had not driuen hym awaye he woulde not haue cum to the multitude of the gentiles Therfore after that Iesus had forsaken the enuious and narrowe synagoge and was gone vnto the sea there came vnto hym out of euery quarter a great numbre of people not onely out of Galile but also out of Iewry yea and from Ierusalem selfe from Idâ—â—ea and all the countreys lying beyond Iordane and moreouer from suche places as bordered on the cities of Tyre and Sydon For here was made a foreshewe of the churche that shoulde be gathered together of the Gentiles because the synagoge did through her vnbeliefe repell the Gospel Out of all these places there came a great multitude of people whiche moued by the bruite that was spred abrode of the marueylouse doctrine and mighty dedes of Iesu drewe theÌ„ selues together assembled at the sea syde The lorde who is bothe bounteous and riche towardes all men secluded no man neyther from his doctrine nor fro receyuing the benefite of healthe The people were so eagre and hasty by reason of the great desyre they had to be cured of theyr syckenesses that one of them thruste another out of place by force preased in where Iesus was to the intente they might at the leaste wayes but touche hym because that by the onely touchyng of his garmente diseases were also cured and put away There was no difference neyther betwene disease nor person with this mightie and liberall physycian For whosoeuer they were that were troubled with any maner of euils or infirmities thesame were furthwith deliuered therof yf it chaunced theÌ„ to go to Iesu. And the selfsame thing wee se spiritually done euen in these dayes How many be there out of all the nacions of the whole worlde what detestable vices are they subdued vnto whiche flye vnto him for succour by touche of faythe are healed Furthermore the vncleane spirites after they had sene Iesus coulde not abide his puissaunt vertue but fel downe at his knees and cried out saying Thou art euen that selfsame sonne of God whiche was promised to cum Iesus who in no wise woulde suffre the wicked spirites to disclose him strayghtly coÌ„maunded them to kepe silence and in no case to discry hym before the tyme were cum His will was to be knowen vnto the world by humble and poore persons vnto whom he said He that heareth you heareth me He willeth vs to geue no credence at all to wicked spirites no not so muche as then when they speake the trueth For this busynes was not done at all auentures but God by his high wisedom ordered euery thing with certaine degrees and procedinges for our saluacion ¶ And Iesus commaunded his disciples that a ship should wayte on him because of the people lest they should throng him For he had healed manye in so muche that they preased vpon him for to touche hym as manye as had plages and whan the vncleane spirites sawe him they fel downe before him and cryed saying thou arte the sonne of God And he strayghtly charged them that they should not make him knowell Wherfore when Iesus was thrust with the prease of people anon he commaunded his disciples to prepare hym a ship because he woulde not be disquieted with the disordered clamorous multitude which rather desyred bodely health then the health of theyr soules and thronged hym rather then touched hym Suche as confessing theyr disease go to Iesu with a syncere fayth do touche hym and are made whole Againe they whiche troubled as yet with worldly lustes and desyres cum rushing in with noyse hurly burly do greue and greatlye disquiete hym Therfore the disciples who were wonte to be familiarly conuersaunt with the Lorde prepared hym a ship of a more pure congregacion Iesus is better pleased with a fewe cleane and quiet persones then with a great many that are troublesome and vnquiet But yet he so gat him away that he neuertheles taught the multitude out of the ship When thou seest Iesus teaching oute of the shippe vnderstand hereby a bishop preaching to a multitude of all sortes whiche contayneth christian nouices and suche as haue not as yet the spirite cast out by baptisme both of the Iewes and Gentiles Happy and blessed are they that do spiritually touch Christ. None toucheth him so but those whome he first toucheth For whomsoeuer he toucheth the same are healed of all theyr sinnes and nowe being of vnquiet persons made quiet they shall be receyued into the ship of the Churche there to haue the continuall fruicion of his companie and alwayes to sit at his table The shippe wherin Iesus preacheth is very narrowe and roumles to vncleane and sinfull persons and contrarily moste wide and large vnto suche as are in cleane life and purged of theyr sinnes The Lord refused the publicacion of deuils and auoyded the sinfull and vnquiet multitude of people And yet these thinges euidently shewed that the kingdome of God was cum into the whiche both worthy persons and vnworthy weÌ„te about violeÌ„tly to enter Therfore he prepared himselfe certaine capitaines whiche shoulde ayde hym in claymyng this heauenly kingdome so many in numbre as should be sufficient to teache so many nacions as anon after shoulde come full and whole oute of all partes of the world to professe the Philosophie and doctrine of the ghospell So haue the princes of this worlde bene wont to chose them certaine head rulers and capitaines to clayme wynne enlarge gouerne and defend theyr empires kingdomes by It is requisite that the sayde rulers be ryghte trusty wyse polytique and diligent and in especiall that they knowe the king theyr maisters will and pleasure ¶ And he wente vp into a mountayne and called vnto hym whome he woulde and they came vnto him And he ordayned the twelue that they should be with him that he might send them furthe to preache and that they might haue power to heale syckenesses and to cast out deuils And he gaue vnto Symon to name Peter And he called Iames the sonne of zebede and Iohn Iames his brother gaue them to name Bonarges whiche is to saye the sonnes of thunder And Andrewe and Philip and â—arthelmewe and Mathewe and Thomas and
one as were appointed in the bishops stede and there on the altare that stood in the secrete inner part of the temple to lay holy incense made of certayne swete odoures in the olde lawe appointed that is to wete of balme onycha swete galbanum and frankyncense of the clerest sorte For this kinde of sacrifice was estemed emong the Iewes to be the moste holy aboue all others insomuche that to the seeyng of this sacrifice whan it was in doyng the lay people were not admitted to come in no nor yet any of the leuites neither But al the residue besides the priest that did execute taried without beyng separated and diuided from that place with a vaile makyng theyr deuout prayers all the meane whyle that God would vouchesalue to ratifie that that was than in offeryng for the helth safegarde of the whole people and so remained they without vntill the prieste after the sacrifice in the inner place coÌ„pleted came forth againe to the people to finish the residue of thinges which to the ordenarie obsequies and rites of sacrifice did apperteine And the priest did not only pray for the people but also for himselfe according vnto the prescripcion of the lawe as one beeyng a mortall man himselfe aswell as the others and in daunger of falling into the errours and vices of this worlde And there appeared vnto hym an Aungell of the Lord standyng on the rightsyde of the altare of incense And whan Zacharie sawe hym he was abashed feare came vpon hym Therfore whereas zacharie had many yeres afore often tymes with moste earneste desires cryed vnto God to deliuer as well his wyfe from the reproche of barrainesse as also hymselfe from the griefe pensifnesse of beyng without issue yet notwithstanding a certaine despaire of hauyng any children many a day sence conceiued in his minde he did euen at that present tyme with moste ardent prayers require of God as though he had than been present before his face the publike redeÌ„pcion of the people which had now many hundred yeres been looked for And in dede the fume of the incense mounting vp from the altare was cast abrode in the aier on euery syde but the desire of this deuoute bishoppe perced vp euen to God the Aungels carrying it whose office it is to conueigh vp to almightie God the prayers of the godly and agayne to bryng downe to vs his bounteouse largesse An Aungell therfore that had been sente from heauen stood at the ryght ende of the altare on which the swete sauours of incense was burned as one ready to declare some glad tydinges because thynges that chaunce to be on the ryghtsyde haue commonly a luckie significacion of some good happe to come Zacharie whan he had soodainly espyed this Aungell shynyng with celestiall brightnesse for he came not in openly in a bodily fourme as men vse to do but soodainly and vnware shewed himselfe visible truly he was sore dismayed in his minde and taken with a great feare not that the Aungell made a shewe of any maner thyng to be feared but for that the infirmitie of mannes body is not able to abyde the maiestie of the spirites or Aungels of heauen But the Aungell sayed vnto hym feare not Zacharie for thy prayer is heard And thy wyfe Elizabeth shall beare a sonne and thou shalt cal his name Iohn And thou shalt haue ioy and gladnesse and many shall reioyce at the birth of hym For he shall be great in the syght of the lorde But lyke as it is a poynte of mannes weakenesse to fall in a tremblyng and quakyng at the soodaine sight of an Aungell so is it the propertie of the great goodnesse of them with ientle and familiar speakyng vnto vs to take awaye our feare The Aungell therfore with a gracious looke and with ientle faire woordes speaking vnto zachary saied in this wyse zachary there is no cause why thou shouldest be afeard but there is cause why thou maiest be glad ioyfull For I bryng glad tydinges bothe vnto thee and to all the people for whom thou art nowe makyng intercession God hath graunted thy deuoute and godly peticion Thesame Messias the deliuerer and sauer of hys people whiche long and many dayes gonne hath been promysed and many hundred yeres already looked for is nowe at hande to come in dede And not only that thyng whiche thou haste made peticion for is obteyned but an other thyng also doeth the goodnesse of God adde to the heape of thy desyres which thyng thou durst not bee so bolde to aske because thou were nowe cleane out of all hope that it myght by any possibilitie come to passe Thou madest peticion for the redemer of the worlde thou shalt receyue also one that shall declare and publyshe the redemer vnto the worlde The fruitefulnesse of thy wyfe Elizabeth that hathe been hitherto by the wysedome and prouidence of God delaied and put of shall bryng vnto the no smal increase of ioyes and a generall gladnesse of al the people shal be coupled with the particular reioycing of thyne owne priuate householde â–ª Hir fruitefulnesse that all folke despaired of shall haue a commoditie and do good for this purpose that all persons maye vnderstande thissame chylde bearyng not to be of the common rate but the chylde which shal be borne to be borne God beyng the worker and dooer of it In dede thy wyfe shall bryng forth to thee a child but she shall not bryng forth child to thee alone she shall bryng forth to the whole people in generall she shal bryng forth to God by whoâ—e prouideÌ„ce all this matter euery whyt of it is tempered and wrought So muche the more to the wondre of the worlde shall she bryng forth that it is so ferre past tyme of her age ere she bryng forth so muche the more to the pleasyng and reioycyng of all parties that she had no suche hope so muche the more to her good happe and fortune that she shall bryng forth a sonne and not a sonne at all aduentures but the great publisher and foregoer and as who should say the husher and maker of way and the purseuaunt of the moste great Messias that is to come To the office of suche an high preeminence is he by the free and franke fauour of God pieked out and deputed for that cause shalt thou call his name Iohn that the people may euen therby at leste wise be aduertised that he shal be veray well accepted of God and plenteously heaped with many heauenly gyftes of grace Therfore the sorowe whiche the barainnesse of thy wyfe hath hitherto brought vnto thee shall be redubbed with plentifull ioy and with muche reioycing Neither shal this ioy be kept or inclosed within the walles or precincte of thyne owne house There shall at thy ioy a great many of thy frendes reioyce whiche were sorowefull afore for thy sorowe There shall leape for ioy at
drinkyng of my bloude bringeth this thyng to passe And therefore my flesh is truelye meate whyche geueth immortalitie and my bloude is truely drynke which doeth procure eternal life not only to the body but to the whole man both bodye and soule And as the lyfe of the bodye whiche is nourished with dayly sustenaunce lest it shoulde perishe before the tyme is common to all the membres of the body by reason of the indiuisible felowshippe that all the partes of the bodye hathe togetherwardes in so muche that though the membres of the bodye be diuerse and sundrye yet there is but one bodye because that one soule geueth lyfe to euerye parte of the bodye so he that eateth my fleshe and drynketh my bloude is in suche sorte coupled and ioyned to me that neither can I be seperate from hym nor he from me For I am in hym by my spirite by whoÌ„ I wyll geue lyfe to hym And he is in me as a membre in the bodye and as the braunche is in the vyne by suche a participacion as cannot bee dissolued ¶ As the liuing father hath sente me and I true for the father Euen so be that eateth me shal liue by the meanes of me This is the bread which came downe from heauen not as your fathers did eate Manna and are dead He that eateth of this breade shall liue euer These thinges sayed he in the sinagogue as he taught in Capernaum Many therefore of his disciples when they had heard this sayd this is an hard saiyng Who can abide the hearing of it The father that sent me is the principall fountaine of al life Whosoeuer is ioyned to hym is made partaker of life And therefore as the father is in me geueth me life and also power to geue life vnto other euen likewyse to him that eateth me and is so annexed to me by reason of that misticall eatyng and drinkyng that he is made one with with me doe I geue lyfe not to endure for a shorte tyme but eternall life What thyng soeuer is of earthly nature thesame dooeth continue but for a time and is of small efficacie Manna whiche stylled downe from heauen for you then beyng vnder Moses tuicion and conductyng because it was foode pertainyng to the bodye it coulde not geue eternall lyfe to your elders for whereas all men did eat therof they neuertheles dyed neyther did any one of so great a numbre remain vndead yea more part of theÌ„ died also in soule because they prouoked god manye waies to wrath But certes this bread that vndoubtedly came downe from heauen hath a celestiall vertue in it and geueth eternall lyfe to the eater thereof The Lorde Iesus did instruct the ignorant and grosse multitude with such wordes very desirous to stirre them vp from the loue of vysible and corporal thynges to the loue and desire of heauenly and eternall thynges And he spake these woordes in the Sinagogue amoÌ„gest a great assembly of people exercising the office of a teacher Howebeit the grosse people was so farre of from the capacitye of these heauenlye mystiries that a great sorte of his disciples also beyng offeÌ„ded herewith wer about to fall from theyr maister murmuryng amongest themselfes and whisperyng this saiyng This is an harde cruell saiyng saye they concernyng the eatyng of a lyuyng mannes fleshe and drinkyng his bloude whose eares can abyde to heare such doctryne Iesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it he said vnto them doeth this offend you What if ye shal se the sonne of maÌ„ asceÌ„d vp thither where as he was before It is yâ— spirit that quickeneth the flesh â—rosueth nothing The wordes that I speake vnto you are the spirit life But there are sum of you yâ— beleue not For Iesus knew froÌ„ the beginning which thei wer yâ— beleued not who should betraie him And he said Therefore said I vnto you that no man can cum vnto me excepte it wer geueÌ„ vnto him of my father Iesus vnderstandyng what they murmured at secretly among themselfes labored to remedie the thing that they were offeÌ„ded with geuing knowledge beforehand vnto them that they shoulde see greater thinges with their iyes then that they heard hym at this tyme speake of hymselfe And he shewed them that the wordes whiche he had spoken as touchyng the eatyng of his fleshe and to drinke his blood was no incoÌ„uenieÌ„t thing nor to be abhorred but a right pleasaunt graciouse and fruitfull saying in case it were taken and vnderstande not after their course and grosse intelligence but after a spirituall sence Nowe therfore being turned towardes his disciples whom it had behoued to haue further consydered and to haue been wyser then the base sorte of people by reason of the acquaintance and familiaritie whiche they had with Iesus and also for the myracles which they had seen hym worke Iesus I say loking vpon his disciples rebuked theyr dulnes in this wyse saying Doeth it offend your eares to heare me saye that I am the breade which came out of heauen to geue lyfe to the worlde whether is it a greater difficultie after the grosse vnderstandyng of mannes wit to haue descended from heauen or to ascend vp into heauen What then yf hereafter ye do see the sonne of man whom ye nowe see to haue the natural body of a man ascende into heauen where he was before he came downe thence and before he had this mortal bodye This is doen and graunted by reason of your senses not that ye shoulde bee alwaye carnall and vnderstand all thinges fleshly but that ye shoulde leaue the fleshe and go forwarde to the spirite The spirit descended from heauen and was incarnate the fleshe beeyng now made spirituall shal be carryed awaye vp into heauen leste ye should all waye loue the fleshe and be carnall but yet beeing first instructed by the flesh ye ought to profit and go forward toward heauenly thinges For the flesh alone of himselfe profiteth nothing it is the spirite that geueth life For what is bodily substance of men if the spirit lacke euen so my woord carnally vnderstand shall not geue life vnles ye take it as an heauenly thing and vnderstaÌ„d it spiritually By my fleshe and blood I meane my doctrine and so I tearme it whiche doctrine yf ye do by true faith receiue it desyrously and effectuously and than conueigh it into the bowels of your minde and retaine it there it will quicken and make your mindes liuely and cause you and me to be al one so that ye shal through my spirite liue euerlastingly like as the membres of one bodye lyueth by one common spirite so long as they do adhere and cleaue fast together And I shall leaue vnto you my fleshe and blood as a hid secret mystery and mistical token of this copulacion and felowship which selfe thing although ye do receiue it yet will it not profit you vnles ye receyue it spiritually Therfore do not
you Therefore beleue this retaine this haue this surely fixte in youre hertes whiche thyng yf you doe in dede the withdrawyng of the syghte of this bodye shal bee no harme vnto you ye shall better see me beeyng absente with the iyes of faythe and thesame thing whiche ye nowe see my father dooe by me whiche doe faste cleaue vnto him all manner of wayes shall I dooe by you if you will cleaue to me by fayth and charitie Yea and I shall also more euidently extende foorth the mightie power of my godheade after that I shall remoue awaye from you this my manhead yea and moreouer whoso euer dooeth ioyne himselfe to me by true christen fayth like as I am naturally alwaie ioyned and neuer disseuered from the company of my father thesame persone shall also dooe greater thynges than I doe so often as the glorye of God requireth a miracle For as my father worketh nowe by me so shall I worke by you And because it is so expediente for the saluation of manne that I doe goe againe to my father ye shall succede me and by course enter into my roume concernyng the ministracion of the ghospell Nor this thyng shal onelye bee doen but what thing soeuer elles ye shall aske of my father in my name whiche shal appertayne vnto the prayse and glorye of my fathers name and myne that same shall I doe to the ende that by you also I maie bee glorified emong men as my father hath beene hitherto glorified by his soonne Let not my departure therefore trouble you whiche shall tourne to your greate commoditie and prefermente Than moste of all shall I bee youre ayde in al affayres and purposes whiche make for true health when as I shall take awaye from you this sielye body Onely aske the thing that you couete my father shall heare your desires and I beeing a continuall presente aduocate vnto him will bring to passe that what soeuer ye shall aske shall bee obteined for as he denieth me nothing whiche dooe no manner of thing that redoundeth not to his glorye so will I denye you nothyng so long as ye doe that whiche shall set forth the honoure of my name Forsooth my spirite shall put into your myndes what you ought to aske Thus to be greued with my going hence is no proufe of christen charitie for so men are dismaied when a frende remoueth whome they shall soone after forget If ye loue me truely as I dooe loue my father declare your charitie towardes me in very dede ye shall soothly and certainelye declare it if ye dooe kepe my commaundementes So shall it come to passe that as my father loueth me and denieth me nothyng In like wise shall he also loue you obeying my preceptes whiche be the veray commaundementes of my father Thus it is nedefull for the saluacion of the worlde that I doe absente my selfe from you And yet going awaie I wyll not leaue you desolate and altogether without coumforte But rather if ye abide firmelie in my loue and kepe my commaundementes I shall obteine of my father by praier after my returne againe vnto him that he which denieth me nothing shall sende you an other coumforter whiche after he be once sente shall not goe awaie from you as I nowe do concerning this manner of corporall presence I am pulled awaie from you but he shall continue with you for euer He shall be the spirite of me and my father whiche shall make you of carnall folke spirituall and he shall tourne this worldelye affeccion whiche ye nowe beare towardes me into an heauenlye loue he shall also with secrete inspiracions putte in you the treweth of all thinges whiche ye nowe vnderstande as it were but by a dreame and throughe a cloude This speciall pledge of me shall bee peculiar and propre vnto you For I haue all this while exhibite my selfe generallye and in common to eiuill and good leste anye mighte make excuse that he was not inuited to saluacion But this worlde whiche coueteth muche and gapeth for goodes that bee of the worlde and deceitfull cannot receiue that spirite beecause he is heauenlye and true And why can it not because it hath grosse iyes whiche deliteth and loueth not but grosse and earthlye thynges it seethe not hym nor knoweth hym for he withoute noyse beyng all whisshed and still tasteth in hymselfe to the secrete senses of the mynde if he fynde anye where a conueniente place to reste in But truelye you in case that the delusions and deceytfull thynges of this worlde beeyng despysed ye wyll folowe thynges that be good in deede and liue well you I saie shall then knowe hym because he will not onely come vnto you as I am come one that may bee seen but he shal also abyde continually with you nor he shall not in suche sorte be conuersaunte emong you as the aduocate is with his client but he shall inhabyte hymselfe in the secrete inner partes of your soules and shall toyne hymselfe as it were giued to your spirite that he maye become one spirite in all folkes and because he shal be as it were bred and planted in your hertes he shall accumpany and assist you in all thynges and the meane tyme shall not bee long ere this coumforter that shal be in the steade of me and my vicegerante shall come vnto you Wherfore there is no cause why your hertes should be discoumforted or afeard good children whom I haue perfeitly begotten and sumwhat framed with the heauenly doctryne of gods woorde and do nourishe you beeyng as yet but vnperfite and not fully taught vntill ye growe vnto the strength of the ghospell ¶ I will not leaue you coumfortlesse but will come to you yet a litle while and the world seeth me no more but ye see me For I liue and ye shall liue That daye shall ye knowe that I am in my father and you in me and I in you He that hathe my commaundementes kepeth thē thesame is he that loueth me And he that loueth me shal be loued of my father and I will loue him and will shewe mine own selfe to him Although I goe hence for a tyme and shal no longer liue a manne with men yet wyl I not leaue you in the meanetyme fatherlesse and without confortable succoure at my hande For I will cumine to you agayne before I returne to my father and I wyll shewe my selfe before your iyes and bee seene of you with a very bodye in dede but than not mortal to the entente that I maye aduaunce and bryng you from loue of the fleshe to the spirite for it were no great matter yf I should geue this my bodye to you alwaye to looke thereupon because euen the wicked dooe also beholde it to theyr damnacion within a whyle therfore I shal be out of the worldes syghte for death and the graue shall take me awaye frō the syght of worldly folkes Neuerthelesse I wyll see you again and
allege against the publishing of Goddes worde in the mother tongue and against the setting foorth of holesome and godly exposicions vpon the same is that suche bookes cause sedicion against the doctrine and than lay their facte to the doctrines charge This hath euermore hitherto ben the practise and conueighaunce not only of the Romish Pharisaical sorte but also of the auncient enemies of Goddes trueth euen from the beginning Neither haue this malicious generacyon euer as yet vsed any other way or coulour to deface the trueth to let the good proceding of Gods worde or to sliere and prouoke the indygnacyon of Princes and Magistrates agaynste the publishyng or agaynst the true preachers and teachers therof but onely by allegeyng that it wyll mooue sedicion and teache errour where in dede Goddes woorde is as ye would saye a perfeicte touchestone whereby to fynde out and to trye suche cancard stomakes as would fain rebelle moue sedicion and would gladly haue it so to bee For otherwyse a great wonder it were and a veraie straunge thing if the woord of God or this paraphrase or any other lyke godly exposicion of the ghospell whiche is in sense none other but the doctrine of Christ and of his Apostles should corrupt the readers or teache errour or moue sedicion God and his moste holy woorde is altogether peace vnitie concorde and perfecâ—e charitie Goddes woorde teacheth none other doctrine but peace humilitie subiection and so muche obedience to the Princes and Magistrates as the Romishe Babylonians would not by their good willes haue to be put in the heades and hertes of the ignoraunt people But this colour haue the enemies of Goddes woorde euermore vsed to suppresse the ghospell So did they by all the Martirs so haue they doen by the true preachers so did the olde Iewes by the auncient prophetes of God and so did the old Pharisees by Christ himselfe whose moste grieuous crymes were that he drew al the worlde after hym that he taught and sowed erroneous doctrine that he seduced the people and that he made hymselfe a kyng And the malicious Iewes layed to Paules charge that he begoonne to be a sedicious moouer of rebellion against Ceasar not that the thyng was so in dede but because thesame was a cockesure waie to make al obedient people hate the ghospell and to prouoke the rewâ—ers Magistrates to suppresse it But the lorde who of his mercifull goodnesse hath of late sent out the clere radiaunt sunnebeames of his holye woorde and veritie to shyne ouer all christen regions will I trust so continue the light of the same that the simple flocke shall bee hable to discerne the spirites of men liuely to know the vngodly maligners whiche by cauiling and deprauyng all good thinges dooe wrastie and strougle as muche as in them lieth to kepe the ignoraunte multitude in blidnesse In the meane time all the simple Englishe congregacion is bound continually to praye for your highnes that haue for theyr vse and behoufe procured the translacion of this present paraphrase vpon the ghospell of Mathew and vpon the residue of the newe testament wherby they may with a more coumfortable and pleasaunt readyng in theyr owne mother tounge bothe encreace from daye to daye in â—nowelage and also continually bee edified in true religion nouzeled in right opinions trayned in sincere doctrine and confirmed to walke in perferct innocencie and integritie of a true Christen lyfe accordyngly ¶ The preface of Erasmus vnto his paraphrase vpon the Gospell of the Euangelist Matthew To the moste victorious Emperour Charles the fift of that name Erasmus of Roterodame gretyng BEyng not ignoraunt Charles Emperour most victorious howe muche godly feare and reuerence also is of due congruence to be geuen partely vnto all holye scriptures whiche the holy fathers throughe the inspiracion of God haue left vnto vs and especially vnto that part of scripture whiche maketh an vpright and faythful relacion of suche thinges as the heauenly father eyther wrought in facte or spake in woordes for the health and saluacion of the whole world through his soone Iesus and being ferther priuie to myne owne vnwurthynes where not many yeares gone I first attempted to set hand to making a parahrase vpon Paules Epistles for the playner vnderstandyng of them which thing to doe came vpon me at that time of a sodain pangue euen of mine own mind I did no lesse then think myself to enterprise a veral bolde and presumpteous acte and an acte as the prouerbe sayeth of a right daungerous hazarde in so muche that after I had in one or twoo or three chapiters taken a prouf and assaye of the worke how well it woulde doe I was vttirly mynded to pulle downe my sayles againe and to surcease from the course that I had afore apointed to take vnlesse a wunderful consent of my frendes beyng men of lernyng had perforce constrayned me to procede with that I had begon Neyther coulde I for their most earnest desires â–ª be at any rest or quiet vntil I had fully ended and finished all that euer there was of the Epistles Apostolical whereas I had not taken in hand to medle but only with those epistles whiche without all controuersie or doubte were wryten of thapostle Paule It hath not at al tymes framed wel with me ne come to good ende when I haue ben ruled to doe thynges at the mocions instaunt pricking forward of frendes But yet in this thing neuerthelesse I was not a litle proude of my selfe that this my bolde auenturyng had come muche more happily to passe then was loked for as well for myne owne parte that was the maker to whome it purchased least enuie and grutche of men of al the wurkes that euer I wrote as also on the behalfe of all suche as are studentes and suters to atteigne to the philosophye of the gospell who doe euery man more then other geue me thaÌ„kes for that by meanes of myne industrious labour they haue to the better knowlage of thapostolicall wisedome eyther been moued and stirred vp or els furthered But whaÌ„ I had cleane dispatched myself of this great charge and taske I loked not that I shoulde at any tyme afterwarde haue any more to doe with this kynde of writing beholde the right reuerende father Mathew Cardinall of Sedune by whose aduise and instigacion I had afore made vp all thepistles canonical at what time I spake with him at Brurels to welcome hym into the countrey according to my duetie after his returne from the counsell whiche had than been holden at the citie of Wourmes eueÌ„ by and by at the first entring in talke with me euen lyke a man that had deuised vpon it afore begynneth to exhorte me that what I had afore doen vpon thapostolicall Epistles the same I shoulde also doe vpon the gospel of Mathew I on my partie anon made myne excuse by many thynges firste that it was alreadye an acte bolde and ouerbolde that I had
and true felicite Naye rather the more earnestly they laboured to cum vnto innocencie and felicitie as long as they trusted to mannes help strength the more they wer intangled with vice and filthy desyres Therfore yf the Iewes whom it behoued chiefly to accept and imbrace the thing that is offered vnto them beyng so often promysed and so longe loked for yf they alone neglect so greate godnes whiche is frely offered to all men and yf they had rather alone to lacke it than to haue it common with others they can impute their destruccion to nothyng but to theyr owne incredulitie and vnbelefe The sayinges and prophecies of the holy Prophetes prophecied these thynges chiefely for them They sawe Christe with their iyes workyng miracles they heard with theyr eares the doctrine of the gospell The kyngdome of heauen was preached first to them But trulye whosoeuer are wearye of theyr former lyfe as many as loue true innocencie and godly lyuyng whosoeuer desyreth true perfect and euerlastyng felicitie let them receyue this gospel this pleasaunte and mery tydinges with mery and cherefull hertes whether they be Grekes or Iewes or Romains or Scithians or Gallians or Britans Lyke as God is not only God of the Iewes but indifferently God ouer all and common to all lyke as there is one sunne whiche is common to the whole worlde so Iesus Christe the sonne of God came to saue all menne dyed for all arose agayne for all ascended into heauen for all and sente his holy spirite to all refusyng none neyther for diuersitie of stocke or of age or of kinde or of state or of lyfe Al the sinnes of the former life be drowned once by his death in holy baptisme And those sinnes be not imputed be they neuer so greuous for the cleansyng of whiche that blessed innocent once dyed so that the reste of the life be passed ouer after the rule of Christ that is to saye after the doctrine of the ghospell from the tyme of baptisme a man is iudged or taken to be a christian to the perfourmaunce of the whiche so high a profession he will graunt his fre succour and ayde and will graunte also plentifull rewarde to them that do perseuer vnto th ende He requireth of no man the burden of Moses lawe onelye he requyreth lyuely fayth the whiche maye redily beleue whatsoeuer is shewed and with a sure truste looke for that whiche is promysed The eternall veritie doethe not deceyue God the promiser disapointeth not Further mans lawe shall not nowe prescribe what is to be doen but Christian charitie shall playnly tell The booke of the generacion of Iesus Christe the sonne of Dauid the sonne of Abraham Abraham begat Isaac Isaac begat Iacob Iacob begat Iudas and hys brethren And hytherto we haue trulye delyuered vnto you the ghospell by mouthe and haue made all men partetakers of those thynges whiche we haue seene with our iyes and hearde with our eares Nowe because there is daunger this thyng beyng spred abrode daylye more and more leste the tellyng of it passyng by many mennes mouthes maye varye or elles leste the tale tolde by mouthe be not so well beleued as whan it is written in a booke and furthermore to thintent that the thyng that is written maye the more easily cum vnto all men than the voyce of the mouthe we shall comprise in this booke the summe of the whole matter so muche as shall be sufficient to the obteynynge of saluacion as the natiuite the doctrine the miracles the deathe and the resurreccion And fyrste of all we shall recite the geneologie and peâ—igree of Iesus Christe takyng oure begynnyng not from the highe heade but from Dauid and Abraham eyther for because the memorye of these twoo is verye ryfe and common and verye acceptable among the Iewes for theyr glorye is chiefly of Ahraham as of the autour and beginner of theyr nacion and Dauid the kynge beeynge so muche praysed by the commendacion of God styeketh the more in theyr myndes because the memorie of hym is yet but freshe and newe or elles because Christe whiche was looked for so many yeares was promysed chyefly vnto these twoo and that in the bookes and oracles of the Hebrues to whome euen those that be directly agaynste Christe gaue great credyt For in the boke of Genesis God speakethe vnto Abraham promysyng that in tyme to come there shoulde sprynge one out of hys stocke through whose free benefit not onely the nacion of the Iewes but also all the people of the whole worlde beyng receyued into the ryght and title and loue of chyldren shoulde obteine wyth Christe the felowshyppe of the kyngdome of heauen not by circumcision whych was not as than setforth but by the faythe of the gospel For thus saythe God vnto Abraham In thy seed that is to saye in Iesus Christe all nacions shall be blessed Further Dauid in the misticall psalmes speaketh thus Of the fruite of thy wombe shall I set vpon thy seat And this shall we doe chiefly because of the Iewes leste they beyng a rebellious nacion and harde of beliefe knowyng by the authoritie of prophecies whiche they sufficiently beleue that Messias whiche shoulde come was promysed maye make cauillacions and saye that there is an other sauioure to be loked for and that this is not he whome the scriptures promysed For many of them because their mindes be blinded wyth desires of worldly thynges not takyng aryght the sayinges of the Prophetes suche was theyr carnall and grosse affeccion loked for some myghtye and glorious kynge who being valiaunt with armes or hostes weapon riches and suche other defences of this worlde shoulde promote hys people to ryches honour and emperie and shoulde subdue the whole worlde to the dominion of the Hebrues But Christ althoughe he be lorde ouer all came not into the worlde to the entent to enryche wyth worldlye gooddes one nacion of the whyche he was borne as touchyng hys body that he toke but to the intente to auaunce all the nacions of the whole worlde vnto true ryches that neuer shoulde decay and to make them blessed euerlastingly wyth heauenly ryches to ouercum the tyranny of deathe by sufferyng and diyng to subdue enemies by gentill deseruinges to kill the monsters of vice and the rebellious prouocacions of concupiscence by the sweard of the spirite and they beyng once ouercum that fighte agaynst the spirite of God to geue vs of his own righteousnesse innocencie Finally by spiritual weapons to winne vnto vs a spirituall kingdome But these Iewes cannot haue hereafter anything to saye whan they shall see all thynges to consent and agre vnto hym whome we knowe to be come and constauntly preache thesame whyche thynges the holy prophetes inspired with the heauenly spirite had prophecied with a full consent and agremente so long before in holye bookes that is to saye the stocke the familie the manner of byrthe the lyfe the doctrine the myracles the affliccions the rebukes the
chylde And she shall beare a sonne not for the but for the worlde In the meane season thou shalt be called his father and thou shalt be the keper of the mayde rather than the housbande When the chylde is borne thou as the father shalt geue it a name not a name after thine owne fantasie but that name that God agreably vnto the thyng dyd destinate and appoynt vnto hym before the creacion of the worlde And thou shalte call his name Iesus that is to say sauioure for this is that same Messias desired loked for so many yeres who accordyng to the sayinges of the Prophetes shall deliuer all his people from theyr synnes not by the sacrifice of beastes but throughâ— his owne bloude And he wil not onely be content to geue freely this so great a benefyt but whan we are purged froÌ„ the synnes of our former lyfe he will geue vs also very perfect and eternall saluacion All this was doen that the thyng myght be fullfylled whiche was spoken of the Lorde by the Prophet saying thus Beholde a mayde shal be with chylde and shall bring furthâ— sonne and they shall call his name Emanuel whiche is by interpretacion God with vs. And surely none of all this matter is brought to passe by chaunce or fortune but by the decree and prouidence of god For the thyng that we shewe to bee doen the same in tymes past the lorde himselfe promised that he woulde do it speakyng by the mouthe of his prophete Esay and setting furth in fewe wordes bothe the straunge newnes and the greate fruite and profit of this concepcion Beholde sayeth he a virgin shall conceyue and bryng furthe And this is the straungenes of it for when was it euer hearde a mayden to haue borne a chyld without blemish of hir virginitie Nowe herken what is the fruite profite And his name shal be called sayeth he Emanuel which soundeth in Hebrue God with vs. For this only one shal reconcile his prople vnto god and where as he was offended and displeased he shall make hym fauourable and mercifull and beyng conuersaunt emong men he shall powre the moste aboundant goodnes of god in them and at last they hauyng knowledge and experience of his effectuall doctrine of the might of his miracles of his present efficacy and strength and of the vehemencie of his diuine spirite showyng it selfe after a new sorte in them that shall beleue they shall crie and not without a cause God is with vs. If thou acknowledge the prophecy as truely thou doest acknowledge geue attendaunce and honour to this mystery and kepe close this secrete priuitie Now whan Ioseph awoke out of slepe he dyd as the Angell of the lorde â—ad him and toke his wife vnto him and knewe her not tyl she had brought furth hir first borne soonne and called his name Iesus Whan the messinger of the hygh God had spoken these thynges Ioseph waking from slepe both merely and cherefully dyd obey the oracle He setteth aparte al his purpose of discorde and taketh his wife more nerely vnto hym that no man might suspecte any discorde or disagrement to be betwene theÌ„ And now he perceyuing that she was wholly dedicated vnto god of heauen doeth honoure in hir the godlye mistery nor dareth not touche hir whome god had taken onely to hymselfe He is diligent in seruice but he forbeareth to company with hir as hir husbande In the meane reason that heaueÌ„lye fruite waxeth ripe in the holy woumbe of the virgin whiche cummyng furthe at his time of his mother the virgin toke not away the integritie of his parente but did consecrate and sanctifye the same Further Ioseph as he was commaunded of the angell bearing the countenaunce of a father hitherto gaue a name to the chylde Iesus whan after the fashion of the countrey he was circumcised the â—yght daye The .ii. Chapter Whan Iesus was borne at Bethleem a towne is Iewrye in the tyme of Herode the Kyng beholde there came Magians from the Easte to Hierusalem saying Where is â—e whiche is borne the kyng of the Iewes For we sawe his starre in the Easte and are cum to wurship him HItherto ye see howe many thynges do accorde and agree with the godly sayinges of the prophetes He is borne of the same auncetours and of the same tribe and familie that the prophecy promised he should be borne Also the supputacion and counte of the wekes when Daniel prophecied that he shoulde cum dothe consente and agree Also the strange Natiuitie dothe agree in that that he was borne of a virgin without helpe of man And the name doth agree A Sauiour was promysed a Sauiour was loked for Iesus signifieth a Sauiour Furthermore the name of the countrey and of the towne doth answere to the fayth of the Prophetes for he was borne not farre from Hierusalem in a litle towne called Bethleem and that in the countrey of Iewry for there is a towne in Galile also of this name in the tribe of zabulon and he was borne in the time when Herode an Idumean by birthe and not a Iewe obteyned the Kyngdom ouer the Iewes that no man neded for to doubte but that now was the time that Messias should be borne the whiche Iacob the Patriarche many yeres before prophecied should cum to passe saying The scepter shall not be taken from Iuda nor a ruler from his thighe till that he cum which should be sent Truely this is he the holyest of all at whose entring all the anoynting of the Iewes ought to haue ceased and geue place Nowe ye shall vnderstande by what wonderfull meanes he began by litle and litle to be knowe to the world For he would be manifest open vnto all whiche came to saue all that bothe he might be knowen vnto good men to theyr saluacion that he myght take awaye from the wicked all excuse of ignoraunce He was promised chiefely to the Iewes he was borne of them he was firste preached vnto theÌ„ of the Angels syngyng glory on high vnto God and in the yearth peace emong men of good will The shepherdes beyng taught by the voyce of the same Angels told of the childe that was borne offered the first fruites of fayth at the maunger where the babe was borne By the secrete inspiracion of the spirite he was knowen of Elizabeth of Simeon Annâ— the prophetisse Firste of all he shewed himself vnto poore humble persones whom he knew to be most presâ—â— redy to receaue fayth For the proud woulde not lightly receyue him beeyng huÌ„ble nor the riche him being poore nor the stoute him beyng meke nor they that wer intangled with the desyres of this worlde woulde receyue him that was heauenly And because he was promised not to the Iewes only but also to the Gentiles yea to al the nacions of the world he would euen at the very entery of his begynnyng be knowen of them also to thinâ—ent he might declare and
this token ye shall knowe them that is to saye of the fruites which yf ye fynde in them to be euyl ye shall remoue them from the cure of the flocke and shall not receyue them into the kingdome of heauen nor couÌ„te them for Christians but for enemyes not to thintent to hurte them but to beware leste they hurte the flocke beyng myngled among them For there is nothinge more daungerouse than vngodlynes if it getteth faythe and authoritie thoroughe the false coloure of holynes ¶ Not euery one that sayethe vnto me Lorde lorde shall enter into the kyngdome of heauen but he that doeth the wyll of my father whiche is in heauen Many wyll saye to me on that â—aye Lorde Lorde haue we not prophecied in thy name and haue we not cast out deuils in thy name and doen many miracles in thy name And than wil I confesse vnto them I neuer knewe you departe from me ye that worke iniquitie All they that professe me onely with woordes shall not be counted worthie the kingdom of heauen for it is not the tytle that maketh a Christian man but the lyfe And I will not furthwith knowledge them for my disciples whiche saye vnto me religiousely Lord Lord when in dede they serue diuerse other lordes that is to saye Mammon and ryches the belly and ambicion Whom therfore shall I thinke worthy the kingdom of heauen Them that haue vtterly refused worldly desyres and hartily do obey the will of the father which is in heauen whose will I preach vnto you For whatsoeuer I teache you it cummeth from him And truly my name shal nothing profite them which lacke my spirite and workes specially in that daye whan rewardes shall be appointed accordyng vnto euery mannes desertes not by mans iudgement whiche oftentymes dothe fayle but by the iudgement of god and the shepe shal be secluded from the goates so that those thynges shal not profite them whiche nowe seme amongest menne a certaine godly thing and passing the doinges of manne For than when they shall see euerlastyng life prepared for them whiche folowyng the doctryne of the ghospell haue declared themselfes to be my true disciples and agayne when they shall see euerlasting punishmente prepared for them that shall be remoued from the companie of the godlye many beeyng sore aferde shall come and desire nowe to be knowen of God where as they haue counterfeited before menne the chiefe and moste excellent disciples of Christe and preachers of the ghospell and they shall saye vnto me Lorde knoweste thou not vs thy seruauntes Haue not we prophecied in thy name haue not we chased a waye diuels in they name haue we not reised vppe dead menne in thy name haue we not put awaye poysons and diseases in thy name haue we not wrought other wonders in thy name and by these dedes glorified thy name we haue declared vs to be thyne by so many argumentes and tokens nowe doeste thou not knowe vs Than shall they heare this answere of me Truely I neuer knew you no not than when ye dyd these thinges I hearde you say lorde lorde but I neuer perceiued in you the harte of faithfull seruauÌ„tes I heare muche speakyng of my name but I neuer felt my spirite in you I heare of myracles whiche wer doen in my name but I heare not of those speciall fruites by the whiche the true disciple of Christ is knowen Wherefore seyng that than when ye did set furth your selues amongest menne in my name ye were not myne in dede but vnder the coloure of my professyon ye serued the â–ª dyuell departe nowe awaye from me and goe vnto hym whose spirite ye haue receiued and whose wyll ye dyd obey What title or name soeuer they have yf they weorke vnrighteousnes they shall not be partakers of my kyngdome ¶ Euerye one therefore that heareth these wordes of me and doeth thesame I wyll lyken hym to a wyse man whiche buylt his house vpon a rocke and a shower of rayne fell and the floudes came and the windes blewe and berie vpon the house and it was no ouerthrowen because it was grounded vpoÌ„ the rocke And euerye one that heareth of me these wordes and doth them not shall be likened vnto a folyshe man whiche builte his house vpon sande and a shower of rayne fel and the floudes came and the windes blewe and bette vpon the house and it was hurled downe and the fall of it was great But lyke as the fruyte of the tree can haue no good taste vnlesse the roote haue good iuyce So the buyldyng be it neuer so gorgiouse high and galaunte outwardelye shall not be sure vnlesse it be stayed vpon a sute and sounde foundacion He that hath my spirite that is to saye a sincere affeccion regarding nought elles but the glorie of God he is a tree of a good roote So he that stayethe not vpon the vayne thynges of this worlde but vpon the true good thynges of the mynde and doeth continue constantly in the same he verye polytikely buildeth the buyldyng that neuer shall falle Therefore whosoeuer heareth my woordes not heareth onely but reposeth them inwardly in his harte to thintente he maye expresse in his deedes that that he hath learned I saye that he is lyke a manne both wyse and politike who to thintente he maye buylde a sounde and sure buyldyng firste of all he deuiseth and loketh for a sounde and a sure foundacion whereupon he maye sette his buyldyng to endure agaynst all tempestes of wethers For in a calme wether euery buyldyng standeth safely but the winter proueth the soundnes of the buyldyng Some tyme aboundaunce of rayne falleth downe and beateth vpon it Sometyme the fluddes increased with rayne all to shake it with greate violence Sometyme the burlyng of the wyndes beateth agaynste it and beeyng beaten and layed at by so many wayes it standeth styll and moueth not Why so Because it standeth vpon a sure foundacion The buylder dyd foresee all these thynges and therfore he sette it vpon a sounde rocke throughe whose ayde it neded nothynge to feare all those assaultes Agayne whosoeuer hearethe my woordes and hearethe them onelye and dothe not repose them in his hearte nor expresse them in his dedes is lyke vnto the rechellesse buyld whoe not foreseynge the stormes and tempestes settethe hys buyldynge vpon the sande whyche is a foundacion euer fletyng and fayling and nothyng trusty Afterwardes falleth aboundaunce of rayne the violence of ryuers runneth vpon it the storme of windes runneth agaynste it and the house is leused and plucked vp from the foundacion and fallethe downe with a great crashe Why so Because the buyldynge was goodly and gaye to see to but it stode vpon an vnprofitable foundacion Therefore your principall chiefe care and consideracion must be of your foundacion fasting almesse prayer simple apparell finally myracles be lyke a gay building But if the minde of hym that dothe them loke after vaine praise of men
diuyne power by manifeste sygnes and wonders to be opened to the worlde that he attribute it not to the spirite of Beelzebub Wherfore thys I assure you whatsoeuer is done by woorde or dede shall be remitted vnto men so that they repente them God doeth easyly forgeue that whiche by anye meanes is veniall and pardonable by the reason of frayltye of mannes nature But yf any man speake blasphemye against the spirite of God whose manifest power he seeth of hys playne weorkes he shall scarcely fynde pardonne and forgeuenes And whoso speaketh blasphemy agaynst the sonne of man whom he despyseth for the weakenesse of hys fleshe he shall bee pardoned because errour and ignoraunce mixte wyth hys dooyng dothe exclude peruerse and set malice But whoso speaketh blasphemy agaynst the holye ghost shal vneth obteyne pardonne and forgeuenes eyther in this worlde or in the worlde to come This thyng spake Iesus to thyntente he woulde feare the Phariseis from theyr obstinate frowardnes because whan they sawe and perceyued that those thynges whiche he dydde coulde not bee doene but by the spirite and the myght of God yet they moued with enuy resisted the glory of god and ascrybed his miracles vnto Beelzebub whose spirite they saide wroughte in Christe Whan after common reason saieth he the free is knowen of the fruite why do ye blame the tree sythe ye cannot but allowe and commende the fruite â–ª The miracles whyche I worke ease and releue the miseries of menne they hurt no man they be not done for vayne ostentacion and glory or for gaine and lucre but to do good and to healpe No man can deny but thys is good freely to doe for them that be in affliccion Why therfore saye ye that that which is good of it selfe cummeth from Beelzebub who by your owne iudgement is al naught If ye wyll hyde the blindenesse of your myndes ye muste speake thynges that may stande together nowe the thynges whiche ye speake agree not together after the common iudgemente of menne Therfore eyther make the tree good and his fruite good or els make the tree ill and his fruite ill Either grauÌ„t that I am moued wyth a good spirite wheras ye graunte that my workes bee good or els saye that my workes be ill that your â–ª saiyng may appere probable where ye saye that I haue the spirite of wicked Beelzebub And yf my doynges be suche that ye muste nedes coÌ„fesse that they be good ascrybe not good thinges to an ill authour Ye kinred of vipers yll men springyng of yll paâ—entes coniecture and iudge ye by your selues Do ye not speake euen as ye be and dooe not your weorkes declare what spirite ye haue Ye enuy the glorye of god and falsely blame his spirite From whence cummeth so pestilente fruyte but of an euill tree For as it can not bee that a wylde tree shoulde bryng furth gentiâ— fruite and that a tree of poysoned iuyce shoulde bryng furth holsom appulles euen so how can ye speake well syth ye be yll For as the fruite taketh hys taste and verdoure of the iuyce of the roote so communycacion ryseth of that whiche is hyd in the harte lyke as a good manne bryngeth furthe good thynges oute of the good tresure of his harte so the yll man bryngeth furthe yll thynges out of the euyll tresure of hys harte Whose harte is replenished with godlines and charitie they speake wordes whiche sauour of that that is in the harte Whose harte is replenished wyth enuy pryde and auarice they vse suche communycacion whyche by the mouthe doeth vtter the affeccion of the harte Menne shall be esteined before god not onely of theyr dedes but also of theyr woordes An ill thought is pestiferouse and noysome onely vnto the thynker but yl talking doeth powre out the poyson of the harte emongest many The tonge therfore muste bee rescayned not onely from outragiouse blasphemies from â—aolding rhiding and backbityng and vncleanly communicacion but vtterly from all thinges wherof cummeth none honeste profite or commoditie Yea I saye vnto you that man shall render a count in the day of iudgement not onely for filthy talkyng but also for euery vayne idle and vnprofitable worde that they shall speake For theyr wordes also shal be taken and accounted for dedes Of thy wordes eyther thou shalte be iudged good yf good woordes issue out of a good harte or thou shalte be condemned as vniuste yf yll woordes issue out of an yll harte And here vnderstande ye the perfecte iustyce of the kyngdome of heauen far passyng the iustice of Moyses lawe For that lawe punysheth onely the manifest blasphemye agaynste god here shall be punyshed also anye reuylyng or taunte agaynste thy neyghhour and not only the noysome and perilouse saying but also the idle and vaine woorde For that whiche is vnprofitable on the tree is the burden of the tree and not the fruyte and therfore it is noisome because it occupieth the time and the eares of the hearer without any fruite or profite whereas the tounge is geuen for this intent that therwith we should profite our selues and our neyghboure and that with this member we should celebrate and magnifye the glory of God Than certayne of the Scribes and Phariseis asked hym saiyng mayster we will see a sygne of the but he aunswered and sayde vnto them The euyll and aduoutrous generacion seketh a sygne and there shall no sygne be geuen to them but the signe of the prophete Ionas For as Ionas was three dayes and three nyghtes in the whales belly so shall the sonne of man be three dayes and three nyghtes in the harte of the yearth The men of Ninyue shall arise in the iudgement with this nacion and condemne it because they amended at the preachyng of Ionas Beholde here is one greatter than Ionas The quene of the south shall ryse in the iudgement with this generacion and shal condemne it For she came from the vtmoste partes of the worlde to heare the wisedome of Salomon And behold in thys place is one greater than Salomon Certayne of the scrybes and phariseys whan they had hearde these thinges dissemblyng the rage of theyr myndes go vnto Iesus with more gentyl woordes as though they woulde nowe beleue him yf for theyr sake he woulde shewe sum miracle worthye and meete for them and also for hym who chalenged to hym the spirite of god and had alwayes in his mouthe the heauenlye father Maister ê™ they we whiche bee not of the common sorte but learned men desyre of you to see sum notable sygne from heauen whiche maye declare that ye be derely beloued of god and that ye doe that thyng whiche ye do by his power and myght But Iesus knowyng theyr subtill thoughte and obstinate malice whiche required a sygne for none other intent but to take a newe occasion thereby falsely to accuse hym chiefly sithe it is more easye to pycke a quarell at those thynges whiche bee shewed from heauen than at
false cloke of godlynes whiche is the very poyson of true godlines ¶ Whan Iesus came into the coastes of the citie which is called Cesaâ—ea Philippi he asked his disciples saying Whome doe men say that I the sonne of manne am they sayde some say that thou arte Iohn the Baptiste some Helias some Hieremias or one of the noumbre of the Prophetes He sayeth vnto them But whome say ye that I am Symon Peter answered Thou arte Christe the sonne of the liuing God And Iesus aunswered and sayde vnto hym happie arte thou Symon the sonne of Ionas for fleshe and bloude hath not opened that vnto thee but my father whiche is in heauen And I saye vnto thee that thou arte Peter and vpon thys rocke â–ª I will buylde my churche and the gates of hell shall not preuayle against it And I will geue vnto the the keyes of the kyngdome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou byndest in earth shall be bounde in heauen and whatsoeuer thou looceste in earthe shal be looced in heauen Here when Iesus came into the coastes of the citie called Cesarea whiche Philippe the Tetrarche so named in the honour of Ceasar folowing his brother Herode whiche chaunged the name and called that Cesarea whiche beefore was named the tower of Straton he thoughte to proue howe muche his schollers had profited by hearing so muche communicacion and by seeing so many miracles and whether they had any higher or better opinion of him than the vulgare sorte Therefore he demaundeth of them saying whome doe men talke that the sonne of man is They say some say that he is Iohn the baptist For so the Herodians suspecte Some say that he is Helias because he was taken vp they suspect that he doeth appere now according to the prophecie of Malachy Some say that he is Hieremie because he was a figure of Christ and that it was sayde of hym Beholde I haue set thee thys day ouer nacions and kinges to plucke vp and to distroy and to plant which in dede should be fulfilled in Christ. Iesus hearing these to th entent he would gette out some more certayne and hygher profession sayeth ye ê™ he whiche shoulde knowe me better who say ye that I am Here Symon Peter as he loued Iesus best as the chiefe of the Apostolicall ordre aunswered for them all Thou arte very Christe the sonne of God aliue not speaking of suspicion but professing certainely and vndoubtedly that he was Messias pronused of the Prophetes and the sonne of god after a certayne singuler manner Iesus delighted with this chereful and substaunciall profession sayde blessed art thou Symon the sonne of Iohn The affeccion of man taught thee not this word but the heauenly father put it in thy minde by a secret inspiracion For no man hath a worthy opinion of the sonne but by the inspiracion of the father â–ª which only knoweth the sonne And I agayn lest thou shouldest adourne me thankelesse with suche a noble testimony assure thee of this that thou arte very Peter that is to say a sound and a sure stone not wauering hither or thither with sundrie opinions of the vulgare sortâ— vpon this stone of thy professyon wil I builde my churche that is to saye my house and my palace whiche beyng sette vpon a sure foundacion I will so fortifie that no power or strengthe of the kingdome of hell shal be hable to beate it downe Sathan will come vpon you with many engines he will rayse a coumpany of wicked spirites against you but through my defence my buyldyng shall stande imprennable onely lette thys sure and sounde profession abyde The kyngdome of heauen is the churche the kingdome of the deuil is the worlde Of thys no man nede to bee afearde so that he bee Peter that is to saye lyke vnto thee And the keyes of this heauenly kyngdome I will deliuer vnto thee For it is meete that there he bee firste in auctoritie whiche is firste in the professyon of the faithe and in charitie And truely this kingdom of heauen is in earth but it hath to do with heauen wherof it doeth depende Wherfore he that is entangled with sinnes doeth belong to the kingdome of hell nor can not enter into the kyngdome of heauen But he shall enter yf he professe that whiche thou doeste professe and be losed from his sinnes by baptisme and so through thy leading and thy opening of the gates he shall enter into the kingdome of heauen This is my peculiar and proper power to forgeue sinnes but thys power I will geue vnto thee after a maner that that whiche thou shalte lose with my keyes receyued of me vpon earth before men shal be losed also in heauen before God On the other side that which thou shalte binde in earth shall be bounde also in heauen for God will allowe thy iudgemente cummyng from hys spiryte ¶ Than charged he dis disciples that they shoulde tell no man that he was Iesus Christe From that tyme forthe began Iesus to shewe vnto his disciples howe that he muste goe vnto Hierusalem and suffer many thinges of the elders and hye priestes and Scribes and muste be killed and raysed vp agayne the thyrde daye And whan Peter had taken hym asyde he began to rebuke him saying Maister fauour thy selfe thys shall not happen vnto thee But he turneth him aboute and sayed vnto Peter goe after me Sathan thou â—yndeâ—eâ—â—eme for thou sauerest not the thinges that be of God but those that be of men Whan Iesus had spoken these thynges he commaunded his disciples that they should as yet kepe this godly opinion of him secret with themselues nor open it to others that he was Messias For first the sacrifice of the croâ—se must be accomplished and the veritie of his manly nature declared and further by his resurreccion and the holy ghoste his diuinitie muste bee declared For although the voyce and sentence of Peter was praysed of Christ as the seÌ„tence of them whiche nowe began to profiâ—e and spring vp by little and little vnto thinges of more perfeccion yet they dreamed of a certayne kyngdome â–ª not vtterly vnlyke a worldely kingdome And therefore Iesus darkely and as in a riddle promised vnto Peter the ryght of the keyes but he delyuered them not by and by For as yet he was not mete to vse them as yet he was not suffycyently taught with the instruccion of the holy spirite And therefore Iesus calleth them backe to the mystery of the crosse and of hys deathe by the whiche misterie that kingdome must be prepared the deuil once ouercome and sinnes abolished that they mighte bee the lesse troubled in their myndes whan they should se thinges chaunce which they knew should come to passe a litle after They desyred rather to glory in the mightie and high sonne of the liuing God but no man can truely glory in hym but he whiche is not offended with hys humilitie and lownes Iesus therefore began to prepare
was replenished with geastes After this Iesus because he had shewed before that the Iewes shoulde be greuously punished whiche afflicted the apostles callyng theim so often and at length killed them declareth also that they shal be sore punished whiche once professing the lyfe of the ghospell returne againe to the filthines of theyr olde lyfe The king ê™ he went in to see the geastes sittyng at the table and among others he sawe one there which had not on his weddinge garment Frende ê™ he how camest thou in hither sith thou hast not thy wedding garmente But he beyng put to shame was dumme and had nothing to say Than the king commaunded his seruauntes that they should binde him handes and feete remoue him far from the feast and caste him into great darkenes where is weeping and gnashing of teeth the honour and the lyght of the feaste beyng chaunged into a vile pryson great pleasure beyng chaunged into great torâ—ment Further though many be called yet few be chosen al be called freely buâ— none be chosen but they that obey their calling and they that vnto the â—ude answere vnto the goodnes of God towardes them continuyng in the study and loue of the euangelicall godlynes Than went the Phariseis and toke counsell how they might tangle him in his wordes And they sente furth to hym theyr disciples with the Herodians saying Maister we knowe that thou art true and teachest the waye of God truly neither regarded thou any man nor thou haste respecte of persones Tell vs therfore howe thy likest thou Is it lawfull that tribute be geuen to Ceasar or not And Iesus perceyuing their malice sayed why tempt ye me ye Hipocrites Shewe me the tribute money and they toke hym a denarie and he sayed vnto them whose ymage is this and superscripcion They sayed vnto hym Ceasars â–ª Than sayed he vnto themâ— Geue therfore vnto Ceasar the thynges whiche are Ceasars and vnto God those thynges that are goddes Whan they had heard these wordes they meruayled and left hym and went awaye Whan the Iewes perceyued that they were touched with these parables they were not yet moued vnto penaunce insomuche that nowe they mused in theyr myndes nothing els but howe that Iesus myght be killed So great a mischiefe is enuy and ambicion They had a wyll to murdre but they lacked oportunitie They feared not God the reuenger of suche mischifes but they feared the people They thought therfore to goe a contrary waye and to doe the thyng with suche secrete vndermining that the enuy of the dede should redound and reste vpon Ceasar and his officers Therfore for the tyme they dissembled theyr anger and went awaye But consulting among themselues it was thought good that certayne should be subornated and setforth to propose a question vnto Iesus and to take hym in his answere and to bryng hym into the princes daunger that by them as beeyng giltie of treason and the author of sedicion he myght be putte to death the Phariseis hauyng nothyng to doe with the matter And theyr inuencion was this Whan Iewry began now to be tributarie to the Romaynes king Herode the sonne of Antipater was made officer of August to gather the tribute And of this thyng euery man had not like opinion for some thought it not meete that the people dedicate vnto God should pay tribute to prynces that were Idolatours And in this opinion were they whiche helde with the Phariseis Agayne there were sum the fauorers of Ceasar which saied that tribute ought to be payed the mainteners of this opinion were called Herodians because Herode was the officer to gather the tribute A lytle before there were two Theudas and Iudas which whilest they did defende openly that the Iewes a people dedicate vnto god ought no tribute to any prophane prince were put to death like sediciouse persones Now the Phariseis trusted that Christe fauoring religion more than Ceasar beeyng prophane and wicked woulde pronounce and iudge according to his accustomed libertie against the Herodians that tribute should not be payed to Ceasar and furthwith by them should be accused vnto Herode and should be punished like as Theâ—das and Iudas were before And yf he had pronounced that tribute shoulde be payed than they woulde haue layed to his charge that he had flattered wycked prynces and not fauoured gods religion Therfore they doe subornate and sende furth certayne of theyr disciples whiche the Herodians beyng presente with a great numbre of men that the thing should not lacke witnesses colourably with fayre speakyng should entise him into theyr net So great was theyr blyndnes that the thyng so often attempted in vayne they would not rest Neyther be they ashamed of theyr inconstancye nowe calling him maister where before they layed to his charge that he was possessed with the spirite of Beelzebub And they commende his libertie that he should not feare to offende the Herodians Maister ê™ they we knowe that thou art true thou flatterest no manne thou liest nothing But thou doest teache with great libertie the pleasure of god not the phantasye of men For thou fearest no mortall man and regardest no person Tell vs therfore what ye thynke Is it leefull for the people of Iewes whiche is dedicate to the religion of God to paye tribute vnto Ceasar or no And shall we geue it hereafter or no But Iesus to shewe that theyr craftye flatteryng could not deceyue him so ordered his aunswere with woonderfull wysedome that he endaungered hymselfe to neyther of the faccions but monished them what dyd moste appertayne vnto their saluacion that is to pay vnto God the high Prince the tribute of godlynes Ye Hypocrites ê™ he why do ye tempte me Shewe me a coyne of the tribute For they went about to catche Iesus in his woordes He agayne catcheth them in theyr answeres Therfore they shewed hym a Denaâ—ie whiche had the Image and name of Ceasar And to declare that he came not for this purpose to make lawes of these thynges whiche pertayne nothyng vnto Godlynes and the whiche for the tyme maye be well or yll doen when he sawe the coyne as though he knew no suche letters nor Images who went onely about heauenly thynges he asked whose title and Image it was Aunswere was made Ceasars Than sayed Iesus Rendre therfore vnto Ceasar yf any thing appertaine vnto Ceasar but firste of all rendre vnto God the thynges that appertaine vnto God meanyng that it is no hurte to godlines if a man beeyng dedicate to God doe geue tribute to a prophane prynce although he owe it not desiring rather to be obedient than to prouoke and stirre him chiefly in that thyng whiche maketh a man poorer but not vngodly Otherwise yf he doeth exacte that which maketh vs vngodly it is not nowe the tribute of Ceasar but of the deuill When they had this aunswer they marueyled Firste because they perceiued that their suttell deuise was not hid from
be restored to her owne body The whiche as soone as it shall bee doen whosoeuer shall belong to this holy felowship and sticke constantly vnto me shal be translated with me vnto euerlasting life to be partakers of felicitie which were felowes and partakers of affliccyons After they ye haue taughte these thynges yf they beleue the thinges that ye haue taught yf they repent them of their former lyfe if they be ready to embrace the doctrine of the ghospell then dippe them in water in the name of the father the sonne and the holy gost that by this wholy signe they may trust themselues to be deliuered from the filthines of al theyr sinnes freely through the benefite of my death and nowe to be chosen to the number of the children of God Lette no manne be circumcysed let no manne bee baptized in the name of Moyses or of any manne Let them all knowe to whome they be bounde for their health vpon whome they oughte wholy to hang. Let them not bee burdened with the ceremonyes of Moyses or of manne Lette this token be sufficient for all menne that cumme to the profession of the ghospell whiche is easye to bee had in euery place But leste any manne myghte thinke it sufficient to saluacion once to be baptysed and to professe the faythe of the ghospell they must be taughte agayne by what meanes they may kepe theyr innocencie by what meanes they may goe forwarde to perfeccyon of the euangelicall godlines I haue omitted nothyng whiche may make to the obteining of euerlasting health And that heauenly spirite whiche ye shall receiue will not suffer you to forget that whiche ye haue learned of me Therefore whatsoeuer I haue commaunded you deliuer ye the same to be kepte of them I haue not prescribed vnto you the ceremonies of Moyses law whiche like shadowes must now vanishe away at the light of the euangelicall trueth I haue not prescribed vnto you pharisaicall constitucions but those thinges whiche onely bringeth true innocencie and godlines and whiche onely maye make you derely beloued of God and truely happy Therefore teache these thynges to them that professe my name not onely in woorde but also in life as I whatsoeuer I taught I perfourmed it in dedâ— Whiles ye be doyng of these thynges and whyles ye bring mortall menne to heauen the worlde will ryse agaynste you lyke as it rose agaynste me For my spirite agreeth not with the spirite of thys worlde and my doctryne is wholy agaynst the affeccions of them whiche loue the thinges that be of this world They will ryse agaynste you with greate tumultes but there is no cause why ye nede to distrust though ye be but lowe and abiecte vnlearned weake and fewe I haue ouercome the worlde and ye shall ouercome through my helpe by mynâ— exaâ—mple Ye shal ouercome through my might and not your owne whatsoeuer is terrible in this worlde ¶ And loe I am with you alway vntill the ende of the worlde And although I shall take vp this body into heauen because it is so expediente for you yet I wil neuer forsake you For after that I shall ceasse to bee with you in body than I shall be more effectually with you in my spirite And I will be with you vnto the worldes ende but whan the worldes ende shal be it profiteth not nor behoueth not you to know In the meane season do what is commaunded you euer ready agaynst that daye Whiche whansoeuer it shal come than ye also your mortalitie layed aparte shal bee wholy with me felowes of my fathers kyngdome whiche shall neuer haue ende FINIS To the most excellent and vertuous princesse quene Catherine wyfe to our moste gracious soueraigne Lorde Henry the eyght Kyng of England Fraunce â–ª and Irelande defendour of the faythe and of the Churche of EnglaÌ„d and also of Irelande in earthe supreme heade Thomas Key her dayly Oratoure wisheth perpetuall felicitie AMoÌ„ge the innumerable benefites whiche we haue receiued of almighty God most worthye and excellent Princesse there is none in myne opinioÌ„ for the whiche we are more bounden vnto his merciful goodnesse then for that it hath pleased hym more clearely to illumine vs of this age with the knowledge of his holy woorde then our forefathers and elders For who knoweth not how long this realme hath bene miserably seduced through ignoraunce of the Scriptures Who euen amonge the vplandishe perceyueth not what intollerable abuses haue bene vnder pretence of true religion and Godlynesse mayntayned in this Churche of Englande tyll suche tyme that God of his infinite mercy sent vs a newe Iosias by whose righteous administracion and Godly policie the light of Gods worde that so many yeares before was here extincte began to shyne agayne to the vtter extirpacion of false doctrine the rote and chiefe cause of all such abusioÌ„s This Iosias is our mooste redoubted soueraigne Lorde Kyng Henry theyght a Prince garnished with so many excellent gyftes of grace nature Fortune that he is in very dede therfore mooste worthely called the perfite mirroure pearle of all Christen Princes To wade here in the prayse of his princely qualities noble actes atchieâ—ed to Gods honoure and the publique weale of this realme is not my purpose for that I knowe it to be an enterpryse farre exceadyng the compasse of my symple learning and barrayne eloquence But onely to declare howe muche we are bounden chiefly vnto God and nexte vnto his moste excellent Maiestie that we haue the Scriptures in our mother toÌ„gue are cured of our olde blindnesse by the medicine of veritie For nowe hauing our spirituall iyes opened and daily receyuing into the same the cleare light of Gods worde we begyn to see perfectly to knowe our onely sauiour Iesus Christ whome to knowe is euerlasting lyfe and saluacioÌ„ But so longe as the saide Scriptures were hyd and kept from the knowledge of the people fewe knewe Christ aryght and none lesse then they who appeared to be the chiefe professours of christian religion For what els is it to knowe Christ but to knowe and confesse that of him onely and by hym cummeth oure saluacion that by hâ—moure good dedes are acceptable vnto almyghty God the father that by him the fathers wrathe is appeased that by him we be enfraunchised from the captiuitie and thraldome of the deuell and to be shorte that by hym we are adopted and chosen to be the children of God and enherytours of the kyngdome of heauen Whoso knoweth Christ aryght surely beleueth to attayne saluacioÌ„ by him onely who saythe Cum vnto me all ye that do trauaile and are charged and I shall refresh you The very office of Christ is to saue therfore he was called by the high wisdome of God Iesu that is as muche to say as a sauiour because so saythe the angell in Mathew he shall saue the people from their sinnes So that it appeareth hereby how greatly they are deceiued that thinke
with a long corde and layed hym at the feete of Iesu nothyng doubtyng but that he of his great mercie and goodnesse woulde help the selye wretche assone as he once cast those his pitifull iyes vpon hym and beheld how he laye in his bed lyke a quicke karkas impotent and benummed in all his lymmes Iesus sawe this miserable person euen before he was broughte vnto his presence and knewe right well the great faith of those that brought hym He could if it had liked hym without leauiÌ„g of or breaking his tale haue sygnified his pleasure vnto them by whom he had luste in this wise Let the sycke of the palsye aryse and beyng sodainly healed cary home his bed again But his will was to shewe al men there present that piteous sight and also to declare of what great strength and efficacie true belief vpon hym is wyth almighty God the father The disease was vncurable and of long continuaunce the cummyng to Christe very cumberous And yet the gracious goodnesse of the lorde ioyned with lyke power put them in a sure hope to obtaine theyr request Wherfore after he sawe theyr notable fayth the more he perceyued the man to be diseased in soule then in body the more pitye and compassion he toke on hym Euery man thought hym in a miserable case that thus lacked the vse of all his membres but more miserable was his soule beeyng in subieccion and bondage of sinne They loked after nothing els but that the poore wretche should be restored to perfite health of body which was a thing farre aboue mannes power But Iesus beyng highly pleased with so notable a faithe and therfore willyng to make hym all and in euery part whole turned vnto hym and sayed Sonne thy synnes are forgeuen ¶ But there were certaine of the Scribes sittyng there and thinking in their hertes Why doeth he speake these blasphemies Who can forgeue sinnes but God onelye And immediately when Iesus perceiued in his spiâ—ite that they so thoughte within themselues he sayeth vnto theym why thinke ye suche thynges in your heartes whether is it easier to saye to the sicke of the Palsey thy synnes be forgeuen thee or to saye aryse take vp thy bed and walke But that ye maye knowe that the sonne of man hath power in earth to forgeue sinnes he spake vnto the sicke of the Palsey I saye vnto thee arise and take vp thy bed and get the hence vnto thine owne house And immediately he arose tooke vp the bed and went forth before them all in so muche that they were all amased and glorified God saiyng we neuer sawe it on this fashion There were present in that assembly certaine Scribes who for the knowledge they had in the scriptures were neuer the godlyer and better in theyr liuyng but rather more enclined to surmise matiers agaynst hym They had learned of the bokes of the Prophetes and Moses that it perteyneth to God alone to pardon sinnes For the priest dyd not release sinne but made intercession vnto God for other mens offences and that not withoute sacrifice Because the Scribes knewe this right well they had suche secrete thoughtes imaginacions with themselues What newe saying is this that he speaketh whiche neyther Moses nor Aaron nor any of the auncient Prophetes durst presume to speake For he sayeth thy synnes are released Trulye he is a blasphemous person against God that thus taketh vpon hym gods power The law coÌ„mauÌ„deth sum offeÌ„ces to be punished with death And other sum there are for the whiche satisfaccion is made with burnt offerynges and diuers other kyndes of sacrifices by the mediacion or intercession of the priest But he passyng nothyng vpon suche rites and ceremonies doeth at once forgeue all sinnes with bare worde of mouth This thing that he taketh vpon hym and promyseth pertayneth not to manne It lyeth in Goddes power alone to perfourme it Surely they were offended with the imbecillitie and weakenesse of his manhode that they sawe and therefore coulde suppose nothing of hym aboue the state and condicioÌ„ of man Neyther had the vulgar people any greater opinion of him whiche yet by reason of theyr simplicitie were not so muche enclined to pycke quarels as the other were The spirite of this worlde putte those thoughtes in theyr myndes who whyles they stacke harde to the litterall sence of Moyses lawe were farre froÌ„ the spirite and true meaning thereof and were somuch the more vnapte to be taught thesame because thei thought themselues very well skilled in the scriptures in somuche that thesame thyng hath here also place and is verified whiche we see chaunce among paynters and singing men who are wonte to take lesse for teachyng of one that is altogether rude and ignoraunt in theyr arte or science then for him who hath ben euell enstructed of an other mayster in the same and the reason is because in teachyng of the ignorant there is but one labour to be takeÌ„ whereas yf a man take vpon hym to instruct the other as it is the firste so is it the more paynfull labour to teache hym to forget what he hath learned before then to teache hym And these vngodly thoughtes they of a certain worldely pollicie kepte in theyr stomakes for feare of the people in whose presence they muche aduaunced and magnified themselues for their greate knowledge vnderstandyng The Lord Iesus who rather desyred to declare his diuine power by deedes then to vtter thesame by wordes because he woulde plainly shewe vnto the Scribes howe there is nothyng so closely hydde in mennes brestes be they neuer so suttle and craftie that his holy spirite which searcheth and throughly seeth all thynges knoweth not tourned him vnto them and as though they had spoken out those thynges whiche they inwardlye thought in theyr myndes sayed in this wise Why haue you suche slauÌ„derous imaginacions in your hertes why do you rather iudge me by this weake and feble body of myne then by my deedes Why do you not gather of these my workes which you see with your iyes and cannot deny that those thynges are of trueth whiche can in no wyse be sene with your corporall iyes you are offended with me because I sayde Thy synnes are forgeuen and deme it to be a vayne saying and of none effect because you see not the efficacie therof whiche putteth forth and sheweth it selfe in the soule of man But you that haue your bodely iyes whole and faultlesse haue spirituall iyes faultie and blemished What yf I speake like wordes vnto the other and make the efficacie therof appeare vnto your iyes Is it not then reason that you beleue the thyng whiche you see not beyng thereunto enduced by the thyng you see There is nothing that man can easelyer do then speake and contrarilye there is nothing so harde as to perfourme what is spokeÌ„ God alone caÌ„ as easely do the one as the other And though hytherto he neuer gaue this power to manne yet it
nature leaueth a place for the obtaynyng of forgeuenesse But he that blasphemouselye hath spoken agaynst the holy gost shall neuer obtayne pardon That man speaketh blasphemy agaynst the holy gost who being hardened and obstinate through malice ascribeth those workes vnto the spirite of Beelzebub which he seeth plainlye cannot otherwyse be done then by the spirite of God Erroure and ignoraunce are pardonable But howe is it possible that a purpensed malice againste the goodnesse of almightye God prouokyng vs to saluacion shall get anye pardon at all The weakenesse of mans bodye shall excuse suche blasphemy as is committed against the sonne of man But to ascribe goddes power the whiche plainelye apppeareth in my dedes to the healthe and saluacion of mankinde vnto Beelzebub the enemy of God is a kynde of blasphemye for the whiche no amendes or satisfaccion can be made These wordes spake Iesus vnto them defending the fathers glorie and nothing in the meane whyle passyng vpon his owne He meant that theyr offence myght be better excused and borne withall whiche had an euill opinion of hym as his kynnesfolkes and cosens had who sayed He is becum furious and prepared cheynes to binde him withall then the wickednesse of the Phariseis who of a certaine vncurable malyce ascribed those woorkes vnto the spirite of Beelzebub whiche they coulde in no wyse fynde faulte with nor say but they were worthye to procede of God They yet perceyued not the diuine nature that was in Christ. For he would not as yet haue it vttered and knowen Certes God hath oftimes by vertue of his holy spirite and the ministery of good liuers wrought miracles willing therfore to be glorifyed among men Now yf any man not by reason of ignoraunce but of very malyce do ascribe suche miracles vnto the spirite of Beelzebub then is his peruerse and malicious naughtines past all hope of amendement Wherfore they might haue bene excused yf they had sayde that Christe had bene nothing els but a man or that he had bene no kyng nor Messias But in that they depraued and spake yll of his workes they offended God and his holy spirite in asmuche as the spirite of god can worke by whome soeuer it lusteth Nowe when they sawe so manye myracles merueylousely wrought the people glorify God so manye holpen of theyr infirmities so many deliuered of vncleane spirites so many turne from viciouslyâ—ing to a godly desyre to lyue well and vertuousely after the ghospell and that by the preaching of Christ yet they obstinately sayde he hath a deuill and not the spirite of god ¶ There came also his mother and his brethren and stode without and sent vnto him to call hym out and the people sate about hym and sayed vnto him behold thy mother and thy brethren seke for the without And he answered them saying who is my mother and my brethren and when he had loked rounde aboute on his disciples whiche sate in compasse about him he sayd beholde my mother and my brethren For whosoeuer dothe the will of God the same is my brother and my syster and mother After the Lorde Iesus had with these and many other wordes defended the glory of the heauenly father against the wicked blasphemy of the Phariseis and imbrayded the Iewes with theyr obstinate and incorrigible vnbeliefe which they perseuered in notwithstanding that thorow faith alonly al synnes are â—ewsed and forgeuen in the meane time there befell occasion for him also to declare that in the high ministracion of the ghospel there ought no regarde at all to be had to humayne affeccions the whiche in other mattiers to be muche moued by is counted a thing prayse worthie and right commendable For there came vnto hym his kynsfolkes in companye with his mother who because there was no way for them to entre in for prease of people stoode without and theyr voyce passyng from man to man came vnto them that sate aboute Iesus who shewed him howe his mother and brethren were cum and desyred to speake with hym There were sum euen among his nere kinsemen whiche had an euill opinion of him yea and many of them supposed he had bene out of his witte Yet they thought by reason of kinred they might lawfully at any tyme when they woulde call hym oute to speake with them The Lorde to teache vs that the busynesse of the gospell whiche was done by the spirite of the father for mans saluacion and goddes glory ought not to be left of for any affeccions humayne aunswered as though he had been angrye and in a great fume saying who is my mother and who are my brethren and kinsfolkes In this busynesse whiche I haue now in hande I knoweledge no fleshlye kyndred The ghospell hath a spirituall kinred of frowne the whiche ioyneth together mens mindes with streighter bondes then doth the other theyr bodyes And when he had loked round about on his disciples who sate in compasse nexte hym as he was teaching he sayde Behold these are my brethren and my mother As the ghospell maketh a new birth so doth it also a new kinred For whoso beleueth the gospel and therein obeyeth the wil of my heauenly father although he be not only fardest froÌ„ me as touching kinred of stocke or familie but also the strangest alyaunte that is to all oure nacion thesame is my brother the same is my sister the same is my mother For this kynred is not estemed after the degrees of bloud but by degrees of the spirite I acknowledge none to be of my kinred except he be borne afresh of the heauenly father through fayth and then as a very naturall sonne doe obeye his father when he calleth hym to euerlasting thinges As euery man will in moste perfecte wise perfourme this so shall I take him for my nerest kinseman The .iiij. Chapter ¶ And he began againe to teache by the sea syde And there gathered together vnto him muche people so greatly that he entred 〈◊〉 ship and sate in the sea and all the people was by the sea syde on the shore THerefore Iesus forsoke the house which bare the figure of the Sinagoge wherin he was blasphemed of the Phariseis and interrupted throughe thimportunacie of his kinsfolkes and eftsones went vnto the water as one that desyred the large roume of the Gentiles He is ofte times expelled of the Iewes he maketh oftetimes a foresigne that the gospell shal be tranâ—sted from the Iewes vnto the Gentiles For as longe as he was in the house that is to saye in Iewry very few did sticke vnto hym none but those onely whome he calleth his brethren his systers and his mothers Many muttered againste hym many rayled vpon hym very many lay in wayte for him his nerest kinsfolkes of all interrupted him in his teachyng Iesus loueth no suche houses He loueth a multitude not the standeth in theyr owne conceyte as the Phariseis did not that vseth to backebite and make yll report of
instauntlye that he woulde not sende them awaye oute of the countrey AS this teÌ„pest hath taughte vs that all trouble and businesse whatsoeuer the world woulde stirre vp agaynst the gospell oughte by the ayde of Christe to be suffered with constaÌ„t courage of mynde and that such trouble should at one tyme or another be turned into greattest tranquillitie and quietnes So folowed therein coÌ„tinent a figure whereby was fignified that there should be in summe partes of the world so vplandishe and cruell people that they woulde at the fyrste brunte by reason of their naturall crueltie refuse and abhorre the doctrine of the gospell and yet should it cum to passe in processe of tyme that they also shoulde waxe ientle or cyuille and louingly receiue the swete yoke of the lorde after they once knewe it Wherefore assone as this storme was alayed whyche fygured the storme of persecucion that princes should stirre vp raging againste the gospell Iesus and suche as accompanied hym arriued on the other side of the water That countrey was called the countrey of the Gerasites of a famous town of Arabie named Gerasa ioynynge vnto mounte Galaad in the tribe of Manasse not farre fro the lacke or sea of Tiberias For nowe the Lorde Iesus maketh a foreshew of the brutishe and cruell barbarousnesse of certayne nacions of whome it maye be doubted whether they deserue to haue the name of men or no yet is there none so fierse and saluage crueltie that we ought to despaire of Wherfore after that Iesus was cummen out of the shyppe and entred into this countrey by and by he sawe a sight whiche playnly declared the maners and naturall disposicion of that nacion For when he was hearde cummyng there starte out a certayne felowe vexed with a spirite of passinge vnclennesse and crueltie This wretched creature woulde not come where as any resorte of people was but liued in solitarye places lurkynge and hydynge hymselfe in dead mennes tumbes that were by the highe waye syde Neyther was there any that assayed any more to bynde hym because he had bene ofte tymes bounde before and alwayes plucked the cheines asunder and brake the fetters in pieces Neyther was there anye violence that could so reclaime hym but that he beyng in case not able to rule himselfe would gad abrode at libertie whithersoeuer the wicked finde enforced him to go For this cause he was vnbound and wandered vp and downe both night and daye among dead mens tumbes and in wylde mountaynes criyng and beatyng himself with stones Nowe yf anye reken this to be as it is in verye dede a miserable and a terrible sighte lette him considre with hymselfe how muche more miserable a sighte in the iyes of almighty god is he that hath nothyng els of a man but the name onely He I say that is marde and caste a waye through riottous liuinge woode vpon harlottes madde vpon the dise and besyde himselfe by reason of dronkennes a brauler a robber or praye taker a breaker of the peace a violent felowe suche a one as can neyther be restrayned by Goddes lawe ne mannes neyther let and brideled from his sensuall wilfulnes by any shame reuerence or feare bolde to doo what hym lyketh who for small wages is hired to go to what warfare soeuer it be to sley and murder suche as he knowethe not and neuer dyd hym harme to burne vilages and good tounes to rifle churches and fynallye to destroye all that euer holy is or not holy Put hereunto periuries blasphemyes and inceste with the whiche vices suche leude ruffians as are of this sorte be well acquainted Put hereto treasons and poysonynges with the practise of arte Magike or Sorcerye and then shalte thou euidently perceiue howe muche lesse was the furye of the man thus vexed with the deuill then of this wretched and vnthriftie caytife But what Ought we to despayre of suche a one No truely yf it maye chaunce him at anye tyme to see Iesu. He is sene by faith For when the same wretched felowe at the noyse that the straungers made was come out of his denn violently to assault them according vnto his accustomed maner anon as he had afarre of espyed Iesu he drawen with an heauenly power and sodaynly chaunged ranne vnto hym and wurshypped him And straight wayes the fiende began to cry with a loude voyce by the mannes mouth and saye What hast thou to do with me Iesu the sonne of the higheste God I require thee by the name of God that thou tourmente me not For Iesus voyce was vnto that deuill a tourmente because he sayde Thou foule spirite departe out of the man So greate was the malice of the deuill that it was the greatest tourmente to him that might be if he nowe â—â—lde no lenger be suffered to vexe and tourment the sely wretche He felt Iesus voyce effectuall and almyghty the whyche he was constrayned to obeye vnto whether he would or no. Nowe I reporte me to you whether there be not lyke affeccion of mynde in suche as be extremely malicious persones who haue a great delyght to do other menne harme yea thoughe it be to their owne displeasure And yf they be restrayned from theyr wilfull desyre so that they can not be suffered to dooe what mischief they woulde then are they sore vexed in mynde Iesus demaunded of the foule spirite what was his name The spirite made aunswere my name is Legion because we be manye Thou knowest good reader that thys worde Legion is a worde or terme of warre whiche implyeth a foule rablement of ruffions confedered together to destroye meÌ„ But no power of a multitude preuayleth agaynst the might of Iesus He as easelye puttethe a Legion to flight as one man Then that capitayne deuill who spake for all the reste greatly besought Iesus whome he acknowledged to be his conquerour that he woulde not cleane exile hym out of that countreyâ— O peruerse malice of the deuil He desyreth not forgeuenes nor any other benefite whereby he maye be in better ease He countethâ—t a pleasure and benefite if he maye be suffered there to continewe whereas moste occasion is for hym to do harme Euen as thoughe a sorte of snap haunses set all on mischiefe enforced by a greater power of the prince and commaunded to breake garison or forsake theyr hold and fortresse would make this peticion We desire no wages but only that your grace will suffer vs to raunge abrode in the countrey and robbe and reaue at our owne peryll But ther was there nigh vnto the mountaynes a great heard of swyne feedyng and al the deuilles besought hym saying sende vs into the hearde of swyne that we maye enter into them And auon Iesu gaue them leaue and the vncleane spirites went out and entred into the swyne And the bearde was caryed headling into the sea They were almoste two â— and were drowned in the sea And the swineheardes fled and tolde it in the câ—ie and
Iewes who by reason they counted the TyriaÌ„s and Sidonians for dogges and abhominable people woulde not haue suffered him to haue translated and had awaye the doctrine of the ghospell vnto them Wherfore beyng there he vsed not to be conuersaunt in open and common places as he was wont to be among the Iewes but went into a house as though he had bene desyrous to kepe hymselfe secrete and vnknowen Albeit he coulde in no wise so do So greatly had the fame of his wordes and dedes spred abrode and stretched forth it selfe euen beyonde the bondes and lymites of Iewrye as though it had then deuised to ouerrunne the whole worlde In this wise is the glorye and prayse gotten by leadyng a godlye lyfe after the ghospell best of all spred abrode when that of it owne accorde it foloweth hym who exchueth and shunneth thesame For a certain woman of Canaan as this rumour was bruted and noysed abrode of Iesu came oute of the coastes of her countrey and anon conceiuing a greate confidence of hym hasted her to the place where he was and being with muche a doe let into the house fell downe at his feete This womanne was not of the Iewishe but of the heathen religion not a Iewesse borne but a Syrophenisse Here thou seest a fygure of the churhe whiche anon after should be assembled and gathered together of the gentiles The Iewes droue Iesu out of theyr countrey but thys Syrophenisse forsoke her countrey and wente to mete him It is but lost labour to cum to Iesu vnlesse thou haue first forsaken thyne olde vices beyng now familiar and of houshold with the. Thou must flitte out of thyne owne house to th entent thou mayest cum vnto the house where Iesus abydeth This woman had a daughter at home vexed with an yuell spirite by the whiche daughter are vnderstand the people geuen to ydolatrie Wherfore she desyred Iesu that he woulde vouchsafe to delyuer her from the spirit How muche perfyter was the fayth of this heathen woman then of the ruler of the synagoge Iesus because he woulde make the faythe of this woman more apparaunt to all men shaped her an aunswere as though he had bene of a Iewish minde saying suffre the children first to be filled It is not besemyng that I take the breade of the children and caste it to dogges For the Iewes do glory and make theyr vaunte that they alone be the children of God and esteme the gentiles who are of a contrarye relygion to theyrs for dogges He calleth the vertue of the ghospell bread whiche by the heauenly doctrine and pure faythe healeth all diseases and expelleth all kynde of diuels out of mennâ—s sowles The woman nothing offended with this rebuke tourned his woordes into an argumente to obtayne her peticion the whiche he spake as it semed because to shake her of that she shoulde make no further suyre and requeste vnto him herein Thou sayeste very well sayeth she Lorde We heathen people haue not disdain at the Iewes that they as children doe honorably sit at the table of theyr exceding rythe father and eate theyr fyll of the holye loaues But yet dogges are permitted to eate the crummes whiche fall downe vnder feete from the childrens table Iesus as though he had bene ouercum with so great faith pacience humblenesse of minde and constancy of the woman answered and sayd By reason of this answere thou obteyneste that perforce whiche it was not yet tyme for me to geue the. Get the home thy daughter is nowe deliuered of the spirite The woman gaue credence vnto his wordes and so departed thence with greate ioye and gladnesse and proued all thinges true that Iesu tolde her For she founde her daughter at reste in her bedde nowe cleane deliuered from any further vexacion of the fiende Assuredly the faythe of the mother enforced Iesu to heale the daughter Assone as the euill spirite is once put to flighte then folowethe there incontinent quiet of minde and conscience For that euer foloweth innocency cleane life So at this daye the congregacion of godly folkes resorteth vnto Iesus and maketh intercession for suche as are no lesse vexed with Idolatrye ambicion wrathe couetousnesse and a furious desire to make warre then yf they were vnder the thraldome of some foule spirite The Iewes thoughte it not beseming that they whiche a litle before were enforced to doe all mischiefe at the will and pleasure of diuels shoulde so daynlye throughe the grace of the gospell be receyued to the dignitie and felowship of the children of God and the cause why was by reason they perceyued not howe this high preeminence oughte not to bee estemed by consanguinitie or kinred but by feruentnesse and constancye of faythe towardes the Lorde Iesu. Christe was promised vnto the children of Israel and to the posteritie or successours of Abraham But they are the posteritie of Abraham which folowethe fayth of Abraham They are the children of Israel which require not heauen gates to be opened vnto them for theyr merites sake but goe aboute violently to entre in by force of an euangelike faith For Israel is as muche to saye in the Hebrue tongue as a man strong or valiaunte againste god For when the Gentiles who before tyme were blemished wyth all kindes of vices and had no good dedes at all whereby they mighte make anye iuste title or clayme vnto the kingdome of heauen were by the iustice of God cleane excluded and shut oute then brake they in by the windowe of mercye and made themselues a waye in by constaunte faythe as it had been with some toole or weapon violentlye breakynge vp the walles of the same kingdome The time was not yet come that they shoulde be openly called to the felowship of the kingdome of heauen but yet the Lorde maketh many foresignes of theyr vocacion as one desirous to preuente the thing whiche he chiefly desireth ¶ And he departed agayne from the coastes of Tyre and Sydon and came vnto the sea of Galile thorow the middes of the coastes of the ten cities And they brought vnto him one that was deafe had an impediment in his speache And they prayed him to put his hande vpon him And when he had taken him aside from the people he put his fingers into hys cares and did spit and touched his tongue and loked vp to heauen and syghed and sayde vnto him Ephatâ— that is to saye be opened And strayghtwaye his eares were opened the string of his tongue was lewsed he spake playne And he commaunded them that they should tel no man But the more he forbad them so muche the more a great deale they published saying He hath done al thinges well he hath made both the deafe to heare and the dumme to speake After this sede was priuely and as a man would saye by stealth so wen amonges the Tyrians Sydonians and Cananites the Lorde reculed and wente agayne vnto the lake of Galile leauinge Sydon
father had better hope and comforte then he had before and declaring the great desyre of his minde with teares and weping sayed I beleue lorde and yf my belefe be vnperfite healpe thou my weakenesse ¶ When Iesus sawe that the people came â—unnyng together vnto him he rebuked the soule spirite saying vnto hym Thou dumme and deafe spirite I charge the cum oute of him and enter no more into hym And the spirite when he had cryed and rent hym soore came out of hym and he was as one that had beeâ— deade in somuche that many saied he is deade But Iesus caught his hande and lift him vp and he rose And when he was cum in to the house his disciples asked him secretly why could not we caste him out And he saied vnto them this kynde can cum forth by nothyng but by prayer and fastyng In the meane season the people came runnyng together on euery syde to see this sight When Iesus sawe they were come for his wyll was to haue them all to bee witnesses of the miracle then putte he furthe that almyghtie voyce wherwith he calletth to life again when it pleaseth him euen the dead He threatned the foule spirite to handle hym accordyngly vnlesse he would incontinente departe saying Thou deafe and dumme spirite I charge the to gette the out of the man and that thou neuer from henceforthe enter into him again Iesus is in a fume with the spirite because he may shewe mercye vpon the man geuyng vs a lesson what we ought to doe in healyng of sinners A man must so rebuke vice that he may seme to loue the soule health of the person And because we should knowe that man laboureth speaketh in vayne vnlesse Iesus speake with hym by his secrete vertue and power the disciples commaunded the spirite to go out but all was in vayne because Iesus was awaye He is awaye so oft as our fayth is colde and wauering by the which fayth his wyll is that we obtayne all thynges What was doen at the emperious voyce of Iesu By and by the spirite went out But to the entent it should appeare that he wente out agaynste his wyll he cryed and vexed the sely wretche very sore at his departure For nowe laye he vpon the grounde for dead in somuche that many sayed he was dead in dede Thou seest here a figure of a peniteÌ„t person and him who turneth from great and accustomed synnes to amendemente Nowe hathe the hatred of synne delyuered hym from synne howbeit he is at the next doore to desperaâ—ion whoso both knowleageth his owne filthinesse also hath gods iustice in remembraunce But yet lyeth he happily deade that is deade to synne For then remaineth there nothyng elles but that he begyn to lyue agayne to righteousenesse And this benefyte geueth also our most bounteous sauioure Iesus without whome there is no safetie He caught the felowe by the hande and lifted hym vp as he laye in this traunce and furthwith the same who before seemed deade recouered hys former strengthe and throughe the benefite of Christe rose vp stronge and lustie But vnlesse Iesu had nowe geuen hym newe grace to leade a godlye lyfe it had been to no purpose that he was deliuered from the dyuell at the contemplacion of his fathers fayth Nowe heareth this deafe manne whiche before had his eares stopped with worldely lustes agaynst the doctryne and woorde of the gospell Nowe speaketh this dumme felowe who before was tongue tyed speachelesse by reasoÌ„ of the passions and wilfull pangues of the fleshe Nowe is the same at rest and quiet who before styred with the furious rages sumtime of sensualitie and pleasure of the body sumtime of ambicion â–ª desire of worldly aduauÌ„cemeÌ„t others whiles of wrath nowe of enuy nowe then of couetousnesse was as it had been rauished and caryed by the constraynte of sum vncleane and violente spiriâ—e All these thinges saw the Apostles and saied nere a worde for that they durst not interupt the lorde The Scribes also helde their peace being now assured by the thing selfe howe it was not by reason the name of Iesu was vneffectuall and vertulesse that this felowe was no sooner ryd of the spirite but for the weakenes of fayth And as it chaunced vnto this yonge manne bodely so chaunced it to the Pharise is spiritually They were not healed of their sinnes bicause they beleued not the woorde by the onelye vâ—rtue wherof they mighte haue been healed But when Iesus was cum into the house the disciples now beyng with him alone asked him what was the cause why they could not cast out the deuyl syth they had afore cast out so many in his name For they were disquieted in mynde with a certayne humayne carefulnes leste they had vnwares offended the Lorde and by that meanes loste the power whiche he once gaue them to worke miracles Iesus who is not wont to take awaye agayne what he hath once geuen but to encreace the same yet wyll not he haue his gyftes negligently kepte and after a rechelesse sorâ—e and nowe hath he sufficiently declared in the father of hym that was healed how weaknesse of fayth was the only impediment why the deuyl wente not forthe the whiche faythe was not as yet so strong in the disciples as it ought of congruence to haue been Iesus I saye aunswered that there was a certayne speciall kinde of dyuels which coulde not otherwyse be expelled then by praier and fastyng For these be the two engynes which are of moste force agaynst wicked spirites For by prayer the strength of fayth is renued and quickned as it chaunced vnto the yonge mannes father who sayed Lorde helpe my vnbeliefe And by fasting bycause it contayneth a certaine forbeatyng of all carnall pleasures the rebellion of the fleshe is subdued He muste haue a cleane spirite himselfe whoso goeth about to caste out vncleane spirites of other Iesus and the thre disciples were newly retourned from prayer The reste of them kepte compaynie with the multitude and dyd neyther faste ne praye and for that cause were not able ynoughe to caste out a dyuell whiche had so faste holde and was so familiar The more the trust of our selues encreaseth in vs the more the power to worke miracles decreaseth The more the power of the fleshe is mortified in vs the stronger is the holy goste by whose onely power soule spirites are expelled We muste therfore ofte tymes praye that the strength of fayth may in vs be encreased we muste also mortifie our fleshe continually to th entent that the spirite of Iesu Christe may liue in vs. To be shorte Christe doethe nowe prepare his disciples againste that houre when they shall be commaunded to watche and praye leste they fal into temptacion But because they toke a nappe after supper the weake fleshe had the vpper hande ¶ And they departed thence toke their iourney thorow Galile and he would not that any man should know
it For he taught his disciples sayed vnto them the sonne of man shal be deliuered into the handes of men and they shal kil hym and after that he is kylled he shal arise agayne the thyrd daye But they wyst not what he sayed and were afâ—ayed to aske him And he came to Capernaum â–ª And when he was cum into the house he asked them what was it that ye disputed among youre selues by the waye And they held theyr peace For by the waye they had reasoned amonges themselues who shoulde be the chiefest And when he was set downe he called the twelue to hym and sayed vnto them yf any desire to be firste the same shal be laste of all and seruaunt to all And he toke a chylde and set him in the myddes of them And when he had taken hym in his armes he sayed vnto them whosoeuer receiueth any suche chylde in my name receiueth me And whosâ—euer receiueth me receiueth not me but him that sâ—ut me These thinges doen in maner before rehearsed Iesus beyng accompaignied with his disciples began to take his iourney to Iewrywarde who pryuily and as it were by stealth passed through the countreye of Galile not because he feared death whiche in dede he moste feruentlye desyred but lefte he should haue semed to prouoke the priestes and Phariseis to coÌ„spyre his death before the tyme appointed This outwarde apperaunce of feare shewed he because he would cleane delyuer his disciples from all feare and also declare the weakenesse and frayltie of the nature whiche he had taken vpon hym As he went by the waye he repeted vnto them thesame thing whyche they had diuerse tymes hearde hym speake of before For he sayed as foloweth That must nedes cum to passe whiche I haue so oft tymes told you the sonne of man shal be delyuered into the handes of men to be taken condemned mocked scourged and slayne â–ª You must make your selues readye in mynde against the cumming of these thinges whiche vndoubtedly be at hande But it is vnpossible for any of you so to doe vnlesse thesame be free from all worldly affeccions and be also stablished with the strength of the spirite I knowe that the mingyng of death troubleth you very sore But you must be of good comforte and take mennes hartes vnto you I wyll not long forsake you For I will be aliue agayne on the thirde daye The disciples were so dull and feble wytted that they vnderstoode not these wordes not withstandyng they were plainly spoken supposyng there had been sum darke mysterie in them because it came to theyr remembraunce how they had been sumtymes before deceiued with suche figuratiue manour of speakynges as when they were commaunded to beware of the Phariseis leuen Neither could they yet conceiue in mynde the misterye of the crosse nor gesse for what purpose he would be slayne yf he would soone after his death relyue agayne syth that he who canne relyue when hym luste can also yf it please hym not dye at all Therfore albeit they were greatly offended with these woordes yet durste they not aske hym any question feared with them sample of peter who to his displeasure questioned with the lord herein For they heard Christe say vnto hym Go after me Satan They yet sauoured of the worlde for goddes determinacion was to be reconciled to mankynde pardoned of all his offences thorowe fayth by the sacrifice of an vnspotted lambe The disciples dreamed vpon a certaine worldly kingdom and therfore as they trauayled by the waye they fell a reasoning among themselues who shoulde haue the premâ—â—nence and vpper hande in the kyngdome of God whiche they hoped should very shortly begyn They sawe a litle before howe the three disciples were preferred afore the reste in goynge vp to the Mountayne they sawe howe Peter had the preeminence when the keyes of the kyngdome of heauen were deliuered and yet sum of theym were his auncientes yea and besydes that kynne vnto the Lorde When they were cum to Capernaum the Lorde asked them aparte what was the matier whereupon they reasoned secretlye betwene themselues as they went by the way But they holding theyr peace and ashamed to make hym an aunswere for they knewe well that he being the authour of all modestie and humblenesse of mynde would disalowe this theyr ambiciousnesse Iesus because he woulde cleane wede oute of theyr myndes this moste damnable and naughtie affeccion sate him downe as one that woulde teache sum earneste mattier with authoritie and commaunded theym all twelue to cum vnto hym and then sayed If any of you desyre to be the fyrst or chief man in the kyngdom of heauen the same shal be laste and seruauÌ„t to all so far wyde is it that the kyngdome of heauen ought to be estemed after this worldly kyngdome And anon because he woulde the depelyeâ— fasten this doctrine in their myndes he called vnto hym a litle childe and sette hym in the myddes of them And when he had embraced hym signifying therby howe muche he defyed proude persons and loued suche as are humble and meke in spirite then sayd he vnto them Do you see this lytle babe what is more abiect and vile after the estimacion of the worlde yet they that are suche in humblenesse of minde simplicitie and godly lyuing as this is in age those doe I set moste store by For reason wyl that I loue them best whiche be lykest vnto my selfe This prerogatiue is not estemed by riches reuenues power statelynesse and violence For suche as haue these thinges as they moste resemble heathen princes euen so are they highliest estemed of thesame Lyke as earthly kynges beleue that they are eyther honoured or dishonoured in theyr great estates so in this Euangelike kyngdome I thinke my selfe to be eyther honoured or dishonoured in suche lytle babes whome the worlde setteth naught by because of their innocencie simplicitie and humblenesse of minde If you know any to be more humble and low then I am hym counte ye for the chiefe manne in the kyngdome of heauen But yf ye fynde none then take you me for the very soueraigne And as euery man moste resembleth me in conâ—â—mning of those thinges whiche great men sue for in princes courtes so iudge you hym to be the moste soueraigne persone Therfore whoso receyueth one of suche litle babes in my name the same receiueth me For it reioyseth me to be receyued in those whom I loue as them that are lyke me Agayne whoso receyueth me beyng lowest of all men after the estimacion of the worlde receyueth not me but hym that sent me For as the maister is honoured or dishonoured in the scholers so is the father lykewyse dishonoured or honoured in the sonne By these wordes Iesu toke not awaye authoritie from suche as be prelates and haue the charge or ouersyght of the Lordes flocke but plucked out of the disciples myndes all desyre of worldly auauncement For the lownesse of this sorte of
enioyned that euery seuenth yere it should bee rested from tillyng of the yearth ▪ neyther any thyng to bee requyred of thesame sauyng what it woulde bryng forth of it owne selfe He gaue ferthermore a tradicion of a yere called the restorer of the fyrste state of libertie vnto whiche of the propertie of the thyng was geuen the name of Iubilee emong the Hebrewes This yere of Iubilee came about in course agayne after vii tymes seuen yeares and was euermore the fyftieth for seuen tymes seuen maketh x.ix And this yere of Iubilee was moste hertely to bee wished for of all the Israelites that eyther with bonde seruice or els with debte were any thyng oppressed But like as the sabboth of Moses refreshed mennes bodies onely with beeyng at reste and quiete so did the seuēth yere onely prouide for the resting of the yearth from tillage But nowe there is shewed vnto your knowelage a perpetuall sabboth neuer to bee interrupted or broken in whiche the mynde and soule beyng free vacant from all troublous vnquietnesse of eiuil desyres ought wholly to attēde to the quiet applying and exercise of heauenly thynges and not now with pensife earefulnesse to prouide altogether for yearthly thynges forasmuche as to them that loue God no manier thyng at all is wantyng Yea and moreouer the Iubilee of Moses did not helpe any others but onely the Israelites it gaue neither free deliueraunce ne yet full deliueraunce yea and thatsame veray thyng whiche it did geue extēded no ferther then to the bodye and enduted but for a shorte tyme. But this yeare of the Lorde dooeth vnto all persones whosoeuer are endebted to the deuill through synne whosoeuer bee as bonde seruauntes subiecte to euill spirites whosoeuer through ignoraunce of the trueth are blynde whosoeuer bee in all kyndes of naughtinesse so farre paste that they are vnhable to euery good worke vnto all suche dooeth this Iubilee of the Lorde bryng perfecte free remissiō deliueraunce or libertie sight health and complete perfeccion in euery behalfe So muche the more therfore ought ye with prompt zeles and endeuoures to enbrace that is offered For the thyng that ye haue hearde promised by the prophecie ye maye now if ye wyl in the dede selfe fynde to be true Ye haue hearde it with your eares but ye haue nede of readie and desyrefull hertes yf ye wyll bee apte to receyue so great a blissefulnesse It is euen the highest thing that possibly maye bee wherof this free offre is made vnto you But woe vnto them that shall despyse the bountifull gracious goodnesse of God so wyllingly offreing it selfe vnto them It is the yeare of Iubilee freelye offreyng deliueraunce and saluacion vnto all suche as with mekenes of submission and with readinesse of beleuyng shewe theimselfe wylling to bee taught and apte to receyue healing But after this yeare of Iubilee must succede and folowe the yeare of retribuciō and redresse which shal adiudge and ministre euerlastyng peynes in hell vnto all suche as shall haue refused the goodnesse of God By these woordes dyd the Lorde Iesus in an humble and sobre manier signifie hymselfe to bee thesame man of whom the Prophecie of Esaie did make promysse whereas the mooste parte belieued the sayed place of the Prophete not to concerne Messias but to concerne Esaie hymselfe For whan Iesus was in baptisyng the holye ghoste slydyng downe from heauen in the visible likenesse of a doue and lighting vpō his heade did all the people to wete that thissame was euen veraye he whome the prophecie had ment of Enoyntyng betokeneth a certayne mylde and ientill still thyng For there is nothyng more ientill supple or caulme then oile wherof was euen that name Messias geuen him which is in Greke Christon in Latine Vnctum in Englyshe the enoynted For as for the preachyng of Iohn it was sharpe and soure and full of threatyng but Christe did with mildenesse with courteous familiaritie and with beneficial good turnes continually moue and praye the people to receyue saluacion Whan Iesus dyd with moste highe auctoritie and no lesse myldenesse speake and treate of the premisses many had him in great estimacion therfore and merueyled at his talke beyng veray ferre vnlyke to the talke of the Pharisees that is to wete caulme mylde and meke amiable poudred with muche grace hauyng in it no spice of haultnes or pryde no poynte of soure looke or presumpteous takyng vpon hym and yet neuerthelesse of suche sorte that it conteyned in it condigne auctoritie For the woordes of the Pharisees because they issued foorth from an hearte corrupted with ambicion with auarice with enuie and with many other naughtye affeccions did moste tymes smacke of the spryng that they gushed out of But the wordes whiche proceded from the mouthe of Iesus because they welled foorth from a brest replenished with the heauenly spirite of God were not onely amiable and swete vnto all good folkes but also piththy and effectuall towarde saluacion Yet neuerthelesse some there were emong these Nazareans in whose myndes and opinions the meanesse of Iesus kynred and familie that he came of to the outwarde acceptacion of the worlde made the auctoritie of the heauenlye doctrine to bee the lesse regarded For in consideracion that they euery one dyd yet all this while beleue hym to bee the sonne of Ioseph and Marie and that the slender habilitie and substaunce aswell of Ioseph and Marie bothe as also of theyr aliaunce and kynsfolkes was not vnknowen in consideracion also that they hadde seen hym many yeares euen from his chyldehood to had learned at noue other schoole sauyng onelye his fathers occupacion of carpentrie ne at any tyme to had haunted the schooles of the Pharisees and of the experte lawiers who taughte the misteries of the holye scripture bookes with muche highe solemnitie and haultenesse of countinaunce they did muche meruayle where and how he had soodaynly gotten so great vertue and power whiche he had to fore shewed foorth in other cities by diuerse and soondrye myracles they mused where he had gotten that same wondrefull knowlage of diuinitie bookes they wondred where he had gotten so great eloquence to speake after that sorte with auctoritie For they did not yet vnderstād of how muche more power and effecte the enoyntyng of the spirite of God is then the doctrine of the Phariseis Estemyng hym therefore by the thynges whiche they knew in him after the fleshe they sayed Is not this same felowe the sonne of Ioseph the carpenter for they knewe not the heauenly father who than wrought by his soonne And because that Iesus wrought ferre fewer miracles in the citie of Nazareth then he shewed in other cities certayne of his kynsfolkes beeyng halfe in a fume and indignacion therewith detracted and reproued hym as thoughe that eyther he had not his power ready to serue hym euery where or els that he oughed his owne kynsfolkes suche despite that he woulde shewe no myracles emong theim
it maketh them the better to fele the misse lacke of hym that is readye for to do them good Certes by this myracle they might haue been moued aswel to reuerence acknowelage his power against the vertue whereof the conspiryng of the furious multitude was not hable any thyng at all to dooe as also to loue the goodnesse of hym who when they had attempted the vttermoste mischiefe agaynst him that laye in theyr powers yet was rather willyng to reserue them to a tyme of repentaunce then to cast them awaye at the wurste to eternall punishemente ¶ And he came down to Capernaum a citie of Galilee and there taughte them on the Sabboth dayes And 〈◊〉 wer aâ—â—ouned at his doâ—trinâ— for his pâ—â—achyng was with power And in the Synagogue there was a manne whiche had an vnclene spirite of a deuill cryed with a loude voyce saying lear me alone what hast thou to doe with vs thou Iesus of Nazareth Art thou come to destroye vs I knowe thee what thou art euen the holy of God And Iesus rebuked hym saying holde thy peace and come out of hym And whan the deuill hadde throwen hym in the middes he came out of hym and hurte hym not And feare came on them all and they spake emong themselues saying what manier a thyng is this For with auctoritie and power he commaundeth the soule spirites and they come out And the fame of hym was spred abrode throughout euery place of the countreye round about Iesus therfore forsakyng the proude citie of Nazareth beeyng rebellious agaynst the doctrine of the ghospell came downe and toke his waye toward a citie of Galilee called Capernaum beeyng a citie of great rychesse and therfore drouned in all râ—ottâ—us excesse in al vesuptuousnesse in ambicion in pryde and in the other vices whiche customably are compaynyons to rychesse But here because of their volupteous sensuall liuing he vsed no familiaritie of carnall conuersacion emong them whiche familiaritie hath euermore been a breder of conteÌ„pte hath vsed to make menes autoritie the lesse regarded Wherfore here also in Capernaum as his custome was elswhere to do he wente into the teÌ„ple vpon the Sabboth daye and preached For the wickednesse of the Nazareans beyng so great that they had goen about wilfully to murdre hym being their best frende could not so weighe hym that beyng offended with so haynous a dede of mischief as that was he would forsake the couÌ„trey of the Iewes and foorth with putte ouer the gyft of the gospel from them vnto the Gentiles but now he fulfylled in dede thesame thyng whiche he afterwarde taughte in wordes to his disciples whiche is that whan they wer drieuen out of one citie they should flee vnto another not settyng theyr mynde ne deuisyng how to auenge theyr iniurye but how to sette foorth the gospell ferther and ferther in suche wyse as the malice of those that droue them awaye out of theyr tounes myght profite to the expedicion of settyng forewarde the profession of the ghospell And Capernaites although they wer men all geuen to worldly affaires nor muche abhorred from the maniers of the heathen emong whome by reason of the trade of bying and sellyng that the one vsed with the other they were often conuersaunt he found muche more ientil and honeste in taking or interpretyng his woordes and dooynges then he founde his owne countreymen the Nazareans to whom neuerthelesse for his well knowen and throughly tryed and continual perfeccion of lyfe he ought to haue been more derely beloued For the Capernaâ—â—es very greatlye woondred at the doctryne of Iesus consyderyng that it was no washe miengled geare nor peynted and glossed as was the doctrine of the Pharisees of washynges of truely paying the tithes of Mynt and Rue of castyng gyftes into the offryng boxe of god and of suche other lyke thynges whiche rather conteined supersticion then vertuous doctrine and whiche were layed vpon the simple people to mayteyne the glorye and lucâ—e of the pharisees whereas they theimselues that taughte these thynges kept not so muche as the chief commaundementes of the lawe but the doctrine of Iesus was found substaunciall and full of auctoritie For first whatsoeuer he taught was moste certaine trueth and also agreable with naturall reason Secondarily it was of it selfe muche materiall vnto true godlynesse and to eternall saluacion Ferthermore â–ª his singular perfeccion of liuyng caused his doctryne to bee regarded accordingly And ouer and besydes al this many a miracle was there wrought and shewed by hym with suche power and vertue as hadde neuer been vsed ne seen there whiche euidently declared the doctrine that he taught to bee of God and not of mannes spirite For the Lorde Iesus did his myracles not for lucre or vaine glory but firste with them he succoured the wofull necessities of suche persons as were in extreme distresse to the ende that by doyng them benefites he might winne theyr hertie loue and secondely the miracles were for a tyme shewed to the bodely iyes to the ende that by the same miracles they myght learne to beleue those thynges whiche though they were inuisible yet were more earnestly then any corporall benefites to bee desyred lastely they were a fygure and a representacion of those thynges that were wrought in theyr soules It was now the Sabboth daye and the people religiously and with great deuocion rested froÌ„ the workes forbidden whiche yet of theÌ„selues were not euill as for exauÌ„ple to go a iourneye to kiendle a fyer to grynde theyr corne to presse theyr wynes or to â—otche vp theyr garment beeyng broken or seamerent Without foorth in dede it was Sabboth daye that is to saye the daye of reste but within theyr myndes there was a great trouble and vnquyetnesse whiche the spirite of Satan did there reyse who woondrefully tossed and vexed theyr myndes with dyuerse mocions of coâ—eâ—ise of pryde of wrath of auengyng displeasures and of envie For there and no where els is the true Sabboth where the spirite of the Lorde quieteth the mynde to reste from all vicious and inordinate lustes And of this thing there was euen than presente a certain figure in theyr sinagogue whiche was a certayn man whose bodye was possessed with an vnclene deuill and this exaumple was to vs halfe a warning and a puttyng in remembrauÌ„ce in how muche more miserable and piteous case they are whose myndes are possessed with eiuils of vires yea more foule and ilfauoured then that deiuill was For what deiuill is more vnclene or more noysome then lecherous concupiscence then wrathe then ambicion then the gredie desyre of moneye then enuie then hypocrisie With these deiuils suche others lyke were the Iewes for the moste parte possessed who dwelt in the Synagogue whiche synagogue had not as yet receyued the spirite of Christe but was vexed with so many deiuils as there reygned vices in them Neither were they hable to receyue the moste mylde spirite of the gospell
vntyll the Lorde Iesus expulsed and droue out from them that euill spirite of Satan that helde them in his possession Wherefore the sayed partie so possessed with Satan beeyng not hable to abide the newe vertue of Iesu whiche priuely vttered it selfe began to crye out horribly roryng Oh out out what haste thou to do with vs thou Iesus of Nazareth Art thou come to destroye vs before the tyme we knowe what tormentes abydeth vs at the last daye But nowe thy presence tourmenteth and vexeth vs before that daye We require no saluacion of thee we aske no release of peyne but onelye praye thee to delaye or deferre it vntill than We neuer felte the lyke of these tormentes by the presence of any other prophete Wherupon it is not vnknowen to vs who thou art For doubtlesse thou arte thatsame onely holy of God that shall conquier all vngodlynesse and drieue out of the worlde all vnclenesse The lawe hath his holinesse the lawe hath his clenesse but thou arte he onely whom god had sanctifyed and declared holy with heauenly holynesse The lorde Iesus would not suffre hymselfe to bee praysed or spoken of by that wicked spirite but would all the glory of his prayse to bee referred to his father onely and to come from hym knowyng right well that this confession of the deiuill came not foorth of a syncere fayth but of a malicious will and purpose For he professeth Christe to bee Iesus and to be the sonne of God only to geat hym to confesse thesame of hymself and playnly to vtter what he was to his harmes dooyng the selfesame thing by the mouth of this man that Satan the temptour of hym had to fore gonne about to dooe and had laboured in his owne persone he professeth Christe of a subtile and craftie mynde not that hymselfe might atteyne saluacion but that he myght lette and hyndre the saluacion of others Neyther was it loue that caused hym to vtter that voyce but feare of punishemente Wherfore as an eiuill and malicious vile slaue of a desperate mynde vnpossible to bee recouered to grace he deserued to heare these thankes for his confession Holde thy peace thou vnclene spirite and departe from that man whom by tyrannie thou doest possesse I am come to saue men And whan the deiuil had throwen hym in the myddes he came out of hym and hurt hym not At this emperiall and almightie voyce of Iesus commaundyng hym to departe the vnclene spirite whan he had throwen down the man vpoÌ„ the yearth and vexed hym he departed from hym so that no harme appered dooen vnto the man beyng now safe and clene delyuered That he threwe hym down it was an euident signe of his peruerse wyll and a token that sore agaynste his mynde he forsoke thatsame his dwellyng place That he hurt hym not it proueth playnly that the wieked spirites can hurt none of them whiche dooe wholly commit themselues vnto the salueour For the goodnesse of this one Iesus onely is of more strength to saue man then the malice of innumerable deiuils to destroye or hurt thesame Other men whan they labour to deliuer mennes bodies from noysome spirites are woont to take for the purpose to vse all possible kindes of remedies and thynges of vertue and strength to putte awaye that eiuill as are for exaumple certayne prayers speciallye prescribed and appoynted therefore and made with certayn woordes apte for that purpose burnyng of frankincense sprincling of holy water or other thinges accustomed certayn herbes hauing a vertue and propertie to expell them with many other kyndes of ceremonyes not vnlyke the feacte of sorcerie and witchecrafte And yet right seldome is it seen that those thynges expell an eiuill spirite That if at any tyme he dooe departe out of him he leaueth behinde him some tokens and markes of his manyfest malice either tearyng awaye some membre and lymme of his bodye as a legge or an arme or els leuyng behynde him some disease sickenesse vncurable But whan the people sawe that at the mere worde and sharpe commaundement of Iesus the eiuill spirite sodaynly departed from the manne so that he was perfectly healed and not so muche as the leste marke or signe that could be of his eiuill remayned they all that sawe this doen were astouned and began to wondre And thus they talked emong themselues of Iesus What a straunge case is this that we see now suche a thyng doen as the lyke hath not been reade ne herde For he hath the vnclene spirites vnder his rewle and obeysaunce and commaundeth them And his commaundementes are of suche mightie power and autoritie that they byandby acknowleagyng hym more of power then themselues dooe forsake a man in suche wyse that after they bee goen out of hym perfect health returneth in place of sickenesse Thus the sight of this so woondrefull a miracle caused that the name and fame of Iesus bruited and spred abrode this acte not onely in the citee of Eapernaum but also throughoute all that region euen into the Synagogue of the Iewes whiche lackyng the spirite of Christe made an vprore and a stiere through the spirite of Satan against the trueth of the ghospell throughe the inspiracion of whiche Satan the Nazareans attempted to murdre the saluaour as is aforesayde ¶ And whan he was arysen vp and come out of the synagogue he entred into Symons house And Symons mother in lawe was taken with a great feure and they made intercessioÌ„ to hym for her And he stoode ouer her and rebuked the feure and the feute lefte her And immediately she arose and ministred vnto them Than departed he from the Synagogue and entred into the house of Symon to whom the name of Peter was afterward geuen whose mother in lawe was holden with a veray sharpe feure This womans kinsfolke and alliaunce besought Iesus that as he vndesired had expulâ—ed and drieuen out the deiuill from the man as is aforesayed in the Synagogue he woulde bee so good at the desire of a great manye frendes as to heale this woman of her feure and the rather forasmuche as she was of the allyaunce and affinitie of Peter a disciple of his owne whome he entierly fauoured Than Iesus to shewe and declare hymselfe readye to dooe good bothe priuatelye and openlye aswell to his acquaintaunce as to those that were straungiers vnto hym yea and vnto all ages young or olde to all sexes men or women and to all states and degrees ryche or poore he came nighe and standyng harde by the woman he threafued the feure commaundyng it to departe And foorthwith at the Lordes comaundemente the sickenesse wente quite awaye and the strength and lustinesse of her bodye returned agayne not by littell and littell as it commonly dooeth in those whiche are cured at the handes of phisicians but the sickenesse beeyng soodainelye drieuen awaye the whole strength and lustinesse of perfect health with a cherefulnesse of moode was
eiuell that the partie aboue sayed whose bodye the deuill had possessed dooeth or suffreth if it be compared with how great furies suche an one is vexed or how great confusion a prince bryngeth to the whole worlde if he be sette in a rage through the spirite of tyrannie The violent force of this sicknesse and mischiefe ouercommeth mannes power to cure it But the spirite of Christe is stronger then it which if the mynde of man haue once conceyued it cannot bee chosen but that all the vncleane spirites that would possesse him bee they neuer so manye muste auoide and bee goen When this shall so bee brought to passe then shall he sodaynly be made of a tyraunt a father of a cruell man a moste mercifull gouernour of a poller of the people a relieuer and succourer of the oppressed of a furious warriour an ensewer of peace of a briber and extorcioner a liberall dooer and a geuer of benefites of a glorious crakyng Thraso a sobre and prudente prynce of great experience Onely leat him bee brought to Iesus and bee ledde awaye from the worlde For euen than aboute the goyng downe of the sunne no small noumbre came vnto Symons house that is to saye vnto the Churche or congregacion of Christe where the gospell is preached and by the power of Christes ▪ spirite the vnclene spirites came out of them all openly protestyng that there was one come whose goodnesse was mightier than their malice For whan they departed out of menne they cryed and sayed Thou arte that same veraye sonne of God But as yet the tyme was not come whan the Lorde woulde be knowen vnto all menne that he was that same Messias the veraye sonne of God and thoughe he had been so mynded yet woulde he not that the vnclene spirites should bee the troumpettes of his glorye eyther for that theyr confession was not simple and of good purpose but subtile and craftie or because there was ieopardie in it lest yf theyr witnesse shoulde haue been of anye weyght or estimacion in this so great a matier they shoulde haue been credited or beleued in other thynges wherin they woulde as theyr delyte and felicitie was beguile men with theyr false lyes For Satan in veray dede forasmuche as he is of nature a lying marchaunte althoughe sometyme he speaketh the truthe yet dooeth he it onely to this ende to deceyue men thereby another time and waye And doubtelesse this crafte haue some men learned of hym who intermiengle godly thynges emong vngodly true thynges with false puttyng as it were deadlye poyson into holsome meates that they maye allure the mo men to damnacion Wherfore Iesus teachyng vs that it becommeth not suche menne as haue once consecrated themselues vnto the holy ghoste to haue any thyng at all to dooe with wieked spirites he rebuked theyr clamouryng and crying and sore threatnynges added he with all to put them to silence For they felte a woondrefull strength and vertue to procede from him and therof suspected that he was Messias the sonne of God euen thesame that was promised ¶ As soone as it was daye he departed and went into a deserte place and the people sought him and came to hym and kept hym that he should not departe from theim And he sayed vnto theim I must preache the kyngdome of God to other cities also For therfore am I sent And he preached in the Synagogues of Galilee But Iesus truely who was not come of moste speciall pourpose to heale the bodyes but to cure the soules nor to one citie onelye but to all countreyes of the worlde whan he had by shewyng many soondrye myracles and with the holsome doctrine of life well begon the castyng abrode of the sede of the euangelicall philosophie veray erely euen at the breake of daye before that the multitude shoulde eftsons flocke thither to hym as people whiche came more to gase and woondre at his myracles and to seke bodely healthe then to seke the saluacion of theyr soules he leaft Capernaum and withdrewe hymselfe departyng into wyldernesse or places solitarie as one that woulde fayne bee awaye from the great preasse and throng of people vaynly resortyng vnto hym teachyng vs a lesson by the waye that miracles are not to bee wrought to a vayne oftentacion or braggue of our selues nor yet at the wyll and pleasure of the people for theyr fansies and appetites but so ferre onelye as they maye auayle and growe to mennes saluacion and to Goddes glorye but the suspicion of vayn-glorye euermore at all tymes to bee vttrely avoyded That he healed al men it was an exaumple of goodnesse beeyng prompt and readye to be shewed vnto al men that he priuely withdrewe himselfe it was an exaumple of humilitee mekenesse fleeyng vayn prayses vauntyng of hymself And whā it was now brode daye light there resorted thither agayne as they had dooen great noumbre of all sortes of people allured by the greatnesse of thynges dooen on the daye before But whan they knewe that Iesus was goen many byanby folowed after hym And whan they had found hym they entreacted hym to tarye with them and not to leaue their citie but there with them to take an house to thentente he might bee a continuall dweller emongest them This mynde and affeccion of theirs towardes Iesus was in dede not vngodly but yet muche more blessed are they whiche suffre not the Lorde Iesus to departe from the litle house of their hertes but whan he addresseth to be goen doe with muche prayers cal him backe agayne Notwithstanding at that presente season the dispensacion and state of the fleshe whiche Iesus had taken did require that he often and manye tymes chaungeyng places might by that occasion from daye to daie sprede ferther and ferther abrode the preachyng of the ghosell beeyng as yet but a newe doctrine and but of late cummen vp For he was the sedesower seute into the worlde to sowe and caste abrode in all places the doctrine of the ghospell although it should not in al places like prosperously come vp and proue in growyng Wherefore to theim that willyngly desyred hym to returne againe to Capernaum and there to enhabite himselfe he ientilly and coldely made this aunswere The benefite that hath been freely bestowed vpon you take it well in woorth I dooe not mislike your entreteynement or harbrough ne despise to be a so iourner emong you But I must of necessitie preache the kyngdome of god to other cities to as I haue dooen to yours For truely my father hath sent me for this ende and purpose not to preache to one citie onely but that I shoulde call and bid all men to the felowshyp and brotherhood of the heauenlye kyngdome And thesame that Iesus nowe did himselfe he taught afterward his disciples also to dooe whiche was that they shoulde trauaile ouer and ouer the whole yearth and teache all nacions And this iourneyng from place to place was not the disease of
pardone neyther in this preseÌ„t world nor in the worlde to come Lyke as to the wicked Aungels there is no waye leaft to come agayne vnto repentaunce because they resisted God not of any infirmitie or weakenesse but of an obstinate malice nor thesame wicked AuÌ„gels shall euer emende ne haue anye hope of forgeuenesse euen in thesame state shall men bee sure to bee if they folowe the peruerse facion of the others They see me a manne taking reste and slepe sufferyng houngre yea and they shall see me dying therefore it maye bee pardoned if they speake any thyng of me that may truely bee sayde of a mortall man But that beyng corrupted with enuie they impute those actes to the spirite of Beelzebub whiche they knowe to bee of the power of God forasmuche as on the one syde they defraude god of his glory and on the other syde they put ouer vnto wieked spirites that cometh of god and is due to him theyr so doyng verayly is of deiulishe malice whiche for thesame cause shall not obteine pardone of god though beeyng most singularely enclyned to shewe mercye because he can no skille to repente himselfe of his goodnesse Many wayes than shall there be murmouring agaynste youre preaching For some persones shall persecute you eyther strayghing out of the right way of mere simplicitie or els of a maliciousenesse miengled with theyr errour Othersome agaynst the conscience of theyr owne harte shall labour to destruie the veritie whiche they euidentlye see trie and knowe and that shal they doe for none other respect but because it contrarieth theyr naughtie affeccions By meanes of suche persones shall the eiuill spirite of Satan rebell against the good spirite of god by helpe of his garde the wicked men he shall inuade you with all kyndes of ingiens And although ye bee ignorauntes of the worlde poore men and of lowe degree there is no cause why for you to bee afearde of the vproare and sedicion of the world agaynste you The spirite of god being graciouse playne without any guile or deceite is sufficient againste all aswell fraude as violence of this worlde Therefore when ye shall bee haled into theyr synagogues appâ—ached of greate crymes when ye shall bee drawen to come beefore magistrates or rewlers and prynces doe not ye as the common sorte of people doe whan they are broughte afore a iudge to theyr aunswere who are muche carefull what aunswere they maye make or what they maye speake to ridde theyr handes of the mattyer Thus muche shall bee geuen to the puplique autoritie of a magistrate that beyng called ye shall appere But cause is there none why ye shoulde bee afearde of the sighte of them or why ye shoulde bee carefull howe to defende youre selues with an oracion prepared for afore The playne tale of the trueth shall continually from tyme to tyme bee ready and freshe in memory vnto you And suche kiende of wordes to speake the holye ghoste shall sufficientelye minister vnto you as often as nede shall require of suche sorte as your life is such shal your wordes also bee And nothing there is more pithie or effectuall then the playne trueth without any coloures ¶ One of the coumpany sayde vnto hym Maister speake to my brother that he deuyde the enheritaunce with me And he said vnto him Man who made me a iudge or a deuider ouer you And he sayde vnto them take hede and beware of couetousenesse For no mans life standeth in the aboundaunce of the thinges which he possesseth And he put furth a similitude vnto them saying The grounde of a certain riche man brought furth plentifull fruictes be thought within himselfe saying what shal I doe because I haue no roume where to bestow my fruictes And he â—aydeâ—â—â— his will I doe I will destroy my barnes builde greater therein wil I gather al my goddes that are growen vnto me and I wil say to my soule Soule thou hast much 〈◊〉 â—aied vp in store for manye yeres take thyne ease eate drinke and be mery But god saied vnto him Thou foole this nighte will they fetche away thy soule again from thee Than whose shal those thinges be which thou hast prouided So is it with him that gathereth richesse to himself is not riche toward god And as the feare of iudgemente maketh many goe a crosse way from the sinceritie of professing the gospel so doth the greedy desires of money corrupt a great mayny To the ende therfore that the Lorde might vtterly plucke that affeccion also out of his disciples hertes as a thyng basse or vyle and vnmeete for suche as haue entred the charge of heauenly affayres there was a matier euen there offered vnto him whereby the thing mighte bee doen. For where there was a very great multytude of people about Iesus and yet no manne that had before that daye beene so bolde to aske so lowe and so basse a mattyer of him one sayed vnto him Maister so it is that a brother of myne vsurpeth my parte of the enherytaunce whiche shoulde serue vs bothe and fyndyng manye euasyons and stertyng holes he delayeth from daye to daye to make particion therof here leat the autoritie of thy woorde bee a succoure and ayde vnto me Say vnto him and bidde him to deuide the enheritaunce with me Than Iesus as ye woulde saye taking skorne and indignacion so to bee interrupted from his heauenly busynesse of preaching vnto carnall and fylthye caâ—es in the meane while all vnder one geuing a lesson to his seruauÌ„tes that suche an one as beareth the office of an Apostle ought not to bee enwrapped in secular and filthie affayres of the world answered Thou felow with what face doest thou in the myddes of my preaching interrupt me agaynste thy brother in diuiding youre enheritaunce who hath made me a iudge betwene you two being at variaunce about a light tryflyng mattier and shortely to decaye Or who hath geuen me vnto you to bee a diuider of enheritaunces Hath not this worlde iudges enough to ende such lowe matiers of trauerse I haue no suche commission that this or that partie shall growe in richesse by cuÌ„ming to temporall goodes or landes by succession but that all creatures may come to the enheritaunce of the lyfe immortall in heauen And than turning to his disciples and to the rest that were there present he begoon euen by the exaumple of the partye that had interrupted hym afore in hys sermon to exhorte them from the earneste desyre of geatting worldely rychesse not that richesse are of themselues eiuil but because that to put the chiefe sâ—aygh of a mans life in theÌ„ and for the desyre of them to be called away from tho thinges whiche doe earnestly concerne euerlasting blisse is a veary folye Beware ye sayeth Iesus in any wise from all thinges belonging vnto auaryce For oftentimes vnder the colour of necessitie of making prouisyon aforehande for ones liuyng there cometh stealing
it strong in iudgemēt and righteousnesse Whan ye heare a kyngdome and princely power set vpon his shoulder doe ye not manifestly heare the kyngdom of the crosse which crosse Christ did beare to vanquishe the powers of the aier whan ye heare the prince of peace forsoth ye vnderstande a kyng alluryng with benefites and not cōpelling with violence ne with feare whan ye heare the father of the worlde to come ye see one much vnlyke to the princes of this worlde Neither doeth he describe hym a man of any other sorte where he speaketh of hym in a certaine other place And he shal strike with the rodde of his mouth and with the spirite of his lippes shall he sleagh the wicked righteousnesse shal be the girdle of his loignes feith the belt of his reines The woulfe shal dwell with the lambe the leoparde shall lie downe hard by with the goate all the reste that foloweth much dessonaunt and contrarious from the armour and battayles of worldely princes Nowe herken ye what himselfe saieth of himselfe in the misticall psalme of Dauid As for I am constituted of him a king vpō Sion his holy hill preachyng the precepte of him did he not in these woordes manifestely expresse the kyngdome of the woorde euangelicall Certes this is the sweorde wherof an other psalme maketh mencion Bee thou girt with thy sweorde vpon thy thigh o thou moste mightiest with thy beatutie fairnesse entēde thou prosperously procede reigne thou for thy veritie mekenesse and righteousnesse And who hath heard that a king hath in the beautie of his body prosperously gon foreward or els to haue gotten himselfe a kingdome with mekenesse But this was the grace of the woorde of God by which ye haue seen Iesus allure and draw vnto him great multitudes of people this was the trueth against which the Phariseis did so many times in vaine attēpt to wrastle and striue This maner a sweorde it was whiche he at the tyme whan he should die aduertised his Apostles to gette them of whiche he had afore also spoken allegeing that he was not come into the yearth to send peace but the sweorde Suche lyke ones also are the arrowes of the mighty beyng sharp with which he goreth the inordinate lustes desires of men with the which he killeth the couetous mā and reiseth the beneficiall bounteous man with the which he sleagheth the idolatre reiseth vp the professour of euāgelicall godlinesse with which he killeth the fierce man and the man of vengeaunce and reiseth vp the meke and the merciful with which he ouerthroweth the proude man setteth vp the humble Will ye vnderstand the kyngdome what sorte and nature it is of See ye what maner ministers and enlargers of his dominion and iurisdicciō he chose out for the nons Poore felowes mē of lowe degree mē of no learnyng ne knowlage but euen of the bare mother witte and toungue ne with any treasour ne weapon nor victayles ne with any strength or maintenaunce of this worlde furnished or armed against the capcious malice of the Phariseis against the power of princes against the pryde of the Philosophiers that is to say of the great schole mē And by these captaines shall he outwarre and subdue all the vniuersall kyngdomes of the worlde with none other cōplete harnesse then with the helmes of saluacion which is the right vnderstanding of holy scripture with the buckler of feith by vertue wherof God beyng their protectour they shal be in perfeite safegard against al assaultes of the wicked people with the Iacke or haberion made of the righteousnesse of al the vertues euāgelicall with the belt of chastitie with shooes of the ghospels making which is an herte pure from all yearthly affeccions but moste specially aboue al thinges with the sweorde of the spirite which is the woorde of God So was it thought good vnto God that by meane of his sonnes weakenesse he would shewe his power by preaching which should be accoūpted worldly folishenes he would declare his wisedom through the worldly shame of the crosse he would renoume his glory In these thinges consisteth the kingdome euāgelicall in the meane whyle vntill the maiestie of Christ shall in the ende of the world shewe forth it selfe his low degree laied away the blissefull state of the godly sort shal also shewe it selfe not stained or defoiled with any affliccions And yet this outward bassenesse conteineth a ghostly strength of the spirite both effectuall apt to cast downe al buildinges that lift vp themselfes to stand against the glory of God Haue ye euer seen any thing more ientill or pacient then Christ was haue ye seen any thing more lowe or basse in worldly acceptacion any thing more poorer more meke more felowlike with the people more ferther remoued from all lykenesse of a kyngdome And yet what thyng coulde there be more regall or kinglike then with a worde to cast out wicked spirites with a woorde speaking to caulme the wyndes the sourges of the seas with touching to heale folkes that were infecte with lepry with mere bidding to put away al kindes of diseases How many times escaped he harmelesse through the thickest of the Iewes working death vnto him He suffred himselfe to be taken but at the voice of him the armed soldiers fell down flat on the ground He dyed on the crosse but what thing could be of more power then this death which made all the elementes of the worlde to shake whiche caused the sunne to lese his light and to be full of derkenesse which cutte stones in soondre which opened graues which reysed the dead bodyes out of thesame There could be nothing more lowe or basse to the worldeward thē was his natiuitie but yet euen in his natiuitie also there did streight way at the first houre appere tokens moe thē one of his high maiestie which he than did would not be acknowē of He is borne of a tendre young virgin but it is by the operaciō of Gods holy spirite He was laied downe in an oxe maūger but the Aungels syng glory to God in the highest He lieth crying being an infaunte in the cradle place but Herode being a kyng trembleth for feare and the Magians wurship him on their knees These thynges being as yet knowen not to veray many shall in time to come be preached throughout all the vniuersall worlde And with suche lyke sure fenses shall he appoynte and furnishe his Apostles also That if ye shal here after reade the scriptures and marke them well shall conferre them with the thynges which ye haue seen and heard ye cannot doubt but that he is thesame Christ which was promised the priest the king and the salueour of all the worlde after whom there is none other to be looked for Rekon I pray you and consider in your mindes all his whole age which ye haue partely with your owne iyes
seen and partely ye might haue knowen of his kynsfolkes and familiars and ye shall not fynde any one poynte that hath not been bothe signified and marked out by figures also foretolde by the Prophetes He was promised out of the stocke of Dauid and out of the tribe of Iuda and out of the toune of BethleeÌ„ As touching the place where he should be borne se ye whether Micheas did derkely prophecie or els plainly And thou Bethleem Effrata a litle one thou art in the thousandes of Iuda Out of the shall one come for the whiche shall be vnto me a rewler in Israel and his cummyng foorth is without beginning from the daies of eternitie And that this should so come to passe the Scribes the Phariseis vnderstode before they were doen who whan Herode demaunded the question of them made aunswere at once that Messias should be borne in the citie of Bethleem And euidente it is that Iesus was borne in this citie through the occasion of the surueigh and taxe which Cesar caused to be made The cause matter selfe was through Herodes crueltie made knowen to the worlde And once ye knowe that he was coÌ„monly reputed not for a Bethleemite but for a NazareaÌ„ and a man of Galile because he was brought vp in Nazareth vntyll the tyme of full mannes state and lyued there a good noumbre of yeres with his fosterfather Ioseph his mother Mary in so muche that the poisee of his crosse had the intitulacion of Iesus the Nazarean Neither was this poynte vnspoken of by the Prophetes neither who nowe and than note hym and call hym by the name of holy and of the holy of holyes because he was singularly consecrated to the Lorde not only after the lawe whiche indifferently apperteined to the first borne of maÌ„ sexe accordyng wherunto Iesus also was brought by his pareÌ„tes vnto the temple and there coÌ„secrated vnto the Lord but also aboue all mortal creatures by a certain speciall prerogatiue whiche no man had but he This Nazarean did Iacob see beeyng a man in maner altogether blynd in the iyes of the body but veray sharp and quicke of sight in the iyes of his feith at what tyme he blissed Ioseph who bare the figure of Christe And they shall be sayeth he in the head of Ioseph and in the toppe of the croune of the Nazarean that was separate from his brethren For whatsoeuer thyng the lawe of Moses doeth after the fleshe appoynte or enioyne for consecratyng of the Nazareans thesame is after a spirituall vnderstanding fulfilled in Christe And God to Dauid thus speaketh in the psalmes Of the fruite of thy wombe will I set vpon thy seate And againe elswhere the prophete Esai before Dauids tyme. There shall a rod issue forth of the roote of Iesse and a floure shall asceÌ„de out of his roote the lordes spirite shall rest vpoÌ„ him And well knowen it is the Mary was of the tribe of Iuda of the house of Dauid neither was that thyng hidden or vnknowen to the Phariseis who whaÌ„ Iesus himselfe before he suffered death asked of theÌ„ whose sonne Messias should bee made aunswere without any study or tarying the sonne of Dauid The Prophete had foresayed that he should be borne of a virgin For thus did Esai prophecie For this cause shall the Lord himselfe geue vnto you a signe Behold a virgin shal conceiue and shal bryng forth a sonne and his name shall bee called Emanuell Daniel foretolde the selfesame thyng more couertely whan he expouned what was mente by the stone that was cut of from the hill without haÌ„des which brake al to pieces and into powdre thatsame prodigious image made of golde siluer brasse iron clay and within a short while it grew into a great mountaine which with his largenesse fylled and possessed all the kingdomes of the world For Christe being without mannes helpe borne of the virgin Mary shal grynde and crushe to powdre all the kyngdomes of the worlde and shall with hys doctrine possesse all the worlde Uerayly Ezechiell beyng enspired dyd perceyue thesame to fore at what time he described the Este gate of the temple through which the Maiestie of the Lord entred in Of which gate he speaketh in this maner ‡ This gate shall be still shutte shall not be opened there shall not a man passe through it because the Lorde God of Israel hath come in therat els shall it be shutte still The prince hymselfe shal come through it c. Whan ye heare the Temple of the Lord ye knowe well enough to be meÌ„t therby the wombe of Mary consecrated by the holy ghoste Whan ye heare the Este gate doe ye not knowe the menyng of it to bee the enclosure and tabernacle of the virginly chastitie which neither any mortall man entreing vnto it ne the sonne of God either entreyng in or cummyng forthe of it hathe violated or defoiled Certes thissame is the Este gate out of whiche proceded issued the light that should lighten all the worlde vniuersall And this misterie although it be not yet published abrode emong the Iewes yet is it not vnknowen vnto those that haue had familiar conuersacion of lyuing with Mary the mother of Iesus and with Ioseph hir spouse For the saied Ioseph was taken and vsed as a moste true vndoubted witnesse of this priuy misterie which at his due tyme shall be famously spred and spoken of throughout the worlde vniuersall howe that a virgin without any lyke exaumple afore goyng sence the worlde first begon by the breathing of the holy ghost vpon hir brought forth a babe whiche was partaker of the diuine nature of the godhead of the humain nature of man both at once That if it appere to you or seme a thing vncredible that God should be borne of a creature mortall considre ye what the Prophete Baruch did prophecie of the sonne whom God taking pietie and compassion on mankynde dyd euen for the veray purpose sende into the yearth that vnto the straighing wandreers and to the blynded he should shewe the waye of health and saluacion Thissame is our God sayeth he there shall be none other estemed besydes hym This is he that hath found all the way of discipline hath â—aught it vnto Iacob his babe to Israel his beloued After this he hath ben seen in yearth and hath liued emong men And as for Daniel doeth also shewe the tyme of his birth accoumptyng it by seuens or seuenfoldes of wekes and yeres if a man will any thyng curiously serche and trye it out But long and many a daye before him the patriarke Iacob beeyng noweâ— ere the tyme of his departing out of this worlde and endewed with the spirite of prophecie to shewe thynges to come prophecied in this manier The scepter shall not be taken awaye from Iuda a guide froÌ„ the thighe of hym vntill he
skille to lye as the selfe spirite of God by whole instincte they haue been wrytten By death and by open shame of the crosse the waie did lye vnto glory it was necessarie that I shoulde arise again to lyfe on the thyrd daye to the ende ye might know your selfes to haue a Lorde and an aduocate beyng a liuesman and one that from hensfoorth shall dye nomore And thesame your aduocate beeyng admitted into heauen shall from thence send vnto you the spirite of god Than muste ye in the name of Iesus Christe preache repentaunce of the lyfe past and the remission of all synnes without the kepyng of Moses lawe Thesame remission of synnes shall bee geuen to all people through euangelicall feith onely I haue suffred the peines in the behalfe of all creatures leat them no more but beleue and they shall atteigne the state of innocencie And these thynges muste be preached not onely to the Iewes but also to all nacyons of the worlde but yet prouyded alwayes that ye begynne firste with Hierusalem In Iewrye was I borne there haue I wroughte miracles at Hierusalem haue I taught and suffered death Emōg this people shall ye fynde hertes by meanes and wayes nowe already prepaired vnto feith Unto these people shal ye renewe the memorie of the thynges whiche ye haue seen an heard My doctrine whiche I firste receiued of my father and than taught vnto you ye shall poure out again into them The world will gainsaye and withstand your testimonie lyke as it did vnceassauntly crye out against me But I as I haue heretofore saied will from my father sende vnto you the spirite whiche he long agone promysed by the prophetes that he woulde sende whan he spake by the mouth of Iohell And it shall bee I shall hereafter poure out my spirite vpon all fleashe and your soonnes and your daughters shall prophecie whiche spirite holy Dauid also did wishe for whā he saied Sende thou furth thy spirite and they shal be created and thou shalt renewe the face of the yearth Thatsame spirite shall make you strong inuincible against all terrours to bee shewed of this world Thesame spirite shall morouer geue you eloquence whiche no creature shall bee hable to gaynesaye he shall also geue you power to worke miracles in sorte that your testimonie concernyng me shall bee a thyng of condigne pith and efficacie Ye in the meane tyme vntil than bee ye in perfecte quiete and rest with yourselues and beeyng congregated together in one coumpainie remayne ye in this citie of Hierusalem begynnyng there the concorde and vnitie of the churche that shall spryng vp and exhorte ye one another with holy communicacions deuoutly praying and geuyng thankes vnto God vntill thatsame spirite come from aboue who shall enstructe and arme you with power and strength celestial ¶ And he led them out into Bethanie and lift vp his handes and blissed them And it came to passe as he blissed them he departed from them and was caryed vp into heauen And they wurshypped him and returned to Hierusalem with great ioye and were continuallye in the temple praysyng and laudyng God Herupon after that Iesus had by soondry euidente prouffes confirmed the veritie of his resurreccion he led his disciples into Bethanie and beeyng euen now readie to departe from hence into heauen he lift vp his hādes and blissed them representyng euen in this veraye poynte also thexāple of the patriarkes and of Moses And in thesame instaunte while he wisheth well vnto his disciples he was lifted vp from the yearth and in sighte of them al was carryed vp into heauen Than the disciples fallyng prostrate on the grounde wurshipped the Lord lookyng after him with theyr iyes as long as they might But muche more did thei looke after hym with their hertes after that his bodye was taken awaye from their iyes The premisses thus executed and dooen they returned to Hierusalem accordyng as the Lorde had enioyned them and returne thei did with great ioye For nowe had feith shaken of from theim all sorow and heauinesse and assured hope of the promises did geue thē cherefulnesse In the meane season thei wer muche and oftē in the temple as men euen thā alreadie offreing euangelicall sacrifices praysing and magnifying the bounteous goodnesse of god towardes mankynde and rendryng thankes vnto hym for that he had decreed freely to geue suche high benefites vnto mortall men through his sonne FINIS To the moste vertuous Ladie and moste gracious Quene Katherine late wife to the moste noble kyng Henry the eight of moste famous memorie deceassed Nicolas Udall your highnesse moste humble seruaūt wisheth health and all prosperitee in Christ. WHen I cōsider most gracious Quene Katerine the greate noumbre of noble weomen in this our time and countreye of Englande not onelye geuen to the studie of humaine sciences and of straunge tongues but also so throughlye experte in holy scriptures that they are hable to compare wyth the beste wryters aswell in endictynge and pennynge of godlye and fruitfull treatises to the enstruccion and edifiynge of whole realmes in the knowleage of god as also in translating good bokes out of Latine or Greke into Englishe for the vse and commoditie of suche as are rude and ignoraunte of the sayd tounges I cannot but thynke and esteme the famous learned Antiquitee so ferre behynde these tymes that there cannot iustelye bee made any comparison betwene them Cornelia a noble matrone of Rome throughe longe conuersacion and continuance with her learned housebande was in the processe of tyme so wel learned so eloquent that hirself was the chiefe principall instructrice and brynger vp of hir two sonnes Caius Gracchus and Tyberius Gracchus in all their learning and made thesame at lengthe so fyne that they yet to this daye remayne registred in the noumbre of the absolute and perfecte Oratours of olde tyme. We reade of one Amesia in Rome a woman so well spoken so fine of toungue that beynge on a time indicted and arrained of a grieuous offēce she so wittily so piththily and wich suche grace made answer for hirself that all the whole benche Courte than presente iudged her for the mere respecte of her eloquence and witte in that present perill and ieoperdie there shewed worthy by theyr whole cōsentes sentences to be quit and discharged of the law for that crime Hortensia the daughter of Quintus Hortensius brought vp continually frō hir cradle and tendre infancye in the house and companye of suche a noble Oratour came at lengthe so nere to the perfect eloquēce of her father that she was hable in publique hearing to make oracions and thesame of so piththye a sorte that where the noble weomen of Rome were on a time sore taxed to departe with their golde iewels toward certayne necessarie charges of that cōmon weale Hortensia came before the cōmissioners to speake in the behalfe of the matrones with her exquisite
thoughe it wer sumwhat derkely that one should come after me who going before me in dignitie and power did ouerreche me for because although he semed to come after me both in byrth of hys manhed in the tyme of hys preaching and also in auctoritie yet in godly gyftes he was far before me In so much that I myselfe did not certainly knowe at the fyrst howe great he was or what he was For he is so great that I whome ye haue in suche reuerence am no maner of way to be compared vnto him He is the lorde and auctour of all health I am none other but his seruaunte and goer before neyther is my baptisme or preaching any other thing but an introduccioÌ„ to the heauenly doctrine and vertue whiche he shall bryng vnto you Neyther yet am I sent for any other purpose by the commaundemente of God but to preache repentaunce of your former sinnes to shewe you that the kyngdome of heauen is at hande and to washe you with water to thintent that after he should be shewed to me of his father by sure tokens he might at his coming be the better conceiued in your mindes being already prepared with these principles His conuersacyon and life was simple and pure and beyng in no poyncte notable emong men he ioyned hymselfe to the multitude as one of the common sorte of the people and came to be baptised as though he had bene subiect to sinne ¶ And Iohn bare recorde saying I sawe the spirite descende from heauen lyke vnto a dooue and abode vpon him And I knew him not Therfore I coulde not knowe surely by the disposicion of hys body nor by mans coniecture that he was the onely sonne of God and that moste pure lambe whiche through faythe shoulde put awaye all the sinnes of the worlde but that I was taught by a notable sygne from heauen that thys was he to whome I was appoynted to bee the goer before And what this sygne was Iohn did openly declare to the multitude When Christe sayeth he willynge to shewe to the worlde an exaumple of humilitie and ioynyng hymselfe to the company of sinners came to be baptised the father of heauen did honour hym with an heauenly token For I my selfe sawe the holy ghost cummyng downe vpon his head in the likenesse of a dooue and there remayning Until that time I did not certaynly knowe hym whose goer before I was by reason that his corporall estate did hyde hys celestial excellencie But he that sent me to baptise in water the same sayed vnto me Upon whom thou shalt see the spirite descende and â—â—â—y stil on him the same is he which baptiseth with the holy goste and I sawe and bare recorde that he is the sonne of God For as yet the tyme was not come in the whiche the father of heauen woulde haue him to be openly knoweÌ„ to the people Therfore when I knew by the inspiracion of the sayde father that Messias was alreadye come then to take awaye the errour and mistakyng of hys persone or leste mannes coniecture should haue any doubt therin he by whose commaundement I toke vpon me the office baptise you with water taught me by a sure token by the shewing wherof I might assuredly knowe who he was that shoulde baptise you with an effectuall baptisme and should by the holy gost wherwith he was replenished freely geue to all them that trusted in hym remyssyon of all theyr synnes For before Iesus came to me to be baptised the father of heauen did aduertise me before hande saying By thys token thou shalt surely know my sonne Emonges many whom thou shalt wash with water vpoÌ„ whomsoeuer thou shalt see the holy ghost in the lykenesse of a dooue descending and remaynyng be wel assured that thesame is he which hath power to baptise with the holy gost For man washeth with water but he onely by his heauenly power taketh away sinnes and geueth righteousnesse I saw this token according to the fathers promyse in hym whan he was baptised And for thys cause he gaue me grace to see him that you also through my preaching should know the autour of your saluacioÌ„ Wherfore like as heretofore I haue witnessed so doe I now also openly testifie that this is the sonne of god from whence as froÌ„ the heauenly fountayn ye must require all thynges whiche perteyne to righteousnes and eternall felicitie For I will suffer you no longer to suspecte greater thinges of me then I deserue nor yet to be ignoraunte of hym whome to knowe is saluacion By these manier of witnesses Iohn did often commend Iesus beyng as yet vnknowen to the multitude and gaue ouer his owne auctoritie to him as to his better to the entent that from that time furth the people should leaue hym and cleaue to the gouernaunce of Iesu Goddes prouydence in the meane tyme procuring this to th entent that they both might be to vs an holsome exaumple of a true preacher of the Ghospell For truely Iohn neyther with the encisemente of so great renoume beeing willingly offered vnto hym was so much corrupt that he would take vpon hym an other mannes praise nor yet so afrayed of the enuie of the Priestes and Phariseis whose ambicyous enuie and enuious ambicyon woulde suffer no bodye to bee exalted but themselfe that therefore he dyd ceasse to speake of the glory of Chryst neyther did he regarde his owne commoditie but what was expedient for the people hereby teachyng how a preacher of the ghospel ought to haue a constaunt and sure stayed mynde yea euen to the auenturyng of hys lyfe not onely agaynste excesse couetousnes but also against al ambicion And as for Iesus Christ when he came as one of the common sorte of the people to be baptised and also when he behaued himselfe amongest Iohns disciples as if he had bene one of them wheras he was lorde of all he taught vs how we must come to true glorye by great humilitie and modestie of mynde and that none is mete to be a mayster vnlesse he haue played the parte of a good scoller neyther that anye ought to take rashely in hande the office of preachyng excepte he hath bene all manier of wayes well tryed and approued and in manier appointed therunto of God The next day after Iohn stode agayn and two of his disciples and he beheld Iesus as he walked by and sayeth Beholde the lambe of God And the two disciples heard him speake and they folowed Iesus Now to th entent that Iohns most excellent purenes and honestie might more clerely appere he thought it not inough to turne thaffeccions of the people from him to Christ but he laboureth also to despatch from himselfe his owne peculier disciples whome he had and to put them to Christ. For the day after these thinges which I haue already rehearsed vnto you were doen in the presence of the people Iohn stoode there agayne and twoo of hys
theffect therof so thou hearest the soūd of it whē thou seest no body at all nor any thyng whiche thou canst catche or lay hand vpon thou perceyuest that it is present yet doest thou not see it when it cummeth nor to what place it conueyeth it selfe when it goeth from thee This spiritual birth is of lyke sorte The spirite of God doth rauishe transforme the myndes of men by secrete inspiraciōs Therfore there is felt an vneffable strength efficacie and yet the thyng whiche is doen is not perceyued with our iyes And they whiche be thus borne again be not now led with a worldly carnal spirite but with the spirite of God whiche geueth life to all thinges and gouerneth thesame Nicodemus answered and sayed vnto him How can these thinges be Iesus answered and sayed vnto hym Art thou a maister in Israel and knowest not these thinges Nicodemus being as yet rude and grosse did not repugne against Iesus but not perceyuing the meanyng of his woordes and desirouse also to haue those thynges which he had heard more plainly declared sayeth to Iesus By what meanes can these thinges be brought to passe that a man of bodily substaunce should be turned into a spirite by a newe byrthe and of God bee borne godlyke Nowe Iesus to declare that those thinges which pertaine to the heauenly doctrine are not perceiued with mans reason but rather are cōprehended with fayth and shewyng lykewyse that the philosophiers of the world being proude of their naturall wytte were vnapte to be taught these thinges yea the Phariseis also whiche stoutly professed the litterall sence of the lawe when in dede they knewe not the spiritual meanyng therof but to declare therfore that this his doctrine is thesame wisedom which the father of heauen would hyde from worldly persones open to them which as touchyng the world are simple witted taken for fooles Iesus I say maketh this answer to Nicodemus saying thou art taken for a maister in Israel and professest thy selfe to be a teacher of the people art thou ignoraunt in these thinges which thou oughtest most chiefly to knowe how farre of then are the common sorte of people from spirituall doctrine if thou being so great a teacher of the people doest not vnderstād these thinges but in the meane while it shal profit thee to beleue that thing which thou canst not vnderstād Faith shall cause the to feele and perceiue these thinges although thou seest thē not for if thy witte cannot serue thee to come to the full knowledge of the nature and violence of this worldly ayre when thou felest it with thy sences howe shalt thou attaine to the knowledge of these thinges which are farre hier and further of from al bodily senses For truly in as much as they be godly they doe farre passe and surmounte the capacitie of mennes myndes except theyr myndes be inspired with the holy ghoste Uerily verily we speake as we doe knowe and testifie that we haue seen and ye receyue not our witnes If I haue toulde you yearthly thinges and ye beleue not how shall ye beleue yf I tell you of heauenly thynges But thou mayest surely and safely beleue me whiche doe not onely by inspiracion feele these thynges that be heauenly or haue only heard them after such sorte as the Prophetes did of whose numbre thou takest me to be one but we speake thinges wherof we haue full proufe sure knowledge yea we beare witnes to you in earthe of the thing which we haue seen in heauen But ye which be not yet borne again by the spirite doe not beleue these spirituall thinges Ye beleue a man when he heareth witnes of those thinges which he hath seen with his bodely iyes yet ye doe not credit him who being heauenly himselfe hath seen heauenly thinges with his spirituall iyes As heauenly thinges be of more certaintie then earthly thinges so they be more assuredly perceyued of hym which hath heauenly iyes Uerily our Lord Iesus spake these thynges couertly and darkely signifying that he was naturally God although he caryed about a mortall body and to shewe also that this witnes which Nicodemus did attribute to hym as an hye thing that is to say that he was sent from God was farre vnder Iesus dignitie after his sorte of meanyng whiche he spake it for Nicodemus as yet iudged no higher thing of Iesu but that he was sent from God as we reade other Prophetes haue been and in suche wyse as Iohn also was sent from God But the sonne of God was after an higher sorte sent from God who alwaie had been with God the father before he was sent yea and euē then was with the father as touching his godhead by reason wherof he neuer departed from the father And for because those thinges which hertofore Iesus had spoken cōcerning how to be borne a new by water spirite might appere to grosse or rude for the highnes of this misterie that is to say how Gods nature mans should be vnited together in one person that thesame person should lyue in earth a very mortall man and be so immortall God still remaynyng with his father in heauen Therfore I say Iesus spake further saying If you by reasō of your carnal and fleshly minde doe not beleue me speakyng to you as yet but of earthly thinges how will ye beleue me if I shal tel you those thinges that be altogether heauenly which neuertheles both I my selfe haue seen knowen more assuredly then ye knowe these thynges which ye see with your bodily iyes And no man ascendeth vp to heauen but he that came downe from heauen euen the sonne of manne whiche is in heauen And as Moses lifted vp the serpente in the wildernes euen so must the sunne of manne be lifte vp that whosoeuer beleueth in hym peryshe not but haue eternall lyfe For who emong eyther menne or angels was euer able to ascende vp to heauen there to beholde celestiall thynges and presently to looke vpon the diuine nature as it is in dede No mā at al ascendeth vp into this heauen but the sonne of man who came downe from heauen into the earth and the very same doeth yet still remaine in heauen beyng neuer seperate from the perfite beholding of the godhead albeit in the meane while he semeth here in earth to be base litle regarded But thus it was thought mete to the determinaciō of God to declare his glory to the world by worldly reproche lowe estate to thintent that by the very same way men after they haue forsakē false glory should make haste to the true and eternall glory And if any manne aske what necessitie compelled the sonne of God to come downe from heauen to lyue here in earth as a poore abiecte persō truly none other thing was cause therof but the moste hye and excellent loue of God the father toward mankynd for whose
But the houre cummeth and nowe it is when the true wurshippers shall wurshyppe the father in spirite and in the trueth For suche the father also requireth to wurship hym God is a spirite and they that wurship him must wurship hym in spirite and in the trueth The woman when she perceyued the rebukeful synnes of her life committed at home not to be hidden from Iesu beyng a straungier and also a Iewe who could not know by the reporte of menne that thing whiche he did disclose she shrynketh not awaye from hym as one confounded with shame neither is she with anger moued to answer him agayn spitefully but so muche the more she is inflamed to haue hym in great admiracion wheras if Iesus had spoken any suche thyng vnto the Phariseis they would haue cried out saied he is an enchaunter possessed with a deuill But what aunswere made this godly sinner the Samaritane Sir saieth she as I perceiue thou arte a prophete The feith of the woman was come to this poynte At the firste she calleth him but a Iewe and meruaileth that he did no more earnestly obserue the Iewes religion because that contrarie to the custome of other Iewes he did aske drynke of a Samaritane Anon after she calleth him Lorde Here nowe she attributeth vnto him the name of a Prophete because euen of himself he knew the secretes of other And at last she desyryng to learne certayne higher thynges of this prophete ceassed to speake of lowe and meane matters and propoundeth to him a question as a thyng to her thynkyng impossible to be assoyled concernyng the waie and maner how to wurship God because in this poynt the Iewes and the Samaritanes did very muche disagree For albeit bothe those kyndes of people did wurship one god yet the Iewes had an opinion that God should be wurshipped in no place but onely at Ierusalem in the temple as though God did no where els heare the desires of them that did praye Cōtrariwyse the Samaritanes with like supersticion but after another sorte denyed that God should be wurshipped in any place but in the mounte Garizim because that place was appoynted by Moses where the Patriarkes should blesse the people that kepte the commaundementes of God And forasmuche as both these nacions beyng wel pleased with their owne seuerall rites and customes did the one of them contemne the religion of the other the woman desyred to learne of Iesus as of a Prophete not ignoraunt in suche thynges whiche of those two nacions had the holyest waye in seruyng of God as one that would folow that waye whiche she should knowe to be best Therfore she sayeth Our elders wer wont to wurship God in this mount and they thinke it not lawfull to wurship hym in any other place where as you Iewes contrariewyse accoumpt it abhominable to do sacrifices in high places groues that it is not lawfull to wurship God any other where then at Hierusalem in the temple wherof they do glorie as though God were shut vp in a house builded with mans hand Because this question of the womā did apperteine to the learnyng of true godlynes Iesus openeth declareth to her howe that after the true and spirituall wurshippyng of god should be sette foorth by the doctrine of the ghospel the supersticious religion of the goddes and deuils of the Gentiles should be vtterly extinguished yea and also that the maner of the Samaritanes wurshyppyng of God should be abolyshed whiche had no suche iudgement of god as they ought to haue but toke hym to be as a certain special deuell and did mixe the wurshippyng of hym with the wurshippyng of deuils mingling and confounding together the wicked supersticion of the Gētiles with the wurshyppyng of God as a man should put fyer to water and folowing the saied Gentiles exaumple did their sacrifices in hye groues and mountaines And furthermore he shewed her that the Iewes religion which as the time required had been hitherto grosse and carnal and did rather represent certain shadowes of true godlines thē very godlines it selfe should encreace vnto more perfeccion that God being afterward more fully knowen through the sonne and the holy gost should be wurshipped not onely in Iurie but through the whole worlde yea that in more holy temples then the temple of Hierusalē was that is to say in the pure myndes of mē which God had dedicate vnto himselfe with his spirite and is not nowe to be pacified with the sauoure of burt offreynges of beastes but with holy prayers godly desires and chaste affeccions But before Iesus would open this misterie of the godlines of the gospel he speaketh first of feith without which none is mete to be a hearer of the euangelicall doctryne neyther fitte to be a wurshipper of Christes religion for faith only doeth purifie the hertes and maketh them apt to be put in trust with the secretes of heauenly wysedome Woman sayth he beleue me if thou take me for a Prophete in dede the time is come now when both the vnpure wurshippyng of the Samaritanes shal be abolyshed and also the carnall religion of the Iewes shall be turned into better neither shal ye herafter wurship the father in this mountayne who is not only the God of this mountayne but also of the whole worlde ne yet at Ierusalem but wheresoeuer shal be the congregacion of good godly people there shall hereafter be Ierusalem In the meane whyle we Iewes doe excell you in this behalfe that we wurship God whom we know by the lawe whom we doe confesse to be the Lord of all thinges all people nor we doe not defile the wurshipping of him who is only to be honoured with the wurshipping of other Gods You wurship you cannot tell what supposing God to be no bodies God but the Iewes your owne yea and ye take hym to be suche a one as would suffer hymselfe to be matched with deuyls wheras all godly honoure is due to hym alone The lawe hath taught the Iewes these thynges And by Gods commaundement there was a temple builded at Ierusalem to wurship one God therin which should be a fygure of the spirituall temple There were priestes ordayned also rytes and ceremonies of sacrifices as it were with certain shadowes betokening the holynes of the gospell Therfore the Iewes doe excell you herin that both we haue a better iudgement of God then you haue also that we doe not pollute or defile the wurshipping of him with any prophane wurshippinges of other Gods And moreouer we doe excell you in that we doe wurshippe hym in a place appointed of God himselfe with rytes ceremonies of his own teaching Howbeit in the meane while this our religion although it be not perfit yet it is as it were a step or furtheraūce toward perfit honouryng of God Therfore eternall health came firste of the Iewes to whom the Prophetes haue promised Messias to
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
firmely sticke thesame shoulde bee without feare of death Thomas sayeth he howe happeneth this that thou deniest the to knowe the waye vnlesse thou as yet percase knoweste me not at all For verely I am the way the trueth life I sayed euen nowe that I doe goe agayne to my father and onely do open for all tolke the way vnto hym and because he is come to by dedes fit and semyng for god ye haue the proufe of good life in me and also because no man without me cummeth to the father ye haue learned of me the trueth And yf the feare of death do in the meane tyme trouble youre myndes knowe well that ye bee sure of immortalitye forasmuche as I am lyfe dooe ye onelye folowe thyther as I goe beefore beeleue and kepe in minde that whiche I haue taughte you hope assuredly for the thyng which I promise If ye aske whither I goe I goe to my father yf ye desyre to knowe the waye whereby ye maye come thither I say to you no man cummeth to the father but by me â–ª wherefore you knowe bothe aswell whyther I dooe goe as what waÌ„ye the iourneye lyeth excepte paraduenture ye bee vtterlye ignoraunte who I am verely yf ye hadde knowen me ye hadde also knowen my father yea to say trueth ye haue already some waye knowen my father whome ye thynke to bee vnknowen vnto you nor ye haue not onelye knowen hym by the determinacion of the lawe but ye haue also seen hym doubtlesse Our Lord Iesus dyd with this obscure saiyng sumdeale aduertise his disciples that hys father of trueth was inuisible and not onely inuisible to the bodilye iyes but also that the mynde of it owne propre nature coulde not see and perceiue what he is yet notwithstanding but that he had beene seene after a sorte in his sonne as whyle they see hym in his soonne rewlyng the wyndes and the sea forcyng deuils to obeye putting awaie with a woorde sickenesses and diseases were they neuer so incurable and with a woorde raysing the deade to life But the vnlearned Apostles didde not as yet vnderstande these hye misteries and yet for all that euen as though they had in very dede vnderstand that which the Lorde spake vnto them they euen leap and skip of greate affeccion to see the father Imaginyng that the father mighte bee seene in suche sorte as they sawe his sonne such was there simplicitie as yet albeit neyther sawe they the sonne throughly whiche beholde hym with bodily iyes alone ¶ Philip saieth vnto him lord shewe vs the father and it suffiseth vs. Iesus saieth vnto him haue I been so long time with you and yet hast thou not knowen me Philip he that hath sene me hath seen my father And howe saieste thou than shewe vs the father beleuest thou not that I am in the father and the father in me The wordes that I speake vnto you I speake not of my selfe but the father that dwelleth in me is he that dooeth the workes beleue me that I am in the father and the father in me Or els beleue me for the workes sake Philip therfore beyng more desirous to learne then the reste speaketh thus lorde ê™ he thou tellest vs that the father is seene of vs but woulde God thou wouldest graunte that it myghte bee lawfull for vs to see and looke vpon thy father then were oure desyres satisfyed and we woulde wishe no more nor desire ought els In deede we haue hearde muche speakyng of him we lacke onely the sight of hym Our lorde doth controull and correct Philips request that was so very rude and foolishe saiyng Philip haue I been so long tyme wyth the and yet thou knowest me not It is not the syght of my face that thou knowest me by but the ryght vnderstandyng of my power vertue and trueth maketh the to knowe me This my mighty trueth and true power is not seen with bodilye iyes but the minde and soule seeth it Therefore when as I am the verye Image of my father in all thynges lyke vnto hym and that by my deedes and woordes thou oughtest already to haue knowen me and verelye to haue knowen is to haue seen howe dareste thou bee so bolde with what countenaunce sayeste thou to me shewe vs the father as though he that hath seene me hath not seene my father I meane not that my father is none other than I but that betwene vs two is no vnlikenes or any thyng vncommon as touchyng the higher and our diuyne nature In case thou canste not vnderstande what I saye by naturall reason he seeth also I tel you that beleueth Thou hast heard me speake thou hast seen me do myracles â–ª and therein surely thou haste seen and heard of my father doest thou not yet beleue that by an inseparable copulacion of nature wil and power my father is in me and I in my father What thing soeuer I speake I speake it of his mynde what â— thyng soeuer I dooe I dooe it after his mynde I am therefore alwaye in hym by reason of suche a coniunccion of nature and wyll as cannot be vnioyned and disseuered and he alwaye in me speakyng by me and by me declaryng with miracles his power Neyther doe I speake any thing of my selfe whiche same thing he speaketh not by me neither dooe I any thing of my selfe whiche he by me ioyntelye doeth not worke howe therefore doest thou separate them that be inseparable and with seueral sight desireste to see them seuerally beleueste thou that the one being knowen the other can be vnknowen doth the reste of you also yet not beleue that al thynges cummeth of my father which are spoken and doen by me and that there is no separacion betwixt vs two It had behoued you to haue credited me so oft teachyng this thing and if ye mistrusted my woordes yet truely the diuine woorkes and deedes surmounting mannes power oughte to haue caused you to beleue that what thing soeuer procedeth froÌ„ me is of my father yf my father himselfe should speake vnto you he would speake none other thing than I doe or if he would worke by himself he would worke none other thing than I do worke we haue one minde one will one power and nature ¶ Uerely verely I saie vnto you he that beleueth on me the wâ—orke that I doe thesame shall he do also and greater workes then these shall he do because I goe vnto my father And whatsoeuer ye aske in my name that will I dooe that the father maie bee glorified by the sonne If ye shall aske any thing in my name I wil dooe it If ye loue me kepe my commaundementes And I wil pray the father and he shal geue you an other coumforter that he maye hide with you for euer euen the spirite of trueth whom the world cannot receiue because the world seeth him not neyther knoweth him but you knowe him for he dwelleth with you and shal be in
presente my selfe vnto you aliue for this kynde of deathe shall not alienate vs in sundre nor kepe me out of youre syghte for I shall liue agayne yea after that I bee deade and I shall not onelye liue but there withall bryng to you lyfe euerlastyng and notwithstandyng the tyme of myne absence I beeyng alyue shall fynde you aliue and I will so spende my life for you that you shall be in health and safegarde Then shall you vnderstande more fully that as nothyng can pull my father from me nor me from my father so am I bothe to you and you agayne to me ioyned by mutuall charitie together that death can not disioyne vs let your onely care be that by youre owne faulte ye bee not vncoupled and let lewse The obseruyng of my commaundementes shal try true charytie nor he loueth not in herte that neglecteth the preceptes of his Lorde It is not sufficiente to haue accepted my commaundementes vnlesse a manne retayne them in mynde Nor it is not inoughe to remembre theym excepte they bee kept he that doth accomplishe and kepe these is he that truelye loueth me For to bee tormented in mynde for my departure is no proufe of veraye trewe loue I that truely do loue my father do kepe all his commaundementes and will kepe theym vnto death of the crosse And there is no cause why my commaundementes of sufferyng iniurye pacientelye of beatyng the crosse quietely shoulde muche putte you in feare as seuere and grieuous commaundementes and why for charitie shall sweten and make them all easie and there shall not lacke coumforte at my hande for surely whoso loueth me he shal be bothe loued of my father and I also wyll loue hym and neuer leaue him succourlesse but will see hym againe and will openlye shewe my selfe vnto hym to bee looked vpon to make it more certain that I doe not vtterly perishe by suffryng deathe of the crosse Nowe I geue my selfe to bee seen of all folke but than no manne shall see me excepte he abyde constantly in frendeshyppe Of trueth our Lorde Iesus spake these thynges sumwhat darkelye not onely signifiyng that he beeyng reuiued agayne would often after his death come among his frendes to bee seen but that he would also by the holy ghoste his spirite secretely place and wynde himselfe into theyr myndes and that finally he woulde come in the glorye of his father in the open sight of all folke ¶ Iudas saieth vnto him not Iudas Iscarioth lorde what is done that thou will shewe thy selfe vnto vs and not vnto the worlde Iesus aunswered and said if a manne loue me he will kepe my saiynges and my father will loue him and we will come vnto hym and dwell with him He that loueth me not kepeth not my sayinges And the worde which ye heare is not mine but the fathers whiche sent me These thinges haue I spoken vnto you beyng yet present with you but the comforter whithe is the holy ghost whome my father will send in my name he shall teache you al thinges and bring all thinges to your remembraunce whatsoeuer I haue sayed vnto you Peace I leaue with you my peace I giue vnto you Not as the worlde geueth geue I vnto you Let not your hettes be greued neyther feare ye haue hearde how I sayd vnto you I goe and I come againe vnto you If ye â—haâ—â— me ye woulde verely reioyce because I sayd I goe vnto the father For the father is greater than I. Now than where as Iudas not he verely that is called Iscarioth which was absente at this sermon but the other Iudas whose surname was Lebbeus did not fully vnderstande our lordes saiyng but beyng throughe sorowe and feare very sore troubled dyd suppose that our Lorde shoulde in suche wyse appeare to his frendes as terrible spirites phantastical sightes shewe themselfes many tymes in the darkenesse of the nyght or as certain visions appeare in dreames rather to the feare of men then to mennes coumforte This Iudas therfore saith Lorde what hath chaunced that when now thou maieste be seen of all folke thou shalte not than appeare to the worlde but onely to vs And howe canste thou be one that may be seen of vs yf thou be such one as other cannot see But Iesus because he knewe that his disciples were not yet able to vnderstande the misterie howe that the same bodye whiche hadde been deade and buiried but nowe made spirituall and hable to dooe as it lyste shoulde ryse agayne Iesus I saye knowyng this dyd not playnely answere to the thyng that was asked but turned his saiyng to that thyng whiche was more necessarye to bee imprinted in theyr heartes whereby they shoulde nowe bee prepared spirituallye to haue his presence for as muche as that presence whiche shoulde bee exibited vnto theim after his resurreccion coulde not long endure with theim Therefore Iesus sayed I will not presente my selfe to the worlde because it loueth me not neyther dothe it kepe my commaundementes If one loue me truely he wyll not testifie his loue with sorowe but by kepyng my commaundementes and hym wyll I loue semblablye and whome I shall loue hym wyll my father loue and we shall neuer bee pulled awaye from hym nor I wyll not onelye see hym agayne that hath my commaundementes in remembraunce but there withall my father and I wyll by the spirite whiche is common to vs both come vnto hym and we will not only come forthwith to departe againe but we will dwell with him and neuer go away from him That which is doen after the spirite is both perpetuall and effectuall bodilye ioynyng together muste nedes haue an ende euen for because ye shoulde sette at naught transitorye thynges and inure your selfes to loue eternall thinges and where ye as yet cannot come to vs we will come to you inuisible but effectually to dwell in the temple of your hertes We be three in deede but so ioyned and conuerte together that he whiche loueth one muste loue all and he that hath one of vs lacketh none of vs. Only on your behalfe let charitie be presente and that couenaunte kepte whiche I made with you of late That shal so couple you and vs together that neyther life nor deathe can vncouple vs. If membres maie bee disseuered from the heade we maie be disseuered There bee many whiche boaste themselfes to loue God the father and seme to obserue the commaundementes of the lawe but none dooeth truelye loue God yf he hatâ— and contemne his soonne and he verelye contemneth the soonne whosoeuer kepeth not my commaundemente whosoeuer neglecteth my preceptes he neglecteth withall the preceptes of God for in good sooth the thyng that I haue taught you is not so my peculiar doctrine that the same is not my fathers but is rather my fathers than myne from whome cummeth whatsoeuer I can or doe teache doyng nothyng but by his autoritie from whome I was sente into the worlde to teache these matters whiche
in him I speake of a thing not vnknowen to you for the fame of his miracles is not alonely blased wide abrode thorough out all Iewry but is come vnto other cities also bordering nyghe vpon the same For why He himselfe wente on wayfaryng from place to place ouer all this region healyng euery where the sicke with hys woorde restoryng the lame and impotent to their strength agayne geuing syghte to the blynde clensyng the leprye casting out deiuils a great sorte of you hathe seen the thynges that I reherse None of all these miracles was doen but God before purposed the same And it was the wyll of god thus to saue the worlde After that ye had taken this man not by chaunce or at aduenture but as one delyuered by the determinate wyll or counsell of God and hys foreknowledge for the saluacyon of hys people of Israell ye crucyfyed hym by the handes of the vnrighteous souldiers and slewe hym For the souldiers were nought els in doyng that haynous fact sauynge onely your ministers But he slayeth the manne that procureth hys death The matter is to playne for to be denyed This manne whome ye haue slayne as God woulde haue it who had deliuered hym for to bee slayne the veray selfe same god accordyng to the soothe saying of hys Prophetes hathe called vp the thyrd day to lyfe agayne that all whiche truely shall beleue the ghospell shoulde hope for the same thyng to bee doen hereafter in themselues whyche was by the power of God once dooen in hym For he in obeyinge hys fathers will suffered the spitefull reproche of the crosse pacientlye puttyng hys whole affiaunce trust of saluation not in mans ayde and defence but in the mercyfulnes of God and therfore was he delyuered by him of all deadly sorowes and paynes infernall whiche truely he myghte by reason that he was man haue tasted or felt But as he was cleane without synne so he coulde be kepte in no wyse in their bondage For death and hell hath no perpetuall authoritie and power but vpon theym that are subiecte vnto synne Wherefore lyke as death was of might to swallow hym so was it not able to holde hym beyng once deuowred but caste hym vp as it was thereto constreyned the thyrd day euen as dyd the whale reuomet the prophete Ionas Than was it the wyll of God that this innocent should suffre all these iniuries to thintent that he woulde delyuer vs all by hym both of synne deathes tyranny yf that we accordyng to Iesus example of Nazareth put our whole trust affyaūce in God What I haue tolde you nowe my brethren of Israell ye oughte not to thynke it incredible sens that Dauid beeyng enspyred wyth the celestyall spirite of prophecie tolde you longe heretofore that it shoulde euen thus come to passe For in his fiftenth psalme he speaketh of Iesus of Nazareth whome we preache to you in this manier Aforehande haue I set the Lorde alwayes before me for he is on my ryght hande that I shoulde not bee moued Therfore dyd my herte reioyce and my tongue was glad moreouer also my fleshe shall reste in hope beecause thou shalte not leaue my soule in hell neyther shalte thou suffer thy holye to see corruption Thou haste shewed me the wayes of lyfe thou shalte make me full of ioye wyth thy countenaunce Ye see howe euidently hath that kynge and prophete Dauid described and as it were in a lyuely picture sette beefore youre iyes that whiche ye knowe well ynough is dooen and paste in Iesus of Nazareth He had made God alone hys fortresse of defence and trustyng to hys onely helpe suffered he wyllingly and gladlye all those peynes whyche he as you dooe knowe hath suffered And in sufferyng bodyly peynes he reioyced inwardely Hys toung for ioy neuer ceased to speake neuer kept in silence the wyll of God He was contented for to bee buried although he nothing mistrusted but that his father woulde call him vp to lyfe agayne the third day and woulde not suffer hym who had put his whole trust in god beeyng in no poynt giltie to purrefye in his graue For whosoeuer trusteth to be saued by his owne woorkes or putteth his trust in worldely succoure he shal be founde far vnmete to suffre the paynful dolours of death paciently neither shal he be hable whan he is once entangled to looce hymselfe out of deathes snare But he that continually fixeth the inwarde iye of his soule to godward whiche to al people is mercyful he knoweth alredy the wayes of lyfe and although god semeth to turne away his countenaunce from him for a time yet shall he againe or it be long disclose to hym the beames of his mercy and requite him for his tormentes whiche endureth but for a time with ioyes eternall and for death yelde euerlastyng lyfe for yearthely reproche the glory of heauen Wherefore than we also are taught by him and his example the way to lyfe euerlastyng ¶ Ye men and brethren let me frely speake vnto you of the Patriarke Dauid For he is bothe dead and buried and his sepulchre remayneth with vs vnto this day Therefore seyng he was a prophete knew that God had sworne with an othe to him that Christe as cōcerning the fleshe should come of the fruite of his loynes and should sit on his fear he knowing this before spake of the resurreccion of Christ that his soule should not be left in hell neyther his fleshe shoulde see corrupcion This Iesus hath God araysed vp ▪ whereof all we are witnesses Some peraduenture shall suppose that this prophecy doth perteine to Dauid himselfe and not to Iesus I am not ignoraunt howe highlye ye esteme Dauid the Patriarke and that not without a cause are ye in suche an opinion of him For he was blessed and derely beloued with god but frankelye to speake the trueth to you welbeloued brethren we muste not set so muche by Dauid the Patriarke as to ascribe to him that as his owne which is due vnto Messias The thing trewly it selfe declareth that this prophecy agreeth neyther with Dauid ne with any other Patriarke or prophete For Dauid as eche one of you knowe full well is dead and buryed and neuer came afterwarde to lyfe agayne seeyng that his sepulchre is with vs vnto thys present day conteynyng noughte in yt els but dead drye bones wythout any lyfe at all in theym Wherefore Dauid who knewe that he hymselfe shoulde bee as other were buryed and as touching his bodye shoulde rotte in his graue disclosed not this prophecye of hymselfe But where as he was enspyred with the spyryte of prophecye and knewe ryghte well that that shoulde come to passe whiche god had assured to hym vpon an othe that is to say that Christ as touching his humanitie shoulde be borne of his progeny and after the spirituall vnderstanding shoulde sit vpon his throne to reigne for euer prophecied as one that
apostles doctrine and feloweship and in breaking of bread and in prayers And feare came ouer euery soule and many woonders and sygnes were shewed by the apostles at Ierusalem And all that beleued kept them selues together had all thinges in common and sold their possessions and goodes and parted them to al men as euery man had nede and they continued dayly with one accorde in the temple brake bread from house to house and did eare their meate together with gladnesse singlenes of herte praysing God and had fauour with al the people And the lorde added to the congregacion dayly suche as shoulde be saued Than such as kept themselues in company with the disciples folowed on continually the apostles teachinges for thereby came moste profite and lykewyse continued still in receiuing a token of a couenaunte that shall neuer bee broken which they called communion That token of couenaunt which the lord taught and committed to vs of trust was doen in this maner The bread was broken and dealed to euery man a pece thereof they in their practising of this in a remembraunce of the lordes passion gaue thankes to god for his bountifull goodnes that had clensed them from sinne by the innocent bloud of his owne sonne alone had chosen them for the deathes sake which he suffered on his parte vndeserued to enherite life euerlasting They offered vp also their prayers with clenes of herte whose peticion was that the kingdome of Iesus mighte bee made to spreade euery daye further abrode than other that his glory might throughout all the worlde bee knowen that his wyll euery where might bee folowed that suche as had once professed the fayth of the gospell might through the holy woorde and grace celestiall profit euery day and procede better and better and so might liue in concorde one with an other eche one in peace with his brother forgeuing all iniuries if any faute were doen by mans frayltie being at one with god whiche is mercifull to them that bee mercyfull to theyr neyghboure and that they beeyng dayly strengthned by the goodnes of god myght stedfastly abyde all the assautes of Satan vntill they myght after long bickering with the sayde Sathan at laste receiue eternall rewarde These were than the sacrifices that christen men vsed This wonderfull miracle of tongues Peters exhortacion so liuely made the sodaine mutacion of so many men so great puritie an clennesse of lyfe of the same menne wrought suche an effect in all theyr myndes whiche were giltie and priuie to theyr owne offences that they were sore afrayed of some eiuell to come towarde them For they sawe playnely that this thing was not broughte about by mannes conspyracy but by some celestiall power And for because thapostles did not alonely speake in all mennes languages but wrought also at Hierusalem many wonderfull miracles at thinuocacion of Iesus name in healyng diseases in putting deiuils to flyght in reising the dead to lyfe This tremblyng feare that they were in encroched and grew stil more and more vpon theim This was some beginning in the people towardes theyr amendement But the celestiall spirite wrought in theyr hertes whome secretly he inspired aboue all other thinges in mutuall good wyll and concorde For this truely is the very cognisaunce that Iesus woulde haue his disciples knowen by And as many as beleued the gospell assembled vnto a place ordinately together for theyr consolacion exhorting one an other in mutuall communycacions They were than many in numbre and men of al sortes were admitted without accepcion of persons young olde menne women free bonde poore and ryche The loue of Christe beeyng planted in theyr hertes dyd in so greate conformitie of myndes and mutuall concorde knyt and ioyne together them all beyng otherwise so ferre odde eche to other that all thinges were common emōgest them whiche is a thing seldome sene yea emong brethren that came all out of one belly And to thintent that eche of them might the better departe somewhat of that he had to an other suche as had manoures of theyr owne or other possessions solde them and of the money or prise thereof made a common dole as euery mannes nede required so that neyther they wanted whiche had noughte of theyr owne nor they had more than was sufficient whiche before had muche in possession And so made they theyr dole not as it were of theyr owne proper goodes but as of thinges in common For perfite charytie chalengeth no goodes as her owne and emong them whiche bee all of one mynde no man is accoumpted a lorde of his owne goodes and where eche man is content with litel thereit wyll bee harde to find lacke of thinges necessary But the distribucion of the common was made to euery man accordinge to his necessitie and not to his sensualitie The apostles prescribed none of all these thynges for them to doe but charitie did more among them without compulsion than any lawe of Moyses durst require And euery day were they also in the temple in muche vnitie of minde stedfast in prayer rendryng thankes to god and exhortinge theimselues together and entising other to that peace of conscience whiche the gospel requireth all that euer they were hable to coumpace Moreouer whan they had thus spent the whole daye in suche godly excercises they brake in euery house theyr breade and eate their meate together with ioy that herte cannot thinke and eche one with other in perfecte clenlynes of herte gaue prayse to god through whose goodnes they had gotten them so muche loue and fauour They were in fauour and good estimacion with all the people For who is he that woulde not loue suche persons that hurt no man and be ready to do euery man good in whom also appered manyfestly so muche godly power so great sobrenesse and mekenes withall Here mayest thou well marke Theophilus howe the churche had at her beginning by reason of ioy in mens hertes and vnitie with all luckie tokens well to prosper There muste nedes bee conformitee of myndes and vnitie where that spirite is whiche is the pacifier of all troubleous hertes there cannot be but ioy and gladnes where is a cleane conscience without any dystruste of the promises whiche are made in the gospell But as the bishopes Pharisees Scribes and chiefe auncientes or head men among the people wer euery where alwayes redy to slea Iesus so here at the luckye beegynnynges of this young churche no mencion is made of theim Noe persone was enforced to come to this feloweship no violente authoritie kept theym together in league Suche as thither came abode there still with other of theyr owne ientle courage and the lorde allured to theim whom he had appoincted to bee saued euery day more and more whyle the smale musterd-seede was by litell and litell springyng whiche shoulde afterwarde spreade his braunches abrode through al the worlde The .iii. Chapter ¶ Peter and Iohn
wer vanquished in their accion by piththy reasons There was nothing here spoken by him of god but godlye nothing of Moses but honorably of the lawe nothyng but accordyng to the meaning therof of the temple nothynge contumelyously And yet their hartes for anger were a breakyng in sundre and thei grinded their teethe togither lyke woode men and frantyke So loth were they to see their owne glorie dimynished and his glorye published and praysed whose glorye alone god woulde haue openly declared to all men If he hadde praysed Moyses or Abraham they woulde haue forborne hym but now that Iesus should be alyue that he should stande on the ryght hande of god lyke as Dauid prophecied that coulde not they abide But as they had be al stryken than or turned into a fury or madnes thei stopped their eares againste so holsome doctrine and communicacion and ran al at once vpon Steuen violently with outragious cries And as though he had ben thā conuict and condemned for blasphemie they cast hym oute of the citie expressyng in this one poynte alone Moyses lawe and there they stoned hym And the witnesses as though they had gotten the vpperhande of hym whose dewtye was after Moyses lawe to cast the first stone to thintente they myght the redier be to that cruel murther layed downe their garmētes at a young mans feete called Saule who than of ignoraunce and loue towarde hys countrey law fauoured the wicked parte Soone vpō this they began to stone Steuen who neither contended againe neither spake woordes to thē of any reproche but made to him whome he had seen his inuocacion and sayde Lorde Iesu take to the my soule Therby mayst thou know him to be Iesus disciple For in lyke maner sayed he vpon the crosse father I commend my spirite into thy handes After this whyle the stones flygh on euery syde and he was kneling vpon the grounde he cried out aloude with an highe voyce and an inwarde great affeccion of mynde and sayed lorde laye not this vnto their charge for they know not what they do how playnly doth the seruaunt expresse his mayster This was the laste woorde before his deathe after the whiche he departed this lyfe as it were with a sounde slepe in the lorde in whome whosoeuer dyeth doth not dye in very dede but falleth into a slepe and shall agayne after he hath taken his pleasaunt test awake to lyfe euerlasting It besemeth as many as be trewe christians to dye in suche a mynde And so Steuen ryghte well agreyng to his name deserued first of all the crowne of martyrdome and offered vp to the Lorde the first fruytes of sacrifice that were seamely for the gospell The .viii. Chapter Saule consented vnto his death And at that tyme there was a great persecuciō against the congregacion whiche was at Ierusalem And they wer all scattered abrode throwout the regions of Iewry and Samaria But deuout persons dressed Steuen and made greate lamentacion ouer hym As for Saul he made hauocke of the congregacion entred into euery house drewe out both men and women thrust theim into prison Therfore they that were scattered abrode went euerye where preachyng the woorde of God SOme there were emong that multitude whiche were not than perswaded that Iesus was the sonne of God and so by meane of suche ignoraunce their offence was the lesse thoughe it excused them not of murther forasmuche as they beyng so blinded of their owne inordinate desyres had leauer auenge then learne the trueth Yet of all other none were lesse to be holden excused than the byshoppes scribes and phariseis Sum agayne there were whiche of very ignoraunce not of any malice beleued that it was a pleasant sacrifice to god to dispatche the worlde of them whiche went aboute to subuert the lawe that god had left to man Albeit charitie of the gospell excuseth yea those thinges whiche cannot be with man excused Amongest those that of plaine ignoraunce did amysse and of no maliciouse mynde Saule was accompted one who was borne in the Isle Tarsus a young man fauoryng Moyses lawe excedyngly whiche afterwarde became of a rauenynge woulfe a meke lambe of a cruel persecutor of Christes gospell and egre defender of the lybertye therof But stones verely cast he none that tyme at Steuen but was assentyng to them that had condemned and stoned hym and for this purpose kepte he their garmentes that he myghte be accounted one amongest the rest of them that stoned him And yet were not the malyciouse Iewes quieted in their mindes with the murther of this one person but a wonderful great persecution begūne sone after to ryse against the church of Christ whiche than was at Hierusalem in somuche as all they were scatered into sondry coastes of Iudea and Samaria sauyng the twelue apostles whiche were more constante in mynde and stedfast than other were neyther coulde the maliciouse Iewes ought do agaynst them no more coulde they agaynst the other but vpon Iesus the lordes sufferaunce The lorde had permytted them in tyme of persecucion to flye from citie to citie And this theyr fliyng proceded not so muche of anye feare the disciples were in as it came of the wil and ordinaunce of god that of their teachinges as it were of seedes cast in many places abrode a plentifull haruest myght the soner cum forth in Christes religion The twelue apostles and no moo like faithfull shepherdes shranke not awaye for all the great storme but abode styll by it at Hierusalē But sum well dysposed persones because they perceiued Steuen vnworthely oppressed by subornate witnesse caused the dead body to be buried Of suche a godly loue or affecciō was Ioseph moued and Nycodemus to prouide dyligently for the lorde Iesus funeralles but Steuens death was celebrate after the Iewishe facion or maner with weapynge and wailynge of good men For Christen people taketh the death of suche that dye for Christes glory to their great Ioye and comforte and as it were for the victorie of goddes enemyes and yf there be any teares shedde it is not for his sake that is dead but eyther for suche manquellers that purchaseth them selues helle either els for Christes flocke beyng destitute of a necessary shepherd In these daies Saul whiche had before declared at the stoning of Steuē sum tryal of his zeale began of a great displeasure that he had conceyued against the Christiās lyke an hungry woulfe that teareth in peces scattereth abrode a flocke of shepe euē so to wast goddes congregacion pursuynge them that fledde searching them oute that lay hid walkynge about to euery house and wher he thought any to be of Christes professiō furiously there russhed he in haling men and lykewyse women into prison more cruell the trueth to say then were the priestes Scribes of the which none at al put womē to any trouble or busines This did that yong man of a good zeale but of a noughty iudgemēt And
the gospel increased and waxed stronger aswell by aduersitie as by prosperitie Wherefore Paule Barnabas continued a long space in this fyghte at Iconium valiantly settyng foorth the matter by the helpe of god whiche bare witnesse whiche was greater than any testymony of man to thys hys free gift that he exhibited to al men through his ghospell For power he gaue to these his preachers of the ghospel that were but weake persons and out of reputacion to woorke signes and wonders to th entent that it mighte bee knowen therby to bee the very handye woorke of god So by meane of the Iewes the citie Iconium was diuided in two partes of whiche thâ—ne fauoured the vnfaythfull Iewes the other thapâ—stles Whan there was an assaulte made bothe of the Gentiles and also of the Iewes with their rewlers to do them violence and to stone them they were ware of it and fled vnto Listra and Derba cities of Licaonia and vnto the regyon that lieth rounde aboute and there preached the gospel And all the multitude was moued at their doctrine but Paul and Barnabas taried stil at Listra And at the last whan they that were of the gentiles adioyning themselues to the Iewes and gouernoures of the citie went about to laye violent handes on thapostles that they might punish and stone them they hauing knowlege of the matter fâ—ed to Listra a citie in Licaonia whiche is parte of Pamphilia and from thence to Derba In the meane space they walked ouer all coastes of the countrey that were neare sowing in euery place seede of the ghospell so that in this their flyght the apostles dyd not so muche procure their owne health as spreade abrode the ghospel ¶ And there sate a certaine man at Listra weake in his feete beyng a creple from his mothers wombe and neuer had walked The same heard Paul preache Who beholding him and perceiuing that he had faith to be whole said with a loude voice stand vpright on thy feete And he stert vp walked And whan the people saw what Paule had doen they lift vp their voyces saying in the speche of Licaonia Goddes are come down to vs in the likenes of menne And they called Barnabas Iupiter Paul Mercurius because he was the preacher Than Iupiters prieste whiche dwelt before their citie brought oâ—en and garlandes vnto the porche and would haue doen sacrifice with the people There was the same time in Listra a certaine manne whose legges were so feble and impotent that he continually satte still nothing hable to walke and was lame euen from his mothers wombe neyther could he go of all the dayes in his life before This man among the other multitude hearde Paule speakyng of Christe and Paule looking vpon this man perceyued by his countenaunce howe earnest and desirous he was to heare hym because he trusted that by the name of Iesus whiche he had hearde preached he shoulde obtayne health of his limmes and said vnto him with a loude voyce Stande vp on thy feete and with that worde this lame man leaped vp and was wel hable to go But whan the multitude saw this woâ—â—â—e for there was no man but he knew this lame creature and that with one woorde he was restored vnto his health they spake with loude voyces in their owne countrey language of Licaonia and said doubtlesse the gods haue taken on them the likenes of men and haue descended from heauen vnto vs. And the people of Licaonia did so muche more perswade themselues that it was so because there went commonly certaine talkes of Iupiter and Mercurius how they being gods tooke on them the lykenesse of men and were receiued as gestes of Licaon of whome it appereth that they were called Licaonians Wherefore they called Barnabas by the name of Iupiter because he shewed in hys countenaunce great grauitie and auncientnes and Paule they called Mercurie because he was the spokesman for the Gentiles were of this opinion that Mercurius was the messengier of the goddes and the president of eloquence And Iupiters prieste who dwelled in the subburbes of the citie of Listra brought oxen and garlandes to the gate of the house where the apostles were lodged to thintente that he woulde haue dooen sacrifice vnto them For they supposed that Iupiter was most delighted with sacrifising of oxen And aswell the priestes as also the beastes that were killed in sacrifice had wont to weare garlandes And a great number of all estates indifferently one with an other folowed hym Whiche whan the Apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of they rente their clothes and ran in emong the people crying and saying Syrs why dooe ye this We are mortal men like vnto you and preache vnto you that ye should tourne from these vanities vnto the liuing God whiche made heauen and earth and the sea and al thinges that are therin the whiche in times past suffered all nacions to walke in their owne waies Neuerthelesse he left not himselfe without witnesse in that he shewed his benefites from heaueÌ„ in geuing vs cayne and fruitful seasons filling our hertes with foode and gladnes But whan Paule and Barnabas had enquired what the matter ment and learned how they were taken as goddes and that the priest hastened to sacrifice vnto them they woulde no longer abyde so greate blasphemye against god to haue that same honoure that was due to god onely applyed to manne but cuttyng their garmentes as the Iewes manner was in sorowe they with haste came foorth to the multitude cryinge and sayde syrs what meane ye Why doe you thus We are no goddes but mortal men as ye bee ready and apte to fall into lyke mischaunces as you are and we dooe not onely not desire thus to bee honoured of you but rather we came hyther to you for this purpose that by oure counsell ye maye turne to the true lyuyng god that made heauen and yearth and the sea and all thinges whatsoeuer is conteyned therein leauing these false goddes whome ye haue hytherto with heathen sacrifice woorshipped whiche in dede are nothing els but eyther men that be nowe dead or els ymages voyde of lyfe or finally euil spirites For there is but one god the maker and gouernour of al thinges His wyll is now to be knowen and worshipped of all nacions in the worlde that all men through him maye obtaine lyfe euerlasting For in times paste he winking as it were at mennes factes permitted all nacions to lyue euery one after his owne trade to the ende that after it were once euidente that man coulde not be saued by his owne meanes all men might bee saued if they would beleue in god the ghospel taught by his sonne And although the moste parte of menne through erroure hath lefte the true God wurshipping ymages of diuerse thinges in stede of God or thinges that were created in stede of their creatoure yet he by and by dyd not reuenge hymselfe on them as he iustly might haue done nor
gospel was wel forward there he thought it best to depart for a season and to geue place to the furious rageyng of the Iewes And so takyng his leaue of yâ— brethren he appoynted to sayle into Siria hauyng Aquila with hym and his wyfe Priscilla And forasmuche as Paul perceyued that the Iewes were most moued because that he a man borne vnder the Iewes lawe semed to sette no store by the tradicions of the lawe before he toke shyppyng at Cenchrea whiche is the hauen at Corinthe he shore his heade makyng a solemne vowe accordyng as the custome was among the Iewes He did not this craftily to colour or to feigne with them but he had regarde vnto charitie that they should not be offended For â—is desyre was to wynne theym all to the gospell and therfore did he frame himselfe to al mennes appetites as nere as he could to th entent that he myght wynne them all to Christ. Emong the Iewes he ordred himselfe as a Iewe and whan he was emonge those that were not circumcised he also behaued himselfe as a man vncircumcised But thus bare he with them for a space because they were so wedded to supersticion that they could not easely bee plucked from it vntyll suche tyme as the trueth of the gospell myght more clerely spryng abrode For to make a vowe and to shere thy head vpon thesame is not that thinge whiche of it selfe is euyll but to put confidence in suche Iewyshe ceremonies is damnable And in like manier circumcision hurteth not a man that beleueth in Christe neyther yet to be vncircumcised in whiche matier at a tyme it is the parte of charitie to geue place vntyl a man see oportunitie and in suche wyse as whan he shall haue oportunitie he speake against thesame But in all other matiers that of themselues are nought we must not geue place to any mannes weakenesse For Paul neuer bare with the Gentiles in any matier of coÌ„mitting aduoutrye or wurshyppyng Idolles but in famyliar conuersacion together in neglecting choyse of meates in cityng or allegeyng their Poetes sometyme he bare with them So firste they arryued at Ephesus whiche is a citie vpon the sea syde in the lesse Asia whiche properly and without any other addicion had wonte to be called Asia There he lefte Aquila and Priscilla who were desirous to tarye and to dwell at Ephesus And himselfe entring into the Sinagoge of the Iewes that dwelte there disputed with theym Of whom whan he was desired to continue there a great while he excused hymselfe and toke his leaue of them and puttyng them in hope that he woulde shortely see theim agayne he coumforted them in this wise There is no remedy I muste nedes kepe this feaste that is nowe at hande in Hierusalem but I wyll returne agayne vnto you by goddes grace Whan he had spoken these wordes he departed from Ephesus and sayled towardes Hierusalem and whan he hadde arryued at Cesarea a cytie in yâ— countrey of Palestine he wente vp to Hierusalem and saluted the congregacion From thence he toke his iourney to Antioche that is in Syria After he had taried there a while he wente forewarde on his iourney that he had begon goyng ouer all the countrey of Galacia and Phrigia confirmyng the disciples fayth in euery place wheresoeuer he mette with any assembly of them Thus carefull was Paule for hys flocke that he had wonne to Christe ¶ And a certayne Iewe named Appollos borne at Alexandria came to Ephesus an eloquent man myghtie in the scriptures The same was enformed in yâ— way of yâ— lorde and spake reuerently in the spirite taught diligently the thinges of the lorde knewe but the baptisme of Iohn only And thesame began to speake boldly in the Sinagoge WhoÌ„ whan Priscilla Aquila had heard they toke him vnto them expouÌ„ded vnto him the way of God more perfectly And wheÌ„ he was disposed to go into Achaia yâ— brethreÌ„ wrot eâ—hortyng the disciples to receyue hym Whiche when he was cum helped them muche which beleued through grace For he ouercame the Iewes mightilye that openly shewing vp the scripture that Iesus was Christ. In the meane space one Apollos an Alexandrian borne but one that kepte the Iewes religion a man that was well learned and had good knowlege of holy scriptures came to Ephesus where as Paul had left Priscilla Aquila This Apollos was halfe a christen man For he had learned the rudimentes and first rewles of the ghospel of the christen men and wyth feruente desire he dyd communicate thesame to others that himself had learned and suche thynges as he knewe of Iesus before that he the sayed Apollos was christened with Christes baptisme wherby grace was more pleÌ„tifully geuen he taught diligentlye but as yet he knewe not the sayed baptisme of Christe but knewe onely the baptysme of Iohn wherby penaunce was taught and preached This Apollos beyng not yet fully enstructed in those thinges that Christ had taught thought that sufficiente Whome whan Priscilla and Aquila hearde boldely speake of Iesus but yet in suche sorte that they well perceyued hym to bee not fully instructed in the principles of the gospell and seeyng hym endued with so many good qualities that as it appered he woulde bee an excellent preacher and setter foorth of Christes name they toke hym home with them and seuerallye taught him more perfectly the misteries of the ghospell according to the doctrine that Paul had taught them before They refused not him to be a teacher whiche thoughe he were diligent yet was not perfecte and he on the other syde disdayned not to be monished of any manne what euer he were They gaue exaumple in so doyng that suche oughte gently to be holpen forwardes in whome any hope of doyng well remayneth Agayne here is an exaumple that we muste gladly learne of any man suche thynges the knowlege wherof cannot be let passe without perill of damnacion Apollos was christened in the name of Iesus and receyued the holy ghoste But than afterwardes he was desyrous to go into Achaia where as Corinthe is to the ende that he myght preache the ghospell the brethren seeyng hym wyllyng of hys own accorde dyd set him forwardes and more prouoked hym to it and wrote letters in commendacion of him to the disciples in Achaia that they shoulde receyue hym Who did after his cumming thyther muche good vnto theÌ„ that had bene conuerted to the fayth and valiauntly dyd sette foorth the ghospell For the holy ghoste holpe to set forwardes his eloquence that he had ioyned with knowlege of the holy scriptures With whiche weapons he beeyng armed did stoutly put the Iewes to sylence that continually contended against the young sowen corne of the ghospell that was bladyng vp shewyng openly and also playnelye by euydente testimonies of the scriptures that Iesus was the same Messias whom the Iewes had so many hundred yeares looked for and that all thinges that the Prophetes spake
before of Messias dyd agree in him The .xix. Chapter It fortuned that whyle Appollo was at Corinthe Paul passed through the vpper coastes came to Ephesus and founde certayne disciples and saide vnto them haue ye receyued the holy ghost sence ye beleued And they sayed vnto him no we haue not hearde whether ther be any holy gost or no. And he sayd vnto them wherwith wer ye than baptised And they sayed with Iohns baptisme Than sayed Paul Iohn verely Baptised with the baptisme of repentaunce saying vnto the people that they shoulde beleue on hym which should come after him that is on Christ Iesus Whē they heard this they wer baptysed in the name of the lorde Iesu. And whan Paule had layed his handes vpon them ▪ the holy gost came on them and they spake with tounges and prophecied and all the men were about twelue BUt euen as Priscilla and Aquila hadde amended Apollos in suche poyntes as he lacked beeyng necessarye for a christen manne to haue so Paule fyndynge others in lyke takyng dyd For whiles that Apollos was at Corinthe whiche is the chiefe citie in Achaia it chaunced that Paule after he had goen ouer the other countreyes of Asia the lesse whyche declyne mooste to the Northe and Easte returned to Ephesus There founde he certayne of the disciples that were no perfecte Christians whiche were in one flocke emong the other brethren Wherfore Paule to the intent that he myght more perfectly instructe theym asked whether that they had receyued the holy ghoste synce the tyme that they were conuerted to the faythe They forasmuche as theyr erroure was of no malyce but of plaine ignoraunce frākely aunswered and freely as it was in dede and sayed No neyther haue we euer hearde yet hytherto whether there be anye holy ghoste that is gyuen to them that beleue Than saied Paule forasmuche as ye are taken for christen men whose baptisme than were ye baptised with They made aunswere with the baptisme of Iohn for we thought that sufficient for vs. Than sayed Paule In that haue ye not doen amisse that in tymes past before the ghospell came to mannes knowleage abrode ye receiued Iohns baptisme But that is not sufficient for your eternal saluacion For lyke as the doctrine of Iohn was not perfect but did onely testifie of Iesus that he was the true gyuer of saluacion who shoulde come after him makyng readye theyr myndes that they should beleue hym whan he came so dyd not Iohns baptisme wholy iustifie but onely exhorted menne that by repentaunce for theyr life mispēt they shoulde prepare theyr hertes for the Phisicion that woulde strayghte afterwardes come whiche with his baptisme throughe faith woulde take awaye all maner of synnes and by his spirite should enryche the myndes of the faythfull with heauenly gyftes of grace This tradicion had the Apostles receyued of Iesus the Lorde that they that beleued in the ghospell shoulde be christened in the name of the father of the sonne and of the holy ghoste They that erred onely through simplicitie and for lacke of knowleage onelye deserued thus to be instructed And they beyng once warned hereof obeyed theyr counsellours and immediatly were christened in the name of Iesus the lorde This doen whan Paule had layed his handes on them the holy ghoste came down on them and the thing it selfe that ensued dyd manifestly expresse what the visible token meaned For they did both speake diuerse languages and prophecied also of hidden and secrete thynges that were to come The numbre of those persons that were men amounted euen to a dosen or ther about ¶ And he went into the synagoge and behaued himself boldly for the space of three monethes disputing and geuyng them exhortacions of the kyngdom of God Whē diuerse wexed hard harted beleued not but spake euell of the waye and that before the multitude he departed frō them separated the disciples And he disputed daily in the schoole of one called Tyrannus Whan Paule had this doen and as a man woulde saye had renewed his authoritie forasmuche as he beyng the preacher of the gentiles had geuen the holy ghost by laying on his hande ouer the faythfull euen as the other Apostles had doen he entryng into the Sinagoge of the Iewes that dwelled there openly and freely spake to all men preachyng that hope of saluacion was to be obteyned by Iesus onely whiche thing he dyd me then fewe dayes for it was the space of whole three monethes disputyng of the kyngdome of God whiche is heauenly and spiritual agaynst them that with tooth and nayle stifly vpheld the carnall kyngdome of the lawe But whan certayne of the Sinagoge gaue no credence to those thynges that were spoken of Paule but stubbernely resisted insomuche that openly before the multitude they blasphemously spake agaynst the doctrine of the ghospell Paule perceyuyng that it was to be feared lest that they that beleued myght bee corrupted by their malice left the synagoge of the Iewes and dyd lykewyse separate the disciples from theym and yet he ceassed not in the meane season to preache the ghospel But he dayly disputed in the schoole of one Tyrannus hauynge euen than in mynd the image of a pure churche that were not corrupted with the leauen of the synagoge whiche churche shoulde receyue none but those that woulde learne and that woulde reiecte suche as were praters and blasphemous persons And this continued by the space of two yeres so that all they that dwelt in Asia hearde the worde of the lord Iesu both Iewes Grekes And god wroughte speciall myracles by the handes of Paul so that frō his body were brought vnto the sycke napkyns partlettes and the diseases departed from thē and the euyll spirites went out of them Thus dyd he continue by the space of two yeres with suche successe that not onely the Ephesians but also diuers others some Iewes and some Gentiles that resorted thyther from that parte of Asia the lesse whiche properlye is named Asia where as Ephesus is gaue eare vnto the ghospell And myracles did cause them to beleue his preachyng for god wrought both many and also great woonders by the handes of Paule insomuche that he put awaye diseases not with woordes or by touchyng onely but also napkins and partlettes whiche had touched Paules bodye were caried to the sicke that were so faynt that they coulde not come to Paule and with touchyng therof aswell diseases as also euill spirites were put away So great confidence had Paul on Iesus whom he preached ¶ Than certayne of the vagabound Iewes exorcistes toke vpon them to call ouer them which had euil spirites the name of the lord Iesus saying we adiure you by Iesu whō Paule preacheth And there wer seuen sonnes of one Sceua a Iewe and chiefe of the priestes whiche did so And the euyll spirite answered and sayd Iesus I knowe and Paule I know but who are ye And the man in whom the euyll spirite was ranne on
them ouercame theym preuayled agaynst them so that they fled out of that house naked and also wounded And this was knowen to all the Iewes Grekes also which dwelte at Ephesus and feare came on theÌ„ all and the name of the lord Iesus was magnified And many that beleued came confessed and shewed their workes Many of them whiche vsed curious craftes brought theyr bokes and burned theÌ„ before al men And they accouÌ„pted the price of them and found it fiftie thousand siluerlinges So mightily growed the worde of God and preuayled Whiche thing whan certayne Iewes perceyued whiche were of that sorte of men that go about and for lucre do cast out euil spirites with certaine ceremonies and solemne prescribed woordes as it were of coniuracion crakyng that they had receyued thys cunnyng of Salomon whom they affirmed to be the authour therof they also attempted to cast out euyll spirites by inuocacion of the name of our lorde Iesus not bycause they entended to set foorth the glory of his name or because they woulde endeuour themselues to do men good but because that they supposed thereby to get more aduauntage greater name Wherfore they chaungeyng certayne wordes wherewith they hadde woonte to coniure sayde to the euill spirites I coniure you in the name of Iesus whom Paule preacheth that ye departe This especially dyd the seuen sonnes of one whose name was Sceua whiche was a Iewe and one of the chief priestes And whan they attempted in this wyse to proue thys kynde of coniuration on a certayne manne that was possessed with an euyll spirite the euill spirite aunswered to those coniurers I knowe Iesus by vertue of whose name ye go about to feare me I knowe also Paule the seruaunt and professour of Christe but what be you that abuse the name of Iesus and Paule to your lucre wheras ye are the disciples neither of Iesus ne yet of Paule And assone as he had spoken these wordes the man that was possessed wyth the euyll spirite â—anne vpon these exorcistes and coniurers and gotte the ouer haÌ„de of them insomuche that they had muche a doe to escape with theyr lyues and scarce got away at last naked and wounded oute of the house This thing after it was bruted abrode and knowen throughe oute the citie of Ephesus both emong the Iewes and the Gentiles that occupied there â–ª they were sore afrayed euerye man and muche praysed the name of the lorde Iesus whyche was so healthfull to all suche as beleued well that it woulde not bee applyed to the lucre or glorye of any man And this the mischaunce of fewe dyd profytte many For many one being afrayed by the ensample of the sonnes of Sceua and specially suche as had begon to beleue the gospell whan as they saw that punishmente was ready at hande for suche as called vpon the name of Iesus with vncleane heartes they repayred to Paule confessing and vtteryng their offences that by penaunce they might escape the punishment of God For the citie of Ephesus was more then all other geuen to supersticious craftes as this their owne prouerbe doeth withnesse The Ephesians learning by which prouerbe was sygnified sorceries and wordes of coniuracion whiche the Ephesians learned and vsed that they might prosper and haue good happe in al thinges that they went about and might preuayle against others in any thing that they attempted Wherefore many were there in that citie whiche beeyng seduced had eyther vsed such Iudaical coniurations or els had geuen credite vnto them And besides this dyuerse of those that had vsed magical and curiouse craftes brought their bokes to the common market place and burned theÌ„ in the sight of al persones Wherof there was so great a noumber that the value of them whan it was rated by castyng accoumpte of it amounted to the summe of fiftie thousande pieces of syluer coyne euerye piece beeyng in value aboute a grote sterlyng or more But the losse of this moneye was greate aduauntage to the furtheryng of the ghospell For by meanes hereof the worde of God did muche increace and waxed strong whiche woorde was to their saluacion that fully without glosyng and clokyng dyd embrace it but to suche as did not vprightly walke therin it was terrible After these thynges were ended Paule purposed in the spirite whan he passed ouer Macedonia and Achaia to goe to HierusaleÌ„ saying after I haue bene there I must also see Rome So sent he into Macedonia two of theÌ„ that ministred vnto him eueÌ„ Timotheus and Erastus but he hymselfe remayned in Asia for a season Whan Paul had thus happely spedde by the space of two yeares continuyng at Ephesus he was monyshed by the holy ghost to departe thence and so purposed with himselfe to walke ouer Macedonia and Achaia and than to take his iourneye to Hierusalem saying I muste see Rome also but I wyll fyrste go to Hierusalem Whan he had fully decreed thus with himselfe he sent before hym a couple of those that awayted on hym that is to saye Tymothee and Erastus vnto Macedonie to gather mennes almesse for succouryng those nedy that were at Hierusalem and that they myghte make readye theyr myndes agaynst Paule came But Paule hymselfe stayed for a season in Asia ¶ The same tyme there arose no lytle a doe aboute that way For a certayne man named Demetrius a syluersmith which made siluer shrynes for Diana was not a lytle beneficial vnto the craftesmen WhoÌ„ he called together with the workemeÌ„ of like occupacion and sayd Syrs ye know that by this crafte we haue aduauntage Moreouer ye see heare that not alone at Ephesus but almost throughout Asia this Paule hath perswaded and turned away muche people saying that they are not Goddes which are made with handes So that not only this our crafte cuÌ„meth into parel to be set at naught but also that the temple of the great goddesse Diana should be despised and her magnificence should bee destroyed whom all Asia and the worlde wurshyppeth Aboute thys tyme a greuous commocion was stirred vp agaynst the gospell among the Ephesians but not by the Iewes than as it was accustomed before to be but by suche as stycked ouermuche to the tradicion that they had receyued of theyr forefathers as concernyng the supersticious wurshippyng of their goddes The Ephesians as is afore sayed were wonderfullye gyuen to curious learning and Diana as the Gentiles supposed had a great power in enchauntementes and therefore they sayed she had three faces or headdes as Hecate had This was the cause that she was so greatly worshipped at Ephesus Marke here nowe that lucre and gaynes was the firste occasion of this commocion and the supersticious people furtherers to the same For there was at Ephesus in those dayes a certayne man named Demetrius a siluersmyth by his occupacion This Demetrius where as he was a maker of siluer shrynes or tabernacles for Diana because the moone in colour somewhat resembleth siluer
discouraged by the malice of the Iewes who for the settyng foorth and magnifying of the lawe doe withstande the gospell nor yet dryuen from it by the fiercenes of the Gentiles whiche do so stiffelye vpholde and maynteyne the supersticion whiche they haue receyued of theyr forefathers For thatsame affliccion and persecucion in whiche I was here dyd moue me rather because I sawe that the cōgregacion was in some daungier leste any man beyng offended with mine aduersitie might be alienated and turned awaye from the ghospell then because that I passed for the shame that I was put to or for the sorowes or woe whyche I suffred and endured And in case I did at any tyme eschewe perill or daungier I dyd it rather for your pleasure to satisfye your appetites hauyng respecte to your profit then because I cared or passed any thyng for the losse of myne owne lyfe ¶ And now beholde I go bound in the spirit vnto Hierusalē not knowyng the thynges that shall come on me there but that the holy gost witnesseth in euerye citie saying that bondes and trouble abyde me But none of these thynges do moue me neyther is my life deare vnto my selfe that I might fulfyl my course with ioye the ministraciō of the word whiche I haue receiued of the lorde Iesu to testifye the ghospell of the grace of god And I am very glad that I haue so done Yea and nowe thoughe I bee free in bodye and not in any bandes yet beyng in spirite or mynde as it were in holde I take my iourney towardes Hierusalem where I am not verye certeyne what wyll become of me but onely because that the holy ghost in euerye citie partely by mouthes of the prophetes and partely in myne owne mynde doeth sygnifie vnto me that it shall come to passe that I shal be bothe fettered and tormented Whiche thing though I bothe beleue and knowe certaynelye shall chaunce vnto me yet none of al these thinges make me afrayed to execute the dutie of an apostle whiche I am called vnto though I shoulde be assured to abyde the paynes of death for my labour For it is not this lyfe that I so muche regarde whiche cannot perishe beyng vnder the tuicion of Christe but more do I esteme my maysters commaundemente then my lyfe and that I may ende this my course in preachyng the ghospel as cherefully as I haue hitherto ioyfully abyden it Nothing is there that more deliteth me then that the ghospell maye be furthered by my affliccions I haue delite in nothyng els but styll to runne forwardes in the race of the gospell wherein the lorde hath set me vntyll that I come to the marke beyng well assured that I shall accordyngly be rewarded at his handes whyche is mayster of the game whan he shall see tyme at his owne pleasure who is without deceite I auaunced not my selfe vnto this office but the lorde Iesus set me in this roume for to preach aswell to the Iewes as also to the Gentiles these mooste gladsome tydynges whiche is that it hath pleased god frely to saue euery man by beleuyng in the ghospell Wherfore willyngly and with all my herte wyll I nowe fulfyl this my vocacion not regardyng whether I lyue or dye And now behold I am sure that henceforth ye all thorow whom I haue goen preaching the kyngdōe of god shal se my face no more Wherefore I take you to recorde this daye that I am pure frō the bloud of all men For I haue spared no labour but haue shewed you al the counsel of god Take hede therfore vnto your selues to all the flocke among whō the holy gost hath made you ouersears to rule the congregacion of god whiche he hath purchased with his bloud As long as I conueniently myght I was present with you and holpe towardes your saluacion teachyng admonishyng exhortyng comfortynge rebukyng as I sawe occasion with ofte recourse to see you But nowe am I certayne by inspiration of the holye ghoste that ye shall neuer more see me in this worlde agayne neither ye Ephesians nor yet any others that are inhabitours of the lesse Asia vnto whom I haue already preached the kyngdome of God I haue done my duetie with all diligence and vprightly Wherfore seyng that I muste departe from you without any hope of returne this do I proteste before you all that yf any man peryshe eyther by hys owne or els by others defaulte I am not gylty of theyr death I haue shewed euery man the true way to euerlastyng lyfe I haue opened vnto you the wyll of God howe he is mynded to saue mankynde and what they muste do that continue in stedfast belefe towarde oure lorde Iesus in suche wise that no man can saye for excuse of himselfe that he knewe it not I my selfe haue gyuen you ensaumple both doyng and also sufferyng al that I myght to haue you continue in puritie of the gospell No mannes death can be imputed to me And nowe it ariseth not of my free wyll that I muste hence departe frome you nor yet do I for feare of anye persecucion conuey my selfe awaye but wittingly and willyngly goe I to vndoubted daungier of my lyfe beeyng so wylled by the spirite of Christ. Wherfore what ye cannot come by through my presence that muste ye supplye wyth youre owne dylygence See that your owne hertes fayle you not or els that your foote slyde not backe from those thynges that ye haue well entred into but ye that are the elders and vnto whom I haue cōmytted cure of this flocke watche partely for your own behalfes lest ye be seduced by false apostles and partely for the flockes sake whyche ye haue taken in hande to feede I haue vprightly executed myne office that was assygned and deputed to me of oure lorde Take ye lyke care and thought and with semblable good wyll and vprightnes of behauiour for the flocke that the holy ghost hath made you bisshoppes of that is to saye ouerseers to take diligent hede that Christes shepe lacke no holsome foode and not to playe the partes of woulues but of faithfull shepeherdes towarde goddes owne congregacion whiche ye muste not neglygently looke vpon forasmuche as god did set so muche store by it that he purchased it by the bloud sheddyng of his onely begotten sonne Ye must therfore beware that in no wyse the ware whiche god hath so derely boughte maye perishe or miscary through your negligence ¶ For I am sure of this that after my departyng shal greuous woulues enter in among you not sparing the flocke Moreouer of your own selues shall mē arise speaking peruerse thynges to drawe disciples after thē Therfore awake and remēbre that by the space of iii. yeares I ceased not to warne euery one of you both night and day with teares I do not warne you of these thynges aforehande so earnestly for nothyng For tight certaynly assured I am that you shall not still haue Paules wyth you
whan we had gotten a shyp that would sayle vnto Phenyces we wente aborde into it and set furthe But whan Cyprus began to appere vnto vs we lefte it on the left hande and sayled vnto Siria and came to Tyre For there the shyp vnladed her burden AND after we had sette vp sayle wer goen out of syght of them that stoode on the banke lokinge after vs we sayled streight furth arryued at the Ylande called Chous and nexte day after at Rhodes thence furth tyll we touched at Patara whiche is a citie of Licia nere to the sea syde There founde we a shyppe that was redye to sayle towarde Phenice we toke shyppyng there sayled therein But whan the Ylande of Cypres appeared vnto vs we leauyng it on the lefte hande sayled towarde Syria arriued at Tyre whiche is a citie situate on the sea banke of Phenice as Sydon is lykewyse We desired rather to sayle streyght foorth to Palestyne but because Tyre was a marte toune the master of the shyppe woulde nedes set his marchaundyse on lande there ¶ And when we had founde brethren we taryed theâ—e seuen dayes And they told Paule through the spirite that he should not go vp to Hierusalem And when the dayes wer ended we departed and they all brought vs on our waye with wyues and children til we were come out of the citie And we kneled downe in the shore and prayed And whan we had taken our leaue one of an other we tooke shyp and they returned home againe But whan as we founde some dysciples there also we taried with them seuen dayes Emong them were some whiche beynge enspired with the spirite of prophecye counselled Paule that he should in no wyse go to Hierusalem But yet for all that when the seuen dayes were expired we departed from Tyre all the disciples with their children and wyues accompanying and bringyng vs out of the citie to the sea banke Where after we had kneled downe and made our prayers with one consent and had taken our leaue one of an other we tooke shyppyng and they returned home againe ¶ When we had full ended the course froÌ„ Tyre we went downe vnto Ptolomaida saluted the brethren and abode with them one day The next day we that were of Paules cumpany departed came vnto Cesarea And we entred into the house of Philip the Euangeliste whiche was one of yâ— seuen and abode with him The same had fower doughters virgins whiche dyd Prophecie From Tyre we sayled to Ptolomaida whiche is a citie on the sea nere to the hyll named Carmelus Here we saluted our brethren and remayned one daye with them Nexte daye after Paule and we wente furth on our iourney and came to Cesarea a citye of Palestine and entred into the house of Philip whiche firste of all had preached the ghospell to the chaumberlayne and to the Samaritanes and was one of the seuen deacons that the apostles had instituted and ordeyned at Hierusalem With him we abode This man had fower daughters all vnmaried whiche had aboundantly the spirite of prophecye accordyng to the prophecye of Iohel And as we tarried there a good many of dayes there came a certaine Prophete from Iewry named Agabus Whan he was come vnto vs he tooke Paules girdle and bounde his feete and handes and sayed Thus sayeth the holy ghoste so shall the Iewes at Hierusalem bynde the man that oweth this girdle and shall delyuer him into the handes of the gentiles And whan we had continued soiourning in his house certaine daies there came a Prophete from Iewry whose name was Agabus He takinge his lodgeing emong vs and bayting there tooke Paules gyrdle whiche after he had knotted about his owne legges accordynge to the custome of the olde prophetes whiche had wount to expresse before by some visible token that thing that they prophecied of thorough the inspiracion of the holy ghoste sayed Thus sayeth the holy ghoste He that oweth this gyrdle shall so be bounde of the Iewes at Hierusalem they shall delyuer him into the handes of the Gentiles When we heard this both we and other which were of the same place besought him that he would not go vp to Hierusalem Then Paul answered and sayed What do ye weping and vering myne herte â–ª I am ready not to be bound onely but also to dye at Ierusalem for the name of the Lorde Iesu. When we could not turne his mynde we cealed saying the wyll of the Lorde bee fulfilled We beeyng muche feared with â–ª these woordes and the dysciples also that dwelled there with many wepyng teres desyred him that he shoulde not committe ne put himselfe into the handes of the Iewes at Hierusalem This was the godly affeccion and zele of them that were lothe to haue so excellente a pastour to peryshe But Paule whiche had a more certaine aunswere of the holy ghost in his mynde and knewe that he should fyrste goe to Hierusalem and shoulde after that see Rome sayed vnto them wherefore do ye make my herte sory with your vayne teares For the daungier that the Prophetes warne me of doeth nothyng moue me but youre douloure and sorowe maketh me to be sory and pensyfe I am fully mynded to further that thyng whiche the holy ghost wylleth me namely the ghospell I nothinge feare bondes whiche I haue been well enured with For god forbyd that I for feare of enprisoÌ„ment should leaue of from furthering of the ghospell seeing that I am ready yea yf it were to dye at Hierusalem for my Lord Iesus sake Let Paule lye in chaynes so that the gospell maye haue free lybertie to passe Let Paul lese his lyfe so that the glory of Iesus name maye lyuely spryng and flouryshe emong all men I am desirous of lyfe for none other ende but that I maye profite the ghospell But otherwyse I woulde recken it great aduauntage gotten to be shortly ryd out of this lyfe for Christes sake Wherefore do not ye mourne for that thing that I my selfe am desyrous of yf it shall so please God and cease ye therefore to make my mynde pensyfe with your wepyng and waylyng for I cannot chose but be sad seynge my frendes sad To these his woordes whaÌ„ we had nothinge to aunswere and sawe him fully bent to go to Hierusalem we suffred hym to departe saying the wyll of the Lorde be fulfylled For these ought to be the woordes of true Christians and though they haue not the same woordes styll in their mouthes yet must they continually thinke them in their hertes so that in aduersitie as well as prosperitie styll muste they saye The wyll of the lorde be fulfylled After those dayes we toke vp our burthens and went vp to Hierusalem There went with vs also certayne of the disciples of Cesarea and brought with them one Muason of Cyprus an olde disciple with whome we should lodge And whan we were come to Hierusalem the brethren receyued vs gladly And on the morowe Paul
haste thou to do with vs Iesus Arte thou cumme to destroye vs For so many as the spirite of this world possesseth thinke themselues vtterly forlorne whensoeuer they are constrayned to forsake those thinges wherein they haue sette theyr false felicitie Wherfore theyr myndes are sore troubled and as you would saye tugged and haled into sondrie pieces whylest on the one syde feare of eternall damnacion moueth them to vertue and goodnes on the other syde the venimous◠swetnes of such vices as thei haue of long time accustomed vnto holdeth them fast and withdraweth them from theyr godly purpose But yet no manner of deuill taketh so faste holde but he wyll at the commaundement of Iesu flye awaye It is a muche greater myracle to make of an ambicious man a temperate of a fyerce felowe a pacient of the lecherous persone a chast liuer of the extorcioner or one that liueth by pollyng and pyllyng a lyberall man than to delyuer a mannes body from a wycked spirite But yet men wonder more at this then at the other not because it is more wonderfull and meruailous in dede but for that it is seene with bodely iyes Therfore when he had thus chased awaye the vncleane spirite by commaundement onely then the Iewes greatly wondered at it insomuche that they demaūded one of another saying What new thing is this we haue not read that euer the Prophetes dyd the lyke castyng out deuyls by bare worde of mouth onely Or what new kynde of doctrine is this that hath so great vertue and power folowing it He preacheth the kyngdome of god and putteth furthe Gods power in that he treadeth vnder foote and subdueth the power of the deuill Neyther is it by sorcery or inchauntment or by makyng of long prayers vnto god nor yet by any other laborious meane that he thus putteth to flyght the wycked fendes But he commaundeth them with worde onely as theyr lorde and conquerour and they incontinēt whether they wyll or no obey hym Of this wonderful facte a great fame of Iesu was spred abrode throughout all the countrey of Galile And because it shoulde appeare that in him is the well spring of godly power whiche can neuer be consumed one miracle dyd streyght wayes succede and folowe another ¶ And furthwith when they were cumme out of the synagoge they entred into the house of Symon and Andrew with Iames and Iohn But Symōs mother in lawe laye sicke of a feuer and anon they tell hym of her and he came and toke her by the hande and lyfte her vp and immediatlye the feuer forsake her and she ministred vnto them And at euen when the Sunne was downe they brought vnto hym all that were diseased and them that were vexed with diuels and all the citie was gathered together at the doore and he healed many that were sicke of diuerse diseases and cast out many deuils and suffered not the deuils to speake because they knewe hym For anon as they were departed out of the synagoge they came into the house of Symō and Andrew whither also Iames and Iohn folowed Now Symons mother in lawe as it thē fortuned laye sycke was sore vexed with an ague Assone as Iesus was by them aduertised therof he went to the bedside toke the woman by the hande lyfted her vp forthwith the feuer forsoke her euē as she was sodainly so was she perfectly made whole For she was sodaynly made as lusty and strong as she was before insomuche that she did her accustomed office in the house ministring vnto Iesu and his disciples He lyeth sycke of a perilous disease whose mynde burneth with the loue of carnall pleasures who by reason of superfluitie and excesse leadeth an ydle and a sluggishe lyfe It is a woman that lyeth sycke And at the beginning the fyrst woman deceiued with the pleasaunt alurement of an apple began to be sycke of this ague Our fleshe that alwayes lusteth agaynste the spirit is our Eue. But happy are they whome Iesus with the touche of his moste holye spirite lifteth vp to the loue of heauenly thynges that he whiche before tyme serued ydlenesse riotous liuing and vncleannes maye sodeynly recouer his olde strength and lustynes and being made a newe manne hereafter becum the seruaunt of clennes chastitie sobernes For these are the meates whiche Christe is refreshed and delyghted withall Now ymagine that the house of Symon sygnifieth the churche of Christ in the whiche it is not conuenient that there be anye feble and weake in spirite but suche as are full of euangelyke strength and lustines And yet many tymes Peters mother in lawe that is to saye the synagoge lyeth sicke in the same For he is a membre of the synagoge vnto whose corrupte tasting the vnsauery and weryshe letter yet sauoreth who tasteth well the water of the Pharisaicall vnderstanding and can in no wyse tast the wyne of the spirite and true meaning of the ghospell They that were in the house with the Lorde Iesu desyred him to lyfte vp the woman that laye sycke in her bedde In semblable wise let vs all who are mēbres of the churche desyre his mercyfull goodnes with most humble praiers that he wyll vouchesafe to put out his holy ryght hand and therwith to lifte vp also those timerous persons whiche clening only to the letter of scripture and wholy geuen to the supersticious obseruacion of ceremonyes dooe of a certaine vnright iudgement greatly desyre those thynges that are hurtfull noysome and contrarily hate and abhorre suche thinges as are onely to be desyred to lyfte them vp I saye to the fredome of the ghospell whiche serueth not for this purpose that we should with more libertie committe sinne at pleasure but to the intent we should gladly and with right good will dooe the workes of Euangelike or christian charitie and cherishe Iesus in his membres The Lorde is alwayes ready to heale the soule yf he be desyred and called vpon He loueth those that call vpō hym call they neuer so importunatly and out of season It was nowe late in the euening and the sunne was set so that it might be thought a great point of importunitee to cal vpon the physycian at that time But the great desyre of healthe had the vpper hande of shame They brought vnto him a very great numbre of suche as wer diseased with all kyndes of infirmities and among them also some whiche were vexed with vncleane spirites The whole citie of Capernaum came thicke and threfolde to the gate of the house to see this syght Iesus without excuse healed very many of them of sundry diseases and cast out many deuils He was a quicke and a readye physycian who with worde cured diseases Moreouer he put to silence the deuils who cryed with a loude voyce that he was Christ vtterly despysyng the testimonie of his enemyes and of them with whome he woulde that his shoulde in no wyse haue to do He suffered the
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