for any callyng vnlesse duetie moue it therunto and beeyng abrode it maketh haste in doyng any poynte of duetie it taketh more laysure Mary in all her iourney visited ne saluted not one bodye by the waye vntyll she was come to Elizabeth Neither was that same a salutacion or greting of the common sorte All good happe and blisfulnesse dyd of this gretyng eyther other encreace vnto them both and the efficacie of the spirite of God dyd in them bothe the more plenteously abounde Mary carryed with her in her wombe the fountayne of all ghostely gyftes of grace and through the inspiracion of the babe in her bealy she was nowe altogether in case that nothyng came out of her harte or her mouth but onely of God Therfore it came so to passe that as soone as the salutacion of the virgin Mary had once souned in the eares of Elizabeth the babe whiche she beyng an aged woman had than in her bealy dyd leape and spryng as ye would say skyppyng for ioy and gladnesse Iohn not yet beyng borne felte the diuine power of his Lorde but euen a 〈◊〉 afore conceiued and within the enclosure tabernacle of his mothers wombe doth with gesture magnifie him whom he should afterwarde set forth magnifie with his voice Neither did Elizabeth without fruit perceiue and fele the holy leaping of her litle babe within her Through her babe enspired from heauen the mother also is inspired and altogether is full and whole sodaynly taken with an happy and blissed kinde of infeccion Through the voyce of Mary the heauēly power of God perceth into the babe within the wombe of Elizabeth and through the babe with this sodayne blastyng so taken the mother too is adblasted in suche sorte that she on her partie also beeyng replenished with the holy ghoste did not nowe kepe in the ioyes of her herte although she had afore kept her selfe within doores and had no talke with her as one that would not for shame be acknowen to be conceyued with chylde but with a mighty great voyce which voyce her mighty great affeccion and zele did worke in her she cryed out and vttered suche thynges through the mocion of the spirite as she neither could deme of the swellyng of her bealie ne yet had learned of any mortall manne And euen as though she had heard the Aungell talkyng with Mary thus doeth she begynne her gratulacion O happy and blissed mayden sayeth she thou shalt haue and enioy the chiefe prayse emong all women worthy commendacion And holy is the fruite also of thy virginly wombe out of whiche shall come forth that same woondrefull floure who by the voyce of all nacions shall be preached throughout all the whole vniuersall worlde of whom long and many a day gone the Prophetes haue prophecied and he shal haue the chiefe laude and prayse emong all thynges bothe that are in heauen and that are in yearth I acknowlage it to bee a greater thyng and of more excellencie then a mortall man that thou bearest enclosed within the chambre and tabernacle of thy wombe If age or yeres only be estemed in vs twaine it is not vnmete for a young damisell or mayden to come to an aged womā but if the dignitie or worthynesse of both our babes that we go withall be compared it had been my duetie in all haste to come and visite thee I truly on my parte was happie and fortunate enough with this benefite of God that I go with a chylde the whiche shall in tyme to come be a person of no small dignite and estimacion but of what my deserte is so great happinesse chaunced vnto me that she whiche muste bee the mother of my Lorde shoulde thus of her owne accorde take paines to come to me For by an vndoubted tokē haue I felt the cumming hither of my Lorde For loe immediately whan the voyce of thy salutacion souned in mine eares I felt my young chylde stiere and leape vp in my wombe as one shewyng an earnest desire and gladnesse to go mete his Lorde and to do vnto him his bounden duetie of reuerence and homage And thou too forsouth beeyng a mother doest not vnlyke to the chylde in thy bealie for he beyng the Lorde and maister doeth vouchesafe to come set hys seruaunte of purpose to sanctifie hym and to replenyshe hym with the holye ghoste and thou beeyng so ferre the superiour in dignitie doest not thynke it peinfull to come to me that am thyne inferiour so muche the more lowely behauyng thy selfe as thou doest surmounte and excelle in heauenly gyftes of grace whiche gyftes thou doest veray well in that thou doest not impute them to thyne owne merites forasmuche as they are thynges geuen thee of the free bounceousnesse of God And certes in this behalfe art thou much happie that thou diddest not mistrust the promisses of the Aungell though they semed neuer so muche vnlykely to be beleued Thou haste conceyued without helpe of man and doubt is there none but that the residue of thynges whiche the Aungell hath promised vnto thee in the lordes name shal with sembleable trueth and suertie be perfourmed vnto thee ¶ And Marie sayed My soule magnifieth the Lorde and my spirite hath reioyced in God my sauiour Whan Elizabeth had by the spirite of prophecie spoken these woordes Mary also who through maydenly shamefastenesse had hitherto cōceled the ioyes of her harte being now sodainly rauished with the holy spirite of God of whom she was full and had been a good whyle erst could no longer temper herselfe ne forbeare but that with an himne of reioycing and thankes geuing she must braste out into the lande and prayse of God to whose goodnesse it is to be attributed whatsoeuer high or especiall good thyng doeth chaunce to manne or woman of this worlde O Elizabeth sayeth she not without good cause doest thou reioyce in my behalfe but yet this cummeth euerywhit of the gyfte of God yea and of his free gyfte and not one iote of it there is that I can presumpteously impute to myne owne desertes And therfore not my tongue onely but also my soule acknowledging it owne weaknesse doth euen from the botome of my harte rootes magnifie exalte the lorde with prayses and howe muche the lesse of merite it acknowlageth in it selfe so mouche more vehemently doeth it meruayle at the greatnesse of Goddes benefites I haue cause wherfore to geue hym thankes I haue cause why to talke largely of his beneficiall goodnesse but cause haue I none wherfore to reioyce to my selfe-warde Yet neuerthelesse my spirite beeyng enflamed with the spirite of God doeth for ioy not possible to be vttred in woordes skyp and leape within my body not in it selfe but in God who is both to me and to all persons the onely cause and worker of all saluacion For he hath loked vpon the lowe degree of his hande mayden so behold from henceforthe shall all generacions
enioyned that euery seuenth yere it should bee rested from tillyng of the yearth ▪ neyther any thyng to bee requyred of thesame sauyng what it woulde bryng forth of it owne selfe He gaue ferthermore a tradicion of a yere called the restorer of the fyrste state of libertie vnto whiche of the propertie of the thyng was geuen the name of Iubilee emong the Hebrewes This yere of Iubilee came about in course agayne after vii tymes seuen yeares and was euermore the fyftieth for seuen tymes seuen maketh x.ix And this yere of Iubilee was moste hertely to bee wished for of all the Israelites that eyther with bonde seruice or els with debte were any thyng oppressed But like as the sabboth of Moses refreshed mennes bodies onely with beeyng at reste and quiete so did the seuēth yere onely prouide for the resting of the yearth from tillage But nowe there is shewed vnto your knowelage a perpetuall sabboth neuer to bee interrupted or broken in whiche the mynde and soule beyng free vacant from all troublous vnquietnesse of eiuil desyres ought wholly to attēde to the quiet applying and exercise of heauenly thynges and not now with pensife earefulnesse to prouide altogether for yearthly thynges forasmuche as to them that loue God no manier thyng at all is wantyng Yea and moreouer the Iubilee of Moses did not helpe any others but onely the Israelites it gaue neither free deliueraunce ne yet full deliueraunce yea and thatsame veray thyng whiche it did geue extēded no ferther then to the bodye and enduted but for a shorte tyme. But this yeare of the Lorde dooeth vnto all persones whosoeuer are endebted to the deuill through synne whosoeuer bee as bonde seruauntes subiecte to euill spirites whosoeuer through ignoraunce of the trueth are blynde whosoeuer bee in all kyndes of naughtinesse so farre paste that they are vnhable to euery good worke vnto all suche dooeth this Iubilee of the Lorde bryng perfecte free remissiō deliueraunce or libertie sight health and complete perfeccion in euery behalfe So muche the more therfore ought ye with prompt zeles and endeuoures to enbrace that is offered For the thyng that ye haue hearde promised by the prophecie ye maye now if ye wyl in the dede selfe fynde to be true Ye haue hearde it with your eares but ye haue nede of readie and desyrefull hertes yf ye wyll bee apte to receyue so great a blissefulnesse It is euen the highest thing that possibly maye bee wherof this free offre is made vnto you But woe vnto them that shall despyse the bountifull gracious goodnesse of God so wyllingly offreing it selfe vnto them It is the yeare of Iubilee freelye offreyng deliueraunce and saluacion vnto all suche as with mekenes of submission and with readinesse of beleuyng shewe theimselfe wylling to bee taught and apte to receyue healing But after this yeare of Iubilee must succede and folowe the yeare of retribuciō and redresse which shal adiudge and ministre euerlastyng peynes in hell vnto all suche as shall haue refused the goodnesse of God By these woordes dyd the Lorde Iesus in an humble and sobre manier signifie hymselfe to bee thesame man of whom the Prophecie of Esaie did make promysse whereas the mooste parte belieued the sayed place of the Prophete not to concerne Messias but to concerne Esaie hymselfe For whan Iesus was in baptisyng the holye ghoste slydyng downe from heauen in the visible likenesse of a doue and lighting vpō his heade did all the people to wete that thissame was euen veraye he whome the prophecie had ment of Enoyntyng betokeneth a certayne mylde and ientill still thyng For there is nothyng more ientill supple or caulme then oile wherof was euen that name Messias geuen him which is in Greke Christon in Latine Vnctum in Englyshe the enoynted For as for the preachyng of Iohn it was sharpe and soure and full of threatyng but Christe did with mildenesse with courteous familiaritie and with beneficial good turnes continually moue and praye the people to receyue saluacion Whan Iesus dyd with moste highe auctoritie and no lesse myldenesse speake and treate of the premisses many had him in great estimacion therfore and merueyled at his talke beyng veray ferre vnlyke to the talke of the Pharisees that is to wete caulme mylde and meke amiable poudred with muche grace hauyng in it no spice of haultnes or pryde no poynte of soure looke or presumpteous takyng vpon hym and yet neuerthelesse of suche sorte that it conteyned in it condigne auctoritie For the woordes of the Pharisees because they issued foorth from an hearte corrupted with ambicion with auarice with enuie and with many other naughtye affeccions did moste tymes smacke of the spryng that they gushed out of But the wordes whiche proceded from the mouthe of Iesus because they welled foorth from a brest replenished with the heauenly spirite of God were not onely amiable and swete vnto all good folkes but also piththy and effectuall towarde saluacion Yet neuerthelesse some there were emong these Nazareans in whose myndes and opinions the meanesse of Iesus kynred and familie that he came of to the outwarde acceptacion of the worlde made the auctoritie of the heauenlye doctrine to bee the lesse regarded For in consideracion that they euery one dyd yet all this while beleue hym to bee the sonne of Ioseph and Marie and that the slender habilitie and substaunce aswell of Ioseph and Marie bothe as also of theyr aliaunce and kynsfolkes was not vnknowen in consideracion also that they hadde seen hym many yeares euen from his chyldehood to had learned at noue other schoole sauyng onelye his fathers occupacion of carpentrie ne at any tyme to had haunted the schooles of the Pharisees and of the experte lawiers who taughte the misteries of the holye scripture bookes with muche highe solemnitie and haultenesse of countinaunce they did muche meruayle where and how he had soodaynly gotten so great vertue and power whiche he had to fore shewed foorth in other cities by diuerse and soondrye myracles they mused where he had gotten that same wondrefull knowlage of diuinitie bookes they wondred where he had gotten so great eloquence to speake after that sorte with auctoritie For they did not yet vnderstād of how muche more power and effecte the enoyntyng of the spirite of God is then the doctrine of the Phariseis Estemyng hym therefore by the thynges whiche they knew in him after the fleshe they sayed Is not this same felowe the sonne of Ioseph the carpenter for they knewe not the heauenly father who than wrought by his soonne And because that Iesus wrought ferre fewer miracles in the citie of Nazareth then he shewed in other cities certayne of his kynsfolkes beeyng halfe in a fume and indignacion therewith detracted and reproued hym as thoughe that eyther he had not his power ready to serue hym euery where or els that he oughed his owne kynsfolkes suche despite that he woulde shewe no myracles emong theim
acte at all but suche as can accordyng to mine ordinaunce sette at naught the glory of this worlde passe nothing on sensuall pleasures despise ryches esteme all affeccions as thynges of nothing refreine wrath and enuy beare true louing hertes to theyr yl willers say well by them that speake euill of theim praye for suche as dooe persecute theim and finallye sette not a penye by theyr lyfe in respecte of sauyng theyr brother suche will I acknowlage as dysciples worthie and meete for me The presence of my fleshly bodye dooeth for the season make theim to bee weake but whan thys bodye shal bee taken awaye in such wise as they may not haue me whan they would and whan they shall haue diepely receyued the spirit of the ghospell then shal they through theyr priuye giftes of grace within theim bee strong and vnuanquishable And suche persones as dooe put all the prayse of ryghteousnesse in corporall obseruacions because they truste in theyr owne weorkes are founde weake to perceiue those thynges whiche I prepayre my seruauntes vnto but whoso mistrustyng theyr owne doiynges sette al theyr defence and sauegarde in the vertuous qualities of the mynd which vertuous qualities they shal acknowelage to haue receyued of me and no man els suche men shall no manier aduersitee cause for to quaile Iohns training of his disciples my breaking of myne are of twoo sundrye sortes because the marke that we shoote at is not all lyke These twoo hys and myne cannot haue a full myxture made of theim For he that is wyllyng to be my disciple muste be altogether spirituall puttyng no manyer truste at all in thinges corporall in whiche the ryghteousnesse of the Phariseis dooeth altogether consiste And therefore I enioyne my disciples not a whit of any such thinges as haue any affinity with the carnall obseruacion of the lawe leste that in case I shoulde admitte or suffre but euen neuer so litle they woulde altogether slyde backe agayn to the same state that I wil in any wyse haue theim to be moste fertheste from And the Lorde Iesus to the entente that he woulde shewe howe greate diuersitye there was betwene Iohn who trayned hys disciples accordyng to the fyrste smatche of the olde lawe that he had bene nouzeled in from his infancye and himself that by a muche other waie dyd breake his disciples to thynges of more higher perfeccion he put furth a similitude of thys sorte here folowyng There is no man sayethe he so folyshe that in case he were mynded to patche vp a broken hole of hys olde cote woulde bee soe mad to sette in a pece of newe clothe cut with a payer of shiers oute of a newe garmente whiche thing yf he shoulde doe there were in it a double incommodity For fyrst and formost he renteth a newe vesture to patche vp an olde secondarilye the newe clothe standyng in the old garmente because it agreeth not wyll not leate the ilfauoured syght of the patching be hydden Agayne there is no man so folish that he wil put newe muste into olde bottels to bee kepte or yf he dooe it will surelye soe come to passe that the strengthe of the muste boylyng and weorkyng in theim wil breake the olde bottels in soonder and so shal consequentely folowe a double losse For bothe the bottels shall pertshe and also the wyne renne out What is therfore to be dooen Leat there be no mixture made of such thinges as agree not the one with the other Leat an olde garmente bee botched with olde clothe and in a newe garmente leate there not bee any pece of olde clothe put in Leate also newe muste bee put in newe bottels to bee kepte soe shall it come to passe that the bottels shall be saued whole and the wyne too I know how heard a thyng it is to make thissame new and ghostely doctrine of mine acceptable vnto those that haue nowe a long time bene enured with the olde For vneath any thyng dooeth lyke any persone yf it bee contrarye to that that he hath long tyme bene accustomed vnto For at once is he offended at the first tastyng of a thyng that hath not bene in vse with hym Therfore like as he whiche hath long tyme bene accustomed to drynke olde wine is not at the first assaiyng delited with new muste for he mysseth the tast that he would haue and saith that the olde was better but he sayeth so for none other cause sauing onely that he hathe bene vsed to the other soe they that haue liued all theyr dayes afore in the olde trade of the Iewes carnall constitucions dooe at the first tasting of this ghostly doctrine sterte backe and desyre to haue their other grosser thinges again which they haue bene vsed vnto that is to wete circumcision holy dayes solemne rites of sabbothes difference of meates diuersitie of vestures feastes Hierusalem the temple slayne sacrifices or oblacious washynges vowes blinde coÌ„stitucions of the Phariseis with other thinges mo not vnlike vnto these And these premisses thei not only requyre to haue again but also doe preferre thesame before such thynges as bee a greate deale better and more necessary to be had which thynges are an harte circuÌ„cised from peruerse desyres a mynd continually keping holy day from all worldly or vngosâ—ly appliyng it selfe a breste throughly quieted from all troubleous vexacions or assaultes of euill passions a spirit abhorryng from the infeccion of al thinges which stayneth or defoileth the puritie of the mynd a soule enuironed and besette rounde aboute with feyth charitye humilitye and purenesse an herte euermore temperate and refreinyng form all euilles a mynde alwayes labouryng to come to his heauenly countrey a soule euer being a temple and a place of soiournyng for the holy goste a soule from tyme to tyme offreeyng it selfe an acceptable and a pure sacrifice to God a soule beyng pure cleane from al spot of synne through the feith of the ghospell a soule clene mortified from all thinges that belong to thys worlde and dedicatyng it selfe altogether vnto godly thynges a mynde most ready and diligent to obserue such thinges as the doctryne of the ghospell doeth enioyne and require And the thing that it requireth forsoothe is feithe the thyng that it enioyneth and commaundeth is charitie And thissame is verayly the newe muste of my doctryne which muste or new wyne the vessels that haue been vsed to the olde soure turned wyne of Moses law shall not wel abide but it requireth new pure vessels that are through the gostlye giftes of grace strong made to endure substauÌ„ciall sure to holde ¶ The .vi. Chapter ¶ It happened on an after principall Sabboth day that he went through a corne fielde and his disciples plucked the eares of corne and did eate and rubbed them in their haÌ„des And certaine of the Phariseis sayde vnto them Why doe ye that whiche is not lawefull to do on the sabboth dayes And Iesus aunswered them and sayd haue ye
come whiche by the meanes of the lawe haue the fygures and shadowes of the religion of the gospell Now the tyme is come that the false religion of the Gentiles must geue place and that both the carnall wurshipping must geue glace to the spirituall wurshipping of God and also the shadowes of the lawe to the light of the gospel For now I tell you the tyme is at hande yea it is alreadie presente when true wurshippers shall wurshippe the father not in temples not with beastes nor with bodily thynges but in the spirite not with shadowes but with trueth For God seyng he is a spirite is not delyted with the purenes of the body nor with the walles of the temple neyther yet to haue beastes offered in sacrifices but he loueth spiritual wurshippers of whom he may be wurshipped according to the spirite and trueth For there hath been hitherto enough attributed to the shadowes and figures of Moses lawe Hereafter whersoeuer there shal be a mynde pure from synne through the faith of the ghospel there shal be a worthy teÌ„ple for God Whersoeuer there shal be heauenly desiers pure praiers and holy thoughtes there shal be sacrifices wherwith God is pleased The woman sayeth vnto hym I wote that Messias shall come which is called Christe When he is come he wyll tell vs all thynges Iesus sayeth vnto her I that speake vnto the am he And immediately came his disciples and meruayled that he talked with the woman yet nâ— manne sayed what meanest thou Or why talkest thou with her The woman then left her waterpot and went her waye vnto the citie and sayeth vnto the men Come see a man whiche tolde me all thynges that euer I dyd Is not he Christe Then they wente out of the citie and came vnto hym The simple and pacient belefe of this woman of Samaria dyd so muche profite by the forsaid communicacion of Iesu that she nowe supposeth hym whom first she had called a Iewe then a Lorde and after a Prophete to be Messias himselfe For the Samaritanes also by the promyse of Moses dyd loke for that excellent Prophete to aryse come of the Iewes Therfore she aunswered after this sorte I knowe that Messias shall come whom the Iewes doe loke for of whom already there is a rumoure emong the Iewes Therfore when he shall come he shall declare vnto vs all these thynges whiche thou haste spoken concernyng the newe maner of the wurshippyng of God neither shall he suffre vs to be ignoraunte in any thyng Iesus perceyuyng the belefe of the woman apte to be taught and suche feruente desyre to knowe the trueth as he had not founde the like among his countrey men the Iewes he vouchesalueth therfore to opeÌ„ and declare vnto her who he was Thou lokest sayeth he for Messias to come be thou assured he is come and euen nowe thou seest hym for I that doe talke with the am he in dede And as soone as these thynges were spoken his disciples returnyng from the toune came thyther and before they came at hym perceyued that he talked with a woman of Samaria and dyd meruaile at his so great gentlenes Yet no manne durst aske hym what thyng he required of the woman or for what cause he had talked with her But the woman beyng amased with the saying of the Lorde Iesus did aunswer nothing at all but leauing her waterpotte at the well for nowe the thirsting for that water was clearely gon and forgotten after she had tasted of the water which Christe had promised she maketh haste towardes the citie and of a synful Samaritane sodenly became a messenger as it were an Apostle in that she doeth declare this thing openly to all folkes to thintent that the knowledge of many should coÌ„firme her feith Come saieth she and see a manne to be meruailed at one that knoweth all secretes who although he be a straunger and one that I neuer sawe before yet hath he tolde me all the secretes that I haue doen it is possible that thesame is Messias Trust not my woordes proue the thyng your selues and ye shall fynde me no lyar In the meane while his disciples prayed him saying Maister eate He sayed vnto them I haue meate to eate that you knowe not of Therfore sayed the disciples emongest themselues hath any man broughte him oughte to eate Iesus sayeth vnto them my meate is to do the wyll of hym that hath sent me and to finishe his worke Saye not ye there are yet fower monethes and than cummeth haruest Beholde I saye vnto you lifte vp your iyes and looke on the regions for they are all white alredy vnto haâ—uest and he that reapeth receyueth rewarde and gathereth fruite vnto life eternall that bothe he that soweth and he that reapeth might reioyce together And herein is the saying true that one soweth and another reapeth I sende you to reape that wheron you bestowed no labour Other men laboured and yeare entred into theyr labours Whiles the woman did bruite abrode this rumour emonges the citizens of Sychar in the meane tyme Iesus disciples supposyng hym to bee payned with houngre moued hym to take suche meates as they had brought But Iesus euery where takyng occasion to drawe men vp from the care of bodilye thinges to the desire of spirituall thynges lyke as he had allured and drawen the woman to the knowlage of the fayth of the ghospell by his speakyng of the water so by the occasion of meates he prouoketh his disciples that were as yet but ignoraunt to be diligent in preachyng the ghospel yea and peraduenture at that time he did not so muche thyrste for the water of the well and although he did so yet did he more desyre and thirst for mans saluacion neuertheles the affeccion of the woman whiche came to drawe water gaue him occasion of this godly coÌ„municacion In lyke maner although he was then hungrie in that he was a very man he was muche more hungrie to saue mankynde for which cause he descended from heauen Therfore he sayed vnto his disciples whiche moued hym to take his bodilye refeccion I haue other meate to eate sayeth he and suche meate as I delite more in then in that whiche you bryng me His disciples meruailyng what this saying mente and yet not bolde to aske their maister for reuerence they bare vnto hym leste he shoulde bee any thyng offended therewith talked thus emong themselues what meaneth he by this hath any other body whiles we were absent brought him any meate But Iesus because he would nowe imprint in theyr myndes the thynge whiche he had spoken before darkely sayeth nowe openly I passe very litle sayeth he vpoÌ„ this bodely meate There is an other kynde of meate which I do specially care for that is to saye to accomplishe that thyng for whiche cause my heauenly father hath sent me hither This is my houngre this is my thirst to go about the thyng which he hath
apostles tale they spake aloude with one assente vnto the Lorde of whose goodnes the ghospell had begon to haue right good successe sayed Lord God omnipotent that madest thorowe thy woorde heauen earth the sea whasoeuer is in them contayned whose moste blessed wyll no power of man is able to withstande whose eternall decrees no mans conspiracie is hable to empayre for all that nowe we see here brought to passe thy blessed spirite hath spoken of before by the mouth of thy faythfull seruaunt Dauid our Patryarche saying Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine vayne thynges The kynges of the earth stande vp and the prynces hath gathered themselues together agaynst the Lorde and agaynste his Christe All we recognise trueth in this prophecie For what he sawe to come beyng than enspired with thy holy spirite that see we both doen in very dede and the doyng of thesame For of a trueth agaynste thy holy chylde Iesus whom thou hast enoynted bothe Herode and also Poncius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel gathered themselfes together for to do whatsoeuer thy hande and thy counsell determined before to be done And nowe lorde behold their threatenynges and graunt vnto thy seruauÌ„tes that with all confidence they may speake thy woorde So that thou stretche fourth thy hand that healyng and signes and wonders be doen by the name of thy holy child Iesus And assone as they had made theyr praier the place moued where they were asseÌ„bled together and they were all fylled with the holy ghost and they spake the woorde of god boldely For in this citie whiche professeth holines both Herode and Ponce Pilate yearthly prynces with the heatheÌ„ and people of Israell gathered themselues together agaynst the maister and capitayne of all holynesse thy holy chylde Iesus whom thou haste enoyncted with an heauenly oynctment forecastyng with theyr wicked counsell to bryng those thynges to passe whiche thou of thy power inuincible and eternall decree haddest determined to bee doen for the saluacion of man But whosoeuer conspireth againste thy sonne Iesus sent downe from the he conspireth agaynst the. And beholde a great assembly of the chiefe rulers are cum eftsones together to conspire agaynst the holy and blessed name of thy sonne Iesus But lyke as thou dyddest reyse Iesus from death beyng slayne of them and aduaunced hym to heauens as partener of thy kingdome dysapoyntyng them of theyr purposes euen so see nowe vnto theyr threatening that they in no wyse preuayle but strength courage thy seruauntes that they may with moste stedfaste boldnes vttre the ghospell whiche is not mannes woorde but thy woorde that is to saye brought downe from thee to earth by thy sonne for all our sakes and lyke as thy miracle in makyng whole the lame creple allured many to professe the name of Iesus and feared the prynces whiche were all bent in conspiracie agaynst his glory euen so vouchesafe to ayde them nowe in tyme to come wyth thy almyghtye power that by meanes of healyng workyng of wondrefull miracles thorow the holy name of thy sonne Iesus the glorye of thy ghospell maye the clearer shyne and further abrode while they that rebell agaynst the and thy sonne doe rage all in vayne Whan they had thus made theyr prayer with one accorde the place where they together stode trembled Which thing betokeneth that their prayer was graciouslâ— heard with the lorde anâ— their desire ratified For there is nothing so effectuall as is the prayer of the churche in one whole consent Uerely it ought to be of no small strength and power that was hable to shake the earthe whiche is not of it selfe mouable This was no voyde token for the lyuely strength of the holy ghost was forthwith in theÌ„ all renewed and augmented in somuch that they would not for all suche threatnynges as the prynces made concele and hyde the ghospell but preached the name of theyr maister Iesus more stedfastely and more frankely yea more of theym also in numbre than before For suche is the nature of the ghospell as touching his encrease that lyke as Safron and other thynges many moe come forthe although they be yll handeled more plenteously euen so aryseth vp the ghospell agaynst the assaultes of the worlde and the sooner by wrastelyng therwith ouercommeth thesame The faithfull that professed the name of Iesus amounted than within fewe dayes to a woondrefull great numbre And the multitude of them that beleued were of one herte and of one soule Neyther sayed any of them that ought of the thinges whiche he possessed was his owne but thâ—y had all thynges common And with great power gaue the apostles witnes of the resurreccion of the lorde Iesu. And great grace was with them all Neyther was there any among them that lacked For as many as were possessours of landes or houses sold them and brought the pryce of the thynges that were solde and layed it downe at the apostles feete And distribucion was made vnto euery man accordyng as he had nede And Ioses whiche was also called of the apostles Barnabas that is to saye the sonne of consolacion being a Leuite and of the couÌ„trey of Cypres where as he had lande solde it and laied the pryce downe at the apostles feete And yet that thou mayest vnderstande howe this theyr consent of myndes came not of mannes policie among so many together in one companye there was no ambicion at all no enuy no brawlyng no stryuyng but in suche conformitie of mynde and peaceable quietnes of herte were they all as a mâ—nne would haue thought them all to be of one harte and one minde For than was eche man at a poynte with himselfe no longer to folow his owne mynde which is in all sortes of men so diuerse that vnneath a man maye finde two brothers germane that can agree betwixt themselues But as for this company Iesus was the ruler of them all by his owne blessed spirite From thence proceded that so great a consent of so many persons together one vnlike an other either in kinred age or worldely substaunce insomuche that not onely those thynges were commen amongest them whiche eche man is wonte to departe one to other withoute losse to the geuer of the whiche maner thynges bee learnyng counsell admonicion consolacion and exhortacion but temporall possessions also whiche are coÌ„municate to other not without dammage or losse to the possessour and therfore scarcely may a man fynde any that can be content to be in this poynte liberall But suche thinges amongest them all were so common that no man would somuche as once chalenge any thyng of all that he possessed for his owne Wherfore he that gaue any of his owne goodes looked for no thankes at their handes that receyued thesame because he thought all that was geuen to be hys owne propre good that had nede of it and hymselfe a robber and no iust person yf he should withholde
saye lieutenaunt or the lorde deputie of that Yland and was a wyse man and of good experience For suche felowes had wonte commonly to get them in suche greate mennes fauour that they may do more mischiefe among men when they haue once broughte theym in errour The proconsul hearyng than that the gospell was sowed throughout Cypres dyd not onely not withstande it but also sent for Barnabas and Paule beyng verye desirouse to learne of them this heauenly doctryne But Gariesus beynge an enemye to oure sauiour Iesus endeuoured hymselfe to resyste the increase of the ghospel and striued against the trueth whiche was cumming to lyghte where as he was in very dede a woorker of falsehood And Elimas whiche worde in the Sitians language betokeneth an inchaunter and a false prophet also withstode the apostles that were true prophetes For he perceiuing that the procunsul was desyrous to heare the gospell and wel assured that in time to come there woulde be no place for his deceitfull craftes amonge them that had once learned the sure and stedfast trueth wente about to alienate the proconsulles minde that he shoulde no more beleue the apostles Here marke the buckling together of mannes craftes and the liuely force of the gospell Saule whiche was also named Paule coulde no lenger forbeare this felowe whom he perceyued ful of the deiuils spirite that striued with myscheuous craftes against the pure trueth but takynge to hym hertie courage by inspiracion of the holy ghost stedfastly loked on this enchaunter and sayde vnto hym O thou wicked full of all deceite and wylynes that expresseste thy father the deiuyll whiche first by his wiles and lyes drew man to deathe O enemy of al iustice and truth and in this shewynge thy selfe to be the sonne of the deuyll for he firste tooke from man his innocencie thou openly striuest that truth shall not spring againe And thou art not contented that thou hytherto hast deceyued simple men with thy deceitefull craftes but nowe also when the wyll of god is that the trueth of the gospell in whiche is no deceit shall shyne throughout the worlde thou stubbernely continuyng in thy eiuyll inâ—ent doest not cease to striue againste the wyll of god rather hauynge an iye to thine owne vayne glorye and fylthye lucre than to the health and saluacion aswell of thine owne soule as of a great sorte of other mennes also And that thou mayest perceiue that the craftes whiche thou workest by the deiuils power can nothinge preuayle againste the trueth of the gospell beholde thou shalt nowe fele what he is hable to do whose wyll thou doest withstand Thou braggest that thou arte a Prophete and one that knoweth hygh misteries wheras in very dede thou art inwardely in thy soule blynde Here haste thou deceyued men who iudge of those thinges that they see but God that knoweth the blyndnesse of thy herte shall streight wayes take awaye the vse of thy bodely iyes that euery man shall perceyue that thou art blynde in very dede and one that is vnworthy to see the same lighte whiche all other men see forasmuche as thou wagest open warre against the lyght of the gospel that now beginneth to aryse in the worlde This waye shall God take vengeaunce on the vntyll that thou repent Paule had scarcely spoken these wordes but sodainly this enchauntoure was stricken with a great blyndnesse insomuch that he as one amased wandred vp and downe sekynge for some man to leade him by the hande These thinges were doen the proconsul beyng a wytnes of it and lookyng theron who merueylyng muche at the great efficacy of this heauenly doctrine by vertue wherof the Phantasticall woorkynge of suche enchauntours was trode so soone vnder foote was conuerted to the faythe and professed the name of Christe and in stede of the false Prophet Bariesus he had in high fauoure the dysciples of Iesus ¶ Whan Paule departed froÌ„ Paphos thei that were with him came to Perga in Pamphilia and Iohn departed from them and returned to IerusaleÌ„ But they wandred thorow the cuntreys came from Perga to Antioche in Pisidia And weÌ„t into the Synagoge of the Iewes on the Sabboth day and sate down And after yâ— lecture of the law the Prophetes the rewlers of the synagoge sent vnto them saying ye men and brethreÌ„ â–ª yf ye haue any sermon to exhorte the people say on These thinges were doen at the citie of Paphos from whence Paule sayling with his company into the lesse Asia landed at Perga whiche is a citie of Pamphilia But Iohn whiche by sirname was called Marke wente from them and returned to Hierusalem whence he before came to beare Barnabas and Paule companye But they with no lesse spedynes whan they had gone ouer Pamphilia came to Antioche whiche is a citie of Pisidia There entring into the Synagogue where as the Iewes dyd customably resorte they sate downe as other men dyd to heare a lesson of the lawe and of the Prophetes whiche after it was rehersed and no man arose vp the chiefe rulers of the Synagoges perceyuing by their garmentes and apparell that these strauÌ„gers were of the Iewes and that their face and outwarde behaueour shewed them to be vertuous men sente woorde vnto them by theyr vnder officers that forasmuche as they were Iewes yf any of them woulde teache or geue any exhortacion to the people it shoulde be lawfull for them soe to doe ¶ Than Paule stoode vp and beckened with the hande and sayed Menne of Israel and ye that feare God geue audience The God of this people chose our fathers and exalted the people wheÌ„ they dwelt as straungiers in the lande of Egipt And with an high arme brought he them out from thence And about the time of fowertie yeares suffred he their manâ—ers in the wildernesse Than the heauenly oratour Paule beyng ready to shewe his minde arose signifying to the multitude with mouing of his hande that they should holde their peace began to speake vnto them in this wyse Ye men of Israel which according to the trade of youre forefathers stande in feare of god harkeÌ„ vnto me whiles I shall shewe vnto you the wyll of God expounde the misterye or meaning of this lesson whiche is euery Sabboth daye customablye reade in your Synagogue God the defendour of the Israelites chose our forefathers that is to saye this sorte of people to serue him before all other insomuche that whan they serued in Egipte beyng kept in great seruytude and bondage Pharao endeuouringe himselfe by all meanes that they should not encrease and that they that remayned there on lyue shoulde be oppressed by excesse of paynfull labour he wonderfully sette them vp throughe myracles against the tyranne that oppressed them and delyuered them of theyr bondage not by meane of any craftye deceite or els by mans pollicie and strength but by his high and mighty power that all men might certainly know that this people was fauoured of God
paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the gospel that is to say a treasour in manier a ful library of all good diuinitie bookes For whatsoeuer thing any of the auncient doctours of the church left behind him whatsoeuer in any catholike writer is conteined whatsoeuer any notable good exposytoure hath sette foorthe for the sincere playne declaracion of the new testament the pith and substance therof hath this man with a clerkely iudgment compendiously and briefly as it were in a summe couched together in this one weorke Neither was there euer any weorke so easy to be vnderstaÌ„ded of the reader which hath more cunning shewed in it as by his owne annotacions vpon his traÌ„slacion of the new testament it may euidently appere in which annotacions he approueth declareth himselfe with such diligent obseruacion and marking to haue perused al libraries al writers al bookes as very few studentes dooe vse to reade and labour any one autour in any one particuler facultie or discipline Accepte this autour therfore deuout reader and with glad wil enbrace so profitable a meane instrumeÌ„t wherby thou maist without any ferther trauail then onely reading marking bearing it away so easily attain to the clere vnderstanding of the gospel Reade it with a pure a charitable hert with a single iye void of al maner parcialitie of affeccion or of enuy thou shalt espy therin such edifying as may be mete for thy state of knowlage aptitude or capacitie what euel it be For like as in the most holy blissed testameÌ„t there is both pappe for youÌ„gâ—inges in the feith in the knowlage of Gods worde and also sounde meate for such as are wel entred hable to broke higher thinges euen so in this auctour are al thinges aptly tempered to enduce traine the grosse the rude multitude aswel of Curates teachers â–ª as also of other priuate readers to fede the weake with such doctrine as they are hable to receiue to sharpen and make eagre such as are hungrie of ferther knowlage to minister vnto the learned or eloqueÌ„t teachers matier sufficieÌ„t wheron to grouÌ„d much profouÌ„d the same right ChristiaÌ„ doctrine Accept it willingly rendre thaÌ„kes first to God who of his infinite mercy grace hath in these our daies seÌ„t such a numbre of suche good writers and emong them Erasmus as one of the chiefe and principal not onely to geue clere light but also to open a way vnto the pure perfeict knowlage of Gods worde and than to your moste excellent Soueraine good king Edward the sixte who emong the other his most princely and most Christian actes doeth so soone and so effectually begyn first with the promoting of Gods worde and glory being the fountain and ground of al good successe welth and prosperitie and thirdly to Quene Katerine by whose good meanes and procurement this present weorke hath been by soondry mennes labours turned into our vulgare toung wherby the kinges Maiestie whose principal desire trauail is to doe all thinges possible wherby his most teÌ„drely beloued subiectes knowlage may be ferthered their conscience slaighed in a sincere doctrine of Christ with a perfeict framing confirming of the same in a good conuersacion of life might by hauing so notable a good matier in redinesse be the better occasioned to put forth so fruitful an exposicion of the gospel For a paraphrase is a plain setting forth of a text or sentence more at large with such circumstaunce of moe and other wordes as may make the sentence open cleare plaine familiar whiche otherwise should perchaunce seme bare vnfruitful harde straunge â—ough obscure derke to be vnderstanded of any that were either vnlearned or but meanly entred And what is this but a kinde of exposicioÌ„ yea and that of the most pâ—â—hthie and effectual sorte How muche therefore art thou bound deuout christian reader and especially ye priestes and Curates that either haue not ben brought vp in studie of letters of diuinitie or els haue not such store of bookes as may be sufficieÌ„t for mainteining of your studies how much are al ye bound I say vnto the kinges moste exellent Maiestie and his most honorable worthy Counsaillours who of a speciall regarde and coÌ„sideracion of the ignorauÌ„ce defaute of litterature which hath reigned in most part of the Clergie of England aswel to the great detriment harme and decay of religion in the christian flockes to their spiritual charge coÌ„mitted as also to their owne intolerable peril and daungier whan at the general day of accoumpt and audite to be made at the throne of God it shall bee required at their handes how and what they haue taught to the ignoraunt multitude for whose solles as touching their institucion in the feith in the lawes of God they must answer before a rightful iudge whome no maÌ„ shal be hable to corrupt beguile deceiue or escape haue by their most good policie founde a meanes howe both ye and all the people may with a great dele lesse time study labour yea also charges then were wonâ—e to be bestowed in playing at tables boules cardes other vnlawful games haue in a few leaues a whole library of good doctrine both for the priuate edifying of euery one particularely and also for the enstruccion teaching of eche other in common Whatsoeuer ignoraunt person is desirous of knowlage can be conteÌ„ted to learn whosoeuer is not of an hert so indurate but that he can abide such good bookes as may further Christes doctrine whosoeuer is not of an extreme malignaunt stomake against the due setting foorth of Gods worde whosoeuer is not such an enemie to the glory of God that he enuieth the benefit of Christes bloud vnto England whosoeuer is not eyther of such blindnesse that he cannot see the trueth or of such peruerse froward malice that he wil not or of such cancard obstinacie that he wil against the spirite and against his conscience wilfully withstand resist al good thinges which may induce men to the knowlage of God whosoeuer doth not hate the light of the gospel whosoeuer is in his herte a fauourer of the trueth and of the kinges Maiesties most godly procedinges hath no lesse cause but to enbrace Erasmus whose doctrine the most best parte of al ChristiaÌ„ Royalmes vniuersities hath euermore allowed iudged to be consonauÌ„t to the truth also is bouÌ„d with immortal thankes to pray for the kinges most excelleÌ„t Maiestie for this his most gracious setting forth publishing this present weorke to the vse of such as haue nede therof And where the sayd Erasmus fer otherwise then a great nuÌ„bre of the scholastical sorte other vnlettred expositours of these last blind seasons hath written these his paraphrases in as ornate a stile as he hath the most parte of hys other volumes is not as some barbarous bloundreers haue for safegard defence of
men he chose not Philosophers not Phariseis not Priestes not ryche men For he woulde not that the glorie of the gospel should be defiled ' with any worldlye ayde and succour But as he walked neere the water whiche as we sayed before was in the border of bothe Galilees he espied twoo brothers germaine the name of the one was Symon and he was called also Peter the other was named Andrewe whose fathers name was Iohn These before that tyme heard Iohn through whose prouocacion they began to folowe Iesus But they lefte them both and turned agayn to theyr facultie and crafte whereby they were wont to get theyr lyuyng And nowe they were bustlye occupied castyng theyr nettes into the sea It was a sygne of good lucke Fyrste youth more ready to receyue the newe doctryne further the agreablenes of brethren one readye to helpe another Agayn a craft and facultie in whiche was no hurt wherby they got a poore liuyng out of the common mere or poole Fynally the fishyng put them in remembraunce of the newe fisshyng whiche serued not to take fishes with nettes to feade the belly but wyth the nette of the gospell to catche men drouned wyth worldly cares vnto desyre of the heauenly lyfe Therfore as they were occupied about necessaries for theyr bodye Christ speaketh vnto them saiyng Folowe me ye shall learne a science of me better than euer ye learned of your father And yet ye shall not leaue your science but ye shall chaunge it to a better fashyon For I will make you hereafter fysshers of men that ye whiche wayte for fishes to destroye them maye catche and take men into euerlasting saluacion They knewe the voyce of hym whome before they did beleue and whose gentilnes they hadde proued before wyth familiar communicacion But through the strength and efficacie of his voyce he brought to passe that foorthwith at the word of the caller thei forgat not onely theyr fishe but also theyr nettes as they were they lefte them there and not byddyng theyr acquayntaunce once fare well they folowed Iesus euen as he walked They sawe no greate thyng yet in Iesus notwithstandyng they stayed not nor lingered nothyng nor were not careful howe they should gette theyr liuing hereafter but ioyned themselues to hym callyng them with hys onelye woorde and folowed him and would not awaie to dye therfore And whan he was gone foorth from thence he saw other two brethren Iames the sonne of Zebede and Iohn hys brother in the shyp with theyr father Zebede mending theyr â—ettes and he called them and they furthwyth lefte the shyp and their father and folowed hym Iesus going a litell further espyed other two brothers Iames and Iohn the sonnes of zebedeus he was the better pleaseâ— for that the brethren and the father agreed so well together They wer al in one botâ— endeuoryng one thing euen the fame that Peter and Andrewe were aboute But these went not spedely forwarde with theyr businesse because theyr nettes were broken with longe wearyng whiche was a token of pouertye Iesus therfore passing by as they were earnestly occupyed in mendyng of theyr nettes spake vnto them and bad them folowe hym The young men of a playne confidence and truste without any tariyng furthwith leauyng theyr nettes and forgetting theyr father also bend themselues to folowe Iesus so the preaching of Iohn hadde framed and fashioned them so deserued the towardenesse and redinesse of theyr hartes so had the inspiracion of Christe drawen them who wholly breathed and sauoured of the heauenly spirite wherwith he was replenished And Iesus wente about al Galile teachyng in theyr Sinagoges and preachyng the ghospel of the kyngdome and healyng al maner of sickenes and al manier of diseases emong the people And his fame spred abrode throughoute all Siria And they brought vnto hym all sycke people that were taken with diuerse diseases and grypynges and them that were possessed wyth deuils and those that were lunatike and those that had the palsey and he healed them And there folowed hym great multitudes of people from Galile and from Decapolis and Ierusalem and Iewry and froÌ„ the countreyes that lye beyond Iordane Ye see the entrynges of our Philosophye whereby it was thoughte good vnto god to saue all mankynde Ye se the pompe and ruffling of the euangelycall schole Poore Iesus beyng accumpanyed with these few fishers vnlerned of the common sorte and poore men walked ouer all Galile not nowe in corners nor in deserte but in theyr Synagoges where was moste resorte preachyng and shewyng that the kyngdome of heauen whiche had heretofore been promysed was nowe at hande not puttyng them in feare of helle fyer lyke as Iohn dyd but inuiting and allurynge all men with free benefites For wheresoeuer he wente he healed all mennes diseases indifferently and freely refusing no man were he neuer so vile and of the meanest sorte and with lyke easynesse he chased a waye all diseases were they neuer so incurable to thintent bothe to set furth and declare by miracles his power to be greater than mannes and also through free benefites to purchase and winne the loue of all menne For hym we gladly truste and beleue whome we loue Yea euen the wylde beastes also bee wunne with benefits Surelye there is no benefite more godly than freelye to restore health By these meanes it came to passe that the fame of hym spredde abrode throughout all Syria and manye brought from a farre theyr diseased folke incumbred with diuerse dyseases and griefes and besydes these suche as were possessed with diuels and Lunatikes and diseased with the palsey whome Phisicyons commonly eyther take not vpon them to cure or els be wonte to cure in vayne because the dysease passeth theyr arte and cunnyng But Iesus healed all easily not with mannes medicynes but wyth heauenly vertue wherwyth he was hable also to rayse the dead It was a small matter to hym to take awaye the diseases of the bodyes whiche toke awaye the diseases of the myndes It was a smalle matter for hym to prolong the lyfe of the bodye whiche came to geue euerlastyng lyfe vnto all men There came therfore from thys parte and that parte a wonderfull numbre of people not onely from Galile of the Gentiles where he was but also out of the other Galile whiche was beyonde the water and oute of the countrey that was called Decapolis because of the tenne cities whiche were in it also out of Hierusalem and the residew of Iewry and out of the places whyche were beyonde Iordane All men as they haue nede runne to a benefit Many be moued wyth nouelties Sum came for malice with a mynde to wayte displeasure Iesus for his parte draweth all vnto hym but fewe bee mete for the heauâ—nly Philosophye for the teachyng and deliuery of the which he chiefly came into the worlde The people is moued wyth care of the bodye and is desyrouse and deliteth muche in newe syghtes and gasinges But
he deliteth not greatlye in suche sightes that seketh after thinges of perfeccion and thynges farre a sondre from the affeccions of the common sorte ¶ The .v. Chapter And whan he sawe the multitude he went vp into a mountayne and behan he was sette hys discyples came to hym And after that he had opened his mouthe he taught them saiyng blessed are the poore in spirite for theyrs is the kyngdome of heauen THerefore Iesus seeyng the people flockyng aboute hym more and more and that of all sortes he conueyeth himself from the lowe place whither euery man myghte haue accesse and goeth vp vnto the hyll and beganne nowe to preache and teache the heaueÌ„ly Philosophy declaryng by the highnes of the place that he woulde shewe furthe and teache no common nor meane thyng but all hygh and heauenly thynges folowyng also the exaumple of Moyses who publyshing the lawe vnto the people as we reade wente vp to the hill His disciples whome he had chosen specially vnto hym folowed hym goynge vp in suche wyse yet that the common people were not lette to folowe hym if any had so muche desyre and strength Therfore Iesus whan he came to the top of the hyll sate downe not as beeyng weary but purposyng to teache serious and weyghtye thynges whiche required a diligent hearer Whan his disciples perceyued that they compassed him nere aboute that none of his holye doctryne shoulde escape them Iesus therfore entryng and begynnyng hys godlye and holsome Philosophye not oute of a tower or tabernacle with a golden seate suche an one as Iarcas the greate Philosopher of India had beyng garnysshed with precious stones not out of the proude pulpet of the Philosophers not out of the arrogant chayre of the Phariseis but oute of a seate of grasse he casteth his iyes not vpon the commen people but vpon his disciples and openyng hys holye mouthe he began to shewe furthe the lessons of the gospell whiche hytherto had not been heard and whiche bee farre from the opinion of all men that appeared to the very wyse vnto the worlde All men promyse blessednes whyche take vpon them to be teachers of wysdome All menne of what estate or condicion soeuer they bee desyre blessednes But muche controuersye hath been emong Philosopâ—â—rs and muche errour in the lyfe of men â–ª in what thynges the felicitie of man doth consiste And forasmuche as this is the marke and foundacion of all wisdome Iesus fyrste doth open and set furthe straunge sentences but yet very true And therefore throughe myracles he obtayned credite to bee geuen to hys saiyng thoughe it semed sumwhat incredible soe that they that founde his power to bee effectual in healyng of diseases of the bodye myght truste also his doctryne to bee true whereby he healed the diseases of the mynde Yet fewe disciples there were that did both heare and enbrace this blessednes Let all men heare for he spake to all and all shall bee made blessed and happy Of false opinions spryng all synnes in liuyng Therfore aboue al thinges we muste endeuour to plucke them awaye And for because that fiercenesse and arrogancie is the moste daungerouse disease of the mynde whiche suffereth not manne to receiue the true doctryne yea it is the verye fountayne from whence in manier spryng all deadly offences Iesus fyrste of all healeth this saiyng Blessed bee the poore in spirite for theyrs is the kyngdome of heauen whose eares coulde haue abiden so incredyble a saiyng but after so manye testimonies of Iohn of the father and of the doue and finally vnlesse hys authoritye had been set furth and credite obteyned through euident signes and myracles Manye be made vile abiect and humble and be broughte in discourage of themselues by the reason of pouertye of basenes of byrthe of lowenesse of estate or of aduersitye Truely these bee nere to the blessednes of the ghospell yf they folowe with theyr harte as they be called by their state But thys humilitie of spirite resteth in the inwarde affeccion not in outwarde thynges But howe shal he haue a kyngdome whiche taketh nothyng vpon hym whiche geueth place to all which is offended with hymselfe which thrusteth out no man whiche hurteth no man For he semeth more nye the seruitude of an asse than a kyngdome This kinde of men is trode vnder the feete euerye where is hurte and harmed withoute redresse liueth lyke an abiecte withoute regarde poore and comfortles But it is true that trueth sayeth To these only appertaynethe the kyngdome but it is the kyngdome of heauen Thinkest thou that these fierce and violente men doe reigne They bee verye slaues they bee vnder manye tyrannes they bee vexed with auarice angre hatred desyre of vengeauÌ„ce with â—eare with hope They vnnethes lyue muche lesse they reygne But he that is free from all these vexacions and troubles and betaketh hymselfe to innocencie and cleane lyfe puttyng hys truste in God lookyng for the rewarde of the worlde to cumme and is verye quiete and regardeth not the thynges of thys worlde but seketh after heauenlye thynges hath not he a goodlye kyngdome farre passyng the kyngdomes of worldlye kynges Neyther filthye luste nor auaryce nor hatred nor anger nor other worldlye infeccions of the mynde reigne ouer hym And armed with fayth so often as the case requireth he geueth commaundement to diseases and thei flee away the geueth commaundement vnto the waters and they be styl he geueth commaundemente to deuils and they departe So myghty is the kyngdome of the mynde whiche dystrustyng hymselfe putteth hys truste in God and distrustyng the succoure of man doethe depende wholye of heauen It is not the dyademe it is not the oyntmente it is not the garde that maketh a kyngdome But the other afore mencioned be the thynges that make a kyng in dede and bryng hym finally to the heauenly and euerlastyng kyngdome where there shall be no disobedience nor rebellion A worldly kyngdome is gotten by violence and defended by fiercenesse This kyngdome is gotten by modesty and sobernesse and defended and established by humilitie and mekenes The worlde iudgeth none meete to gouerne a kyngdome but suche as bee of notable spirite and of a stâ—ute courage But God auaunceth vnto hys kyngdome those chiefly whiche do moste humble themselues ¶ Blessed be they that are meke For they shall receyue the inherytaunce of the yearthe Iesus goeth on and ioyneth vnto this an other sentence as harde to be beleued and taken Blessed be the meke for they shall inherite the yearth And who bee the meke they that vse no man violently nor extremely and whan they haue any harme they be redy to forgeue the iniuryes done vnto them they also that had rather lese theyr thyng than to contende or striue for it and that regardâ— more concorde and quietnes of mynde than large possessions and suche as rather desyre quiet pouerty than troublesome ryches But this kynde of men is oftentymes set beside and put from theyr goodes and
landes and he goeth not aboute gredely to get other mennes but is rather driuen out from the possessions of hys auncetry But this is a newe fashyon of enlargyng of possessions for mekenesse obteyneth more of them that geue wyllyngly and of theyr owne accord than violence and rauenye can purchase or obtaine by right or wrong The stout and fierce lord doth not possesse the thing that he hath But the meke and quiete man wil rather geue place and leaue hys goodes than contende or striue for them therfore is his possession in all places whereas he fyndethe louers of the euangelicall mekenesse Stoutnes and stifnes is hated of all men softenes and mekenes is fauoured of the heathen Finally yf the meke lese hys possession it is no losse vnto hym but greate gayne and lucre He hath loste hys lande but he reserueth quietnes of mynde He hath wel solde hys lande whiche hath auoyded trouble and busines and hath kept styll quietnesse of mynde Finally if the meke man be put from all that he hath the more sure and certayne is he to possesse the lande of heauen out of the whych he can not be thrust The worlde lamenteth and counteth them vnhappie which be banyshed and driuen out of theyr countreye but Christe pronounceth them blessed whiche be banisshed for the gospell sake For they be made denisens in heauen They bee driuen out of the libertie of one cytie and caste out of theyr house and chased oute of one countrey but the gospell man hath the whole worlde for his countrey And the godly men be sure of heauen for theyr house and theyr countreye Blessed be they that mourne for they shall receyue comforte Lacke of chyldren or parentes and suche other as we entierly loue commonly is counted a miserable thing insomuche that sum lacking theyr desyres and depriued of theyr affeccions as of wife parentes brothers or chyldren do sumtyme kyll themselues for sorow And for that cause frendes vse to repayre vnto them in suche cases to comforte them and to mitigate the bitternesse of theyr sorow But blessed be they that mourne for the loue of the gospel which be plucked awaye from theyr wyfe chyldren and other that they loue and see them that they loue moste derely to be punished and slayne for the reghteousnes of the gospell whyche also despyse the pleasures of thys worlde and leade theyr lyfe in wepyng watching and fastyng With these the heauenly spirite wyll be present he wyll be theyr secrete comforter He wyll recompence theyr temporall waylyng with inestimable hartes ioye and afterwarde they shal bee translated vnto euerlastyng blisse Mannes comforte entending to heale the griefe doeth oftentymes make it worse But the spirite whiche is the true comforter doeth so inwardly refreshe the mynde beyng cleare in conscience and ascertayned of the rewardes of the lyfe to cum that in moste grieuous affliccions of theyr bodyes they thynke not themselues infortunate but rather do most ioyfully reioyce ¶ Blessed be they whyche hungar and thyrste for ryghtâ—â—usnes for they shall be satisfied Famyn and hungar by the opinion of al men is a grieuouse thing and pouertie is a thyng with all endeuour to be auoyded and euery man calleth them fortunate and blessed whiche do notably encrease and establishe theyr householde and substaunce and haue abundantly to vse and occupye but it is not the ryches whorded and heaped vp that satisfieth the mynde and the felicitye of man is not to be measured by the fulnce of the belly What be they than in thys kynde of men whom Christe calleth blessed Blessed sayeth he bee they whiche hungar and thyrst for ryghteousnes The thynges wherewith the body is nouryshed and fostred vp oughte to bee desyred but lyghtly and yet the common sorte are sore turmoiled with care for them And sumtime the saturitie doeth more vexe them that bee full than the hunger dyd trouble them before and by and by after theyr saturitie thurste and hunger retourne agayne and must oftentymes be repayred And these thynges be present euerye where to the godly whiche be contente wyth a litle and desyre nothyng but necessaries and are without al carefulnes for he doeth geue and mynistre vnto them which fedeth the sparowes and doeth clothe the lillies Happy be they whiche doe take thys hunger and thurst from bodilye and casuall thynges and applie them to the desyre of the euangelicall iustice where there is euermore that is to be hungred for euermore that is to be thyrsted for and blessed sacietie and fulnes And this is one parte of blessednes to hunger for that breade of the mynde wherof whoso eateth he shal liue euerlastingly and to thurst for that liuely water wherof who so drynketh in hym there shall spring a well of water runnyng into euerlastyng lyfe Blessed be the mercifull for they shall obteyne mercy The common sorte supposeth them to be blessed whiche be holpen wyth other mennes aide and they reioyce and be glad rather for their sakes that bee holpen than for their cause that helpe them But I saye Blessed be the merciful who for brotherly charitie counte an other mannes miserye to bee theyr owne and bee sory for theyr neyghboures hurte and doe bewayle theyr miseries and of theyr owne do feede the nedy and clothe the naked and monyshe them that do amysse and teache the ignoraunt and pardon the offender Fynallye what soeuer gifte or good thyng they haue they bestowe it in helpyng and refreshyng others And they leese nothyng by it but they gayne For the mercifull and beneficiall man â–ª towarde his neyghboure shall fynde God much more mercifull and beneficial toward hym Thou hast pardoned thy neyghbour of sum lyght offence God wil forgeue thee all thy synnes Thou haste passed ouer for thy neyghboures sake a temporall vengeaunce God wyll pardon thee of euerlastyng punishement Thou haste socoured wyth thy substaunce thy brothers pouertye God wyll restore vnto the hys heauenlye ryches They that be mercifull waxe poore as concernyng worldlye thynges for by geuyng theyr rychesse are consumed but towardes God they wexe ryche for theyr worldly store beeyng consumed theyr harte is heaped vp wyth the fruites of godlines ¶ Blessed are the cleane of harte for they shal see God The common sorte of men calleth them vnhappye that bee blynde and because they haue loste theyr moste pleasaunte sense they saye they bee no longer aliue but that they abyde in darknes lyke deade men So pleasaunte a thyng it semeth to the iyes to loke vpon the lyght and to beholde this goodlye spectacle and syght of the worlde That if it bee a thyng so muche to bee wisshed for to beholde the sunne with the bodilye â—yes â–ª how muche more pleasaunt and blessed a thyng is it with the iyes of the mynde to beholde God the maker of the sunne and of all thynges Ye see howe they leape for ioye whiche haue beene blyndâ— and nowe do see the sunne agayne Yea they reioyce as muche as
this token ye shall knowe them that is to saye of the fruites which yf ye fynde in them to be euyl ye shall remoue them from the cure of the flocke and shall not receyue them into the kingdome of heauen nor couÌ„te them for Christians but for enemyes not to thintent to hurte them but to beware leste they hurte the flocke beyng myngled among them For there is nothinge more daungerouse than vngodlynes if it getteth faythe and authoritie thoroughe the false coloure of holynes ¶ Not euery one that sayethe vnto me Lorde lorde shall enter into the kyngdome of heauen but he that doeth the wyll of my father whiche is in heauen Many wyll saye to me on that â—aye Lorde Lorde haue we not prophecied in thy name and haue we not cast out deuils in thy name and doen many miracles in thy name And than wil I confesse vnto them I neuer knewe you departe from me ye that worke iniquitie All they that professe me onely with woordes shall not be counted worthie the kingdom of heauen for it is not the tytle that maketh a Christian man but the lyfe And I will not furthwith knowledge them for my disciples whiche saye vnto me religiousely Lord Lord when in dede they serue diuerse other lordes that is to saye Mammon and ryches the belly and ambicion Whom therfore shall I thinke worthy the kingdom of heauen Them that haue vtterly refused worldly desyres and hartily do obey the will of the father which is in heauen whose will I preach vnto you For whatsoeuer I teache you it cummeth from him And truly my name shal nothing profite them which lacke my spirite and workes specially in that daye whan rewardes shall be appointed accordyng vnto euery mannes desertes not by mans iudgement whiche oftentymes dothe fayle but by the iudgement of god and the shepe shal be secluded from the goates so that those thynges shal not profite them whiche nowe seme amongest menne a certaine godly thing and passing the doinges of manne For than when they shall see euerlastyng life prepared for them whiche folowyng the doctryne of the ghospell haue declared themselfes to be my true disciples and agayne when they shall see euerlasting punishmente prepared for them that shall be remoued from the companie of the godlye many beeyng sore aferde shall come and desire nowe to be knowen of God where as they haue counterfeited before menne the chiefe and moste excellent disciples of Christe and preachers of the ghospell and they shall saye vnto me Lorde knoweste thou not vs thy seruauntes Haue not we prophecied in thy name haue not we chased a waye diuels in they name haue we not reised vppe dead menne in thy name haue we not put awaye poysons and diseases in thy name haue we not wrought other wonders in thy name and by these dedes glorified thy name we haue declared vs to be thyne by so many argumentes and tokens nowe doeste thou not knowe vs Than shall they heare this answere of me Truely I neuer knew you no not than when ye dyd these thinges I hearde you say lorde lorde but I neuer perceiued in you the harte of faithfull seruauÌ„tes I heare muche speakyng of my name but I neuer felt my spirite in you I heare of myracles whiche wer doen in my name but I heare not of those speciall fruites by the whiche the true disciple of Christ is knowen Wherefore seyng that than when ye did set furth your selues amongest menne in my name ye were not myne in dede but vnder the coloure of my professyon ye serued the â–ª dyuell departe nowe awaye from me and goe vnto hym whose spirite ye haue receiued and whose wyll ye dyd obey What title or name soeuer they have yf they weorke vnrighteousnes they shall not be partakers of my kyngdome ¶ Euerye one therefore that heareth these wordes of me and doeth thesame I wyll lyken hym to a wyse man whiche buylt his house vpon a rocke and a shower of rayne fell and the floudes came and the windes blewe and berie vpon the house and it was no ouerthrowen because it was grounded vpoÌ„ the rocke And euerye one that heareth of me these wordes and doth them not shall be likened vnto a folyshe man whiche builte his house vpon sande and a shower of rayne fel and the floudes came and the windes blewe and bette vpon the house and it was hurled downe and the fall of it was great But lyke as the fruyte of the tree can haue no good taste vnlesse the roote haue good iuyce So the buyldyng be it neuer so gorgiouse high and galaunte outwardelye shall not be sure vnlesse it be stayed vpon a sute and sounde foundacion He that hath my spirite that is to saye a sincere affeccion regarding nought elles but the glorie of God he is a tree of a good roote So he that stayethe not vpon the vayne thynges of this worlde but vpon the true good thynges of the mynde and doeth continue constantly in the same he verye polytikely buildeth the buyldyng that neuer shall falle Therefore whosoeuer heareth my woordes not heareth onely but reposeth them inwardly in his harte to thintente he maye expresse in his deedes that that he hath learned I saye that he is lyke a manne both wyse and politike who to thintente he maye buylde a sounde and sure buyldyng firste of all he deuiseth and loketh for a sounde and a sure foundacion whereupon he maye sette his buyldyng to endure agaynst all tempestes of wethers For in a calme wether euery buyldyng standeth safely but the winter proueth the soundnes of the buyldyng Some tyme aboundaunce of rayne falleth downe and beateth vpon it Sometyme the fluddes increased with rayne all to shake it with greate violence Sometyme the burlyng of the wyndes beateth agaynste it and beeyng beaten and layed at by so many wayes it standeth styll and moueth not Why so Because it standeth vpon a sure foundacion The buylder dyd foresee all these thynges and therfore he sette it vpon a sounde rocke throughe whose ayde it neded nothynge to feare all those assaultes Agayne whosoeuer hearethe my woordes and hearethe them onelye and dothe not repose them in his hearte nor expresse them in his dedes is lyke vnto the rechellesse buyld whoe not foreseynge the stormes and tempestes settethe hys buyldynge vpon the sande whyche is a foundacion euer fletyng and fayling and nothyng trusty Afterwardes falleth aboundaunce of rayne the violence of ryuers runneth vpon it the storme of windes runneth agaynste it and the house is leused and plucked vp from the foundacion and fallethe downe with a great crashe Why so Because the buyldynge was goodly and gaye to see to but it stode vpon an vnprofitable foundacion Therefore your principall chiefe care and consideracion must be of your foundacion fasting almesse prayer simple apparell finally myracles be lyke a gay building But if the minde of hym that dothe them loke after vaine praise of men
walked by the Sea of Galile he sawe Symon and Andrewe his brother casting nettes into the Sea for they were fyshers And Iesus sayd vnto them Folowe me and I wyll make you to become fyshers of men And streyght waye they forsoke theyr nettes and folowed hym And when he had gone a litle further thence he sawe Iames the sonne of zebede and Iohn his brother whiche also were in the shyppe mending theyr nettes and he anon called them and they left their father zâ—â—ede therein the 〈◊〉 the hyred seruauÌ„tes and folowed hym After the Lorde Iesus had with suche wordes moued and styrred vp the myndes of the Iewes to receiue the newe Phylosophy and doctrine of the ghospell he lykewyse began after the ensample of Iohn to gather certaine disciples but fewe in number and suche as were vnlettered persones and of lowe degree to the entent that when he had through theyr ministery conuerted all the whole worlde it shoulde plainly appeare how this kyngdom was the very kyngdom of God and not a worldly kyngdom Therefore as he trauayled on a daye by the lake or sea of Galile he ispied Symon and Andrewe his brother labouryng together and aboute to caste their nettes into the water For they were fishermen and by this occupacion gat their lyuyng The basenes of theyr crafte made for the aduauncyng of goddes glory The concorde of the two brethren sygnified the consent and agremente of the churche The crafte of fyshing bare the figure of the ministracioÌ„ of the ghospell which by vertue of Goddes worde plucketh vp into the lyght of veritie and loue of heauenly thynges suche as are drowned in the darkenesse of ignoraunce and the fowle stinkyng puddell of worldly cares And thus fyrste of all fyshed he for these two fyshers Come ye ê™ he and folowe me for I will make you begynne from this day forwarde to fyshe after men Assone as the Lord Iesus had spoken the word the two brethreÌ„ leauing theyr nettes euen as they were folowed him without any tarying For Iesus voice hathe in it a certaine heauenly charme or inchauntment And goyng thence a lytle forwarde he sawe other two that is to were Iames the sonne of zebede and Iohn his brother who were also trymmyng and mendyng theyr nettes in the shyppe and makyng themselues ready to go a fyshyng And these two notwithstanding their myndes were bent another waye he sodeinly spake vnto callyng and commaundyng theÌ„ to folow hym Now that thou mayest know young men of an euangelike faith they made no tarying but leauyng their father zebede with his hired seruauntes in the shyp streyght wayes folowed theyr caller Thus beganne Christe to gather the ciefe prelates and ministers of his Churche cleane refusyng the priestes and Phariseis of IerusaleÌ„ with all their pompe and pryde ¶ And they came into Capernaum and streyghtwaye on the Sabboth dayes he enterd into the Synagoge and taught and they were astonyed at his learnyng For he taught theÌ„ as one that had authoritie and not as the Scribes And being accompanyed with such a felowshyp he came vnto Capernaum This Capernaum was a citie muche florishyng in substaunce but no lesse proud vngodly and vicious than it was welthy Here byanby he beganne to playe the parte of an Euangeliste or preacher of the ghospell For vpon the sabboth daye he entred into the Sinagoge and taught the Iewes openly not the vayne fables of the Phariseis but declared vnto them the very true meanyng of the lawe which was in dede spirituall and not carnall And the people perceiued him to be a newe teacher his doctrine also to be of a new sort Thei sawe he was a maÌ„ of lowe degre that suche as accoÌ„panied him were but fewe in numbre very rascals men of no reputacion yet wondered they greatly at his wordes for that they breathed a certaine godly vertue For he did not after the maner of the Scribes teache triflyng coÌ„stitucions of men or olde wyues tales of genealogies and pedegrewes but his wordes were pithâ—hy and of authoritie and the wonderfull great miracles he wrought caused those verities that he spake to be beleued What thyng soeuer is humayne and worldly the same is of litle price and estimacion when Goddes power begynneth once to put furth his strength and efficacie ¶ And there was in their synagoge a man vexed with an vncleane spirite and he cryed saying Alas what haue we to do with the thou Iesus of Nazareth Arte thou cum to destroye vs I knowe the what thou arte euen the holy one of God And Iesus rebuked him saying holde thy peace and cumme out of the man And whaÌ„ the vncleane spirite had torne him and cried with a loude voyce he came out of him and they were all amased insomuche that they demauÌ„ded one of another among themselues saying What thing is this What newe doctrine is this For with authoritie commaunded be the foule spirites and they obeyed him And immediatlye his fame spred abrode throughoute all the region bordering on Galile And lo byanby there was occasion ministred for him to worke a myracle For in that assembly was there a certaine felowe whiche was vexed with an vncleane spirite This wicked spirite coulde not abyde the heauenly spirite speakyng in Christ. For he beganne to clatter agaynst his heauenly doctrine crying aloude and saying O Iesus of Nazareth what hast thou to do with vs Arte thou cumme to destroye vs before the tyme I right well knowe who thou arte Certes the selfe same holy one whiche the prophete Daniel promysed long sithens whom God hath singularly sanctified aboue al other The lorde Iesus eyther because the tyme was not yet cumme that he should openly confesse who he was or els because he was not pleased with this confession beyng vndoubtedly true but yet made â—hroughe constraint of feare and of a wicked spirite who sythe he is of hymselfe a lyer and delighteth to deceiue man was not to be hearde in the presence of the people when he spake the trueth lest any manne woulde haue taken occasion there by to beleue hym afterwardes when he had lyed the lorde Iesus I saye rebuked hym and sayed Holde thy peace and departe out of the man and so shalt thou better declare who I am And furthwith at the lordes coÌ„maundemeÌ„t the vncleane spirite forsoke the maÌ„ But at his departure he tare him cryed out with a loude voyce so that it euidently appeared thereby how he fled awaye not wyllingly but by force and constraint of Gods power And here was shewed the fygure of a manne possessed with the spirite of the deuyll Is not he vexed wyth the worste cruellest of all the deuils whiche is wholly possessed with ambicion couetousnes rancour malice hatred pleasure of the body suche other lyke deuilishe lustes and appetites Suche as are vexed with these spirites canne in no wyse abyde to heare the gospell preached but yell and crye oute agaynst it as the deuill dyd saying what
to disproue him with wordes The Phariseis and suche as were of Herodes retinue were not louers and frendes together and yet for to destroy the author of helth they agreed all in one O mischieuous concorde O blyndnes muche in deede to be lamented What shall the priuey traynes of worldly deceite preuayle againste him vnto whome nothyng is vnknowen The Lorde teaching vs by his ensample that we ought many tymes to gyue place for a season to the vncurable obstinacie of the euill leste through farther prouocacion they becum more mischieuous conueyed hymselfe thence and wente asyde agayne vnto the sea The goyng asyde of Iesu is no kinderaunce to the ghospell but an encreasyng and furtheraunce of thesame For yf so be that the Pharise is had not driuen hym awaye he woulde not haue cum to the multitude of the gentiles Therfore after that Iesus had forsaken the enuious and narrowe synagoge and was gone vnto the sea there came vnto hym out of euery quarter a great numbre of people not onely out of Galile but also out of Iewry yea and from Ierusalem selfe from Idâ—â—ea and all the countreys lying beyond Iordane and moreouer from suche places as bordered on the cities of Tyre and Sydon For here was made a foreshewe of the churche that shoulde be gathered together of the Gentiles because the synagoge did through her vnbeliefe repell the Gospel Out of all these places there came a great multitude of people whiche moued by the bruite that was spred abrode of the marueylouse doctrine and mighty dedes of Iesu drewe theÌ„ selues together assembled at the sea syde The lorde who is bothe bounteous and riche towardes all men secluded no man neyther from his doctrine nor fro receyuing the benefite of healthe The people were so eagre and hasty by reason of the great desyre they had to be cured of theyr syckenesses that one of them thruste another out of place by force preased in where Iesus was to the intente they might at the leaste wayes but touche hym because that by the onely touchyng of his garmente diseases were also cured and put away There was no difference neyther betwene disease nor person with this mightie and liberall physycian For whosoeuer they were that were troubled with any maner of euils or infirmities thesame were furthwith deliuered therof yf it chaunced theÌ„ to go to Iesu. And the selfsame thing wee se spiritually done euen in these dayes How many be there out of all the nacions of the whole worlde what detestable vices are they subdued vnto whiche flye vnto him for succour by touche of faythe are healed Furthermore the vncleane spirites after they had sene Iesus coulde not abide his puissaunt vertue but fel downe at his knees and cried out saying Thou art euen that selfsame sonne of God whiche was promised to cum Iesus who in no wise woulde suffre the wicked spirites to disclose him strayghtly coÌ„maunded them to kepe silence and in no case to discry hym before the tyme were cum His will was to be knowen vnto the world by humble and poore persons vnto whom he said He that heareth you heareth me He willeth vs to geue no credence at all to wicked spirites no not so muche as then when they speake the trueth For this busynes was not done at all auentures but God by his high wisedom ordered euery thing with certaine degrees and procedinges for our saluacion ¶ And Iesus commaunded his disciples that a ship should wayte on him because of the people lest they should throng him For he had healed manye in so muche that they preased vpon him for to touche hym as manye as had plages and whan the vncleane spirites sawe him they fel downe before him and cryed saying thou arte the sonne of God And he strayghtly charged them that they should not make him knowell Wherfore when Iesus was thrust with the prease of people anon he commaunded his disciples to prepare hym a ship because he woulde not be disquieted with the disordered clamorous multitude which rather desyred bodely health then the health of theyr soules and thronged hym rather then touched hym Suche as confessing theyr disease go to Iesu with a syncere fayth do touche hym and are made whole Againe they whiche troubled as yet with worldly lustes and desyres cum rushing in with noyse hurly burly do greue and greatlye disquiete hym Therfore the disciples who were wonte to be familiarly conuersaunt with the Lorde prepared hym a ship of a more pure congregacion Iesus is better pleased with a fewe cleane and quiet persones then with a great many that are troublesome and vnquiet But yet he so gat him away that he neuertheles taught the multitude out of the ship When thou seest Iesus teaching oute of the shippe vnderstand hereby a bishop preaching to a multitude of all sortes whiche contayneth christian nouices and suche as haue not as yet the spirite cast out by baptisme both of the Iewes and Gentiles Happy and blessed are they that do spiritually touch Christ. None toucheth him so but those whome he first toucheth For whomsoeuer he toucheth the same are healed of all theyr sinnes and nowe being of vnquiet persons made quiet they shall be receyued into the ship of the Churche there to haue the continuall fruicion of his companie and alwayes to sit at his table The shippe wherin Iesus preacheth is very narrowe and roumles to vncleane and sinfull persons and contrarily moste wide and large vnto suche as are in cleane life and purged of theyr sinnes The Lord refused the publicacion of deuils and auoyded the sinfull and vnquiet multitude of people And yet these thinges euidently shewed that the kingdome of God was cum into the whiche both worthy persons and vnworthy weÌ„te about violeÌ„tly to enter Therfore he prepared himselfe certaine capitaines whiche shoulde ayde hym in claymyng this heauenly kingdome so many in numbre as should be sufficient to teache so many nacions as anon after shoulde come full and whole oute of all partes of the world to professe the Philosophie and doctrine of the ghospell So haue the princes of this worlde bene wont to chose them certaine head rulers and capitaines to clayme wynne enlarge gouerne and defend theyr empires kingdomes by It is requisite that the sayde rulers be ryghte trusty wyse polytique and diligent and in especiall that they knowe the king theyr maisters will and pleasure ¶ And he wente vp into a mountayne and called vnto hym whome he woulde and they came vnto him And he ordayned the twelue that they should be with him that he might send them furthe to preache and that they might haue power to heale syckenesses and to cast out deuils And he gaue vnto Symon to name Peter And he called Iames the sonne of zebede and Iohn Iames his brother gaue them to name Bonarges whiche is to saye the sonnes of thunder And Andrewe and Philip and â—arthelmewe and Mathewe and Thomas and
dysanull and put out of place goddes commaundementes This thinge haue I broughte you forthe for an ensample whiche ye cannot denye But you offend not herein alonely For in many other thynges you doe the lyke as in that you nowe doe Goddes commaundemente is thou shalte loue thy neighbour as thy selfe And you for trifling washinges taughte you of men goe a boute to surmyse mattiers bothe agaynst me and my disciples nothyng regardyng goddes commaundement in thys behalfe ¶ And when he had called all the people vnto him he sayde vnto them Herken vnto me euery one of you and vnderstande there is nothyng without a man that can defile hym when it entreth into hym but the thinges which procede out of a man those are they that defile the man If any man haue eares is heare let him heare And when he came into the house away from the people hym disciples asked his of the similitude And he sayd vnto them are ye also so greatly without vnderstandyng Doe ye not yet perceyue that whatsoeuer thing from without entreth into a man it cannot defyle him â–ª because it entreth not into his hart but into the belly and goeth out into the draught purginge out all meates After the Phariseis were with these wordes vnto them priuately spoken rather put to sylence then cured of theyr maliciousnesse he eftsones called all the people vnto him For his pleasure was to haue them all monished of the premisses leste they shoulde at anye time afterwarde haue bene by Pharisaâ—call tradicioÌ„s withdrawen from the puritie of the gospell Heare you all saith he and vnderstande my wordes You sawe howe I was accused of heresie or vngodlynesse for that some of my disciples dyd eate breade with vnwashen handes as who saye he that so eateth were by suche meate polluted and made vncleane before God The cleanes and vncleanesse of manne standethe not in outwarde but in inwarde thynges Neyther canne the soule of manne bee defiled with corporall thinges Therefore nothinge that is without man and entreth into the bodie can make him vncleane before god But suche thynges as be within man and cummeth out of hym declarethe him to bee vncleane By this darcke saying the Lorde Iesus gaue the people occasion diligentely to ensearche what was the meanyng of his wordes and to make them more diligent he sayd moreouer whoso hath mete eares to heare let hym heare meanyng that the foresayed songe was songen in vaine to the deafe Phariseis But after the multitude was sent awaye and he gone into a house then the disciples desyred hym aparte to expounde them the parable of the difference betwene the thinges entring in cumming out of man Iesus here folowinge then sample of a faythfull and diligent scholemaister after he had gyuen them a litle checke and by that meanes made them to take better hede vnto his wordes then did he teache them the misterye and secrete meaninge thereof What sayethe he are you also whome I haue specially chosen out to teache other so voyde of vnderstanding Trulye ye your selues oughte to haue gessed what was meant by this parable by so manye as I expounded to you heretofore Perceyue you not that mans cleanesse and vncleanesse can neuer be knowen by those externall thinges whiche enter into hym For whatsoeuer entreth in by the mouthe is not conueyed into the harte but into the stomacke and anon after into the bely from thence yf there be anye thynge that is vncleane and filthy it is auoyded out into the priuie so that to the eater euery meate is cleane because nature purgeth whatsoeuer is here vncleane and filthy And he sayed that whiche cummmeth out of a man defileth the man For from within euen from the heart of men procede euell thoughtes aduoutry fornicacion murther theft couetousnesse fraude deceypte vncleaues a wicked iye blasphemies pryde folishnesseâ— all these euel thinges cum from within and defile a man But those thinges that cum out from the most inward partes of man be tho that both make and declare him to bee vncleane The seate of the soule or minde is in the heart and in the soule is true cleanesse and vncleanes For this cause he is not forthwith cleane whoso hath washed his handes but whoso hath a washen and a cleane harte Therefore all that cummethe from thence doethe verely declare manne to be cleane or vncleane For out of the moste secrete corners of the harte do yssue euel thoughtes aduoutry fornicacion manslaughter thefte couetousnesse gyle falsehode vnchast lyuinge a naughty and an enuyous iye raylyng wordes pryde and folishnesse The meate whiche is eaten with vnwashen handes bringeth in none of all these enormites but they springe euen of the man himselfe that is to saye of the harte and when they once cum out then doe they playnly declare him to bee vncleane in dede whose harte is defiled with so manye fylthy vices If they be kept in and hid yet is the man neuerthelesse vncleane in the sight and iyes of almighty God who throughly seeth the entrayles and bowles of the harte But yf they fortune to come out eyther by wordes or dedes then do they not onely testifye that the persons from whome they procede are vncleane but also many times do defile other mo whiles that by the eyes and eares they enter and crepe into the myndes of the hearers and sears Wherfore let your chiefe care be to kepe your harte cleane and then shall it not skill whether you eate your meate with washen handes or vnwashen ¶ And from thence he rose and went into the borders of Tyre and Sydon and entred into an house and woulde that no man shoulde haue knowen But he could not be hid For a certayne woman whose doughter had a foule spirite assone as she hearde of him came tell at his feeâ—e The woman was a Beeke out of the nacion of Syrophenicia And she besoughte him that he woulde caste out the deuill from her daughter But Iesus sayde vnto dee Let the children first be fed For it is not mete to take the childrens bread and to caste it vnto whelpes She answered sayd vnto him euen so lorde neuerthelesse the whelpes also eate vnder the table of the childrens crummes And he sayd vnto her for this sayinge go thy waye the deuill is gone out of thy daughter And when she was cum home to her house she found that the deuell was departed and her doughter lying on the bed After these thynges were thus doen Iesus signifying euen by the very chaungeing of place howe wery he was of the Iewish honouring and seruice whiche was almoste altogether estemed by thovseruacion of folishe corporall ceremonies and coarcted within the verye narrowe limites of Iewry signifiyng also how much he desyred to be at large among the Gentiles where he should be honoured in spirit and trueth gat himselfe thence and went into the borders of Tyre and Sydon but as a priuie geste because of the enuious
heauenly Iewels of Christes doctrine then if ye shoulde open all â—inges cofers of worldly treasures and deale to euery one suche abundaunce as might make them al welthy and riche for euer in this world And as ye haue herein doen a dede worthy suche thankes and rewardes as lieth in none but only God to repay and a dede to vs your most louing and obedieÌ„t subiectes so beneficial as no hert can esteme muchelesse any tongue or pen expresse so doubte I not but that ye haue doen a good thyng to your most regal spouse the kynges maiestie so acceptable that he wil not suffre it to lye buried in sileÌ„ce but wyll one daye whan his godly wysedome shall so thynke expediente cause the same Paraphrase to be published and set abrode in print to the same vse that your highnesse hath ment it that is to say to the publique commoditie and benefyâ—e of good English people now a long tyme foore thirstyng and houngrynge the synâ—ere and playne knowledge of Gods word For his most excellente Maiestie beyng a man after the hert of the Lord being a right Dauid chosen to destroy Goliah the huge and cumbreous enemy of Israell without any armour and with none other weapon but the stone of Gods word cast out of the â—yng of the diuine spirite workyng in him his lawes made here in England being the elected instrument of god to plucke downe the Idoll of the Romishe Antichrist who folowyng the steppes of his father Lucifer hathe not onely vsurped a kind of supremitie tyrannie ouer all princes on earthe â–ª aswell christen as heathen but also hath ensourged against heauen and hath lifte vp and exalted hymself aboue al thyng that is called God making void the plain commaundementes for the aduauncing of his own more then Pharisaical tradicions peruertyng the true sence of the holy scriptures and wiestyng them to the maintenaunce of his abominacions beyng both afore God and manne detestable his hyghnesse beyng our Ezechias by the prouidence of God deputed and sent to be the destroier not onely of al counterfait relygioâ—s who swarmed amoÌ„g vs like disguised maskers not mummers but mumblers who vnder the cloke of holines seduced the people and deuoured the houses of riche widowes and were mainteners of al supersticion idolatry rebellioÌ„ but also to roote vp al Idolatry doen to dead images of stone and tymber as vnto God and committed to other creatures in steade of the treatour directly against the expresse woordes of the precepte Thou shalt haue no mo goddes but me his most excellent maiestie I say from the first daye that he wore the emperiall Croune of this realme foresaw that to the executing of the premisses it was necessary that his people should be reduced to the sinceritie of Christes religion by knowyng of Goddes worde he considered that requisite it was his subiectes were nousled in Christ by reading the scriptures whose knowlage should easily induce them to the clere espiyng of al the fleightes of the Romishe iugglyng And therfore as soone as myght bee his highnesse by most holsome and godly lawes prouided that it myght be leful for al his most faithful louyng subiectes to reade the word of god and the rules of Christes discipline whiche they professed he prouided that the holy Bible should be setforth in our owne vulgar language to the ende that Englande myghte the better attayne to the synceritie of Christes doctryne whiche they might draw out of the clere fouÌ„tain and spring of the ghospell running euermore clere without any more or mud rather then out of the muddie lakes puddles purposely infected with the filthy dregges of our Philistines the papistes who had stopped our spriges to driue vs to their poysoned muddy gutters and forowes By this his maiesties most godly prouision it hath cum to passe that the people which long time had been led in errour and blindnes by blind guides moÌ„kes fryers chauons and papistical preachers do now so plainly see the clere light that they do williÌ„gly abhorre idolatry supersticion they do now know their dutie towardes God their prince they do now enbrace yâ— veritie for verities sake they see where and how the leauen of the papistes hath by continuauÌ„ce of time for default of scripture soured all the whole batche of Christes doctrine they see howe being led by blynd guydes and pastours in the derkenes of ignoraunce they fel daily in the depe pitâ—e of manifold errours with thesame guides thei see that lyke as the olde Phariseis in the time of Christes being vpon earth had corrupted the sincere doctrine of gods word and the pure vnderstanding of the lawe teachyng the people to leaue their poore fathers and mothers destitute contrary to the playne commaundement rather then to let their treasurie to be not enriched whiche kynd of offring themselues of meâ—e couetise had inueâ—ted and dyd apply thesame to the mainteynaunce of themselfes in gluttony and sensualitie so now had the wicked papistry deuised a meane to picke the riche folkes purses the poore vulgare people clene to dengur vnder the colour of goyng on pilgremage to this or that stocke of mans handy makyng vnder pretence of sekyng health of the soule remission of sinnes at the handes of Peter Iames Iohn Marie which could not geue it but whan suche thinges were asked them blushed to beare god thoâ—ly autour gener of all good thinges to be so blasphemed They see now that lyke as the couetous Phariseis passed lesse at the violacioÌ„ or breakyng of gods preceptes then of their tradicions and put more justice in washyng the outesyde of their dishe or their cuppe then in the innocencie of life and puritie of the conscience within in offryng of myntes and rue for their lucre then in perfourmyng the office of charitie to the neyghbour sooner to wynke at their owne blasphemies against god then to remit a small trespace committed by their weake brother against the fond ceremonies which they and the lawyers had deuised and added besides the lawe so the beaste of romishe abominacion to had clene subuerted the true interpretacion of Christes ghospell and by his mere tiraÌ„nie ioyned with most crafty delusion to had inuected into Christes church and holy congregacion al thinges that were contrary to Christ that is to wete in stede of pure faith such as Christ requireth a faith lapped in a patched cloke of beggerly workes and ceremonies of his owne dressyng settyng forth in stede of religion supersticion offrynges in stede of charitie buildyng of chauntries in place of releuyng and mainteining the liuely temple and image of God in the poore encensyng of images in stede of the pure sacrifice of an innoceÌ„t life in stede of trusting in gods mercies trusting in treÌ„tals masses of scala cell in stede of heaueÌ„ a purgatory consisting of material fier thesame to be redemed with money geuen to him in stede of declaryng our free
the phisician And lyke as the louyng frendely phisiciaÌ„s if at any time they cannot styll remayne to bee euermore present with theyr pacientes doe commonly vse to leaue some boxe or receypt of phisicke with them whereby the parties that are sicke maye be theyr owne phisicians if the case shoulde so require so the lorde Iesus when he returned into heauen leafte vnto vs by his Apostles a medicinable electuarie of the gospell bothe easye and readie for euery bodye that wyll take it but of great vertue and effecte if a man receyue it as it ought to be and certes to take it to ones profite and benefite the chiefe thyng that worketh it is his assured trust and affiaunce in the phisician Neither is it enough to haue taken a stendre taste or assaye thereof but it muste be receiued and conueyghed into the veraye bowels that as soone as it is receyued within the stomacke the vertue therof maye haue full course to renne euery waye throughout all the veynes At suche tyme and neuer till than it begynneth to roumble and shake all the partie from toppe to toe with the hatred of his former life but after this great troublyng and confusion immediately ensueth greate tranquillitie of mynde and quiet of the conscience The phisicians of the bodyes haue practicioners and poticaries that dooe ministre theyr arte vnder them and theimselues are the prescribers and appoyneters what it is that must bee geuen to the sicke Christ alone it is and none els that hath prescribed the medicine of euerlastyng saluacion The Apostles and their successours the bishops are no more but ministers they temper in due proporcion they fyne and beate to powder they laye to the places diseased not receiptes of theyr owne but of Christes They baptise in water but Christe it is that washeth the soule cleane they teache the thynges whiche he taught and deliuered vnto theim but Christes owne selfe it is whiche maketh that theyr wordes maye take effecte The corporall phisicians dooe often tymes varie aswell in their iudicials of the diseases as also in appoyntyng medicines for thesame yea and many tymes in stede of medicines they appoynte thynges that are beray poyson to the sickenes accordyng to the saying of the greke Poete Many of the medicines be good that are wrought And many of theim again are sterke staryng nought But of the phisicke and medicine Euangelicall there is but onely one receipâ—t whiche ought of no mortall creature to bee either corrupted or altered And fynally to conclude it is confect of no mo but one simple so that althoughe they whose parte and duetie it were to be ministers of the same woulde bee slacke to dooe theyr office euery man maye take it and ministre vnto hymselfe so that he haue a mynde feithfully trustyng a mynde syncere and desirous of health For euen that same chiefe and head phisician of all who alone and none but he is of power hable to heale all the whole manne did at some seasons geue health by hymselfe in his owne persone and many tymes also by the ministerie of his Apostles and disciples Now ferthermore all the whole facultie and arte of phisicke hath two markes that it principally shoteth at the one that it maye deliuer the bodye from diseases and from suche thynges as doe brede diseases this parte is by the phisicans terme called therapeutica that is to saye the arte of curyng or healyng diseases secondelye theyr arte is to preserue and continue the healthfull state of the bodye and to encreace the strength and this parte of phisicke they place in the ordreing of the diete For the phisicians dooe not euermore sere with hote yrons or cutte they doe not euermore geue pocions of scammonie to consume and waste the fleashe as men in manier sleaghyng and martiring the bodye to kepe it in lyfe but sometymes they ministre suche thynges as maye make the herte lyghte and mâ—rie yea and also they geue the bodye sustinaunce at large So there is firste of all ministred vnto vs the pocion of faith whiche troubleth the soule and conscience with repentaunce and emptying vs dooeth discharge and vnlade vs of oure synne Than immediatly therupon is geuen an electuarie of consolacion of exortyng and of more perfeict doctrine For if a phisician as soone as he hath made the bodye emptie by purgacion should soodaynely geue vp the sicke pacient and leat hym alone it is an hazarde and ieopardie leste whan it is destytute of all the strength some power and rage of a greater sickenesse maye take it as for example the paulsey the generall taking or dissolucion of all the limmes and senewes wherupon men lye bedred or a consumpcion So after that repentaunce hath cast downe our combe and hath well shaken our disease whaÌ„ baptisme hath scoured or pourged vs and made vs emptie and voyde from al synnes there bee suche thinges ministred and geuen to vs as maye holsomlye replenishe the soule agayne beeyng now well clensed and made voyde Wrathfulnes is voyded out and tentilnesse and mekenesse is in stede thereof infused Enuie is sucked out and taking of all thynges to the best put in for it Picling and pollyng is voyded out and in place therof succedeth liberalitie The feruent desyre of makyng warre is consumed awaye and the earnest zele of peace cometh in for it The loue of sensuall pleasures of the fleshe is expelled and in their stede entreth the loue of thynges celestiall Wyll ye heare what is the sâ—ammonie euangelicall Dooe ye penaunce The axe is nowe alreadie sette at the roote of the tree And euerie tree that bringeth not foorth good fruicte is cutte vp And Paule in lyke manier Mortifie your membres whiche are vpon yearth whoorehuntyng vncleannesse wanton lust euill concupiscence and auarice And within fewe woordes after it foloweth spoysyng your selues of the olde man with all his actes He hathe now voyded out the ill humoures how doeth he fill vp the emptie place agayne Dooe vpon youre selues sayth he as the saintes the elected of God the bowels of mercie bounteousnesse submission humilitie pacience supportyng one another and forgeuyng your selues emong you if any persone haue a querele agaynste an other lyke as the Lorde also hathe giuen to you And aboue all these thynges haue ye charitie whiche is the bande of perfeccion and seat the peace of Christe reioyce in your heartes Suche mannier an house swapâ—â— cleane with broomes and replenished on euery syde with suche ornamentes â–ª the eiuell spirite shall not eftsones entre vpon whan he returneth with seuen wurse then himselfe Thus than the Euangelicall medicine hath wyne of it owne wherewith to scoure the mattier of oure woundes that they smarte agayne Auaunt come behynde me Satan thou sauourest not tho thynges whiche are of god but whiche are of men Now see the suppleyng oyle oâ— thesame Haue ye a perfecte trust and confidence for I haue ouercommed the worlde A heare of heade shall not
whiche the ghospell teacheth then whiche the Paradoxes that is to saie the straunge opinions of the philosophiers dooe teache And the sayd philosophiers doctryne not one of the princes did euer make anye a dooe to destroye or suppresse and yet of it owne accorde it vanyshed awaye lyke as did also theyr lawes and the arte magicall and the rites of sacryfices For what creature dooeth at this daye sacrifyce vnto the Gods of the Heathen or slaygheth beastes in sacrifice as the Iewes did What persone dooeth now knowe of Zoroastes What man setteth an heare by the misticall riddels of Pythagoras Who readeth the lyfe of Apollonius Tyaneus any otherwyse then as a certayne dreame Yea or rather who vouchesalueth to reade it at al For where Aristotell is at these dayes of greate name and fame in the scholes leat hym neuer thanke his owne fâ—cte therefore but the Christians For euen he had perished too yf there had not been made a medley of Christe and hym together in our schooles of diuinitie Against the philosophie Euangelical beeyng yet but tendre and euen but newly spryngyng vp the worlde arose at the first chop with all his force and power by meane of the Iewes vnder the pretexte and coulour of religion fightyng agaynst the fountaine of all religion by meane of the philosophiers beeyng hable muche to doe in all kyndes of â—earnyng by meane of the Sophisters beyng felowes vnpossible to bee ouercoÌ„med in stiffenesse of holdyng argumentacions by meane of the rhetoricians beyng meruaylous in the force of eloquence by the tyrannes beeyng armed with all sortes of shewyng crueltie by meane of kynges lieutenauntes magistrates by suche as were cunnynng in magike and sorcerie and perfecte in the sleyght of castyng mystes ouer mennes iyes and other senses and by meane of eiuyll spirites beeyng the lordes of this worlde All suche tumultuous buisynesse as these as a sea of eiuils swellyng vp and ouerflowyng dydde the power of the trueth Euangelicall receiue endure breake throughe and vtterly ouercome For at the lighte of the ghospell whan it came it was reason that all counterfaictes of worldly power should clene vanishe a waye Up shot that same ghospell and shewed it selfe beeyng plaine and lowe whiche all men wâ—â— great a doe endeuoured to ouertrede and kepe downe The bokes of suche persones as with singular high witte with woondrefull learnyng and with exquisite eloquence wrote agaynst the ghospel vanished awaye of theyr owne accorde as it had been certayne dreames insomuche that they are not at this day remaynyng to bee had neyther excepte if any fragmentes or small pieces haue been saued of the Christians by reason of wrytyng agaynst them in confuting them The kynges and princes dooe nowe bough downe to honoure the thyng which to fore they weÌ„t about to destroie the power of magike is vanished awai and gone the euill spirites are cast out that they howle and rore agayn philosophie hath confessed her ignoraunce and geuyng ouer the foolishe wisedome of the world it hath enbraced the wysedome of the crosse the rethoricians write oracions in the prayse of Iesus Christ the poetes do hisse the olde goddes out of place and in the lieu and place of Goddes innumerable all their song and composyng is nowe of Iesus Christe alone Thissame so great a chaunge of the world begoonne within a fewe yeares after Christ was putte to death to be made generall and common through al the whole worlde and withoute any maintenaunce or supportacion of maÌ„ it encreaced from tyme to tyme still more and more vntyll the piece of leauen beeyng miengled in three peâ—kes of meale did â–ª â—auen and turne al the whole batche and vntill the graine of mustard seed beeyng digged into the yearth did ferre and wyde spleygh his boughes abrode ouer Asia ouer Afrike and Europe And ouer and besydes all this those persones who layed theyr battrey agaynst the trueth Euangelical to cast it â—owne and to destroye it not onely had diuerse and sondry kyndes of terroures wherwith euen very manly stomakes also might haue been quayled that is to weâ—e open coÌ„maundementes by proclamacion consistories places of iudgemente forfaityng of al theyr goodes to the princes attaindres and depriuacions banishementes priesons tormentes of burnyng plates scourgyng with â—oddis axes wherwith to choppe of theyr heades ieobettes fiers to burne them wylde beastes to cast them to that thei might be deuoured deathes but also they had diuerse and soondrye allurementes wherewith an herte though it wer right coÌ„tinent might bee corrupted Ceasar would saye to some one of them Rencague thou and forsake Christ and be thou the chiefe emong all my piers and except thou so do all thy gooddes shall be forfayte to my behoufe I wyll shewe all extremitie of rigour towarde thy wyfe and children and thyselfe for thyne own part shalt bee cast to wylde beastes in a denne Who did in suche cases as these perswade so many thousandes and bryng them in mynde with reioycyng to take it whan theyr promocions and dignities were taken from them whan theyr gooddes were spoyled that whan they sawe those parties haled with all violence to huige tormentes and execucion of death who nexte after God were moste derely beloued vnto them they should geue thankes to God and finally that themselues whan they might easly haue escaped and whan they might haue enioyed suche high commodities should of theyr owne voluntary wylles offâ—e themselues to bee cruelly martyred No power of humayne eloquence could this haue dooen but the godlye power of the trueth was hable whiche laye hidden in the graine of mustardsede Neither did the philosophiers doctrine lacke alluremente The Stoykes promised libertie and fredome true rychesse health reigne other thynges magnificent and royall to be spoken The Epicureans made highe woordes and promises of pleasure to the cares of men The Peripatetikes dyd couple the good giftes of the bodye with vertue But the doctrine of the ghospell as it did not drawe any body vnto it with any worldly terrours so on the contrary parte how feâ—re was it from hauyng any thyng commendable in outwarde shewe to see to naye rather howe many thynges did it conteine vttrely vncredible It telleth newes of one Iesus nailled on the crosse who had by his death deliuered mankynde and this Iesus to be bothe god and man borne of a virgin and one that had returned agayne from death to life and was nowe sitting at the right hande of God the father and thesame Iesus to had been a man that had taught suche persones to bee in blissed case as for the profession of his name did mourne and warle did suffre thirst or hungre were put to affliccion wer euill spoken of or were putte to death and that all men shall in time to come arise to life agayn and that the godly sorte at that daye thesame veray Iesus beeyng their iudge shall haue immortalitie to their lotte the wicked shall haue the peines of hell for euer without
purenesse preache the ghospell so those that write dooe not euery man with lyke faythfulnesse and trueth handle the storye of the ghospell For many an one hath attempted after like sorte to patche and to make a medley of the discourse of reportyng Christes ghospell as other wryters are woonte of mortall mennes actes that is entremedlyng ofttymes false thynges emong the true and tellyng for matiers of approued certaintie suche thinges as they had afore taken onely of the vncertaine rumoures and voyces of the common people yea and many tymes inuentyng of their owne braynes some thyng to tell eyther of a delite and lust to lye or els beeyng corrupted with some other affeccion And as mortall mennes matiers are of nature apte and readie to bee corrupted there shall perchaunce hereafter also some persones sterte by whiche through makyng lyes on the actes and doctryne of Christe and of his disciples shall cause that true matiers shall not be credited neither Therfore the spirite of Iesus hath as it were nipped my herte also with a litell twynge that after Mathewe and Marke whiche two with all possible trueth and vprightnesse wrote as muche as at that tyme they iudged to bee sufficiente and yet neuerthelesse of a sette purpose and entente left vnto others certain thinges to be written supplying in the meane tyme with the office of liuely voyce that lacked in theyr writinges and after some others whiche haue not with sembleable vprightnesse attempted thesame of whiche persones some haue euerye where entermyngled many poyntes muche contrary to the doctryne of the gospell and many haue rather had an iye to fyll vp the holes of the story with fables and tales vnseemyng for the grauitie of the ghospell then to tell suche thinges as the holy ghost hath iudged to be auailable towardes the blisse euerlastyng I Luke also should by composyng a certaine ordre and processe of the storie euangelicall bothe supplye suche matiers as haue been omitted by the others and also debarre the authoritie of other persones whiche eyther heretofore haue written or hereafter shall wryte for mattiers of certaynetie and for matiers of euident trueth eyther fātasyes of their owne imagining or els thinges none otherwyse knowen but by the rumoure and bruite of the people who is commonly an authour and brynger vp of thynges not all of the fynest And yet do not we our selues so frame the processe of this storie that we leatte passe no manier poynte at al of the thynges that haue been sayde or doen But we make relacion of suche thinges onely as we know to concerne the godly deuocion of the gospel and the fruicion of the lyfe euerlastyng For an infinite and endelesse matier it were throughly to write euery thyng that Iesus hath doen or taught Some poyntes there bee whiche without the preiudice of saluaciō maye not bee vnknowen some other thynges agayne there bee the knowelage wherof bryngeth very muche profite to the zele and desire of perfect godlinesse and some poyntes finally there bee that maye bee vnknowen withoute anye perill of saluacion and without any greuous empechemente or hinderaunce of a christen mannes perfeccion as in dede for an exaumple all that euer we knowe in diuine matiers is but a litle litle porcion in respect and comparison of that that we knowe not Therfore neither wyll we touche and treate of euery matier to the vttermoste nor yet tell or recite thinges vncertayne but those thynges onely wyll we declare of whiche there hath been moost assured and euident certaintie shewed vnto vs by the vndoubted Apostles and disciples of Christ the whiche had not onely theimselues with their owne iyes seen a great parte of the thynges that they tolde vnto vs and hadde hearde thesame with their owne eares and had the handeling and doyng of muche parte therof with theyr owne handes but also hadde theimselues been a parte of thesame actes that they reported were doen as men that had doen many thinges at the commaundemēt of the Lord and had suffered not a fewe thynges for his sake because they were in all matiers inseparable companions and folowers of Iesus Christ almoste neuer out of his presence Neyther ought there the lesse credite to bee giuen vnto me for that I do wryte suche thynges not as I haue seen my selfe but as I haue learned of others It was requisite to a matier beyng so ferre out of all vse and so straunge and so vnreedible that feith should first be acquired and woonne out of all the senses of the body and than thesame feith to be confirmed with euident wondres and miracles But this kynde of tokens or prouffes cannot euermore continue ne endure For on the one syde Christe didde not long exhibite himselfe to bee seen in this worlde and on the other syde miracles are thynges but for a time geuen to mēnes hardnesse of belefe and afterwarde once to ceasse and to haue an ende It is sufficient that the rudimentes and first principles of the feith ▪ proceded from suche beginninges as these Thomas the Apostle sawe Christ after his resurreccion hearde hym and felte hym with his handes and than beleued but oure Lorde and maister Christe pronounceth suche persones to bee blissed whiche although they haue not bodyly seen the thynges dooen yet neuerthelesse dooe geue as muche credite to the woordes of the gospell as if they had personally been presente at the dooyng of thesame For otherwyse if onely the iyes should bee beleued euen veray they that were bodyly conuersaunt with our lorde doe reporte many matiers at the dooyng of whiche themselues were not presente but learned it of other persones beeyng substanciall credible and true of theyr reporte as for an exaumple of the natiuitie and petigrewe of Christe of the wyse men that were called Magi whiche came from the Easte to see Christ beeyng newe borne of the flying of Ioseph Marie with Christ into Egipte ▪ of Satan how he tempted Christe We Euangelistes though we sawe not the begynnynges of thynges yet haue we seen the sequeles and endes of them We haue seen in the Apostles al that euer oure Lorde had promised of them in the gospell We haue seene theim beeyng enspired with the holy ghoste geue thesame holy spirite of God to other persones also beeyng baptised by laying their hande ouer them yea and in our owne selues haue we found and felt the effectual power and strength of the holy ghoste We haue seen diuilles drieuen out of mē at the name of Iesus we haue seen diseases put away we haue seen poysons voyde of al effecte or force to dooe harme We haue seen that the maiestie of the gospel by men of slendre substaunce in worldely rychesse by men of lowe degree borne by men priuate that is to saye by men hauyng no seculare autoritie at al is yet neuerthelesse in a fewe yeres famously notified throughout the whole vniuersall yearth and that the great and mightie princes of the worlde haue
vntyll the Lorde Iesus expulsed and droue out from them that euill spirite of Satan that helde them in his possession Wherefore the sayed partie so possessed with Satan beeyng not hable to abide the newe vertue of Iesu whiche priuely vttered it selfe began to crye out horribly roryng Oh out out what haste thou to do with vs thou Iesus of Nazareth Art thou come to destroye vs before the tyme we knowe what tormentes abydeth vs at the last daye But nowe thy presence tourmenteth and vexeth vs before that daye We require no saluacion of thee we aske no release of peyne but onelye praye thee to delaye or deferre it vntill than We neuer felte the lyke of these tormentes by the presence of any other prophete Wherupon it is not vnknowen to vs who thou art For doubtlesse thou arte thatsame onely holy of God that shall conquier all vngodlynesse and drieue out of the worlde all vnclenesse The lawe hath his holinesse the lawe hath his clenesse but thou arte he onely whom god had sanctifyed and declared holy with heauenly holynesse The lorde Iesus would not suffre hymselfe to bee praysed or spoken of by that wicked spirite but would all the glory of his prayse to bee referred to his father onely and to come from hym knowyng right well that this confession of the deiuill came not foorth of a syncere fayth but of a malicious will and purpose For he professeth Christe to bee Iesus and to be the sonne of God only to geat hym to confesse thesame of hymself and playnly to vtter what he was to his harmes dooyng the selfesame thing by the mouth of this man that Satan the temptour of hym had to fore gonne about to dooe and had laboured in his owne persone he professeth Christe of a subtile and craftie mynde not that hymselfe might atteyne saluacion but that he myght lette and hyndre the saluacion of others Neyther was it loue that caused hym to vtter that voyce but feare of punishemente Wherfore as an eiuill and malicious vile slaue of a desperate mynde vnpossible to bee recouered to grace he deserued to heare these thankes for his confession Holde thy peace thou vnclene spirite and departe from that man whom by tyrannie thou doest possesse I am come to saue men And whan the deiuil had throwen hym in the myddes he came out of hym and hurt hym not At this emperiall and almightie voyce of Iesus commaundyng hym to departe the vnclene spirite whan he had throwen down the man vpoÌ„ the yearth and vexed hym he departed from hym so that no harme appered dooen vnto the man beyng now safe and clene delyuered That he threwe hym down it was an euident signe of his peruerse wyll and a token that sore agaynste his mynde he forsoke thatsame his dwellyng place That he hurt hym not it proueth playnly that the wieked spirites can hurt none of them whiche dooe wholly commit themselues vnto the salueour For the goodnesse of this one Iesus onely is of more strength to saue man then the malice of innumerable deiuils to destroye or hurt thesame Other men whan they labour to deliuer mennes bodies from noysome spirites are woont to take for the purpose to vse all possible kindes of remedies and thynges of vertue and strength to putte awaye that eiuill as are for exaumple certayne prayers speciallye prescribed and appoynted therefore and made with certayn woordes apte for that purpose burnyng of frankincense sprincling of holy water or other thinges accustomed certayn herbes hauing a vertue and propertie to expell them with many other kyndes of ceremonyes not vnlyke the feacte of sorcerie and witchecrafte And yet right seldome is it seen that those thynges expell an eiuill spirite That if at any tyme he dooe departe out of him he leaueth behinde him some tokens and markes of his manyfest malice either tearyng awaye some membre and lymme of his bodye as a legge or an arme or els leuyng behynde him some disease sickenesse vncurable But whan the people sawe that at the mere worde and sharpe commaundement of Iesus the eiuill spirite sodaynly departed from the manne so that he was perfectly healed and not so muche as the leste marke or signe that could be of his eiuill remayned they all that sawe this doen were astouned and began to wondre And thus they talked emong themselues of Iesus What a straunge case is this that we see now suche a thyng doen as the lyke hath not been reade ne herde For he hath the vnclene spirites vnder his rewle and obeysaunce and commaundeth them And his commaundementes are of suche mightie power and autoritie that they byandby acknowleagyng hym more of power then themselues dooe forsake a man in suche wyse that after they bee goen out of hym perfect health returneth in place of sickenesse Thus the sight of this so woondrefull a miracle caused that the name and fame of Iesus bruited and spred abrode this acte not onely in the citee of Eapernaum but also throughoute all that region euen into the Synagogue of the Iewes whiche lackyng the spirite of Christe made an vprore and a stiere through the spirite of Satan against the trueth of the ghospell throughe the inspiracion of whiche Satan the Nazareans attempted to murdre the saluaour as is aforesayde ¶ And whan he was arysen vp and come out of the synagogue he entred into Symons house And Symons mother in lawe was taken with a great feure and they made intercessioÌ„ to hym for her And he stoode ouer her and rebuked the feure and the feute lefte her And immediately she arose and ministred vnto them Than departed he from the Synagogue and entred into the house of Symon to whom the name of Peter was afterward geuen whose mother in lawe was holden with a veray sharpe feure This womans kinsfolke and alliaunce besought Iesus that as he vndesired had expulâ—ed and drieuen out the deiuill from the man as is aforesayed in the Synagogue he woulde bee so good at the desire of a great manye frendes as to heale this woman of her feure and the rather forasmuche as she was of the allyaunce and affinitie of Peter a disciple of his owne whome he entierly fauoured Than Iesus to shewe and declare hymselfe readye to dooe good bothe priuatelye and openlye aswell to his acquaintaunce as to those that were straungiers vnto hym yea and vnto all ages young or olde to all sexes men or women and to all states and degrees ryche or poore he came nighe and standyng harde by the woman he threafued the feure commaundyng it to departe And foorthwith at the Lordes comaundemente the sickenesse wente quite awaye and the strength and lustinesse of her bodye returned agayne not by littell and littell as it commonly dooeth in those whiche are cured at the handes of phisicians but the sickenesse beeyng soodainelye drieuen awaye the whole strength and lustinesse of perfect health with a cherefulnesse of moode was
pardone neyther in this preseÌ„t world nor in the worlde to come Lyke as to the wicked Aungels there is no waye leaft to come agayne vnto repentaunce because they resisted God not of any infirmitie or weakenesse but of an obstinate malice nor thesame wicked AuÌ„gels shall euer emende ne haue anye hope of forgeuenesse euen in thesame state shall men bee sure to bee if they folowe the peruerse facion of the others They see me a manne taking reste and slepe sufferyng houngre yea and they shall see me dying therefore it maye bee pardoned if they speake any thyng of me that may truely bee sayde of a mortall man But that beyng corrupted with enuie they impute those actes to the spirite of Beelzebub whiche they knowe to bee of the power of God forasmuche as on the one syde they defraude god of his glory and on the other syde they put ouer vnto wieked spirites that cometh of god and is due to him theyr so doyng verayly is of deiulishe malice whiche for thesame cause shall not obteine pardone of god though beeyng most singularely enclyned to shewe mercye because he can no skille to repente himselfe of his goodnesse Many wayes than shall there be murmouring agaynste youre preaching For some persones shall persecute you eyther strayghing out of the right way of mere simplicitie or els of a maliciousenesse miengled with theyr errour Othersome agaynst the conscience of theyr owne harte shall labour to destruie the veritie whiche they euidentlye see trie and knowe and that shal they doe for none other respect but because it contrarieth theyr naughtie affeccions By meanes of suche persones shall the eiuill spirite of Satan rebell against the good spirite of god by helpe of his garde the wicked men he shall inuade you with all kyndes of ingiens And although ye bee ignorauntes of the worlde poore men and of lowe degree there is no cause why for you to bee afearde of the vproare and sedicion of the world agaynste you The spirite of god being graciouse playne without any guile or deceite is sufficient againste all aswell fraude as violence of this worlde Therefore when ye shall bee haled into theyr synagogues appâ—ached of greate crymes when ye shall bee drawen to come beefore magistrates or rewlers and prynces doe not ye as the common sorte of people doe whan they are broughte afore a iudge to theyr aunswere who are muche carefull what aunswere they maye make or what they maye speake to ridde theyr handes of the mattyer Thus muche shall bee geuen to the puplique autoritie of a magistrate that beyng called ye shall appere But cause is there none why ye shoulde bee afearde of the sighte of them or why ye shoulde bee carefull howe to defende youre selues with an oracion prepared for afore The playne tale of the trueth shall continually from tyme to tyme bee ready and freshe in memory vnto you And suche kiende of wordes to speake the holye ghoste shall sufficientelye minister vnto you as often as nede shall require of suche sorte as your life is such shal your wordes also bee And nothing there is more pithie or effectuall then the playne trueth without any coloures ¶ One of the coumpany sayde vnto hym Maister speake to my brother that he deuyde the enheritaunce with me And he said vnto him Man who made me a iudge or a deuider ouer you And he sayde vnto them take hede and beware of couetousenesse For no mans life standeth in the aboundaunce of the thinges which he possesseth And he put furth a similitude vnto them saying The grounde of a certain riche man brought furth plentifull fruictes be thought within himselfe saying what shal I doe because I haue no roume where to bestow my fruictes And he â—aydeâ—â—â— his will I doe I will destroy my barnes builde greater therein wil I gather al my goddes that are growen vnto me and I wil say to my soule Soule thou hast much 〈◊〉 â—aied vp in store for manye yeres take thyne ease eate drinke and be mery But god saied vnto him Thou foole this nighte will they fetche away thy soule again from thee Than whose shal those thinges be which thou hast prouided So is it with him that gathereth richesse to himself is not riche toward god And as the feare of iudgemente maketh many goe a crosse way from the sinceritie of professing the gospel so doth the greedy desires of money corrupt a great mayny To the ende therfore that the Lorde might vtterly plucke that affeccion also out of his disciples hertes as a thyng basse or vyle and vnmeete for suche as haue entred the charge of heauenly affayres there was a matier euen there offered vnto him whereby the thing mighte bee doen. For where there was a very great multytude of people about Iesus and yet no manne that had before that daye beene so bolde to aske so lowe and so basse a mattyer of him one sayed vnto him Maister so it is that a brother of myne vsurpeth my parte of the enherytaunce whiche shoulde serue vs bothe and fyndyng manye euasyons and stertyng holes he delayeth from daye to daye to make particion therof here leat the autoritie of thy woorde bee a succoure and ayde vnto me Say vnto him and bidde him to deuide the enheritaunce with me Than Iesus as ye woulde saye taking skorne and indignacion so to bee interrupted from his heauenly busynesse of preaching vnto carnall and fylthye caâ—es in the meane while all vnder one geuing a lesson to his seruauÌ„tes that suche an one as beareth the office of an Apostle ought not to bee enwrapped in secular and filthie affayres of the world answered Thou felow with what face doest thou in the myddes of my preaching interrupt me agaynste thy brother in diuiding youre enheritaunce who hath made me a iudge betwene you two being at variaunce about a light tryflyng mattier and shortely to decaye Or who hath geuen me vnto you to bee a diuider of enheritaunces Hath not this worlde iudges enough to ende such lowe matiers of trauerse I haue no suche commission that this or that partie shall growe in richesse by cuÌ„ming to temporall goodes or landes by succession but that all creatures may come to the enheritaunce of the lyfe immortall in heauen And than turning to his disciples and to the rest that were there present he begoon euen by the exaumple of the partye that had interrupted hym afore in hys sermon to exhorte them from the earneste desyre of geatting worldely rychesse not that richesse are of themselues eiuil but because that to put the chiefe sâ—aygh of a mans life in theÌ„ and for the desyre of them to be called away from tho thinges whiche doe earnestly concerne euerlasting blisse is a veary folye Beware ye sayeth Iesus in any wise from all thinges belonging vnto auaryce For oftentimes vnder the colour of necessitie of making prouisyon aforehande for ones liuyng there cometh stealing
ignorauntes the symple sorte and suche as can no skyll of fraude or falsehoode appeare to bee of the Assishe kinde but they haue the lorde to theyr directour who will not leat them straygh out of the way who not onelye vouchesalueth to sytte on theyr backes but also to haue hys habytacion in theyr heartes whiche he gouerneth with hys owne spirite And the beastes were bare vntil than but the Apostles doe couer theÌ„ al ouer with their robes that is with theyr doctrine and with exaumples of holy conuersacion preparing them for Iesus to geatte vp vpon whiche Iesus what he once dyd after the fleashe the same he neuer ceassethe to dooe after the spirytuall sence The way was rough but the same way dooe the disciples make sure enough to goe vpon by spreadyng theyr garmentes abrode vpon it that is shewyng the way of godly conuersacion to be easye in case a man goyng by the exaumples of the holy submit hymselfe to be vnder the lorde Iesus Than goe they vpon braunches of palmes and vpon greene leaues of trees that is by the memorye of the mattirs the virgins and the confessoures continuallye bearyng floures and keping theyr freashe grenesse For what a great noumber of good exaumples doeth on euery syde offer themselues vnto such as are entred in the way of godly deuocion Great store of such exauÌ„ples doe the very bokes of the Iewes minister eueÌ„ to the GeÌ„tiles also And these shew tokens of gladnesse in thys coltes behalfe whoâ—oeuer they bee that acknowleage Christe for theyr lorde and owner Neyther doe there want Phariseis at thys day too ne neuer shall want or fayle in whome the glorye of Chrste shall cause herte burning and enuie For they had lieffer haue it cryed vnto themselues Osanna in the highest lauded be he which cometh in the name of the lorde wheras they come not in the lordes name but in theyr owne But the Iewes euen at thys daye kepyng sylence of the glory of Christ whiche they haue enuye at the stones vnceassauntly crye it out being nowe become the children of Abraham Here doe the people of Hierusalem crye awaye with hym awaye with hym dooe hym on the crosse Irishe men Scottes Englyshe men Frenche menne Sarmacians Germaines crie landed be he that cometh in the name of the lorde Such people as whyle they sette theyr heartes on aduauncyng theyr owne glory doe labour to derken the glory of Christe and those whiche for the respect of theyr owne priuate commodytye dooe suppresse and depraue or corrupte the sinceritie of holy Scripture whyle they desyre to haue theyr owne greatnesse set out in mens talke and the glorye of Christe to be leaft vnspoken all suche veraylye playe the partes of those Phariseis whiche attempted to stoppe the mouthes of the chyldren of the Hebrues whiche chyldren God had enspyred to sing foorthe the glorye of hys name and of hys sonne whome he had geuen a salueour vnto the worlde Yea and thys poyncte also hathe some holesome significacion in it that there is firste a stiepe cumming downe from the mount of Oliuete and than afterwarde an euen and smoothe waye ouer a playne and anon agayne an other goyng vp vnto the mounte of Sion for vpon thys mounte of Sion was the temple of the Lorde builded Except the former mount had oyle wherby the light of feyth might be nourished and maynteyned there coulde bee no cummyng downe from the affyaunce of the lawe by which the Iewes swel in pride nor from trustyng in philosophie by which the Gentiles thinke themselues ioly felowes For the firste steppe and degree of growing forwarde in goodnesse is through feyth But than muste we approche the house of the cheke for Bethphage is so muche to say in the Sirians tounge For thys is the cheke not that puffethe vp in haultenesse of mynde or looke but that is ready to come foorth with the confession of our offences committed agaynste God Neyther muste we bee ferre from Bethanie whiche is called the house of obedyence For all creatures are not obediente vnto the ghospell But yet herehence cometh the begynning of health After the downehyll the waye lieth ouer a playne being on euery syde strawen with the braunches of good exaumples vntyll we eftsones come to the rysyng vp of the hyll towardes the mounte of Sion whiche is called the tooryng hylle or peake or hygh beacon place or watchyng toure from whence to see a ferre of For thys is verayly that same hygh toppe of vertue out of whiche as it were out of an hygh peake or beakon place altho thynges are a great waye beneath looked downe vpon and contemned of whiche thys worlde maketh greate moustre and shewe as if they were hyghe thynges aboue the moone And the mynde beeyng nowe drawyng well towardes heauen beholdeth suche thynges as are euerlasting and the which doe surmount the coumpasse of al mans reason ¶ And Whan he was come nere he behelde the citie and wept on it saying If thou haddeste knowen those thinges whiche belonge vnto thy peace euen in this thy day thou wouldest take hede But nowe are they hidde from thyne iyes For the dayes shall come to thee that thy enemies also shall cast a â—antie about thee and compace thee rounde and kepe thee on euery side and make thee euen with the grounde and thy children which are in thee And they shall not leaue in thee one stone vpon an other because thou knowest not the tyme of thy visitacion And whan the lorde Iesus was nowe come so ferre onward that Hierusalem was somewhat nere and was full in fighte afore him viewing and beholdyng the same cytye portely and gorgeous of buildinges flourishing in menne in richesse and in opinion of holinesse and deuocion towardes God proude of their state that the world was in at that presente day and voyde of all thought and care by reason they knewe not of thextreme distresse and myserie that was to come vpon them he being earnestly moued with compassion wept and with woordes sodaynly brastyng out without any suche talke afore goyng as it were one sighing and sobbing for sorow he muche lamented the destruccyon of the same citie and spake to thys effecte ensuyng If thou also dyddest nowe as well as I dooe knowe thys day of thyne in whiche is offred vnto thee peace and remission of thy great synnes past thou wouldeste earnestlye sette thy minde to embrace that is offered Forsooth thys is thy day in whiche thou art occasioned to emendemente and in whiche the goodnesse of God prouokethe thee to repentaunce and dooeth prouoke thee with the hygheste and vttermoste degree of bounteous goodnesse and with so high a degree of goodnesse that there can be no more dooen to it The mercifulnesse of God so often tymes despysed of thee vouchsalueth after a certayne newe mannier to visite thee to the ende thou mayeste at lestewise by thys meane weaxe mylde and reformable There will come an other day not of thyne but of
of both partyes a bodye shall make a direct aunswere he shall renne on the sharpe poyncte of the horne that is to saye shall incurre inconuenyence and bee taken in hys aunswere If they had mynded to aunswere the veraye trueth of the mattier the woordes of the trueth was a playne and a ready tale to bee spoken but they smelle themselues to be layed for by the same policie and trayne wherewith they layed a bayte for hym Herupon goe they to a wyly counsayll together emong themselues For none there is a more busye piece of woorke then the framyng of a countrefaycte matyer and commonly one fraude halethan other at hys â—ayle and one guyle draweth an other after hym Therefore they laye theyr heades together thus conferryng emong themselues what aunswere shall we make to thys doubtfull questyon If we shall say that Iohns autoritye came immediately from heauen he will strayght way hitte vs in the forehead with it and will say Why than dyd ye not geue credyte to hym whan he testyfyed of me He playnely confessed hymselfe to be inferyour to me and vnwoorthye to beare my shoes after me He openly confessed hymselfe to be an earthly manne and to speake earthelye thynges and beeyng a basse slender persone to speake basse matiers and that I beeyng issued from heauen was aboue all creatures Howe doe ye receiue his autoritie as a thyng procedyng from God and doe openly in the face of the worlde fynde slaundreous cauillacyons at myne autoritie of whiche he gaue playne testimonie That if on the other syde we shall auouche that Iohn dyd nothyng by the autorytie of God but of an humayne spirite onely all the vnyuersall people will vpon vs with stones because it is a thyng rooted in the heartes of them all full and whole that Iohn was a Prophete and that he wroughte by the inspiracyon of God whateuer he wrought They had no care to aunswere trueth but to aunswere that might best serue to their purpose So doe false doctoures auÌ„swer not the thyng that scripture teacheth but takyng suche sence therout by their interpretacion as maketh to their affeccions In case they shoulde haue aunswered trueth theyr autoritie emong the people stode in great hasard if they had aunswered false they feared theyr lyues They stode in great feare of men wheras they cast of from theÌ„ the feare of God Wherupon they aunswered that they could not tel There was none other hole but thys alone left open for them to escape oute at but whan they had gotten suche an euasion they doe all vnder one seâ—blably deliuer the lorde from aunswering to their question For he saied vnto theÌ„ Because ye fynde such euasions and sterting holes and wil not aunswer that ye knowe well enoughe nor I neyther will not tell you by what autoritye I doe these thynges whiche ye see albeit ye are not ignoraunte of this thing neyther whiche ye nowe demaunde ¶ Than began he to put foorthe to the people this parable A certain man planted a vineyard and let it foorth to husbandmen and went himselfe into a straunge countrey for a greate season And whan the tyme was come he sente a seruaunte to the houseband men that they shoulde geue hym of the fruicte of the vineyard And they beate him sent him away emptie And agane he sent yet an other seruaunte and him they did beate entreacted him shamfully and sent him away emptie And a gayne he sent the third also hym they wounded and caste hym out Then sayed the Lorde of the vineyard What shal I dooe I will sende my dere sonne peraduenture they will stande in awe of hym whan they see hym But whan the housebandmen sawe him they thought within themselues saying this is the heyre come leat vs kill him that the enheritaunce maye bee ours And they cast him out of the vineyarde and killed him What shall the Lorde of the vineyard therefore doe vnto them he shall come and destroye these housebandemen and shall leat out his vineyarde to other The priestes the Phariseis the Scribes and the headmen of the laitie beyng thus confuted the Lorde by an by brought in a parable whiche might laye playnely before theyr iyes theyr vncurable malice woorthie of damnacioÌ„ who hauing bene so many wayes prouoked of god to amendement had â—tyll growen euermore to wurse and wurse rennyng in contempte of the lawe striekyng the Prophetes and puttyng them to deathe and entendyng no lesse then afterwardes to put to deathe the sonne of god also beeyng the extreme remedie of al eiuils yea and to put him afterward agayne to more affliccioÌ„ in the Apostles and martirs The tenour of the paraple is thys A certayne man ê™ Iesus planted a vineyard which he was singularly in loue withall doing all that mighte possibly bee doen that he might at length haue some fruict of the same For he hedged it diligently rounde about builded a towre within it for watching and kepyng of it he dygged out a gutter to receyue the wyne when it were pressed and he sette ferthermore a wyne presse in it And whan it was thus well furnished with all thynges apperteynyng he putte it foorthe to the handes of housebandemen that they shoulde dooe all requisite housebandry vnto it and gather the fruicte therof at tyme conueniente Thys doen he taketh a voyage into a ferre countrey continued a greate long season absent from home This same verayly is the vineyarde of the Lorde Sabaoth whiche the same lorde transposed remoued out of Egipt and set in the lande of beheaste he hedged it aboute with the precincte of the lawe he protected it with watching and keping of it his owne selfe in proper persone he beautified it with a goodly temple he added moreouer in it priestes iudges capitaynes and teachers he omitted nothing that to the ordreing or dressing therof might appertayne And thys vineyarde beeyng thus furnyshed to the poynte deuyse whaÌ„ it had bene a long season loked for that it should bring furth good grapes did yet neuerthelesse through the defaulte of the housebandemen bryng furth wylde grapes The lorde all this while who in dede is no where not present yet semed vnto them to bee absente ferre of because hys conuersacyon was in heauen Therfore whan it was a time due and seasonable for the people of Israel at last to bring furth fruicte according for such the bountiful goodnesse of God towardes them the maister of the vineyarde sent a seruaunt of hys that is to say one prophet or an other vnto the housebandmen that is to the princes to the priestes to the Scribes who wer the bearers of all the swaigh and stroke that they shoulde rendre and yelde vnto hym parte of suche fruicte as had growen vp in the vineyarde The housebandemenne who had tilled and vsed the vineyard to the behoufe of themselfes and not of the Lord firste pumbled the seruaunte aboute the eares and
But the houre cummeth and nowe it is when the true wurshippers shall wurshyppe the father in spirite and in the trueth For suche the father also requireth to wurship hym God is a spirite and they that wurship him must wurship hym in spirite and in the trueth The woman when she perceyued the rebukeful synnes of her life committed at home not to be hidden from Iesu beyng a straungier and also a Iewe who could not know by the reporte of menne that thing whiche he did disclose she shrynketh not awaye from hym as one confounded with shame neither is she with anger moued to answer him agayn spitefully but so muche the more she is inflamed to haue hym in great admiracion wheras if Iesus had spoken any suche thyng vnto the Phariseis they would haue cried out saied he is an enchaunter possessed with a deuill But what aunswere made this godly sinner the Samaritane Sir saieth she as I perceiue thou arte a prophete The feith of the woman was come to this poynte At the firste she calleth him but a Iewe and meruaileth that he did no more earnestly obserue the Iewes religion because that contrarie to the custome of other Iewes he did aske drynke of a Samaritane Anon after she calleth him Lorde Here nowe she attributeth vnto him the name of a Prophete because euen of himself he knew the secretes of other And at last she desyryng to learne certayne higher thynges of this prophete ceassed to speake of lowe and meane matters and propoundeth to him a question as a thyng to her thynkyng impossible to be assoyled concernyng the waie and maner how to wurship God because in this poynt the Iewes and the Samaritanes did very muche disagree For albeit bothe those kyndes of people did wurship one god yet the Iewes had an opinion that God should be wurshipped in no place but onely at Ierusalem in the temple as though God did no where els heare the desires of them that did praye Cōtrariwyse the Samaritanes with like supersticion but after another sorte denyed that God should be wurshipped in any place but in the mounte Garizim because that place was appoynted by Moses where the Patriarkes should blesse the people that kepte the commaundementes of God And forasmuche as both these nacions beyng wel pleased with their owne seuerall rites and customes did the one of them contemne the religion of the other the woman desyred to learne of Iesus as of a Prophete not ignoraunt in suche thynges whiche of those two nacions had the holyest waye in seruyng of God as one that would folow that waye whiche she should knowe to be best Therfore she sayeth Our elders wer wont to wurship God in this mount and they thinke it not lawfull to wurship hym in any other place where as you Iewes contrariewyse accoumpt it abhominable to do sacrifices in high places groues that it is not lawfull to wurship God any other where then at Hierusalem in the temple wherof they do glorie as though God were shut vp in a house builded with mans hand Because this question of the womā did apperteine to the learnyng of true godlynes Iesus openeth declareth to her howe that after the true and spirituall wurshippyng of god should be sette foorth by the doctrine of the ghospel the supersticious religion of the goddes and deuils of the Gentiles should be vtterly extinguished yea and also that the maner of the Samaritanes wurshyppyng of God should be abolyshed whiche had no suche iudgement of god as they ought to haue but toke hym to be as a certain special deuell and did mixe the wurshippyng of hym with the wurshippyng of deuils mingling and confounding together the wicked supersticion of the Gētiles with the wurshyppyng of God as a man should put fyer to water and folowing the saied Gentiles exaumple did their sacrifices in hye groues and mountaines And furthermore he shewed her that the Iewes religion which as the time required had been hitherto grosse and carnal and did rather represent certain shadowes of true godlines thē very godlines it selfe should encreace vnto more perfeccion that God being afterward more fully knowen through the sonne and the holy gost should be wurshipped not onely in Iurie but through the whole worlde yea that in more holy temples then the temple of Hierusalē was that is to say in the pure myndes of mē which God had dedicate vnto himselfe with his spirite and is not nowe to be pacified with the sauoure of burt offreynges of beastes but with holy prayers godly desires and chaste affeccions But before Iesus would open this misterie of the godlines of the gospel he speaketh first of feith without which none is mete to be a hearer of the euangelicall doctryne neyther fitte to be a wurshipper of Christes religion for faith only doeth purifie the hertes and maketh them apt to be put in trust with the secretes of heauenly wysedome Woman sayth he beleue me if thou take me for a Prophete in dede the time is come now when both the vnpure wurshippyng of the Samaritanes shal be abolyshed and also the carnall religion of the Iewes shall be turned into better neither shal ye herafter wurship the father in this mountayne who is not only the God of this mountayne but also of the whole worlde ne yet at Ierusalem but wheresoeuer shal be the congregacion of good godly people there shall hereafter be Ierusalem In the meane whyle we Iewes doe excell you in this behalfe that we wurship God whom we know by the lawe whom we doe confesse to be the Lord of all thinges all people nor we doe not defile the wurshipping of him who is only to be honoured with the wurshipping of other Gods You wurship you cannot tell what supposing God to be no bodies God but the Iewes your owne yea and ye take hym to be suche a one as would suffer hymselfe to be matched with deuyls wheras all godly honoure is due to hym alone The lawe hath taught the Iewes these thynges And by Gods commaundement there was a temple builded at Ierusalem to wurship one God therin which should be a fygure of the spirituall temple There were priestes ordayned also rytes and ceremonies of sacrifices as it were with certain shadowes betokening the holynes of the gospell Therfore the Iewes doe excell you herin that both we haue a better iudgement of God then you haue also that we doe not pollute or defile the wurshipping of him with any prophane wurshippinges of other Gods And moreouer we doe excell you in that we doe wurshippe hym in a place appointed of God himselfe with rytes ceremonies of his own teaching Howbeit in the meane while this our religion although it be not perfit yet it is as it were a step or furtheraūce toward perfit honouryng of God Therfore eternall health came firste of the Iewes to whom the Prophetes haue promised Messias to
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
vnto him Lorde come and see And Iesus wept then sayed the Iewes behold how he loued hym And some of them sayde Coulde not he whiche opened the iyes of the blinde haue made also that this man shoulde not haue dyed So than Marie went furth and founde Iesus as yet vnentred within the walles of the towne but abode in that place where as Martha had late before met him For he tarried there for Marie whome he commaunded to be called to hym chosyng a place fitte to weorke the miracle in because the graue was not far from that place as the maner was than to make the dead mens sepulchres nye the hye wayes When Marie was come thither assone as euer she sawe Iesus as in dede she was very woefull she fell downe at his feete spake weping the same thing that hir syster had sayde Lord sayth she if thou haddest bene here in due time my brother had not bene dead and we had bene without this miserable weping and waylyng But Iesus seeing Marie altogether in heuinesse the Iewes lykewise that folowed her wepyng withall he dyd not reason and stande in disputacion with her as he dyd with her sister Martha with whome he talked aparte the people being remoued asyde neyther dooeth he promyse any thyng when as nowe was place and tyme to performe in dede that whiche he had promysed Martha but Iesus I say firste of al groned in the spirite and was troubled in himself euen to shew the truth of his manhoode ready anon after to bryng furth a sygne of hys diuine power and Godhead They were no fayned affeccions that he was of so lothsome a mynde and in himselfe so troubled but there was good skill why he tooke vnto hym those mocyons of mynde whiche came not of the infirmitie of nature but by the consente of reason neyther was it al one cause why other wept and why Iesus was troubled They bewayled the death of the body of a certayn worldely and naturall affeccyon Iesus rather mislyked and lothed mennes sinnes whereby so many soules shoulde peryshe he was dysquyeted throughe the inuincible dyffydence of the Iewes who wepte for theyr frendes bodelye death when as them selues as touchyng the soule were subiecte to eternall deathe and yet dyd they not wepe for themselues Iesus desyred that all men should reuiue from this deathe and had indignacion that hys doctryne miracles and deathe should be loste in many one Therefore after that by horriblenes of spirite and by trouble of mynde in countenaunce iyes and in the whole habite of his bodye he had genen a manifest profe of hys manhoode teachyng also by the waye that it behoueth not to yelde and bee subdued to suche affeccions or to be called away from thynges of vertue the turmoyle of his mind beeyng refrayned and stayed Iesus sayde where haue ye layed hym not that he was ignoraunt therof but to remoue all suspicion of disceyt from the myracle His kinsfolkes aunswereth Lorde come and see That aunswere proued that the graue was not far of And nowe as if at the sight of the graue his sorow had ben renued Iesus wept Groning and trouble went before a token of sorow that with force entred into hys mynde Teares are as it were the bloud of a minde already wounded and ouercome But these teares came not from a mind that was ouercome for they were not bestowed vpon Lazarus that was dead but they were for vs that we should beleue him to be very man and also learne how death of the soule is to bee pitied and lamented whiche yet men doe not in suche sorte abhorte and bewaile But the Iewes supposing that Iesus was in suche moode for nought elles but for the death of hys frende with whome he was acquaynted behold say they how enterely he loued Lazarus for whom being dead he wepeth in such sort and yet were they nothing of kinne And some there were that would haue layed to his charge and rebuke his teares wherwith he testifyed no meane or common loue towardes Lazarus sayng Dyd not thys felowe of late geue sight to the blinde beggar with whoÌ„ he had no acquaintaunce Why than made he not that his great frende should not die In case he had no wil to doe it why dooeth he nowe signifye with teares loue that cummeth out of season If he could not doe the thing that is more easie to be doeÌ„ how did that feat which is of more difficultie to be dooen The phisicion manye tymes saueth the sicke mans lyfe There was neuer maÌ„ before gaue sight to him that was borne blind ¶ Iesus therfore againe groned in himselfe â–ª and came to the graue It was a caue and a stone was layed on it Iesus sayed take ye away the stone Martha the sister of him that was dead said vnto him Lord by this time he â—â—inketh for he hath bene dead fower daies Iesus sayth vnto her Saied I not vnto thee that if thou didst beleue thou shouldest se the glory of God â–ª then they toke away the stone from the place where he that had bene dead was layed But Iesus nowe being nye to the graue to declare playnly how horrible is the state of a manne that hath alreadye lyen long in synne and with howe great repentaunce howe many teares are nedeful that throughe Gods mercy he may penitentely returne to the lyfe of innocencie dyd grone agayne and fared euill with hymselfe exemplyfying in hymselfe verely the thyng whiche ought to be exhibite in vs if we will eftsones repente vs of the euilles and returne from the same wherin we haue long tyme nusseled our selues Nowe than they were come to the graue It was verely a caue whose mouthe was closed with a stone layed vpon it And that made much to the beliefe of the miracle and to exclude the suspicyon of inchauntment and delusion and because the beliefe therof should be more certayne and sure if the thyng were dooen by the handes of hys frendes and not with Iesus owne handes or hys disciples for those frendes suspect no fraude or illusion Iesus than turned him to theÌ„ and sayed take awaye the stone The playne meanyng of Martha sister to the dead man did also set furth made a more certentie of the miracle For she now forgetting what Iesus had promised her did through the wepyng and heuinesse that she sawe Iesus in come agayne into her olde mynde and affeccyon and conceiued almost a certayn diffidence Uerely she feared lest the stone beeyng taken awaye the styncke of the deade bodye shoulde offende theyr noses that stode by not considering that he which in the general resurreccion should rayse all mens bodies already many hundreth yeres before turned into duste coulde rayse a dead bodye euen newlye putrifyed She I tell you thus thynking sayd Lord by this tyme he stinketh For he hath bene dead fower dayes Iesus therefore did with a litle rebuke styrre vp the vnconstaunt and wauering womans fayth saying
firmely sticke thesame shoulde bee without feare of death Thomas sayeth he howe happeneth this that thou deniest the to knowe the waye vnlesse thou as yet percase knoweste me not at all For verely I am the way the trueth life I sayed euen nowe that I doe goe agayne to my father and onely do open for all tolke the way vnto hym and because he is come to by dedes fit and semyng for god ye haue the proufe of good life in me and also because no man without me cummeth to the father ye haue learned of me the trueth And yf the feare of death do in the meane tyme trouble youre myndes knowe well that ye bee sure of immortalitye forasmuche as I am lyfe dooe ye onelye folowe thyther as I goe beefore beeleue and kepe in minde that whiche I haue taughte you hope assuredly for the thyng which I promise If ye aske whither I goe I goe to my father yf ye desyre to knowe the waye whereby ye maye come thither I say to you no man cummeth to the father but by me â–ª wherefore you knowe bothe aswell whyther I dooe goe as what waÌ„ye the iourneye lyeth excepte paraduenture ye bee vtterlye ignoraunte who I am verely yf ye hadde knowen me ye hadde also knowen my father yea to say trueth ye haue already some waye knowen my father whome ye thynke to bee vnknowen vnto you nor ye haue not onelye knowen hym by the determinacion of the lawe but ye haue also seen hym doubtlesse Our Lord Iesus dyd with this obscure saiyng sumdeale aduertise his disciples that hys father of trueth was inuisible and not onely inuisible to the bodilye iyes but also that the mynde of it owne propre nature coulde not see and perceiue what he is yet notwithstanding but that he had beene seene after a sorte in his sonne as whyle they see hym in his soonne rewlyng the wyndes and the sea forcyng deuils to obeye putting awaie with a woorde sickenesses and diseases were they neuer so incurable and with a woorde raysing the deade to life But the vnlearned Apostles didde not as yet vnderstande these hye misteries and yet for all that euen as though they had in very dede vnderstand that which the Lorde spake vnto them they euen leap and skip of greate affeccion to see the father Imaginyng that the father mighte bee seene in suche sorte as they sawe his sonne such was there simplicitie as yet albeit neyther sawe they the sonne throughly whiche beholde hym with bodily iyes alone ¶ Philip saieth vnto him lord shewe vs the father and it suffiseth vs. Iesus saieth vnto him haue I been so long time with you and yet hast thou not knowen me Philip he that hath sene me hath seen my father And howe saieste thou than shewe vs the father beleuest thou not that I am in the father and the father in me The wordes that I speake vnto you I speake not of my selfe but the father that dwelleth in me is he that dooeth the workes beleue me that I am in the father and the father in me Or els beleue me for the workes sake Philip therfore beyng more desirous to learne then the reste speaketh thus lorde ê™ he thou tellest vs that the father is seene of vs but woulde God thou wouldest graunte that it myghte bee lawfull for vs to see and looke vpon thy father then were oure desyres satisfyed and we woulde wishe no more nor desire ought els In deede we haue hearde muche speakyng of him we lacke onely the sight of hym Our lorde doth controull and correct Philips request that was so very rude and foolishe saiyng Philip haue I been so long tyme wyth the and yet thou knowest me not It is not the syght of my face that thou knowest me by but the ryght vnderstandyng of my power vertue and trueth maketh the to knowe me This my mighty trueth and true power is not seen with bodilye iyes but the minde and soule seeth it Therefore when as I am the verye Image of my father in all thynges lyke vnto hym and that by my deedes and woordes thou oughtest already to haue knowen me and verelye to haue knowen is to haue seen howe dareste thou bee so bolde with what countenaunce sayeste thou to me shewe vs the father as though he that hath seene me hath not seene my father I meane not that my father is none other than I but that betwene vs two is no vnlikenes or any thyng vncommon as touchyng the higher and our diuyne nature In case thou canste not vnderstande what I saye by naturall reason he seeth also I tel you that beleueth Thou hast heard me speake thou hast seen me do myracles â–ª and therein surely thou haste seen and heard of my father doest thou not yet beleue that by an inseparable copulacion of nature wil and power my father is in me and I in my father What thing soeuer I speake I speake it of his mynde what â— thyng soeuer I dooe I dooe it after his mynde I am therefore alwaye in hym by reason of suche a coniunccion of nature and wyll as cannot be vnioyned and disseuered and he alwaye in me speakyng by me and by me declaryng with miracles his power Neyther doe I speake any thing of my selfe whiche same thing he speaketh not by me neither dooe I any thing of my selfe whiche he by me ioyntelye doeth not worke howe therefore doest thou separate them that be inseparable and with seueral sight desireste to see them seuerally beleueste thou that the one being knowen the other can be vnknowen doth the reste of you also yet not beleue that al thynges cummeth of my father which are spoken and doen by me and that there is no separacion betwixt vs two It had behoued you to haue credited me so oft teachyng this thing and if ye mistrusted my woordes yet truely the diuine woorkes and deedes surmounting mannes power oughte to haue caused you to beleue that what thing soeuer procedeth froÌ„ me is of my father yf my father himselfe should speake vnto you he would speake none other thing than I doe or if he would worke by himself he would worke none other thing than I do worke we haue one minde one will one power and nature ¶ Uerely verely I saie vnto you he that beleueth on me the wâ—orke that I doe thesame shall he do also and greater workes then these shall he do because I goe vnto my father And whatsoeuer ye aske in my name that will I dooe that the father maie bee glorified by the sonne If ye shall aske any thing in my name I wil dooe it If ye loue me kepe my commaundementes And I wil pray the father and he shal geue you an other coumforter that he maye hide with you for euer euen the spirite of trueth whom the world cannot receiue because the world seeth him not neyther knoweth him but you knowe him for he dwelleth with you and shal be in
not doen among them the workes which none other man did they should haue had no sinne But now haue they bothe seen and heard not onely me but also my father But this happeneth that the saying might be fulfilled that is written in theyr lawe They hated me without a cause And whatsoeuer despite they shall doe against you I will thinke it doen to me for all thynges that they shall do agaynste you they shall doe it for the hatred they beare to me when they curse you they shal curse me when thei reiecte you they shal reiecte me when they beate you they shall beate me For whatsoeuer displeasure is doen to the membres thesame redoundeth to the head And they would doe the lyke to me if they had me present with them Now because they cannot shewe their crueltie to me they wil shewe it to you But as all the iniurie that is dooen to you toucheth me In lyke maner whatsoeuer is committed against my name tourneth to my fathers dishonour also whom if they did rightlye knowe as they thynke they doe they woulde neuer so shamfully haue handled his sonne They arrogantlye pretende loue towardes God and yet they bee wickedly minded againste his sonne They aske saluacion of God and goe aboute to destroye his sonne They boaste themselues to be kepers of Gods commaundementes and doe reiecte the preceptes whiche his sonne geueth by the auctoritie of his father They glorie in their knowledge of the lawe and doe not receiue the knowledge of hym whom the lawe setteth forth They wurship the sender and persecute hym whome he hath sente Therefore they knowe not God whome they boaste themselfes to knowe And yet thys ignoraunce shall not excuse them in the daye of punishemente They be ignoraunte in dede but why because they woulde not learne And therfore woulde they not learne because they loued more theyr owne glorye then the glorye of god They did set more by their owne aduauntage then to winne saluacion by the gospell Wherefore that thynge whiche my father hath ordeyned for theyr saluacion haue they through their owne stubberâ—esse heaped vp to theyr eternall damnacion For verily I am come and was sente for this purpose if it mighte be to saue all men If I the sonne of God and greatest persone that could be sent had not come my selfe and declared vnto them all suche thinges as might haue brought them to a better minde If I had not also doen these thinges whiche had been inough to haue forced euen stouye hertes to faythe and belefe surely theyr destruccion shoulde haue been the more easie as giltlesse of this infidelitie the addicion wherof shall make the burden of theyr eternall damnacion the heauyer But nowe sith I haue leafte nothing vndoen wherby they might be saued and they againe with obstinate malice haue resisted him whiche frely offereth saluacion they can alledge no excuse for theyr incredulitie If one hate a straunger it maie bee thought sumwhat woorthie of pardon because he hateth him whom he neuer sawe but me they haue bothe seene and hearde They haue seene me doe good to all folkes and haue hearde me speake thinges woorthy for God Neuerthelesse they hate me for those thinges for whiche they ought to loue me But whoso hateth me must nedes hate my father by whose auctoritie I speake that I speake by whose power I do all that I do And I haue not onelye spoken by wordes but also by my dedes yet were they so blinded that they did neither beleue my woordes not dedes And this selfe thing shall make their damnacion more greuouse in that they haue so stubbernely abused the goodnesse of God being alwaye so ready for them If I had not doen suche miracles among them as neuer any of the Prophetes afore me did whether a man consider the noumber or greatnesse of them and that not to make them afeard or astonished therewith but to helpe them that were afflicted If I had not doen al this I say they should not haue been giltie of this moste greuouse sinne but nowe they haue both heard and seene and so muche the more haue hated not only me that haue both spoken and doen but also my father whiche hath spoken by me and set furth his power by me They neuer sawe Moses and yet hym they doe exteme hylye they beleue the Prophetes whom they neuer hearde but they turne cleane awaye from me whom they haue presentely seene before theyr iyes whom they haue hearde speake of whose benefites they haue so manye wayes had the profe And not herewith satisfyed they take my lyfe from me In the meane while they pretende a reuerente loue to God the father whereas whoso truely loueth the father cannot hate his sonne Howbeit these thinges happen not by chaunce for the very same thing that these men doe the Psalmes whiche they haue and reade did long agon prophecie should cum to passe that is to saye that in stede of thankes they shoulde recompence good turnes with euill will For thus spake I there by the mouthe of the Prophete let them not reioyce and triumphe ouer me whiche vniustely are myne enemies hate me without cause If a man being prouoked hate an other it maye bee suffered if one hate a straunger it maye sumwhat be pardoned but who can forgiue him that hateth one whom he bothe knoweth and hath found beneficiall But when the comforter is cum whom I will sende vnto you from the father euen the spirite of trueth whiche procedeth of the father he shall testifie of me And ye shall beare witnesse also because ye haue been with me from the begynning Neuerthelesse the incredulitie of these persones shall not make their fruite vneffectuall whiche will cleane to me For when I shall haue accomplished al that my father hath geuen me in commaundement and after that the comforter is come whom proceding from my father I wil sende you according to my promisse whiche is the holy goste beyng the inspirer and teacher of all trueth he shall declare all that euer I haue sayd and doen wherby bothe my goodnesse and their obstinate blindnesse shall euideÌ„tly appeare He shall shewe how there hath been nothing doen against me but the same hath been prophecied before in their owne bookes whiche they reade and yet vnderstande not Ye also whiche are now but weake then being made strong through the inspiracion of my spirite shall testifie of me before all menne for so muche as ye haue seene in ordre what I haue doen and hearde what I haue sayed Lyke as I haue tolde you thinges certaine euen the very whiche I haue seene and heard of my father neyther shall the holye goste put any thing but trueth in youre mindes for so muche as he procedeth from my father so shall ye beare witnesse of thinges not doubtefull but suche as be throughly tryed by all your senses And there will be sum whiche will not beleue you but yet muste not the saluacion
effect for I shall not long be conuersaunt among you in this visible bodie but shall dye and goe to my father And yet ye shall perceyue me to be one that liueth and hath power and that shall accomplishe all that I haue promised Moreouer the worlde also shal be rebuked and reproueâ— of iudgement because that by seing men euery where through penaunce coâ—â—erte from synne to innocencie of lyfe leaue the grosse ceremonies of Moses lawe and ruine to godlynesse of the ghospell the nacions of the whole worlde forsake theyr wurshipping of diuels and images and falle to the true wurshipping of God the father the sonne and the holy ghost it shall manifestly appere the prince of the worlde who hath heretofore by synne practised 〈◊〉 to be already with his owne weapons vanquished put out of the waye and iudged as one that hath procured my death by whom innocencie libertie of the gospell and immortalitie is recouered employed and geuen Than shall it well appere to haue been a triumphe whiche semed to be a thing of shame and reproche and that to haue been a victory whiche was imputed and counted for an ouerthrowe and an vtter destruccion for whan deuils shall eche where be cast out of the temples â–ª and shall crye out at the signe of the crosse when they shall leaue the bodyes whiche they had of long tyme possessed at naming of me shall not that openly proue theyr prince to be iudged and condemned Shall it not bee apparante and a clere matter that they also be woorthely iudged and condemned whiche had leuer folow hym being alreadye vanquished and iudged to eternall deathe than me whom as a conquerour and to all folke the verye auctour of innocencie and of life God shall carrye vp and auaunce to the felowship of his kyngdome ¶ I haue yet many thinges to saye vnto you but ye cannot beare them awaye nowe Howbeit when he is cum whiche is the spirite of trueth he will leade you into al trueth he wil not speake of hym selfe but whatsoeuer he shall heare that shall be speake and he wil shewe you thinges to cum He shall glorifie me for he shall receyue of myne and shall shewe vnto you All thinges that the father hathe are myne Therefore sayed I vnto you that he shall take of myne and shewe vnto you I coulde tell you many mo thinges but the tyme serueth not nor your weakenesse wyll not as yet beare them and since I haue not yet altogether goen thorow with this mine ambassade I do therfore reserue them to the cummyng of the holy ghoste he beyng once come shall fynde you more apte to receyue a more full knowledge euen when the busynesse of my deathe resurreccion and ascencion shall be dispatched and fynished This spirite that I speake of shall be no lying or worldely spirite but my very spirite that is to saye the spirite of trueth he shall teache you all trueth whiche ye are not nowe able to receiue at ful He also shall speake vnto you but that shall be by secrete inspiracions He shall not with mouing the ayer touche your bodely eares but by a priuey secrete vertue shall moue the inwarde myndes neyther shall he speake thynges of vncertaintye but in lyke maner as I haue spoken nothyng whiche I haue not heard of my father so shall he inspire nothyng into your hertes but that he hearde of my father and me and he shall out onely open vnto you all trueth of thynges paste but also he shall foreshewe you thynges to cumme ere they happen so often as nede shall require for he is not alone only almighty but hathe withall knowleage of all thinges He shall by you make the glory of my name be knowen to all men lyke as I by my deathe and resurreccion shall make my fathers glory notable and famouse for as what thing soeuer I doe redoundeth to my fathers praise and glory of whome I haue my being and of him haue receiued all that I haue cum so shall it growe to my honour and praise whatsoeuer he shall woorke by you He shall mocion you to nothing contrary to those thinges whiche I receiuing them of my father haue taught you All thinges is common betwene vs all thinges procede from my father but whosoeuer is his is mine nor any thing is my fathers or mine whiche is not common to the spirite Therefore by the sayde spirite shall I speake to you as my father hathe spoken to you by me he that beleueth me beleueth my father and he that beleueth the spirite beleueth vs both ¶ After a while ye shall not see me and againe after a while ye shall see me for I go to the father Then sayed sum of his disciples betwene themselues what is this that he sayeth vnto vs after a while ye shal not see me and againe after a while ye shall see me and that I go to the father They sayed therefore what is this that he sayeth after a whyle we cannot tell what he sayeth Iesus perceiuing that they woulde aske hym sayed vnto them Ye enquire of this betwene your selues because I sayed after a while ye shall not see me and againe after a while ye shall see me Uerily verily I saye vnto you ye shall wepe and lament but contrariwyse the worlde shall reioyce ye shall sorowe but your sorowe shall be turned into ioy Now than being corroborate and stablished with many thinges be ye bold and take good hearte vnto you againste the storme that hangeth ouer you in aduersitie saue your selues to the prosperitie whiche shall folowe within a whyle ye shall lacke the syght of me but ye shall be without it no longe time for within a shorte space after I shall be presented to your syght agayne that so ye may litle by litle be brought in vre to wante the sight of this body which is not moste commodiouse for you For I returne to my father to thentente that after I cease to be seen of you I maye endue you with greater giftes But not withstanding all this so great sorowe did possesse the disciples mindes at that time that they neyther vnderstood nor coulde kepe in memorie thinges that were often repeted and reiterate for whereas our lord Iesus did declare in these wordes not very obscurely that by death and buryall he should be absent out of his disciples sight yet none otherwyse but that within thre dayes after he would appeare vnto them againe euen in the self same bodye but now immortall so after he had for a fewe dayes space confirmed and stayed the mindes of his disciples to conuaye hymselfe again into heaueÌ„ And to th entent that hauing his bodely sight withdrawen from them which letted them to be spirituall they mighte deserue that heauenly spirite and after that to looke no more for their lordes bodely presence saue onely when at the laste daye he shall once for all shewe hymselfe to the whole worlde for
the roote and I the stocke the spirite beyng distribute thorowe out al the membres and both these braunches and the other that shall be brought to the fayth by these beyng dispersed thorowe out the whole worlde farre neare I can do nothing withâ—â—t thee these coulde do nothing without me The same thing that I receyued of thee haue I poured into them by the spirite whiche is common to all that as thou extendest foorth thy power and strength in me and I inseparably do cleane vnto the euen so bothe we maye extende foorth our power in these cleaning vnto vs and will not be disseuered to thintent that the worlde being prouoked with these meÌ„s vniforme doctrine miracles and honest chaste maners maye beleue that I am come from thee that whatsoeuer I haue doen may redound to the glory of thy name and that the worlde also may vnderstande and perceyue our spirite to bee in these persones shewyng foorth and bryngyng to light his force and power by miracles and other diuers proufes For as I haue not chalenged to my selfe the prayse and glorie whiche the miracles that I haue wroughte haue gotten me amongest men but I haue translate surrendred and put it ouer to thee o father whome I haue confessed to be the auctor thereof so the glorie whiche these shall prepare by theyr great acres for the tyme to come shall be altogether ours because they shall do nothyng in theyr owne name but shall referre all thynges to the commendacion and glory of our name And so therfore the world shall perceyue suche a concorde betwene them and me as is betwene thee and me I wil worke in them by my spirite as thou hast set abroche thy trueth in me And so it wyll come to passe that they also as membres of one bodye cleaning to one heade and quickened with one spirite maye by mutuall concorde sticke together among themselues that on all parties there maye be a consummate and a very perfite concorde in heauen and in yearth The â—iscencion in opinions doeth take awaye the beliefe of doctrine If they agreyng one with another shall teache thesame that I haue taughte yf lyfe agre with doctrine doubtles the world shall perceyue it is no worldlye or humayne doctrine but to be come from whome thou sendeste into the worlde It shall also vnderstande that they be beloued of thee obeying thy will as I am beloued of thee one that no where declineth or swarueth from thy mynde and purpose Father my desyre is that as these whom beyng disseuered from the world thou haste geuen to me shall be folowers of myne affliccions and crosse so they maye be partakers with me of glorie that like as they haue bene beholders of my base and meane state and witnesses of my payne and tormentes so they maye likewyse see and beholde the glorye whiche thou shalte giue me after I haue passed thorowe these euils and haue finished my whole passion that also they maye learne by affliccions to go to the eternall ioye and by reproche and ignominte to go to immortall glorye For it is no newe glory whiche thou shalâ— geue me nor newe charitie wherwith thou louest me but therfore thou shewest tokens and argumentes among menne of thy loue towardes me to the intente that those whiche wyll be myne shoulde by lyke waye and meane cumpasse and seke for thy loue and by lyke dedes laboure to be promoted vnto the glorye of heauen They whome thou hast vouchesafed to loue and shalt alowe them as wurthy thy glorye haue been loued of the before the creacion of the worlde O righteouse father the worlde also hath not knowen the but I haue knowen the and these haue knowen that thou haste sent me and I haue declared vnto them thy name and wil declare it that the loue wherwith thou haste loued me maye be in them and I in them O righteouse father nothyng hath been ouerslipt or omitted of me whereby thou shouldest haue been brought to be knowen of all folke but the worlde beyng for the more parte blynded in the sinne faultes therof would not know thee because it would not beleue me whiles I taught thee vnto the worlde But I beyng pure from the worlde haue knowen thee and haue taughte thee beyng knowen vnto me Neyther hath my preachyng been altogether in vaine They whome thou specially diddest chose for that purpose haue knowen thee by me they knewe that I came from thee although the Phariseis with open clamoure sayeth that I came from Beelzebub the prince of deiuils But as thy goodnes had sent me to haue saued all folke if it could by any waye haue been brought to passe so thy righteousnesse will not suffre the desires of the faythful to be frustrate and voyde for the infidelitie of some that be vnfaythfull The learned the potentates the chiefe heades of religion haue contemned thy doctrine but these rude ignoraunt meke and vnlearned persones haue by me receyued the knowleage of thy name and I shall cause it to be more and more knowen vnto them that thou mayest with the same great charitable loue wherwith thou enbracest me lykewise enbrace them and so they beeyng more fully taught by my spirite maye on theyr behalfe agayne bothe loue vs and one of them by mutuall gentlenes nourishe cherishe and defende eche one the other For so shall they be strong agaynst all the troublesome hurly burlies of this worlde and shall persist vnuanquished The. xviii Chapter When Iesus had spoken these wordes he went foorth with his disciples ouer the brooke Cedron where was a gardeyne into the which he entred and his disciples Iudas also which betrayed hym knewe the place for Iesus oft tymes resorted thither with his disciples Iudas then after he had receyued a bande of men and ministers of the hye priestes and Phariseis came thither with lanternes and fyre brandes and weapons And Iesus knowyng all thynges that shoulde come vpon hym went foorth and sayed vnto them whom seke ye They aunswered hym Iesus of Nazareth Iesus sayeth vnto them I am he Iudas also whiche betrayed hym stoode with them Assone then as he had sayed vnto them I am he they wente backewarde and fell to the grounde WIth this kynde of talke our Lorde Iesus did confirme stablishe and bolden the hertes of his and after he had so doen and commeÌ„ded his flocke to his father he departed thence of his owne voluntary wyll to go mete them that shoulde apprehende hym therein declaryng playnly to his disciples that he woulde willynglye and gladly suffer whatsoeuer payne shoulde be put vnto hym for it was midnight and except it had been a well knowen place he could not haue been taken Therfore he departed out of that place whereas he had thus spoken to his disciples And when he was goen ouer the brooke whiche the Hebrewes call Cedron because many Cedre trees growe there he and his disciples wayting on hym wente into a gardeyne not
leste at any tyme they should tourne theyr synnes should be forgeuen them And he sayd vnto thē knowe ye not this parable And how then will ye know all other parables When the Lorde had spoken these wordes then to the intent they should not be forgotten but that euery man should searche out with himselfe the meaning of the parable he sayed moreouer He that hath eares to heare let hym heare declaring vndoubtedly hereby that they all heard not that thing whiche they heard Nowe when not those twelue specially chosen disciples themselfes vnderstode well by reason they were as yet raw and ignoraunt what this similitude meant yet durst they not openlye aske hym any question But after they had once gotten him alone then were they holde to desyre hym that he would vouchesafe the expounde them the misterie and secrete meaning therof Then Iesus putting vs in remembraunce how all thinges are not to be disclosed to all persons but that the doctrine of the ghospell ought to be dispensed according as time serueth the capacitie of the hearers can away withall sayed vnto his disciples The princes of this world make few priuie vnto theyr secretes none but suche as are pycked felowes tryed persones whome they maye safely make of theyr counsayle If they haue any secrete thyng that kepe they from the knowleage of the comminaltie It is geuen vnto you whom I sorted and piked out from among the commune people to knowe the misterie or priuitie of the kyngdome of heauen because you are familiarlye conuersaunt with me But vnto the commune sorte and suche as are not familiar companions of my courte whether I doe or speake anye thyng all is in parables For they neyther haue meete eares nor meete iyes What they heare they beleue not what they see they depraue and fynde faute with And so is verified in them that the prophete sayed before shoulde cum to passe that when they see best yet see they not and when they heare best yet they heare not because they vnderstand not Truly he vnderstandeth not whoso beleueth not Nowe sinnes are not released but to suche as beleue that sinnes are freely released by vertue of the gospell Therfore through their vnbelefe it cummeth to passe that they are not turned to God because they tourne themselfes away from God nor are deliuered from theyr synnes because they refuse the medicine wherewith all synnes are healed By these wordes Iesus signified those persons whome a litle before he vnderstoode by the grounde that for sundrye causes is barrayne vnfruitfull And to make his disciples more apt to receyue his doctrine he chideth them a litle for theyr dulnesse Doe you not yet sayeth he gesse what is mente by this parable sith the sence therof is easie to be coniectured And howe then will you boulte out the true meaning of all the rest since that I neyther speake nor do any thyng that hath not in it a significacion of sum secrete matier I wyll expounde vnto you this parable to the intente that you maye lykewyse accustome your selfes to searche out the secrete meanyng that lyeth hyd in other ¶ The sowier soweth the worde and they wherof sum be rehersed to be by the way syde are those where the worde is sowen and when they heare Sathan cummeth immediatly and taketh awaye the worde that was sowen in theyr hartes and likewise the other that receiue sede into the stony ground are they whiche when they heare the worde at once receyue it with gladnesse yet haue no roote in themselues and so endure but a ryme Anon when trouble and persecucion ariseth for the wordes sake they falle immediatly There be other also that receyue sede into thornes and those are suche as heare the worde the cares of this world and the deceiptfulnesse of riches and the lustes of other thinges entee in and choke the worde and it is made vnfruitefull And other there be that haue receyued sede into a good ground they are suche that heare the worde and receyue it so that one corne doth bryng forth thirtie sum sixtie sum a hundreth The fielde is the worlde wherein are very many vnmete hearers of the doctrine of the gospell The sowier is the sonne of man who came downe frō heauen into earth The sede is the woorde or doctrine of the ghospell by the whiche the will of God is declared vnto the worlde His will is this that all men distrusting their owne strength do trust with all their harte minde the promises of the ghospell that is to saye that through fayth all mens sinnes are forgeuen if after the trueth once knowen they giue themselfes to the studie of true vertue and godlinesse Therfore by the seede whiche as I saied fell by the hie way side they are vnderstand signified who slightly and as mē otherwise occupied heare the ghospell like as they woulde heare anye fable or phantasie of mans inuenciō And amōg all none heareth goddes worde with lesse profit then they do For anon as they haue heard it cummeth Satan and putteth other thoughtes imaginacions in their mindes and by that meanes plucketh out the sede before it haue gotten roote be fastened therin so that they do not so muche as remembre what they haue hearde Nowe the sede that is receiued into a stony ground betokeneth those persones who gredely ynough heare the ghospel gladly deuoure thesame perceyuing it to be both true and holsum but because they ley it not vp in theyr hartes by depe cogitacion for they are letted so to do by other affeccions which wholy possessing theyr mindes will in no wise geue place vnto the worde of God they continue not in that they feruently couragiously began neyther do they bring forth any fruite of euangelike or christian godlinesse but suche fruite alonely as lasteth but for a season and all is because they haue no rootes And so cummeth it to passe that in prosperitie they beleue the gospell as grasse newly sprōg vp cause men to haue a good opinion of theym that they wil proue well But assone as anye aduersitie or persecucion for the profession of goddes worde doeth arise and assaulte them byanby they offended therwith do vtterly forsake their former purpose The seede that fell vpon the thornie grounde signifieth those that diligently heare and beare in mynde the wordes of the ghospell But the loue of deceitfull riches and the inordinate desyres of other thinges whiche allure and toile men vnto them with a false apparaunce of vertue do enter into their myndes and there dayly as theyr propertie is encreasyng at the length ouergrowe the seede so that it can neuer spring vp and cum to be corne Finally the sede that light vpon a good ground betokeneth those that geue good eare vnto the doctrine of the ghospell and beleue all that they heare and conuey it into the moste inwarde corners of theyr hartes vntill that it
spring vp bryng forth the worthie fruites of the ghospell not euery where a lyke but diuerselye according to the diuersytie of the soyle and disposicion of the heauenly spirite so that this men bringeth forth fruite meanely that man more plentifully an other greatest aboundaunce therof lyke as if one grayne bryng foorthe thirtie an other three score and the thirde an hundred He that bringeth forth greate plentifulnesse of fruite hath cause to rendre thankes vnto God almightie there is no cause why he should stande in his owne conceipt He that bringeth forth meane store hath no cause to repyne at him whiche is muche happier and bringeth forth more aboundaunce then he For God who is bounde and debtour to no man doeth of his most bounteous liberalitie geue euerye man his giftes as it liketh him What encrease soeuer cummeth thesame is due vnto hym that firste sowed the grounde and by whome what fruite soeuer is brought foorth dayle encreaseth My desyre is to haue all the corne grounde of the whole worlde sowen when the tyme shall cum with this sede and that this doctrine whiche I nowe secretely teache you a fewe persones may thorough your diligeÌ„t ministerie be enlarged and spredde a brode asmuch as may be to the intent that you also may shewe your selfes like a good grouÌ„d yf you distribute that you haue receiued of me to as many as ye can possible For there is no fruite where with God is better pleased Ye must therfore bee well ware that the sede sowen in your myndes peryshe not through forgetfulnesse or negligence Ye ought diligently to laye it vp in memorie that it may spring vp in due season and bring forth fruite moste plentifully ¶ And he sayed vnto them is the candell lighted to be put vnder a Busshell or vnder the table is it not lighted to be put on a candle sticke â–ª for there is nothyng so priuye that shall not be opened neyther hath it been so secrete but that it shall cum abrode If any manne haue eares to heare let him heare And he sayed vnto them take hede what ye heare With what measure ye meate with the same shall other men measure vnto you agayne And vnto you that heare shall more be geuen For vnto him that hath shall it bee geuen and from him that hath not shall be taken awaye euen that whiche he hath And because this monicion should the depeliar be printed in theyr mindes he added a parable Thinke you not sayed he that I will haue this thing which I doe nowe secretely commit vnto you alwayes kept secrete Doth a manne light a candell because to hyde thesame when it is lighted vnderneath a busshell or vnder the table or elles doth he rather light it to the intent it may bee set in a candlesticke and geue light to all that be in the house The ghospell is the sede whiche is therfore committed vnto you because it maye bryng forth fruite with great encrease I haue light the candell in you that through your ministerie it maye put awaye the darkenesse of the whole worlde At this present I hyde many thinges from the multitude because they are not as yet apt to receiue them and though they were the tyme is not yet cum But assone as the tyme shall once cum there is nothyng so hid amongst vs that then must not be discouered nor any thyng so secrete that then muste not be openly preached to all men For there must nothing feare you froÌ„ spreading abrode or preachinge of the gospell but all other thinges set apart this thing onely muste you go about bothe day and night For wo be to that man who hath not multiplied the good sede betaken vnto him who hath hidden the light that was geuen hym Therefore if any of you haue eares to heare let hym heare these wordes and when he hath hearde them let hym beare them well in memorie Agaule left the wordes that he spake shoulde be forgoten he said moreouer Marke wel what thyng you heare and take hede that you heare not in vaine For you heare not vaine fables and phantasies of mâ—ns inuencion but heauenly doctrine whiche by your ministerie must be spread abrode throughout all the whole worlde Preache you truelye the doctrine which you haue receyued and teache nothing that is desagreable therunto It shall auayle you muche to heare these thinges if you retayne them well in memorie and diligently distribute to other what you heare of me Again you heare theÌ„ to your greate perill yf you strikeÌ„ either with feare humaine or els delited with the commodities and pleasures of this present worlde do suppresse and kepe in that you haue receiued Be not ye niggish and slouthful distributours of the doctrine that I giue you I giue you but put it forth lauishly For your liberalitie shal nothing diminishe but rather encrease that that you haue and make it more The treasure of gold and siluer is at the length wasted by liberalitie but the more liberally you distribute this heauenly treasure the greater shall the heape thereof be Neither foloweth it that lyke as he is the poorer that giueth a way his goodes vnto the neadie so in like manour is he the wurse learned whiche distributeth the doctrine of the gospell to as manye as he can possible but as he that carrieth light before manye hath not therfore any whit the lesse light him selfe euen so he that by preachynge the doctrine of the gospell openethe a waye for all menne to cum to the knowleage of the trueth doeth not onely not loose that light whiche he alreadye hath but also hath a greate deale more gyuen him to th entent he maye profite and dooe good vnto mooe The treasure that you haue is none of youres but his who gaue it you to distribute And if you distribute it to other with large measure he that gaue you the stocke and principall parte will also with like measure geue you encrease therof God loueth to haue his giftes prodigallye layed out and here cleane contrarie to the manoure of worldlye ryches he waxeth richest whoso is lauishest in laying out For such is the beneficiall goodnesse of god that he whyche gaue vs muche before â—â—eth in moste ample wise augmente his giftes because he righte well perceiâ—â— that whatsoeuer was geuen the same is distributed and bestowed to the great vtilitie of manye Therfore let hym whiche hath the gifte bountuouslye distribute it to thentente that he maye haue aboundaunce No manne doeth well to geue goodes to hym that aboundeth with riches but suche as be liberall in very dede are wonte to geue vnto the poore and neadie Here it is cleanen contraryeÌ„ For vnto hym that hathe and hathe not that thynge whyche he hath to his owne vse and commoditie alone but liberallye departeth therewith to other to hym I saye as to a trustie distributour shall more be gyuen because he maye abounde and haue muche plentye He