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
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
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
men he chose not Philosophers not Phariseis not Priestes not ryche men For he woulde not that the glorie of the gospel should be defiled ' with any worldlye ayde and succour But as he walked neere the water whiche as we sayed before was in the border of bothe Galilees he espied twoo brothers germaine the name of the one was Symon and he was called also Peter the other was named Andrewe whose fathers name was Iohn These before that tyme heard Iohn through whose prouocacion they began to folowe Iesus But they lefte them both and turned agayn to theyr facultie and crafte whereby they were wont to get theyr lyuyng And nowe they were bustlye occupied castyng theyr nettes into the sea It was a sygne of good lucke Fyrste youth more ready to receyue the newe doctryne further the agreablenes of brethren one readye to helpe another Agayn a craft and facultie in whiche was no hurt wherby they got a poore liuyng out of the common mere or poole Fynally the fishyng put them in remembraunce of the newe fisshyng whiche serued not to take fishes with nettes to feade the belly but wyth the nette of the gospell to catche men drouned wyth worldly cares vnto desyre of the heauenly lyfe Therfore as they were occupied about necessaries for theyr bodye Christ speaketh vnto them saiyng Folowe me ye shall learne a science of me better than euer ye learned of your father And yet ye shall not leaue your science but ye shall chaunge it to a better fashyon For I will make you hereafter fysshers of men that ye whiche wayte for fishes to destroye them maye catche and take men into euerlasting saluacion They knewe the voyce of hym whome before they did beleue and whose gentilnes they hadde proued before wyth familiar communicacion But through the strength and efficacie of his voyce he brought to passe that foorthwith at the word of the caller thei forgat not onely theyr fishe but also theyr nettes as they were they lefte them there and not byddyng theyr acquayntaunce once fare well they folowed Iesus euen as he walked They sawe no greate thyng yet in Iesus notwithstandyng they stayed not nor lingered nothyng nor were not careful howe they should gette theyr liuing hereafter but ioyned themselues to hym callyng them with hys onelye woorde and folowed him and would not awaie to dye therfore And whan he was gone foorth from thence he saw other two brethren Iames the sonne of Zebede and Iohn hys brother in the shyp with theyr father Zebede mending theyr â—ettes and he called them and they furthwyth lefte the shyp and their father and folowed hym Iesus going a litell further espyed other two brothers Iames and Iohn the sonnes of zebedeus he was the better pleaseâ— for that the brethren and the father agreed so well together They wer al in one botâ— endeuoryng one thing euen the fame that Peter and Andrewe were aboute But these went not spedely forwarde with theyr businesse because theyr nettes were broken with longe wearyng whiche was a token of pouertye Iesus therfore passing by as they were earnestly occupyed in mendyng of theyr nettes spake vnto them and bad them folowe hym The young men of a playne confidence and truste without any tariyng furthwith leauyng theyr nettes and forgetting theyr father also bend themselues to folowe Iesus so the preaching of Iohn hadde framed and fashioned them so deserued the towardenesse and redinesse of theyr hartes so had the inspiracion of Christe drawen them who wholly breathed and sauoured of the heauenly spirite wherwith he was replenished And Iesus wente about al Galile teachyng in theyr Sinagoges and preachyng the ghospel of the kyngdome and healyng al maner of sickenes and al manier of diseases emong the people And his fame spred abrode throughoute all Siria And they brought vnto hym all sycke people that were taken with diuerse diseases and grypynges and them that were possessed wyth deuils and those that were lunatike and those that had the palsey and he healed them And there folowed hym great multitudes of people from Galile and from Decapolis and Ierusalem and Iewry and froÌ„ the countreyes that lye beyond Iordane Ye see the entrynges of our Philosophye whereby it was thoughte good vnto god to saue all mankynde Ye se the pompe and ruffling of the euangelycall schole Poore Iesus beyng accumpanyed with these few fishers vnlerned of the common sorte and poore men walked ouer all Galile not nowe in corners nor in deserte but in theyr Synagoges where was moste resorte preachyng and shewyng that the kyngdome of heauen whiche had heretofore been promysed was nowe at hande not puttyng them in feare of helle fyer lyke as Iohn dyd but inuiting and allurynge all men with free benefites For wheresoeuer he wente he healed all mennes diseases indifferently and freely refusing no man were he neuer so vile and of the meanest sorte and with lyke easynesse he chased a waye all diseases were they neuer so incurable to thintent bothe to set furth and declare by miracles his power to be greater than mannes and also through free benefites to purchase and winne the loue of all menne For hym we gladly truste and beleue whome we loue Yea euen the wylde beastes also bee wunne with benefits Surelye there is no benefite more godly than freelye to restore health By these meanes it came to passe that the fame of hym spredde abrode throughout all Syria and manye brought from a farre theyr diseased folke incumbred with diuerse dyseases and griefes and besydes these suche as were possessed with diuels and Lunatikes and diseased with the palsey whome Phisicyons commonly eyther take not vpon them to cure or els be wonte to cure in vayne because the dysease passeth theyr arte and cunnyng But Iesus healed all easily not with mannes medicynes but wyth heauenly vertue wherwyth he was hable also to rayse the dead It was a small matter to hym to take awaye the diseases of the bodyes whiche toke awaye the diseases of the myndes It was a smalle matter for hym to prolong the lyfe of the bodye whiche came to geue euerlastyng lyfe vnto all men There came therfore from thys parte and that parte a wonderfull numbre of people not onely from Galile of the Gentiles where he was but also out of the other Galile whiche was beyonde the water and oute of the countrey that was called Decapolis because of the tenne cities whiche were in it also out of Hierusalem and the residew of Iewry and out of the places whyche were beyonde Iordane All men as they haue nede runne to a benefit Many be moued wyth nouelties Sum came for malice with a mynde to wayte displeasure Iesus for his parte draweth all vnto hym but fewe bee mete for the heauâ—nly Philosophye for the teachyng and deliuery of the which he chiefly came into the worlde The people is moued wyth care of the bodye and is desyrouse and deliteth muche in newe syghtes and gasinges But
and wer also full of malice enuy But whaÌ„ Iesus was cum home the blynde men were receiued into his house who with stiffe hope folowed hym Than Iesus geuyng exaumple vnto others firste demaunded them of theyr faith Beleue ye ê™ he that I am hable to perfourme your requestes And they without any delay sayde Lord we beleue Than Iesus touching their iyes with his hande sayed As ye beleue so be it to you not chaleÌ„ging to hym self the restoryng of the sight but imputyng it to theyr fayth trust declaryng that chiefely vnbelefe made vs vnmeete for the bountyfulnesse of God whiche is prest and readye for all men Assoue as Iesus had spoken the iyes of the blynd wer open so that they saw clerely Here Iesus willing to warne vs couertly that although glory of it self foloweth the good dede yet we muste flee it rather then desire it he charged the blynde menne verye earnestly that no man should knowe this dede But the ioying of their newe felicitie spred the fame of Iesus the more through out the whole countrey emong all them that knewe of their olde blindnes As they went oute behold they brought to hym a dumme man possessed of a deuill and whan the deâ—uill was caste out the â—umme spake and the people maruelled saiyng It was neuer so seene in Israel But the Phariseis said He casteth out deuils through the prince of deuils And Iesus went about all cities and townes teachyng in their Syngogues preachynge the glad tidynges of the kyngdome and healyng euery sickenes euery disease among the people Whan the blynde were departed there was an other miserable manne offered vnto hym who was vexed with a deuill whiche toke awaye the vse of his tonge that the man neither was wel in his wit to wishe for helth nor had no tonge to aske for it He therfore because he had neede of an other mannes fayth was offered vnto Iesus Whiche withoute any tarriyng cast out the deuil and furthwith the dumme spake The multitude marueiling at so great spedines of miracles ready in all kynde of diseases beyng neuer so incurable sayed among them selues There was neuer manne emong the Israelites that wrought so many miracles to easily CoÌ„trariwise the Phariseis blynded daylye with malyce more and more where as the thynges that were doen in the sight of all menne could not be denyed yet to the enteÌ„te they myght withdrawe from hym the mindes of the people that had him in veneracion they falsely slauÌ„der him that he casteth out deuils not by the power of god but by the myght of Belzebub the prince of deuils ThaÌ„ which vntrue slauÌ„der what could be a more mad thing As who should say one deuill driueth out an other or as who should say Belzebub the enemy of mankynd gaue lyfe to the dead health to the sicke sight to the blynde speche to the dum These illes cum from them oftentimes which Iesus of his goodnes hauing coÌ„passion vpon meÌ„ toke away with suche corporall benefites as might seÌ„sibly be perceiued preparing them for the capacitie of spiritual benefites But most meke Iesus was not offeÌ„ded with suche malicious reproch but deuised more for the health of all men because he sawe the Phariseis to whome it apperteyned to see for the healthe of the people so lyttell to helpe and succour that also they enuyed the commodities of others Iesus therfore as a good shepeherde walked thorough al cities and stretes laboring to heale both the soules and bodies of all men teachyng in their coÌ„gregacions and preaching the kingdome of heauen into the whiche none bee receyued but suche as be voyd of all diseases of the soule and healing also al kyndes of diseases and sickenesses But whan he sawe the people he was moued with compassion on them because they were destitute and scattered abrode as shepe hauyng no shepeherd Then saieth he vnto his disciples the haruest is plenteous but the laborers are fewe Pray ye therfore the lorde of the harueste that he wyll send labourers into his haruest Further whan Iesus sawe the multitude swarming on euery syde and euery day more thicke and now gredy of health and sincere doctrine and coÌ„nsidered withall that the Priestes Phariseis and Scribes vpon whoÌ„ the people hitherto did hang to do any thing rather then to preserue the people and that they were whole geuen not to the gâ—ory of God but to their owne glory to their owne lucre to theyr own bely and to their own pleasures in whoÌ„ if there wer any religioÌ„ it was but coloured and counterfaited so that it was very noysome vnto true religion and considered also that the people was but rude and grosse and yet in the way of amendment for they lokyng to be healed in their bodies folowed with a simple and plaine faithe glorified god and although yet they vnderstode not the doctrine of the gospel yet they did not reiect the same Contrariwise whan he coÌ„sidered the Phariseis and the Scribes where as they had the Prophetes and the law yet to be blinded with worldly desires and also to resist the doctrine of the gospel the good shepeherde was moued with pitie and compassion because he saw them lyke vnto wanderyng shepe skatered a sunder and destitute of a shepherd and running vnaduisedly hither and thither Iesus therfore coÌ„sideryng that in the Phariseis whiche played the wolues rather than the shepherds the flocke had no hope that the people through miracles was nowe sumwhat prepared to receiue the doctrine of the gospell he sayd vnto his disciples whom he had now well gathered together I see a great harueste but very few laborers The fame of the gospel is spred abrode euerywhere The feruencie of many is stirred vp whiche seme ripe and redy to heare the wisedome of the gospel But where be they that wil take vpon them to preache teache Where be they that will teache purely and sincerely neyther sekyng after glory of man nor after gayne and lucre but teachyng so sincerely as ye see me teache Truly suche a cumpany of men must not be neglected beyng kindeled with the desire of the heauenly doctrine What is than to be done but to desyre and require the lord of the haruest to thruste into his harueste the ydle and vnwilling laborers For the occasioÌ„ is now and lingeryng is daungerous I knowe that it is more pleasaunt for you to be with me but the tyme is at hand that ye must shewe some profe of your selues and that ye must begin to shew forth for the saluacion of other that whiche ye haue receiued of me The .x. Chapter ¶ And when his twelue disciples were called vnto hym he gaue them power against vncleane spirites and to caste them oute and to heale all maâ—er of sickenesse and all manner of disease The names of the twelue Apostles are these The first Simon whiche is called Peter and Andrewe his brother Iames the sonne of Zebedee and Iohn his
thought of many to be Messias Truly euery man thought hym to be a man indued with the spirite of prophecy and of greate holynes But afterwardes excesse and ryote and vnresonable loue towarde the mayde hys neece shaked of this feare For whan after the manner of the heathens he dyd solempnisate the daye of his byrth vpon the which there was al maner of voluptuous pleasures vsed Herodias doughter daunsed at the kinges table wyth wanton gesture and so pleased Herode which was nowe warme wyth wyne that he swore that he woulde geue vnto the mayden whatsoeuer she asked yea yf she woulde aske halfe of hys kyngdome The wenche leste she shoulde leefe so greate oportunitie and by and by to abuse this filthy lust of the kynges hart she counselled with her mother what was to bee asked She fearyng leste the kynges mynde beyng reconciled agayne to Iohn myght breake of the incest mariage counselled her doughter to aske nothing but that furthwith she myghte haue the head of Iohn Baptiste geuen vnto her in a dishe The wenche by the counsell of her vngracious mother came into the feaste and euery man loking what she woulde wishe and desyre she asked forthwyth that she myght haue geuen vnto her the heade of Iohn in a dyshe as thoughe her mother woulde esteme and make more of thys dyshe than of halfe the kyngdome Whan they heard thys otherwyse than they loked for the kyng counterfeyteth heuynesse in hys countenaunce and alleageth for a cloke of hys crueltie the feare he hadde to breake his othe chiefly because he made it before so many geastes and leste he shoulde seeme lyghte or periured he commaunded that the thyng whyche the wenche desired shoulde be doen. By and by the executours of death were sente into the prison and the head of the innocent man was cut of and was brought in a dishe and geuen to the wenche the wenche gaue it to her mother whiche was the chiefe deuiser and doer of all this matter And thus luckely was the birth day of Herode celebrated This rewarde was geuen vnto him that moued and called to honest thinges With this sight were the iyes of the geastes fed whome the king did vouchsafe to set at his table Therefore the vnchaste woman had Iohns head ¶ And his disciples came toke vp the body and buried it went and tolde Iesus Whan Iesus hearde of it he departed thence in a â—â—ippe vnto a deserte place out of the way And when the people had hearde thereof they folowed hym on foote and lefte the cities And Iesus went furth and sawe muche people and was moued with mercy towarde them and he healed of them those that were sicke And when euen drew on hys disciples came to hym saying This is a deserte place and the houre is nowe pasâ—e let the people departe that they maye goe into the townes and bye them vitailes But Iesus sayde vnto them they haue no nede to goe away Geue ye them to eate They sayde vnto hym we haue here but fyue loaues and two fishes He sayde Bryng them hither to me And he commaunded the people to sit downe on the grasse and he tooke the fiâ—e loaues and twoo fishes and lift vp hys iyes towarde heauen and blessed And when he had broken them he gaue the loaues to the discyples and the disciples gaue to the people and they did all eate â—nd were filled And they gathered vp the fragmentes that remayned twelue basketâ—es full And they that did eate were about fiue thousande men beside women and children But the disciples of Iohn caried away his body and buried it Whan Iesus by the telling of Iohns disciples knewe of this so cruel a dede for as man he suffered it to be tolde vnto hym as though he knew it not wheras he knew it before it was doen he departed into a ship that being separate from the multitude he might go into some desert secrete place shewing a certain apperaunce of manly feare but in dede cutting of occasion from the wicked king that he shoulde not heape murder vpon murder Chiefely sith the tyme of Iesus was not yet come and therwith also teaching vs to geue place sumtime to the furies of prynces leste they beyng prouoked and chaâ—ed with well doinges both hurte the innocentes and they themselues bee made the wurse It is lawful to shunne the wicked ready to dooe vngraciously that we maye profitte and helpe the good men And this going aside declareth the notable faith of certaine For assoone as it was hearde that Iesus had left the cityes and was abidyng in desert for feare of Herode as they thought they went out of the cities into wildernes to him whiche hid himselfe in secrete places and because they coulde not goe to him by bote or by wagon and suche like for the â—ombrouse places they folowed him on foote neyther feared nor discouraged by the hardnesse of the way nor by the daungier of lacke of foode So gredely now they began to hunger for the doctrine of the gospel Iesus perceiuing that cummeth out of the darke corners and came to mete them that were desirouse of hym like as he withdrewe himselfe from the wicked And whan he sawe a great multitude of men flockyng thither whiche broughte with them many encoumbred with dyuers dyseases he moued with pitye and consyderyng and perceiuyng their faythe by the dyfficultie and hardnes of the waye of hys owne accorde he healed all that were dyseased And so greate was the feruencye of the multytude that where as they broughte with them into wildernes sicke folkes children and many womeÌ„ yet they brought no vitail with them Therefore when the nyghte nowe drewe nere and theyr stomakes were pricked with hunger the disciples whiche had sene so many myracles hauing not yet throughly a perfect opinion of Iesus for so it was thought good vnto the diuine wisdome to frame them by little and little vnto perfeccion to the entent the faith of thinges that were done might be the more firme and sure to teache them withal by what meanes they should heale helpe the infirmitie of others put their maister in remeÌ„brance that night was at hande the multitude was great and that it was high time than to take meate to send them away that they might goe into the nexte villages and euery man to prouyde him of vitailes But Iesus to the intent the myracle mighte be the more euident and open aunswered They nede not to goe any whither rather geue ye them to eate But the disciples as though they had forgotten all that they had seene nothing awaked at this saying aunswerd very grosly but so that theyr wekenes set furth the greaâ—nes of the miracle shall we ê™ they geue a supper to so many where as we be but thirteneâ—th noumber we haue very littel vytaile truely nothing els but fiue barely loaues two fishes In case they despyse not and lothe not this supper how
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
there came into the place where they feasted a young damsell daughter vnto Herodias and Philippe to make the geastes myrth and pastime with her vncumly and waÌ„ten dauncing And the more vngoodly she daunced the more she delited the geastes and the kyng specially who was now twise mad because besydes that he was in amours with the vnchaste womanne Herodias he was also distempred and set in a furye with wyne Wherfore he sayed vnto the damsell ryghte magnifycentlye as became a kyng Aske of me whatsoeuer thou wylt thou shalte haue no denyall therof And to make her the bolder to desyre what she woulde he bounde his dronken promyse with an othe Whatsoeuer sayeth he thou shalte desyre of me though it be th one halfe of my realme I wyll geue it the. Oh fonde and folyshe saing worthy to cum oute of so folishe and droÌ„ken a kynges mouthe But the young damsell as she began to playe this parte at the prouocacion and setting on of her mother whiche diligently awayted the daye place and howre and trymmed her daughter of purpose to daunce so durste she not by and by tell the kyng what she woulde demaunde but departed out of the feasting chaumber and asked her mother counsayle saying The kyng my father in lawe hath bound it with an othe that he wyll geue me whatsoeuer I wyll desyre of hym What shall I therfore aske Here was vndoubtedlye a iuste occasion to doubte and take good deliberacion leste so great an oportunitie should haue been loste But the vnchaste woman her mother vnto whome nothyng was so deare as the death of the moste holye and innocent man without further deliberacioÌ„ takyng answered Desyre of him Iohn Baptistes heade Oh wicked daughter soone taught ready to obey for a mischiefe She returned strayghtwayes into the kynges priuie chamber for her mother priuily aduertised her to make haste and speake with Herode before that great heate of his Princely courage were cooled againe And then went she vnto the kynges presence and desyred a rewarde for her wanton and lasciuious dauncyng saying I desyre but one messe alonely I wyll thou geue me withoute farther delaye Iohn Baptistes heade in a charger Here marke me well the aukewarde conscience of the wicked kyng Where as there is nothyng that suche kynges are oftener wont to do then to breake all bondes of leages couenauntes and religion yet here he thinketh hymselfe bound in conscience which was a thyng agaynst all conscience to performe his moste foolyshe othe especiallye syth it was made in the audyence of so many witnesses Wherfore leste menne would haue thought hym to haue been a manne of no credence yf he had refused to perfourme what he promised by an othe to do swearyng perchaunce eyther by his diademe the spirite which had the gouernaunce of his body or the heade of the damsel that daunced before hym or els leste he shoulde haue seemee vncurteous and voyde of all good maners yf he had eyther let the mayde departe from hym all heauy and sad or with some cloude of heauinesse abated the myrthe and solace of the gestes whom she had pleased with her pastyme O worshypfull fayth and conscience O good maner curtesie worthye to be put in Chronicles leste I saye these thynges should haue chaunced the hangman was forthwith sente out and the holy head of the moste innocente person broughte vnto the kyng as it had been a messe of meate in a charger The kyng toke it vnto the damsell and she to her mother vnto whom it was a derer present then th one halfe of Herodes kyngdome With this deadly syght this folyshe dotyng and mad kyng dyd gratify the vnchaste woman and celebrate or worshyp his naâ—iue daye The kyng caused hym to be slayne the hangman brought the head to the kyng the damsell obtained it and in conclusion the same deadly rewarde was geuen to her mother the worker and well of all this mischiefe Oh worthy geastes all this while and mete for suche a feaste maker There was none of them al so frendely to the king that would go about to let hym to do this mischieuous dede And shall we hereafter maruaile yf kynges other whiles be not a fearde to commit outragious enormities yf they be of disposicion lyke vnto Herode that is to saye enflamed with vnchaste loue and geuen to riot and sensualitie and ouer this haue suche dayly companions as be eyther fearfull persons or els fauourers of theyr crueltie When the bruite of this haynouse dede was cum to the eares of Iohns disciples they toke awaye the carkas and buried it honorablye Howbeit in these thynges lyeth hyd some mystery and secret meanyng Iohn although he bare the figure of the lawe and sygnified the same yet in as muche as he was a forecurrour of the Gospell he was rewarded with the rewarde therof that is with a glorious death but yet farre diuerse from the death of Christe For Iohns head was priuily striken of after he hadde layne a whyle fast gyued in pryson Christ was openly lyfted vp vpon the crosse The darkenes of the prison agreeth well with the shadowes and fygures of the lawe It was mete they shoulde geue place vnto the lyght of the gospell whiche beganne to appeare and shyne abrode It was conueniente that carnall ceremonies shoulde be diminished to the entent that spirituall freedome should be encreased And it was lykewyse nedeful that all whiche proceded of feare should be bounde because the fayth and charitie of the gospell should the farther be spred abrode and extended Finally it was mete that mannes heade shoulde be striken of least the churche shoulde acknowledge any other head saue alonely Iesus And so the lawe beyng in a maner slayne and honourably buried gaue place vnto the Lorde Iesu when he began to preache his spirituall philosophie and doctrine For in that we do beleue the ghospell we are muche bounden vnto the olde Testament whiche so many yeares agoe drewe out Iesus Christ vnto vs with shadowes and figures and promysed and described him with the prophecies and darke sayinges of the Prophetes ¶ And the Apostles gathered themselues together vnto Iesus and told hym all thynges bothe what they had done and what they had taught And he sayde vnto them cuÌ„ ye alone out of the waye into the wyldernesse and rest a while For there were manye cummers and goetâ— and they had no leysure so muche as to eate And he went by ship out of the waye into a desert place and the people spied them when they departed and many knewe him and ranne a foote thither out of all cities and came thitheâ— before them and came together vnto hym And Iesus went out and sawe muche people and had compassion on them because they were like shepe not hauyng a shepeherde and he began to teache them many things Whiles these thinges were done the Apostles after they had finished their message drewe themselfes together 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
baptisme of the spirit whiche spirit he should geue whose cūming approched These thinges were thā doen by inspiracion of the holy ghost who lōg before had prophecied the same by the mouth of Esai the prophet For in this maner speaketh he of Iohns preaching The voice of a crier in the wildernes the lord approcheth prepare his waies make his pathes streight ieste being offēded with the vntoward crokednes of your condiciōs behauiour he spedily stert backe away frō you He cūmeth to al al must goe forth to mete him All thinges must be made plain and euē Euery valey shal be filled vp euery mountain and hill shal be brought doun and made flatte They whiche wer high emong mē because they were in a great opinion and estimacion of righteousnes or wisedom shal abate their stately and proude coūtenaunce that they may be hable apte to receiue the righteousnesse and wisedom of God they which as idiotes or mē of no knowlage ne regard as sinners wer out of al reputaciō vtterly despised as abiectes amōg mē shall sodainly through their obedience to the ghospell be reysed vp vnto the felowshyp and communion of the kyngdome of heauen Suche thinges also as tofore wer warped writhed sundry waies stoode all croked shal in a moment be made euen streight again with the squiere of the ghospel where places wer rough by reason of the thornes of manifold vices and naughtie desires and lustes they shall nowe be made verye smooth and plain wayes For by and in suche mindes dooeth the lorde loue to walke And to suche extreme contraries shal the courses of all thynges at the cummyng of hym bee chaunged They that were in despaire shall be set vp in coumforte and hope again Suche as trusted in themselfes not caryng for any other healper or saueour shal be cast away and perish vnpossible to be recouered again Thei that were before tymes esteemed and reputed for wyse shal become fooles and suche as were accoumpted for fooles shall bee endued with the gyft of heauenly wysedome They whiche to fore were idolatres shall becum true seruers and wurshippers of the lyuyng God and they whiche in outwarde semblaunce appered to be true wurshippers of God shal be found idolatres Those that before were wrathefull shall bee quiete of mynde and beneficiall to others and suche as serued the lustes of concupiscence and lecherie before shal now loue and enbrace all chastitie They whiche before were pollers and catchers away of mens gooddes shal now frely without sparynge geue awaye of their owne To this manne therfore that shall make suche an alteracion and chaunge of thynges prepare your selues The lorde wyll euen within a litell whyle be here present in this world not only the Iewes shall see hym but all the nacions of the whole worlde shal with the iyes of faith beholde him that is the autour and geuer of saluacion by and through whom God maketh a free offer of the blisse of heauen vnto all such persons as through godly promptnesse and readinesse to beleue and through correccion and amēdment of their former lyues shal receiue hym whan he cūmeth Then said he to the people that were cum forth to be baptised of hym O ye generacion of vipers who hath taught you to flee from the wrathe to cum bring ye forth therfore the due fruites of repentaunce and begin not to say with your selues we haue Abraham to our father For I say vnto you God is hable of these stones to rayse vp children vnto Abraham Now also is the axe layed vnto the roote of the trees euery tree therfore whiche bringeth not foorthe good fruite is hewen downe and cast into the fyer All this had Esai so many hundred yeres before prophecied of Iohn nothing there was but in the end it came to passe and proued agreable vnto the prophecie in euery behalf and in euery pointe For at Iohns preachynge a great multitude of people leauing their houses and declaryng by the same their doing as plainly as if they had spoken it in wordes that who so ernestly mindeth or desireth to attain to saluacion must doe away and forsake the carnall affeccions that he hath at home in the house of his herte did by heapes resort vnto the shore of fluime Iordane that they mighte be diepped in water by him not that Iohn was a forgeuer of sinnes or could so doe but because that he with this begīnyng and preamble did prepare folkes hertes and mindes vnto the redēpcion and saluacion that was cūming For a good great part and towardnes of health it is to acknowlage ones self to be sick and a great auauntage and foredele towardes recouerie hath that persone whiche is apte and willyng to take that maye bee a remedye for his disease And forasmuche as the first steppe and degree to amendment springeth oute of the feare of god so that we first feare the iuste punishment at the handes of the righteous auenger than loue the liberalitie of so boūteous a lord Iohn cryed out with a great boldnes and plainnesse against the proude Phariseis and Scribes who tofore had euer sticked fast contynued in the steppes of their wicked fathers and through the false persuasion of righteousenes wer puffed vp in pride though they wer strōg enemies vnto true religion setting other mē at naught and standing highly in their owne conceytes for none other cause so muche as for the respect that they wer descended of Abraham by the lynage and discent of the fleshe as thoughe God esteemed men after their kinred or linage and not rather accordyng to the vertues and godly qualities of their mindes O ye generacion of vipers saith he moste vicious and corrupte children descended of moste vicious and corrupt auncestrie whereby haue ye perceiued and foūd out that the vengeaunce of god hangeth ouer you vnlesse ye in season amend your liues What person hathe geuen you any by warnynge or watche woorde to flee from the moste sharpe punishement and scourge of god whiche shal spare no age whiche shall pardone no nacion nor shall shewe fauour to no degree or estate of men highe or lowe Lyke as remedie is offered vnto all suche as will yelde themselfes to be cured and healed so dooeth punishement abide all persones indifferently without excepcion as many as refuse to amend from their olde naughty behauiour and conuersacion Why dyd not entier loue towardes god allure you hither before as well as the feare and dread of punyshemente doeth violently hale you hither nowe at this present your mindes and hartes are as yet nothyng chaunged at all Wherefore yf ye without any feynyng or dissimulacion bee penitent and sory for your wicked life past chaunge your condicions be ye of an other sort of conuersaciō thē heretofore ye haue been declare plainly by your very doinges that ye are reformed and emended Ye haue vnto this day hitherto lyke wylde trees brought forthe
that both the glorye of his father was sette furthe thereby and also the necessitie of menne relieued or els that for a tyme the vnbeliefe of menne shoulde thereby bee moued and stiered to feith Whan the multitude of the people wanted wherewith to bee fedde he so multiplied a fewe loaues that thesame suffised to many thousandes but in somuche woulde he not vouchesalue to fede the iyes of Herode with any miracle that he woulde not so muche as open his lippes to speake vnto hym And for the lyke purpose and consideracion doeth he at this presente denie a miracle to Satan ¶ And the deuill tooke him into an high mountayne and shewed hym all the kyngdomes of the worlde euen in the twinckelyng of an iye and the deuill saied vnto him All this power will I geue the euery whitte and the glory of them for they are deliuered vnto me and vnto whomsoeuer I wil geue it If thou therfore wilt fall downe before me and wurshippe me they shall be all thyne Iesus aunswered and sayed vnto hym hence from me Satan For it is written Thou shalt wurship the Lord thy God and hym onely shalt thou serue The dieuill though he were vanquished at this firste bickeryng yet ceassed not from trying maisteries with Iesus to our exaumple leste that we beeyng once conquerours shoulde geue our selfes to sittyng still voyde of all feare or care but that we should haue euermore from tyme to tyme a mynde readye and well armed and fensed agaynste his newe assaultes Suche as haue profited and growen to a meane degree of euangelicall philosophie and doctryne doe easily contemne the disease or vice of gluttonie and riottous excesse as a thyng beeyng both filthye and beastely Albeit euen in this temptacion also afore godyng there wanted not the grynne and snare of mouyng Iesus to presumpteouse vsurpyng and takyng vpon hym whan Satan sayed If thóu see the Sonne of God For suche as of nature are arrogaunte and proude and desirous of glorye doe ofte tymes attempte to reache to suche thynges as are ferre aboue theyr powers because they wyll not lese any parte of the opinion and estimacion that menne haue of them and so by craftie couloure and counterfaite glosse they take vnto them the thyng that is not in them huntyng for glorye and fame among menne After that sorte doe many by deceiptefull and craftie feastes vsurpe vnto themselfes the gyfte of prophecie whiche they haue not and many make vauntes and crakes of hauing visions of Aungelles whiche they yet neuer sawe But the Lorde Iesus contrarye wyse although he were greattest of all the worlde yet he wyll not be acknowen of his greatnesse but hydeth it shewyng furth warde no countenaunce but of infirmitie and weakenesse of the bodye ne at any tyme sheweth he furth his godly power but whan so to doe is expediente for the health of manne to the ende that the fathers glory maye bee renoumed and troumped abrode by the sonne Satan therfore as he is malicious and wyll neuer haue dooen ne bee in reste dooeth eftesones inuade the Lorde and sette vpon hym with thesame darte that he had dooen afore but in a soondrie matter assaying whether he that coulde not bee ouerthrowen with hounger myght possiblie bee corruptted with the rychesse and honours of this worlde For ambicion whiche is the desyre of honour and aduauncemente is a soore mischiefe bothe pestilente and also in maner vnpossible to bee ouercomed It is an eiuyll that stealeth on a manne euen in moste excellente vertues and qualities crepyng in and acquaintyng it selfe in hertes that laboure to clyme and to mounte vppe vnto thynges of high difficultie in so muche that whom neyther aduersitie nor pouertie ne sickenesse haue been hable to breake whom neyther any riottous excesse or leacherie hath been hable to corrupte them dooeth the earneste desire and affeccion of glory ouerthrowe and bryng quyte vnder foote For what thyng is there so mischeuous or so wicked whiche mortall menne wyll refuse bothe to doe and suffre yf they maye therby beare rewle and bee in authoritie Is not oftetymes the croune of a royalme bought with poysonynges with murdreing of the nerest kynred with incestuous mariage within the degrees forbidden by goddes lawe and with other vilanies not to bee named With the slaughter and murdremente of howe many persones is the seigniourie of some one citie nowe and than gotten into mennes handes and possession Honoure is swete a gaye thyng it is to bee a rewler and a royall matter to excell and passe others And reignyng dooeth vtterly in all behalfes seme to bee a certayne poynte of Godhed emong menne With this same swete flatteryng poyson were the firste parentes Adam and Eue caught The lure of the flatteryng apple was delectable to theyr iyes but the high perfeccion of knowlage falsely promysed vnto them by the Serpente and the dignitie of beeyng equall with the state of Goddes was muche more delectable to theyr myndes With this engein therefore dyd the temptoure assayle Iesus and he not a whitte shrounke backe from the vnrestefull malepertnesse of thesame temptoure to the ende that he woulde vanquishe hym to our behoufe and woulde teache vs the facion howe to gette the ouerhande of hym The dieuyll than tooke Iesus vppe into an high mountayne and out of thesame mountayne as out of a beakon or an high place of spyall he sodaynlye in a momente layeth all the kyngdomes of the worlde before his iyes for a wicked spirite by the permission and sufferaunce of God maye so muche doe as to represente vnto mennes iyes a lyuely semblaunte of thynges after a certayne straunge and woondrefull maner and euen in thesame momente also looke whatsoeuer poynte of high estate or royaltie the route and ruffleyng of great kynges and prynces hath within their courtes or otherwyse belongyng vnto them thesame dooeth Satan by a certayne sleight as it were of a iugleyng cast sette before the iyes of Iesus as for exaumple richesse seruauntes palayces armies troumpettes seruyce and attendaunce of menne crouchyng and knelyng vnto them shewes of royaltye whan they goe abrode tryoumphes ambassades power to commaunde and to haue all thynges dooen at a becke and other thynges a greate maygnye wherewithall the flaterye of all peoples dooethe wurshippe and exalte mortall prynces of the worlde beyng oftetymes both foolishe and vngodlye or howesoeuer other thynges bee ywisse frayll and not hauyng anye long tyme to lyue yet the people vse them as veraye Goddes yea and the prynces selues beeyng sette in a pryde throughe the prosperouse fortune of thynges transytorye thynke themselues better then God almyghties felowes A certayne spectacle of all these thynges woonderful to beholde and imagine dyd that same craftie iugler soodainly in a moment represente before the iyes of the Lorde Iesus who cannot bee deceyued with anye sleyghtes of iugleyng forasmuche as nothyng is hydden or vnknowen vnto hym And vnto thys royall shewe of thynges dyd the lying and malaperte Satan
cum to the knowlage of thynges heauenlye it begoon to geue laude and praise to the mercifulnesse of god through whose fre benefite and goodnesse it hathe clerelye been delyuered from all her synnes vnto the whiche beyng a long tyme captiue and thrall she had in mooste piteous wyse liued as a bondseruaunt vnto Satan Now on the contrary part consider me the euyll frute of an euill tree Whan the reweler of the Synagogue had seen this matter beyng in dede the sayed figtree it selfe barrain but yet settyng out it selfe to the iyes of menne as it were to sale onely by reason of the leaues of the lawe takyng indignacion that Iesus had healed the woman on the Sabboth daye turned hymselfe to the people there congregated as though he would haue taught them sum great matter Nowe heare then a verye ryghte voyce of a Pharisee and by thesame voice of this one manne esteme thou all the wholle doctrine of that secte This deuout godly man fearyng leste the people should through the exaumple of Iesus fall vnto all vngodlines prouideth to take a good way for their preseruacioÌ„ sayiÌ„g with great autoritie There be sixe daies in the weke in which it is leful to worke Therfore if any body be desirous to be made whole let him cuÌ„ in one of these working dayes but to violate the sabboth day is a thyng not standing with gods pleasure This so folishe a saiyng could not the most merciful lord abide who had made the sabboth day not for any such purpose that men should rest or ceasse froÌ„ helping the neibour but had made the sabboth to the end there should be froÌ„ al euil doynges a perpetual resting which rest yesame outward rest of the Iewes sabbothes did figurate And because this voice of the ruler of the Synagogue was spokeÌ„ by the mindes of al the Phariseis the Scribes the lawiers vnder the person of him alone Iesus made aunswer to them all saying ye hypocrytes which not passyng on the very pith of the lawe lye altogether on the rynde or barke therof only and make a glorious paynted shewe of righteousnes without forth where in dede ye are fer froÌ„ al true godlines see ye how wicked Iudges ye are in this matter Who is it of all you whom the reuerence of the Sabboth should let but that he would vntye an Oxe or an asse of his owne from the stalle to haue thesame to water If ye iudge the sabboth daye not to be violated for a commoditie whiche is beestowed on a bruite beast that doth you seruice doe ye lay vnto my charge as such a perillous sore acte that I haue on the sabboth day healed this same doughter of Abraham rightly borne as one who in synceritie and purenesse of faith doth perfitelye resemble her sayed parente Abraham that she came of Is youre owne priuate commoditie of so great estimacion among you that ye haue no scrupulositie at all to vntye the haulter vnto an Asse on the sabboth day that he may not perishe for default of drinke and haue ye indignacioÌ„ that I haue on the sabboth daye looced and deliuered this woman here beeyng one of your owne nacion whom Satan hath by the space of eyghtene yeres kepte fast tyed and bounde If workyng and labouryng on the Sabboth daye bee forbidden whether of the two doeth more bodily labour he that vntieth an Asse and ledeth hym to the water or els I who with a mere worde and only touchyng haue made whole al this whole woman bothe bodye and soule too Are ye in suche sorte more mercifull and fauourable to an oxe or an asse then to your syster or brother And do ye in suche wyse obserue the law that for supersticion thereof ye neglecte that whiche is the highest and chyefeste poynte of all the whole lawe These woordes of Iesus because they coÌ„prised a veritie both clere and manifest and also agreable to the common reasoÌ„ of mannes owne nature made these slaunderous raillers full euill ashamed For it was no small grefe vnto them whan any parte of their glorye was abated in the face of the multitude before whoÌ„ thei had alwaies set out themselfes as muche as they could to their owne glory Than said he what is the kingdoÌ„ of god like or wherto shal I compare it It is like a grain of musterd seed which a man toke sowed in his garden and it grewe and wered a great tree and the foules of the ayre made nestes in the braunches of it And again he said wherunto shal I lyken the kyngdome of god It is like leauen whiche a woman toke and hid in thre peckes of meale till it was leauened Iesus hereupoÌ„ minding to open that al that same vain glorious bostyng of the Phariseis whiche conteyned an high portly shewe of holy conuersation should shortely vanishe awaie and contrariwise that the vertue of the ghospel should from most lowe beginninges grow vp to so high state of dignitie that it should drawe all the whole vniuersall worlde vnto it and that the same should be by meane of death and by meane of Apostles beeyng poore meane men and ignorauntes put foorth two sundrye parables at once of one meanyng Ye see ê™ he that the kyngdome of the Synagogue fighteth against the kyngdome of god Notwithstanding thesame that is more of puissauÌ„ce and might shall in the ende haue the victory Therfore the lord as it had been one enspired with a newe spirite to the entent he would make the multytude of the people geue the better eare vnto hym sayed to what thyng shall I say the kyngdom of god to be like or to what thyng shal I compare it to make you vnderstande what maner a thyng it is by comparison of some thyng that is to no creature of you all not excedingly well knowen And whan the people euery one of them looked to heare sum royall hygh symilitude taken of sum comparison of the sunne or of lightenyng or of some other such lyke matter Iesus thought better to take a parable out of a litle sede that no body estemeth or setteth by It is lyke sayth he to a litle grayne or corne of mustardsede which for a time that it is whole like as it is one of the least thiÌ„ges possible so is it a thyng of the least value that can bee in the worlde and a thyng that neyther with the colour ne with the sauour is pleasaunte to the iye and yf it haue any strength or vertue it hath it withinforth and not without A certain wyse felowe whan he had gotten one of the sayed litle sedes he did not set it at naught ne cast it away but sowed it in his gardeÌ„ And thissame sede of lest value and regarde spronge vp and grewe to a mightie great tree in so muche that euen the birdes made themselfes nestes in the braunches therof and for one litle litle grayne that was sowed it brought forth many thousandes And â—â—ght
quenche the smokyng flaxe did not repel or refuse the saied Nicodemus that came to salute hym though he were both fearfull and came out of due tyme but doeth curteously receiue hym who was doubtlesse a weake spirited manne but yet without malyce and for that cause worthy to be promoted lytle by lytle to higher thinges Now byanby Nicodemus declaring how much he had profited by seyng Iesus doe his miracles maketh suite to gette his good will with this preface Maister saieth he we doe already euidently perceiue this thy doctrine not to be suche as the Phariâ—eis is for the thyng it selfe dooeth shewe that thine autoritie of preaching is geuen the not of man but of God For no manne coulde doe these miracles which thou doest except God were present with hym and did helpe hym Nicodemus dyd set forth this opinion concernyng Iesus as an hye and great estimacion howbeit it was farre vnder his dignitie for Nicodemus supposed him to be none other but summe Prophete whom God dyd fauour and was present with in the doing of his miracles as though he had not wrought them by his owne power Iesus answered and sayed vnto him verily verily I saye vnto the except a manne bee borne froÌ„ aboue he cannot see the kyngdome of God Nicodemus sayeth vnto hym howe can a man be borne when he is olde can he entre into his mothers wombe and be borne againe But Iesus doeth neither reproue Nicodemus vnperfite opinion coÌ„cerning him neither doeth he forthwith boast of his owne greatnes but with gentle and freÌ„dly behauiour litle by litle bringeth him that is so apte easy to bee taught vnto further knowledge of more secrete misteries of the euaÌ„gelicall doctrine The Iewes which had as yet druÌ„ke but only of the water of Moses lawe whiche had knowen nothyng els but the baptisme of Iohn neither had they yet tasted the wyne of the euangelicall doctrine nor had been baptysed by the spirite and fyer The Iewes I say vnderstode all thynges carnally and for that cause were very rude vnfit for the Philosophie of the gospel whiche â—s all spiritual Therfore our lorde did not cast him in the teeth with his ignoraunce nor with his halting minde on both sides in that he did partely apply himselfe to the worlde partely to God nor yet spake that thing to him which afterwarde he required of his disciples when they were come to more knowledge saying to them whosoeuer shal be ashamed of me afore men I will be also ashamed of hym before my father Our lorde I say did lay none of these forsaied thynges to his charge but by his darke sayinges he causeth Nicodemus to vtter his ignorauÌ„ce to the entent that litle by litle he may instruct him and bring him from carnal affeccion to spirituall vnderstanding Nicodemus sayth he take this for a very suertie except a man be borne again new as it were chauÌ„ged into a new man he caÌ„not see the kingdome of God So very new is this doctrine which thou desirest to learne of me Forasmuche as Nicodemus thought that saying to be to no purpose he aunswereth in dede ignorauntly and grossely but neuerthelesse simply and plainly saying how is it possible that a man beyng already of so many yeres as I am can be borne again Canne it any waye be brought to passe that he should entre into his mothers wombe and come thence again and so be borne a newe Iesus answereth verily verily I saye vnto the except a man be borne of water and of the spirite he cannot entre into the kyngdome of God That whiche is borne of the flesh is flesh and that whiche is borne of the spirite is spirite Iesus beyng not offended euen with this so grosse an aunswere vouchesaueth geÌ„telly to enterprete and declare what it is to be borne a new or from aboue Nicodemus sayth he the thing that I haue saied to the is most true He that hath a will and desire to be hable to receiue the euangelical doctrine must be borne again but the maner of byrthe that I speake of is after an other sorte for it is not carnall but spirituall and it doeth not consist in multiplying of bodyes by generacion but in turnyng of sowles into a new forme neither by this byrth be we made again the children of meÌ„ but the children of God Therfore be wel assured as I toulde you eueÌ„ now that excepte a man be borne again by water the holy gost of a carnall maÌ„ become spirituall he cannot entre into the kingdom of God which is altogether spiritual Lyke is borne of the lyke That which is borne of the flesh is none other thyng theÌ„ flesh but that which is borne of the spirite is spirite And verily as much difference as is betwene the flesh the spirite betwene the body God so much is this generacioÌ„ wherof I speake more excellent then that which bringeth forth one body out of an other They which be borne after the flesh doe sauer none other thing but the flesh nor beleue any thing to be but that which they fele and perceiue with their senses But those thinges which be not seen be moste excellent and of greatest strength where as the flesh is weake and impotente Meruayle not thou that I sayed to the ye must be borne from aboue The wynde bloweth where it liâ—teth and thou hearest the sounde therof but canst not tell whence it cummeth or whyther it goeth So is euery one that is borne of the spirite Wherfore seying that there be two sundry wayes how to be borne there is no cause why thou shouldest meruaile that the same veray man which is once borne naturally after the flesh wherby he might be the child of a man should be borne again of the spirite inuisible that thereby he maye be the childe of God who is a spirite also might be made apte for the kyngdom of heauen whiche is spirituall and not carnal But if thou doest not yet vnderstand me take vnto the a similitude of suche thynges as be sumwhat agreable to spirituall thynges and yet may be perceiued with our bodily senses God in very dâ—de is a moste sincere and pure spirite and very far of from all bodily senses but this ayre wherby we be coÌ„serued in life wherof we fele so great strength and profit is called a spirite or wynde bycause in coÌ„parison of our bodies it is right subtile and fyne but this kinde of spirite the wynde is not stayed at mannes wil and pleasure but of his owne violence is caryed whyther soeuer he list spreading it selfe ouer all thynges and putting into corporall thynges a meruailous force and strength Sumtyme it bryngeth lyfe sumtime death it is otherwhyle calme and still and otherwhile more boysteous violent sumtyme it bloweth out of the East sumtime out of the West sumtime out of one part of the world sumtime out of another shewing himselfe by
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
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
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