plenty of garmentes let him geue vnto the naked he that hath plenty of meates let hym geue vnto the hungry There came vnto hym also the Publicanes the which kynde of meÌ„ the Iewes abhorre because coÌ„meÌ„ly either for to please the princes or to satisfy their auarice thei are woÌ„t to poul the people They demauÌ„de of him fearfully what he thiÌ„keth best for theÌ„ to do And he doth not reiect them from baptisme agayne he appoynteth them not to geue their goodes who now of long time wer wont violently to take away other mennes but to thintent they might come nere by some degre vnto the perfect doctrine of Christ he coÌ„maundeth them that they should exact nothing of the people beside that that was prescribed of the prince Finally there came also souldiours a violent a diffamed kynde of people Neyther put he them awaye from him declaring manifestlye vnto the Iewes by that dede that Christ would despise no kinde of men They confesse nothing for to professe a souldiour is of it selfe to confesse the puddle sinke of all mischiefe They demaunde also what counsayle he would geue theÌ„ And he teacheth them beyng so rude rather what oughte to be auoyded shunned that they might be lesse yll then what was to be doen whereby thei might be perfectly good Abuse not ê™ he your weapoÌ„s which ought not to be styrred but agaynst your enemies at the commaundement of the captayn beate no man nor stryke no man violentlye syth you be hyred for this purpose that through your diligence the countrey should be quiet Nor abuse not you familiaritie with great rulers falsly blamyng and accusyng any man wherby any filthy lucre or gayne might come vnto you Finally be content with your wages and defraude and spoile no man For prynces geue wages to thintente no man by necessitie shoulde be forced to take other mennes goodes So he through easye preceptes accordyng to euery mannes capacitie made al men in a redines for Christ to come foreseyng Christ in spirite whom he had not yet seen with his bodily iyes ¶ Then cummeth Iesus from Galile to Iordane vnto Iohn to be baptised of him But Iohn forbade him saying I haue nede to be baptised of the and cummest thou to me Iesus answered and sayth vnto hym Let it be so nowe For thus it becummeth vs to fulfyll all righteousnesse Then he suffred hym Therfore the rumour fame beyng now spred abrode and dayly more more encreasing that by diuers meanes by the angels by the sheperdes by the Magyans by the cruel carefulnes of Herode by the prophecye of zachary by Simeon by Anne by litle and litle secretely but most of al by Iohns open manifeste setting furth beeyng ioyned with a great auctoritie inso muche that yll meÌ„ also being now amased with feare did frame themselfe to the cumming of Christ thus declared set furth For truly it was time for him to cuÌ„ furth into the sight of the world to declare himself not by the testimonies of others but by his own vertues that it might appere what maner of one how mighty he was that he might obscure darken al men by whose testimonie he was heretofore set forth commeÌ„ded Therfore Iesus left Galile where he had been in secrete hitherto nowe goiÌ„g about his fathers busines he leueth his mothers cuÌ„trey Nazareth maketh spede vnto Iordan where he should haue a great coÌ„pany gathered together out of diuers coastes of Iewry to be a witnes of the thinges that should be there spokeÌ„ doen. He who alone was defiled with no spot of sin yea who alone should take away the sinnes of the world through the middes of the sinful coÌ„panies euen lyke a sinner goeth vnto Iohn requireth to be baptised of hym who alone doth saÌ„ctifie euery baptisme Iohn not yet ascerteyned that Iesus was that high Messias the sonne of god but yet obseruing marking a meruaylouse semelynes and honesty apperyng in his iyes in all his couÌ„tenaunce in his maner of going he doth excuse his disordered office ministracion honoring his dignitie and worthines as yet with no certayne commendacion Onely he saieth it were mete conuenieÌ„t that I which am far beneth vnder thy vertues should require baptisme of the And how cummeth it to passe that thou doest humble adbase thy selfe so lowe to require baptisme of me sith no man is more pure cleane froÌ„ al sinne than thou These thynges wer thus doen by the ordinaunce of god to thinteÌ„t both that we should haue an exaÌ„ple of the merueilous modestie humilitie of Christ and also that it might appere vnto all men by the testimonie of Iohn that Christ being without coÌ„science of any sinne or euil required to be baptised For he was baptised like as he was circuÌ„cised as he was purified in the teÌ„ple with his mother as he was scourged as he was crucified He suffered all these thinges for vs not for himself Wherfore wheÌ„ Iohn declaring constaÌ„tly his own vnworthines setting forth the worthines of Christ did refuse the office of a baptiser Christ by no sinister suspicion did steine his own innocencie which it behoued to be knowen beleued of al men Euery parte ê™ he of this busines hath his time Be thou content in the meane season that I be baptised of the thynke not vnâ—uÌ„ly for the if thou baptise him who as thou saiest is better theÌ„ thou Certainly it shal becuÌ„ me which desireth to bring al vnto me to fulfill all iustice For he that teacheth al teacheth perfeccioÌ„ must see that no likelyhode or apparauÌ„ce of vnrighteousnes be it neuer so litle be founde in his life and maners I must become all thinges to al men that I maye winne and bring al vnto my father When Iohn heard these wordes he descended into Iordane with Christ and baptised him And here appereth an holsome example of humilitie in Christe and of obedience in Iohn but the thyng the effecte is of contrary order For baptisme doth consecrate vs but he through the holy touchyng with his body did consecrate baptisme And Iesus whan he was baptised came straight waye out of the water and lo heauen was open vnto hym And he sawe the spirite of God descendyng lyke a doue and lyghting vpon hym And lo there came a voyce from heauen saying This is my beloued sonne in whome I am well pleased And to thintent he might declare vnto vs what we ought to do after baptisme what felicitie was geuen vs by baptisme Iesus going out of the water cherefully spedely as though he had cast of a great burdeÌ„ of sines teaching vs that we should not tarry nor linger in washinges nor ofteÌ„tymes returne vnto theÌ„ by sinning again but to make haste to the dueties of a spiritual life the sinnes of the former life once cast of and buried in baptisme kneled downe vpon his knees and lifted
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
doen hitherto but ghostely thynges and greate trouble shal ye haue for preachyng of my ghospell Wherefore it is necessarye that ye bee strēgthed with power from heauē that ye may be hable to susteyne so chargefull an entrepryse that shall not be brought to passe by mannes policie but by helpe of the holy ghoste For those thynges that haue been hitherto done are but as rules instruccions princyples for young begynners in respecte of setting forward the gospell As that Iohn Baptyzed with water but the holy ghoste gaue he not for it passeth mannes power to geue hym and nothing els preached he but the man should repent and that the kyngdome of heauen was at hand Nowe muste ye haue stronger mayntenaunce to sette forthe the lyuelye doctryne of the ghospell and to beare of the assaultes of the worlde whiche shall stryue agaynste it To bryng that about it is not sufficient that y◠be voyde of synne but ye haue nede of a newe spirite to the settyng forth of this newe kinde of lerning a plenteous spirite that shal aboūdantly assist you an heuenly spirite a spirit lyke fier in whō ye shal be christened within fewe daies This is the baptisme that Iohn could not geue but prophecied that I should geue it For thus sayde he in bearyng wytnesse of me he shall christen you sayed he with the holy ghoste and fyer In tymes past also god endewed hys Prophetes and other holy men with his spirite And I haue brethed my holy spirite on you It is euen the veray same spirite but nowe shall he most plenteously be powred ouerall the whole worlde and shall renewe all thynges Agaynst his cummyng make your selues ready with fastyng and prayer but specially with full truste and confydence that ye maye be fytte instrumentes for hym to spreade abrode his heauenly power Whan they therefore were cum together they asked of him saying Lorde wilte thou at this time testore agayne the kyngdome of Israell And he sayed vnto them It is not for you to knowe the tymes or the seasons which the father hath put in his own power but ye shall receyue power after that the holy ghost is cum vpon you And ye shal be witnesses vnto me not onely in Hierusalē but also in all Iewrye in Samaria euen vnto the worldes ende After Iesus had spoken these wordes vnto his disciples beyng assembled into one place because he woulde haue no variaunce lefte emong theim at hys departyng for euen to that houre they had not yet put oute of theyr heades theyr phantasticall dreame of the kyngdome of Israell to be aduaunced and enlarged by hym they enquyred of the Lorde as he was euen readye streight wayes to departe whether that as soone as he had sente downe the holy ghost he woulde restore his people of Israell to theyr worldelye kyngdome agayne and whether he woulde immediatlye appere before the face of the woorlde in his maiestie For they had not yet conceyued what manner a thyng thys ghostely kyngdome shoulde bee Peter woulde haue had hym establyshe a kyngdome whan he was on the hille The reste also of thapostles what tyme mencion was made of rysyng from deathe to lyfe enquired of hys kyngdome and nowe eftsones vpon that communicacion whiche they had hearde of sending down the holy ghoste they came to remembraunce of a temporall kyngdome For they trusted that it shoulde cum to passe that the Iewes shoulde bee rewlers ouer all the world And in veray dede sure it was to cum that Israell shoulde reigne not that fleashly Israell but he that truelye had deserued this name that is to saye he that in dede were strong in God For Iacob deserued well to haue that name whan he wrastled with thaungell As longe as the worldly manne trusted to his owne desertes he was not hable to satisfye the Iustice of god For all the world for sinne was reproued and subdued vnto punishment But after that manne began to mystruste his owne workes and to sticke vnto the promyses of the gospell he dyd as a man woulde saye ouercum the iustice of god and by force obtayned mercye This kingdome beeyng decayed in euerye place but speciallye emong the Iewes Christe restored through hys gospell The disciples not vnderstandyng thys phansied with them selfes that sum good chaunce woulde cum whiche shoulde delyuer them from all persecucion of the wycked But as for that was not to be loked for before the ende of the worlde Whiche tyme the lorde woulde not haue theim to knowe because it was not expediente for them to knowe it And therfore whan they curyouslye demaunded it he put them to silence with this answer Enquire not of those thynges whyche are not expediente for you to knowe Onely beleue stedfastly dooe that ye are commaunded Ye shal be but ministers in this matier Leaue the procedynges herin the ende of the same to my heauenly father It is not therfore your parte to knowe what yeare what moneth or what houre that kingdome of Israel shal cum which thinges the folysh Calkers curiously seke for As much as my fathers pleasure was that you should knowe I haue tolde you but that time haue I not vttered vnto you because my father reteineth to hymselfe the knowleage therof to this ende that ye be diligent in doing your duties The kingdome of god shal cum finally wheras both the good the bad shal bee rewarded accordyng to their desertes againste whose cummyng must ye bee alwayes ready Albeit this spirituall kyngdome shall in the meane season also appeare in setting forthe whereof god shall vse your helpe but as for rewardyng you therfore let him alone with that Wherfore settyng aparte your desyre to knowe those matters whiche ye oughte not to know make redy youre selues to that that is at hand To the whiche thyng because ye of your own habilitie are not sufficient the holy ghoste accordyng to my promyse shal be powred on you from heauen to augment your strength of mynde and to bryng into youre remembraunce agayne whatsoeuer I haue heretofore taughte you and farther to put in your myndes whatsoeuer thing els it shal behoue you to know And so shal ye being taught by his instructiō and strengthed wyth hys ayde beare wytnesse of me fyrste at Hierusalem accordyng to the saying of the prophete out of Syon shall the lawe procede and the word of the lord out of Hierusalem and sone after throughout all Iewry nexte throughout Samaria which is nygh adioyning to Iewry and fynally through al cuntreys in the world where euer any dwelling of man is For I came indifferently for all mens sakes I died for euery man and eche man hath the gracious fauour of my gospel profered him Hitherto the law hath reigned onely among the Iewes but my father wyl haue his gospel to reigne as farre abrode as the worlde is open or wyde And when he had spoken these wordes while they behelde he was taken
is requyred of you for your olde sinnes onely â—e that there be penaunce without counterfaytyng and god wyl frely pardon the offence further Messias himselfe wyl teache you yf he fynde you apte and willing to learne what be the fruites of true penaunce In the meane season set ye aside vaine trust and flatter not your selues thus we be holy we come of the holy father Abraham The iuste Abraham shall auayle nothyng them that come of him vnlesse thei folow his faith and obedience which wer so muche commended The blessyng that is now at hand was promised vnto AbrahaÌ„ but cosinage and kynred be it neuer so nere is not sufficiente to obteyne this blessyng Whosoeuer distrustyng God doeth leane vnto the soucoures of this world they be fallen from the kinred of Abraham And hereafter the posteritie of AbrahaÌ„ shall not be counted by the kynred of bloud but by the sinceritie of feyth And yet god shall not therfore lacke the posteritie of Abraham to whom he may perfourme and paye the blessing that he promised though ye swarue from the maners of Abraham Nay be ye ascertayned yf ye dispyse the grace offered vnto you that god is of power yea out of these stones to rayse vp chyldren farre better than ye bee to his frende Abraham And there is no cause why that ye should be the more negligente for that the cummyng of Messias hath been differred hytherto For nowe the extreme parell cummeth vpon you and nowe all the matter is euen vpon the edge of the raser eyther ye muste come vnto the kyngdome of heauen withe cleane and syncere myndes or elles ye muste receyue eternall punishement Saluacion is present at hande to them that wyll enbrace it and to them that wyll refuse it presente payne and vtter destruccion is readye at hande For nowe the axe is sette to the tree not to the boughes or to the body but to the rootes whiche shal vtterly cut it downe with a deadly wounde that cannot be recouered vnlesse it bryng furth fruite meete for god There muste be no lingering the daungier is so nere at hande Haste muste be made all impedimeÌ„tes and lettes quite cut of Yet ye may chose which ye wyll take The axe wyll not stryke yf ye wyll sodenly chaunge your mynde In the naturall tree it is long and hard to chaunge the iuyce wherof the fruite taketh his taste Here the matter is brought to passe by the onely wil. But as they that make haste are partakers of health so they that linger are al partakers of peryll None shall be deliuered hereafter neither by riches neither by noble birthe neyther by wisedome as many hitherto haue supposed Euery tree that beareth not fruite and that no meane fruite but excellent good and worthye the kyngdome of heauen is cut downe and caste into the fyer ¶ I baptyse you with water vnto penaunce but he that shall come after me is mightyer than I whose shoes I am not worthy to beare He shal baptise you with the holye ghoste and fyer whose fanne is in his hande and he wyl purge his floore and gather his where into the barne but he wyl burne the chaffe with fyer that cannot be quenched Hitherto god hath suffered and wynked at mens sluggishnesse Erroure and ignoraunce deserued some pardon Mankynde was in a maner deaffe at the law of nature Small profit came by the law of Moses The thretninges of the prophetes were set at naughte theyr dreames and visions were not hearde Now is he come after whome none other shal be sent Whose cuÌ„ming leste it should be sodeine and vnwares I sayeth Iohn am the messenger seÌ„t before If ye be peniteÌ„t yf ye knowledge your diseases yf ye receiue the Phisicion with feruent desire he wil be with you profitable healthfull to all For I am not he â–ª whom ye loke for Truth it is I baptise you but to this intent only yâ— ye being penitent may be meere to learne of him redy to receyue health whaÌ„ he shal come For forthwith he wil come yea eueÌ„ now he is cum as he is behinde me in the ordre of preaching so he is aboue me passeth me by all meanes so that I whom ye thinke to be of sum estimacioÌ„ am not worthy to be his drudge slaue that is either to cary his shoes or to leuse that latchet of his shoes I am none other thiÌ„g but a preacher neuertheles both trusty doing mine office which god hath enioined me by the prophecy of his prophet He is the autor he briÌ„geth with him al might power both to forgeue siÌ„nes to coÌ„fer geue al kinde of vertues Let euery maÌ„ approche to his doctrine to his baptisme for he shal baptise you with effectual liuely baptisme not with water only but with the spirit fier With the spirit he shal alter traÌ„sforme you with fier he shal pluck you vp vnto heaueÌ„ly thinges He wil require nothing of you but sincere penauÌ„ce wtout couÌ„terfeyting He wil geue you his good thiÌ„ges frely if your yl thinges displease you hartily Onely he willeth that there be no colouringes which shall preuail nothing with him There is nothing hid from him he feareth no maÌ„ The thing shal be doen with seuere iudgemente whiche can not be voided Hereafter there shal be no meane either ye muste throughly be good or throughly euil He will passe nothing vpoÌ„ clokedâ— holines â–ª He hath a faÌ„ne in his haÌ„d he seeth also yâ— inward secretes of the hartes Before him either ye must be chaffe or fyne wheate But in the meane season whether of both ye wyl be he hath partly put in your choyce It shal be but vayne for the chaffe mingled among the clean corne to lucke and to be hiddeÌ„ He shall vtterly cleanse his floore and lay vp the wheat in his granard but he shall burne the chaffe with fier that neuer shall be quenched Wherfore either ye must endeuour with all your herte to the high prycke of vertue that ye maye worthely be receiued into the euerlastyng kyngdome or elles yf ye despise the goodnes of God nowe offered vnto you ye must nedes thereby be extremely naught because ye refuse so great helthe offered to you without your seking and through your owne merite forasmuche as ye reiect the heauenly rewarde ye must be appoynted to the euerlasting fier of hell The mindes of the common sorte were so moued with the sayinges of this holy man that a great numbre whiche hitherto had put theyr trust in the obseruacion of the lawe came vnto hym tremblyng for feare and sayd If thus staÌ„deth the case what than thinke ye best for vs to do but he dyd not exhort theÌ„ to the ceremonies of the lawe and the constitucions of men as the phariseis wer wont to do but vnto the workes of charitie saying The first way to pacifie God is the free weldoyng vnto your neighbour He that hath
shall it suffice them whiche will scarce suffice vs few Than Iesus commaunded whatsoeuer they had to be brought vnto him The disciples obeying simply not disputing the matter thus than ye kill vs with hunger if ye geue them thys lyttle that we haue they broughte their whole vitailes Here Iesus exhibiting an euangelicall feaste where lyke as it behoueth to be none excesse so it is mete there shoulde be an equalitie of al thinges He commaunded them all to sitte downe vpon the grasse so that fyfties shoulde sitte together that the noumber of geastes might better appeare And also he folowed the maner of them whiche making a feaste or geuyng a dole to many deuide the multitude into companies that no man should lacke and no man haue to muche This doen Iesus than at lengthe takyng vpon him to be a feaster and a feder of the bodies also whiche came to feede the soules to teache in dede his disciples that they should neuer lacke foode whiche being geuen vnto the gospell regarded litle their vitaile tooke in hys handes the fiue barly loaues two fishes first declaring vnto al men with what maner of vitaile â—he Apostolical ambassadoures ought to be conteÌ„t furthermore shewing plainly before the iye the sincere faith of the multitude which seeing howe litle vitayle there was and was not ignoraunte howe many thousande men there were commaunded to sit downe saâ—e downe Therefore Iesus the feastemaker holding in his handes the bread and the meate lifted vp his iyes into heauen shewyng that whatsoeuer is nedefull to the vse of man it cummeth from the heauenly father and whan he had praysed his bountifulnes liberalitie he brake the bread and fishes and so deliuered them vnto his disciples that they should set theÌ„ before the people putting them in remembrauÌ„ce as it were by a darke figure of what sorte the doctoures ought to be which fede with the worde the mindes of the simple For as Christ loking vp into heaueÌ„ declared that he taught nothing but that came from the heauenly father so the Apostolical men as often as they see the people to depende of their mouth with a playne and a simple faythe they shoulde delyuer nothyng vnto them which they had not receiued of Christ nor should not propose vnto theÌ„ sundry deinties out of the shops of worldly philosophie neither bring out vnto them humaine doctrine after their owne affeccions but shoulde distribute vnto theÌ„ the simple and playne euangelicall doctryne as they had receyued it of theyr maister nor shoulde not otherwise cut it mince it than he had broken it with his handes for by suche manner of preparacion both many bee refreshed and the glory redoundeth to Christe and not to the dystributour Wouldeste thou know the ende of this feaste The disciples doubtyng nothing made distribucion and they doubting nothing fel to their meate on al handes not to excesse but to sufficiency And the feast of such a numbre lacked nothing in so muche that whaÌ„ supper was done the scrappes furthermore that were gathered vp filled twelue baskettes And the noumber of menne was fiue thousande beside women and children ¶ And streight way Iesus made his disciples to get vp into a shippe and to goe before hym vnto the other side while he sent the people away And when the people were sente awaye he went vp into a mountayne to pray alone and whan nyght was come he was there alone But the shippe was nowe in the middesâ—e of the sea and was â—oste of the waues for it was a contrary winde And in the fourth watche of the nighte Iesus wente vnto them walkyng on the sea And whan the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were troubled saying It is some spirite and they cryed out for feare But streighte way Iesus spake vnto them saying be of good chere it is I be not afrayde Peter aunswered and sayde Lorde yf it bee thou bidde me come vnto thee on the water And he sayde come And whan Peter was come downe out of the ship he walked on the water to come to Iesus But whan he sawe a mighty winde he was afrayde And whan he beganne to sinke he cryed saying Lorde saue me And immediately Iesus stretched furth his hande and caughte him and sayd vnto hym O thou of litel fayth wherefore diddest no doubte These thinges done Iesus desyring to teache that after that the necessitie of the body was satisfyed we oughte not to goe vnto wantonnes or slepe but vnto prayer vnto whiche prayer solitarynes is moste mete he forced hys disciples for it greued them to departe from their dere Lord to go to the mere and to row ouer the water before and he woulde come after whan he had sent away the people But they although they departed from hym againste theyr will yet they murmoure not they make not theyr excuse that the nyghte was at hande they aske not whan he woulde folowe but they obey symply hys commaundementes Therefore whan they were gon Iesus sendyng awaye the multytude whome he had satysfyed by all meanes wente vp to a hyll to pray there alone For so he taughte hys disciples to pray Therefore in the top of the hyll Iesus was alone a good parte of the nighte And the disciples in the meane tyme theyr lorde beeing absent as they rowed in the water were in peryll For as they entred vpon the water by and by there arose a contrary wynde and the ship was tossed not without perill of the swellyng waues of the water The night made theyr feare double What shoulde they doe They were in daungier and he was not there whose helpe they mighte call vpon Iesus lefte his disciples in this peryll almost all the whole nighte to harden them by little and little agaynste all feares and to teache them that the helpe of God shall neuer lacke to them that be in perill although it come somewhat late Therefore at lengthe aboute the fourthe watche of the nyghte they almoste beeyng in despayre and nowe sore amased in theyr mynde and ready to geue ouer oute of hande Iesus came not in a bote but walkyng vpon the waters They when they sawe one walkyng in the darke and knewe not Iesus well they were more a fearde and sayde among themselues it is a goste that we see and not a man And the common sorte of shippemen thinketh that suche manner of syghtes dooe sygnyfye vtter destruccyon to them that rowe on the water Therefore they were so sore afearde that beeing almoste beside themselues they cryed out for feare But Iesus suffered them not to be in daungier any longer but by and by spake vnto them that they might know him by hys speche whome in the darke they coulde not see Be of good chere ê™he it is I feare not At thys woorde by and by theyr mynde was comforted But Peter whiche alway had a synguler loue towarde Iesus thynking nothing at all harde that he woulde
water is the meane betwene both whiche at the length by litle and lytle is fined into ayre a more pure element Wherfore as long as the preachyng of Iohn who partly vphelde the olde lawe for as muche as it also sumwhat helpeth to bryng a man to Christ florisâ—ed our sauiour Iesus leste he should haue seemed to any eyther to contende with Iohn or els to disanull the law whiche he came to make perfect neuer preached openly ne declared his diuine power but with a fewe miracles nor gathered together any disciples but rather behaued hymselfe as the disciple of Iohn teachyng vs hereby that no maÌ„ can well exercise the office of a mayster vnlesse himselfe haue beene before an obedient disciple But after that Iohn was cast into prison for his plaine and fraÌ„ke speakyng then dyd Christ as it were succede him come in his place It is meete that the carnall be fyrste and that latermore whiche is spirituall and gostely That whiche is vnperfect goeth before and the perfect cummeth after Grace foloweth the propertie of Nature Corne is fyrste grasse before it haue eeres and mannes state foloweth after infancie The ceremonies of the lawe notwitstandyng they haue sumwhat shadowed and figured Christ yet nowe at the length drawe they to theyr ende and the light of the ghospell shineth abrode whose only auctour is Iesus Christe He went first to preache in Galile For it lyked hym that this newe lyght shoulde begin to shyne oute of that parte of Iewry whiche was counted vilest of all other Proude Ierusalem deserued not to haue this preâ—minence which albeit she were in very dede as blynde as a betell yet thought her selfe to haue a perfect good syght and for that cause was more vncurable But in these thynges whiche came not to passe by hasard of Fortune there lyeth hyd a certayne secrete significacioÌ„ of thynges to be doen. For what beâ—â—keneth it that Iohn is closed and shut vp in prison Forsoth that the law of Moyses shall at the appearyng of the moste cleare light of the Gospell be made darke and vtterly loose her lyght What signifieth it that he is bounde Truely that the carnall parte of the lawe shal be bounde and freedome lâ—used and set at large through the grace of the gospel What meaneth it that Iohns heade is striken of Certes that nowe is presente the true heade of the whole congregacion which shal be assembled of all nacions of the whole worlde What is this that Iesus preacheth the kyngdome of God in Galile Undoubtedlye he maketh a foresigne that the grace of the ghospell shall forsake the wicked Iewes and go from them to the Gentyles because the Iewes embraced styll that olde heade whiche was chopped of by the ghospell and contemned Christe the very head of the whole lawe For this woorde Galile in the Sirian tongue signifyeth a flytting or chaungyng of habitacion Before tyme grace laye hydde and ceremonies were in hyghest estimacion Nowe are they gone and Iesus cummeth abrode the effectuall auctour and preacher of the grace of the gospell Therfore accordyng to the misticall sence hereof whoso wil heare Christ preache must flytte away from their olde vsages and naughty lustes to the intent they maye be receyuable of this newe and heauenly doctrine Let the Iewe caste awaye the perswasion and sure beliefe he hath conceyued of his owne holynes the Pharisey the pryde he taketh by trustyng to his woorkes the Bishoppes the glory of their temple and sacrifices the Philosophers the vayne aydes of mannes wisedome Let Kynges and tyrauntes cast awaye that moste foolyshe truste whiche they repose in their ryches Let all nacions laye aparte all vngodly customes all filthy lustes and hearken vnto this newe Preacher Iesus who teacheth not worldly but heauenly thynges He speaketh indifferently to all menne Let all men therfore heare hym alike Here is it very expediente to consider how our sauiour Christ beginneth to set furth his doctrine Worldly Philosophers do first teache their audience nor those thynges which are most fruitfull profitable but such thinges as may cause theÌ„ to be had in admiracioÌ„ for their singuler wisedome minding nothing so muche as to get themselues a name by dissenting in opinion from other famous teachers But the lorde Iesus woulde neyther disanull thauctoritie of the olde law for he doth truely interprete the same which was before misse vnderstaÌ„d rather making it perfit theÌ„ destroying it neither disproued he Iohns doctrine although it were vnperfit but begaÌ„ his preaching with the selfsame beginning which Iohn had vsed before A man would haue saied he had bene the very scholer and disciple of Iohn who was in dede the maister and auctour of all Now what preacheth he what is the crye that the word soÌ„ne of the euerlasting father maketh The world had far swarued froÌ„ the right vsage of the law of nature whiche God hath grauen and planted in al mens hertes The wisdome that the philosophers taught increased the foly of the worlde The religion which the gentyles vsed before time was moste wicked and detestable The law of Moses caused muche hipocrisy with her shadowes her sacrifices and her fears The lawe sygnified or meant by her figures and the Prophetes tolde before by their prophecies how one should cum who should offer vnto all nacions perfite saluacion But because this promise was so long differred the worlde beyng as it were deafe gaue no eare thereunto at all Yet the lorde of his graciouse goodnesse forgate not to perfourme the same Now is the time already fulfilled that he prefixed or aforepointed vnto this busines You nede not from henceforth to await for the fulfillyng of any other figures or any mo darke sayinges of the lawe You nede not to loke after newe prophetes Loe the kyngdome of God is now present In steade of shadowes â—eritie shall shine abrode In steade of the carnall lawe the spirituall shall succede and cum in place In steade of corporall ceremonies true godlines shall raigne In steade of the deuilles kyngdom Gods kyngdom shal be enlarged There is no cause why you should lynger or stay why any man shoulde looke backe vnto the aydes of his owne rightuousnesse Perhaps as Moyses lawe taketh rightuousnesse sum are rightuouse in the sighte of the worlde but as the new lawe requireth thesame all men are synners and vnrightuous Yet for all that there is no cause why you should dispayre Knowe your disease and then receyue remedy that is onely be you repentaunte for your former lyfe and stedfastly beleue the gospel Nowe is there brought vnto you a message right ioyfull and muche to be desyred I meane free remission of all your trespasses You haue no nede of burnte offringes Onely â–ª knowledge your vnrighteousnesse and repose youre affiaunce in the righteousnes of almighty god who doubtlesse will perfourme what he promiseth by his ghospell For that man shal sufficiently deserue to enioye the promise therof whoso beleueth the promiser ¶ Aâ— he
benefites in theyr soules and there digeste the meate whiche they haue receyued who after they be cum home their bodies beyng now as it were well fedde do by good workes doing practise suche thynges as they haue learned ¶ Anon he entred into a ship with his disciples and came into the partes of Dalmanutha And the Phariseis came furth and began to dispute with him sekinge of him a signe from heauen tempting him And when he had sighed in his spirite he saythe why doth this generacion seke a signe Uerely I saye vnto you there shall no signe be giuen vnto this generation And he left them and went into the shippe agayne And departed ouer the water These thynges so doen Iesus forthwith departed thence and hasted an other waye The heardman muste neuer be conuersaunt with his flocke but when it is to be holpen He hath healed the sicke taughte the people and fedde those that were in ieopardy to perishe for hungre After all these benefites stiâ—â— to tarrie with them semeth to bee a pointe of suche a one as loketh for summe thankes or gramercies The necessitie of the multitude whether it be bodily or ghostly is by all manour of meanes to be holpen but the nature of the people is suche that for the least good tournes of all they are wonte to geue moste hartie thankes It is the smallest benefyte that canne be to feede and nourishe the body it is a greater to heale it and the greatest of all to heale and feede the soule with holy doctrine None of them made him a kyng for the doctrine that he preached â–ª the diseases he cured But for meate they gaue him a kyngdome And leste they woulde nowe haue done the like agayne he departed straighte wayes from them and takyng with him his disciples whom he chose because they shoulde alwayes accompanye him he toke ship and so came vnto the coastes and borders of Dalmanutha or Magedan And that the vnbeliefe of the Phariseis may the oftener appeare they came likewyse hither out of theyr countrey not to be healed but to pike quarels For they had enuy at his miracles and enuied also the people whiche were holpen with so manye of his benefytes For this cause they began to reason the mattier with him as though the miracles which he shewed had not been wrought by the heauenly power because they were as they sayed but base and after a common cast Wherfore in case he would haue them being men far aboue the commune sorte and as you would saye heauenlike felowes to beleue in hym they required hym to shewe some signe from heauen as Moyses obteyned Manna from thence and Helye brought to passe by his prayers that fyre sodaynlye discended from thesame place and consumed both the burnt sacrifice and the wood and to be shorte al the water that was in the trenches or cesternes by the altare The Lorde knowing right well that whatsoeuer he had done they would haue had a quarell to him therfore for if there had been any wonderfull signe or token shewed theÌ„ from aboue wheras the princes of darkenesse do raigne they might with much more apparaunce of trueth haue ascribed it vnto Beelzebub then those thynges whiche they saw with theyr iyes hearde with theyr eares and handled with theyr handes chiefly because it is a commune practise among the experte in arte Magike to cause sodayne showers and dasshes of rayne thunder lightnyng hayle and tempest the Lorde I saye perceyuing this sighed in his spirite shewyng thereby how wofull he was for theyr so obstinate vnbeliefe And as though he had been in a fume and chafed with anger spake vnto himselfe on this wife What a froward nacion is this whiche after so manye miracles sene yet neuerthelesse requireth a signe as thoughe she had neuer sene none before Then he tourned him to the Phariseis and sayed Of this one thing I assure you there shall no signe be nowe geuen vnto this nacion the whiche onely to tempt me she requireth from heauen But she shall haue a signe geuen her that she loketh not for from beneath And it shall bee the signe of Ionas For this Ionas after he was swalowed vp the space of three dayes and beleued to haue been dead was deliuered againe out of the whales bely when no man thought it euen so the sonne of man after he hath been hid about thre dayes space in the belly of the earth shall rise vp alyue agayne contrary to all your expectacion and wening When the Phariseis vnderstode not these wordes Iesus departed from them as from desperate persons and retourned vnto the shippe and so passed ouer the water Thus the Lorde Iesus desirous of mannes helth ofte times chaungeth place not seking for sacrifices wherof he had long agoe his fyl but true faith This scarcely found he in the worlde but yet euery where rather then among the priestes Scribes Phariseis and head men of the people So yll doth the faith of the gospel agre with theÌ„ that haue the world at will ¶ And they had forgotten to take bread with them neyther had they in the shippe with them more then one loafe And he charged them saying take hede beware of the leauen of the Phariseis and of the leauen of Herode and they reasoned among them selues saying We haue no bread and Iesus knewe it and sayth vnto them why take ye thought because yeÌ„ haue no bread perceyue ye not per neyther vnderstand haue ye your â—erâ—es yet blynded haue ye â—yes and se not And haue ye cares and heare not Do ye not also remember when I brake fyue loaues among fiue thousande men How many baskettes full of broken meat toke ye vp They sayde vnto hym twelue When I brake seuen among fower thousand how many basketes of the leauing of the broken meate toke ye vp They said seuen And he sayde vnto them howe happeneth it that ye do not vnderstand Here as they sailed the disciples called not to remembraunce how they had forgotten to prouide themselues of breade For they hadde but one loafe with them in the shippe Iesus perceiuing howe they were carelesse by reason of forgetfulnesse and not for the faith they had in him gaue them warning therof and by that meanes caused them to be carefull afreshe Albeit this their carefulnesse came not so muche of distrust as it did of an humaine negligence and forgetfulnesse For hauing theyr myndes wholy fixed vpon the woordes â–ª and deedes of Iesu thei hadde no remembraunce of breade and it was expedient for vs that they so oft tymes forgatte howe a greate numbre of people was suffised with fiue loaues to th entent it shoulde the deplier be fastened in oure mindes howe those personnes shall wante nothyng who with pure harte and mynde continuallye cleaue vnto Christe That shippe is sufficientlye prouided for that hathe in it that one loafe which is Christe Iesus Wherfore his pleasure was to sturre vp this
and moued all menne to be repentaunt for theyr former lyfe And yet this notwithstanding they whiche boaste and crake vpon the perfite knowledge of the prophecy knewe him not And they whiche loued better theyr owne kyngdome then the kyngdome of God delte by him not as he deserued but as them lyked For he camme accordyng to the prophecies of Esaye and Malachy crying in wildernesse how the great and terrible daye of the Lorde was present howe the axe was alredy put to the rote of the tree and that euery manne shoulde spedely endeuour him selfe to auoyde the vengeaunce of God cumming But this Hely who openly without regarde of person rebuked euery mannes vices they despised and put to deathe Neyther wyll they more gently entreate Messias then they haue done his forecurroure Hereby Iesus declared howe Iohn was Hely not after the body but after the similitude of spirite who whyles he neyther spared kynges ne phariseis was caste into prison and beheaded As they dyd by the forewalker so wyll they doe by his Lorde The same thyng wyll they lykewyse doe by those Apostles that shall folowe hym For whosoeuer hath sincerely preached that goddes kyngdome should cumme thesame hath suffred many affliccions of the vngodly And whoso syncerely preacheth yâ— it is already come must nedes suffre the lyke With these wordes Iesus called backe his disciples froÌ„ the dreame of glorye to the remembrauÌ„ce of the storme that was to cum and hanged ouer theyr heades that is to saye from pleasaunt thynges to necessarye ¶ And when he came to â—is disciples he sawe much people about them and the Scrybes disputyng with them And sâ—â—ayghtwaye all the people when they beheld hym were amased and ranâ—e to him and saluted hym And he asked the Scryâ—es what dispute ye among them And one of the company aunswered and sayed Mayster I haue brought vnto the my sonne which hath a dumme spirite and whensoeuer he taketh hym he teareth hym and â—e someth and gnasheth with his teethe and pyneth awaye And I spake to thy disciples that they should caste hym out and they could not In the meane whyle that they had thus commoned together they were come into the sight of the people at what seasoÌ„ a great multitude were gathered about the disciples whome Iesus left beneath in the playne He sawe also the scribes reasonyng the mattier I wot not wherupon with his disciples Now when the people had espyed Iesus vnloked for on theyr behalfe forasmuch as he had preuely conueyed himselfe awaye with a fewe of his disciples they were astonyed and met him cummyng full and whole and saluted hym Iesus was not ignoraunt what the scribes disputed on but yet he asked what the mattier was where vpon they reasoned to th entent that euery body might knowe what was done And when both the disciples the scribes helde their peace for very shame the disciples for that they assayed to cast oute a diuell and coulde not bryng it to passe and the other because that in the presence of the disciples they depraued the name of Iesu as a thyng vertulesse and of no efficacie one of that multitude who ministred the occasion of the â—â—asoning shewed the whole matier euen as it was vnto Iesu. Mayster sayeth he I brought hither my sonne vnto thee who is vexed with a dumme spirite of whome he is pitifully tourmented For whensoeuer the spirite teketh hym he dasheth hym agaynste the grounde and then the childe fometh at the mouth gnasheth with his teeth and cryeth out and all this whyle he pyneth and consumeth awaye by reason he is thus vexed Because thou wast not here I desyred thy disciples that they would chase awaye this spirite and deliuer my sonne They assayed to doe it and coulde not ¶ He answereth him and sayeth O faythles naâ—ion howe longe shal I be with you howe long shal I suffer you Bryng him vnto me And they brought him vnto him And assone as the spirite sawe him be taâ—e him and fell downe on the grounde walowinge and fominge And he askethe his father howe longe it is ago sence this happened him And he sayeâ— of a childe and oftetymes it hath caste him into the fier into the water to destroye him But yf thou canst do any thing haue mercy vpon vs and helpe vs. Iesus sayed vnto him yf thou couldest beleue all thinges are possible to him that beleueth And strayght waye the father of the childe cryed with teares saying lorde I beleue helpe thou my vnbelefe When the lorde heard this to shewe that feblenes of fayth was the verye cause why the yonge man was not delyuered of the spirite he makynge as thoughe he had been wrothe and in a fume sayed O faythlesse nacion whiche yet canst not by so many miracles as I haue done be brought to belefe Howe longe shall I lyuynge here in earth striue with your vnfaythfull obstaclenesse howe long shall I beare with you when wyll you come forwarde in those thynges that be of the spirite when wyll you beleue those thynges that you see not syth you beleue not the thynges whiche you see with your corporall â—yes bryng hym hyther to me And they brought hym vnto hym That sinne cleaueth fast wherunto the synner hath from his chyldehood accustomed But after he was brought vnto Iesus he was wurse vexed then he was before by reason of the conflicte which arose betwene the spirite desirous to amende and sensualitie tollyng and alluryng hym agayne to his accustomed synfull lyuyng For anon as the fiende sawe Iesus he feelyng a contrarye power to his tooke the younge manne and soore vexed hym insomuche that beeyng dashed agaynste the grounde and rolled to and fro he fomed at the mouth This was a pitifull syght to all the people But it is a muche more pitifull syght when the sinner possessed with greuous suâ—â—es and of long continuaunce is lykewyse vexed in soule Howbeit there is no synne vncurable vnto Iesu. The Lorde because the other shoulde also knowe in howe euyll case he was asked his father howe long it was since his sonne fyrste beganne to bee thus vexed he answered againe of an infante And the spirite doth not onely sayeth he thus vexe hym as thou seest but also casteth hym oftetymes headlong into the fyre and many tymes into the water because to destroy hym Here thou hearest a very sore and cruel malady tourned into nature and therfore the father feared leste it had been vncurable For he sayed moreouer But yf â—ou bee able to doe any thyng haue mercye on vs and helpe vs. He dyd well to desyre the mercy of Iesu who could alleage no merites howbeit thou hearest a waueryng faythe when he sayeth But yf thou bee able to doe any thyng c. That faythe Iesus refourmeth saying doubte thou not what I am able to doe For yf thou couldest beleue there is nothyng but strong and stedfast fayth may obteyne it Assone as Iesu had sayed so the
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
owe styll vnpayed but also doe by playne extorcion pull froÌ„ poore house handmen that that is no duetie at all and so vnder the name and colour of warre they thynke nothyng what euer it bee vnlawfull for theÌ„ to do wheras in very dede there is a due lawe of armes seruing for battail and warre which in dede is not vtterly to be disallowed in case it be atteÌ„pted for a iust and a rightful cause that is to saye if it be made for the defence maynteinaunce of the publique traÌ„quillitie of a realme and countrey yf the case so stand that it cannot be auoyded yf it bee enterprysed by godly Prynces yf with the consent of them for whose behofe it is expedient or necessary that the warre should be made yf it haue been denounced or proclaymed with all rytes and circumstâ—unces accordyng to the lawe of armes yf iustice and moderacion be vsed in it that is to say if warre be so kept with asmuche sparyng of bloudshed as possibly may be if as fewe be loste as may be especially of them that neuer gaue any cause to the warre if the vnaduysed witfulnes and hastines of the souldiers be brideled by the captains if there be no buckling together of the two armies sauing only by such souldiers and meÌ„ of armes as haue geuen their othe afore to do as they ought to do and neue otherwise nor without a signe to bâ—e geuen by commaundement of the capytayne whan they shall buccle together in fight if euery body immediately hold theyr haÌ„des from fightyng â–ª assone as euer the truÌ„peâ—tes haue once blowen retraicte if also as soone as it possibly maie the warre be ended and so breake vp Unto this sorte of men therfore dooeth Iohn nothyng but shewe what their accustomed vse is to do and what thing from hensforth they ought to eschew if they mynde to escape the vengeaunce of God Stryke ne beate ye no manne saieth he accuse no manne falsely for lucres sake but bee ye contented with your ordinarie wages that is allowed you As the people were in a doubte and all men mused in their hartes of Iohn whether he were very Christ Iohn answered and said vnto them all I baptise you with water but one stroÌ„ger then I shall cum after me whosâ— shoe latchet I am not worthy to vnlooce He shall baptise you with the holy ghost and with fier Whiche hath his fanne in his hand and he will pourge his floore and gather the corne into his barne but the chaffe wil he burne with fier that neuer shal be quenched and many other thinges in his exhortacion preached he vnto the people And with suche great authoritie were the premisses handled and doen by Iohn that the people begoonne halfe to bee in opinion that himself was the very Messias of whose cummyng he preached vnto theÌ„ And this did a great many of theym with secrete thynkynge caste in theyr hertes though Iohn on his own behalfe by reason of his singular humilitie of hert did as much as he could to hide his owne greatnesse For this is the lyght and cockebrained fashion of the common multitude that suche persones as they haue a speciall mynde and regarde vnto they sette more pryce by then there is cause or reason why and suche as they beare hatred agaynst suche do they mooste slaunderously report finding fault with all thinges in theÌ„ But this earnest good fauour and opinion of the people did well declare verye perfite humilitie in this most holy man who was so ferre from taking vnto him the aduauntage of an other maÌ„s praise that he stoutely refused the same beeyng geuen vnto him of the peoples own voluntary offre And the wrong opinioÌ„ that the people wer in did muche good for this one pointe that the dignitie and worthynes of Christ being as yet knoweÌ„ but to a few was there alowed with a substanciall and an open testimonie in the face of the worlde For Iohn assone as he by inspiracioÌ„ of the holy ghost wel perceiued the secrete thoughtes of the people he spake in this maner Sirs sayth he ye do esteme me by outward thinges that may be seen as for exaÌ„ple by the meat that ye se me eate by my wede by this that I do minister baptisme vnto you but the thynges that be not seen are a great deale more effectuall euen after the same rate as in a man the vertue of the minde whiche is not seene is of muche more dignitie and worthinesse then the power of the body whiche is seen with mens iyes I on my behalfe thoughe I do baptise you with water yet am I no remitter of sinnes I am no more but a preparer of you to a baptisme of more efficacie and vertue which ye shall receiue at the handes of him whose cumming I preache vnto you being as in dede I am sum what his elder in time and suÌ„what afore him in ordre and course of preaching but in power a great way inferiour vnto him For he that cummeth after me is so ferre better theÌ„ I that I whom ye all beleue to be sum great hygh manne of price am vnworthy to vnbuccle the larchet of his shooes And I am his seruauÌ„t not his felow I am a foregoer vnto him but euen of muche like rate as the day sterre goeth before the sunne and shal anon after be darkened and drouned with the greater light of the sunne when it cuÌ„meth And eueÌ„ very this that I haue I haue of his bounteous goodnesse My doctrine is but very washe yf it bee compared vnto his doctrine my baptisme is of no vertue yf it be set by his baptisme For he because he is cum from heauen wyll teache heauenly thynges I beyng but an yearthly creature dooe speake yearthly thinges and lowe matiers I diepe your bodies in water but he shal diepe your soules baptise you with the holy ghost and with fyer And loke how muche the spirite is of more strength to â—â—tre and to perce then is water loke how muche the fier is of more strengthe and effecte then is water of so muche more power shal his baptisme bee then mine is hytherto hath it been vnknowen who were the true folowers of godlynes An easye thyng it is to bee washed with water a light matter it is to kyll a beaste in sacrifice an easye poynte it is to forbeare eatyng of swynes fleshe But now dooeth suche doctrine cum to light suche tymes doe approche euen here at hand that they can no longer be vnknowen who bee good folkes in very dede and who bee otherwise For he will cum to do thé thing that he hath so oftentimes thretened in the prophetes which is by a precise streight iudgement to disclose a perfite difference betwene the godly and the wicked For he wyll haue in his hande a fanne for vnto this man is geuen all power in heauen and on yearth and with his fanne whiche no man shall bee able to
Lorde Iesus dooeth afterward call him foxe For this is the wily craftines of euill prynces of this worlde vnto whome if it shall at any tyme fortune right professours of the ghospel to be called to seruice either the gospellers muste eschewe the coumpany and conuersacion of suche maysters in whose houses they shall sooner be marred and broughte to naughtinesse on their own parties then they shal turne the others to better waies orels thei muste prepare their mindes aforehande to the like rewarde for shewyng the trueth without dissimulacion that Iohn fortuned to get for his labour For whan Herode nothyng growyng out of kynde from the maners and facions of his father and others his auncestours plaied many wieked and tiraÌ„nous partes pillyng pollyng the people pulling away all libertie by oppressioÌ„ punishyng in others the same thynges in whiche he was a common offender hymself vsing all offices of magistrates vnder him as sale ware for money vsyng also to sell the ministracions of priestehood kepiÌ„g within his house openly in the face of all the world one Herodias the wife of Phylyp beyng his brother and had by force of strong hand taken her away from his sayed brother yet beyng aliue together with a doughter of the same Philippes this holy man because he coulde not abide suche incest and vnnaturalnesse of mariage in a kynges house from whens especially aboue al other places it was conuenient that example of keping the lawes should procede aduertised him to refrain himself from suche a wicked misdede But with a deiulish king the deiulishe request of a gierle beyng a minion dauncer together with the suggestion of a deiulish woman weighed more then the holsome aduertisement of so vncorrupt a man with the whiche good aduertisemeÌ„t he was nothing the better but remained stil so ferre out of the way from being ameÌ„ded that vnto his hainous enormities afore past he added one dede of myschief more the most vngracious that euer was that is to wete casting Iohn into pryson and procedyng so ferre at laste in outragious woodnes that he caused the heade of the moste innocent man to bee chopt of and so gaue it to the wenche for a reward of her vicious wanton dauncyng ¶ And it fortuned that whan all the people receiued baptysme and whan Iesus was baptysed and dyd praye the heauen was opened and the holye ghoste came downe in a bodely shape lyke a doue vpon hym And a voyce came from heauen whiche â—ayde Thou art my beloued sonne in thee do I delite But now to returne to the discourse of the storie before that the lord Iesus would entre into the buisie office of preachyng which he entended with in the coumpasse of a short tyme to accoÌ„plishe and bryng to a perfite ende to the entent that he would leaue no one poynt of humilitie or of righteousnes vnfulfilled thought no disdain to cum with the residue of folkes vnto baptisme not to be purified himself whiche he neded not but to consecrate and halow the lauacre or fount of eternall saluacion to our behofe through his baptisme He huÌ„bled himself but that notwithstanding he was aswel by the voice of Iohn as also by the most clere testimonie of his eternal father opeÌ„ly coÌ„mended in the face of all the people to the entent that they might knowe him eueÌ„ by the face to by sight of whoÌ„ the prophetes had aforetymes spoken muche by prophecie and of whoÌ„ Iohn had openly witnessed So than at that time a great numbre of the common people wer in baptising and in the same cumpany Iesus Christ cuÌ„ming as one emong the mo had instantly desired of Iohn to haue baptisme as though he had been like other meÌ„ subiect to sin Iohn would haue refused to baptise him acknowlagyng him as the autour geuer of puritie of whom he ought rather to had been baptised hymself And thissame testimony was geueÌ„ first of Iohn to the dignitie of Iesus being there personally in place eueÌ„ before al the multitude of the people but the heaueÌ„ly father did by a more euident marke disseuer his sonne Iesê° from the residue of the cuÌ„pany that wer baptised For vnto al the rest whaÌ„ they were in baptising there appered no signe ne token at al. But immediatly after that the lord Iesê° was baptised as he was now makingÌ„g his deuout praiers to god teaching vs thereby that whan the state of innocencie is perfitely renewed through baptisme we ought immediatly to coÌ„uert and bestow our selues to such studies exercises as are of the spirit emoÌ„g which deuout praier hath the first place heauen opened which his baptisme set wide opeÌ„ to vs where as vntil that day it had been shut vp froÌ„ vs. And froÌ„ thens came doun the holy ghost bâ—ing of hiÌ„self in dede inuisible but for that time enuested clad with a figure or likenesse visible because he should be seene with the iyes of men And as for the likenesse it was of a doue because that this bird beyng as a sygne to represent innocencie or simplicitie had many hundred yeres afore brought a braunche of an oliue tree into the arke of Noe for a tokeÌ„ that the wrathe of God was pacified and also a caucion or pledge of warraÌ„tise that the floudde was at an end And in dede the said floudde of Noe by whiche the worlde was at that time scoured and pourged of all naughty creatures did conteine a misticall figure of our baptisme wherby all our sinnes are drowned vp our bodies and soules bothe beyng preserued in perfyte safetie In this lykenesse than dyd the holy ghoste descende downe reste vpon the holy toppe of the lorde Iesus head openly betokenyng that he it was whom God the father had plenteously anoynted with all heauenly giftes of grace whiche gyftes he woulde afterwarde poure out vpon al persons as many as by puttyng their affiaunce and truste in him wer or should afterward bee graffed in the brotherhoode of his bodye thoroughe baptisme There came also vnto him besides this likenes of a doue an euident testimonie of his fathers voice not now declared by the prophetes not by Moses not by angels but publyshed by the father selfe not that theÌ„ father may in his verye owne lykenesse as he is bee either heard or seen or by any sence of the body coÌ„prehended or perceyued but lyke as the holy ghoste beeyng inuisible did openly shewe hymself to the iyes of men in a visible signe euen so the heaueÌ„ly father sending doune a voice through the elementes aboue did seÌ„sibly pearce the eares of meÌ„ And the voice that souned from on high was in these wordes Thou arte mine owne onely dere beloued sonne in whom I am throughly pleased satisâ—ied To none of al the holy meÌ„ that euer were in olde time was there euer any testimonye of suche lyke sorte as this geuen A doue cumming before pointed out certainly to whome this voyce did apperteine to th entent that
of his father was contente to be made as a foole for our sakes to the ende that we might be made wise in him Through pryde came our fall and through humilitie came our settyng vp agayne Adam being through the serpent made bare of all the good qualities of the mynde couered hymselfe with leaues plucked from the tree Christe being riche in giftes celestiall desired no maner thing at all of this worldes The figures also of the olde Testament do veray well accorde with the storie of the ghospell Moses guided and led the Israelites out of Egypte and Christe hath deliuered them from the derkenesse of ignorauÌ„ce and from the boÌ„dage of vice They had their passage there through the water and we here through baptisme haue a ready waye to saluacion and freedome There was a pilour of a cloude and of fyer and here the father sendeth a voyce downe through a cloude and our spirite is baptised with fyer Through the first lawe is occasion of death through the lawe of the ghospell we are called agayne to lyfe But the olde lawe dyd with throundreynges and lyghtenynges make them sore afeard and the lawe of the ghospell doeth with ientilnesse and benefites call vs forth to saluacion Moses was terrible to be seen but in such wyse that constreyned he was to couer his face Christe is mylde and full of courteous humanitie and puttyng hymselfe in companie emong the thickeste of the people Moses went vp to the hill to talke with God and Christe came downe to vs to the intent that God should speake to vs by hym The fyrste Adam while he coueteth to be equal with God is compared to brute beastes voyde of vnderstandyng The seconde Adam whan he humbled himselfe from his godly maiestie downe to the bassenesse of our humaine nature wheras we were more abiecte and vile then euen the brute beastes are helyfâ—ed vs vp to the participacion and brotherhood of his godhed Nowe to conclude through Iesus the sonne of Naue was their returnyng into the lande flowyng wyth mylke and honey and through Iesus the sonne of a virgin is our returnyng agayne into paradyse Let vs therfore goe awaye from the disposicion of our first parentes and duely folowyng the lyfe of our Lorde Iesus let vs wyth pure myndes enbrace his benefite and let vs with al godly zele and endeuour folowe his exaumple to the best of our powers hymselfe will ayde vs therto with his helpe the whiche of his goodnesse hath geuen the example let vs enbrace the merciable and vnwrathfull maker of the lawe euangelicall Lette vs folowe our guide who only and none but he is hable to bryng all nacions of the whole worlde home vnto that same lande whiche continually without ende doeth moste plenteously flowe with all kynde of ioyes ¶ The .iiii. Chapiter ¶ Iesus beeyng full of the holy ghoste returned from Iordan and was ledde by the spirite into wildernesse and was fowerty daies tempted of the deuill And in those daies did he eate nothyng And whan they were ended he afterwarde houngred And the deuill sayed vnto hym If thou be the sonne of God commaunde this stone that it bee breade And Iesus aunswered him saying It is wrytten Man shall not lyue by bread only but by euery woorde of God ANd Iesus vpon whose head the doue had lighted before at his baptisme beeyng not a voyde signe but the holy ghoste hymselfe in that lykenesse although he were nowe full of the holy ghoste yet before he would enterpryse the office of preachyng the ghospell because he would be in all thinges approued and tryed euen to the vttermoste ere he woulde take suche an office in hande he departed from Iordan geuyng therby a lesson that after baptisme menne shoulde endeuoure themselfes to the more higher exercises of godly lyuyng he withdrewe himselfe from the coumpanie of people with whom to be familiar and muche conuersaunte doeth many tymes corrupte a manne and also doeth cause the autoritie of a teacher to be the lesse estemed and regarded And by the spirite of God wherwith he was wholy rauished and possessed he was moued and led furthe into wildernesse from whence Iohn had to fore come furthe emong the people And this did Iesus euen as one that mynded to bidde the enemie of mankynde quickely to come of and make readie all hys craftes and ingiens verayly of purpose both to shewe and declare vnto vs that the deuyll who had hitherto been as a conquerour ouer mankind had holden them captiue maye bee vanquyshed and subdued and also as it were with his fynger to poynte vnto vs the waye howe to wynne the victory ouer hym A place was sought and found apte mete for the temptours purpose and that was wildernesse and occasion was ministred by the meanes of hounger For Iesus to doe the parte that Moses did in this behalfe nowe that he went about to geue vnto the worlde a newe lawe that is to were a doctrine of grace which is the ghospell he fasted as Moses had doen fowertie dayes and in all this tyme of the sayed fowertie daies he touched no maner of meate but passed ouer all this tyme with holy prayers vnto God geuyng laude and glorye to thesame and with geuyng continuall thankes vnto his heauenly father And this was a paterne and a saumple or president of a certayne rare and vnwoonte vertue in manne Neyther was he ignoraunt of the craftes and subtilties of Satan who by all meanes possible neuer more earnestely pitcheth and setteth his snares and grinnes then whan he perceyueth the mynde and soule of man with notable endeuour to encline and drawe towardes heauenly lyuyng And Satan had heard that one there shoulde come whiche shoulde discoumfeight and destruie his puissaunce and whether that mightie conquerour were now alreadie come or no he stoode in doubte and what manne Iesus should be he could not tell For Satan who had beguiled mankynde to fore by his subtile craftes and wyles was nowe contrarywyse to bee beguiled by the politique wysedome of God He had heard Iohn openly confesse and saye I am not Christe Wherfore seeyng and perceyuyng many thynges in Christe whiche ferre surmounted the compace of mans power and on the other syde agayne seeyng hym to bee an houngred and to be in great affliccion through defaulte of takyng bodily susteinaunce wheras it is not read that Moses and Helias after the fastyng and absteinyng from meate by the space of lyke noumbre of dayes were an hungred he supposed Iesus to be nothyng els but a manne yea and suche a manne as by his craftie conueighaunce myght be corrupted Nowe the wilie and subtill deuyse of the temptour was this that is to wete eyther to ouercome and wynne hym in dede or at the leaste wyse to hunte out whether he were that Sonne of God or no whiche had been promysed by the Prophetes Whiche thyng yf he myght haue perceyued so to bee than would he bende all his
selfsame thyng by whose helpe do thei chase awaye deuils Plain homely men they be they are men of no knowlage ne autoritie they caÌ„ no skill of the malicious sleightes of witches or Nygromanciers and yet do these caste out deuils in the name of me What thiÌ„g thei doe they doe it on a faithfull truste in God therefore shall your vnbelefe be condeÌ„ned by these iudges and none other The plain simplenesse of these hath beleued wheras your wisedom and expert knowelage of the world striueth against the glory of god Wherupon seeyng there is neyther ryme ne reasoÌ„ in saying that one euil spirite driueth out an other euil spirite and forasmuche as your children do cast out deuils by the helpe of none other then by whose helpe I do cast theÌ„ out it is clere that I doe cast out euil spirites by the vertue and power of god who is good For the spirite of him is of more power and might theÌ„ al the whole packe of the wicked spirites that are Neither is there any agremeÌ„t betwene the spirite of god and theÌ„ For god loueth the preseruacioÌ„ of mankynde and they seke the destruccion of thesame Nowe than if it bee a thyng manifest that the thynges whiche ye see me doe I doe by the power of god than is there no doubte but that the kingdome of god is cum vnto you whiche Iohn did preache to bee at hande Reason it is therfore that ye ioyne your selfes with hym and withdrawe you from the reigne of Satan which shall shortely haue an ende Ye cannot be partakers of bothe kyngdomes at once there is betwene god and Satan a bataill that by no possibylitye maye be brought to attonemeÌ„t The cause wil neuer by any condicions be brought to agrement Satan shall either geat the victorye orels by stronge hande bee dryuen out he shall not by yeldyng or submyttyng hymselfe continue in hys reigne ne yet bee receiued vpon any condicions of agreement appoynted vnto him He hath hitherto reigned without redresse but nowe is there cum a power more puissaunt mighty theÌ„ his tirannie For one finger of God is more mightie to preserue saue mankind thaÌ„ all the hostes of Beelzebub to destroy thesame Thesame thyng therfore shall in this behalfe cum to passe whiche is coÌ„monly woont to chauÌ„ce betwene two head captayns both being valyaunt and strong and both beyng fierce couragious and such as al their affiaunce and trust resteth in their armour and weapon For whan a man of great forte and puissaunce beeyng in armour dooeth kepe his fortresse the thynges that bee in his possession are in peaceable reste and quite That if any other being of more power theÌ„ he do set vpon him and do with plain force of armes coÌ„quere him that was in harnes wel armed he wil entre no leage of felowship to bee as halfe partener with him in his castell but dryuyng the other quite awaye he wyll entre vpon full possession of the wholle house hymselfe The weapon wherin the other trusted he will by plain force take away froÌ„ hym all his richesse and substaunce he will rifle and spoile and distribute it among his souldiers Now doeth it behoue you to loke aboute you and see of whether syde ye will bee and with whether ye wyll take parte with God beyng the mightier or with Satananon to bee dryuen oute If ye haue peace with Satan ye are out with God If ye haue peace with god than cannot ye and Satan agree And in the one or the others campe must ye fight The tyme as it now shapeth will not suffer any persons to sitte idle And whoso is not on my syde is an aduersarie vnto me and euen in this verye poynte dooeth me hurte and sâ—athe because that where he ought of dutie to fauour my syde he doth not fauour me and whoso doeth not gather with me scattereth abrode Whan the vnclene spirite is gone out of a man he walketh through drye places seekyng test And whan he findeth none he sayeth I wil returne again vnto my house whence I came out And whan he cummeth he findeth it swept and garnished Then goeth he and taketh to hym seuen other spirites wurse then himself and they entre in and dwell there And the ende of that man is wurse then the beginnyng And because the Iewes toke vpon them an opinion of righteousenesse and vpon boldenesse thereof did either negligently leat slippe the doctrine of the gospell orels did vtterly refuse it and would none of it he put forth a derke parable wherby to signifie that a more greuous damnation should lighte on such persones as whan they haue gone a litel way foreward towardes righteousnes did fall backe agayne to their olde enormities then on suche as neuer knowing the light of euangelical trueth had coÌ„tinued still in the derkenesse of their sinneful liuing For the people of the Iewes was disseuered by meane of the lawe from the Gentiles beyng Idolaters but fallyng euery other day of freashe to their former transgressions they were cum at length to suche degree of vngodlynesse that whatsoeuer offence their forefathers had doen in putting the prophetes to death or in conspiryng against Moses thesame did they seuenfolde double more vngraciously renewe against the sonne of God and against his disciples Albeit this parable doeth ferther also touch euery man who beyng once washed froÌ„ his former synnes through baptisme once deliuered from the euill spirite of this worlde by the worde of the ghospell dooeth negligently vse the gyfte of god nor taketh any care to procede from tyme to time to ferther degrees of perfeccion Unto suche an one beeyng walowed downe again to his former liuyng baptisme and the knowlage of holy doctrine shall auaile to none other effecte or purpose but that he shal of his own sekyng haue the sorer damnacion at the daie of iudgement as one the whiche to his former sweruyng out of the right waye hath ioyned vnthankefulnes maliciousnesse also Now of the parable this is the tenour here folowyng Whan an vnclene spyrite is once departed out of a man beeyng putte awaye by the power of God for as muche as he hath an obstinate will to doe hurte he goeth walkyng vp and downe by places barain waterlesse seeking rest And whan he could no where fynde thesame he sayeth within hymself I will returne backe into my house that I came out of And returning vnto the same he founde it in dede sweped cleane with bromes but altogether emptie WhaÌ„ he espieth that he goeth his waye and taketh vnto him seuen other spirites more vngracious tben himself euer was and with suche a knotte of company goeth he again to his house in dede made cleane but leaft vnkept nor armed with any defence of vertues semyng for the gospel For the ornamentes and garnishyng of ceremonies in dede make outwardlye a shewe or semblaunce of godlines but because they are onely certain vain counterfaites of thynges they kepe
heretofore they had in reuerence goe aboute further to charge hym and fynde faulte with him sayinge What is the cause that thou takeste vpon thee the power to baptise the people if thou be neither Christe who as the prophecies do declare shal put away the sinnes of the people nor Elias the goer before Messias nor that notable Prophete whom Moses did promise neither yet any other of all the Prophetes whie then dooeste thou enterprise to putte awaye sinnes by thyne owne auctoritie whiche thou neither hast of God nor by any decree of the Priestes whose auctoritie thou darkeneste with thy newe customes To this slaundreous demaunde Iohn did aunswere mekelye but yet in suche sorte that he did both frely knowlage his owne lowe estate and did openly declare the dignitie of Christe My baptisme saieth he is euen suche like as my preaching is For as my preaching is not perfit but onely prepareth your mindes to the wisedom of the gospel so my baptisme whiche consisteth onely in the water doth not washe a way the filthynesse of mindes but in a certaine resemblaunce of true baptisme frameth the ignoraunte that they being prepared with repentaunce of their former life maye bee hable to receyue that baptisme by the whiche Messias thorow his spirite shall washe away all at once the vniuersall vnclennes and vices of all theim that shall credite his heauenly doctrine And now he is not farre hence but is alredy present in this same great noumbre of people and as one of the multitude is conuersaunte euen in the middest of you And he is therfore either despised or not knowen of you because after the worldes estimacion he is but poore and of small regarde vaunting himselfe with no pompe of those thinges by the whiche they that honour the worlde doe exteeme a manne It hath not pleased him as yet to put furth his power and greatnesse but in veraye dede he is an other maner of persone then you take hym to bee ¶ He it is whiche though he came after me was before me whose shoot latchet I am not wurthie to vnlose I who in the peoples iudgement seme to bee sumwhat notable in comparison of his highnes am nothing at all This is veray he of whome I tolde you before that men toke him to be mine inferiour and to come after me but in dignitie he did preuent and excel me to whose wurthines I am so vnwurthy to be compared that I know my selfe vnwurthy to serue him as a bondman in the lowest kind of seruice yea to leuse the buckles of his shoes ¶ These thinges wer doen in Bethabara beyonde Iordan where Iohn did baptise Iohn did pronounce this so full and so honorable witnes of Christe to the Phariseis Priestes and Leuites in the presence of a great noumbre of people and that in a famous place that is to saye in Bethabara which is not farre from Ierusalem beyond Iordane a place very conueniente for him that was a baptiser and preacher of penaunce by reason that plentie of water was nigh to it and also the deserte to whiche place a great preace of people out of diuerse coastes of Iurie did resort dayly to be baptised For Iohn did bothe preache and baptise there ¶ The next day Iohn seeth Iesus cumming vnto him and saieth Behold the lambe of God whiche taketh away the sinnes of the worlde And hitherto he did so beare witnesse of Iesus that he did neyther name hym nor poynte hym with hys fynger when he stoode emong the multitude because he would not styre vp the enuie of the Phariseis against hym And also because he would set on fier the mindes of simple folkes the more to haue a desyre to know him whom the sayd Iohn being so notable a mā had so highly commended in his preaching and for as muche as at that tyme many of the people did make diligent serche to knowe who shoulde be that great man to whose dignitie euen Iohn beeing in all mens iudgement taken for an excellēt persone did so much geue place to Iesus therfore came thither agayn the day folowing and did not then kepe hymselfe close emong the multitude but went to Iohn seuerally and alone partely for good manier sake to salute his cosin partely to knowledge his baptiser but specially to geue him occasion to testifye more playnely and liuely of Christ emong the people lest he being yet not knowen should seme to goe to Iohn for that purpose that other did that is to saye to be baptised or taughte or els to confesse his sinnes for in that he was baptised of Iohn was to geue vs exaumple of humilitie but because no body shoulde suspecte that he had nede of baptisme or that he had any spot in hym whiche the water of Iordane could washe away he separating himselfe from the multitude wente to Iohn aparte Iohn being warned by the holy ghoste what he shoulde doe beholding Iesus cumming towardes hym turned himselfe to the people and poynted Iesus to them with his fynger that after they knewe him by sight they shoulde accustome themselues both to lyke hym and loue him the better and should rather folow hym then Iohn himselfe yea and rather couet to be baptised of hym then of Iohn For the purenesse of Iesus mynde being ful of the holy ghost did shine in his very iyes and countenaunce And did shew it selfe furth both in his goyng and all other behauiours of hys bodye as of the contrarye parte a furyouse mynde and ouerwhelmed with vices dooeth expresse it selfe in the very countenaunce of the bodye Beholde sayth Iohn this is he whom many of you did see me baptise wheras in dede the water of Iordane did not purifye him but he did rather halowe it For he alone and none other is free from al kinde and spotte of sinne And verely he is that most pure lambe whome God accordyng to Esaies prophecie had chosen and appoynted to bee a sacrifice moste acceptable to hym for to purge the sinnes of the whole worlde whiche was defiled with all maner of vices This is he whome the lambe in Moses lawe did signifye whose vnharmeful bloud defended the children of Israel from the reuenging sweord of the Angel This lambe I saye is so fer from being subiect to any kynde of sinne that he alone is hable to take away all the sinnes of the whole worlde He is so well beloued of God that he onely may turne his wrath into mercie he is also so gentle and so desirous of mans saluacion that he is redy to suffer paynes for the sinnes of all men and to take vpon hym our euils because he woulde bestowe vpon vs his good thynges This is he of whome I sayd after me cummeth a man which went before me for he was before me and I knew him not but that he shoulde be declared to Israell therfore am I come baptising with water Yea thys is very he of whome I haue tolde you diuers tymes
for he that hath the charge committed to hym to see all thinges wel furnished is euer wont to abstayn from wyne whiles other folkes doe drinke And partely because he being well skilled in tast and hauing a fyne iudgement therein myght more trewely geue verdite of the wyne theÌ„ the rest of the geastes whose tastes myght seme to bee dulled with drynking of muche wyne before ¶ When the ruler of the feaste had tasted the water that was turned into wyne knew not whence it was but the ministers which drew the water knew he calleth the brydegrome and sayeth vnto hym Euery man at the beginning doeth set furthe good wine when men be drunke then that whiche is wurse but thou hast kept the good wyne vntill now This beginning of miracles did Iesus in Cana of Galile and shewed his glorie and his disciples beleued on hym But as soone as the ruler of the feast had tasted of the wine that was turned out of water knew not where they drewe it suspecting the fame to be in the seruauntes that coÌ„trary to the custome of other they deferred to bring in such wine vntil the latter end of the feast he calleth the bridgrome to hym desyring to know of him by what occasion the fault chaunsed Others sayeth he which make a solemne feast at the beginning thereof bryng to the table of the beste sortes of wine afterward wheÌ„ their geastes being already drunke haue their mouthes out of tast powre in drinke vntemperatly theÌ„ they bring serue of the wurst sort But thou coÌ„trariwise hast reserued vnto the end of the feast this wine which is better more pleasaunt than any that was serued yet And by this oâ—casioÌ„ the miracle of the thing that was doeÌ„ spred abrod litle by litle emonges maâ—â— And afterward by examining the seruauntes of this thing it was knowen that the water was not onely turned into wyne but also into very good wine And as forthe waterpottes they had no mistrust but that they were onely dedicate and ordeyned for water The seruauntes put water to water and filled them vp to the brimme after they had drawen of the same which they powred into the vessels they offered it to the gouernour of the feast who was sobre The bridgrome knoweth well inough that there was no such wine prouyded nor prepared They wente to the waterpots and found them ful of the selfesame good wyne With this dede our Lorde Iesus began the working and setting foorth of his miracles in Cana a towne of Galile intending by litle and litle to shew furth tokens of his godly power to the worlde For first of all this thing was doen in a matier not very weightie also priuatly yea almost to please his mother and kinsfolkes withal whiche had him in lesse admiracion because they were his familiars of his kinne And this miracle was not much noted of very manye but afterwarde it grewe to bee hadde in greatter credite with moe yet in the meane while the fayth of his disciples that were present was stablished concerning Iesu who hauing promised greater thinges perfourmed that whiche he had promised And besides that this miracle wherby he framed as it were a beginning to the rest that he should do afterward was not in vain For firste of all he woulde honour the mariage with his presence knowing before-hand that in tyme to come there should be some which would condemne it as an vnpure filthye thing whereas an honourable mariage and vndefiled bed is a thyng most acceptable to God Moreouer Iesus dyd as it were shadowe vnto vs by a certayn figure that thing whiche he then chiefely went aboute For now was the tyme come that in steade of the vnsauery waterishe lettre of Moses lawe we should drinke the pleasaunt wyne of the spirite of the gospel by reasoÌ„ that Christ turned into our more welth that thing which was without strength vnprofitable For the law was not only vnsauery to the Iewes without Christ but also hurtfull deadly They which haue not beleued in the ghospel doe stil drinke of the water of Moses law but they which haue beleued Christe doe happely waxe warme growe liuely toward the loue of heauenly lyfe through the moyst swete licour of his heauenly doctrine And this was not doen before that Christ had ioyned vnto him the churche hys spouse Also the mother of Iesu was present there representing the forme of the sinagogue whose autoritie is diminished yet she telleth the lacke of the wyne but she her selfe doeth not remedy it Neuertheles she was for our behoufe mother vnto him which doth reioyce and coumforte our mindes with the swete wine of his spirite The names of the places also do agree to the mistery of the thing For Cana of Galile betokeneth possessioÌ„ of a ready passage froÌ„ one place to an other For now was the original beginning of a new people gathered together which should remoue from the letter of the lawe to the spirite of the ghospell from the world to heauen ¶ After this he went downe to Capernaum he and his mother and his brethren and his disciples and there continued not many dayes â–ª After Iesus by thys miracle had begonne to declare his mightie power emonges his kinsfolkes in a towne of smal renoume he went downe to Capernaum That citie is in the selfesame Galile of the Gentiles all ryottouse and swelling in pryde by reason of the plentie of richesse therin beyng also nye vnto the lake of Genazareth and in the coastes of zabulon and Neptalim But according to the wisedome of the ghospel that thing which is highely estemed in the world is abiect and litle set by afore God Iesus mother with his brethren and disciples went down thither with him but they taryed there very fewe dayes Neyther was there any miracle doen in that place But this benefit semed to be doen in the meane time for his mothers kinsfolkes pleasure whoÌ„ now he would no longer cary about with him for asmuch as he would take in hand greater thynges because that worldly affeccion and loue should chalenge vnto it no parte of those thinges whiche were doen for the glorye of the heauenly father And the Iewes Easter was euen at hande and Iesus went vp to Hierusalem and found sitting in the teÌ„ple those that solde oxen shepe doues changers of money And when he had made as it were a scourge of small coardes he droue them al out of the teÌ„ple with the shepe and oxen and powred out the chaungâ—ers moâ—ey and ouerthrewe the tables And sayd vnto theÌ„ that solde dooues haue these thinges hence and make not my fathers house a house of marchaundies And his disciples remembred it that is written the zele of thine house hath euen eaten me Therfore Iesus leauyng his kynsfolkes behynde at Capernaum seeketh time and place mete to declare openly hys power and auctoritie which he
might be amended for he cannot be holpen that loueth his disease The sinner must mâ—slyke himself that he may please God But he whose workes be good loueth the light of the sunne that he maye be commended for his well doyng So he that hath a good coÌ„science or at least he whiche desyreth to be healed and doeth not dissemble or coloure his synnes for this is also a kynde of trueth to knowlege the euill that is in thee and to couet the good thyng which thou lackest he I saye doeth willyngly offre hymselfe to the light of the gospell that his workes maye be made manyfest and those dedes which be good maye be praysed bycause they procede not from the spirite of the worlde but from God and those whiche be euill maye be corrected and amended But they whiche doe presumpteously attribute to themselues perfit righteousnes by the obseruacion of the lawe when inwardly their myndes swimme in vices they also which sette their felicitie in the defenses of worldly wisedome and in the commodities of this worlde eyther they lyue in great darkenes in case they belieue this in their herte or els they liue in greatter darkenes yf they being blinded with their naughtie affeccions doe stifly vphold and mainteine that thyng which they perceyue to be euill and obstinately refuse that thyng which they see to be helthfull Our lorde Iesus dyd as it were lay vp in store certain seedes of suche like misteries in Nicodemus harte And verily this is that Nicodemus which afterwarde did defende and aunswer for Iesu against the false surmises of the Phariseis by meane of his autoritie saying howe no manne ought to be condeÌ„ned but vpoÌ„ due prose of his actes This is he also which dyd honour his buriall with his seruice when he was dead After these thinges came Iesus and his disciples into the lande of Iewry there he taried with them and baptised and Iohn also baptised in Enon besides Salim because there was muche water there and they came were baptised for Ihon was not yet cast in pryson And there arose a question betwene Iohns disciples and the Iewes about purifying And they came vnto Iohn sayed vnto him Rabbi he that was with the beyonde Iordan to whom thou barest witnes beholde thesame baptiseth and all men come to hym Iesus then after he had laied these foundacions of the glory of the ghospel in Galile and Ierusalem to thintent he might more and more be knowen abrode went into the lande of Iewry which countrey had his proper name of Iudas the autor of that tribe of the which Iesus lineally descended And there he taried a lytle whyle with his disciples beginnyng his euangelicall preaching with thesame principles wherwith Iohn had begun For he dyd allure them to penaunce did baptise them And at that tyme also Iohn dyd stil baptise for Herode had not yet put him in prisoÌ„ But now he did not baptise in Iordan as he was wounte to doe but in a place lesse notable whiche was called Enon not farre from Salim whiche signifieth in the Syrians tongue guishyng streames of water by the reason wherof there was pleÌ„tie of water to baptise the people withal Many did come to that place were baptised of Iohn Sum went to Iesus and were baptised of his disciples And by this occasioÌ„ certain Iohns disciples did enuy Iesu forasmuch as concerning he himselfe was lately baptised of Iohn had behaued himselfe as though he had been his disciple also had been coÌ„meÌ„ded set furth to the people by his witnes he would now sodainly make himselfe equall to him yea moreouer preferre himselfe before hym in that his disciples did take vpon them the thyng which hitherto none but Iohn had doen. And first of al they laboured to withdraw the people froÌ„ the baptisme of Iesus disciples went about to perswade them that Iohns baptisme was of more effecte in washyng awaye of synnes then the baptisme of Iesu. When they coulde not perswade the people to beleue this they wente to Iohn makyng their complaynt to him thinking that he would be miscontented therwith and by sum meanes stay this their griefe grudge But this worldly affeccioÌ„ of Iohns disciples did the more set furth Christes glory caused Iohn to testifie more manifestly of Christ. And they doe coÌ„plaine of the matter with these woordes Maister say they he that was lately with you when you did baptise besydes Iordan was baptised of you himselfe yea euen he whom ye did coÌ„mend with your witnes emonges the multitude when he was vnknoweÌ„ to al folkes now taketh vpon him to doe as you did that is to say to baptise opeÌ„ly and all menne runne on heapes to him by which thyng it must nedes come to passe that by hym thyne autoritie shall be darkened Iohns disciples spake these thynges of a certaine carnall affeccion desiryng to haue their maisters glory and renoume to be dayly increased and for this cause they dyd enuy Christe whose autoritie semed to hynder Iohns estimacion Iohn aunswered and sayed A man can receyue nothyng excepte it be geuen hym from heauen Ye your selues are witnesses howe that I sayed I am not Christe but am sente before hym He that hath the bryde is the bridegrome but the frende of the bridegrome which standeth and heareth hym reioyseth greatly because of the bridegromes voyce This my ioy therfore is fulfilled he must encrease but I must decrease When Iohn had heard these thinges he did so goe about to remedie the euill desyre of his disciples that he dyd not onely shewe himselfe not to take greuously that the dayly increase of Iesus glory should darken his but also did greatly reioyce therat He shewed that he had fully accomplyshed the office that he was charged withall that now Christes tyme was come who should performe thinges far more excellent Therefore he answereth on this wise Why will ye glory in me of a carnall and worldly affeccion doe ye desyre that I should make my selfe greater then I am Man can haue nothyng except it be geuen hym from aboue For these thinges be not doen by mannes helpe and strength but by the autoritie of God that office which he hath assigned to me according to my habilitie thesame haue I perfourmed faythfully I haue doen the office of a goer before I haue allured and prouoked men to penaunce warnyng them that the kyngdome of heauen was at hande With the baptisme of water I haue prepared many to the baptisme of the spirite and fier I haue shewed you whom ye ought to folowe from hence forth of whom ye must aske perfecte health If ye regard myne autoritie why doe ye not geue credite to my woordes your selfes can beare recorde that I haue diuerse times openly confessed my selfe not to be Christe whom many toke me to be neyther that I was sente for any other purpose but that I going
last day of that feast was cum whiche was moste solemnely kept with moste great resorte of people with great religion for when this day was past euery mā was glad to repayre home againe Iesus stode vp in the temple as though he also would leaue the coūtrey of Iurye doth halow that moste solemne day of that great feast with a notable sermō and therwith purueyed vitailes of euangelicall faith of the ghospell for theim that should iourney Nor he did not onely speake openly but also cryed with a firme and a stayed voyce therby declaryng that the matier was mete to be heard of all folke The Phariseis had babished the simple people with fained and colde religion and had tangled theyr consciences with mannes ordinaunces And surely the multitude had nothing els almost in admiracion that Iesus sayd or did but his miracles But for somuche as they had not drounke of the spirite of the gospell they toke the lesse spirituall profite at his handes Therfore Iesus called and allured all menne openly from the barren and colde doctrine of the Phariseis vnto himselfe promisyng them the spirite whiche once being receiued not only they by his grace themselues shall attaine to the true euangelicall doctrine but shall also by theyr preachyng issue foorth vpō other great aboundaunce and efficacie of wysedome I am sayth he the fountaine of helthfull wysedome whoso thirsteth let him aske nothing of Moses the Phariseis the Scribes or of the priestes Let him cum to me and drinke of this well And whosoeuer beleueth my wordes thesame drinketh Therfore whosoeuer beleueth on me desyrously drinketh vp my wordes as the scripture biddeth bearing witnesse of me he shal not weaxe dry throwe infidelitie but the draught that he dronke of the spirite of God shall bring foorth in his heart a well that shall runne euermore and plentifully in suche wyse that out of his heart shall flowe not onely small litle streames but also great plēteous fluddes wherwith the drynesse of the Gentiles shal be watered therof shall spring muche fruite of the ghospell By this parable far of speakyng Iesus did meane that fertile and plēteous spirite whiche afterwarde they should receiue that woulde beleue on him whiche spirite after that the Apostles had receiued foorthwith they begon with great confidence to preache in diuers toungues to the whole worlde the philosophie of the gospel to distil into the soules of all that beleued on Christ thesame spirite that they receyued from heauen For albeit that many at that time had sum smattering and were sumwhat entered into knowlage of the faith for all that the verye effectuall and plentifull spirite was not yet cum to any of them for because Iesus was not by his death and resurreccion glorified nor had not ascended vp to heauen to sitte on the fathers right hande from whence he should sende that spirite to his Apostles But the misterie of the crosse was to be perfourmed before whiche thing could not be doen and accomplished except his glorious maiestie had been kept secret and as it were dissembled for a season and they also could not be made able to receyue that diuine spirite vnlesse they had first been framed and fashioned therunto by many miracles sayinges and doinges Therfore the Lorde Iesus doeth call and byd all folke to this well of the water of lyfe yet he compelleth no man againste his wyll nor he excludeth no man so that he cum athirst Many of the people therfore when they heard this saying sayed of a trueth this is a prophte but other sayd this is Christ but sum sayd shall Christe cum out of Galile Sayeth not the scripture that Christe shall cum of the sede of Dauid and out of the toune of Bethleem where Dauid was So there was discencion amōg the people because of him And sum of them woulde haue taken hym but no man layed handes on hym When the Lorde Iesus had spoken this and many mo lyke thynges though they were not fullye vnderstande yet they dyd woorke sundrie myndes and affeccions in the multitude of the people for sum vpon sight of so many miracles and the great auctoritie of his wordes sayed truly this is a very prophete Again other that thought more hyghly of him sayed yea this is that very Messias whom the prophetes haue promised in their prophecies On the contrary syde other being corrupted with pharisaicall leuen went about to reproue and confute these mens opinion by the very woordes of the prophetes whiche tolde before that he shoulde ryse out of the tribe of Iuda and out of the towne of Bethleem Christe was thought with moste part of men to be borne in Nazareth because he was nursed there and broughte vp with his parentes whiche dwelte there and also because he beganne his preaching in Galile and for the moste part had his abode there But the people of Ierusalē and the Iewes that were of the tribes of Iurie toke the people of Galile as men nigh neighbours vnto the heathen and were myxte together but for halfe their countreymen because they neyther excelled in knowledge of the lawe nor euer had any prophete in whome they might worthily reioyce They knewe verily that Messias was promysed to the tribe of Iuda not to men of Galile and that he shoulde cum of the seede of Dauid who had his princely palace at Ierusalem And thus therfore they dyd chalenge vnto them honour of Christ to cum whom they themselfes being with malice corrupted nowe at his very cumming did persecute They say therfore it is not lyke to be true that this man should be Messias if you do ponder and straitly examine the prophecies When Christe shall cum shall he cum to vs oute of Galile doth not the prophecies manifestly saye that Messias shall come of the sede of Dauid who was certainly of the trybe of Iuda And further more it also expresseth the tounes name where he shoulde bee borne that is to say Bethleem whiche is the citie of Dauid that was geuen to Iudas for his parte or tribe Therefore forasmuche as the prophecie dooeth plainlye shewe that he shoulde cum of a kynges stocke of the moste holye tribe of all Iuda out of a princely toune howe can it stande and accorde that this man shoulde be Messias whose parentes be poore and of no estimacion and cummeth to vs out of a vile toune of no name whiche standeth in Galile a countrey of no renowme After this sorte the people disputed of Iesus with diuers iudgementes and there was dissencion among theim for his sake Yet did not Iesus accumpany himselfe with theim in this disputacion because they did not dispute with suche simple purenesse of mynde that they dyd deserue to bee taught and it was not yet tyme to declare hymselfe howe great and excellent a man he was For yf they had vprightly and truely desyred to knowe who he was they themselues might haue learned of Iesus kinsfolkes
and sawe fower foted beastes of the yearth and vermine and wormes and foules of the ayre In this matter it becommed not Peter to holde his peace but he tolde all the matter euen frome the begynnyng howe as it had chauÌ„ced in this wise Certes I duâ—st not breake the lawe whiche we haue deliuered vs of our forefathers but in this poincte folowed I him whiche is aboue the lawe I was in the citie Ioppa fastyng and in my prayers that no manne can suspecte it to be a vayne dreame And whan I had commaunded as very hungre enforced me some meate to be dressed I was in the meane time rauyshed and in a traunce sawe this vision A great vessell muche after the fourme of a greate linen sheete knitte fast at fower corners was let downe from heaueÌ„ and came to me Werupon whan I had sette myne iye being very hungry I loked what maner of meate there was And there I sawe dyuerse kyndes of fowerfoted beastes besydes those that were noxious beastes with other sondrye kyndes also of beastes â–ª that crepe on the yearthe and fowles of the ayre whome the lawe by expressed commaundement woulde vs to abstayne fro And I hearde a voyce saying vnto me Aryse Peter sley and eate But I sayed not so Lord for nothing commen or vncleane hath at any tyme entred into my mouthe But the voyce answered me againe saying from heauen count not thou those thinges coÌ„me which God hath clensed And this was done thre times And all wer taken vp againe into heauen And beholde immediatly there were thre men all ready cum vnto the house where I was sent froÌ„ Cesarca vnto me And the spirite sayed vnto me that I should go with them wtout doubtyng Moreouer these .vi. brethren accoumpanyed me and we entred into the mans house And he shewed vs how he had seen an angell in his house which stoode and sayed to hym sende menne to Ioppa and call for Symon whose sirname is Peter he shall tell thee woordes wherby both thou and all thyne house shal be saued Whiles I was lookyng on this I hearde also a voyce whiche exhorted me that I shoulde not sticke to eate thereof and sayed vnto me aryse Peter kyll and eate To whome I made than answere God forbyd For to this daye hath no vnclene meate entred into my mouthe Than aunswered the voyce eftsones in this maner call not thou whiche art but man those meates vncleane whiche god hath purified This vysion dyd three tymes appere And afterwardes all those meates whiche I thought worthy to be abhorred were taken vp into heauen And after I was cum to my selfe whyles I reuolued in my mynde what this vision whiche so often apered shoulde meane the spirite of god forthwith gaue me knowlege that there were three men at the doore where I hosted sent from Cesarea that would speake with me And the same spirite commaunded me that I shoulde not sticke to goe with them I obeyed the visyon and by the holy ghostes sendyng I tooke my iorney to Cesarea not alone but I tooke syxe brethren with me to beare wytnesse of all those thynges whiche I dyd by the commaundement of God And brefely er entred into the mannes house that had sente for vs. There he in presence of vs all shewed howe that fewe dayes before whyles he was fastyng and hys prayers at home in hys house he had seene an Aungell standyng before hym in a glistenyng garment when it was brode daye and saying vnto hym Cornelius sende some of thy seruauntes to Ioppa and let theym desyre Symon otherwyse named Peter in thy behalfe to take the paynes to come speake with the. He shall tell the those thynges whereby thou and all thy housholde maye be saued I perceyuyng these visions to had agreed on both partes and perceyuyng farder howe earnest theyr desyre was with out all dissimulacion beganne to teache them those thynges that our Lorde Iesus had willed vs to preache And as I began to preache the holy gost fell on them as he did on vs at the begynnyng Than came it to my remembraunce howe that the lorde sayed Iohn baptised with water but ye shall be baptised with the holy ghost For as muche than as god gaue theÌ„ like gyftes as he dyd vnto vs when we beleued on the Lord Iesus Christ what was I that I should haue withstand god Whan they heard this they helde theyr peace glorified God saying than hath God also to the Gentyles graunted repentaunce vnto lyfe I had not fully fynished my communication but beholde the holy ghost cummyng from heauen entred into theym in lyke maner as he at the fyrste tyme had into vs and they began to speake dyuerse languages euen as we than spake Thys was an euident token that their faythe was approued before God And euen than the very thyng it selfe shewed what this hard vision to vnderstande that I had seene dyd meane For these were those same fowerfooted creping beastes and fowles whiche we that are circumcised do abhorre but goddes wyll is to haue theym purifyed thorowe faythe yea he wyll not that we take anye thyng as vncleane whiche thorowe faythe of the ghospell is made holy And farther I remembred the wordes that the Lorde spake vnto vs whan he was ready to ascende to heauen Iohn baptised in water but you shal be baptised in the holy ghoste And we diepe the body in water but it is not water that gyueth saluacion vnlesse by faythe we obtaine the fierye baptisme And whan as the matter of it selfe in effect was euident enoughe that they had receyued the baptisme whiche Iesus the lorde had promysed and that the same fauoure thorowe faythe was employed on those whiche wer not circumcised whiche we before had receyued not because we had so deserued by kepyng of the lawe but thorowe our fayth wherby we beleued our lorde Iesus Christ how coulde I be agaynste the wil of god Was it for me to staye that they shoulde not be baptised in water whiche were than already baptised in the spirite of God seyng that water is nothyng elles but a token of the grace that shal be geuen vs from heauen But than was grace gyuen them before without oure ministerie So that to deny them to be baptysed in water had bene nothynge elles but to improue that whyche God had done Whan they had hearde these hys wordes they helde theyr peace and praysed God saying than the verye thyng in effect is euidently declared that God hath gyuen repentaunce not to the Israelytes onely but to the Gentyles also that they therby maye obteyne lyfe euerlastynge And these were the firste frutes of the Gospell that the churche had of heathen by Peters procurement For before hym none other durste so doo but Philip onely and that also not without monicion of an aungell They also which were scattered abrode through the affliccion that arose about SteueÌ„ walked throughout vnto Phenice and Cypres and Antioche preachyng
before of Messias dyd agree in him The .xix. Chapter It fortuned that whyle Appollo was at Corinthe Paul passed through the vpper coastes came to Ephesus and founde certayne disciples and saide vnto them haue ye receyued the holy ghost sence ye beleued And they sayed vnto him no we haue not hearde whether ther be any holy gost or no. And he sayd vnto them wherwith wer ye than baptised And they sayed with Iohns baptisme Than sayed Paul Iohn verely Baptised with the baptisme of repentaunce saying vnto the people that they shoulde beleue on hym which should come after him that is on Christ Iesus Whē they heard this they wer baptysed in the name of the lorde Iesu. And whan Paule had layed his handes vpon them ▪ the holy gost came on them and they spake with tounges and prophecied and all the men were about twelue BUt euen as Priscilla and Aquila hadde amended Apollos in suche poyntes as he lacked beeyng necessarye for a christen manne to haue so Paule fyndynge others in lyke takyng dyd For whiles that Apollos was at Corinthe whiche is the chiefe citie in Achaia it chaunced that Paule after he had goen ouer the other countreyes of Asia the lesse whyche declyne mooste to the Northe and Easte returned to Ephesus There founde he certayne of the disciples that were no perfecte Christians whiche were in one flocke emong the other brethren Wherfore Paule to the intent that he myght more perfectly instructe theym asked whether that they had receyued the holy ghoste synce the tyme that they were conuerted to the faythe They forasmuche as theyr erroure was of no malyce but of plaine ignoraunce frākely aunswered and freely as it was in dede and sayed No neyther haue we euer hearde yet hytherto whether there be anye holy ghoste that is gyuen to them that beleue Than saied Paule forasmuche as ye are taken for christen men whose baptisme than were ye baptised with They made aunswere with the baptisme of Iohn for we thought that sufficient for vs. Than sayed Paule In that haue ye not doen amisse that in tymes past before the ghospell came to mannes knowleage abrode ye receiued Iohns baptisme But that is not sufficient for your eternal saluacion For lyke as the doctrine of Iohn was not perfect but did onely testifie of Iesus that he was the true gyuer of saluacion who shoulde come after him makyng readye theyr myndes that they should beleue hym whan he came so dyd not Iohns baptisme wholy iustifie but onely exhorted menne that by repentaunce for theyr life mispēt they shoulde prepare theyr hertes for the Phisicion that woulde strayghte afterwardes come whiche with his baptisme throughe faith woulde take awaye all maner of synnes and by his spirite should enryche the myndes of the faythfull with heauenly gyftes of grace This tradicion had the Apostles receyued of Iesus the Lorde that they that beleued in the ghospell shoulde be christened in the name of the father of the sonne and of the holy ghoste They that erred onely through simplicitie and for lacke of knowleage onelye deserued thus to be instructed And they beyng once warned hereof obeyed theyr counsellours and immediatly were christened in the name of Iesus the lorde This doen whan Paule had layed his handes on them the holy ghoste came down on them and the thing it selfe that ensued dyd manifestly expresse what the visible token meaned For they did both speake diuerse languages and prophecied also of hidden and secrete thynges that were to come The numbre of those persons that were men amounted euen to a dosen or ther about ¶ And he went into the synagoge and behaued himself boldly for the space of three monethes disputing and geuyng them exhortacions of the kyngdom of God Whē diuerse wexed hard harted beleued not but spake euell of the waye and that before the multitude he departed frō them separated the disciples And he disputed daily in the schoole of one called Tyrannus Whan Paule had this doen and as a man woulde saye had renewed his authoritie forasmuche as he beyng the preacher of the gentiles had geuen the holy ghost by laying on his hande ouer the faythfull euen as the other Apostles had doen he entryng into the Sinagoge of the Iewes that dwelled there openly and freely spake to all men preachyng that hope of saluacion was to be obteyned by Iesus onely whiche thing he dyd me then fewe dayes for it was the space of whole three monethes disputyng of the kyngdome of God whiche is heauenly and spiritual agaynst them that with tooth and nayle stifly vpheld the carnall kyngdome of the lawe But whan certayne of the Sinagoge gaue no credence to those thynges that were spoken of Paule but stubbernely resisted insomuche that openly before the multitude they blasphemously spake agaynst the doctrine of the ghospell Paule perceyuyng that it was to be feared lest that they that beleued myght bee corrupted by their malice left the synagoge of the Iewes and dyd lykewyse separate the disciples from theym and yet he ceassed not in the meane season to preache the ghospel But he dayly disputed in the schoole of one Tyrannus hauynge euen than in mynd the image of a pure churche that were not corrupted with the leauen of the synagoge whiche churche shoulde receyue none but those that woulde learne and that woulde reiecte suche as were praters and blasphemous persons And this continued by the space of two yeres so that all they that dwelt in Asia hearde the worde of the lord Iesu both Iewes Grekes And god wroughte speciall myracles by the handes of Paul so that frō his body were brought vnto the sycke napkyns partlettes and the diseases departed from thē and the euyll spirites went out of them Thus dyd he continue by the space of two yeres with suche successe that not onely the Ephesians but also diuers others some Iewes and some Gentiles that resorted thyther from that parte of Asia the lesse whiche properlye is named Asia where as Ephesus is gaue eare vnto the ghospell And myracles did cause them to beleue his preachyng for god wrought both many and also great woonders by the handes of Paule insomuche that he put awaye diseases not with woordes or by touchyng onely but also napkins and partlettes whiche had touched Paules bodye were caried to the sicke that were so faynt that they coulde not come to Paule and with touchyng therof aswell diseases as also euill spirites were put away So great confidence had Paul on Iesus whom he preached ¶ Than certayne of the vagabound Iewes exorcistes toke vpon them to call ouer them which had euil spirites the name of the lord Iesus saying we adiure you by Iesu whō Paule preacheth And there wer seuen sonnes of one Sceua a Iewe and chiefe of the priestes whiche did so And the euyll spirite answered and sayd Iesus I knowe and Paule I know but who are ye And the man in whom the euyll spirite was ranne on
sunne and his clothes wer as white as the lighâ— And beholde there appeared vnto them Moses and Helias talkyng with him Than answered Peter and said vnto Iesus Lord here is good being for vs if thou wâ—lt let vs make here thre tabernacles one for the one for Moses and one for Helias As he yet was speaking behold a bright cloude shadowed theÌ„ And behold there came a voice out of the cloud saiyng this is my welbeloued sonne in whom I delight muche heare him And whan the disciples had heard these thynges they fell on their faces and were â—ore afrayed And Iesus came and touched them and sayd Arise and be not afrayed And when they had lyft vp their â—yes they sawe no man saue Iesus onely AFter sixe daies Iesus willyng by sum meanes as it were by a dreame to shew vnto his disciples that sighte and apperaunce in the whiche once he shall cum to be iudge of the worlde he chose out three of the numbre of his disciples Peter Iames and Iohn his brother and whan he had brought them vp into a very hye hyll farre from the sight of men he was transfigured before them And his face shyned lyke the sunne and his garmentes wer bryght with whytenesse as whyte as snow and as no fuller can make vpon the earth and there appered also to them Moses and Helias talkyng with hym of the glory of his death whiche he should suffer at Ierusalem This was thought good to Christ that the Apostles should be confyrmed by those auctours whom all the Iewes magnified moste and that they shoulde not suspect that he would abolish the law sith Moses stoode with hym nor the prophetes sith Helias was present neither yâ— they should abhorre his death as a shameful thing whiche so great men set forth and shewed it to bee glorious These thinges wer seen to the apostles as to men newely waked froÌ„ slepe for their iyes wer heauy grieued For mortall feblenesse was not of capacitie to receiue the greatnesse of the vision The disciples therfore being afearde and amased with suche a woÌ„derful and incredible sighte Peter not yet fully wel aduised but rauished wholly with the pleasure and maiesty of the sight which semed to be farre from mencion of death said Lord let vs buylde here three tentes or pauilyons one for thee another for Moses and the third for Helias This was thought vnto Peter more wisedom than to be slain at Ierusalem Peter had not yet ended his coÌ„municacioÌ„ but beholde a bryght and pleasauÌ„t cloude ouershadowed thapostles lest they should be absorpte and ouercummed with the highnesse of the sighte And behold the voice of the father sounded out of the cloude witnessyng of his sonne with the same wordes with the which he witnessed of hym wheÌ„ he was baptised in Iordane This is my onely beloued sonne in whom my mynde hath delight heare him Whan the disciples heard this voice ful of diuine maiestie and not to be borne of mannes eares they fell doune grouelyng vpon theyr faces and wer more afeard For they wer afeard of theyr lyfe because they had learned that God sayed thus man shall not see me and liue But Iesus receiuyng agayn his former shape touched them with his handes lest they shoulde suppose that he were a goste and with his accustomed and knowen voyce he comforted them saying Aryse and feare nothyng Further when they wer cum to themselues and lifted vp their iyes they sawe no maÌ„ there but Iesus alone euen lyke as he came vnto the hill And whan they came doune from the mountayâ—e Iesus charged them saiyng Shewe the vision to no manne vntill the sonne of man be rysen agayn from the dead And his discyples asked him saiyng why than say the Scribes that Helias must fiâ—st cum And Iesus aunswered and said Truely Helias shall first cum and restore all thynges But I saye vnto you that Helias is cum already they knewe hym not but haue doen vnto hym whatsoeuer they lusted In likewyse shal the sonne of man also sufâ—re of them TheÌ„ the disciples vnderstode that he spake vnto them of Iohn Baptiste And whan they came doune from the hill before they came to the cumpany of the other disciples he coÌ„mauÌ„ded them to tel no man of these thinges that they had sene vntil the sonne of man wer risen froÌ„ death For vntil that time the tale should be vnprofitable and not beleued And the disciples kept it to themselues and conferred betwene themselues what it myght meane that Iesus said after that he be risen again froÌ„ death Their hart was so wrapt entangled that that worde so often hearde â—ould not enter into their hart But a certain doubt rose in their myndes of that that they saw Helias standyng with Iesus this doubt they propose vnto hym in the way What meneth it than ê™ they that the Scribes teachyng and tellyng of the cumming of Messias be wonte to saye out of the authoritie of Malachie that before the cummyng of Messias Helias Thesbites shal cum And he went not before thy cummyng but this daye was seene in the hyll Unto whome Iesus makyng aunswer saied Truly Helias shall câ—m lyke as Malachias sayed and accordyng to his prophecie shall goe before my cummyng and shall restore al thynges the residewe of the people of Iewes being conuerted vnto the gospell leste the whole nacion should be condemned But this cumming shall be in tyme to cum when I shall be here againe with the maiestie of my father renderyng rewarde vnto euery man accordyng vnto his dedes And yet a certayn Helias went before this my cummyng also whom the Iewes despised euen as they dyd me and dyd vnto him not after his desertes but whatsoeuer it pleased them And the sonne of man shall be handeled of them with like mekenes Than the disciples vnderstode that he called Iohn Baptiste Helias for the lykenes of lyfe and freenesse in reprouyng of kynges And whan they wer cum to the people there came to hym a certaine man knelyng downe and sayed Lorde haue mercy on my sonne for he is lunatyke and soore vexed for oftymes he falleth into the fyer and oft into the water And I brought him to thy disciples they could not heale him Iesus answered and said O feithles croked nacion how long shal I be with you how long shall I suffre you bryng hym hither And Iesus rebuked the deuil and he went out of hym And the childe was healed from that tyme. But nowe when Iesus went vnto his disciples he sawe a great multitude of men about theÌ„ and the Scribes disputyng with them The people meruelyng whither Iesus was gone ran vnto him and saluted him He demauÌ„ded of them what the matter was that they disputed amonge themselues Than one of the multitude made aunswer Maister I brought my sonne to thee which is miserably vexed of an vnclean spirit which as often as he taketh him the childe is beaten against
the ground sumtime he is dryuen into the fier sumtime into the water he fometh he gnasheth with his teeth coÌ„sumeth awaye And because I could not haue you I desired your disciples to cast out the deuil they could not But Iesus to heale the vnbelefe of all men crieth out in maner angerly O nacion vnbeleuing and without faythe how long shall I be among you in vayne howe long shall I suffre your vntractable and froward maners I haue doen so many miracles and profitte nothyng and therwith coÌ„maunded the chylde to be brought because the miracle might be the more euident and â—otable to all men Which when he was brought and seen of Iesê° furthwith euen there before theÌ„ al the spirite toke hym and the chylde was hurled vpon the ground and tumbled and fomed a miserable sight to see ThaÌ„ Iesê° the more to declare the greatnes of the disease asked the father how long it was sith the chyld began to be vexed with this disease The father made aunswer and sayed from his infancy and not without daunger of his life For oftentimes he droue him into the fier sumtyme into the water to destroy him I know that it is a soore disease yet yf thou caÌ„st do any thing haue mercy vpoÌ„ vs help vs. Iesê° hearyng yf thou canst sumwhat reprouyng the weakenes of his faith as who saieth any disease wer of greater might than the power of God sayth vnto him Aske not what I am able to do but loke what thou art able to beleue For if thou trust fully nothing is so hard but it may cum to passe to him that doth beleue trust At this word the father conceiuyng a trust and a more sure hope with plentifull teares criyng out made aunswer Lord I beleue and if any thing waÌ„t in my trust and belefe supply thou it of thy goodnes and help my vnbelefe In the meane time when Iesus espied the multitude of people runnyng to gase desyrous to see whether the thyng that came not to passe to the discyples should cum to passe to Iesus he threatened the vncleane spirit saiyng thou deaf and dumme spirit I commaund the go out from him and teturne not a gain vnto him hereafter But the spirite went froÌ„ the chylde with howlyng yet first he tore him and vexed him so vehemently that he lay for dead and many warranted that he was dead So strong and tough was the violence of the disease But Iesus taking the child by the hand lifted hym vp he arose Like as the father did hardly beleue so his soÌ„ne was hardly heled ¶ Than came the disciples a part to Iesus and said why could not we cast hym out Iesus said vnto them because of your vnbelefe For verily I say vnto you yf ye haue fayth as a grain of musterde seede ye shall say vnto this mountayne Remoue from hence to yonder place and it shall remoue and nothing shal be vnpossible vnto you Albeit this kynde goeth not oute but by prayer and fastyng In the meane season the disciples wer heauy in their mindes fearing leste thorough their default they had lost the power of doyng miracles wheras before they had gloryed that deuilles also were obedient vnto their worde before the multitude they kepe sylence for shame But whan Iesus was cuÌ„ into the house they goe vnto their maister and demaund of hym why could not we cast out this deuill sith this power was once deliuered vnto vs froÌ„ thee Iesus to confyrme the faythe and trust of his disciples which oughte to be so great that sumtyme it myghte helpe the distruste of others sayeth The weakenesse of your fayth partely was the cause For the violeÌ„ce of the disease was vehement and the fathers fayth weake and waueryng your faythe was not so mightie that it was equall and hable against both these difficulties For it is sumwhat werish with mannes affeccions and faultye by the reason of the leauen of vaynglorye And ye had faythe lyke the seede of mustarde which beyng vile and litle yet when it is broosed it sheweth a sharpe quicknes of her nature and sowed in the grounde springeth vp into a large tree nothing should be so harde but with a word it should be brought to passe out of hande Yea if ye should say to the hil remoue from hence and goe into an other place it would doe it forthwith as it was commaunded But this kynde of deuylles wherewith the chylde was possessed is not cast out vnlesse fayth be confirmed and strengthned by prayer and fastyng The violence of the disease was strong and tough and by continuaunce of time it was tourned into nature Agaynste suche maner of faultes we must fyght with fastynges which do subdue the body being brought lowe vnto the spirite and also with praier whiche obteyneth the help of god By this coÌ„municacion Iesus taught that greuous vehement and muche accustomed dyseases of the mind must be driuen away with strong vehemente remedies And whan they were in Galile Iesus sayd vnto them It will cum to passe that the soÌ„ne of man shal be deliuered into the handes of men and they shall kyll hym and the third daye he shall rise againe And they were exceadyng sory But now Iesus whan he was in Galile to the entent he might fortify make strong the mindes of his disciples lest they should be ouer much troubled with his death again he doth iterate beate it into theÌ„ that the sonne of man must be delyuered into the handes of men and killed of them that the thyrde day he should rise agayn from death This saiyng did grieue the mindes of the disciples aboue measure which so loued their lord albeit theyr affeccion and loue was yet carnal that their eares could not suffre any mencion of death For they coulde not vnderstande that Moses and Helyas called the death of Iesus a glory renoume and that that death should bryng health and saluacion to the whole worlde And although like as they were heuy and fadde at the mencion of death so they ought to haue bene chereful glad at the mencion of the resurreccion yet their mynd abhorred so muche from the remembraunce of deathe that surelye they vnderstode not what it ment to dye and the thyrde day to rise agayn For they thought it better vtterly not to dye seeyng that he was hable to doe that whiche was hable to reuiue again from death And whan they were cum to the citie of Capernaum â–ª they that vse to receiue tribute money called a didraÌ„me came to Peter and said Doth your maister pay a didraÌ„me He saith yea And whan he was cum into the house Iesus preuented him saying What thinkest thou SimoÌ„ Of whom doeth the kynges of the earth take tribute or toll of their children or of straungers Peter sayeth vnto him of straungers Iesus sayd vnto hym than the chyldren be free Notwithstanding leste we shoulde offende them goe
measure and proporcion of their faithe as it is presently expedient But in Iesus was the continuall fountaine of al heauenly grace For the doue brought hym not then any new grace whiche he had not before but euidently declared howe he was full of grace and showed moreouer from whence all grace and goodnes issueth and cummeth vnto vs. Iohn beyng stablyshed in mynde with this so euident a signe receiued of the father of heauen doubted not to pronounce Iesus to be the very sonne of God The witnes that he gaue vnto Christ was of great waight and authoritie amoÌ„g the Iewes but much greater was the testimonie of the father himselfe whose voyce sounded doune from the heaueÌ„s saying Thou art that my derely beloued sonne in whome my minde delighteth For a wyse childe is the fathers ioy and comforte That heauenly spirit of God is not ydle weake faynt or feble but of nature all fiery and by and by wurketh and putteth furth his vertue as soone as it is once entred into the soule of man The spirite of man is slacke and slowe and thinketh vpon nothing but that whiche is lowe vile and worldly But they that haue the spirite of the fleash mortified and are led with the spirite of God do furthwith goe in hande with high thinges and of manly enterprise that is to say doe fight against the vncleane spirite their ghostly enemy the deuil whoÌ„ they are not afrayed euen to prouoke to battayle as men puttyng theyr whole confidence in the ayde and succour of the heauenly spirite whiche is of muche more vertue and puissauÌ„ce than all that withstande the gospell ¶ And immediatly the spirite droue him into wildernes and he was there in the wildernes fowerty dayes and was tempted of Sathan and was with wild beastes and the aungels ministred vnto hym After that Iohn was taken Iesus came into Galile preachyng the gospell of the kyngdome of God and saying The tyme is cum and the kyngdome of God is at hande Repent and beleue the gospell Wherfore Iesus plainly expressing in himselfe what he woulde haue vs to doe incontinent after we haue receyued baptisme was brought by force of the holy goste into wildernesse There he made his abode fowertie dayes and as many nyghtes styll continuyng in prayer and fastyng and in the meane season he was tempted of the deuyll whom after he had discoumfited and ouerthrowen hym he delyuered vnto vs to ouercum shewyng vs also the verye waye and meane howe to gette the victorye He is ouerthrowen by the spirite of Christe by continuall prayer and sobernesse of lyfe and by the weapon of holy Scripture The whyle that Christe continued thus in wyldernesse he lyued among saluage beastes vtterly abstayning from all comfort and solace taken of the company of man There had been no daunger for hym yf he had bene conuersaunt with the multitude of people but he shewed hereby howe expedient it is for a Christian souldiour to exchewe the compainye of the conmon sorte vntill he haue sufficiently tamed the fleshe and ouercome the deuyl and by continuall recordyng of Goddes lawe and deuout prayers made him selfe strong ynough in spirite For many be in more safetie when they lyue among beastes as Christ dyd then when they be conuersaunt with suche meÌ„ne as are more noysome then any brute beastes The Lorde and sauiour Iesus Christe kept company with beastes but whiles he lacked the ministery of meÌ„ Angels were alwayes present and serued hym They that vtterly despyse alâ— the pastimes and pleasures of this worlde neuer wante heauenlye pleasures and solaces For vs and our profite Christ was baptised For vs he prayed for vs he was notably described by the testimony of the father and the holye ghost for vs he went into wyldernesse for vs he fasted for vs he was tempted for vs he gatte the victorye ouer the deuil Here consyder thou Christian souldiour the very true and right order of thy perfeccion The first instruccion and teaching by mouth of Christes religion causeth hatred of the former lyfe and hope of clensyng or remission of synnes With these capitaines thou runnest to Iordane and there throughe fayth in Christe washest awaye the fylthynesse of all thy synnes And anon after at thine owne praier and at the petiâ—ion and praier of the churche thou hast a newe spirite geuen the from heauen and by it arte admitted to be of the number of the children of God and emplaÌ„ted into the body of Iesu Christ as a member of hym who is the very heade of the churche In the meane whyle it behoueth not the souldiour of Christe to be carelesse Thou hast promysed thy seruice to Christe thyne Emperour Thou hast renounced the deuill Thou haste receyued the holy ghoste as it were gifte money a bond and an earnest penye of thy salarye Thou must enforce thyselfe with thy vtter endeuour to get victory But that neuer chauÌ„ceth to the negligente and recheleâ—â—e person Thou must take to thee armoure and weapon leste thyne ennemie whiche euerywhere lyeth in wayte for the cum vpon the vnwaâ—es and when thou arte vnarmed Thou shalte incontinent be assaulted with the world the deuil and the fleshe Thou muste alwaies fight to th entent thou mayest alwayes gette victory For this battaile shal not â—nde before thou make an ende of thy lyfe But yet the oftener thou chaunce to vanquishe thine ennemye the weaker shall he departe from battayle and thou the stronger When thou haste here behaued thyselfe valiantly and played the manne a while then at the lengthe addresse thy selfe to the ministracion of the ghospell specially yf thou feele that the spirite of God driue the therunto The Lorde Iesus was meete to preache the ghospell then whiche ministerie there is none of greater perfeccion euen when he was a verye lytle â—hylde But he ordeyned a patarne or an example in hymselfe for vs to counterfayte and folowe wherby we are taught that we ought not by and by after our profession rashely to hasten ourselues to this so high and holy a ministracion The lawe of Moyses had her tyme. There was also a tyme when it behoued that as the lyght of the euangelyke veritie beganne by litle and litle to shine furth vnto the worlde euen so shoulde the shadowes of the olde lawe vanishe awaye and the carnall lawe gyue place vnto the spirituall puttyng furth her vertue Lyke as in transformacions and naturall chaungynges of thynges there is a certaine meane whiche hath some affinitie with both the extremes to the intent that thinges of muche contrarietie maye easely be traÌ„sformed and to â—rned one into another Euâ—n so Iohn came as a meane betwene the carnall law of Moyses and the spirituall law of the ghospell to this ende that men might the soner be transformed and brought from the fleshe or litterall sence of the lawe to the spirite and true meanyng of the same For ayre is not sodainly and immediatly made of yearth but in this transformacion
tyme forewarde to better and beter and the soule shall by oure sluggyshenesse continually renne headlong backewarde to wurse and wurse For thus do we see it commonly come to passe Big laddes and strieplynges grow quite awaye from the purenes of babehood to boyishe wantonnesse the youth than againe groweth forewarde a pace to brabling in the lawe and to making of affrayes manstate emendeth to ambicion and couetise And so cummeth it to passe that euery manne the nerer that he draweth to the state of age so muche the ferther goeth he backewarde from innocence liuyng But such persons as haue once put on Christe on theyr backes oughte according to the exaumple of the same Christe with all theyr strengthe to heaue forewarde vnto better and better to the ende that they maye bothe with the pure clenesse of the soule make themselues acceptable in the syghte of God and also by the vncorruptnesse of theyr liuing geat themselues an honest fame and reporte emong men ¶ The .iii. Chapter ¶ In the fifteenth yere of the reigne of Tyberius the Emperour whan Poncius Pilate was lieutenaunte in Iewry and Herode the Tetrarche of Galile and hys brother Phylip the Tetrarche of Iturya and of the regyon of the Trachonytes and Lisanyas the Tetrarche of Abilene whan Anna and Cayphas were the hygh pryestes the woorde of the lorde came vnto Iohn the sonne of zacharie in the wyldernesse And he came into all the coastes aboute Iordane preachyng the baptysme of repentaunce for the remyssyon of synnes as it is wrytten in the booke of the woordes of Esaye the prophete saying The voyce of a 〈◊〉 in wildernesse prepare ye the waye of the lorde and make hys pathes streyghte Euerye valley shal be filled and euery mountayne and hill shal be broughte lowe and thynges that be croked shall be made streight and the tough wayes shal be made playne and all fleashe shall see the saluacion of God THou haste hearde good Theophilus with what begynnynges bothe Iohn the forerenner and also the lorde Iesus made a way and a preparatife vnto the office of preaching the gospel Nowe heare by what meanes and with what successe they enterprised and entred the mattyer to the ende that thou mayest well vnderstande that nothing was doen by happe or casualtie ne through mannes wisdome but euery whit by the prouidence of god tempreing and ordreyng hys owne mattyer after a newe manier of facion of hys owne For nowe was the tyme already come that the heauenly kingdom beyng reuealed and published the worldly kingdom shoulde abate and decaye the spirituall priestehood beyng disclosed the shadowie priestehood wherin the Iewes had vntill that time made many glorious vauÌ„tes and braggues of themselfes shoulde vanishe cleane away Ceasar the emperour of Rome surnamed Augustus had now ended his life by whose proclamacioÌ„ the whole world had afore been surueied and the names of euerye bodye within the empire registred in bokes and in the tyme of his reygne Iesus Christ was borne Wicked Herode also was now deceassed who had sought Iesê° being an infant for to haue slain him And Archelaus Herodes sonne for his behauiour ouermuche reseÌ„blyng his fathers wicked prankes was exiled froÌ„ his kingdom into an other couÌ„trey Tiberius Cesar had succeded Augustus in the empire And in the fiftenth yere of his reigne Poncius Pilate a Romain was president of Iewry And Herode the brother of Archelaus by the eleccion and apointment of the said Tiberius the emperour had Galilee allotted vnto him Philip had the rule gouernaunce of that part of Syria whiche is called Ituria and it was called also Traâ—honitis of the roughnesse of the mountains because the countrey is full of vphilles dounhilles and almost no part of it euen or plain chaumpian grounde For it goeth al alongst in hilles dales froÌ„ Libanus froÌ„ the mouÌ„tains of Idumea vnto the west coaste of Syria ThaÌ„ moreouer the part that is called Abilena of Abila the principall citie of the same region was by assignement cum to the haÌ„des of Lisanias for his porcioÌ„ who afterward chaunged the name therof called it LysanioÌ„ For Augustus in his time because he would soÌ„what breake enfeble the puissaunt force of that kingdoÌ„ had made a diuisioÌ„ of it distributed it amoÌ„g foure brethren Herode Philip Antipater Lysanias which therfore were called Tetrarches that is to say in English the foure princes or the foure head rulers For the name of a kyng was long afore abolished by a lawe of the Romaines who woulde haue no kynges And this was a token or rather a figure that the kingdom of the Iewes should shortly after vanishe awaye accordyng to the prophecie But the holyest parte of Iewrye wherin Hierusalem and the temple stoode and in whiche the lord of al was borne one Ponce Pilate a Romain had the administracion gouernaunce of beeyng as it were a figure plainly betokenyng euen by the verye case and thing as it stode that the Gentiles should breake into the kingdom of heaueÌ„ which the Iewes would reiect and vtterly despise Likewise the priesthode as a thyng that should soone after ceasse and haue an ende wente wandrynge shifting from one to an other out of due ordre and was bought and solde and made eueÌ„ a market mater wherin at that time two notable vngodly meÌ„ Annas and Caiphas had the highest and the chefest roumes Emiddes these matters of diuiding mangleyng the countrey into sundry rewlers handes and in the middes of this very troublesome state of thinges emonge the Iewes the kingdome of heauen and a new priesthode sprang vp wherof Iohn the soonne of Zacharie was chosen and specially appoynted to bee an open preacher and proclaymer This Iohn before laye hydden emong the wylde beastes and passed a life of wonderfull streightnesse cladde with a Camels skiÌ„ne girt with a belt of a rough leather thong feeding vpoÌ„ wild honey and grashoppers of that countrey not so muche as tasting any wyne or stronge drinke to the entent he might be a mete preacher of repeÌ„tauÌ„ce might teache the people by his life before he should teache them by his wordes might be clere without al crimes himself who should so frely reproue the faultes transgressions of other meÌ„ but now beyng inspired with the holy ghost admonished by the same he came out of the dennes of wildernes gat him not into the teÌ„ple which place was reserued vnto Christ but into al those quarters coastes which lye about the riuer Iordane to the end that he mighte haue the more pleÌ„ty of water for such as shuld be baptised And he preached that the kingdom of heaueÌ„ was at haÌ„d exhorting that the people should prepare theÌ„selfes to the saluacioÌ„ which approched thorough repentaunce of their former liues that with the baptisme of water which he in his persoÌ„ gaue being but as a foregoer a messeÌ„ger of Christ they should make them selfes mete for the