ghospell for the defence and mayntenaunce of theyr inordinate lustes and carnall lybertie but to bee vpryghte walkers in holy conuersacyon of lyfe in the rule of the ghospell prescrybed Which kinde of doctrine forasmuch as no one wryter hath laboured in all poynctes and behalfes more vncorruptely or more playnely to ministre vnto the symple reader then thys authour by a perpetuall dyscourse and continuacion of the texte doeth your highnes vndoubtedly in procuring the same to be turned into English hath not onely after a most godly sorte bestowed your charges but also hath in the thingselfe doen vnto the commen weale a benefit by so many degrees surmounting and passing any other act of your great largesse and benignitie as the soule is better then the body as spirituall edifying is aboue temporal supportacion as gostly foode and coumforte excedeth corporall reliefe or cherishing and as heauenly treasours excell all worldely giftes or richesse And in that your highnesse for the more spedy expedicion of your moste godly purpose to bring Goddes woorde to the more light and to the more clere vnderstanding distributed this weorke by porcions to sondry translatours to th entent it might al at once be finished ife the deuout English readers any long time defrauded of so fruitful and so profitable a weorke ye haue therein moste gracious Ladie right well declared both how much ye tendre Goddes honour and also how earnestly ye minde the benefit of your countrey Whiche your countrey what they are not able in facte with condigne thankes to requite dooe and euer will as they are moste bounden supply with perpetuall commending your highnes to God in prayer whâ—che I thinke to be the onely rewarde ye looke for or desire As touching the translacions because they are of soondry personés dooinges though there appeare in them some dyuersitie of style and endicting yet is there in the whole weorke no contrarietie of doctrine Though euery translatour folow his owne veyne in turning the Laten into Englishe yet doeth none willingly swerue or dissente from the minde and sence of his autoure Albeit some goe more nere to the wordes of the lettre and some vse the libertie of translating at large not so precisely binding themselues to the streight interpretacion of euery woorde and sillable so the sence be kept yet dooe they all agree euery one as his veyne serueth him in feithfully rendreing the sence of their booke So that if any persones there be either of such high conceipte and opinion of themselues that they can like no mannes doinges but their owne or els of such vinentlenesse that they wil not well interprete simple mennes doynges whiche themselues can for the moste parte sooner finde faulte withal then emende or els of such morositie and way wardnes that their stomakes cannot beare with any other mannes labours be they neuer so honestly entended or bestowed such are in this behalfe rather to be contemned and left to their insolent disâ—eignefulnes then either to be pacified or aunswered vnto The partes of deuout readers are with immortall thankes to receiue and take the fruicion of honest and godly studies the office of learned men is without deprauing or derogacyon of other mens diligence without any arrogancie on their owne behalfes to employ their good talentes to the puâ—lique behoufe of their countrey and to the furtheraunce of godly knowleage the office of euery studious and diligent writer is to haue his iye directed so the oublique vtilitiâ— onely and than to thinke his vpright wel doinges a sufficiente price rewarde of themselues and so without respect of any worldely rewarde or thanke so referre the fruite and successe of his labours to God the mocioner the authour and the weorker of all goodnes As touching Erasmus and the doctrine that his bookes dooe sowe although I haue before this time somewhat sayd aswel in my preface vnto your highnes before the paraphrase vpon the ghospel of Luke as elswhere yet can I not omitte thus muche to say in hys defence that in case anye persons bee enemies to Erasmus wryting â–ª it procedeth more of their enuie of their vnquietnes of minde and of their hatered against the light and grace of the ghospel clerely now arisyng and plenteously spreading it selfe abrode then of any faute or iust deserte in Erasmus Whoso wincheth and kiketh at the gospel in dede cannot but spurne at Erasmus who hath with incomparable study trauail shewed himselfe a diligent labourer in Christes vineyard And truely whomesoeuer I perceiue to be an eagre aduersarie to Erasmus writinges I as my poore iudgemente leadeth me cannot but suppose the same to be an indurate enemy to the gospel which Erasmus doeth according to the measure and porcion of his talente feithfully labour to sette foorth and promote But lyke as whan manne is in a feure or with any other greuous infirmitie distempered the better that the drynke is the wurse it taâ—teth in his mouth so whan the herte is corrupt with malice and hatred of Gods trueth the better that the doctrine is the more it offendeth Sore iyes cannot abide the bryghtenesse of the sunne nor a corrupte hearte the clere veritie of Gods woorde Persons indurate are the woorse for reading of holy scripture neyther dooe they of any thing take more occasion of slaundre and offence of conscience then they dooe of holy scrypture whereby their conscience shoulde be edified Some there be of suche malicious hardnesse of herte that they can abide neither booke ne teaching ne reading ne any thing els that may helpe or emende the ignoraunt peoples knowlege And suche because they woulde lette and stoppe Goddes glory depraue all good thinges and pronounce them to be naught But suche are in this behalfe not to bee passed on ne to be hearde For as a body corrupted with yll humours or diseases the more and better that it is nourished with good meates and drinkes the wurse it is so a cankarde stomake and a wieked hert the more holesome doctrine that is ministred vnto it the more it is indurate the more doeth it enuie the publique vtilitie vnto men â–ª and the more dooeth it striue and wrastle against the veritie Pharao was neuer more eagre in persecuting the people of God theÌ„ whan he was by dayly plagues and miracles most of all prouoked te conuerte The Pharisees neuer more furiously swelled ensourged or raged against Christ then whan he alleaged holy scripture vnto them or brought againste them the testimony of theyr owne lawe which they coulde not deny The scripture of God is all good and godly yet like as the same to the good spirite is a sure porte of tranquillitie and peace so is it to the wieked conscience a stumbling blocke and a stone of offence Out of one and the same floure the Bee gathereth honey and the spider sucketh venome so great diuersitie of operacion there is in good and ciuill natures And the common faulte that malignaunt persones doe
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
to aryse and begynne of suche reporters and publishers as wer men of suche simplicitie and plainnes that no man would suspect or mystrust any of them eyther of fablyng and lying or els of clokyng and counterfeycting They hadde no suche wit as to inuent a lye of theyr owne braines they could no skylle to deuise or to put any thyng more theÌ„ trueth to â—hat that they had seen but the thyng that they had heard and seen euen as they had heard and seen it euen so and none otherwyse dyd they shewe tidinges of it vnto meÌ„ of good heartes and disposicions And among no smal number of menne did the wordes of the shepeherdes fynd credence inso muche that it made a great maynie veraye desirouse and fayne to haue a syght of the chylde And here in thys behalf marke thou and consider the wise sobernes and demurenes of the holy tender virgin Mary She learneth of the shepeherdes what newes the Aungels tolde them and what song the quier of the heauenly souldiers did syng and she alone on her owne partie holdeth her peace keping close in her brest and with diligente consideracion weighing and conferring in her owne hearte all these thynges that had fortuned aswell now at this present as also afore whan the Aungell appered vnto her selfe She kepeth secret vntyl the due tyme should come to open it all the misterye of her beeyng conceyued with chylde she was yet a pure virgine she maketh no vauntes ne bragges in coumpanye emong other folkes of her happy fortune She hadde afore vnto the Aungell Gabriel promysed herselfe a readye handemayden for God to worke hys wyl vpon and euen lyke an humble handmayden she vseth herselfe She maketh no woordes at all but depelye considereth in her mind the straunge course of Goddes weorkyng and drift in thys matter She considereth all thynges to bee full of straunge miracles she seeth in euery parte of it two extreme contraries myngled together that is to wete on the worldes behalfe exceadyng lownes pouerty and abieccion and on Goddes behalf vnestimable highnes and maiestie For a young babe is conceiued in the wombe but an Aungell was the messagier that so it should be and the holy ghost the worker of it A chylde is borne but the mother of it is a mayde it is laied in a mauÌ„gier but the Aungels beeyng full of all godly reioysyng doe syng from heauen in honor of it It lyeth vnknowen in a blynde corner of no regarde but all heauen bougheth downe to wurshyp the maiestye of it assoone as it is borne Nowe these thynges thus beyng done the sheperdes returne backe agayne to their flockes glorifyng and praysyng God as concernyng all the thynges that they had heard of the Aungels and for that they had truely found euery thing euen as they had heard afore of the same Aungels ¶ And whan the eyght daye was come that the chylde should be circumsised hys name was called Iesus which was named of the Aungel before he was conceiued in the wombe But assoone as the eyght daye after her deliueraunce was come at the whiche eyght daye the lawe of Moyses commaundeth euery man childe to be circumcised that is to say to haue the foreskynne of his flesh pared away rouÌ„d about for thys thyng form Abraham furthwarde it pleased God that it should be the sygne and the marke of all suche as shoulde bee reputed or taken to bee of hys sede and generacion the lawe was satisfyed in thys poynte also in consideracion that he was not come to breake or to fordooe the lawe but to fulfyll it Neyther dyd he disdeigne to take the accustomed remedye appoynted by the lawe euen as though he had been subiect to sinne as his parentes wer wheras he alone and none but he was fre and clere from all corrupcion of sinne and he alone that should take awaye al the synnes of the world and should chose vnto hym a newe people whiche should haue an hearte well clensed from all the desires of the fleshe and that not wyth kniues of blounte stone but with the sharpe sweorde of the woorde euangelical whyche purgethe and clenseth all thynges through fayth Yea and a name was geuen hym too as the custome and the manier was to do to others For he was called in Hebrue Iesus which souneth in Englishe sauiour And thys name was not by a casual thauÌ„ce at al auentures orels by mannes wylle geuen vnto thys childe but by the authoritie and commauÌ„dement of God it had bene appoincted and geuen him afore of the Aungel Gabriell ere he was conceyued in the virgins wombe whiche was done to the ende that men myght euen at the firste by the veraye woorde of his name be aduertised and doen to wete â–ª that thissame was veray he which should throughly geue vnto all persones true health and saluacion and should in suche wyse represent the true guyde capitayne Iosue that whan his people were cleane pourged from al filthines of vyce and synne he shoulde conueyghe and bryng them into the lande of heauen flowyng moste plentiouslye wyth ioyes euerlastyng ¶ And whan the tyme of theyr purificacion after the lawe of Moyses was come they brought hym to Hierusalem to presente hym to the Lorde as it is written in the lawe of the Lorde Euery manchilde that firste openeth the matrice shall bee called holy to the Lorde for to offer as it is sayd in the law of the Lord a payre of turtle doues or .ii. young pigions Hitherto that is to say vntyll the circumcision of Iesus the eyght daye after hys birthe all that was done was nothing but as it were making of signes and profers vnto the ghospell vnder certayne fygures the which gospell was of necessytie to bee preached fyrste vnto the people of the Iewes On the fifth day after the circuÌ„cisyon there came three Magians that is to say Philosophiers of hygh learnyng in the priuyties of Astronomie and the other scyences mathematical and these Magians had by the shewing poyncting of a certayne new sterre bene halfe enforced to come from a farre place out of the East countreys purposely to see thys childe They kneled downe and wurshipped the newe borne soueraigne of the worlde and honoured thesame with misticall presentes or gyftes signifying by a certayne shewe and semblaunce of thynges suche as myghte bee made that the Gentiles shoulde in tyme to come embrace the grace of the ghospell whan the Iewes being manquillers and murderers of Iesus had wilfully caste of and forsaken the same Agayne whan the .xl. day from Maries deliueraunce was come at whiche .xl. daye the law of Moses willeth and biddeth any manchylde being the first borne childe of a woman to bee presented vnto the Lorde and ferther appoynteth a gyfte or a presente to be offered for the purifying aswell of the chylde newe borne as of the woman that lay in because the common childbearing and deliueraunce that women haue is not
that he was not borne at Nazareth as more part of theim supposed but in Bethleem and that he came of Dauids familie Nor there was not a fewe that knewe these thinges but because Iesus dyd not bryng with hym and shewe vnto them thinges agreable to their lustes they were more wyllyng to serue theyr owne affeccions than to receiue and acknowledge hym For and if their minde had been plain simple and pure they might haue learned the thing wherabout they contended in case they woulde haue asked Iesus hymselfe the question And there were many of the people so blynded with enuy and hatered that they conspired among theymselfes to take our Lorde Iesus and laye handes on hym But the malice of man had no power and strength against hym who hath all thinges in his power ¶ Than came the ministers to the high priestes and Phariseis And they sayed vnto them why haue ye not brought him The ministers answered neuer man spake as this man doth Then answered the phariseis Are ye also deceiued doeth any of the rulers or of the phaririseis beleue on hym but this common people whiche knowe not the lawe are accursed And therefore the sergeauntes whom the Phariseis had sent as seruantes of their mad fury to attache Iesus returned againe with their mindes cleane chaunged vnto the hye priestes and Phariseis whiche with fierce and cruell myndes taryed lokyng for theyr seruauÌ„tes to haue brought the apprehended person vnto them to the inteÌ„te that so at last they might haue satisfyed and accomplisshed their hatered vpon hym But in the meane tyme the prouision of God whiche farre passeth all worldly mennes crafte and subtiltie procured such succoure that whatsoeuer the malicious Phariseis wente about to procure thesame lighted vpon theyr own heades and made well for the settyng foorth of Christes glory The vnlearned multitude the rude ignoraunt people of Galilee the Samaritanes the Cananites and the Heathen people beyng moued with Iesus sayinges doinges beleued on hym Onely the Scribes Phariseis seniors and priestes in whose gouernaunce the open confessioÌ„ and discussion of the whole law and religion was wer not only neuer a deale moued to cum to better aduisement and to be conuerted but were made euery way wurse and more woode It was now cum to this point that their hiered men the catche polles a curryshe kynde of people readye to be hiered to do all vnhappinesse for money should bothe honestly reporte of Iesus and also reproue theyr vncurable blyndnesse These seruauntes had seen no miracles wroughte they had but onelye hearde hym speake a fewe wordes yet hauing their myndes cleane altered and without any regarde to the commaundementes of the Phariseis they retourned agayne vnto them and brought not Iesus with them And when they that sent them asked and quarelled with them why they did not as they wer commaunded the menne did not laye for their excuse the feare of the multitude nor feined any other excuse but frankly and frely confessed that of truth they went purposely to haue taken Iesus and to haue brought hym with them but they were through a few of his affectuouse gracious wordes so as it were charmed and newely hearted agayne that they vtterlye repined in theyr hartes to do that thyng whiche they had purposed we neuer saye they hearde manne speake as this man doeth Who can laye violent handes vpon suche lyke men What recorde coulde haue been auouched in the synagoge which should more haue burdened and pressed and more openly disclosed the Phariseis obstinate malice They did all they could to the vttermoste of theyr power to subuert the doctrine of Iesus but all their endeuoure wente backewarde for whiles they went about by all the waies they could vtterly to destroy Christ and his doctrine they stablishe and set forth both But as yet still they dissemble the wood furie of their hartes speakyng to their seruauntes more courteously and more quietly then according to the fury of their thoughtes howe chaunsed this saye they Are ye which belong to vs and therfore not to be taken as of the raskall noumbre also deceiued by him Do ye not perceyue him to go about to deceiue men with faire promises and to sell false ware for good If he were true do ye not thynke that suche notable men as doth excell both in learning and auctoritie would approue his sayinges do ye see any rulers or magistrates vnto whoÌ„ the auctoritie of the religion belongeth or any of the Phariseis which hath the moste exacte knowledge of the law perswaded by his wordes doeth the exaumple of a fewe â—atifes a sorte of drudges moue you This sorte of people is ignoraunt knoweth not the lawe and therfore are accursed Well euen God thus disposed these thinges to certifie and teache vs that nothyng doeth more obstinately resist true religion then the malice of them whiche are cloked with the false pretence of religion nor no man more deadly enemy to the doctrine of the gospel then he that wresteth holy scripture to his owne lewde affeccions neyther are any more desperately wicked then those whiche with pretence of holynes with perswasion of learnyng with publike auctoritie be armed against the trueth of the gospell But in dede whatsoeuer this worlde deuiseth with all his engyns agaynst the heauenly trueth the successe therof is to the glorie of our lord Iesus Christ. Now than marke me this well O wise reader that there is no where more scarcitie of them that with theyr hartes fauoureth the christen trueth than among the ringleaders of religion and head learned men Nicodemus sayeth vnto them he that came to Iesus by night and was one of them doeth our lawe iudge any man before it heare hym and knowe what he hath doen They answered and sayed vnto him art thou of Galile Searche and looke for out of Galile ariseth no prophete And euery man went vnto his owne house In so great a counsail which was of Phariseis Scribes Seniours and Priestes there was no man saue onely Nicodemus which would stand in the defence of that innocente lorde against suche wicked enterprises This Nicodemus was one of the headmen of the secte of Phariseis a grosse maÌ„ of truth and lesse learned theÌ„ other but he was of a lesse corrupt minde and it was thesame which for feare of the Iewes came to Iesus by night as I tolde you before to be better instructed by him through priuate and secrete communicacioÌ„ And by that one metyng he profited so muche that he toke Iesus for a good man though he did not fully vnderstande the mistery and spirituall meanynge of his woorde When this man sawe his felowes with bloud suckyng myndes tende to the vtter destruccion of Iesus whome he so fauoured that neuerthelesse he feared the malice that was armed with auctoritie he tooke Iesus part waâ—ely And spake those thynges for him whiche might haue been spokeÌ„ for any malefactour before he had been conuicted we do sayeth he
The first tome or volume of the Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the newe testamente Enpriented at London in Fletestrete at the signe of the sunne by Edwarde Whitchurche the last daie of Ianuarie Anno. Domini 1548. Cum priuilegio Regali ad imprimendum solum EW To the moste puissaunt prince and our moste redoubted soueraigne Lord Edward the sixthe by the Grace of God King of Englande Fraunce and Irelande defendour of the faith and on yearth next and immediatly vnder God of the Churches of Englande and Irelande the supreme head your moste humble louyng and obedient subiecte Nicolas Udal wisheth al grace and peace from God with long and thesame moste prosperous Reigne ouer vs in all honour health and condigne felicitie MOste noble and moste worthie Soueraigne it myght in me so basse and simple a persone appeare no small presumpcion to write vnto your Emperiall Maiestie were not the cause of our publique gratulacions so iust and so greate that no manne what euer he bee hauyng occasion to wryte maye thynke hymselfe voyde of cryme if he shoulde omytte to declare and testifie the vnestimable comforte and ioye whiche your vniuersall moste louyng and obedient subiectes daily more and more doe take of your Maiesties singuler good procedinges and most excellent towardnesse For where by the space of many yeres vntil it pleased the goodnesse of God to sende you vnto vs the earneste prayers of all Englande was that we might haue a Prynce and after the tyme of your natiuitie whan God had so gracyously heard our peticions we eftsons prayed that ye myght haue grace to folowe the godly steppes and proceadynges of your moste noble father euerye man seeth nowe in your Maiestee suche towardenes of vertue and godly zele that we haue conceyued no lesse then an vndoubted hope that ye wyll by Goddes gouernaunce ferre passe your saied father to whom our daily wysshinges and prayers thought it enough to haue you eguall We all see in your highnesse suche liuely sparkes of vertue and Christian regiment toward that we cannot but thynke Englande the moste fortunate Royalme that euer was to whome God hath geuen suche a Kyng as in his minoritye of tendre babehood learneth to haue mynde on his funccion and to considre whose mynistre he is If Royalmes after the saiyng of Plato are than and neuer els in blissed state whan eyther Philosophiers that is to saye suche as knowe and loue God doe reigne ouer thesame or els the Kynges geue themselues to philosophie that is to saye to the due knowledge of God to the disciplyne of vertue and to the vpryght execucion of their office towardes all people howe happye are we Englishmen of suche a Kyng in whose chyldehood appereth as perfeict grace vertue godly zele desire of literature grauitie prudence iustice magnaniraitie as hath heretofore been found in Kinges of most mature age of ful discrecion of auncient reigne and of passing high estimacion But suche is the goodnesse of God that to a people eagerly hongreyng and thrysting his iustice earnestly sekyng the wayes of his trueth tendrely enbracyng his moste holy woorde readily acceptyng the grace of his ghospel wyllyngly conformyng themselfes to the sincere doctryne of his commaundementes he forgeateth not to geue a sapient Kyng and gouernour And that God hath of a singuler fauoure and mercye towardes this Royalme of Englande sente youre grace to reigne ouer vs the thyng selfe by the whole processe doeth declare the summe whereof I shal in a short discourse no more but briefly touche passe ouer leste I might seme rather to haue sought an occasioÌ„ in the waye of flatery to extolle you and your progenie then as this present cause enforceth me to geue due testimonie of the trueth In dede your singular excelleÌ„cie in al kindes of princely towardenesse is such that no place no tyme no cause no booke no person either in publique audience or els in priuate couÌ„paignie maketh any mencion of your Maistie but he thynketh hymself euen of a veray conscience bouÌ„d to powdre thesame with manyfold praises of your incoÌ„parable vertues giftes of grace Al which prayses magnifying though they bee in dede muche inferiour to your moste woorthye desertes hytherto yet your maiestie muste take and repute not as a matter of insolencie by your moste louyng and faithful subiectes ministred vnto you but rather as a thyng wrought in them by the instincte of god to admonishe you of the Regal estate that he hath called you vnto not as a prouocacioÌ„ of wordelye gloriyng in your self but as an instrumente of admonicion to continue you in remembraunce of thankes geuing and of discharging youre office not as the baites of flatery meaning to fede your Maiestie in any conceipte of pryde but rather as a glasse wherein to beholde your self what ye are and how ye ought to continue not as the pleasaunt ticleing or clawyng of adulacion but rather as a caucion that ye dooe nothing in all your life whereby ye maye bee founde or thought vnwoorthie the laude that is geueÌ„ you and finally not as a nourishmente of any humam vanitie but rather as a spur of exhortacion not onely to beware â—hat ye goe not backe ne degenerate or decline from the godly trade of religioÌ„ of vertue of litterature of prudeÌ„ce of benigâ—itie of iustice of princely regiment that ye are nowe entred into but also that ye procede as ye haue begoonne and still goe forwarde encreasyng in all godlinesse that your procedynges and consummacion maie bee aunswerable to your moste princely and Christian begynnynges Neyther is there any subiect of yours worthie life whiche woulde to any other ende or purpose attempt to magnifye you in thys tendre age but in hope that if ye bee not alreadye come to the perfeccion propouned vnto you ye wyll labour and contende as age maye suffre to growe and reache vnto it For if Philip of Macedonie being an ethnike and a pagane Kyng whan he was railed at and muche euil spoken of by the Atheniens toke therof an occasioÌ„ well to reigne gouerne his people alleagyng himself to bee enforced and coÌ„streigned theruÌ„to that he might proue his enemyes vntrue men of their reportes howe muche more necessitie of well doyng is incumbent to your highnesse that ye maye in tyme comyng verifie the praises and coÌ„mendacions whiche the publyque consent of the worlde dooeth nowe attribute vnto you Howebeeit we your moste feythfull louyng subiectes dooe nothyng doubte but that God beeyng the geuer of all good gyftes the father of all mercie and the God of all coumforte who of his infinite goodnesse hath prouided you to reigne ouer vs wyll also in suche wyse directe all your wayes that he wyll euydentely declare hymself by his eternall wysedome and by his counsayll inscrutable to haue purposely ordeyned and appoynted you to dooe high thynges whome he hath by his myghtifull arme so woondrefully sent For where your moste noble father of famous memorie Kyng
preacher and what or how his doctrine ought to be out of the Scriptures in blasing the AntichristiaÌ„ decrees of poperie vnder the name of tradicions constitucioÌ„s of our mother church in decising the right difference betwene the spirite and the lettre and finally in al other poinctes or articles of our religion hauing now of late yeres ben in controuersie Erasmus like as he is no where ouer vehement so is he euery where both sincere and ful Neither doeth any wryter more wittily more earnestly more apâ—ly more finely more substauncially more piththily or more playnely describe peyncte out the vsurped estate preeminence and pompe of the bishope of Rome then he doth aswel in all other places where iust occasion offereth it selfe as also directely though vnder a preaty couloure in the eleuenth chapitur of the Euangelist Marke Erasmus ferthermore is wondreful in comparing of fygures of the olde testamente in applying of allegories in declaring of parables in discussing of doubtful questions in serching and explicating of profound misteries wherin he euidently declareth himselfe that he was a man of an excellent witte of much study of exquisite learning of profounde knowelage of an exact iudgemente of notable diligence of woorthy famous industrie of singular peinefulnes of an encomparable memorie of an vnestimable zele towardes that setting furth of Christes most holy gospel And yet doth he with such prudence and semely circuÌ„speccion so teÌ„per his stile that his very enemies as he cannot lacke enemies enough whosoeuer wil be an opener teller of the trueth in matiers of religioÌ„ he caÌ„not lacke enuie of Satans brode whosoeuer wil endeuour himselfe to ferther the knowlage of Gods word he cannot lacke neither priuie backebiting nor yet open reproche to slaundre him to bring him out of credit to deface him to trede him vnder foote whosoeuer wil be diligent to help bring the gospel to light â–ª he shal not auoide to be opeÌ„ly burdened with false crimes whereby he may be vttrely diffamed whosoeuer wil trauaile to manifest the glory of Christes bloud he shal haue enough to write speake against him whosoeuer wil attempt to discouer the iugling castes practise of poperie his very enemies I say that hated him because they hated the veritie could neuer yet finde how to geue him any foile or how to take thaduantage of any such holde against him whereby to confound his doctrine Neuertheles whan I do in my mind make a comparison of you three together Erasmus in writing this Paraphrase Quene Katerine in procuring the same to be turned into English and your highnes in publishing the same by your godly iniunccions to bee had in vse throughout all parties of thys Royalme me semeth I do wel note Erasmus to haue doen the lest act of the three For Erasmus fact did helpe onely such as are sene in latin the Quenes goodnesse extendeth to the help of the vnlearned also which haue more nede of helping foreward and your Maiesties benefit it is â–ª that maketh so precious a treasour coÌ„mon to as many as may take profit or fruict thereby And in dede no Christian Prince there is to whome the tuicion proteccion stablishing of any such bookes or weorkes as concerne the pure setting forth of Christ and his gospel doeth so aptely or so duely apperteine as to your most excellent Maiestie to whome by a most iust and right deuolucion and discente of inheritaunce of the crounes of England Fraunce and Ireland the title also of DefeÌ„dour of the feith doth most nerely most peculiarely most specially and most directly belong Now as touching the translatours of such bookes as this although I haue at this present the lesse to say because I my selfe haue in a small porcion of this weorke filled one roume of some other man that might haue ben hable to do it better then I haue doen yet can I not but wish that emong so many your Maiesties moste â—umple bountâ—ous exhibicions so many other godly actes to be doen as are daily brought offred to the gracious direccioÌ„ of your highnes of your most dere â–ª vncle being Gouernour of your Royal person during thys time of your minoritie vnder your Maiestie our protectour and of the other your most honourable CouÌ„saillours this thing also might be peferred to your consideracions how necessarie a thing it were that some hable worthy and mete persons for doing such publique benefite to the coÌ„mon weale as translating of good weorkes and writing of Cronicles might by some good prouision and meanes haue some condigne sustentacion in the same For what Royalme almost EnglaÌ„d excepted hath not al the good authours that euer wrote traÌ„slated into the mother tong whereby the people are made prudent and expert men in the tract of all affaireâ— either touching any discipline or els any ciuile matiers And in Germany what good weorke of diuinitie is there which they haue not in their own laÌ„guage to the vnestimable edifying of the people in the due knowlage of God For what hath ben or is in any common weale the foundacion of spreading abrode the knowlage of Goddes woorde but onely the setting forth of the Bible with other good and godly tractises for the declaracion of the same What thing hath the whelpes of the Romish Antichrist so fiercely alwaies backed against as at the translating of Scripture and other bookes coÌ„cerning matiers of religion into the vulgare tong for the vse of the people What any one thing is there against the whiche there hath in all Christen Royalmes as long as it might preuayle been eyther sorer decrees lawes or inhibicions ordeined or more terrible execucion of all kindes of tormentes and deathes inuented deuised and put in vre then againste the setters foorthe of bookes concernyng religyon What one thing hath papistry in all countreyes more eagrely conspired more subtelly coumpaced or more earnestly practised to oppresse then the coming foorth of Scripture and other diuine weorkes in the vulgare tong whereof the rude multitude might gather knowlage Against what thing hath there in these laste yeres vntill Christ like fier being hidden vnder wood would nedes mounte vp and appere abrode maugre the head of the Romish Pharao al his tiranny against what thing I say hath there been eyther more sorer thundreboltes shot of deprauing of accursing of slaundreing of defacing of condemning and of burning then against bookes of scripture matiers traÌ„slated or writen in the mother laÌ„guage against the autours of the same Until the Bible other good traitises for the explanacioÌ„ of the same wer in Christian regions turned set forth in the vulgare languages what kind of idolatry supersticioÌ„ poperie errour ignorance or counterfeict religion did not reigne As long as the candel light of the gospel was kepte hidden vnder the bushell what King what Prince what countrey what people did not the blind popish guides lede as one that is blindfolde may be led till both
allege against the publishing of Goddes worde in the mother tongue and against the setting foorth of holesome and godly exposicions vpon the same is that suche bookes cause sedicion against the doctrine and than lay their facte to the doctrines charge This hath euermore hitherto ben the practise and conueighaunce not only of the Romish Pharisaical sorte but also of the auncient enemies of Goddes trueth euen from the beginning Neither haue this malicious generacyon euer as yet vsed any other way or coulour to deface the trueth to let the good proceding of Gods worde or to sliere and prouoke the indygnacyon of Princes and Magistrates agaynste the publishyng or agaynst the true preachers and teachers therof but onely by allegeyng that it wyll mooue sedicion and teache errour where in dede Goddes woorde is as ye would saye a perfeicte touchestone whereby to fynde out and to trye suche cancard stomakes as would fain rebelle moue sedicion and would gladly haue it so to bee For otherwyse a great wonder it were and a veraie straunge thing if the woord of God or this paraphrase or any other lyke godly exposicion of the ghospell whiche is in sense none other but the doctrine of Christ and of his Apostles should corrupt the readers or teache errour or moue sedicion God and his moste holy woorde is altogether peace vnitie concorde and perfecâ—e charitie Goddes woorde teacheth none other doctrine but peace humilitie subiection and so muche obedience to the Princes and Magistrates as the Romishe Babylonians would not by their good willes haue to be put in the heades and hertes of the ignoraunt people But this colour haue the enemies of Goddes woorde euermore vsed to suppresse the ghospell So did they by all the Martirs so haue they doen by the true preachers so did the olde Iewes by the auncient prophetes of God and so did the old Pharisees by Christ himselfe whose moste grieuous crymes were that he drew al the worlde after hym that he taught and sowed erroneous doctrine that he seduced the people and that he made hymselfe a kyng And the malicious Iewes layed to Paules charge that he begoonne to be a sedicious moouer of rebellion against Ceasar not that the thyng was so in dede but because thesame was a cockesure waie to make al obedient people hate the ghospell and to prouoke the rewâ—ers Magistrates to suppresse it But the lorde who of his mercifull goodnesse hath of late sent out the clere radiaunt sunnebeames of his holye woorde and veritie to shyne ouer all christen regions will I trust so continue the light of the same that the simple flocke shall bee hable to discerne the spirites of men liuely to know the vngodly maligners whiche by cauiling and deprauyng all good thinges dooe wrastie and strougle as muche as in them lieth to kepe the ignoraunte multitude in blidnesse In the meane time all the simple Englishe congregacion is bound continually to praye for your highnes that haue for theyr vse and behoufe procured the translacion of this present paraphrase vpon the ghospell of Mathew and vpon the residue of the newe testament wherby they may with a more coumfortable and pleasaunt readyng in theyr owne mother tounge bothe encreace from daye to daye in â—nowelage and also continually bee edified in true religion nouzeled in right opinions trayned in sincere doctrine and confirmed to walke in perferct innocencie and integritie of a true Christen lyfe accordyngly ¶ The preface of Erasmus vnto his paraphrase vpon the Gospell of the Euangelist Matthew To the moste victorious Emperour Charles the fift of that name Erasmus of Roterodame gretyng BEyng not ignoraunt Charles Emperour most victorious howe muche godly feare and reuerence also is of due congruence to be geuen partely vnto all holye scriptures whiche the holy fathers throughe the inspiracion of God haue left vnto vs and especially vnto that part of scripture whiche maketh an vpright and faythful relacion of suche thinges as the heauenly father eyther wrought in facte or spake in woordes for the health and saluacion of the whole world through his soone Iesus and being ferther priuie to myne owne vnwurthynes where not many yeares gone I first attempted to set hand to making a parahrase vpon Paules Epistles for the playner vnderstandyng of them which thing to doe came vpon me at that time of a sodain pangue euen of mine own mind I did no lesse then think myself to enterprise a veral bolde and presumpteous acte and an acte as the prouerbe sayeth of a right daungerous hazarde in so muche that after I had in one or twoo or three chapiters taken a prouf and assaye of the worke how well it woulde doe I was vttirly mynded to pulle downe my sayles againe and to surcease from the course that I had afore apointed to take vnlesse a wunderful consent of my frendes beyng men of lernyng had perforce constrayned me to procede with that I had begon Neyther coulde I for their most earnest desires â–ª be at any rest or quiet vntil I had fully ended and finished all that euer there was of the Epistles Apostolical whereas I had not taken in hand to medle but only with those epistles whiche without all controuersie or doubte were wryten of thapostle Paule It hath not at al tymes framed wel with me ne come to good ende when I haue ben ruled to doe thynges at the mocions instaunt pricking forward of frendes But yet in this thing neuerthelesse I was not a litle proude of my selfe that this my bolde auenturyng had come muche more happily to passe then was loked for as well for myne owne parte that was the maker to whome it purchased least enuie and grutche of men of al the wurkes that euer I wrote as also on the behalfe of all suche as are studentes and suters to atteigne to the philosophye of the gospell who doe euery man more then other geue me thaÌ„kes for that by meanes of myne industrious labour they haue to the better knowlage of thapostolicall wisedome eyther been moued and stirred vp or els furthered But whaÌ„ I had cleane dispatched myself of this great charge and taske I loked not that I shoulde at any tyme afterwarde haue any more to doe with this kynde of writing beholde the right reuerende father Mathew Cardinall of Sedune by whose aduise and instigacion I had afore made vp all thepistles canonical at what time I spake with him at Brurels to welcome hym into the countrey according to my duetie after his returne from the counsell whiche had than been holden at the citie of Wourmes eueÌ„ by and by at the first entring in talke with me euen lyke a man that had deuised vpon it afore begynneth to exhorte me that what I had afore doen vpon thapostolicall Epistles the same I shoulde also doe vpon the gospel of Mathew I on my partie anon made myne excuse by many thynges firste that it was alreadye an acte bolde and ouerbolde that I had
money but that they paye more for the laboure of the lyers than of the traytoure keepe close ê™ they the thynges that ye haue seene but make a brute abrode that hys disciples came in the night stale him away whan ye were aslepe And if thys inuencyon and fleyght be brought vnto your president we will perswade hym and deliuer you from all daunger of this matter Therefore the souldyers receyuyng money dyd as they were instructed and thys trieflyng and vayne sleight was beleued of the people For thys rumoure is bruted abrode vnto this day emong the vnbeleuing Iewes ¶ Than the eleuen disciples wente away into Galile into the mountayne where Iesus had appoynted them And whan they sawe hym they wurshipped hym But some doubted And Iesus came and spake to them â—â—ying all power is geuen to me in heauen and yearth Nowe the eleuen discyples monished of the women wente forewarde into Galile and went vp vpon the hyll whiche Iesus had appoynted them There he shewed hymselfe They saw and knew hym to be theyr Lord and honoured him as now being on high and in heauen Notwithstandyng some yet doubted vntil they were made to beleue with many and very certeyn argumentes Albeit theyr doubting was profitable for the certaintie of oure belyefe Therfore Iesus drawyng nere vnto them dyd not onely offer hymselfe to bee seene and touched presently but also spake vnto theÌ„ with hys knowen and accustomed voyce declaring that by his death he had obteyned a kingdome authoritie both in heauen and in earth In heaueÌ„ where euer he reigned with the father in earth where hereafter he shoulde reigne not by tirannical powers and aides but thorough fayth of beleuers and that he shoulde dispose the office of this euangelicall kyngdome vnto his disciples who shoulde folowe his steppes committing vnto them the office to preache the Ghospell not onely to the Iewes but also to all nacions and also authoritie to baptise and by the holy ghoste to forgeue synnes to all menne that wyll professe an euangelycal lyfe with a sincere hearte and to enstructe and frame them not after the lawe of Moyses nor after the constitucions of the Phariseis but after his preceptes â–ª vntyll they wexed and grewe vp vnto the perfeccyon of the wysedome of the ghospell And that they should nothing dystrust for that he should not be continually conuersaunt with them he promiseth that theyr felowship shal neuer fayle and that he will neuer forsake hys but be alwayes presente with hys in spirite and power vnto the laste ende of the worlde All power ê™ he is geuen me in heauen and earth Ye haue sene me by the reason of the weakenes of the flesh hungrie thyrstie weary nedy despised taken bounde spetted vpon condemned beaten crucifyed couered with all kyndes of spytefulnes and in maner deiect vnder the loweste sorte of menne Because I haue suffered all these thinges willingly and of myne owne accorde for the health of man my father hath raysed me from deathe and rewarded me with the glory of immortalitie and hath lifted me vp to the felowship of hys kyngdome and hath submytted vnto my power and rule all thinges that be in heauen and earth Ye haue an authour whome ye ought not to distrust ye haue a Lorde of whome ye ought not to repente Goe ye therefore and teache all nacyons baptise them in the name of the father and the sonne and the holye ghoste teaching them to kepe all thinges whatsoeuer I haue commaunded you Lyke as I dyed for the healthe of all men so there is no nacion whiche belongeth not to my righte It shall be youre parte to get vnto me as muche as lyeth in you all kinde of men But ye shall not gette them by weapons or war but by the same meanes that I got vnto me this right by wholsome doctrine by a lyfe woorthy and meete for the ghospell with free well doyng with pacyent suffering of illes Goe ye therfore as trustie Ambassadoures trusting me your authour teache firste the Iewes than the nexte neighboures vnto them afterwardes all the nacions of the whole worlde Teache what they ought to beleue of me and what they ought to trust of me First to knowledge the heaueÌ„ly father the maker the orderer and the restorer of al thinges visible and inuisible Whose power no man can resist because he is almightie whose knowledge no man doeth deceiue because hee seeth all thynges whose iudgemente no man shall escape From whome as from the fountayne cummeth all goodnes in the worlde To whome is due all honour prayse and thankes geuing They must knowledge also his sonne Iesus by whome through hys eternall and vnsearchable counsell he hath purposed to deliuer mankinde from tiranny of sinne and deathe and by the doctryne of the ghospell to open the waye vnto euerlasting felicitie Who for this cause by his will came downe into the earth and was borne very manne of the virgyn Marie and beyng man long conuersaunt emong menne taught the heauenly philosophy which only maketh menne blessed And being an innocent was afflicted and punished for the sinnes of the whole worlde and put to death vpon the crosse And layde in his graue the third day he arose agayne according to the prophecies of the Prophetes After that beyng conseruaunt many dayes with his disciples and the trueth of his resurreccion delared by sure argumentes he wente vp agayne into heauen whereas partaker of the kyngdome and glory of his father he sitteth on the righte hande of his father almightie Once he shall come agayne into the worlde not lowe and abiecte as before but with the diuine maiestie not a sauioure but a iudge bothe of those whome that day he shall finde aliue and of those whome nowe being dead the trumpe of the ghospell shall sodainly call agayne to life that by his ineuitable iudgemente euery man may receiue rewarde woorthy and mete for his doinges They must knowledge also the holy ghoste whome I haue nowe partely geuen vnto you and will geue more plentiously after that I come into heauen whose secrete inspiracion shal coumforte teache and strengthen the mindes of them that trust in me and being powred into the hartes of all men shall glue and confeder them together with mutuall charitie as many as professe hartely the fayth of the ghospell of what nacyon soeuer they come of And if a man doth sinne any thing through the weakenes of maÌ„ he shal obteyne forgeuenes of his sinnes so that he doth not seuer himselfe froÌ„ the league felowship of the holy cumpany And whosoeuer ioyneth himselfe vnto this league all the sinnes of his former life shall be forgeuen him freely Finally lest any man shoulde thynke the rewardes of good dedes to be desyred in this life or shoulde goe aboute vengeaunce agaynst yll doers let them knowe that this hereafter shall come to passe in them whiche ye see dooen in me The dead shall liue agayne and euery soule shall
be restored to her owne body The whiche as soone as it shall bee doen whosoeuer shall belong to this holy felowship and sticke constantly vnto me shal be translated with me vnto euerlasting life to be partakers of felicitie which were felowes and partakers of affliccyons After they ye haue taughte these thynges yf they beleue the thinges that ye haue taught yf they repent them of their former lyfe if they be ready to embrace the doctrine of the ghospell then dippe them in water in the name of the father the sonne and the holy gost that by this wholy signe they may trust themselues to be deliuered from the filthines of al theyr sinnes freely through the benefite of my death and nowe to be chosen to the number of the children of God Lette no manne be circumcysed let no manne bee baptized in the name of Moyses or of any manne Let them all knowe to whome they be bounde for their health vpon whome they oughte wholy to hang. Let them not bee burdened with the ceremonyes of Moyses or of manne Lette this token be sufficient for all menne that cumme to the profession of the ghospell whiche is easye to bee had in euery place But leste any manne myghte thinke it sufficient to saluacion once to be baptysed and to professe the faythe of the ghospell they must be taughte agayne by what meanes they may kepe theyr innocencie by what meanes they may goe forwarde to perfeccyon of the euangelicall godlines I haue omitted nothyng whiche may make to the obteining of euerlasting health And that heauenly spirite whiche ye shall receiue will not suffer you to forget that whiche ye haue learned of me Therefore whatsoeuer I haue commaunded you deliuer ye the same to be kepte of them I haue not prescribed vnto you the ceremonies of Moyses law whiche like shadowes must now vanishe away at the light of the euangelicall trueth I haue not prescribed vnto you pharisaicall constitucions but those thinges whiche onely bringeth true innocencie and godlines and whiche onely maye make you derely beloued of God and truely happy Therefore teache these thynges to them that professe my name not onely in woorde but also in life as I whatsoeuer I taught I perfourmed it in dedâ— Whiles ye be doyng of these thynges and whyles ye bring mortall menne to heauen the worlde will ryse agaynste you lyke as it rose agaynste me For my spirite agreeth not with the spirite of thys worlde and my doctryne is wholy agaynst the affeccions of them whiche loue the thinges that be of this world They will ryse agaynste you with greate tumultes but there is no cause why ye nede to distrust though ye be but lowe and abiecte vnlearned weake and fewe I haue ouercome the worlde and ye shall ouercome through my helpe by mynâ— exaâ—mple Ye shal ouercome through my might and not your owne whatsoeuer is terrible in this worlde ¶ And loe I am with you alway vntill the ende of the worlde And although I shall take vp this body into heauen because it is so expediente for you yet I wil neuer forsake you For after that I shall ceasse to bee with you in body than I shall be more effectually with you in my spirite And I will be with you vnto the worldes ende but whan the worldes ende shal be it profiteth not nor behoueth not you to know In the meane season do what is commaunded you euer ready agaynst that daye Whiche whansoeuer it shal come than ye also your mortalitie layed aparte shal bee wholy with me felowes of my fathers kyngdome whiche shall neuer haue ende FINIS To the most excellent and vertuous princesse quene Catherine wyfe to our moste gracious soueraigne Lorde Henry the eyght Kyng of England Fraunce â–ª and Irelande defendour of the faythe and of the Churche of EnglaÌ„d and also of Irelande in earthe supreme heade Thomas Key her dayly Oratoure wisheth perpetuall felicitie AMoÌ„ge the innumerable benefites whiche we haue receiued of almighty God most worthye and excellent Princesse there is none in myne opinioÌ„ for the whiche we are more bounden vnto his merciful goodnesse then for that it hath pleased hym more clearely to illumine vs of this age with the knowledge of his holy woorde then our forefathers and elders For who knoweth not how long this realme hath bene miserably seduced through ignoraunce of the Scriptures Who euen amonge the vplandishe perceyueth not what intollerable abuses haue bene vnder pretence of true religion and Godlynesse mayntayned in this Churche of Englande tyll suche tyme that God of his infinite mercy sent vs a newe Iosias by whose righteous administracion and Godly policie the light of Gods worde that so many yeares before was here extincte began to shyne agayne to the vtter extirpacion of false doctrine the rote and chiefe cause of all such abusioÌ„s This Iosias is our mooste redoubted soueraigne Lorde Kyng Henry theyght a Prince garnished with so many excellent gyftes of grace nature Fortune that he is in very dede therfore mooste worthely called the perfite mirroure pearle of all Christen Princes To wade here in the prayse of his princely qualities noble actes atchieâ—ed to Gods honoure and the publique weale of this realme is not my purpose for that I knowe it to be an enterpryse farre exceadyng the compasse of my symple learning and barrayne eloquence But onely to declare howe muche we are bounden chiefly vnto God and nexte vnto his moste excellent Maiestie that we haue the Scriptures in our mother toÌ„gue are cured of our olde blindnesse by the medicine of veritie For nowe hauing our spirituall iyes opened and daily receyuing into the same the cleare light of Gods worde we begyn to see perfectly to knowe our onely sauiour Iesus Christ whome to knowe is euerlasting lyfe and saluacioÌ„ But so longe as the saide Scriptures were hyd and kept from the knowledge of the people fewe knewe Christ aryght and none lesse then they who appeared to be the chiefe professours of christian religion For what els is it to knowe Christ but to knowe and confesse that of him onely and by hym cummeth oure saluacion that by hâ—moure good dedes are acceptable vnto almyghty God the father that by him the fathers wrathe is appeased that by him we be enfraunchised from the captiuitie and thraldome of the deuell and to be shorte that by hym we are adopted and chosen to be the children of God and enherytours of the kyngdome of heauen Whoso knoweth Christ aryght surely beleueth to attayne saluacioÌ„ by him onely who saythe Cum vnto me all ye that do trauaile and are charged and I shall refresh you The very office of Christ is to saue therfore he was called by the high wisdome of God Iesu that is as muche to say as a sauiour because so saythe the angell in Mathew he shall saue the people from their sinnes So that it appeareth hereby how greatly they are deceiued that thinke
sorte then ye could imagine to loke for These blessinges hath his eternal truth and vnfallible promiâ—se perfourmed vnto your highnes because ye seke hym more then the worlde because ye more mynde godly contemplacion then courtly solaces because ye more tendre his glory than any temporal coÌ„modities because ye esteme the knowlage of his word more precious then perle golde or any treasoures subiecte to corrupcioÌ„ because ye preferre the aduaâ—cyng of his holy word before and aboue al other thynges because ye ceasse not with all your power with all your dilygence and with all your industrie to sette foorth to all mennes knowlage his holy ghospell and testament the onely foode and coumfort of our soules And not only doeth your grace with most ernest zele from the first houre of the daye to the twelfth labour in the vineyarde of Christ susteinyng the burden of al the whoâ—e daye and the parcâ—yng 〈◊〉 of the smouldring nonetide in youre own â—erâ—oâ—e â—ut alâ—o at your eâ—â—eding great cost and charges do hire other workemen to labour in the â—ame vineyarde of Christes ghospell to the ende thesame may frucâ—â—fy and so pleÌ„tuouâ—ly bryng forth that al English people maye to their health and ghostly conâ—olacion be aboundauntely replenyshed with the frute therof And as a good captayne partly to the encouraging of his forward â—ouldiers and partly to the shaming of dastardes or false haâ—ted loyterers ledeth and guideth his armie and gâ—eth himself before theÌ„ so your grace ferre otherwyse then in the weake vesselles of woman sexe is to be loked for doe shewe vnto menne a notable exaumple of forwardene â—e in settyng penne to the boke parâ—ely to the great coumfortyng of suche as faine would doe good yf they durste and partely to the shame and consumelye of sluggardes who hauyng good talentes dooe kepe them faste lapped vp in their napkins and liue idely And by this meanes doth your highnesse ryght well declare that all your delite al your studie and all your endeuour is by al possible meanes enploied to the publique commoditie of al good English people the kynges moste louyng and obedient subiectes to bee nouâ—led and trayned in the readyng of Gods woorde and in the meditacion of his moste holy ghospell For this ghospel is thesame treasour hidden vnder yâ— cloddy hard grounde in the field of the letter which your grace after ye had found did for ioye selle all that ye had to bye thatsame fielde withal And wel may such persons be sayed to haue solde al that they had who sette lesse by al the worlde then by the ghospell and aswel for the obteining of the knowlage to themselfes as also of desire to helpe make thesame common to others doth not spare to spend oute the treasoures of their golde and substance This is that same precious margarite that Christ speaketh of which your grace seekyng for with great desire whan ye had once founde solde al that ye had to bye thought your treasoures wel bestowed if it mighte so fortune that ye myght fynde meanes to make all English men whiche would reade or heare it to bee partakers of the same This is the grayne of mustardesede whiche whan it was so fine and so litle that the vnlearned sort of English meÌ„ could scarce possibly fele or see it ye of your excediÌ„g charitie zele towards your countrey folkes did in such wise helpe to sowe in the field of Englande and did so cherishe with the faâ—â—e â—atleing yearth of the Paraphrase that where before it was in the iyes of the vnletâ—red the least of al sedes it is now shot vp and groweÌ„ muche larger in bredth theÌ„ any other herbe of the field so that it now spredeth the braunches in suche a coumpact that al Englishe readers may therein fynd many places where to lyght and to bylde them nestes in whiche their soules and consciences may â—o theyr ghostely coumfort quietly repose themselfes This is the spirituall leauen whiche your grace beyng a ghostly housewyfe for the behoufe of all the whole royalme of England other the kynges maiesties dominions â–ª hath in suche wyfe hydden in all the whole fower peckes of English meale East west North South that by the benefite and meane of this paraphrase it is now al made sauoury and of a pleasannt reâ—ice to al English peoples taste Where the texte of the gospel afore was in sum partes though alwayes speciall good and holsom foode and very restoratiue to suche as were able to brooke it yet to the coÌ„plexcioÌ„ of grosse rude and grene stomaked EnglishmeÌ„ disagreeyng and harde of digestion yet ye by procuring the whole paraphrase of Erasmus to be diligeÌ„tly translated into Englishe haue minâ—ed it and made it euery English mans meate though his stomake be neuer so weake or teÌ„dre Where afore in sum partes agayn it seemed to be so light meate that the grossest makes dyd no lesse to the it then the children of Israell dyd Manna in deserte whan they sayed Our soule is qualmishe ouer this meate beyng toto light and is readie to cast it vp again your godly cure in conseruyng it with the paraphrase of Erasmus in Englishe hath made so â—ounde and substanciall meate for all complexcions of people that it may be to euery body lyke the aboundaunce of quailles rainyng downe in wildernesse from heauen suche as best stoode with euery bodyes stomake appetite and most desire to be pleÌ„teously fedde withall Where of it self it is a meate most pure and simple therfore to suÌ„ defutie mouthes vsed to none but fine termes to the painted colours exornacions of Rethorike it semeth drye vnpleasauÌ„t it is now by the eagredulce sauce of the paraphrase made more liquide to ruÌ„ne pleasauntly in the mouth of any man whiche is not to muche infected with indurate blindnes of herte with malicious cancardnes and with to to muche peruerse a iudgemeÌ„t For Erasmus lyke as he doeth in all his workes excell and passe the most parte of al other writers so in this worke of the paraphrase vpon the new Testamente he passeth hymselfe Therfore most gracious Ladye althoughe your demerites are so ferre aboue al praises of man that how fer soeuer I made in magnifiyng your vertuous disposicion your deuout study and endeuour to do good thinges I shal be sure not to incurre any suspicion of flatery â–ª yet do I at this present omittyng al other thynges onely in Englandes behalf make one emong the rest in rendring publique thankes to your highnesse as well for your other godly trauaile in furtheryng the knowledge of Goddes worde as also most specially in settyng men in worke to translate the Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon all the newe Testament wherein ye do both to the young and to the olde as well to the high as to the low no lesse to the ryche then to the poore shew muche more bounteous liberalitie in deling about in makyng common vnto all good Englishe people the
redempcion in Christe and by Christ sealed with his most precious bloud the Antichrist of Rome seduced the simple people to putte their affyaunce for remission of synnes and obteinyng the ioyes of heauen by his pardones conteined in a piece of parchement or paper with a lumpe of lead haÌ„ging at it and to be bought of him or of his generacion the monkes and fryers for money in stede of the holy bible legenda sanctorum the miracles of our ladie and martiloges whiche themselfes deuised and neuer durst sette forth vntill the partie of whom they were made had been an hundred yeres dead for feare of beyng taken in a lye in stede of obeiyng our liege lord and soueraigne to be subiect to forein potentates with other abuses so innumerable that no tyme or wordes may suffice to declare or reken them vp And in this blindnes had EnglaÌ„d still continued had not god of his infinite goodnes bottoÌ„les merry reised vp vnto vs a new Ezechias to confouÌ„d al idols to destroy al hillalters of supersticion to roote vp al counterfait religions to restore as muche as in so litle time maye be the true religion wurship of god the syncere preachyng of gods word and the booke of the lawe that is to say of Christes holy testament to be read of the people in their vulgare toung That if in so litle time hauing no more helpe but the mere texte of the Bible the people through the goodnesse of god and the instincte of his holy spirite haue had the iyes of their hart and soule so opened that they haue not onely espyed the abuses afore mencioned and thousandes mo in whiche the Romyshe Babilon hath certain hundred of yeres holden all christendoÌ„e captiue and thrall but also haue so coÌ„formed themself to the syncere doctrine of Christe that they do with most glad wyll with most earnest zele and with most studious diligence enbrace the truthe abhorre the errours wherin theâ— were afore drouned detest the supersticions wherwith they were afore delited hounger and thirst the syncere knowlage of Gods word by the goodnes of God and the gracious prouision of our moste noble Ezechias Kynge Henry the eyght nowe daily minystred vnto them how is it likely that they would profite in godly knowlage if they had sum other godly exposicion or declaracioÌ„ of sum good syncere writer vpoÌ„ the new Testament for their ferther edifiyng Of whiche sorte truely there cannot one manne be picked out more apt and mere then Erasmus especially in this his Paraphrase which your highnesse of a moste godlye zele hath thus procured to be tourned into Englyshe whose doctryne as it is not in any poynte after my poore iudgemente corrupte so dooeth it without violence or extremitie of wordes vtter the doctryne edifye the conscyence declare many abuses detecting the enemies of Goddes woorde and supplanters of his ghospell by suche true and liuely markes that they maye be easilye knowen so that it cannot bee doubted but it should bee vncredible furtheraunce towardes the rypyng of the knowelage of Goddes woorde yf it myghte or shall so stande with the pleasure of one fayde moste gracious soueraigne Lorde beeyng nexte and immediately vnder God our supreme heade Whiche thyng verily I would wishe and praye to God myghte so frame for two consideracions the one because that the people hauyng the Paraphrase of Erasmus shall haue the pyth of all the doctours and good writers that haue any thyng sette foorth for the declaracion of the ghospels the Actes and the Epistles so that Erasmus may stand one alone in as good stede as a great numbre of other expositours setfoorth together and the other because my herte dooeth wyshe that the setting forth of gods glory the destroiyng of idols the confoundyng and defacing of all popish trumpery the publishing of the bible gospell of Christe so godly by his highnesse entended so stoutely entred and so luckily begon might by thesame our most gracious soueraigne be in such wyse prosecuted brought to effect that whan heauen no loÌ„ger willyng to spare him to the worlde but that he must geue place to nature shall call him to receiue a croune of immortalitie and he for desire therof shal willingly surreÌ„dre and geue vp this emperiall croune of worldly dignitie to the moste regal Impe his sonne our noble prince Edwarde he may deliuer to thesame a people so well framed and trained to his hande that the same may with al ease prosperous successe and without any let of stumblyng blockes to be layed in his way by papistrie continue the godly trade nowe at this daye well begonne and thankes to god luckily proceding I would wish as in dede I hope no lesse that he might not nede to be put to any ferther trauayl or cure but wel to coÌ„serue and kepe thinges in thesame stay and ordre that his most noble father mindeth to leaue all vnto him Our Dauid Henry theight hath alreadye so substancially cast the foundacion and reised the buildyng of the Temple that I trust it shal be no burden for our young SalomoÌ„ to consummate and fynyshe the same whan his tyme shall cum But nowe I perceiue my selfe while I entre into opening the desire praier of my herte to haue entered into suche a large fielde of talke which the experience of kyng Henries exaumple concernyng the trade of religion and the hope of prince Edwarde to be a right folower of so right a ledyng father doth minister vnto me that except I here sodainly breake of I am drawen to wade so fer in their praises that I were not hable in long tyme to fynde any way out again Omitting therefore at this present the moste worthye and moste lustely deserued prayses of them bothe I shall tourne my style sum what to treate of Luke whome it pleased your highnes to commit vnto me to be translated Whiche coÌ„maundement whan it came firste vnto me in your graces name although I knewe how litle it was that I could do in this kinde yet was I glad that your coÌ„maundemente dyd so iustlye concurre with the determinacion of myne owne minde and purpose For I had long time afore with mature deliberacioÌ„ and also with aduised eleccion apointed with my self to traÌ„slate this paraphrase vpon Luke assoone as any suche libertie might be and to make it vnto your grace a testificacion of my duetie and thankefull remembraunce of your manyfolde benefites afore doen to me of your mere bountie And two thynges there were that had moued me to take this prouince most specially in hand yeâ—â—e because that as Luke is the longest of all the Euangelistes so is he of al men noted to haue written his gospel moste exactely aswell by relacion of the Apostles which were present and conuersaunt with Christ while he liued on earth as also by the instruccions of Paul who was moste earneste and full in the iustificacion of feith and most piththy against the iustificacion of wordes albeit
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
washyng of your bodye ye washe the pottes and cuppes that ye drynke of ye washe the platers dishes that your meate is serued in beyng but outwarde thynges and nothyng at al makyng to the true godlynesse of the mynde and in the meane tyme the innermore and chieffer parte of you beyng still vnwashed is all full of filthynesse detestable afore god that is to wete rauine and iniquitie Ye beleue your selues to be defoyled yf ye drinke of an vnwashed cuppe or if ye eat out of an vnwashed dishe yet ye thynke your selfe pure and clene yf both your cuppe and your dishe to yea and al that is in them conteyned haue been gotten with rauine and with fraude O fooles and mē of a peruerse iudgemente did not he that made the bodye make also the soule Than if purenes dooe so highly please you it had been mete to make all the whole man pure in euery parte of hym But it had been mete to haue prouided firste for that that is the chieffer parte But al this while ye flattre your selues as though ye were pure euen in the best sorte if on the one syde ye dooe euerie other whyle washe your bodyes and your vessels that ye eate and drynke in with a litle water on the other syde yf your herte beyng polluted with manyfold guyles rauines hatred enuie desire of worldly promocion and with other pestilent vices bee purged with almesdedes whiche almes though ye doe it but for a vainglorye and a shewe onely yet ye thinke it to bee sufficient for the vttermoste and highest clensyng of the soule that can bee But woe vnto you Pharisees who vnder a pretexte and colour of seruyng God woorke your owne commoditie tithing euen the vilest and moste common herbes ▪ Myntes and Rue as thoughe God cared for no mo but priestes and Leuites onely And in the meane tyme contrarye to the mynde of God ye deale guilefully with your neyghbour and relieue not the nedie but enuie grutche at them which haue more wealth then yourselues and the weake ye oppresse O a iudgement in veraie dede ouerthwarte and peruerse The thynges whiche the lawe hath appoynted for a season to be kept after the fleashe in dede it had bene your partes not to leaue vndoen but tho thynges whiche God would moste chiefly of all to be doen which are euermore good and acceptable vnto hym outh first and most principally to haue been doen. Suche thynges as concerne your owne commoditie ye dooe euen scrupulously looke vnto but the thynges that concerne helpyng of the neighbour ye passe nothyng on ¶ Woe bee to you Pharisees for ye loue the vppermoste seates in the Synagogues and gretynges in the market Woe vnto you Scribes and Pharisees ye hyprocrites for ye are as graues whiche appere not and the men that walke ouer them are not ware of them Than aunswered one of the lawiers and sayed vnto hym Mayster thus saying thou puttest vs to rebuke also And he sayed Woe vnto you also ye lawiers for ye lade men with burdens which they bee not hable to beare and ye your selues touche not the packe with one of your fingers Woe vnto you Pharisees who though ye outwardely beare a shewe of holynesse yet neuerthelesse withinfoorth swell in ambicion sekyng to haue the higher seates in the synagogues and ye reioyce to heare suche honourable tytles as maister and maisters of such as bidde you good morowe and good eauen in the stretes abrode nothyng els entendyng ne sekyng but that ye maye please the iyes of mē estemyng it as a thyng of nothyng to displease the iyes of god with the filthinesse of the soule Therfore woe vnto you with your hypocrisie which are lyke vnto dead mennes toumbes whiche shyne loke smothe without foorth by reason of whyte worke with titles and many soondrye pictures whereas withinfoorth they are full stuffed with all vnclenesse But in the meane tyme the thyng that outwardly appeareth sheweth faire to the iyes of suche as passe by but the thyng that they hide within them is vnseen Neuerthelesse men maye be beguiled but God can loke into the moste priuiest corners of the herte Whan the Lord with great sharpenesse spake this and other thynges against the cloked holynesse of the Pharisees one of the lawiers beyng desirous to bridle the playn speakyng of Iesus sayied vnto hym Whyle thou speakest this on the Pharisees thou doest also reproche vs. An herte that knoweth his conscience guiltie cannot abide playne speakyng but feareth leste the exāple of playn speakyng agaynst others maye at last light vpon hymselfe But Iesus beeyng the euerlastyng trueth whiche can no skill of flattreing because the sayed trueth onely is faultlesse and vnculpable and yet neuer chydeth but to emende that is a misse aunswered vnto the lawier If the wordes whiche I speake touche you too as thou acknowlegest woe shal be vnto you lawiers also who beyng not contente to exacte euerie triflyng obseruaunce of the lawe at the handes of the poore ignorauntes do moreouer besydes the authoritie of the lawe adde many poyntes of your owne and heapyng burden vpon burden ye laye vpon the shoulders of the simple people a whole fardel vnpossible to be borne and in the meane whyle ye take your owne pleasures to the vttermoste beyng to ferre from touchyng the thynges whiche ye laie on other folkes shoulders that ye do not so muche as kepe those chiefe poyntes neither without whiche the reste do nothyng ¶ Woe vnto you ye buylde the sepulchres of the Prophetes and your fathers killed them Truely ye beare witnesse that ye allowe the dedes of your fathers for they kylled them and ye buylde the sepulchres Therfore sayed the wysedome of God I wyll sende them Prophetes and Apostles and some of them they shall sleagh and persecute that the bloud of all the Prophetes whiche is shed from the beginnyng of the worlde maye bee required of this generacion from the bloude of Abell vnto the bloude of Zacharie which perished betwene the aultare and the temple Uerayly I say vnto you it shal be required of this nacion Woe vnto you who for vainglorious bosting of your perfeccion do buylde vp the toumbes of the Prophetes where the moste parte of thesame wer slayne of your forefathers For therby cōmeth it to passe that euen by the veray same thyng wherewith ye would moste fainest cloke your maliciousnesse ye do moste of all bewraye thesame For whyle ye garnyshe the sepulchres of the prophetes ye graunt that they were persons detestable whiche were the kyllers of suche men whose memorie is high and holy emong you that are theyr ofspring And forasmuche as your owne selues dooe towardes the Prophetes of this tyme beyng ferre superiours to the Prophetes of times past attempt wurse harmes then your auncetours committed against the Prophetes of olde time do ye not playnly declare that beeyng blynded with lucre ambicion enuie and hatred ye doe wetingly
allowe the wicked actes of your forefathers whiche actes of theyrs ye doe not onely folowe but also earnestly labour to passe and to go beyond them So often hath the goodnesse of God called you backe to emendment and at all tymes haue ye wickedly shewed more extreme crueltie against them that layed the trueth euen in your lappes whiche trueth was vnto you for none other cause odious sauing that it contraried your naughtie lustes and desyres Wherfore the wysedome of God whiche ordreeth all thynges by suche prouidence as cannot in wordes be expressed before it wil punishe the obstinate malyce of this nacion hath determined to leaue nothyng vnassaied whereby they maye bee conuerted to better wayes But after that aswell the botomelesse goodnesse of God as also the peruersenesse of them not possible to be woonne to goodnesse shall once bee declared to all creatures so muche the more greuous tormentes shall they endure howe muche the longer space they haue been suffred and with how muche greater benefites they haue been prouoked and occasioned to repentaunce Wherfore thus spake the wysedome of God within it selfe what shall I doe more then I haue dooen to this vnrewly nacion I sent Moses vnto them I sent many prophetes of olde tyme. I sent Iohn the Baptiste Against Moses there was conspiracie wrought the prophetes euery one they either slewe orels plagued with affliccion no nor Ihō neither would thei not heare though he were more then a prophet neither did he escape scotfree for geuing good aduertisement The sonne of man is come and to hym do they woorke destruccion and death I shall hereafter sende vnto them the last prophets of all who shall ghostely expound the lawe vnto them I shall sende the apostles that shall haue great vertue in workyng miracles that shal freely doe good to all people that shall bryng vnto al folkes saluaciō with excedīg smal charge to be bought that is to wete with faith And yet will they not heare these neither but wil persecute them tormēt thē driue them awaie yea and sum of them wyll they slea so farre shal their malice excede the goodnes of god At laste whā their malice shal be so ferre growen that they shall not onely matche but also excede and passe the abominacions of all ages past than shall the vengeaunce of God fall sodaynely vpon them and than shall bee required at their handes the bloud of all the prophetes which hath been shed sens the first creaciō of the worlde that is to wete from the bloud of Abell who was firste of all men slaine by his brother Cain beyng enuious against him vnto the bloud of Zacharie the prieste sonne of Ioas who callyng backe the people to better aduised wayes was stoned to death by sedicion of the people betwene the temple and the aultare And the sayd zacharie euen at the momente whan he departed from this life bothe testifiyng his own innocencie and theyr wickednesse sayed The Lord see this and require it And euen now approcheth the tyme of this vengeaunce One nacion shall as ye would say bee punished for al the hainous dedes of their forefathers because it hath gone beyond all the malice that euer hath reigned in them all It shall cum to passe vndoubtedly that the wisdome of god hath sayd afore shall cum to passe The Iewes of these daies because they excede the rebellion the peruersenesse and the crueltie of all that in olde tyme haue been shall in suche greuous sorte bee punished as though they alone had accomplyshed and dooen all the yll partes that euer their auncestours haue in soondrie ages wickedly played Woe vnto you lawiers for ye haue taken away the key of knowlage ye entre not in your selues and them that came in ye forbad Whan he thus spake vnto them the lawiers and the phariseis began to were buisy about him and capciously to aske him many thinges laiyng wait for hym and sekyng to catche sum thyng out of his mouth wherby they might accuse hym Woe vnto you lawiers and woe again who openly professyng the knowelage of the lawe whiche is ghostly and takyng into your handes as due vnto you the keies of science and cūning whiche ought to haue opened a way into the kyngdome of heauen yet neither haue ye intred in thither your selfes but others that wer willing to haue gon in ye haue kept out For while ye peruersly expound the lawe ye do as one might say lay battrey against that whiche is the principall chefe foundacion of al the lawe At these maner woordes of Iesus beyng in dede halfe bitter by reason of so plain speakyng of the trueth but yet workers of hearth if suche as thei wer spoken to had been willing to receiue the medicine wer both the Phariseis and also the lawiers sore offēded but because they knew priuely in their owne consciences that the thinges whiche wer spoken wer euen very true they would make no countenaūce at it before the people but yet in the meane tyme they lay sure awayt to all the saiynges of Iesus huntyng and serchyng if any thyng might procede foorth of his mouthe wherupon they might grounde or make a foundacion of sum surmised matter against him to the end they might seme to persecute him not of a certain priuate hatred but of zele to religiō and of a loue towardes god For this propertie also hath pharisaical hypocrisie that it worketh ne attēpteth none so wicked an acte whereon it layeth not a fayre glose of loue and duetie towardes God The .xii. Chapter As there gathered together an innumerable multitude of people in so muche that they trode one an other he began to say vnto his disciples first of all beware of the leauen of the Phariseis whiche is hypocrisy For there is nothyng couered that shal not be vncouered neither hid that shall not be knowen For what thynges ye haue spoken in derkenes shall be hearde in the light And that whiche ye haue spoken in the eare euen in secrete places shal be preached on the top of the houses I say vnto you my frendes Be not afrayed of them that kyll the bodye and after that haue no more that they can do But I wyll shewe you whom you shall feare Feare him whiche after he hath kylled hath power to cast into hell Yea I say vnto you feare hym Are not fiue sparowes bought for two farthinges And not one of them is forgotten of god Also euen the very heares of your head are all noumbred Feare not therfore ye are more of value than many sparowes ANd because the Lorde Iesus knewe the malice of the Pharyseis the Scribes and the lawiers to be vncurable it was his pleasure openly to notifie and publishe theyr hypocrisye to the ende no creature mighte vnawares be deceiued by their cloked counterfaytyng and so many coumpanyes of people euen than standyng round about in so thicke presse that they trode one vpon an others heles he began to
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
to be the head of all holinesse and religion All your glory shall be transposed from you and shal go from you vnto the Gentiles And your own selfes shal geue sentence and iudgement against your selfes And as for me in dede ye shall put me to death but this I playnly affirme vnto you ye shall not see me before that ye shall saye Blessed is he that cummeth in the name of the Lorde This shall be your open protestacion whiche the trueth shall enforce you to vtter but yet this notwithstandyng ye shortely returnyng at once to the naturall inclinacion of your forefathers shall put him to death whom ye magnified afore with suche high wordes The .xiiii. Chapter And it chaunced that he went into the house of one of the chiefe Phariseis to eate bread on the saboth day and they watched him And behold there was a certain man before him which had the dropsie And Iesus aunswered and spake vnto the lawiers and Phariseis saiyng Is it lawfull to heale on the sabboth day And they held their peace And he toke him and heale◠him ▪ and let him goe and aunswered them saiyng whiche of you shall haue an asse or an ore fallen into a pitte and wil not straight way pull him out on the Sabboth day And they could not aunswere him again to these thinges ANd so it befell afterwarde that beyng desyred to dyner by a certayne manne that was one of the chyefe among the Pharyseis he wente to the mannes house and there toke his repaste with hym And it was a sabboth daye And there sate at thesame table also many Phariseis who according to their accustomed woont watched Iesus yf he shoulde speake or dooe any thyng whiche thei might slaunderously reproue in him And loe euen ready for them an occasiō of a false accusacion againste hym For there was there in presence a certayne manne possessed with the dropsie a disease for the moste parte vncurable by any Physike talowe coloured and swollen all his body ouer But a blessed turne it was for this pieteous creature that he came in Iesus sight For vnfortunate is suche a sinner as withdraweth or hydeth himself frō the sight of him who would faine haue all people to be saued Nowe Iesus knowyng well enough what thought the phariseis and lawiers had in their myndes demaunded of them whether it were a thyng standyng with Gods pleasure to geue health on the sabboth daye vnto a man beyng otherwyse ready to perishe and dye Whan they held their peace and would make none aunswer Iesus calleth vnto him the partie whiche had the dropsye and by touchyng him with his handes he healed the man and bidde him goe his waies Immediatly the mannes coulour was chaunged and the swelling of his fleshe abated to the due course again And although this dede was woonderfull yet the solemnitie of the sabboth day beyng broken as they interpreted it did highly offende the Phariseis But Iesus shewyng their religion to be of a peruerse contrary sorte in that they would be offended in the preseruyng of a mannes life and in sauing of an asse were not offended made aunswer to their secrete thoughtes said If an oxe or an Asse of any of youres had fallen downe in a diepe pitte on the sabboth daye whether would the partie tarie vntil the sabboth day were al past orels makyng no tariaunce at all would he straight waye euen thesame daye geat out his beaste that it might not miscarry If the preseruyng of an oxe or an asse doeth weigh so muche with you that ye thinke not the sabboth daye to bee broken why is your herte offended for that I haue on the sabboth day geuen health to this man who was in ieoperdy to haue died out of hand of the disease of the dropsie In case it bee the bodily worke and laboure that is weighed there is more bodily labour in halyng an oxe or an asse oute of a great depe pit thē in makyng this man whole of his disease I haue no more but seen him touched hym and bidden hym goe his way If it be the persone that ye esteme then ought ye more to tendre the preseruyng of one sole māne then of a right great noumbre of oxen or asses At all these woordes the Phariseis plaied mum For their hertes were so corrupt so peruerse that whan thei had no aunswer to make against the plain and clere trueth yet could thei not mollifie thēselfes to allowe that they sawe doen of Iesus That in case thēselfes had been hable to haue doen any suche lyke thyng they would with al the trompettes in a countreye haue blowen abrode their own glory But because the lord Iesus would that the glory of all his doynges should redoūd to his father which was god of heauen he euerywhere discouered the peinted holynesse of the phariseis who had ouerlōg already mocked and seduced the plain simple people with their cloked hipocrisie For they hūted for their own glory among men and therfore they enuied at the glory of god And this was a true dropsie of the soule growing first of a corrupt iudgemēt of the mind as the dropsie cūmeth of the liuer being corrupted or perished For the said phariseis setting al their glory in such thīges wherin there was no gloriyng to be made were swollē with outforth and puffed vp in haultnes pride where al their entrailes withinforth wer miserably corrupted and putrified He put forth also a similitude vnto the geastes whan he marked how they pressed to the highest roumes and said vnto them whan thou art bidden of any man to a wedding sit not down in the highest roume leste a more honorable man than thou be bidden of him and he that bid him and thee come and say to thee geue this man roume and thou then begin with shame to take the lowest roume But rather whan thou arte bidden goe and sitte in the lowest roume that whan he that bidde thee cummeth he may say vnto thee ▪ frende sitte vp higher Then shalt thou haue wurship in the presence of them that sitte at meate with thee For whosoeuer exalteth himselfe shal bee brought lowe and he that humbleth himselfe shal bee exalted The Lorde therefore who had with onely touchyng healed the man that had the dropsie was very desyrous to cure these mens disease also with the medicine of holsome woordes and doctryne For whatsoeuer the Phariseis did they did it for pride and for vainglorious bosting For they woulde goe walkyng vp and downe in their philacteries they would stand praiyng in the open stretes where soondrie waies mete much people passe by thei would haue a trompet to blowe afore thē whan they gaue almes Whan they fasted thei had a feate to discolour their faces that thei might loke pale thei would goe hunting about to haue glorious salutacions and gretinges in the stretes and where they came to diner or supper they loked and sought to sit vppermoste at mens
than can be saued for one shall fynd but a fewe persons but either they haue ryches or couet to haue But he recomforted the dismaiyng of his disciples again saiyng The thing whiche with men is vnpossible is possible enough with god It is not of mannes power to despyse rychesse and suche other commodities as folowe at the taile of richesse But this strength and stoutenesse of hert dooeth god geue vnto suche as through simple and vnfeyned beleuyng dooe shewe themselfes apte for to receyue his gyftes And he is with god no longer taken for worldely ryche whosoeuer hath laied away from hym the loue of money and in suche wyse possesseth his money that he wil with all his herte leaue thesame as often as respecte of health and saluacion euerlastyng shall require it Than Peter said Loe we haue forsaken all and folowed thee He said vnto them Uerilye I say vnto you there is no man that hath forsaken house either father or mother either brethren or wife or children for the kingdome of gods sake whiche shall not receiue much more in this worlde and in the world to cum life euerlastyng Of these woordes the Apostles conceyue a good hope the more parte of whom had left altogether whatsoeuer it was that thei were owners of tofore Therfore in the behalf of theÌ„ al speaketh Peter saiyng loe we haue left al and haue folowed thee we haue perfourmed eueÌ„ yesame point also which thou diddest earnestly require of the ryche man Than although it was but a very small porcion that Peter and Andrewe had left albeeit if they had had more more would they haue forsaken The Lorde conneth them thanke for their readinesse in that they had doen and because they should not nede to repente them of that they had dooen sheweth that great gain it is to haue lost worldely rychesse for the kyngdome of God For in lieu and place of transitory and vyle thynges by theÌ„ conteÌ„ned bothe here in this worlde the mynd and soule is enryched with goodes heauenly and also in the worlde to come endlesse felicitie is repaied for them Than furthermore hereupon thus sayd the Lorde This I auouche vnto you for a matter not to be doubted of not to you onely shall it turne to great gaines in the ende to haue left for my sake the litle slender possessions that ye had but also whatsoeuer person shall for the respect of the kingdom of god forsake either house or father or mother or brethren or wife or children he shall bothe in this preseÌ„t life receiue much mo thynges and also better then he lefte and moreouer in the world to cum he shall receiue life euerlastyng Iesus toke vnto him the twelue and said vnto them Behold we goe vp to Ierusalem and al shal be fulfilled that are written by the prophetes of the sonne of man For he shal be deliuered vnto the Gentiles and shal be mocked and despitefully entreated spetted on whan they haue scourged him they will put him to death And the third day he shal arise again And they vnderstode none of these thinges And this saiyng was hid from them soo that they perceyued not the thynges whiche are spoken After that he had with these sayinges somewhat lifted vp and chered the hertes of his disciples agayn he tooke with him the twelue apostles whoÌ„ it was not behoueable to be ignoraunt of any thyng which were wrought and doen for the redeÌ„pcion of maÌ„kind And now beginneth he euen suÌ„what openly and plainly to beate the matter into their heades concerning the death which he should at Ierusalem wittingly willingly dye accordiÌ„g to the foresayinges of the prophetes For he knew very wel that thei should be very sore dismaied and discuÌ„forted with the death of their maister and for that consideracioÌ„ he doâ—th often beate this tale into their heades to the ende that at the laste it may be engrauen in their hertes and that by a litle and a litle they myght bee enured to abide the matter which as yet their eares abhorred to heare meÌ„cioned or spoken of And verily this was none vnbelefe in theym but a certain earnest loue stroÌ„gly working in theÌ„ towardes their maister Seuerally therfore from the cumpany he begoonne to open vnto them that the tyme of hys death did now approch Behold saieth he we are now goyng vp towardes Ierusalem and there shal all thinges be accomplished that haue been writteÌ„ by the prophetes concernyng the sonne of man For he must be deliuered into the handes of the Gentiles and of them shall he be scorned and scourged and spetted on And after that they shall haue scourged him and shall haue mynistred vnto hym all kyndes of reproche and vilanie in wordes thei shal in fine put hym to death but he shal aryse agayne the third day from death to lyfe But this talke because it was nothyng swete ne pleasaunt could in no wise sink in to the Apostles stomakes as commoÌ„ly we are harde of belefe in such matters as we would not with our good willes haue to bee true And they coulde in no wyse perceiue the mysterie of the crosse wherhence redeÌ„pcioÌ„ and saluacion should by a newe found conueighaunce of god cum forth and issue vnto the worlde They had no luste ne fansy to beleue that a man whom they loued so entierly should dye of suche a violent kynde of death neyther coulde they possibly beleue it likely that suche an one should be put to deathe by the handes of the wicked as was hable to do such wonderfull actes and which had so many tymes escaped oute of the handes of suche as had attempted to assail him fasten vpon him and finally they doubted not but that it myghte be afterwarde an easier thyng for hym to bryng to passe not to dye at al thaÌ„ to reuiue again from death as he said he would yea and they thought it better not to dye at all then after death to bee restored to life again And althoughe they coulde not doubte of their maisters trueth in hys wordes yet did they in this maner flatter their owne affeccions they enterpreted that in these wordes of Iesus there lay priuily hidden some figurate mistical maner of speakyng suche as the lord did of a special property that was in him very muche and often vse to bryng in begilyng by meanes of that same colourable speakiÌ„g not only the people but also the very apostles selues as for exauÌ„ple whaÌ„ he willed theÌ„ to beware froÌ„ the leaueÌ„ of the phariseis whaÌ„ he auÌ„swered that he had an other kind of meate whiche he houÌ„gred for whaÌ„ he taught theÌ„ for a lessoÌ„ that a camel might soner passe through a nedles iye then a riche man entre into the kingdome of heauen whan signifiyng that his doctrine must be receiued and conueyed throughly into the very bowels of the soule he saied that no man shoulde haue lyfe in tyme to come onlesse thesame shoulde first eate his
the bisshops and the diuynes that is to wete for theyr couetise theyr ambicion and theyr tirannie And albeit neyther of these both dooeth commonly loue the others yet by wicked collusyon they diligentlye ayde and mayntayne eyther others forwarde to the suppressyng and destruiyng of the trueth of Goddes woorde And truely the pernicyons conspiryng of suche causeth more mischiefe and castyng away of men in the worlde now then the conspiracie of the bisshopes scrybes phariseys and headmen of the people did at those dayes emong the Iewes ¶ The .xx. Chapter ¶ And it fortuned in one of those daies as he â—aught the people in the temple and preached the gospell the high priestes and the scribes came together with the elders spake vnto him saying Tell vs by what autoritie dooest thou these thinges Eyther who is he that gaue thee this autoritie Iesus aunswered and sayd vnto them I also wil aske you one thing and aunswere me The baptisme of Iohn was it from heauen or of men And they thought within themselues saying if we saye from heauen he will say Why than beleue ye him not But if we say of men all the people will stone vs. For they be persuaded that Iohn is a prophete And they aunswered that they could not tell whens it was And Iesus sayed vnto them neyther tell I you by what autoritie I dooe these thynges AN occasyon therfore is sought that although theyr faynesse to putte Christe to death was vngodly yet they might afore men seme to dooe it of an earnest zele and fauour to righteousenesse It befell therefore vpon a certayne daye that as Iesus was â—eaching the people in the temple and was styll dylygently repeating vnto them the newes gladsome to bee wished for of euerlastyng saluacyon the sayde hygh pryestes together with the scribes the phariseis and the chiefe men of the lattee being in a confederacie did assemble together in a clustre to the ende they might at leastwise by theyr autoritie bridle Iesus from the teachyng of his holy doctryne They â—ould not condeÌ„ne his wondrefull actes to be naught whiche he had in so great a noumber wrought in presence and sighâ—e of the people They were not hable to confounde his doctrine forasmuch as it was altogether consonaunt and agreable with the law and with the will of God Upon thys ground therfore doe they deuyse theyr slaundreous querell agaynste hym that thys autoritie to bee a teacher of the people he had taken vpon hym of hymselfe where he oughte to haue receiued it aâ— their handes wherein theyr drift was none other but either to take ouer vnto themselues the glory whiche was due vnto God or elles thereupon to frame some surmuised querelle of mouyng a sedicion to charge Christe withall in that he called the people together and kepte them about hym without the publique autoritie of the prynces They goe therfore altogether into the temple to Iesus saying If thy will bee that we also shoulde beleue in thee tell vs by what autorytie thou dooest all thyssame that thou dooeste Thou doest baptise thou doest preache thou healest folkes on the Sabboth dayes thou reacheste in the temple thou gatherest disciples about thee thou calleste people from theyr home and businesse and kepeste them with thee Thou arte a manne to vs vnknowen and as for publique autoritie or power haste thou none at all Therefore who is it that hath geuen thee thys autoritie But Iesus veraye well perceyuyng thys questyon to haue proceded from a wiâ—ked thoughte in them that is to wete of a purpose to laye some surmuised matier vnto hym and not to learne went not about to teache them but damped theyr malice with an other question agayne as if a bodye shoulde dryue out one nayle with an other out of a bourde For they had had Iohn the Baptiste in veraye great estimacion and had come very thicke vnto hym whan he baptised And he sayde Iohn also had gathered disciples vnto hym and he also preached to great multitudes of people in soundrye places of the wildernesse and about â—â—â—ime Iordane the kingdom of god to approche he boldly and frankely declared the damnable vices of all persones indifferently and prouoked them to repentaunce And yet had not Iohn neyther anye autorytie geuen hym of the priestes the Phariseis and the chyefe men of the laytie but he had come furth out of the wildernesse as a manne but newly come vp of late being enspired and sente of God accordyng to the Prophecye of Esaie But the question of these headmen beyng put foorth as a bayre to take hym in a trippe ment none other conclusyoâ— ne purpose but thys In case Christe had aunswered thatsame autoritie to had bene geuen hym of God they would haue accused hym of blasphemie in that he beeyng but a manne tooke vpon hym that he had familiare talke or conuersacyon with God And as for the bishoppes the Phariseis and the scribes he had had no suche autoritie geuen hym by them It remayned than by the conclusyon of theyr argumente that the power whiche he tooke vpon hym was sediciouse and comen of the instinete of Satan For they were veraye stiffe in thys poynâ—te that all power autoritie of God was by due succession come vnto them and none others and that nothyng was deuoutly or godly executed whiche were not executed and dooen by autoritie of them And yet all the while beyng bâ—ynded with hatred they had no remembraunce how they had highly regarded Iohn tofore doing thynges sembleable without any autoritie of all of men yea in so muche that they woulde in anye wyse holde an argumente that Iohn was the Messyas sauing that Iohn wrought no miracles And yet for thys behalfe of working miracles they ought so much the lesse to haue iangled for murmoured against Christe No nor thys poynte neyther came not to theyr mynde that God of long continuaunce afore tymes hadde geuen thys kynde of power whan he spake by hys prophetes The autoritie of the Prophetes they receyued and alowed but the thing foreshewed by the prophetes they woulde not receiue The lorde therefore beeyng mynded to defeacte the malicious policie and the loutishe false packyng of them shaped them an aunswere in thys mannyer Before that I make any aunswere vnto your demaunde I on my partie also will demaunde a certayne questyon of you whiche ye will be hable quickly to despetche with a woorde And as soone as ye shall haue despetched that than will I make aunswere vnto your question that ye nowe demaunde of me Tel me thys The baptysme that Iohn minystred vnto the people whether was it from heauen or elles from menne And by whose auctoritie dyd he baptise whether receyuyng it from heauen by the power of God or els receyuyng it at your handes The peruerse conseyence of the Iewes had at once a smelle and felyng of thys forked questyon whiche the sophisters call an horned question because that to whether
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
his manhed bringing in stede of man a vain vision similitude of man Some contrariwise woulde take from him his godhed falsely saying that his beginning was but than whan he was borne of the virgin Mary because they being blinded with yerthly affeccions coulde not attain the mystery of Gods counsaill howe very God toke vpon hym to bee very man that one person shoulde bee both that in the meane while nothing should be withdrawen from the immutable nature of god and yet the perfectnesse of his manhed shoulde still remain I shall therfore set forth sum thinges more plainly in the ghospell so much as the spirit of Christ hath vouchsaued to open vnto me and asmuche as he had thoughte sufficiente to obtein saluacion by thorow the faith of the ghospell But as I began to say forasmuche as there is nothing any where emonges all the thinges that euer God made wherof we may make comparison whiche can throughly agree with the truth of the godhed I must though improprely vse the termes of thinges that our vnderstaÌ„ding is acquainted with to thintent that I may geue some knowlage to other of thinges whiche passeth all mens vnderstanding and vtteraunce Therfore as holy scripture calleth God that most excellent minde whiche mind is both greatter better then all thinges that can be imagined euen so it calleth his onely sonne the woord of that minde For although the sonne bee not the same that the father is yet he is so very lyke the father that a man may see the one in the other that is to say the father in the sonne and the sonne in the father But the resemblaunce of the father the sonne whiche in mans generacion is many waies vnperfit is moste perfit in God the father and his sonne And there is nothinge which dooeth more fully and euidently expresse the very secrecye of the minde then the true declarynge of it by woorde for that is the very loking glasse of the minde whiche cannot be sene with bodely iyes And if we couete to haue any man knowe the will of our minde that thinge is broughte to passe by no meanes more certainly or quickely then by speache whiche beinge fetched out of the inward priuiâ—ies of the minde conueiethe by a certaine secrete efficacie the minde of the speaker into the minde of the hearer through the eares of the hearer Neither is there any thynge amonges men more effectuall to stire vp euerye mocion of their mindes then to vttre it by speaking For if we haue auctoritie we maye shortly appoynte with our woorde what we will haue done Therfore he is called the sonne because being equal in al other thinges with his father he is distinctâ— and differeth in onely proprietie of person He is called the word because god whiche in his own proper nature can no waies be comprehended woulde be knowen to vs by him neither was his pleasure to be knowen for any other cause but to thintente we mighte attain euerlastinge felicitie by the knowlage of him This birthe is not teÌ„poral or during but for a time ne yet this woorde is like to mans woorde There is no corporall thing in God nothing that passeth with time or can be conteined in place neither is there in him any thynge at all subiect to beginninge proceding age or any mutabilitie he is alwaye one whole and altogether in himselfe and the sonne is continually begotten of him euen such an one as he is himselfe eternall of him that is eternall almightie of him that is almightie most good of him that is best in conclusion God of God neither later in time nor inferior to hys father the euerlastinge worde of the euerlasting mind by the which the father speaketh to himselfe al waies as it were by a secret thought yea before the world was made being knowen to no body but only to himselfe and his sonne He did euermore shall begette the sonne in himselfe and in like wise did euermore bringe foorthe his almighty woorde he had no nede of any thinge that is create to whose felicitie nothinge can be added but of his naturall goodnesse he hath made this whole ingine of the world and set therin euangelicall mindes and mankinde as in the meane betwene aungels beastes to thinthent he might gather of thinges wunderfully create and also of himselfe the power the loue and goodnes of the makir thereof And as if there were a greate mighty king whatsoeuer he commaunded to be doen shoulde be doen by and by euen so the veraye almightye father hath made all thinges by his sonne and woorde And firste by this way he shewed furth his woord by whom he woulde be knowen as though he had spoken vnto vs himselfe And beinge so knoweÌ„ by the wonderfulnes â—f his moste fayre workemanship might wind himselfe into our inward mocions Therefore they do erre and go very far froÌ„ the trueth whiche thinke the worde of god to be so after him in time from whom it procedeth as emonges vs the mind goethe before the speache And so they also whiche take the worde of God by the whiche God the father hath made all thinges to bee numbred emonges thinges create But their errour is more rude grosse whiche do suppose the sonne and woord of God than to haue begun and neuer before whan he was borne bodily of the virgin Mary What thinge soeuer is create hath his beginning in time but the sonne of God was twise borne once of his father before time or rather with out time very God of him that is verily God Again he was borne of the virgin Mary in time appointed thereto eternally of the euerlastynge father very man of mankynde For it hath pleased God after this sorte to bringe furthe agayne to vs hys woorde that is to saye his sonne to thintente he mighte be knowen after a more plaine waye or more familiarly That person therfore is wicked which maketh argumente that Iesus Christ was nothinge els but manne or that contendethe him to haue beene create emonges other creatures The father did be get him that was bothe his sonne and his woorde yet all one after soundry waies once in time as touchinge his manhed and alwaye without all time as touchinge his godhed For beefore there was this vniuersall creacion of thinges both yearthly and heauenly the eternall woorde was alredy with the euerlastinge father And this woorde did so procede from the father that yet it remained still with the father He was of suche an inseperable nature with the father that by proprietie of person he was with the father And yet he did not cleue to the father as the accidente doeth to the substaunce But he was god of god he was god in God and he was God with God by reason that they both had but one diuine nature common to both They twaine were so bothe one that nothing made difference betwene theim sauing onely the proprietie of person of the
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
their malice by his godly wysedome that he deliuered the aduoutresse oute of the stonecasters handes and yet did not clerely absoyle her as fautlesse leste he should seme to abrogate Moses lawe whiche was necessarily geuen to cause men refraine from euil dedes This I say did Iesus who came not to breake and abrogate the lawe but to fulfil it and againe on the other syde he did not condemne her because he came not into the worlde to haue sinners loste but to saue them For of trueth Iesus doeth euery where so moderate his woordes as touchyng those ordinaunces whiche the worlde obserueth necessarily euen to preserue a publike peace and for a common quietnes that he neither muche alloweth them nor improueth them but vpō occasion therof geueth monicion that generally all vngraciousnes is to be eschewed and not onely these dedes whiche worldly prynces lawes do punishe For truely there be in goddes iudgement crymes more horrible than these which yet the lawe doeth not punish notwithstanding they cannot escape punishment at goddes hande where he taketh on hand to reuenge the doer Therfore Iesus doeth neither refuse the iudgement which was cōmitted vnto him forasmuche as he is iudge ouer all nor he doth not appoint and cōmit the woman which was giltie vnto the men that wer in readinesse to cast stones neither doeth he cleare the woman of the matter who in dede had deserued to be punished but with silēce he succoureth her that was pulled hurried to pain to preserue her vnto penaunce and that she mighte with due repentaunce bee better aduised and conuerte to healthe and saluacion He gaue no aunswere by worde of mouthe but he spake the more by his dede He knewe the selye giltie woman to bee a sinner but he also knewe her accusers whiche woulde haue been thought righteous to be more sinfull then she was He did not take away Moses lawe but he shewed the mercifulnes of Christes newe law whereof he was thauctor he informed them that drewe the faultie womā to cruel pain to loke well vpon thēselues and according to gods lawe to examine their owne conscience duely euery one to shewe himself suche a one towardes his neighbour that had offended as he would haue god to iudge hym This thyng our Lorde Iesus did for our instruccion and he bowed downe hymselfe to signify that a man al statelinesse and pride layd doune wherwith any man flattered himself and of an hault minde despised his neighbour should descende doune into himself and loke wel vpon himself and being bowed doune Iesus wrote vpon the grounde euen to geue vs warnyng that God shall iudge euerye man after the lawe of the gospel The lawe written in tables made them by an vntrue righteousnes proude and arrogant The law written vpon the grounde maketh euery man through a conscience and knowlage of his owne infirmitie meke and mercifull vnto his neighbour Now whiles the Iewes preaced still vpon him to knowe his iudgemente although he had already by his dede pronounced it he stoode vp and so tolde them playnly his minde that wyst not what he meant by his doing and sayd He that is among you without synne let him cast the first stone at her With this saying he did not clearely assoyle the offender but he pearced their consciences And euery one of them knowynge himselfe giltie feared leste Iesus to whom they sawe wer knowen euen moste hid and seret thynges should haue published their vngracious actes When he had thus pricked their conscience he stouped doune againe and wrote vpon the grounde as it wer by that dede paintyng before theyr iyes what he would haue them to do He noted their arrogancie whiche toke vpon them to be holy when as in dede they were more synfull then those whom the lawe extremely punished For she whom they had brought foorth to be stoned with the commō handes of manye had not kylled her husband but through the frailtie of the fleshe had geuen the vse of her body to an other man and so committed aduoutrie They beyng full of enuy hatered complainyng couetousnes ambicion and deceite laye in wayte to kyl the lorde of the whole lawe who alone was free in al thynges and clerely pure from all synne Therefore vpon this the lordes answere euery one knowing himself giltie being afrayed lest he shoulde be bewraied and his faultes disclosed went out of the temple one after another the seniors the Phariseis the Scribes the Priestes and other head men goyng before and the rest folowing them For they whiche among that sorte wer taken for the very pillers and mainteiners of religion and iustice were euen sowsed in mormities and inwardly moste great synners When these folkes were goen out of whom neuer one was cleare and without fault Iesus remained alone who onely was without fault And nowe the synful womā found him which neuer hadde doen synne a mercifull iudge wheras she should haue had theim cruel murderers who were themselues giltie of grieuous sinnes Therfore the woman seing their crueltie stoode alone as a wofull synner before Iesus that was alone a woman ready to perishe before a Sauiour a sinfull creature before the fountaine of all perfeccion and holynes She quaked for feare euen of a very conscience but the clemencie of Iesus whiche shewed it selfe euen in his countenaunce put her in good coumfort and in the meane whyle our lord as it were a man occupied about an other thyng wrote vpon the grounde so that the Iewes as it well appeared wente a waye not as men afraied with the lordes threathynges but condemned in their owne consciences At lengthe Iesus stoode vppe and when he sawe that all were goen and the woman all alone and fearefull he speake curteously vnto her sayinge woman wher are thine accusers hath any man condemned the She answered no mā si◠Then Iesus sayed neither will I that came to saue all men bee more vnmercifull then they nor condemne her whom they haue not condemned The rigour of the lawe doeth punishe to feare men the fauourablenesse of the gospell seketh not the deathe of a synner but rather his amendemente and lyfe Therfore go thy waye and sinne no more hereafter By this example our lorde Iesus taught those that taketh vpon them to be shepeherdes ouer the people and to be teachers of the gospell howe greate sufferaunce and gentelnesse they ought to vse towardes them whiche fall into synne by frailtie for considering that he in whom was no synne at al shewed hymself so merciful towardes an open sinner how great ought the bishops gentilnes to be towardes offēders when as they themselues haue many times more nede of Goddes mercy then they against whose faultes they be very angry or in case they be not so synful certes their life is not without some spotte at leaste waye truely they maye by the frailtie of man fall into all kynde of synne ¶ Then spake Iesus agayne vnto them
stande muche in your owne conceyte because ye be the sonnes of Abraham I know that ye be borne of Abraham as touching the flesh but this honour is but smal vsual and coÌ„mon to al Iewes If ye wil algates be thought to be Abrahams posteritie and children of a moste holy father nothing degenerate in your dedes declare you to be his sonnes For it is the propertie of a very true naturall childe to resemble and expresse the fashion maners of his parentes Abraham did so muche beleue God that where as there was promised him of God a populouse succession and great in nuÌ„ber to come of his sonne Isaac he doubted not at one commaundement of God to â—lea his sonne Isaac But ye see now how farre ye be of from the maners of your father whiche do your endeuour to kill euen me for no cause els but that you being blinded with desyres of the flesh and the worlde do not vnderstande my communicacion and wordes whiche be spirituall Abraham not doubtyng of the promyses did in a thing against nature beleue the aungel by whome god spake vnto him To me whom ye se and by whom god speaketh to you promising greater thynges then in times paste he did to Abraham ye do not onelye not geue credence but also maliciously seke and deuise my death Do not therefore arrogantly chalenge Abraham to be your father Euery our is before God the sonne of hym whose acres and condicions he folowethe For as the children seeth theyr parentes do at home so will they do and growe to be of lyke affeccion maners I proue both by wordes and dedes that I am his sonne from whom I was sente for I speake that which I haue sene and heard of my father You lykewyse do the thynges whiche you haue seen your father do ¶ They aunswered and sayde vnto hym Abraham is our father Iesus sayeth vnto theÌ„ If ye were Abrahams children ye would do the dedes of Abraham but now ye go about to kill me a man that hath tolde you the trueth â–ª which I haue hearde of God this did not Abraham Ye do the dedes of your father Then sayed they vnto hym we were not borne of fornicacion we haue one father euen god Iesus saied vnto them If God wer your father trulye ye woulde loue me for I proceded forth and came from God neyther came I of my selfe but he sent me Why doe ye not knowe my speache Euen because ye cannot abide the hearyng of my woorde Ye are of your father the dâ—uill and the lustes of your father wyl ye serue He was a murtherer from the begynning and abode not in the trueth because here is no trueth in him when he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his owne for he is a lyar and the father of the same thing And because I tell you the trueth therefore ye beleue me not Forsomuche as the Iewes toke this saying of our Lorde Iesus in euill parte they frame their aunswere in suche sorte that they go aboute therein to picke out of Iesus wordes some thing spoken to AbrahaÌ„s rebuke which thing if it had been so in dede they woulde haue prouoked the people to haue stoned Christe for where as he had openly testified that their dedes were euill and added further that they did those thinges whiche they had sene theyr father do neyther did they knowledge any other father then Abraham they toke it as if by this saying of Iesus Abraham the Patriarche had been reproued who had hymselfe been suche one as were the children that came of him But Iesus spake nothing sore at all against Abraham but reasoned coÌ„trary to their saying prouing that therfore they were not the children of Abraham because they were moste farre from his wayes moste vnlike him If ye will sayeth he be taken for the true children of Abraham do as your father did beleue Goddes worde For he of trueth through notable affiaunce in God deserued the commeÌ„dacioÌ„ of righteousnes and was called righteouse Now although ye haue neuer doen boastyng Abraham to be your father neuertheles your studie and drifte is to kill me a maÌ„ that albeit I were none other but very man yet were I innocent and one that harme no man and you therefore woulde â—lea me because I tell you the trueth whiche I do not fayne of myne owne heade but that trueth whiche I haue hearde of God insomuche that whosoeuer distrusteth me thesame must nedes distruste God But Abraham will not acknowledge you for his sonnes whiche goe about a wicked matter and muche disagreable to his maners And if it be so that euery one is that mans sonne whose dedes he foloweth and that your dedes withall are farre vnlike to Abrahams you muste nedes haue some other father whosoeuer he be whose naturall disposicion you do resemble and shewe your selfe lyke in condicions The Iewes beeyng of trueth more prouoked by these sayinges nowe as it were geassing to what ende the processe of Iesus wordes tended and whom he noted to be their father aunswere whom els apointest thou for our father that takest awaye our father Abraham We be not base gotten we maye reioyce in that which is common to all the Iewes who are not onely the succession of Abraham but also the sonnes of God whiche calleth Israell his first begotten childe And we are Israelites And if thou take away our father Abraham from vs if thou geue vs another father then God the common father of all our nacion thou art not only iniuriouse and dispiteful to vs but to the whole nacion of the Iewes Wheras this was a wicked and shameles aunswere for what coulde be more shameful theÌ„ to boaste themselfes to be the children of God who knewe themselues giltye in such great faultes who also laied in wayt to bring the sonne of God to death Iesus replied sharpely to this answer and saied If God were your father that is to witte if ye were very true and naturall Israelites ye woulde I am sure loue me as a brother begotten of the common father of all and as one that doeth expressely folowe his fathers behaueour and maners euen as it becummeth a true naturall childe For I neyther shewe foorth any other thyng then God the father nor I do none other mens busynes then my fathers from whom I proceaded and came into this world For I neither speake nor do any thing of my selfe I do not apoint my selfe to this embassage but he sente me whom ye clayme to be comon father to you all And yf ye saye trueth why do ye not acknowledge his speache that is the same fathers sonne and his very true sonne who was also with his father before he came into the world neither speaketh he any thyng but at his fathers appoyntment Why can ye so very euill beare my wordes wheÌ„ as by me god speaketh vnto you If ye beleue God to be true beneficiall an health geuer frendely
to theÌ„ that be godly and enemy to the wicked when as ye see nothing in my sayinges or doinges vnlyke vnto these thinges why do you not acknowledge the manners and verye nature of youre father But if ye couet to heare your fathers name whome in witte and dedes ye do reseÌ„ble ye be neyther beegotten of Abraham nor of God but euen of the deuill ye be his very naturall children whose witte and disposicion ye breathe out and shewe likelyhoode of and whose will ye obey For ye haue bothe hated the trueth and go aboute to kyll an innocent This is an exaumple of the deuill your father For because he hath been the chiefe auctor of bothe lyes and murder who by his lying entised vnto deathe the firste parentes of mankinde being with none other thing prouoked then throughe enuie of other folkes felicitie And thesame sinfull disease doth pricke you forwarde to slea one that is innocent and a beneficiall person The deuill enuyed man that was of a blessed creacion ye enuie man to be restored vnto the felicitie from whence he fell He fell from the truethe by hys pryde And his fall was suche that there is no hope of his amendemente but persistyng in euill he heapeth sinne vpon sinne striuing againste Gods veritie by you at this presente and doyng thesame thyng that in the beginnyng of the worlde he firste practised when he drewe the first auctors of mankynde vnto death Whoso therfore hateth trueth and loueth lyes he declareth sufficiently who is his father Whosoeuer pronounceth a lye he speaketh of hym that is the fouÌ„taine of all lyes Whatsoeuer that auctor speaketh is a lye and he speaketh of hymself for he is not onely a lyar but the father and prince of lyes As of the contrary syde God is the fountayne of all truethe and whosoeuer speaketh the trueth to Gods glory he speaketh not of hymselfe but of God But if you be begotten rather of God the auctour of trueth then of the deuill the father of lyes wherfore then consideryng that I dooe speake vnto you heauenly trueth doe not you beeyng the chyldren of Abraham beleue God why do not ye the children of God acknowledge and loue Goddes trueth ¶ Whiche of you rebuketh me of sinne If I saye the trueth why do not ye beleue me he that is of God heareth goddes woordes Ye therfore heare them not because ye are not of God Then aunswered the Iewes and sayed vnto hym Saye we not well that thou art a Samaritane and hast the deuill Iesus aunswered I haue not the deuyll but I honoure my father and ye haue dishonored me I seke not mine owne prayse there is one that seketh and iudgeth If ye fynde any lye in my wordes or any faulte in my procedyng geue not credite to my wordes But which of ye all can burden me with any one faulte What maner of men ye be ye your selfes are priuie but if whatsoeuer be right and true thesame is of God and neither can ye proue in me any thyng that varieth from right and trueth why then in not beleuyng me do ye distruste god specially consideryng that ye boaste your selues to be the children of God But and if ye did extolle and aduaunce your selues truely ye would acknowledge the woorde of God but in case ye do it vntruelye ye declare your selues to haue a lying father Whosoeuer is begotten of god thesame doeth lyke a true naturall chylde geue eare to his fathers woordes And that thing well proueth you not to be begotten of God the father because ye cannot abyde to heare the truethe that cummethe from him The Iewes beeyng made through these woordes more wood fall to geuyng cursed woordes in theyr aunswere wherunto the malice of men beyng with reason concluded is woont to haue refuge and saieth Do not we saye right of thee that where thou wilte be taken for a Iewe and boastest god to be thy father thou art a Samaritane and haste the deuill whiche selfe thyng thou doest now declare in dede and approuest our iudgemente of thee But what aunswer made moste gentle Iesus vnto this peuishe mad reproche As touching the reproche in namyng hym a Samaritane althoughe it were commonly taken for a greate rebuke and slaunder yet because it was naught els but a fumishe checke spoken in a furye he made no aunswere at all therunto as though they had but called hym a mushrome or an oynion but yet to the bearing hym on hande that he had the deuill he aunswereth but in suche sorte that he gaue them no euill language againe whiche he mighte worthely haue doen and countermauÌ„ded backe againe theyr lewde saying to themselfes but auoydethe it courteouslye from hymselfe teachynge vs by the waye that as ofte as we haue to do concernyng goddes glory as ofte as the truethe of the ghospell is to be defended agaynst the wicked we should be earnest quicke and sharpe And as often as we oure selfes be rebuked that we should shew our selfes â—entle and meke In suche wise that we do not make auÌ„swere to all thynges but repell and auoyde those thinges onely from vs which we cannot concele without hinderaunce of the gospell To haue the people vnderstande that Christ did euery thyng in all his procedynges not by the deiuils auctoritie but God the father beyng aucthour made muche to the furtheraunce of the ghospell I haue sayeth Christ no familiaritie with any deiuill nor I doe not therfore boaste my selfe of God beeyng my father to thintent that I woulde with a lye obtayne myne owne prayse but that through me my father myght be glorifyed emongst men And albeit ye doe glorie that ye haue thesame god to your father yet doe ye me despite who seke nothyng els but his glory of whom ye woulde be thought true wurshippers I do not curiously seke myne owne prayse at mennes handes neyther doth your contumeliouse wordes hurt me but rather worketh your destruccion For there is one who as he is couetous to be glorified amonges men by me so he wisheth that I agayne should haue glorye by hym not that eyther he or I haue nede of this glorye but that so to haue it is expediente for you for the exchaunge of death and that ye maye attayn saluacion Of trueth lyke as I doe not muche couet myne owne glory howbeit in dede my glory is the glory of my father so am I no reuenger of myne owne rebuke or iniury But yet for all that thinke not that ye shall be without punishmente for that ye haue slaundered me For there is he that both seketh my prayse and glory and will reuenge my iniury and contempte except ye amende Uerely verely I say vnto you if a man â—epe my saying he shall neuer see death Then saied the Iewes vnto him Nowe knowe we that thou hast the deiuil Abraham is dead and the Prophetes and thou sayst If a man kepe my saying he shall neuer â—aste of death Arte thou greater than our
asked almes neyther did they suffer him to speake any longer And beyng ashamed to be so put to silence and haue their mouthes stopped by a poore ignoraunt person they thrust him out of the Sinagogue as a leude masters leude disciple Iesus hearde that they had excommunicated him and when he had founde hym he saied vnto him doest thou beleue on the sonne of god He aunswered and sayed who is it lord that I might beleue on hym And Iesus sayed vnto hym thou hast seen hym and he it is that talketh with the. And he sayed Lorde I beleue and he wurshypped hym But whome Pharisaicall fiercenes thrusteth out of the Sinagogue them doeth Christe receiue into his churche For to bee disseuered from the communion of the wicked is to be coupled to Christe And to bee disallowed of them that stablishyng their owne righteousnesse speake agaynste the righteousnesse of God is to bee approued and alowed and of them to be rebuked that seking their owne prayse goe about to darken the prayse of Iesus is moste hye prayse and to be detestable to theÌ„ that are to be detested is to be derely beloued of god Therefore relacion was made vnto Iesus how boldely the man that so muche set foorth his prayse behaued himselfe towardes the Phariseis For it was already bruted abrode by the people that he was caste of and reiect Therefore as soone as Iesus had met with him to make this mans fayth more knowen to al men he sayeth vnto him howe sayest thou felowe beleuest thou on the sonne of God For he had already confessed before the Pharisees that he whiche did so greate a thyng came playnely from God Nor Iesus was ignoraunte thereof but he gatte out the mannes open confession thereof for other mennes sakes procuryng thereby a good exaumple for other But though he that had been blynde as yet knewe not Iesus by sighte yet hauyng great affeccion to knowe that mannes face whome Iesus named the sonne of god sayeth lorde who is he that when I knowe hym I maye beleue on him The manne had beleued on Iesus yea ere he sawe hym nor this was not the voyce of a faythlesse man but of one that vehemently desyred to see the auctour of so great a benefite Iesus therefore with humble woordes signifying hymselfe to be the personne he spake of sayeth vnto hym thou haste already seen hym whome thou desyreste to see and he it is that talketh with thee on whome it behoueth thee to beleue The man vpon these woordes without any staying at all confesseth with great promptnes of mynde that he doeth beleue and euen with that saying he fell downe at Iesus knee and wurshipped hym and so his dede declared what he thought of Iesus ¶ And Iesus sayed vnto hym I am come vnto iudgemente into this worlde that they whiche see not might see that they whiche see might be made blynde And some of the Phariseis which were with hym heard these wordes sayed vnto hym are we blynd also Iesus sayed vnto them If ye were blind ye shoulde haue no synne But nowe ye saye we see therfore your sinne remayneth Now than Iesus to th entent that by example of this manne he might the more prouoke other mens mindes that wer present sayeth I that am the light of the worlde therfore came into the worlde that the course of thynges mighte be turned vpsyde doune as muche to say that the symilitude and sleight of vntrue holinesse and forged knoweledge beyng disclosed these whiche heretofore sawe not might se and that they whiche see might be made blynde With this saying Iesus noted the naughty peruerse iudgement of the Pharisees which though they thought that onely they knew what was religion what was law and what was righteousnes yet wer they more foule ouerseen than any of the mean sorte of people by reason that worldelye couetousnes had darkened the iudgemente of their mynde when as that sely poore blinde felowe simple and vnlearned likewyse as he had bodily sight frely geuen him so did he inwardly see so muche in soule that in knowlage of trueth he excelled euen the very pharisees Neither did these bytyng wordes so scape all the Phariseis whiche folowed Iesus of no good minde but rather to seke on euery syde occasion to reproue hym but that the styng of this saying caused some of them to marke it so that those were not beguiled therwith These beyng nothyng altered from their malepert presumpcion to thintent that they might either force the Lorde to testifie honorably of them or to haue some matter to accuse him of vnto them that were of the pharisees ordre saye vnto hym are we than blynde also But Iesus doeth so aunswere vnto this question whiche was very wily capcious and also presumptuouse that he declareth them whiche thoughte themselues men of great fight to be more than blinde not in body but in soule and to bee the more vncurably blynde because they thought themselues quicke sighted Uerely sayeth Iesus yf ye were blynde and woulde knowledge howe ignorauÌ„t in soule ye be your simplicitie should be pardoned But nowe forasmuche as ye be blinde in dede and yet ye would be praysed among the people for learned men ye are so very starke blinde that ye cannot be healed As this blinde manne hath obteyned sight because he knowledged the deformitie of his body euen so you because ye be voluntary blynde as menne blynded through lustes of your fleshe cannot be cured but continue in the sinne of infidelitie whereas the vnlearned whiche firste were ignoraunt of the trueth vpon the syght of miracles and by hearyng me preache all darkenes taken awaye enbraceth the light of the trueth He that presumptuously taketh vpon hym to knowe the lawe and speaketh againste him that is the principall poynte and conclusion of the lawe is more than blynde and altogether out of the waye All men haue liued heretofore vnder shadowes nor any waye lieth open to the lightwarde but by fayth of the ghospell Therefore the common and vulgare people souer receiue sight because they do not very muche thynke themselues well sighted and if they be any whit ouerseen it is rather through rude ignorauÌ„ce than malice But they that whan themselues be twise blinde yet they professe themselues teachers of the people that is guiders of the blynd suche I say be staâ—ke blynde and moste daungerously without recouery For neyther they theÌ„selues come to the light and yet through false opinion and pretence of learnyng and holinesse they seduce and bryng other into errour ¶ The .x. Chapter Uerely verely I say vnto you he that entreth not in by the doore into the shepefolde but climeth vp some other waye thesame is a thiefe and murderer But he that entreth in by the doore is the shepeherde of the shepe to hym the porter openeth and the shepe heare his voyce and he calleth his owne shepe by name and leadeth them out And whan he hath fâ—t
Ierusalē the feast of the dedicacion and it was winter And Iesus walked in the temple euen in Salomons porche Than came the Iewes rounde about him and sayde vnto him How long doest thou make vs doubt If thou be Christ tell vs playnly When Iesus had tolde a long tale of these thinges that were straunge vnhearde of and far aboue the common capacitie of most men there fel a newe iar in opinions among the people for some sayde that whiche they had already many tymes sayed whensoeuer he disclosed theyr secrete conspiracies or if he spake or did any thyng aboue the power of manne he hath the deuyll saye they and is madde For the wordes whiche he speaketh lacke common sence What pleasure is it to heare this felowe Againe some folke els sayde these be no suche mans wordes as is in the deuils daunger For his woordes smelleth of the power of God specially for as muche as his deedes be agreable to his wordes As his wordes be suche be his dedes He speaketh thinges farre passing mans wit but the same doth thinges which far excede mans power Can a mad man and he that is possessed with a deuil open blinde mens iyes It is the propertie of deuils to put out ones iyes that seeth but to geue fyght to him that is borne blind cummeth of the power of God Forasmuche than as it is euident that that thyng is doen by hym hys talke cannot procede of a noysome deuil whose dedes appereth playne to come from a beneficiall God The Lorde Iesus maketh no aunswere to thys altercacyon teachyng vs by the way that the wieked are not alway to be striuen with in wordes and that by dedes it is rather to bee declared what we can dooe than by woordes and sumtimes place is to bee geuen to the furie of the eiuil sorte nor the moderate temperaunce of the ghospell is at any tyme to bee forgotten After all thys the feastful daye ministred newe matter to sette in hande and dispute with hym agayne That solemne feaste was than whiche they call the dedicacyon of the temple for because the temple was reedefyed and repayred after the exile that was made at Hierusalem by the Persians Neyther was Iesus absent at this feasteful daye a newe maker of the law and of a new temple that is to say the churche chefe deuyser and maister of the woorkes And it was winter A full very mere tyme for theyr myndes whiche throughe loue of the colde lawe dyd not burne in the loue of the ghospell Therfore Iesus was not nowe in the inner parte of the temple but walked in the porche which ioyneth to the temple that is called Salomons temple to the intent that the very place shoulde declare that peacemaker to be presente whiche shoulde reconcyle all thynges in heauen and earth There walked truely the aucthor of the lawe of the ghospel Moses lawe being nowe at a poynte to cease The Iewes therefore leste he should escape theyr handes came rounde about him whyle he was walkyng there sore moued with many of his sayinges and dooynges neyther dyd they well agree among themselues some maliciously fynding faulte with al thing some gathering of hys dedes and wordes a certain thing to be honored in him aboue mannes power And they set vpon hym with these woordes Howe long wilt thou kepe vs in a doubtful mynde and therewith sette the people on a rore If thou bee that verye Messias whome we looke for tell it vs openly without all colour Iesus aunswered them I tolde you and ye beleue not The workes that I doe in my fathers name they beare witnes of me But ye beleue not because ye are not of my shepe as I sayd vnto you My shepe heare my voyce and I know them and they folow me and I geue vnto them eternal life and they shal neuer perishe neyther shal any man plucke them out of my hande My father whiche gaue them me is greatter than all and no man is able to take them out of my fathers hande I and my father are one But although Iesus was not ignoraunt that they dyd demaunde of a peruerse mynde this thing whiche they had both oftentymes hearde and myght also haue perceiued the same by his doinges yet he maketh them a gentle aunswere more desyrous to enstruct them then to angre them What nedeth it me sayth he so often to speake of my selfe and tell who I am namely forasmuch as if I doe openly testifie the trueth ye call the recorde therof arrogancie I haue already tolde you if ye woulde beleue me who I am Yea though ye dooe not credite my woordes yet ye cannot be ignoraunt of the thyng whiche ye desyre knowe of me There is no surer profe than dedes Ye see my doynges which your selues doe witnesse I doe at my fathers will and not the deuilles as some doe misreporte If my actes be worthie to bee imputed to God beleue that I am sente of God But ye dooe neyther beleue my dedes nor my woordes whereof I am not the cause but your owne corrupte and suspiciouse mynde They that meane well and playnelye and bee not polluted with the naughtynesse of thys worlde beeleue my woordes and lyke good shepe knowe the voyce of a good shepeherd and semblably I knowlage them for my shepe though after the worlde they be poore sely thinges But ye therfore doe not knowledge my voyce because ye are not of the number of my shepe whose simplicitie is lightely taughte when as youre myndes be swollen with ambicion leuened with malice with enuie corrupted infected with couetousnes and with sundrie affeccions of this worlde defyled from whiche vices if ye would purge your minde verely euen you also should heare my voice neither should you so doe without benefit For first of al ye should therby auoide death which hangeth ouer all rebels agaynst the sonne of God moreouer ye shall obteyne therby euerlasting life For of trueth those my shepe how simple and vnlerned soeuer they be after the iudgement of the worlde as long as they doe knowleage me the shepeherde and all the while they folow me as gyde dooe through my liberalitie get euerlasting life when as other that are taken in the worlde for men of great felicitie goe to euerlastyng death They be symple shepe harmelesse weake lacking all worldely succour The world riseth against these with all engiens and force But the aduersarye shall not haue so greate power that he shall be hable to take them out of my handes The world hath auctoritie of phariseis dignitie of priestes it hath armed kynges hye magistrates iudges places of iudgement prisones cheines roddes axes broddes to pricke with exile deathes whatsoeuer is wont to bring feare yea euen to stedfast myndes On the other syde it hath riches pleasures dignities honours and what soeuer is wont to corrupt most vncorrupt myndes The world vseth all these engines to plucke my shepe out of my handes but I beeyng theyr
more to moue them all to beleue and to leaue them no excuse at al that through theyr owne wilful malice would perishe declaryng what great profite should come to them that beleued and how great destruccion to them that did persiste in theyr vnbeliefe Iesus I saye cryed and sayd all you do professe that ye beleue on God But forasmuche than as I am come from god nor saye or do any thyng vnlesse he beyng the auctour whosoeuer beleueth on me beleueth not on me that do nothing of my self but on him that sent me into the worlde The worlde is full of darkenesse of errour and sinnes And therfore dyd I descend into the world from my father that is the fountayne of al light as a beame from the sūne that errours beyng remoued and synnes taken awaye I should be the lighte of the worlde Truely by faythe are the iyes of the blynde opened that they maye see lighte and no more fall in darkenesse All my doctrine miracles and what thyng soeuer I haue doen or shall do to this hath respecte that he whiche beleueth on me and putteth his whole affiaunce in me doeth not abyde in darkenesse but beyng lightned with knowledge of trueth and pourged from al sinnes of their old lyfe maye through leadyng of the light and by godlinesse of the ghospel procede to euerlastyng lyfe And if any man heare my wordes and beleue not I iudge hym not for I came not to iudge the worlde but to saue the world He that refuseth me receyueth not my wordes hath one that iudgeth him The worde that I haue spoken thesame shal iudge him in the last daye But if a man heare my wordes and obey them not that hearing doeth so not profite him that for his vnbelefe he shal haue a more sory ende not that I shall iudge him For I came not to condemne the worlde for the sinnefull enormities therof but to saue it beyng once purged by fayth But neyther yet shall that man escape terrible iudgemente whiche when he hath hearde my woordes casteth thē awaye and contemneth thē Uerily at this present I omitte nothyng wherby I may drawe al folke to eternal saluaciō nor any man shal be loste through my faulte But whosoeuer shall contemne saluacion when it is offred hym this selfe sayed woorde whiche I now speake shall condemne hym and shall in the laste daye rebuke him because he did perishe through his owne wilfull malice I for my parte haue inuited menne with promising them rewardes I haue feared them by threatnyng them with punishementes I haue allured thē with benefites I haue prouoked them with miracles I repell no bodye from saluacion I set open a ready waye for euery man and woman to life What excuse therfore in the laste daye shall he pretende that beyng so many wayes prouoked to belefe doeth continue still in his blindnesse For I haue not spoken of my selfe but the father whiche sent me he gaue me a commaūdemente what I should saye and what I shoulde speake And I knowe that his commaundemente is lyfe euerlastyng whatsoeuer I speake therfore euen as the father bad me so I speake If ye be wurshippers of God as ye thinke your selues to be in case ye haue the lawe in reuerence ye cannot contemne my woordes For I do not speake of myne owne heade as they be woont to do whiche dooe feine what they liste to theyr owne prayse and aduauntage nor I do not teache thynges repugnaunte to the law but I do perfourme in dede those thynges whiche the lawe did shadow in figures and prophecied should come Futhermore my father who is the auctour of the lawe and from whom I came hither hath prescribed me what I shall saye and do Therfore consideryng that I do obeye his commaundementes in all thynges how can ye honour hym when as ye do cōtemne his ambassadour And truely the thing whiche he hath geuen me in commaundement he hath onely commaunded it of loue towardes you that you throughe beleuyng the thinges whiche I shewe vnto you maye obtayne euerlastyng lyfe Lyke as my father thirsteth the saluacion of all and seketh no mans damnacion so verely do I desyre to haue all saued and wyll suffre none to perishe as muche as in me lyeth verily Wherfore because I am well assured that whatsoeuer he hath willed me to saye doeth perteyne to your saluacion therefore doe I leaue naught vnspoken that he hath assigned me to saye vnto you As touchyng this good will of God the father towardes you and myne also which throughly agreeth with my fathers wil and minde see there be no defaulte on your behalfe wilfully sekyng your owne damnacion when as ye maie attaine to eternal saluacion The .xiii. Chapter Before the feast of Easter when Iesus knewe that his houre was come that he should departe out of this worlde vnto the father when he loued his whiche were in the worlde vnto the ende he loued them OUr Lorde Iesus didde with these kynde of woordes exhorte the wicked people to prouide for theyr owne saluaciō and to leaue their vngracious purpose consideryng he had leafte nothyng vnassayed whereby they might be recouered and brought to a better minde and emendmente Nowe then was no more a doe but to enstructe his disciples whom he had speciallye chosen whome he should shortely leaue behinde him and whome he knewe would be muche discoumfited with the deathe of theyr maister against the storme that was imminente and nye at hand and throughly to pull out of theyr myndes those Pestilences whiche corrupteth the sinceritie of the ghospell that is to saye enuie hatred pride ambicion and graffe in them affeccions contrary to these declaryng therein the tokens of perfite charitie whose example and steppes they should folow in louing eche other mutually shewing also the mannier of suche mekenesse and humilitie as hath not been hearde of wherby one shoulde preuente an other sembleably with mutuall benefites Therfore the daye before Easter whiche the Hebrues as was sayed before did call Phase that is to saye a passeouer forasmuche as oure Lorde Iesus from whom nothyng was hid knewe the tyme nowe to bee at hande when as hymselfe aunsweryng to the name of that feastefull daye shoulde passe out of this worlde and go agayn to his father from whēce he came seyng he had alwaies loued his Apostles whom he had specially chosē to hymselfe as his familiares and frendes whiche shoulde not yet depart out of the worlde but shoulde haue a great and long battayle with the world he didde declare his continuall loue and charitie towardes them Neyther the storme of his death beeyng nowe at hande did put awaye the zele and affeccion whiche he bare towardes them but at his veray departyng from them he did speciallye shewe tokens of a certayne rare loue not that he had fayntly loued them before but because those thinges whiche he shoulde printe into theyr myndes at his goyng from them mighte more diepely remayne in memorie
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
they ought to thanke for theyr saluacion They knowe of whom to bee succoured and whome to leane to They doe depende vpon thee I praye for them I praye not for the worlde but for them whiche thou hast geuen me for they are thyne And all myne are thyne and thine are myne and I am glorifyed in them And nowe I am not in the worlde and they are in the worlde and I come to thee Holye father kepe thorowe thyne owne name them whiche thou hast geuen me that they also maye be one as we are Whyles I was with them in the worlde I kepte them in thy name Those that thou gauest me haue I kepte and none of them is loste but that loste chylde that the scripture might be fulfylled Therefore I praye for them whome beyng withdrawen out of the worlde thou wouldest shoulde be thine and my prayer is that thy goodnes would stablyshe and make the thyng perpetually theyr owne which thou haste begun in them I do not nowe praye for the worlde which being blynded in euyl desyres doeth stubbernly oppugne and reclayme agaynste my doctrine hauyng enuie at theyr owne saluacion when it is freely offred them I praye for them whom thou hast committed to my tuicion because thei be not of this worlde but thine and agaynst the malyce of the deuill they cannot be in sauetie but by thy continuall ayde I therefore o father commende them to thee that it maye please thee to let them be alwaye thyne lyke as I am perpetually thyne for euer And therfore are they myne because they bee thyne For betwene vs are all thynges common For whatsoeuer is myne thesame is also thyne And whatsoeuer is thine thesame is also myne And like as thou arte honoured and glorifyed by my doctryne among menne so am I glorifyed by the beliefe of these whiche sticke vnto me constauntly when as the Phariseis and the scribes stāde obstinately in the deniall therof For these shall after a sorte succede me in offyce and come into my roume and after that I be takē a way out of this world they shall make bothe thy name and myne to be of famouse memorye throughout all the worlde I haue played the preachers parte and dooen my funccion and office therein wherein these shall succede me and come to lyke offyce And nowe am I not in the worlde whiche I do furth with leaue and goe out of it but yet these abyde styll in the worlde in my steade to disperse abrode throughout all nacions of the worlde that whiche they haue learned of me But I leauyng them behynde me come whole to thee O holy father kepe and preserue them in preachyng of thy name whome thou gauest me to teache and so kepe them that they maye preache and teache those thynges which thou haste wylled me to preache and whiche thynges I haue taughte obeying thy wyll in all thynges And this do that as I neuer went from thy commaundementes but in all thynges haue agreed and consented to thy wyll so bothe the doctrine of these and also theyr lyfe do neuer dissent frō myne For so shall our name be truely glorifyed by them yf as we agreyng within ourselues do bothe the one and the other glorifie eche other so euen these neuer dissentyng from vs doe make our name famouse all the worlde thorowe For whatsoeuer they haue taught and doen ▪ because it shall be perceyued to haue come from vs it shall therfore redound and be referred to the prayse and glorie of our name As long as I lyued in theyr company familiarly as a man with men I was diligente to kepe them as thyne and as men that thou haste put me in truste withall euē with bodely seruice and doynges also and I haue reteyned and continued thē hitherto in league with vs. So manye as thou gauest me haue I faythfullye kepte safe and neuer one of this couente or felowship hath perished except one whiche though he lyued in my companye yet was he none of myne but borne to damnacion whiche hymselfe through his owne faulte willinglye called for and occasioned to fall vpon hym For I omitted nothyng that should haue reuoked him and haue brought him to better mynde And this thyng truely dyd not happē by casualtie but holy scripture dyd long tyme before shewe it should come to passe that a familiar and a companion of householde shoulde betraye to death his owne lorde and Maister Notwithstandyng throughe thy godlye deuise and diuine prouidence it is come to effecte and purpose that also this mannes death and damnacion shall be profitable and do good to the publique healthe and saluacion of the whole worlde synce that by hym is procured the thyng without whiche saluacion coulde not be had and sithe also an example is gotten thereby whiche ought to counsayle and admonishe euery man to abyde constantly and to perceyuer in the thyng that he hath once begunne and taken in hande leste he by his owne folie turne to his owne vtter destruccion and cause of his owne damnacion that thyng whiche by the mere bountie and free goodnes of God was geuen hym to obteyne thereby eternall health and saluacion Nowe come I to thee and these wordes speake I in the world that they might haue my ioye full in them I haue geuen them thy worde and the world hath hated them because they are not of the worlde euen as I also am not of the worlde I desyre not that thou shouldeste take them out of the worlde But that thou kepe them from euill They are not of the worlde as I also am not of the worlde Sanctifie them thorow thy trueth Thy worde is the trueth As thou dyddest sende me into the worlde euen so haue I also sent them into the worlde and for theyr sakes sanctifie I my selfe that they also might be sanctified thorowe the trueth But nowe lyke as these matters are dooen by thy eternall wisedome and iudgement euen accordyng as thou wouldest haue it so I now after I haue finished the thynges that thou commaundedst me do leaue the worlde and come to thee But I that shall go hence do in the meane while speake these thynges vnto thee not that I am any thyng doubtfull of thy wyll but that I maye by this prayer comforte and stablishe my disciples to the entent they maye vnderstand how that thou wilt care and prouide for them after that they shall wante the presence and sight of my body and that they maye also put awaye sorowfull pensiuenesse for that they knowe howe that I shall lyue agayne and so theyr ioye to be soone renued agayne when they haue sene me risen from death to life and in conclusion after they haue seene me taken vp into heauen and they to haue receiued that heauēly spirite the holy ghost one that shal be both in steade of thee and me they maye conceyue and receyue no temporall or vnperfite ioye whiche maye ryse by the sight of my body when it is
brought to them agayne but to haue a perpetuall and a perfite ioye whiche oure spirite shall alwaye infuse in them dwelling in theyr hartes to the entent that nowe they shoulde depende of nothyng els than of a good affiaunce in vs and in the vprightnes of conscience The worlde shall stire vp sore stormes of grieuous persecucion agaynste them because my doctrine agreeth not with the affeccions and carnall desyres of this worlde For men of trueth be desyrouse of and gape for earthlye and transitory thinges and I teache heauenly thinges This doctrine which I had of the I haue taught it them and these fewe haue well liked it and enbraced thesame the worlde setting nought by it And because these loue my doctrine the worlde hateth theÌ„ as forsakers of the worlde runnagates to vs the worlde hath none other grounde thus to doe but because they stick vnto vs renounce the worlde This worlde hath his baites enticementes that seme pleasaunt for a time it hath also his dreadfull thinges and threatninges wherwith it doth discourage weaken euen a right stronge and bold herte Herewith he mayntaineth and defendeth his faccion fighteth against our religion Therfore equitie would no lesse becummeth our bounteousnesse that those whiche hath forsaken the worlde to come to vs and haue coÌ„mit and credite themselfes wholy to vs and altogether depend vpon vs we should care and prouide for to th entent the worlde may knowe that they be in more safetie which betaketh themselfes to our succoure and mayntenauÌ„ce than those that leaneth to the ayde helpe of the worlde The simple playne true hart which they beare towardes vs and the trust that they haue in vs deserueth heaueÌ„ly fauour the hatred which the worlde beareth towardes them for our sake prouoketh out beneuolence and good will towardes theÌ„ For the worlde doth not therfore hate them because they be theues or murderers rauishers or deceyuers with false bying sellyng but because they be cleare and pure from the enormities of this worlde as ambicion couetousnes malice pharisaicall fraude from idolatrie from vnclenesse and other sinnes wherwith the worlde is euery where infect Furthermore as the worlde hateth me bicause I haue obeyed thy will so doeth it also hate them because they doe mislyke and contemne the doctrine of the Phariseis and set nought by the folishe wisedome of the worlde but in a simple and true meaning fayth obey my lawes and tradicions And the worlde doeth not onely hate me but also my name and is lothe to haue me spokeÌ„ of yea for my cause it hateth them whosoeuer they be that wyll neglecte mans doctryne and folowe the plaine pure doctrine of the gospel euen because it doeth muche disagre with the lustes and desires of them whiche withal affeccion and pleasure doe enbrace thinges of this worlde I nowe that haue diligently doen my duetie and office am separate from the felowship of the worlde for so it is mete to be But I would not as yet haue them cumpanions with me for the time is not yet that they also should be taken cleane out of the worlde vntill they likewise haue with diligence executed the office that is commit vnto them This I only pray for that they lining in the worlde be not polluted with the vices of the worlde and that they fall not away from vs and turne backewarde into the faccions and vnstable opinions of the worlde For they beyng so many wayes assauted cannot shunne and exchue that without thy helpe They stycke to me they be my brauÌ„ches and my membres Thus the matter staÌ„deth that as I am diuers and not agreable to the worlde because I stycke to the euen so these also are vnlike to the worlde misliked because they cleane and stycke to me As I haue kept me safe and pure from the filthy pollucioÌ„s of the worlde so kepe thou these cleane and impolluted from all contagious infeccions of the worlde That shall take effecte yf by thy ayde and helpe they perseuer in the trueth The wisedome of the worlde hath muche falsehood mixte withall Moses lawe is wrapped in shadowes of thinges but thy woorde whiche I haue taught is pure trueth it hath no disceite it is cleare and easie without smoke shadowes This trueth haue I taught purely sincerely that there nedeth not nowe so many interpretacions or translacions so many Pharisaical ordinauÌ„ces or so many laboured Philosophical sophemes and subtyll sentences Only my doctrine is playne and easie to be vnderstand of all folke if so be that fayth be had And than it shall be a sufficient doctrine to euerlastyng felicitie Lyke as I beyng thy Apostle and messenger and sente from thee into the worlde haue doen thy busines faithfully and haue not been corrupted with contagiousnes of the worlde but rather haue draweÌ„ the worlde to my purenesse euen so doe I send these into the worlde in my steade to teache purely sincerely that whiche they haue heard of me not studying their owne gaine and prayse but folowyng thy will to the intent that by their testimonie many maye be drawen to vs and be separate from the worlde whiche is altogether sinfull And because these may be pourged from synne and so perseuer pure in preachyng the trueth of the gospel I doe offer my selfe a sacrifice to thee For he cannot purely preache my doctrine to the worlde that is subiect to worldly affeccions Neuerthelesse I pray not for them alone but for them also whiche shall beleue on me thorowe theyr preachyng that they all may be one as thou father art in me and I in thee and that they also may be one in vs that the worâ—de may beleue that thou haste sent me And the glory whiche thou gauest me I haue geuen them that they may be one as we also are one I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfecte in one that the worlde may knowe that thou haste sente me and haste loued them as thou hast loued me Father I will that they whiche thou haste geuen me be with me where I am that they may see my glory which thou haste geuen me For thou louedst me before the makyng of the worlde Nor I doe not onely pray for these whiche are fewe in numbre but for all that shal through my doctrine preached of these renounce the worlde put their whole affiaunce in me For it shal so come to passe that as I sticking to thy woordes am not pulled away from thee like as these sticking to my preceptes shal not be pulled away from me but as brauÌ„ches shal liue in vs and as our membres shal be quickened and made liuely with the spirite euen so other which shall sticke to these mens woordes which beyng receyued at my handes they shall teache to the worlde beyng graffed in me maye be ioyned to thee by me so that the whole body maye cleane ioyntly together thou beyng
Maiestie and a common peace and tranquillitie And truly Pilate made this searche and enquirie not that he did take it to be true but to get some matter of him that was accused wherwith he might reproue the Iewes of falsehood Howbeit though Iesus knew wel inough the Iewes to haue falsely appeached hym that he should be desirous of a kyngdome to the Emperours losse or in despite of his highnesse yet to the entent he myght open and disclose the malice of the Iewes and commende the reasonablenesse equitie muche better in Pilate then in the Byshops and Phariseis though he were but a Gentyle and set naught by the Iewes religion for this skill I saye Iesus made hym aunswere saying Whether thinkest thou of thine owne coÌ„iecture that I am desyrouse of a kingdome or haue the Iewes accused me herof to thee Pilate both to declare his owne innoceÌ„cie the malice of the Iewes too sayeth I doe not coÌ„iecture this of mine owne head neyther doe I see in thee any thyng agreable thereunto It is a Iewes tale of a king to come Thinkest thou me to be a Iewe Thy quarelling couÌ„trey folkes and the Byshops committed thee into my handes seking all the meanes they can to haue thee put to death but because it is not the fashion of Rome to putte any vncondemned person to death if therfore thou haste not traÌ„sgressed in the trayterous desire of a kingdom then what faute beside haste thou made Because Pilate asked him of these thynges simply and meaning good fayth entending to deliuer the innocente Iesus did vouchesafe to aunswere hym by a rydle prouerbially teaching that it was an other maner of kingdom wherof the Prophetes had spoken a farre more excellent kingdom then is the kingdom of this worlde whiche consisteth in mans lawes in the ayde of meÌ„ which haue no power but vpoÌ„ bodies Howbeit he signified this kingdom to be an heaueÌ„ly kingdom which could not couet the kingdom of the worlde but contemne it and should not harme it but auaunce it into a better kinde My kingdom sayth Christ is no suche kingdom as the Emperours is his kingdom is terrestriall but mine is celestial And for the cause am I affeccionate to nothing that can harme the Emperours maiestie If my kingdom were of this world the world should not handle me as it doth vnreuenged For euen I be ye sure should haue as other kynges hath a garde of harnessed men I should haue squiers for the body suche as should onely attende vpon myne owne persone I should haue plentie of well appoynted men and lacke no ayde or succoure that would fight for me that it should not be in the Iewes power to doe the thyng they goe about against me vnrequired At this presente I haue fewe disciples and those that I haue bee vnapte to warre weake and poore I my selfe beyng vnarmed and no wartyer euen one that seketh to the helpe of other because my kyngdome is not of this worlde ¶ Pilate therfore sayed vnto hym Arte thou a kyng then Iesus aunswered thou sayest that I am a king For this cause was I borne and for this cause came I into the world that I should beare witnes vnto the trueth And all that are of the trueth heare my voyce Pilate sayde vnto hym What thyng is trueth And when he had sayed this he wente oute agayne vnto the Iewes and sayeth vnto them I fynde in hym no cause at all ye haue a custome that I should delyuer you one looce at â—aster wyll ye that I looce vnto you the king of the Iewes Then cryed they all agayne saying Not hym but Barrabas the same Barrabas was a murtherer Forasmuche as Pylate beyng a laye man and a Gentile did not fully vnderstande this mistye and darke saying albeit he heard that Iesus dyd not vtterly renâ—unce and denye the name of a kyng but dyd put a difference of kingdomes Pilate therfore sayed vnto hym Is it then true that thou arte somewhere a kyng whatsoeuer kynde of kyngdome it be and thou not perteynyng to vs Here now Iesus beyng earnestly asked of the iudge whether he were any waye a kyng or naye confesseth the trueth with great temperaunce and modestye with muche sobrietie and good aduisemente aunsweryng thus Thou sayest I am a kyng for whosoeuer asketh a question with lyke numbre of wordes the pronunciacion onely chaunged affirmeth the thyng And Iesus sayed further It is not my parte to denye any trueth namely consyderyng that for this cause I was borne and came into the worlde that I should deceyue no maÌ„ with any lye but that I shoulde beare witnes vnto the trueth He that hath a simple meke mynde not blynded with the lustes and desires of this worlde acknowlegeth lyketh well and heareth my voyce But Pilate hauyng no further intelligence of that whiche was spoken then that he supposed the thyng to be no matter for hym to know and as yet Christe had made Pilate no apte aunswere therewith either to sette the Iewes at a quiet or to dispatche them thence after he had asked of Iesus what was that trueth wherof he spake and was come into the worlde to beare witnes therof Pilate I saye wente oute agayne vnto the Iewes not tarrying for an aunswere of the thing that he questioned of What nedeth many woordes sayeth Pilate I haue examined the man and can fynde no faulte in hym worthy death Nor I am not here president and chiefe iustice vnder the Emperour because I shoulde with my sentence condemne the innocente but in case he be noysome to you and that ye thynke him fautye which I fynde not yet it standeth with equitie and good indifferencie that if ye wyl not spare and forbeare hym as an innocent at leastwaye in the honor of this holy feast and for religion sake pardon hym his life as an offender And in dede it is here a custome amonges you that in this feast of Phase whiche is of you moste highly solemnised and kept moste holye of all feastes I should at your request pardon and set at libertie some one offender Therfore ye shall haue free eleccion to chose the one of twayne eyther Barrabas that arrant these and notable robber a disturber of the publique peace or this Iesus a man in my iudgement fautlesse whome some folke sayeth is the kyng of Iewes It were beste surely that this man yea though he haue doen amysse should fele and enioye the graciouse fauour and priuiledge of youre solemne feast Wyll ye therfore that I forgeue this persone for your sakes for of trueth the president did not looke for so great outragiousnes in the Iewes that they woulde preferre a felowe openly knoweÌ„ full of mischiefe and a valiaunt ranke thefe before Iesus a man moste meke and innocent But the Iewes with a whole consenâ— and with a great lowde voyce cryed all of them We will not haue Iesus geuen vs but Barrabas The .xix. Chapter Then Pylate toke
were borne All sortes therfore of people did greatly wondre therat reasoned how suche a thing might cum to passe that neuer the lyke had been hearde nor reade of Thus thei said beholde a straunge thing Are not al these that speake men of Galile howe than cummeth this aboute that we beeyng so many men of diuerse languages as ofte as we heare any of them speake do vnderstand hym as perfectly as if eche of vs hearde his owne cuntrey language where he was borne sens that this multitude of vs is gathered of so diuerse and sondrye regions there be of vs here Parthians Medes Elamites and suche also as doeth inhabite all abrode the coastes of Iewry and besydes that Capadocia Pontus and that cuntrey whiche peculiarly is called Asia Phrigia Pamphilia Egipte and those parties of Libia whiche reache to Ciren Yea and sum be here whose dwellyng is at Rome some of them Iewes borne and some Proselites that is to say suche as hath of their owne desyre professed the Iewishe religion Moreouer Cretes and Arabians All we that here be gathered of so many nacions of so sondry languages dooe heare and playnely vnderstaÌ„de them speakyng nothing of comen vsage or els thinges to the worldly man perteynyng but of high matters of weyghâ—y importaunce yea thinges conuenient mete for god After this maner reasoned as many as feared god wer abated in their courage at the strangenesse of the thing said what meaneth this wondre They found no fault with that thing whiche their reason could not attayne vnto as yâ— Phariseis were wont to do but they searched for diligently desired to learne yâ— whiche they perceyued not On the other parte suche as wer hedling nothing vpright in iudgement did say in scorne the meÌ„ be drunke with new wine these persons a man may call those phariseis disciples which reported of Iesus the deuil is within him And to saye alwayes the very trueth great dronkenes is not muche vnlike to fury for it chaunceth peraduenture that some in a fury shall speake diuerse wordes of sondyry languages which they neuer learned But no fury wil this vndertake that al meÌ„ shal vnderstaÌ„d that that thou doest speake But truly these wordes spake they for a mocke Albeit a man maye sometime tell the truth although he spake in a skoffyng wise For a suerty full wer they of the new wine which the lorde would not haue in any wyse put into olde bottels For the olde wine of Moyses lawe had lost his strength vertue when Christe was firste insured by mariage to his churche and the colde vnsauery sence of the lawe was turned by Christe into newe wyne Whatsoeuer is carnall â–ª is vnsauerye faynte in vertue all that spiritual is whatsoeuer it be is lyuely strengthfull and sauery Uery largely dyd they drynke of that celesticall cup whereof Dauid the wryter of psalmes speaketh howe excellent is my cup whiche maketh the drounke And yf it were lawfull to compare thynges together whiche are throughout all their kynde moste vnlyke thys vulgare and common drounkennesse doth engendre in maÌ„â—ower thynges chiefely it vttereth the secretes of the herte it causeth man to forget all his aduersitie that is past and maketh the minde to reioyce in continuall hope of prosperitie to come it enboldeth man to set nought yea by his owne life Last of all it maketh men whiche are of a rude barbarous tongue to bee well spoken men Nowe marke my sayinges whither that newe swete wyne whiche proceded of Goddes owne spirite â–ª engendre not suche a lyke thyng in thapostles for what they had hyd for feare durst not speake what they before had learned secretely and woulde not be acknowen that doe they nowe publishe accordyng to the lordes prophecie the same they preache vpon house toppes Their olde Iewish fashions they haue clene forgotten and lyke as infantes newly borne no more do they nowe remembre their life before past neither haue thei in mynde the troublous affliccions for feare whereof they had forsaken theyr maister And althoughe they were bare without all worldlye helpe and succoure yet they feared neyther gouernoures ne prynces presidentes ne kynges neyther counselles nor imprisonmentes no soondry tormentes no manier kynde of deathe enduryng lustie alwaye beyng of courage and cherefull throughe the promyses of Christes ghospell Fynally they whiche were before but poore fyshers and men vnlerned forthwith practised theyr celestiall eloquence in rebukyng the proude Phariseis confutyng the subtill and craftie Philosophers and in puttyng theloquent oratours to vttre scilence Nothyng there is of more perill or difficultie than to speake before a greate coumpanye whyche as it is lyke a monstreous beaste of soundrye headdes so it is moste of all tymes monstreous whan the multitude is collected of soondry languages and soondry nacions But Peter stepped forth with the eleuen and lyft vp his voice and sayd vnto theim Ye men of Iewry and all that dwel at Ierusalem be this knowen vnto you and with your eares heare ye my wordes For these men are not as ye suppose drouncken seeyng it is but the thirde houre of the day But this is that whiche was spoken by the prophet Iohelâ— And it shal be in the laste dayes sayeth god of my spirite I wyll power out vpon all â—leshe And your sonnes and your doughters shall prophecie and your young menne shall see visions and your olde menne shal dreame dreames And on my seruauntes and on my hande maydens I wyll power out of my spirite in those dayes and they shall prophecie And I wyl shew wonders in heauen aboue and tokens on the yearth beneath bloud and fyeâ— and the vapour of smoke The sonne shal be turned into darkenes and the mooue into bloud before that great and notable day of the Lorde come And it shal come to passe that whosoeuer shall call on the name of the lord shal be saued Now marke me here Symon Peter who sodaynly of a fysher was made an Orator The multitude stirred vp a clamorous rumour And as they dyd than the same lyke shall other dooe hereafter vnto the worldes ende Than was it the parte of a good shepeherd to step abrode valiauntlye amongest them not for that intent he shoulde by force appeare or make theym styll which murmured agaynst gods glory or els to rendre one check for an other but that he myght constauntly rather than fyercely put away by testimonies of holy scripture all false and craftye accusacion and stoutely defende the glorye of Christe Than Peter who had before rysenne vp in the parlour to see the noumbre of thapostles fulfylled nowe eftesoones stoode vp to the multitude of people of soondry nacions mengled together partely to enstruct theim that had sayde What meaneth this and partely to stoppe theyr monthes that had sayed these men be drounke wyth newe wyne Albeit it is not of necessitie requisite that a bishop should preache to the people alwayes
any thyng that his brothers necessitie requyred But the apostles which were as chiefe pieres of thys newe citie beeyng dispurueyed of worldely goodes but ryche in gyftes of the holy ghost augmented theyr company euery day more than other bearyng wytnes of our Lord Iesus Christes resurreccion with wonderfull great stedfastnesse of mynde and myghty power in workyng of miracles For his resurreccion was pryncipally to be perswaded by witnes of miracles For many one at his death had been present and not a fewe had been pryuy to his buriall And so lyued thys newe comminaltie vnder ryght valyaunte Capitaynes hauyng aboundaunce of all thinges for what they lacked in goodes was supplied and borne out with mutuall loue and concorde For although many one were poore yet was there none amongest them that lacked For as many as were possessioners eyther of landes or houses made sale of them and brought the pryce therof and laied it at the Apostles feete that they whom reuerently as fathers they regarded myght distribute the same goodes in common at theyr owne pleasure Fynally there was no lesse vpryghtnes amongest them that dealed the pryce of mennes possessions then was with those whiche brought it Trueth and vpryght dealyng is seldome founde among stewardes of housholde and layers out of money But here was that distribucion made among them accordyng to euery mannes necessitie without any choyse had of persons There was in this company one Ioseph whome the apostles by syrname called Barnabas whiche woorde in the Sirians toung betokeneth sonne of comforte by bloud and auncestry a Leuyte borne in Cipres This Ioseph bycause he dyd excell among other in great giftes and qualities of the mynde by reason wherof he was called Barnabas for the ioyfull comforte that the multitude had of his accesse was an example for many to folowe that lyberaliâ—ie whiche was semely for the ghospel For wheras he had lande in Cypres he solde it and brought the pryce therof and layed it at the Apostles feete as though it had been a vyle thyng and woorthy to be despised But yet were the Apostles of suche holynes that they would take nothyng therof for them selues aboue other The .v. Chapter ¶ A certayne man named â—nanias with Saphira his wyfe solde a possession and kepte awaye parte of the pryce his wyfe also being of counsell and brought a certayne part and layed it downe at the apostles feete But Peter said Ananias howe is it that Sathan hath fylled thyne herte that thou shouldest lye vnto the holy ghost and kepe awaie part of the pryce of the landes Pertayned it not vnto the onlyâ— after it was solde was it not in thyne owne power why hast thou conceiued this thing in thine herte thou hast lyed not vnto meÌ„ but vnto God Whan Ananias heard these wordes he fell downe and geue vp that ghost And great feare came on all them that hearde these thynges And the young men arose vp and put him aparte and carryed him out and buryed hym BUt lyke as Barnabas playne trueth without colourable deceite moued many to folowe his lyberalitie so was here an exaÌ„ple to put al people in feare that in matters of spiritual charge one should not deceyue an other For the holy ghost loueth playnes of hearte and hateth al deceite dissimulacion In like maner Iudas among the twelue Apostles was an example that no man shoulde put affiaunce in hymselfe but that eche manne should with all carefull diligence continewe in doyng his dutie There was of this companie a certayne man called Ananias one farre vnlyke vnto his owne name because he throughly not consented to the gracious fauour of God This Ananias had a wyfe called Saphira not vnlyke vnto the housbande Whan that Ananias more ambicious of honour theÌ„ desirous of perfite holynesse sawe dyuerse persons hyghly commended of all menne for their free sincere lyberalitie he solde his lande laied vp parte of the money his wyfe being pryuy therunto and allowing the same that of the two partes wherein his money was deuided the one shoulde purchase him prayse of the people with an estimation also or fame of holynesse the other woulde he kepe for himselfe yf any nede should happen distructing doubtlesse the holy ghoste and more caring or prouiding for himselfe then for the whole company of his brethren rekenyng thus with himselfe yf other dye for hunger I am sufficiently prouided for Suche forecasting was not besemyng a man that should put his whole affiance in Christe who promysed that they shoulde wante nothyng that seketh for the kyngdome of god and the rightwysenes therof neyther was this imaginacion mete for hym whiche shoulde bee of one will wyth other and of one mynde Whan he had brought to the apostles feete parte of the money that his liuelode was solde for Peter vnderstandyng by inspiracion of the holy ghoste whiche was in him aboundauntly the mannes vngodly dissimulacion sayed Ananias where as thou hast once dedicate thy selfe to the holy ghost and seen his power by so many tokens euidently declared why hast thou suffered the deuill nowe eftesones to put this in thy mynde to take by stelth awaye parte of that money whiche thou receyuedst for thy lyuelode as though thou couldest face downe the holy ghost with a lye who can in nowyse be deceyued and to bryng into this companie suche a presidente moste daungerouse If we had constrayned thee to sell thy liuelode against thy will some cause peraduenture it might haue been for to dissemble nowe sence thou diddest this of thyne owne free wyll whiche thou haste done to what purpose auayled it to deface that thyng with hypocryse whiche should haue bene to other an example of liberalitie Mightest not thou haue kept thy lande in thyne owne hand yf thou wouldest and moreouer after thou haddest solde it couldest not thou haue reserued the money wholy vnto thy selfe They for theyr trueth playne dealyng are well commended whiche of theyr owne free will bringeth forth all that they haue For we enforce no man thus to doe yf he be not willyng to thesame Upon what occasion than hast thou stablyshed in thy minde thus to disseÌ„ble in this matter It is not man that thou hast made this lye vnto but almightie god Yf thou thinkest that god may be deceyued thyne opinion of him is false and vngodly But yf thou beleue that he is pryuie to all thynges eyther thou despisest his righteousnesse or els thou thynkest that he fauoureth falsehood Ananias than perceyuing that thapostles knewe hys falsehood sodaynly fell downe as one that had be stricken to the herte with a sharpe rebuke and yelded vp the ghoste One for an example suffered death that many myght be therby preserued For after that this facte was bruted abrode it made many sore afrayed that none durste enterpryse any suche lyke offence against the holy ghost Young men remoued thence the dead corse and whan they had carryed it foorth buryed it
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
Cesar and so to encrease the hatred that he beareth agaynst them but to defende myne owne innocencie For I wyshe well to all men that with a pure herte wurshyp god accordyng to the lawe of my countrey And for this cause bearynge such good affeccion and zele towardes you yet by reason of these bandes beyng in suche case the I myght not come vnto you to visite you I willed you to be sent for that with the syght of you and coÌ„municacion withal I myghte be somwhat the more coÌ„forted And why do the Israelites so earnestly wurshippe god despising the Idolles of the Gentiles but because they trust at the fynall resurrection to be rewarded for theyr good dedes And for this hope which all my countreymenne as well as I are in am I nowe thus bounde as ye see in cheynes And other fault can not they laye vnto my charge And they saied vnto him we neither receyued letters out of Iewry pertaining vnto the neyther any of the brethren that came shewed or spake any harme of the. But we wyll â—eare of the what thou thinkest For as concernyng this secte we know the euery where it is spoken against And when they had appoynted hym a daye there came many to him in his lodgyng To whoÌ„ he expounded testified the kyngdome of god preached vnto theÌ„ of Iesus both out of the law of Moises out of the prophetes euen froÌ„ morning to night And some beleued the thinges whiche were spoken and some beleued not Unto this the chiefe of the Iewes aunswered in this wyse Where as thou purgest thy self vnto vs as though some man had accused the be thou assured that no man hath so much as wrytten a letter vnto vs froÌ„ Iewrye concernyng any hurte done of thy parte neyther hath anye man come from thence hyther and spoken any hurte of the. Yet are we desyrous to heare thy mynde euen of thyne owne mouth For as coÌ„cernyng this newe secte of Iesus of Nazareth whiche arose to lyfe agayne assured we are that euery man constauntly cryeth out agaynst it as a vaine thyng Thou shalt therefore do vs a good pleasure yf thou enstruct vs certaynlye what thy mynde is therin Which thyng whan Paule had aunswered he woulde gladlye do vpon the daye appoynted the Iewes resorted vnto hym agayne in hys ynne where he taryed mo then hadde cuÌ„men vnto hym before vnto whom he expounded the doctrine of the ghospel witnessyng that the kyngdome of God was than come and the Messias ought no longer to be loked for forasmuche as Iesus of Nazareth was he and that he proued by the figures of Moises law and the foresaiynges of the prophetes euydently expressyng that whatsoeuer was shadowed in the lawe and spoken of before by Moyses and the prophetes was playnly and wholly fulfilled in in Iesus of Nazareth Whan Paul had very largely spoken of these matters from mornyng vntyll euenyng sum of the Iewes beleued the woordes of Paul sum beleued not And when they agred not among theÌ„selues they departed after the Paul had spoken one word wel spake the holy goste by Esay the prophete vnto our fathers saying Goe vnto this people say with your eares shall you heare shall not vnderstande with your iyes shal ye see and not perceiue For the hert of this people is wexed grosse with their eares haue they had no lust to heare their iyes haue they closed leste they should see with their iyes heare with theyr eares and vnderstande with their hertes shoulde be conuerted I should heale theÌ„ Be it knowen therfore vnto you that this saluacion of God is sent to the Gentiles they shal heare it And whan he sayd these wordes the Iewes departed from hym had great disputacions among theÌ„ selues And Paule dwelte two yeres ful in his lodgeyng receyued all that came in vnto hym Preaching the kyngdom of God teaching those thynges whiche concerne the Lorde Iesus with al confidence no man forbyddyng him And whan they were at variaunce among themselues they began to departe after Paul had once added vnto his long sermon a woorde or twoo wherein he reproued their hardenesse of belefe whiche coulde not finde in their hertes to beleue so manyfest testimonies of the lawe and prophetes beyng playnely fulfylled in Iesus The holy ghoste sayed he hath well prophecied of you by the prophete Esai speakyng vnto our forefathers whosâ— stubberne mysbelefe you resemble Goe sayd he vnto this people and saye vnto theim With eares ye shall heare not vnderstande and with iyes shall ye see and not perceyue For the herte of this people is wexed grosse and they haue hadde wyth theyr eares no lust to heare and theyr iyes haue they closed left they should see and heare with their eares and perceyue with their herte and should be conuerted that I myght heale them Wherfore be you well assured that this health whiche is offered vnto you of God by Iesus shal bee caried vnto the Gentyles for asmuche as you doe reiecte it For he reiecteth it that beleueth it not neyther is any man apte to receyue this fauour that beleueth not the gospell Unto you firste is the gyfte of god declared For so the lorde commaunded And ye ought chiefly to haue beleued whiche professed the law and the prophetes but ye kepe your iyes closed shut vp agaynst all these thinges your eares stopped and a hert hardened styll gaynesaying the euident light of the truth of the ghospell But the Gentiles whiche neyther knowe God nor haue the lawe or prophetes shall turne from theyr wourshyppyng of idols and through fayth shall obtayne this fauoure of God which ye refuse beeing frely profered vnto you Whan Paule had spoken these woordes the Iewes departed from hym beyng at great disputacioÌ„ among themselues And so continued he by the space of two yeares in the house that he had hyred ientylly receyuing al meÌ„ that came to him whether they were Iewes or vncircumcised preachyng vnto them the kyngdome of god and teaching with all boldenesse the doctrine of the gospell no maÌ„ forbidding or letting him alleging prophecies which were many yeres sence spoken of Iesus conferryng his dedes woordes promyses thereunto ¶ The ende of the first Tome of the Paraphrasis Printed at London by Edwarde Whitchurche Cum priuilegio Regali Ad Imprimendum solum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nume â–ª xxi iiii kyng xxi iiii kyng xxi iiii kyng xxi iiii king xxi iiii king xxii Exod xviii Deu. xxxi Iosua iii iiii c. i. king xvii iii. king xiii iii. king iii i. Par xiii iii kyng xâ— ii Parall xiiii xv ii Paraliâ— xâ—â—i xviii iiiâ— king xx ii parali xxvii iiii king xx Whan Iesus was borne c. Beholde there came c. For we saw his starre in the East c And they said to him At weâ—hiâ—â— in Iury. c. And whan thei sawe yâ— starre c. And fell