it maketh them the better to fele the misse lacke of hym that is readye for to do them good Certes by this myracle they might haue been moued aswel to reuerence acknowelage his power against the vertue whereof the conspiryng of the furious multitude was not hable any thyng at all to dooe as also to loue the goodnesse of hym who when they had attempted the vttermoste mischiefe agaynst him that laye in theyr powers yet was rather willyng to reserue them to a tyme of repentaunce then to cast them awaye at the wurste to eternall punishemente ¶ And he came down to Capernaum a citie of Galilee and there taughte them on the Sabboth dayes And 〈◊〉 wer aâ—â—ouned at his doâ—trinâ— for his pâ—â—achyng was with power And in the Synagogue there was a manne whiche had an vnclene spirite of a deuill cryed with a loude voyce saying lear me alone what hast thou to doe with vs thou Iesus of Nazareth Art thou come to destroye vs I knowe thee what thou art euen the holy of God And Iesus rebuked hym saying holde thy peace and come out of hym And whan the deuill hadde throwen hym in the middes he came out of hym and hurte hym not And feare came on them all and they spake emong themselues saying what manier a thyng is this For with auctoritie and power he commaundeth the soule spirites and they come out And the fame of hym was spred abrode throughout euery place of the countreye round about Iesus therfore forsakyng the proude citie of Nazareth beeyng rebellious agaynst the doctrine of the ghospell came downe and toke his waye toward a citie of Galilee called Capernaum beeyng a citie of great rychesse and therfore drouned in all râ—ottâ—us excesse in al vesuptuousnesse in ambicion in pryde and in the other vices whiche customably are compaynyons to rychesse But here because of their volupteous sensuall liuing he vsed no familiaritie of carnall conuersacion emong them whiche familiaritie hath euermore been a breder of conteÌ„pte hath vsed to make menes autoritie the lesse regarded Wherfore here also in Capernaum as his custome was elswhere to do he wente into the teÌ„ple vpon the Sabboth daye and preached For the wickednesse of the Nazareans beyng so great that they had goen about wilfully to murdre hym being their best frende could not so weighe hym that beyng offended with so haynous a dede of mischief as that was he would forsake the couÌ„trey of the Iewes and foorth with putte ouer the gyft of the gospel from them vnto the Gentiles but now he fulfylled in dede thesame thyng whiche he afterwarde taughte in wordes to his disciples whiche is that whan they wer drieuen out of one citie they should flee vnto another not settyng theyr mynde ne deuisyng how to auenge theyr iniurye but how to sette foorth the gospell ferther and ferther in suche wyse as the malice of those that droue them awaye out of theyr tounes myght profite to the expedicion of settyng forewarde the profession of the ghospell And Capernaites although they wer men all geuen to worldly affaires nor muche abhorred from the maniers of the heathen emong whome by reason of the trade of bying and sellyng that the one vsed with the other they were often conuersaunt he found muche more ientil and honeste in taking or interpretyng his woordes and dooynges then he founde his owne countreymen the Nazareans to whom neuerthelesse for his well knowen and throughly tryed and continual perfeccion of lyfe he ought to haue been more derely beloued For the Capernaâ—â—es very greatlye woondred at the doctryne of Iesus consyderyng that it was no washe miengled geare nor peynted and glossed as was the doctrine of the Pharisees of washynges of truely paying the tithes of Mynt and Rue of castyng gyftes into the offryng boxe of god and of suche other lyke thynges whiche rather conteined supersticion then vertuous doctrine and whiche were layed vpon the simple people to mayteyne the glorye and lucâ—e of the pharisees whereas they theimselues that taughte these thynges kept not so muche as the chief commaundementes of the lawe but the doctrine of Iesus was found substaunciall and full of auctoritie For first whatsoeuer he taught was moste certaine trueth and also agreable with naturall reason Secondarily it was of it selfe muche materiall vnto true godlynesse and to eternall saluacion Ferthermore â–ª his singular perfeccion of liuyng caused his doctryne to bee regarded accordingly And ouer and besydes al this many a miracle was there wrought and shewed by hym with suche power and vertue as hadde neuer been vsed ne seen there whiche euidently declared the doctrine that he taught to bee of God and not of mannes spirite For the Lorde Iesus did his myracles not for lucre or vaine glory but firste with them he succoured the wofull necessities of suche persons as were in extreme distresse to the ende that by doyng them benefites he might winne theyr hertie loue and secondely the miracles were for a tyme shewed to the bodely iyes to the ende that by the same miracles they myght learne to beleue those thynges whiche though they were inuisible yet were more earnestly then any corporall benefites to bee desyred lastely they were a fygure and a representacion of those thynges that were wrought in theyr soules It was now the Sabboth daye and the people religiously and with great deuocion rested froÌ„ the workes forbidden whiche yet of theÌ„selues were not euill as for exauÌ„ple to go a iourneye to kiendle a fyer to grynde theyr corne to presse theyr wynes or to â—otche vp theyr garment beeyng broken or seamerent Without foorth in dede it was Sabboth daye that is to saye the daye of reste but within theyr myndes there was a great trouble and vnquyetnesse whiche the spirite of Satan did there reyse who woondrefully tossed and vexed theyr myndes with dyuerse mocions of coâ—eâ—ise of pryde of wrath of auengyng displeasures and of envie For there and no where els is the true Sabboth where the spirite of the Lorde quieteth the mynde to reste from all vicious and inordinate lustes And of this thing there was euen than presente a certain figure in theyr sinagogue whiche was a certayn man whose bodye was possessed with an vnclene deuill and this exaumple was to vs halfe a warning and a puttyng in remembrauÌ„ce in how muche more miserable and piteous case they are whose myndes are possessed with eiuils of vires yea more foule and ilfauoured then that deiuill was For what deiuill is more vnclene or more noysome then lecherous concupiscence then wrathe then ambicion then the gredie desyre of moneye then enuie then hypocrisie With these deiuils suche others lyke were the Iewes for the moste parte possessed who dwelt in the Synagogue whiche synagogue had not as yet receyued the spirite of Christe but was vexed with so many deiuils as there reygned vices in them Neither were they hable to receyue the moste mylde spirite of the gospell
in vaine striued and wrastled to suppresse it And verayly euen thesame thyng also had our Lorde spoken afore and prophecied whan I shall be lifted vp from the yearth sayed he I shall drawe all thinges to my selfe Suche autours and auouchers of thinges and the growyng of thesame thynges to suche an ende and proufe as afore is sayd doth not suffre vs to doubte neither of tho thynges that haue passed before our tyme ne yet of suche thynges as for many hundredes of yeres to come are promysed Whatsoeuer had of long tyme afore been foresayed by the godlye sayinges of the prophetes Iesus at his cummyng into the worlde did perfourme and fulfyll and whatsoeuer thyng Christ toward his departure from heÌ„ce vp to heauen sayd afore to thapostles that it should come to passe hath in dede come to passe neither is it to be doubted but that he will with semblable vprightnesse and trueth accomplishe all other thynges whiche he hath differred vnâ—yâ—l his second coÌ„ming to bee perfourmed concernyng the resurreccion of our bodyes and concernyng the rewardes of the godly persones and of the wicked Therfore as for the ordre and processe of the gospell matiers I haue with earnesse studie throughly bouâ—ted out of the mouthes of suche whose woordes are vndoubted and certain to write vpon And out of these haue I pieked suche pointes as semed to be moste effectuall and moste helpyng to the fayth and to the deuout godlynesse of the gospell not geuyng it but a litle touche here and there as it were at nouers and as men gather floures here and there one at aueÌ„ture as they come to hand but folowyng the ordre of the tyme and the due course or processe of matiers I haue diligently compyled the storye yea euen somewhat ferre fettyng the matier from the firste grounde that is to wete from the concepcion of hym whiche went before the commyng of our salueour lyke as in byrth so in preachyng also and in death And than furthermore I treate of the straunge concepcion of Christ within the wombe of the virgin of the byrthe of the childe of his circumcision of the puriâ—icacion of Marie of soÌ„drie prophecies spoken vpon the childe of certayne tokens of godly towardnesse whiche euen very than already did like certaine litle sparkes appere in the chylde of whiche thynges the other Euangelistes that with vpright trueth and certaintie wrote before had touched almoste nothing at all After al this how Iohn baptised and preached and than of the baptising of Iesus of his beyng teÌ„pted of his doctryne of wondres that he wrought of his death of his beeyng layed in graue of his arisyng again froÌ„ death to lyfe and of his returnyng vp into heauen These thynges well set in an ordre eche in his moste conuenient place I shall in another treatise adde howe he sente the holye ghoste and what were the firste rudimentes and principles of the primitiue churche whan it firste came vâ— and begonne and also as it grewe from time to tyme greater and greater what the chiefe Apostles Peter Iames Paule and Barnabe didde what they taughte by what myracles and by what affliccions they glorifyed the name of oure Lorde Iesus not for that I suppose that these thynges wyll bee strange vnto thee moste honest Theophilus but partelye to the entente that thou mayest eftesones peruse in an ordre tho thynges whiche thou haste by piecemele learned of others and partelye to th ende that thou mayest of a more perfecte and assured credence throughly perceyue by my wrytyng thesame thynges whiche thou haddest hearde of others afore tymes by theyr liuelye voyce and woorde of mouthe and mayest refuse the fablinges of a great sorte whiche dooe at this present vnder the false counterfeicte name of the ghospell set out theyr owne peynted sheath and not thou alone o Theophilus for we dooe not wryte these thynges to any one sole person onelye but also all other personnes either at this presente tyme beyng or hereafter to come whiche either be or shal be the same in dede that thou arte called in name that is to wete the louers of god whiche renouncyng and vttrely geuyng vp the deuyll dooe with prest readinesse of beleuyng and with godlye applying theimselues sue to the frendeship of god and the whiche despising aswell the eiuilles as also the good thynges of this transitory world do bend al their desyre to those thynges that are euerlastyng and heauenly The fyrst Chapter WHan the tyme by the purpose and appoyntemente of God prefixed and by soondrye sage sawes of the Prophetes aforâ—tolde and promised and by the space of so many hundred yeres greatly wished for of holy and deuout people was now come that the sonne of God shoulde take vpon hym the nature of manne for to redeme mankynde by his death and aswell by his doctrine as also by his exaumple of doyng for to enstructe vs towardes the knowledge of the trueth and the earnest loue and desyre of the godlye trade of the ghospell and finally by his promyses for to set vp oure hertes towardes the hope of the lyfe euerlastyng in heauen for because all this same that was to bee doen was straunge nor the lyke heard of in any age or tyme afore the wysedome of god by secrete wayes and meanes ordreyng all thynges there was leate passe no poynte at all of any tokens or euident signes whiche mighte to a matier of it selfe incredible purchase credite and cause it to bee beleued among men For who hath euer heard a man to haue been borne of a woman on earth which should for euermore reigne God in heauen The histories euen of the Gentiles also be full of straunge thinges that haue happened against the coÌ„mon course of nature In the bokes of the olde testament we learne that fyer hath been cast downe from heauen we learne the sea to haue opened and deuided it selfe into twoo partes water to haue been gotten foorth of a drie stone by touchyng it with a long rodde and deade menne to haue been restored agayne to lyfe But who hath euer hearde a virgin to haue brought foorth a chylde without mans helpe Yet in dede the chiefe article of our saluacion it was that this same point were to all persones throughly perswaded that is to wete Iesus to be thesame Messias whose cummyng all foretellynges of the Prophetes had promysed and whom all the lawes of Moses had by waye of a shadowe expressed and of whome onely all persons muste hope and truste to haue theyr saluacion ¶ There was in the dayes of Herode the kyng of Iewry a certayne prieste named Zacharie of the course of Abia and his wyfe of the doughters of Aaron and her name was Elizabeth Wherfore by the high wysedome and prouidence of god there was one prepared the whiche beyng for his owne parte also borne into this worlde after a woonderfull straunge sorte shoulde goe before the heauenly chylde bearing of the virgin Marie and
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
paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the gospel that is to say a treasour in manier a ful library of all good diuinitie bookes For whatsoeuer thing any of the auncient doctours of the church left behind him whatsoeuer in any catholike writer is conteined whatsoeuer any notable good exposytoure hath sette foorthe for the sincere playne declaracion of the new testament the pith and substance therof hath this man with a clerkely iudgment compendiously and briefly as it were in a summe couched together in this one weorke Neither was there euer any weorke so easy to be vnderstaÌ„ded of the reader which hath more cunning shewed in it as by his owne annotacions vpon his traÌ„slacion of the new testament it may euidently appere in which annotacions he approueth declareth himselfe with such diligent obseruacion and marking to haue perused al libraries al writers al bookes as very few studentes dooe vse to reade and labour any one autour in any one particuler facultie or discipline Accepte this autour therfore deuout reader and with glad wil enbrace so profitable a meane instrumeÌ„t wherby thou maist without any ferther trauail then onely reading marking bearing it away so easily attain to the clere vnderstanding of the gospel Reade it with a pure a charitable hert with a single iye void of al maner parcialitie of affeccion or of enuy thou shalt espy therin such edifying as may be mete for thy state of knowlage aptitude or capacitie what euel it be For like as in the most holy blissed testameÌ„t there is both pappe for youÌ„gâ—inges in the feith in the knowlage of Gods worde and also sounde meate for such as are wel entred hable to broke higher thinges euen so in this auctour are al thinges aptly tempered to enduce traine the grosse the rude multitude aswel of Curates teachers â–ª as also of other priuate readers to fede the weake with such doctrine as they are hable to receiue to sharpen and make eagre such as are hungrie of ferther knowlage to minister vnto the learned or eloqueÌ„t teachers matier sufficieÌ„t wheron to grouÌ„d much profouÌ„d the same right ChristiaÌ„ doctrine Accept it willingly rendre thaÌ„kes first to God who of his infinite mercy grace hath in these our daies seÌ„t such a numbre of suche good writers and emong them Erasmus as one of the chiefe and principal not onely to geue clere light but also to open a way vnto the pure perfeict knowlage of Gods worde and than to your moste excellent Soueraine good king Edward the sixte who emong the other his most princely and most Christian actes doeth so soone and so effectually begyn first with the promoting of Gods worde and glory being the fountain and ground of al good successe welth and prosperitie and thirdly to Quene Katerine by whose good meanes and procurement this present weorke hath been by soondry mennes labours turned into our vulgare toung wherby the kinges Maiestie whose principal desire trauail is to doe all thinges possible wherby his most teÌ„drely beloued subiectes knowlage may be ferthered their conscience slaighed in a sincere doctrine of Christ with a perfeict framing confirming of the same in a good conuersacion of life might by hauing so notable a good matier in redinesse be the better occasioned to put forth so fruitful an exposicion of the gospel For a paraphrase is a plain setting forth of a text or sentence more at large with such circumstaunce of moe and other wordes as may make the sentence open cleare plaine familiar whiche otherwise should perchaunce seme bare vnfruitful harde straunge â—ough obscure derke to be vnderstanded of any that were either vnlearned or but meanly entred And what is this but a kinde of exposicioÌ„ yea and that of the most pâ—â—hthie and effectual sorte How muche therefore art thou bound deuout christian reader and especially ye priestes and Curates that either haue not ben brought vp in studie of letters of diuinitie or els haue not such store of bookes as may be sufficieÌ„t for mainteining of your studies how much are al ye bound I say vnto the kinges moste exellent Maiestie and his most honorable worthy Counsaillours who of a speciall regarde and coÌ„sideracion of the ignorauÌ„ce defaute of litterature which hath reigned in most part of the Clergie of England aswel to the great detriment harme and decay of religion in the christian flockes to their spiritual charge coÌ„mitted as also to their owne intolerable peril and daungier whan at the general day of accoumpt and audite to be made at the throne of God it shall bee required at their handes how and what they haue taught to the ignoraunt multitude for whose solles as touching their institucion in the feith in the lawes of God they must answer before a rightful iudge whome no maÌ„ shal be hable to corrupt beguile deceiue or escape haue by their most good policie founde a meanes howe both ye and all the people may with a great dele lesse time study labour yea also charges then were wonâ—e to be bestowed in playing at tables boules cardes other vnlawful games haue in a few leaues a whole library of good doctrine both for the priuate edifying of euery one particularely and also for the enstruccion teaching of eche other in common Whatsoeuer ignoraunt person is desirous of knowlage can be conteÌ„ted to learn whosoeuer is not of an hert so indurate but that he can abide such good bookes as may further Christes doctrine whosoeuer is not of an extreme malignaunt stomake against the due setting foorth of Gods worde whosoeuer is not such an enemie to the glory of God that he enuieth the benefit of Christes bloud vnto England whosoeuer is not eyther of such blindnesse that he cannot see the trueth or of such peruerse froward malice that he wil not or of such cancard obstinacie that he wil against the spirite and against his conscience wilfully withstand resist al good thinges which may induce men to the knowlage of God whosoeuer doth not hate the light of the gospel whosoeuer is in his herte a fauourer of the trueth and of the kinges Maiesties most godly procedinges hath no lesse cause but to enbrace Erasmus whose doctrine the most best parte of al ChristiaÌ„ Royalmes vniuersities hath euermore allowed iudged to be consonauÌ„t to the truth also is bouÌ„d with immortal thankes to pray for the kinges most excelleÌ„t Maiestie for this his most gracious setting forth publishing this present weorke to the vse of such as haue nede therof And where the sayd Erasmus fer otherwise then a great nuÌ„bre of the scholastical sorte other vnlettred expositours of these last blind seasons hath written these his paraphrases in as ornate a stile as he hath the most parte of hys other volumes is not as some barbarous bloundreers haue for safegard defence of
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
after lucre or after pleasure all shal fall when the sore storme of temptacion draweth nere But whose affeccion and desire is surely fastened in the doctrine and promyses of the ghospel lokyng for the rewarde of his well doinges of God onely he shall be able to stande agaynst all displeasures and iniuries against the cruel persecucioÌ„s of the wicked against the craftye assaultes of heritikes Fynally agaynst al the engyns of Sathan and against death it selfe shall he be hable to stande styffely without discouragement vntill that day when that Perseueraunce the conquerour of all euels shall receyue her crowne ¶ And it came to passe that whan Iesus had ended these sayinges the people were astonied at his doctryne For he taught them as hauyng power and not as the Scribes Whan Iesus had ended these sayinges the multitude mused muche at this newe trade of doctrine For they heard no suche thyng of the Scribes or Phariseis whiche yf they added any thyng vnto Moyses lawe to bryng them self in estimacion with the people they vsed to brynge furthe certaine werishe constitucions of wasshyng their handes before meate of washyng the bodye yf any came home from markete of washinge of cuppes of paying of tythes that came of mintes and of rue Iesus taughte no suche thing but where as he set furth by miracles what he could do in dedes he declared himselfe to be the same in doctrine forbydding wyth authoritie that whiche the lawe fauourably did suffer and requiryng that whiche the lawe did not require The lawe suffered diuorce for euery cause Iesus forbade all diuorces vnlesse it were for aduoutry The lawe forbade nothyng but to kill Iesus required that we shoulde not be angry with our brethren and declared euidently that he was not onely the interpreter but the lorde of the lawe also not the minister but the author Finally a certaine lyuelines of his perfecte doctrine and a certaine naturall strength of trueth touched and enspired the simple multitude whiche was desirouse to learne and neuer had experience of the lyke in their Scribes and Phariseis ¶ The .viii. Chapiter ¶ And whan he was cum downe from the mountayne muche people folowed hym And beholde there came a lepre and worshypped hym saying Lorde yf thou wilte thou mayeste make me cleane And Iesus put furth his hande and touched him saynge I wyl be the cleane And furthwith his leprosye was clensed And Iesus sayethe vnto him See thou tell no man but goe and shewe thy selfe to the priest and offer the gifte that Moyses commaunded to be offered for a wyttnes vnto them THerefore whan Iesus had spoken these weyghtye and highe thynges in the mounte not to euerye man but chieflye to hys disciples and to suche as were able to folowe them with cherefulnes of the spirite he dothe abase hymselfe agayne to the humylytie and lownes of the common sorte whiche had many vnweldy weake lame and sycke whom he thought to allure to the desire of heauenly thynges throughe corporall benefytes And in healyng of them he dyd the same by significacion whiche he did by his doctrine in healyng the diseases of the mynde Eyther of these thynges gaue credite and autoritie to other We beleue hym the more willingly whom we loue and loue is wunne by benefites And his sayinge weyeth well with vs whom we see and perceyue to be so mightye in dedes Therefore when Iesus left the hill and came into the playne diuerse companies of men drew vnto him on euery side to thintent that many might beare witnes of the miracles that he shoulde do Wherfore a greate numbre being gathered together beholde there cummeth furth a certayne man geuyng occasion of a miracle and teachyng them withal as by a figure from whence and by what faythe they that wer diseased wyth the leprye of the soule should seke remedy For there came forth a certayne man hauyng his body infected with the lepry This disease emong the Iewes was counted muche abhominable and is thought to be suche that no phisicion can heale it The iudgement of this disease as of a sacrate thyng was appoyncted vnto the priestes whiche searched out by meruaylouse and diuers obseruacions whether the bodye of anye man wer infected wyth the veraye leprye or not It was not leful for them that wer iudged to haue this disease to cum in the companye of men neyther was it lefull to touche the body which was defyled with this disease This man therfore iudged of the pristes and beyng fowle with the very lepry durst yet cum to Iesus which is the purifier and clenser of all The desyre of health toke awaye shame fastnes the approued goodnes of Iesus towardes all men made him bolde So many examples of other which returned home beyng made whole made him to trust well Therfore when he fel downe before Iesus and worshypped hym he sayed Lorde yf thou wilte thou mayste clense me What woulde a proude pharise or one of Moyses priestes haue done in this case he woulde haue abhorred the vncleane and fylthy man and woulde haue disdayned to haue talked wyth hym But Iesus playing the parte of a good shepeherde hauing delight in the mans fayth whiche was ioyned with so greate modesty and coldenes whiche also durst nor desire to be clensed vnlesse it myght stand with the pleasure of him who knowethe what is meete for euerye man but yet he doubted not but that he was able yf he woulde Iesus I saye refused not the vncleane manne but reched out his hande and touched hym And here he dyd neglecte the lawe as touching the letter And spake suche wordes wherby he declared bothe the goodnes of his will and the greatnes of his power Because ê™ he thou doest beleue that I can yf I wyll I will Be thou whole And as soone as he had spoken the skynne was chaunged and the disease left hym the people beeyng witnes of the same After this to thintente the myracle myghte the better be beleued and also the priestes haue no occasion of reprofe to reproue or misconstrue that he should take vpon him auctoritie to iudge of the leprye and to plucke vnto him the lucre and gaine which was wunt to cum vnto them of suche as were clensed of leprye he sayeth vnto hym See thou tel no manne that thou arte purged of the lepry For it is not thy parte to iudge of thy selfe and I take not vpon me the office of the priestes Therfore firste of all go vnto the priest and shewe thy selfe vnto him and if he declare the to be cleane whiche heretofore hath declared the to be leprose then shalt thou offer the gifte whiche Moyses commaunded to be offered of them who chaunced to be clensed of the leprye leste afterward they lay vnto thy charge â–ª and blame the which camest among the multitude and me also which coulde not geue perfect health For the gift whiche they receiue of thee as pure and cleane shall reproue
a swete oyntmente and whan he was deade he woulde bee buryed in a newe sepulchre grauen in stone and he woulde bee wynded in a cleane shete and he would be buried with the busy care of a noble man The karkases of ryche and honorable men be wont to be embaumed with precious oyntmentes eyther for honour or elles to preserue theyr bodyes from corrupcion And because he shoulde reuiue and ryse agayne before that hys frendes shoulde do hym thys honoure he suffered this pompe of buriall to bee bestowed vpon hym before hys death to the intente he myght imprinte by manye meanes in his disciples myndes the mention of his deathe and by honoure to mitigate the horriblenes therof Therfore when his disciples beyng ignoraunt of these thynges murmured and grutched at the costes and expenses Iesus refrayned them saiyng Why he ye grieued with this woman She hath done a godlye office and a louyng benefite to me whiche shall shortly dye It is not meete that ye should haue enuy at thys my last honoure Poore men of the common sorte ye haue alwayes with you to whom ye maie doe good but ye shall not euer haue me This oyntment is not lost but this woman gessing that I should shortely dye with her offyce and duetye hath preuented my buryall and hath powred vpon me beyng alyue that that is wonte to be powred vpon the dead Therefore depraue not her godlinesse whiche is so acceptable vnto God that whereas the gospell of my deathe shal be preached throughout all the worlde this woman also shall be mencioned whiche with a godly and an holy duety hathe preuented my sepulture Than one of the twelue which was called Iudas Iscarioth went vnto the chiefe priestes and sayed vnto them What will ye geue me and I will deliuer hym vnto you And they appoynted to hym thiety denaries And from that tyme furth he sought oportunitie to betraye hym Where as this communicacion hadde repressed the disdayne of others which erred of a simplicitie not knowyng the misterye yet it pacified not Iudas Iscarioth whiche falsely pretended care for the poore where as â—ucre and gaynâ— were more pleasaunte vnto him For he bare the purse and was wount to steie sumwhat of the thynges which were geuen of the liberall frendes of Iesus to be distributed emoÌ„g the poore hereof by litle and litle he encreased his money Therfore whan he was wholy geuen to the filthy disease of auarice myndyng to recompense that whiche he counted lost in the oyntmente with the pryce of the Lorde he wente vnto the chyefe pryestes and offycers whome he knewe with bent myndes had conspired the deathe of Iesus and that there was nothyng to lette them but that he myght be taken withoute tumulte or busines To bring this to passe there wer done more mete thaÌ„ sum of the number theÌ„ whiche were familiare with the lord and nexte aboute hym who knewe certaynely whyther Iesus was wont to go For he had hys secret places to praie in And there was one found in that chosen and piked humbre of twelue whoÌ„ Christ toke vnto hym to bee the chiefe ouer all whiche loued better wycked gayne than so mylde and so beneficiall a lorde So greate a poyson is auarice if it possesse wholy the mynde of man But Iesus woulde signifye by thys example that there should be meÌ„ which beyng corrupt with the desyre of money woulde betraye the woorde of the gospell and this mischiefe shoulde chieflye cum of them who beyng the chiefe and heades of the religion of the churche semeth to be priuy of the secretes of theyr lord with whom they be so familiar that with wrong interpretacion they betray his doctrine to the wicked prophane rulers whiche seke for nothyng elles but the destruccion of the truethe of the gospell Iudas therfore goyng vnto the officers sayd what reward wil ye geue me if I delyuer you hym into your handes And thei bargayne wyth hym for thyrty denaryes With so litle wages could he be â—yered to so beastely and cruell a dede so lyghtly and vilelye was that precious bloude estemed whiche was sufficient to redeme whole mankynde Therefore Iudas gredye and gapyng for the money that was promysed hym by and by from that time forwarde sought for occasion to betraye Iesus But the fyrst day of the vnleaueued bread the disciples came to Iesus saiyng vnto hym where wile thou that we prepare for the to eate the Paasse And he sayde Go into the citie to suche a man and saye vnto hym The mayster sayeth my tyme is at hande with the doe I kepe my Easter with my disciples And the disciples dyd as Iesus had appoynted them and made ready the Paasse Therfore whan the first daye of seuen was at hand in the whiche the Iewes were accustomed to abstayne from leauen breade after the eatyng of the pasâ—hall lambe the disciples go vnto Iesus saying Lord where wyll ye that we shall prepare you a place to feaste and kepe youre Paasse so greate was the scartenes that neyther he nor his disciples had any house of theyr own to go to But Iesus to shewe that this whole matter was mistical and not doen by chaunce or necessitie but that all thynges were done by the prescience and couÌ„sell of God he answered them God into the citie and anon as ye entre in there shall meete you a certayne manne bearyng a potte of water folowe hym and wheresoeuer he goeth in ye shall go in and saye to the houesholder the maister sayeth My tyme is at hande at thy house I kepe my Paasse with my disciples He shall shewe you a great and a fayre parlet there prepare my Paasse The disciples went and founde all thynges as Iesus had tolde them before and prepared hym a feaste in the place that he commaunded Whan the euen was cum he sate downe with the twelue and as they were eatyng he said Uerely I saye vnto you One of you shall betraye me And they were exceadyng sorowful and beganne euery one to saye Lord is it I He answered and sayde He that dippeth hys hand with me in the dyshe the same shal betraye me The sonne of man goeth as it is written of hym But wo vnto that man by whom the sonne of man is betrayed It hadde been good for that man yf he had not bene borne Than Iudas whiche betraied hym answered and sayed Mayster is it I He sayd vnto hym Thou hast sayed And towarde nyght Iesus went thither and sate downe to suppe with his twelue disciples And now as they were at supper Iesus sayeth vnto theÌ„ one of you shall betraye me This he sayed to declare that nothyng at all was hyd from hym and also that the conscience of the traytour beyng touched myght be turned vnto penaunce At this woord al theyr hartes began to be very heuy Euery man suspected and distrusted hymselfe knowyng the weakenes of man They desyryng therfore to bee deliuered from this heauines began for to aske
and kepyng of mans ceremonies Iohn as a meane betwene the old law the new weÌ„t about to myngle together two sundry doctrines For he durst not commit this liuely philosophy pure and vnmengled as it was vnto them that were weake of mynde Nowe all is weake that is humayne carnall And contrarily that is full of lyfe vertue and strength whatsoeuer is godly spirituall and heauenly Wherfore vnto my disciples whome I chose rude and ignoraunt to the entent I myght the soner enstruct them in this strong and pithful Philosophy I prescribe none of these thinges folowyng Eate these meates forbear these now rest now labor vse suche apparel touch not this thing handle not that And the cause is for feare leste they woulde alwayes continewe weake if they once learned of me theyr maister to put any trust in suche corporall thynges It is a thyng very vnprofitable to ioyne thynges together whiche disagree one with an other ¶ No man also seweth a piece of newe clothe vnto an olde garment els taketh he away the new piece therof from the olde and so is the rent wurse And no man poureth newe wyne into olde bottels els the newe wyne doth burst the bottels and the wyue runneth out and the bottels are marâ—ed But newe wyne must be put into newe bottels For there is no man so farre from reason that if he be disposed to amende an olde garment wil sewe therunto a patche of newe clothe And why so certes for that he perceyueth yf he should so do he shoulde bothe lose his new cloth also make the hole of the olde garment bigger then it was before For beyng offended with the notable diuersytie betwene the piece of cloth sewed on and the yll mended garmente he strayght wayes plucketh of the piece that he sewed to and so the hole of the same garment gapeth fowler then it dyd before Neyther is there any man so folysh as to put newe wine in olde bottels And why because he seeth that he should sustain double losse therby For the new wyne wurketh so feruently through the vehemencie of the fumes therein enclosed that it breaketh the bottels beyng weake by reason of age all to pieâ—es and so are bothe bottels and wyne cleane lost and spilt Howe doeth he then prouide bothe for the safetie of the one and the other Trulye he putteth the newe wyne into newe bottels Euen so they whose mindes haue of long time been accustomed to the naughtie wine of Pharisaâ—call supersticion can in no wyse away with the newe wine of heauenly spiritual doctrine but lothe and abhorre thesame stylle callyng after a taste of the wurse wine that hath been theyr accustomable drynke And that Iesu spake the truthe herein the Phariseis them selues many tymes declared by theyr deedes ¶ And if chaunced again that he went thorow the corn fieldes on the Sabboth dayes and his disciples began by the waye to plucke the eares of the corne And the Phariseis sayd vnto hym Beholde why do they on the Sabboth dayes that whiche is not lawfull And he sayed vnto them haue ye neuer read what Dauid dyd when he had nede and was an hungred both de and they that were with hym howe he went into the house of God in the dayes of Abiathar the hye priest and dyd eate the shewe bread whiche is not lawfull to eate but for the priestes onely and gaue also to them whiche were with hym And he sayed vnto them the Sabboth was made for man and not man for the Sabboth therefore is the sonne of man Lorde also of the Sabboth For as it chaâ—nced on a certaine season that his disciples trauayled thorough a corne fyeld and that vpon the Sabboth daye on the whiche day it was a matter of conscience among the Iewes to doe any maner of weorke they wente before and Iesus theyr mayster followed And anon prouoked by hunger they beganne to plucke the eares of the corne and with the chasyng of theyr handes to rubbe once the corne and eate it Nowe heare howe the olde bottels were offended with the newe wyne of the libertie of the ghospell calling after the olde wyne of kepyng the Sabboth that hadde cleane lost his verdure For the Phariseis who as menne very righteouse in theyr owne conceyptes folowed Iesus beholdyng what the disciples dyd wrongfully blamed the Lorde in them For lyke as the vertuousnesse of the schollers is a great commendacion to the mayster euen so theyr mysbehaueoure and lewde taches are reproched and layed vnto those that instructed them They tolde the lorde and poynted vnto his disciples as thoughe they had doen a greuouse offence for that they brake the Sabboth daye to the ende that he shoulde cause them to leaue worke and by that meanes approue the pharisaicall supersticion orels yf he woulde not so do then myght they take some occasion to piâ—ke a quarell or surmise some matter agaynst hym The Lorde so defended his disciples that he disproued the learned in the lawe of Moses by the auctoritie of the lawe and of his gentlenesse vouchesafed to teache them the true meaning therof whiche in dede deserued shaperly to be rebuked With what face ê™ he do ye accuse my disciples for that thorough constraint of hunger they plucke a fewe eares of corne beeyng by chaunce in their waye for theyr reliefe and sustenaunce sithe there is expresse mencion in the very lawe it selfe wherof you professe your selues to be teachers howe Dauid when he was in lyke necessitie dydde a thyng whiche soundeth muche more to the breache of the lawe then this For he beyng almost famished and in great daunger to perysh for lacke of foode fled for succour vnto the house of God and although he were a laye man was not afrayed to desyre Abiathar then chyef of the priestes to geue him those moste holy loaues called the shewe bread the whiche it was not lefull for any man to eate of but the priestes onely â— and that but duryng the litle whyle they were within the precinct of the Temple occupied about makyng of sacrifice Abiathar was not here ignoraunt what the lawe had commaunded and yet feared not he to deliuer vnto Dauid and his trayne the sayed holy loaues to be eaten in the holy place If you knowe not that this is scripture orels yf you haue it not in memory howethaÌ„ for shame dare you professe the knowledge that of law If you know and remembre it why doe you in a lyke ease quite Abiathar and Dauid yea and allowe theyr facte and yet accuse my disciples as giltie of an heynous trespasse If the rigorousnes of the lawe did then geue place vnto the necessitye of the neyghboure when the lawe was of mooste force strengthe howe muche more then standeth it nowe with reason that the ceremonies of the same lawe geue place therunto whensoeuer charitie moueth a man to help his euen Christen Moreouer it is lykewyse commaunded in the lawe
spring vp bryng forth the worthie fruites of the ghospell not euery where a lyke but diuerselye according to the diuersytie of the soyle and disposicion of the heauenly spirite so that this men bringeth forth fruite meanely that man more plentifully an other greatest aboundaunce therof lyke as if one grayne bryng foorthe thirtie an other three score and the thirde an hundred He that bringeth forth greate plentifulnesse of fruite hath cause to rendre thankes vnto God almightie there is no cause why he should stande in his owne conceipt He that bringeth forth meane store hath no cause to repyne at him whiche is muche happier and bringeth forth more aboundaunce then he For God who is bounde and debtour to no man doeth of his most bounteous liberalitie geue euerye man his giftes as it liketh him What encrease soeuer cummeth thesame is due vnto hym that firste sowed the grounde and by whome what fruite soeuer is brought foorth dayle encreaseth My desyre is to haue all the corne grounde of the whole worlde sowen when the tyme shall cum with this sede and that this doctrine whiche I nowe secretely teache you a fewe persones may thorough your diligeÌ„t ministerie be enlarged and spredde a brode asmuch as may be to the intent that you also may shewe your selfes like a good grouÌ„d yf you distribute that you haue receiued of me to as many as ye can possible For there is no fruite where with God is better pleased Ye must therfore bee well ware that the sede sowen in your myndes peryshe not through forgetfulnesse or negligence Ye ought diligently to laye it vp in memorie that it may spring vp in due season and bring forth fruite moste plentifully ¶ And he sayed vnto them is the candell lighted to be put vnder a Busshell or vnder the table is it not lighted to be put on a candle sticke â–ª for there is nothyng so priuye that shall not be opened neyther hath it been so secrete but that it shall cum abrode If any manne haue eares to heare let him heare And he sayed vnto them take hede what ye heare With what measure ye meate with the same shall other men measure vnto you agayne And vnto you that heare shall more be geuen For vnto him that hath shall it bee geuen and from him that hath not shall be taken awaye euen that whiche he hath And because this monicion should the depeliar be printed in theyr mindes he added a parable Thinke you not sayed he that I will haue this thing which I doe nowe secretely commit vnto you alwayes kept secrete Doth a manne light a candell because to hyde thesame when it is lighted vnderneath a busshell or vnder the table or elles doth he rather light it to the intent it may bee set in a candlesticke and geue light to all that be in the house The ghospell is the sede whiche is therfore committed vnto you because it maye bryng forth fruite with great encrease I haue light the candell in you that through your ministerie it maye put awaye the darkenesse of the whole worlde At this present I hyde many thinges from the multitude because they are not as yet apt to receiue them and though they were the tyme is not yet cum But assone as the tyme shall once cum there is nothyng so hid amongst vs that then must not be discouered nor any thyng so secrete that then muste not be openly preached to all men For there must nothing feare you froÌ„ spreading abrode or preachinge of the gospell but all other thinges set apart this thing onely muste you go about bothe day and night For wo be to that man who hath not multiplied the good sede betaken vnto him who hath hidden the light that was geuen hym Therefore if any of you haue eares to heare let hym heare these wordes and when he hath hearde them let hym beare them well in memorie Agaule left the wordes that he spake shoulde be forgoten he said moreouer Marke wel what thyng you heare and take hede that you heare not in vaine For you heare not vaine fables and phantasies of mâ—ns inuencion but heauenly doctrine whiche by your ministerie must be spread abrode throughout all the whole worlde Preache you truelye the doctrine which you haue receyued and teache nothing that is desagreable therunto It shall auayle you muche to heare these thinges if you retayne them well in memorie and diligently distribute to other what you heare of me Again you heare theÌ„ to your greate perill yf you strikeÌ„ either with feare humaine or els delited with the commodities and pleasures of this present worlde do suppresse and kepe in that you haue receiued Be not ye niggish and slouthful distributours of the doctrine that I giue you I giue you but put it forth lauishly For your liberalitie shal nothing diminishe but rather encrease that that you haue and make it more The treasure of gold and siluer is at the length wasted by liberalitie but the more liberally you distribute this heauenly treasure the greater shall the heape thereof be Neither foloweth it that lyke as he is the poorer that giueth a way his goodes vnto the neadie so in like manour is he the wurse learned whiche distributeth the doctrine of the gospell to as manye as he can possible but as he that carrieth light before manye hath not therfore any whit the lesse light him selfe euen so he that by preachynge the doctrine of the gospell openethe a waye for all menne to cum to the knowleage of the trueth doeth not onely not loose that light whiche he alreadye hath but also hath a greate deale more gyuen him to th entent he maye profite and dooe good vnto mooe The treasure that you haue is none of youres but his who gaue it you to distribute And if you distribute it to other with large measure he that gaue you the stocke and principall parte will also with like measure geue you encrease therof God loueth to haue his giftes prodigallye layed out and here cleane contrarie to the manoure of worldlye ryches he waxeth richest whoso is lauishest in laying out For such is the beneficiall goodnesse of god that he whyche gaue vs muche before â—â—eth in moste ample wise augmente his giftes because he righte well perceiâ—â— that whatsoeuer was geuen the same is distributed and bestowed to the great vtilitie of manye Therfore let hym whiche hath the gifte bountuouslye distribute it to thentente that he maye haue aboundaunce No manne doeth well to geue goodes to hym that aboundeth with riches but suche as be liberall in very dede are wonte to geue vnto the poore and neadie Here it is cleanen contraryeÌ„ For vnto hym that hathe and hathe not that thynge whyche he hath to his owne vse and commoditie alone but liberallye departeth therewith to other to hym I saye as to a trustie distributour shall more be gyuen because he maye abounde and haue muche plentye He
slayne or els thy life be saued with the losse of thy hande thou wouldest not sticke in this case to choppe of thy hand and so with the losse of one membre were it neuer so necessarie to redeme thy lyfe It were a thyng more to be wished to attayne saluacion with thy parentes and frendes by the ghospell but if that can not be brought to passe then is it muche better for the to forsake thy parentes who doe not onely refuse to be saued themselues but also goe about to bring thee to lyke confusion and so to enter into lyfe euerlasting as a man would say maymed then with thy sayd parentes and frendes to be cast in to hell that is to saye into fyre whiche can neuer be quenched There the worme repentaunce that gnaweth the conscience of the wretched creatures dieth not For they liue onely to theyr tourmente and payne There the fyre wherwith the damned soules are tourmented is neuer put out There shall bothe thy parentes and thou repent but to late and in vayne thou for that thou folowedst theyr vnlawfull affeccions to thine owne damnacion and they because they would not be aduertised by the when thou exhortedst them to saluacion Neither shall their calamitie helpe the nor thy torment any thing release or diminishe theyr payne Moreouer the damnacion of the parent that would not be saued shall not be layed vnto his charge who hastened to doe the busynesse of the gospell Lykewyse after this manour cut of thy foote consydering with thy selfe that it is better for the to cūme halt and lame to lyfe euerlasting then with whole feete to be throwen into hell where neyther the fyre canne be quenched nor the worme dyeth There is nothyng dearer to man then his iye nothyng more pleasaunte then wyfe and chyldren But if thou be brought to this strayte that eyther thou must nedes for theyr pleasure forsake the ghospell and be damned with thē or els forsake them then whome as touchyng worldly affeccion there is nothyng more deare vnto the in this case stycke not to plucke out thyne iye and caste it awaye reckening it to be muche better for the to enter with one iye into the kyngdome of heauen where there is lyfe eternall then to haue both thyne iyes whole and with them to be throwen into the fyre of hell Lette not here the wepyng and waylyng of thy wyfe nor the swete wordes of thy children any whit moue the. They are fooles to wepe because they are forsaken sith they myght haue folowed the if they had would All worldly affeccions muste be set aside when goddes commaundement compelleth it so to be All losses of corporall thinges ought to be counted for gaynes whensoeuer euerlasting lyfe is to be purchased It is no delicate and pleasaunt thing to professe my name Persecucions and worldlye affliccions shall arise on euery syde which maie withdraw you from your purpose But suche as take in hand the ministracion of the gospell muste vanquishe all these thynges He that will be a mete ministre or preacher of the euangelike doctrine muste wholely yelde him selfe to the will of God to th entent he maye in no wise neyther for feare of persecucion nor by reason he is corrupted with any enticementes of fleshely appetites swarue from the pure veritie of gods worde and the gospell ¶ Euery man shall be salted with fyre and euery sacrifice shall be seasoned with salte Salte is good but if the salte be vnsauery what shall ye season therewith Haue salte in your selues and haue peace among your selues one with an other For as no sacrifice after the lawe of Moyses is lawfull saue alonely that whiche is salted eyther with fyre or salte or els with both euen so whosoeuer will professe the phylosophie and doctrine of the ghospell muste nedes be pourged with fyre from all worldly affeccions and be also poudred with salte that he maye in no wyse be corrupted with the infeccion or contagiousnesse of yuell menne Worldly wysdom is vertulesse and vnsauoury and neyther preserueth him that hath it from worldlye corrupcion nor yet is of force to preserue other Nowe must the teacher of the gospell doo both that is to saye bothe fynde the meanes that he be without corrupcion hymselfe and also take awaye thesame from other This canne neither be done by the phylosophers wisedome nor by the Phariseis doctrine but only by the vertue of the euangelike philosophie whiche with the tartenesse of truth byteth awaye and consumeth what thing soeuer is in man in daunger of corrupcion The same thyng doeth also that fyre of the spirite of God whiche lykewyse consumeth all carnall affeccions and purgeth mens soules therof yea and in manour transformeth into God what thing soeuer it hathe once caught in so muche that they whoe were before tyme entangled with the cares of worldlye vanities are nowe thesame vtterly contemned all together rauished with the lone and desyre of heauenly thynges Whoso is seasoned with this salte can by no manour of inticementes be corrupted and fall from the puritie of the spirite of the ghospell He that is pourged with this fyre will despyse whatsoeuer the persecutoure can threaten him withall There is nothing better then fyre yf a man vse it aright nothyng more profitable then salte But yf the fyre be colde if the salte be made vnsauery and vertulesse what then remaineth to season the vnsauerie and symple people with all If they that professe the spirite of the gospell frayed with the threateninges of menne doe forsake theyr profession and for feare of displeasure feede and vpholde with theyr flattery the folye of princes whome theyr dutye had been boldely to rebuke what hope then remayneth If suche as professe the salte of the gospell doe not only not heale the corrupte affeccions of other with the tartenesse of truth but also fall themselfes for theyr parentes and frendes pleasures and because to obtaine earthlye vanities from the hope of the kyngdome of heauen and winne hell expouning and wrestyng the doctrine of the gospell whiche is the greatest offence of all after thaffeccions and lustes of man What then is there left to season mannes folye with all sithe that both thei who ought to haue been the seasoners are theim selues corrupted and the thyng is also tainted whiche onely was left in the worlde to bryng it at one time or an other to amendement Therfore to th entent you maye bothe ouercum cruell persecucions and also contemne all wordly affeccions for the gospels sake and to th entent also you maye bothe prouide for your owne soule healthe and bryng as many as maye be to saluacion lette eche of you haue in him the falte of the gospell Lette there be peace and mutuall amitie among you Salte shall make you without corrupcion and concorde stronge and myghtye Whereas variaunces do raygne there is not the salte of the gospell Where as the vice of ambicion is there is neyther
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
purenesse preache the ghospell so those that write dooe not euery man with lyke faythfulnesse and trueth handle the storye of the ghospell For many an one hath attempted after like sorte to patche and to make a medley of the discourse of reportyng Christes ghospell as other wryters are woonte of mortall mennes actes that is entremedlyng ofttymes false thynges emong the true and tellyng for matiers of approued certaintie suche thinges as they had afore taken onely of the vncertaine rumoures and voyces of the common people yea and many tymes inuentyng of their owne braynes some thyng to tell eyther of a delite and lust to lye or els beeyng corrupted with some other affeccion And as mortall mennes matiers are of nature apte and readie to bee corrupted there shall perchaunce hereafter also some persones sterte by whiche through makyng lyes on the actes and doctryne of Christe and of his disciples shall cause that true matiers shall not be credited neither Therfore the spirite of Iesus hath as it were nipped my herte also with a litell twynge that after Mathewe and Marke whiche two with all possible trueth and vprightnesse wrote as muche as at that tyme they iudged to bee sufficiente and yet neuerthelesse of a sette purpose and entente left vnto others certain thinges to be written supplying in the meane tyme with the office of liuely voyce that lacked in theyr writinges and after some others whiche haue not with sembleable vprightnesse attempted thesame of whiche persones some haue euerye where entermyngled many poyntes muche contrary to the doctryne of the gospell and many haue rather had an iye to fyll vp the holes of the story with fables and tales vnseemyng for the grauitie of the ghospell then to tell suche thinges as the holy ghost hath iudged to be auailable towardes the blisse euerlastyng I Luke also should by composyng a certaine ordre and processe of the storie euangelicall bothe supplye suche matiers as haue been omitted by the others and also debarre the authoritie of other persones whiche eyther heretofore haue written or hereafter shall wryte for mattiers of certaynetie and for matiers of euident trueth eyther fātasyes of their owne imagining or els thinges none otherwyse knowen but by the rumoure and bruite of the people who is commonly an authour and brynger vp of thynges not all of the fynest And yet do not we our selues so frame the processe of this storie that we leatte passe no manier poynte at al of the thynges that haue been sayde or doen But we make relacion of suche thinges onely as we know to concerne the godly deuocion of the gospel and the fruicion of the lyfe euerlastyng For an infinite and endelesse matier it were throughly to write euery thyng that Iesus hath doen or taught Some poyntes there bee whiche without the preiudice of saluaciō maye not bee vnknowen some other thynges agayne there bee the knowelage wherof bryngeth very muche profite to the zele and desire of perfect godlinesse and some poyntes finally there bee that maye bee vnknowen withoute anye perill of saluacion and without any greuous empechemente or hinderaunce of a christen mannes perfeccion as in dede for an exaumple all that euer we knowe in diuine matiers is but a litle litle porcion in respect and comparison of that that we knowe not Therfore neither wyll we touche and treate of euery matier to the vttermoste nor yet tell or recite thinges vncertayne but those thynges onely wyll we declare of whiche there hath been moost assured and euident certaintie shewed vnto vs by the vndoubted Apostles and disciples of Christ the whiche had not onely theimselues with their owne iyes seen a great parte of the thynges that they tolde vnto vs and hadde hearde thesame with their owne eares and had the handeling and doyng of muche parte therof with theyr owne handes but also hadde theimselues been a parte of thesame actes that they reported were doen as men that had doen many thinges at the commaundemēt of the Lord and had suffered not a fewe thynges for his sake because they were in all matiers inseparable companions and folowers of Iesus Christ almoste neuer out of his presence Neyther ought there the lesse credite to bee giuen vnto me for that I do wryte suche thynges not as I haue seen my selfe but as I haue learned of others It was requisite to a matier beyng so ferre out of all vse and so straunge and so vnreedible that feith should first be acquired and woonne out of all the senses of the body and than thesame feith to be confirmed with euident wondres and miracles But this kynde of tokens or prouffes cannot euermore continue ne endure For on the one syde Christe didde not long exhibite himselfe to bee seen in this worlde and on the other syde miracles are thynges but for a time geuen to mēnes hardnesse of belefe and afterwarde once to ceasse and to haue an ende It is sufficient that the rudimentes and first principles of the feith ▪ proceded from suche beginninges as these Thomas the Apostle sawe Christ after his resurreccion hearde hym and felte hym with his handes and than beleued but oure Lorde and maister Christe pronounceth suche persones to bee blissed whiche although they haue not bodyly seen the thynges dooen yet neuerthelesse dooe geue as muche credite to the woordes of the gospell as if they had personally been presente at the dooyng of thesame For otherwyse if onely the iyes should bee beleued euen veray they that were bodyly conuersaunt with our lorde doe reporte many matiers at the dooyng of whiche themselues were not presente but learned it of other persones beeyng substanciall credible and true of theyr reporte as for an exaumple of the natiuitie and petigrewe of Christe of the wyse men that were called Magi whiche came from the Easte to see Christ beeyng newe borne of the flying of Ioseph Marie with Christ into Egipte ▪ of Satan how he tempted Christe We Euangelistes though we sawe not the begynnynges of thynges yet haue we seen the sequeles and endes of them We haue seen in the Apostles al that euer oure Lorde had promised of them in the gospell We haue seene theim beeyng enspired with the holy ghoste geue thesame holy spirite of God to other persones also beeyng baptised by laying their hande ouer them yea and in our owne selues haue we found and felt the effectual power and strength of the holy ghoste We haue seen diuilles drieuen out of mē at the name of Iesus we haue seen diseases put away we haue seen poysons voyde of al effecte or force to dooe harme We haue seen that the maiestie of the gospel by men of slendre substaunce in worldely rychesse by men of lowe degree borne by men priuate that is to saye by men hauyng no seculare autoritie at al is yet neuerthelesse in a fewe yeres famously notified throughout the whole vniuersall yearth and that the great and mightie princes of the worlde haue
by course succeded All thissame though it semed to be doen by mere chaimce at auenture yet was there no one poynte therof but it was wrought by the high wysedome and prouidence of God yea not so muche as the veray numbre of the course but it was for a purpose and a consideracion For lyke as the numbre of seuen for many causes hath the figure significacion of the olde lawe so doeth the numbre of eight well accorde to the grace of the ghospel for asmuche as the euerlasting blisse of heauen is nowe geuen not through the workes of the lawe but freely and frankly through feith And Zacharie had also a wife named Elizabeth not only the better to be estemed for the respecte of her noble birth for she came of the stocke and bloud of Aaron the first prieste of the people of Israell but also worthie to be had in reuerence and wurship for hir integritie and perfecte goodnesse of behaueour to the intente that suche an holy man as Zacharie was should not be without a wyfe accordyng ¶ They were both righteouse before God and so walked in all the commaundementes and ordeynauÌ„ces of the Lord that no man could fynde faulte with them And they had no childe because that Elizabeth was baraine and they both were now well stricken in age For it was in veray dede an holy wedlocke knitte and made vp not somuch by copulacion of their bodies as by lykenesse of theyr mindes and hertes and by the felowship of godlines because they were both of them veray good folkes and iust not with the iustice of the Phariseis whiche Phariseis vnder a false couiour and counterfaite shewe of holynesse did sette foorth theyr prynted sheathe to the iyes of men for lucre and for worldely prayse defourmyng their faces and makyng them vnsightly for the nons a troumpette blowyng before them at all suche times whan they gaue their almes sekyng to be estemed holy by reason of long prayers made in corners of the stretes whan their herte was drouned in all fylthinesse of hainous offences and trespaces against God but Zachary and Elizabeth with vncorrupt hertes dyd in suche wyse obserue and kepe all thynges whiche the Lord had commaunded by the lawe that neyther they gaue vnto men any holde or tytle to fynde faulte with them and yet the which is a poynte of no small difficultie they did also by the puritie and clenesse of their liuyng shewe themselfes pleasyng in the sight of God Yea and this veray poynte also was wrought by the high wysedome of God of a speciall prouision to the ende that suche a one as should afterwarde geue testimonie vnto Christe at his cumming might on his owne behalfe be in all maner degrees worthy acceptacion emong the people of the Iewes first for the noblenesse of his linage being descended of the ordre of priesthood aswell on the fathers syde as on the mothers syde secondarily for the linyng of both his parentes beyng vnreprouable thirdly for the vertues giftes of grace in his owne selfe beyng wonderfull and suche as were but in fewe persones to be found and finally for his gloryous death whan he should suffre for the truthes sake Suche a cryar veryly it was mete that he should haue which came to allure to hymselfe the whole worlde with the sauor as it were of the good fame and opinion that should spryng of hym Ferthermore by the prouidence of God this poynte alo was wrought that the straunge maner of his natiuitie should stiere vp the myndes of men to haue a speciall regarde of Iohn and no suche common matiers or facions as were in other folkes to be looked for at his hande the whiche was borne into this worlde not after the common course of nature but by the onely benefite of God For although the holy conuersacion of zacharie and Elizabeth was specially well approued allowed of all persons yet in this one poynte their godlynesse semed to haue but hard happe that both of them were veray ferre groweÌ„ in age without hauing any issue or childe in all their tyme. For emong the Iewes lyke as the fruitfulnesse of matrimonie was reputed for a certayne thyng of great Royaltie so was barainnesse in as muche reproche as any thyng and was rekoned in the numbre of the chiefe missehappes and euils of this lyre For the moste parte of the people did interprete and take those persons to bee reiected and cast out of the fauour of God whiche had not had the fortune and happe with some kynde of issue to encrease and multiplie the people of the Iewes beeyng a people specially chosen dedicate vnto God For the Iewes beyng altogether grosse and carnall had not yet learned that a spirituall and ghostely people it was whiche God would haue by an heauenly generacion styll from tyme to tyme more and more to be multiplied with continuall succession of issue They had not yet heard that blissed were tho persons whiche had gelded themselfes for the kingdome of heauen And this mattier dyd not a lytle grieue them bothe in theyr mindes especially Elizabeth who was now euen already by a muche reprochefull name in euery bodyes mouth called baraine and was rekoned in the numbre of women of hard happe as one of suche barainesse that she was nowe past all lykelyhood or hope to haue any chylde because that veray many yeres hauyng passed in the coumpanie of her wedded house bande she had yet brought foorth no fruite of matrimonie For the reproche of barainnesse is woont moste specially to light on the womeÌ„ And this despaire of hauing any chyld the old age of them both had encreased But the bounteous goodnesse of God did of tendre fauour geue vnto the deuoute prayers and desires of theyr hertes that thyng which the strength and power of nature dyd not geue to the coumpanying of theyr bodyes And it came to passe that whan Zacharie executed the priestes office before God as his course came accordying to the custome of the priestes office his lotte fell to burne incâ—nse And he wente into the temple of the Lorde and the whole multitude of the people were without in prayer whyle the incense was in burnyng Therfore whan zacharie executed the office of the prieste in the ordre of his course whiche as we haue sayed was in the course of Abia and continuing within the temple in the sight of God attended the ministryng of the sacres lyke a pure and a chaste man and now accordyng to the custome and maner there was one to be chosen to goe into the innermoste and priuiest place of the temple which is called Sancta sanctorum that is to say the holy of holyes or the principall holy place the chaunce of the lotte so fell that he was chosen to entre into the principall holy place which it was not leefull for any person to entre except the bishop or suche an
goodes gotten with falsehood as commonly in very true dede it is ye shal not shewe yourselfes faithfull to the Lorde who hath deliuered you thesame to be disbursed and distributed abrode what manne wyll commytte vnto you the bestowyng of the true rychesse of the mynde And if in a thyng of an other mannes whiche canne not perpetually continue with any man ye haue been nothyng trustie who will putte in your handes suche a thyng as might perpetually in tyme to come bee your owne And a lighter offence and trespace dooeth he whiche vnfeythfully handleth the rychesse of this world then he whiche vnfeythfully dispeÌ„seth the treasoures of the gospell The kyngdome of god requireth to haue all the whole maÌ„ And the mynde it requireth to haue free from the loue of all worldely thynges Neyther is it for any man to attempte or goe about to make a medley of the worlde and the ghospell together whiche ghospell is the kyngdome of heauen For if no man can bee a seruaunte common and indifferente vnto twoo maisters at once because that scarcely any twoo men dooe so well agree within themselues that one seruaunt is hable with his due attendaunce to satisfye them bothe at once but that the one or the other sette at naught he muste of force be compelled to sticke to the one of them alone howe muche lesse can ye be hable to serue God and Mammon bothe at once beeyng maysters so ferre discordyng together that there is not so muche as any one poynct wherin they agree And seruaunt vnto Mammon is that man what euer he be that setteth a great piece of his heauen in rychesse and for that cause laboureth with al earnest applying of his mynde to geat veray great aboundaunce and thesame to vpholde maynteine and encreace whan it is gotten And suche an one leapeth for ioy whan his substaunce multiplieth and is sore vexed in his herte if it be taken awaye from hym by any misfortune And seruaunte to God is he who either shakyng of from hym the gooddes of this world or els possessyng them as though he possessed them not dooeth with all earnest applying of hymself go about the prouision of the thynges whiche make to euerlastyng saluacion And these thynges heard the Phariseis also whiche were couetous and they mocked hym And he sayed vnto them Ye are they whiche iustifie your selues before men but God knoweth your hertes For that whiche is highly estemed emong men is abhominable in the sighte of God All the woordes and talke afore goyng though it wer specially and purposely spoken to suche as beleued themselues possible enough to bee Christes disciples though they wer charged and loden with the carefulnesse of richesse the Phariseis also did heare whose hertes beyng as it were olde boâ—tels could not hold ne receyue this newe muste of the doctrine euangelicall For they wer couetous and gredie not onely of money but also of glorie They wer haulte mynded fierce and men that would be auenged of euery matier Therfore they skorned the doctryne of Iesus who moued meÌ„ to charitable liberalitie to not caryng for to be auenged to the not passyng on glorie ne on theyr lyfe neyther And certes this worlde also hath and euermore shall haue his Phariseis who trustyng to theyr owne force will haue in derision the doctrine of humilitie of fauour in pardonyng offences of tractablenesse and of liberalitie A mouth enured and accustomed to the soure turned wyne of worldly wysedome policie abhorreth froÌ„ this heaueÌ„ly muste Maie it also please God to vouchesalue one daye to dampe the tauntyng mockes of suche persones lykewyse as he did at this present sharpely reproue these Phariseis beeyng scorners whan he sayed Ye swell in pryde with the vayn countrefaictes of goodnesse settyng foorth your peynted sheathe in the face of men who esteme a man of his ryches of his gaye apparell of the obseruacion of ceremonies and of those thynges do ye purchase vnto your selues also a laude prayse of holynesse where in veray dede ye are neither ryche nor holy nor in happie or blissefull state nor yet great men For god who onely seeth and beholdeth your hertes estemeth a maÌ„ by the veray goodes of the soule And suche a man and none other is ryche who is rych before God he is iust that is iust in the sight of God that man is great who beeyng litle in his owne estimacion is great by the iudgement of God For moste commonly it chaunceth that suche a thyng as to men semeth some high matier and to bee had in high veneracion is with God reputed a thyng abominable ¶ The lawe and Prophetes reygned vntyll Iohn and sence that tyme the kyngdome of God is preached and euerie man sâ—riueth to goe in Easier is it for heauen and yearth to perishe then one title of the lawe to fayle Whosoeuer forsaketh his wife and maryeth an other committeth aduoutrie And he whiche marieth her that is diuorced from her houseband committeth aduoutrie also Ye dooe yet still hold the rynde of the lawe fast in your teeth and ye glorye in the shadowes of thynges wheras now the kernell within is to bee opened that the lighte of euangelicall trueth arisyng maye on euery syde dryue awaye all shadowes Ye must now disacouainte estraunge your selues from yeâ—oure old wyne of Moses lawe drynke in the newe muste of more souÌ„der doctryne The figures of the lawe had their time What the holy sayinges of the prophetes did promise was looked for But figures ceasse nowe that the trueth hath appered foorth neither is propheticall promisyng any longer looked for nowe that the thyng whiche they had promised is in veray facte perfourmed and geuen From shadowes ye must goe foreward and growe to the veritie And from the feith of the promyses ye must grow vp to the loue of the thyng beyng now sent and geuen in dede Iohn was as ye would saye a marchyng bordre or a particion diuidyng and seueryng the lawe with his figures and the prophetes with their promises from the ghospell which ghospell doeth in veray facte dede geue aswell that the lawe had with his figures signified and appoyncted as also that the prophetes beyng enspired with God had promised shoulde come Iohn preached that the kyngdome of God was already come And that veray thyng forsouthe it is which the lawe had in shadowes marked out and that veray thyng it is that the prophetes solemnely spoke of afore And ye see the thyng self to be agreable to Iohns preachyng For euer sence his tyme the kyngdome of God is continually preached vnto al people and many dooe with glad hertes gredely take the blissefull and heauenly newes They drynke newe muste they take the doctrine of God they contemne yearthly thinges and growe ryche with goodes and treasoures heauenly They cast money awaye from them but they woorke miracles they haue no armour ne weapoÌ„ but they cast out deuils They are not men of
of his mynde with the swearde of the gospell and then yf he lyste lette hym drawe his swearde against the ennemies of the ghospell But these thynges haue I spoken moste renoumed Prynce in the waye of aduertisement without reproche of any person I open the matter onelye I reprehende no person and the more boldelye vnto your grace I wryte thus because no kynde of suspicion at al of any suche faulte or enormitee can be suspected to be in you There bee none Byshoppes except that of congruence ought to liue more after the gospell then Princes But they oftentymes by simplicitie vnder an assemblaunce of deuocion be deceyued For by the perswasion of suche whiche be thoughte the perfite professours of religion they ofttymes esteme it a poynt of great perfeccion if they daily saie ouer their praiers the which they call their mattens if they see a masse euery daye once The whiche thinges as in a lay prince and a young man also I graunt is a certaine token signe of a well disposed mind yet be there many other thinges that which do more straitly appertayn to a christeÌ„ princes office theÌ„ these For if he foresee that no storme of warre arise that the publike libertie be not diminished ne violated that the poore comminaltie bee not compelled to famishe that no naughty officers be made and permitted in my opinion he shall do a more acceptable seruice to God then yf he should saye these praieres â–ª vi yeres together Yet do I commende the said thinges if that whiche is more principall bee coupled and ioyned therto But and if a prince do suppose that he lacketh no porcion of godly perfeccion putting his confidence in the obseruacion of those thinges settyng a part suche thinges whiche do peculiarly appertain vnto a kynges office and dutie plainly that is the confusion of all religioÌ„ that is the subuersion of the common welth and they that geue suche councel do neither geue profitable nor holsome councell for the prince neither yet for his subiectes It is a good dede to heare seruice if thei be pure that do it but how can I cum in pure life vnto the sacrifice doen in remembraunce of the true and highest prince the which for to redeme his seruauntes bestowed his own life if through my fury my vain glory and negligence so many thousande men bee eyther vexed or vtterlye perishe I thinke it not nedefull to shewe that for the most part princes be neuer at more leisure neither lesse carefull then when thei be at diuine seruice What great thyng is it if a prince saye those praiers at an houre prescribed therfore whiche cannot haue sufficiente tyme and leisure to order and disposeth affayres of a common wealth A prince shall pray inough at full if he saye daily and recite from his hearte the notable prayer of the wyse kyng Salomon Lorde geue me wisdome and knowledge how to behaue my selfe vnto thy people Or the other praier muche lyke vnto thesame the whiche the wyse man as I remember reciteth in the boke of wisdome Geue me wisdome whiche is euer about thy seate that she maie be with me and labour with me that I may knowe what is acceptable in thy sighte for she knowethe and vnderstandethe all thinges and she shall leade me sobrely in my workes and preserue me in her power So shall my workes be acceptable and then shall I gouerne thy people righteously be worthy to sitte in my fathers seate who can haue knowledge of thy vnderstandynge and meanynge except thou geue wisdome and sende thy holy ghost from aboue that the waies of them which are vpon earth maye be refourmed that men may learne the thinges that are pleasaunt vnto the This wisdome that this most wise young maÌ„ desireth to haue may a man chiefly fynde in the holy scripture if a maÌ„ list vnfainedly and with a godly curiositie seke to haue it Otherwise howe is it cuÌ„ to passe that christen mens behauiour and maners partely bee decayed into a conuersacion wurse then the Gentiles or Ethnickes were partly degenerated into a certaine Iudaical supersticion but by reason that the doctrine of the ghospell hath not been had in regarde Notwithstandyng to saye the very trueth in all tymes there hath been euer sum of whome the gospell hath beene hadde in due honoure and reuerence yet neuerthelesse for this fower hundred yeres past the liuely heate and feruencie therof hath been greatlye abated with the most part Wherfore the more we ought to the vttermoste of our power endeuour our selfe that euery man for his parte do reuiue thissame sparkle of heauenly fire again the whiche the eternall veritie Iesus Christe our Lorde hath sent down into the earth wishyng nothyng els but that it maye be feruentlye kyndled and in great circuite to spreade it selfe abrode and be set all on fyer In this our tyme when mans condicions be so corrupted and of so great dissencions in opinions wherby at this houre all thinges be confounded out of order whither shall we rather flee to haue redresse then as S. Hilarie doeth well admonishe vs vnto the most pure fountaine and well spring of holy scripture wherof the moste pure and vnderfiled part be the gospels Neyther oughte the gospel to be mislyked of the supreme powers for this cause as thoughe it dyd as sum saye cause suche to be sedicious and disobedient whose parte and duetie is to bee obedient vnto their princes nay it rather profiteth princes in this pointe insomuche as it doeth teache them to execute the true offices of princes and not to be tirauntes and causeth the people more gladlye to obey euery good prince and more quietly to tollerate and beare with the bad Finally the gospell is not to be blamed if any man do not vse all of the best that thing whiche of his nature is moste excellent and the very best It is called the gospel of peace reconcilyng god and vs to vnitie and secondlye couplyng mutuall loue and amitie betwene eche of vs together If any man stumble at this stone let him blame hymselfe and not the gospell There is no power that man hath no policy no coÌ„spiracy or coniuracion together that is able to â—anquishe oppresse the veritie of the gospel whiche moste mightily setteth furth it self when it is most greuously persecuted But as touchyng these matters I feare me I haue heretofore spoken inough and to muche Now that this paraphrase may with the more fruite bee red after I haue spoken a worde or two of the euangelistes entent and purpose I wyll make an ende After that the lyfe and doctrine of our Lord Iesus Christ by thapostles preachyng and the other Euangelistes wrytinges was spred at large ouer all the world the Euangelist S. Iohn whome Christ so notably loued after all the other toke on hande to write this present gospell not so muche for th entent to compile the historie of the gospel as to make rehersall of
saluacioÌ„ he hath geuen his only begotten sonne to suffer death yea and suche a death as is moste shameful after the worldes estimacioÌ„ his will was to bestow geue one for the saluacioÌ„ of al men Nicodemus sayth he let not this thyng seme to thee to be suddayne and straunge this is the very thyng which Moses by a figure did signifie should come when at such time as the people did perishe thorow the vehement inuasion of serpentes he did hang vp a brasen serpent vpon a stake that whosoeuer had loked therupon should be safe from the deadly biting of the serpeÌ„tes Therfore as that brasen serpent hauing in dede the likenes of a venemous beaste but yet beyng so voyde of all venome that it did also helpe others whiche were poysoned was hanged vp in the desert that all men might see it for their safetie so muste the sonne of man be exalted to thâ—ntent that all which thorowe faith shall lifte vp theyr iyes vnto hym maye be deliuered froÌ„ the deadly poyson of synne that not onely the people of Israel but generally what manne so euer with a pure herte putteth his full truste in hym should not perishe as subiect to sinne which bringeth euerlastyng death but thorow the death of one innocent shoulde obtayne eternall lyfe Trulye our lorde Iesus by this maner of darke sayinges opened to Nicodemus the misterie of his manhed and of redemyng the worlde by the crosse albeit he was not yet able to receyue and vnderstande these thynges In the meane while declaryng therewithall howe great difference was betwene them whiche did reade the lawe after a carnall sence consideryng nothyng but the plaine story therof and them whiche by inspiracion of the holye ghoste of whom heretofore we haue spoken did perceyue the mistical sence that lâ—eth hid couered ouer with the texte But neuertheles our lorde Iesus did then as it wer sowe seedes of fayth into Nicodemus minde that hereafter he might perceiue this thyng to haue been doen not by casualtie or chaunce but by the appoyntment of God and so the good seede beyng receyued into apte grounde might bryng furth in due tyme the fruite of faith not only in Nicodemus hert whiche did heare these thynges but also in all theyr myndes vnto whom these thynges should be declared by his reporte For God so loued the worlde that he gaue his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleueth in hym should not perishe but haue euerlastyng life For God sent not his sonne into the worlde to condemne the worlde but that the worlde thorow him might be saued He that beleueth in hym is not condemned But he that beleueth not is condemned alreadye because he hath not beleued in the name of the onely begotten sonne of god For who would haue beleued the charitie of God to haue been so greate towardes the worlde beyng rebell to hym and giltie of so many great faultes that not onely he did not reuenge the vngraciouse actes that had been committed therin but also sent downe his onely sonne from heauen into earth and deliuered hym to suffre death yea euen the moste shamefull death of the crosse to thintente that what man soeuer would beleue in him wer he Iewe Grecian or neuer so barbarouse should not perishe but obtaine eternall lyfe thorowe the fayth of the ghospel For albeit that in tyme to come the father should iudge the vniuersall worlde by his sonne at his last cummyng yet at this tyme whiche is appoynted for mercie God hath not sente his sonne to condemne the worlde for the wicked dedes therof but by his death to geue free saluacion to the worlde thorow faith And leste any body perishyng wilfully should haue wherby to excuse their owne malice there is geuen to al folkes an easie entrie to saluacion For satisfaccion of the faultes committed before is not required neither yet obseruacion of the law nor circumcision only he that beleueth in hym shall not be condemned forasmuche as he hath embraced that thing by the whiche eternal saluacion is geuen to all folkes be thei neuer so muche burdened with synnes so that thesame person after he hath professed the ghospell dooe abstayne from the euil dedes of his former life and laboure to go forward to perfect godlines according to the doctrine of him whose name he hath professed but whosoeuer contemnyng so great charitie of God towardes hym and putting from himselfe the saluacion that was freely offred hym doeth not beleue the ghospell he hath no nede to be iudged of any body forasmuche as he doeth openly condeÌ„ne himselfe and reiectyng the thyng wherby he mighte attaine eternall lyfe maketh hymselfe giltye of eternall payne God hath offred saluacion to all folkes by his onely begotteÌ„ sonne and that thorow faithe to thyntent we maie knowlege and wurshyp hym as the auctour of saluacion and put the hope of all oure felicitie in hym Whosoeuer refuseth thus to do and despiseth the goodnes of god beyng so readie to be had and dishonoreth his sonne whom the father woulde haue to be honored and also estemeth as nothyng his death that he suffred for vs that person I saye doeth declare himselfe euen in very dede to be woorthy of euerlastyng punishement For who perceyueth not hym to perishe of good right and thorow his owne faute whiche willingly wittyngly doeth embrace that thing by the which he perisheth and resisteth that thyng wherby he might haue recouered health And this is the condemnacion that light is come into the worlde and men loued darkenes more then lighte because their dedes were euill for euery man that euill dooeth hateth the light neither cummeth he to the light lest his dedes should be reproued but he that dooeth trueth cuÌ„meth to the light that his dedes maye be knoweÌ„ how that they are wrought in god Errour and synnes be the darkenes of myndes and synnes doe ingender euerlastyng death The sonne of God is the lighte of the worlde for the lighte is trueth to beleue him is euerlastyng health Therefore when thorowe the bountifull goodnes of God light came into the worlde whiche was blynded thorowe lacke of knowledge of the trueth and with innumerable vices to thintent that the trueth beyng knowen it should be conuerted and saued yet men loued theyr owne darkenes more then the lyght that was sente from heauen If the sicke man perishe whiche hideth his disease from the phisician because he would not be holpen dooeth not he geue iudgemente of hymselfe that he perisheth thorowe his owne faute So menne that were altogether geuen to the worlde did refuse the light when it was offred them â–ª because their workes were euill For as he whiche committeth a shamefull acte dooeth loue the darke nighte â–ª and shunneth the light of the sunne leste his deedes should be knowen so thei whiche know themselues giltie hate the light of the euangelical trueth by the whiche all foule and naughtie doinges are bewrayed because thei
saluacion of the worlde For the Lorde beynge moste desirous of mans saluacion coueted that yf it mighte be possible his doctrine should worke saluacion in al men but yet so muche was not to be geuen to the frowardnes of certaine that the doctrine of the gospel was to be withdrawen and kept from the good simple people Now whan half the feast was done ▪ Iesus went vp into the temple and taught And the Iewes meruailed saying how knoweth he the scriptures seing that he neuer learned Iesus aunswered and saied My doctrine is not mine but his that sente me If any man wil be obedient to his will he shall knowe of my doctrine whether it be of god or whether I speake of my self He that speaketh of himselfe seketh his owne prayse but he that seketh his prayse that sent him the same is true and no vnrighteousnes is in hym Therfore when as the highe an solemne feast was halfe doen Iesus went openly in the syght of all men into the temple and there taught the people not pharisaicall ordinaunces or ceremonies of the lawe whiche should anon after cease but the philosophy and wisdom of the ghospell But when the Iewes could picke no quarell against his doctrine yet they deuise and studie to brynge him out of credence to diminishe his autoritie amōge the people meruailinge how that he being not learned and vnlettred for in dede he was neuer brought vp in pharisaicall doctrine in the reading and profession whereof they swelled for pride should cū by those sayinges whiche he alledged and brought out of holy scripture with great wisdom to muche purpose in maner appeaching him as one that had a deuill to teache hym or that he had cū by the knowledge of that learning whiche he learned of no man by sum other magical arte and deiuilishe witchecraft The Iewes therfore in consyderaciō hereof sayed how doeth this felowe a Carpēter himself a Carpenters sonne read vnderstād sciences when as he neuer learned thē Uerely Iesus to shewe vs an exaūple of sobrietie and gentle behauiour very courteously and with muche lenitie put awaye and confuted their so sinfull and wicked suspicion declaring plainlye that his doctrine came neyther of man nor deuill but euen of God whom they also did wurship whose glorye and honor they ought of duetie to fauour yf thei woulde be taken for true godly men and as for himself he told them plainly that he did neyther chalenge to himselfe the doctrine which they woondred at nor the honour and prayse which they did enuie but that altogether came of the father of heauen whose businesse he did He told them furthermore that forasmuche as they had taken vpon them the perfite knowledge of the lawe which God gaue vnto thē and did disdainfullie lothe other as vnlearned and very ideotes it were indifferentlye doen that in case they had the very true knowledge of scripture they shoulde embrace and acknowledge the doctrine whiche proceded from thesame from whom the law came vnlesse they would make men knowe that enuie hatred desyre of their owne glory loue of gain and lucre and suche lyke inordinate and carnall desyres whiche procedeth of a leude minde had blinded their iudgement For God is not sayeth he contrary to himselfe that now he would teache by his sonne a contrary thing to that he gaue in his lawe Therfore Iesus knowyng all their secretes made this answer to their secrete murmuring saying My doctrine which ye wōder of whome I shoulde haue it for so muche as I haue learned no letter of any man is not mine for in dede I do bring you no newe learning of mā that differeth from the will of God and the minde of the lawe whiche was geuen you of God but it is my fathers doctrine which hath sent me into the worlde that the worlde being seduced with the sundry and manifolde doctrines of men and blinded with wicked affeccions and naughty desyres might by me knowe my fathers will when it is knowen folowe it and so by folowyng of it obtein eternall lyfe For of trueth his will is this that they that beleue his sonnes sayinges by whom he teacheth you and speaketh vnto you shoulde get thereby euerlasting health And the cause why many do lesse minde and desyre that thing is enuie hatred ambition aduauntage and other euill desyres and carnall lustes But if any man would setting asyde all malice with a true meaning and a plain simple herte obey my fathers wil rather then his own lewde and vngraciouse affeccions he will soone recognyse my doctrine not to be of man or any newe and straunge inuencion of the deuill but to becum frō God nor that I do speake those thinges which I saye of mannes reason and witte but after my fathers minde whose ambassadour I am Men that be more studiouse of their owne glorye than of Goddes do preferre newe doctrine of their owne inuenciō before the doctrine of God to be made more of in the worlde themselues For they had rather be taken for authors of mans doctrine the whole glorye wherof shoulde altogether continually redound to themselfes then to bee publike preachers of Gods doctrine and had leauer teache those thinges which might get to themselfes prayse aduauntage then that which should bring glory and honour to God or saluacion to their neyghbour But he that seketh not his owne prayse but his from whom he is sent speaketh all thinges purely and vncorruptely neyther is his doctrine in daunger of any errour or fauty through the lustes of ambicion of auarice enuie or hatred Did not Moses geue you a lawe and yet none of you kepeth the lawe Why go ye about to kill me The people aunswered and saied Thou haste a deuil who goeth aboute to kill the ▪ Iesus aunswered and sayed vnto them I haue 〈◊〉 one woorke and ye all meruail Moses therfore gaue vnto you the circumcision not because it is of Moses but of the father And yet ye on the Sabboth day circumcise a men If a man on the Sabboth day receyue circumcision without breakyng of the lawe of Moses disdain ye at me because I haue made a man euery whit wholle on the Sabboth day Iudge not after the vttre apperaunce but iudge with a righteous iudgement I teache no other thing then that which God had taught you by his lawe if a man vnderstand the meaning of the lawe nor I do nothyng els but that the lawe prescribeth vnto me The auctoritie of Moses is an halowed thing and had in reuerence with you that despise me And did not he take you a lawe whiche he receiued at Gods hande Ye take vpon you the right vnderstanding and keping of the lawe whereas none of you doeth truely obserue the law after the wil of God who gaue you the lawe yea rather vnder a coulour and pretence of the lawe ye go about those thinges whiche he doeth moste deteste and punishe Ye laye
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
many tymes offend hym with their doynges I neuer dissent from that whiche is my fathers pleasure As he spake these wordes manye beleued on hym Then sayed Iesus to those Iewes whiche beleued on him If ye continue in my worde then aâ—â— ye my very disciplesâ— and ye shall knowe the trueth and the trueth shal make you free They aunswered hym We be Abrahams seed and were neuer bounde to any man sayeste thou than ye shall be made freeâ— Iesus aunswered them Uerely verely I saye vnto you that whosoeuer committeth sinne is the seruaunt of sinne And the seruaunt â—â—â—deth not in the house for euer but the sonne abideth euer If the sonne therfore shall make you free then are ye free in dede I know that ye are Abrahams sede but ye seke meanes to â—â—l me because my worde hath no place in you I speake that whiche I haue seen with my father and ye do that whiche ye haue seen with your father When as at that season none did fully vnderstaÌ„de these sayinges yet there was many among the people whiche thought them not vngodly And diuerse conceyuyng good hope of the thynges whiche Iesus promysed them beleued hym but yet not perfitly for they were still ignoraunte but as they wer then able to vnderstande the doctrine of the gospell There was in dede a certayne way prepared to fayth already although they wer not yet so far forwarde as they should be brought afterwarde The Lorde Iesus therfore doeth exhorte them to perseuer in the thynge wherin they were metely wel entred vntill they might atteyne the perfyte knowledge of him For faith of good men doeth eueÌ„ beleue those thynges whiche it vnderstaÌ„deth not The malice of the Phariseis waxed alwaye wurse and wurse He sayeth vnto them take you no exaumple at these which do wilfully perishe it is a good beginnyng for you some deale to beleue my sayinges from which if other mens infidelitie do not withdrawe you and if ye will firmely abide in that yeare entred vnto I which do professe heauenly trueth and no Pharisaicall doctrine will take you for my very owne proper disciples And you whiche hitherto haue embraced the shadowes of Moses lawe for truthes shall in processe of tyme knowe all trueth And the knowen trueth shall make you free But the Iewes not perceiuing that Christe mente of that libertie whiche the gospell teacheth whiche libertie doth not chaunge any worldly aduauncement as to deliuer the bodye from the intereste that the maister hath ouer it but setteth the mynde at libertie from sinne from leude and worldlye desyres from the tirannye of the deuil from feare of death from bondage of Pharisaicall ordinaunces from the yoke of carnall obseruyng of the lawe The Iewes I saye not vnderstandynge this makethe aunswere disdaynefully for they wer proude of the nobilitie of theyr carnal aunceters We say they by successioÌ„ come of Abraham the Patriarche and are naturally free men borne and not onely free but noble gentlemen also neither did we euer serue any man as boÌ„de men What libertie therfore doest thou promise vs as though we were bonde seruauntes nedefull of manumission This aunswere declared the Iewes to be grosse whiche put their affiaunce and glory in carnall thynges neglectynge spirituall thinges whiche commende vs to God They tooke purenes to consiste in wasshyng of the bodye of cuppes and of vessels though they had theyr soule polluted with sinfull vices They despised other in comparison of themselues because they were bodely circumcised wheÌ„ as they had an vncircumcised mynde They thought themselues holy because they caried about with them the lawe written in brode scrolles rounde aboute theyr heade when as they be holye to God whiche haue the lawe wrytten in theyr myndes and expresse the same not in scrolles but in theyr dedes So nowe they wer proude in herte because after the fleshe they came of Abraham as though it were a great matter to be borne of holyones when before God they be noble and famouse whiche of whosoeuer they be borne do expresse the condicions of holy men in their maners Therefore when Iesus had reproued them for two causes both because thei were ignoraunt in the trueth and also because they serued as bondemenne they dissembled the fyrste and stomaked the lesse weyghty matter for ignoraunce of the trueth is a fault of the mynde to be a seruaunte is no euyll thynge of the mynde but a lacke of worldlye fortune Nowe therefore oure Lorde Iesus teacheth plainlye what seruitude he ment You sayeth he disdayne that I promâ—â—e liberty because in your owne coÌ„ceyte ye be free that is to saye the naturall â—â—ee children of Abraham but there is an other kynde of seruitude muche more vyle and myserable from which no noblenes of aunceters be it neuer so greate can clayâ—ie fredome and make a man free Ye haue not a man to your lorde from whose bondage ye are to bee made fâ—e but hereof I do wellassure you whosoeuer sinneth maketh himself seruaunt to synne and looseth his fredome he is verily a naturall borne fremaÌ„ that is subiect to no dishonestie nor giltie of sinnefull vilanye This is the fredome whereof ye maye worthely reioyce before God But whosoeuer is addicte to sinne hath the deuill his lorde and is moued and drawen at his pleaâ—re and arbitremente although he maye dayme kâ—nne and can bryng his peâ—igrue to moste holy aunceters For an other mans holynes taketh not awaye the bondage of them that succede in bloude but euery man is taken and estemed after his owne dedes a seruaunt can not make his felowe seruaunt that is also sinfull as he is partaker of his fredome but he only maketh men free and sâ—tteth at libertie whiche onely is voyde of all sinne For albeit a seruaunte do for a tyme certain thinges in the house yet because he is a seruaunt and no heyre he hath no perpetuitie or enterest there for euer but is put out of the house when it pleaseth the maister but because the sonne is heyre and Lorde of the house he hath continuall right in the house nor he hymselfe onely is free in dede without all seruitude but he may also make other folke free If ye therfore desire this freedome there is no cause why ye should loke to haue it of Moses or from the Patriarkes or your priestes whose ministracion was for a while neyther was any of these vttrely voide of all sinne nor had autoritie to abolishe or put awaye sinnes ne yet did any of them knowe the trueth exactely and at full But if one cleaue fast to the sonne to whom is geuen the whole perpetual power of the house thesame of whatsoeuer stocke he be borne maye well hope to haue true fredome Therfore Abraham dyd not begette vs free Moses did it not the Priestes did not with their sacrifice make vs free If the sonne shall make you free from errour and sinne ye shall be truely and fully free You
once haue opened vnto you all the purpose of my minde to thintent there should be no nede hereafter of mennes preceptes contrary to myne Whatsoeuer my father hath willed me to shewe you therof I haue made you partakers as my trust ye frendes Those thinges whiche I haue taught you be out of all doubte for I haue taught you none other saue what I haue hearde of my father My preceptes be his preceptes by kepyng wherof he shall count you his frendes in stede of seruauntes ¶ Ye haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you and ordeined you to goe and bryngt foorth fruite and your fruite shall remayne that whatsoeuer ye aske of the father in my name he mayâ— geue it you And because ye maye the better vnderstand how great the honor of this my gentlenes towardes you is consider how that ye haue neyther prouoked me with your seruice doing to my frendship that of duetie I ought to loue you again nor yet haue you willyngly cum to my frendshippe that for geÌ„tlenes sake I should requite you with lyke loue but when ye wer in bondage of the lawe and farre of from the fauour of God then did I of myne owne voluntarye wil chose you from among al the reste without your desert And for this purpose haue I chosen you that ye should more and more increase in goodnes beeyng grafted in me thorow mutuall loue whiche ye coulde not haue towardes me except I had first loued you As the braunche is alwaye norished by the moysture of the vine and spredeth it self in many braunches so must you lykewise plentifully bring forth fruite of the ghospell throughout the whole world and so do good to other that your self loose no fruite therby For the common vyne bringeth foorth fruite but for other and that suche as soone decayeth wherfore the braunches thereof be fruitefull but for a tyme because they growe in a vine that soone fadeth Contrarywise you because ye cleaue to an immortal stocke shall bryng forth fruite that neuer shall perishe but continue sâ—unde to your eternall saluacion And ye haue no cause in the meane while to say it is a great payne to trauayle about the worlde to teache the Gentiles to suffer the dispites of wicked people What wages what ayde what rewarde is apointâ—d for vs passe not vpon these worldely defenses Let this stand you in stede of all rewardes and helpes that whatsoeuer ye shall rightly aske my father in my name he shall geue it you What thinge is more easy then to aske And what is it that he is not able to geue Furthermore what is the thyng that he will not geue for my sake This commaunde I you that ye loue together Yf the world hate you ye knowe that it hated me before it hated you If ye were of the worlde the worlde woulde loue his own Hou beit because ye are not of the world but I haue chosen you out of the worlde therfore the world hateth you Remember the word that I sayed vnto you the seruaunt is not greater then the lord If they haue persecuted me they will also persecute you If they haue kept my saying they will kepe yours also Besides this my commaundementes be not tedious for what is more pleasaunt then one to loue an other Who bee so weake but mutuall loue maye make them strong what thyng is so greuous but mutuall charitie can make it delectable Neither let this trouble you that whiles you and I bee frendes and one of you charitablie doe agree with an other ye shall be at discorde and strife with the worlde but rather the selfe same thyng ought to couÌ„fort your myndes for so muche as by thys token ye shall well perceiue your selfes to bee my very disciples and frendes that is to saye contrary to the worlde whiche is all sette vpon malice whereas you are apointed for heauen disdayne not to suffer that in the world which I haue suffered before you The worlde hateth me also not for my deserte but because I reproue and disclose the euill dedes therof teachyng thynges whiche do not agree with theyr worldly affeccions The worlde knoweth menne of his secte and them doeth it loue and exalte as lyke louethe lyke and as an euyll itche coueteth an handsume scratcher Therfore be they vnhappy whom this worlde flattereth and fauoreth for that declareth them to bee farre from the fauour of God whiche is that onely thyng that make the man happie in dede Whan the worlde hateth you remember myne exaumple and reioyce in your owne behalfe that ye haue no feloweshyp with the worlde but do cleaue faste vnto me For this shall ye perceiue by the hatred the worlde beareth you howe that ye be myne In case ye were of the world if ye loued wordly thinges and taught according to worldly desyres then the worlde woulde knowe you and loue you as hys owne but because ye folowe not the wayes of the fleshe but of the spirite and couete not worldly goodes but heauenly therefore the worlde hateth you not that ye deserue it but for that ye be vnlyke to thesame whiche is euill wicked In tymes paste when ye thoughte perfitte righteousnes to consiste in the grosse ceremonyes of Moses lawe and setting your mindes on transytorie thinges had no loue to heauenly thinges the worlde did then well lyke you but after that I had once called you from this secte to the euangelicall and heauenly doctrine and graffed you in me as braunches in the stocke the worlde beganne to hate you and that onely because ye bee myne Yet of trueth for no cause elles shall ye bee blessed then for that ye be mine Meruayle nothing at all though your innocence shall not defende you from the hatred of the worlde Remember howe I haue tolde you the seruauntes state is no better then his lordes For neither coulde my innocencie which is greater then yours defende me from the malice of the worlde neyther were they afearde to despise my doctrine nor yet for all my benefites would they waxe gentle and call themselfes backe from theyr cruell purposes That thing whiche they durst enterprise against me who am your Lorde and Maister muche more boldely will they do it to you Seâ—ing they haue deâ—â—sed so many snares to bring me euen to the most reprocheful death and haue so often spitefully railed vpon me they wil also persecute you my disciples nay but rather me in you If they will obey my woordes they wil also obey vnto yours but lyke as they haue not well borne my doctrine no more wil they yours because ye shal teache the selfe same thinges that I teache But all these thinges will they doe vnto you for my names sake because they haue not knowen him that sent me If I had not cum and spokeÌ„ vnto them they should haue had no synne but nowe haue they nothing to clocke theyr sinne withall He that hateth me hateth my father If I had
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
a manne faultye and therfore he questioned with Iesus of his disciples what maner of men they were whence he had them and to what purpose he had gathered suche a cumpanye together yea and also what he secretly taught them Howbeit Iesus knowyng that he dyd not demaunde these questions of a ryght iudgelyke mynde to knowe the trueth but deceytfully to hunte out some thyng in hym woorthy blame and to gette occasion withall howe to harme his disciples whom he would yet should be in safegarde Iesus I say knowyng this made no answere to the Byshoppes wylie and traiterouse interrogacions but banyssheth the testimony of hymselfe and his and sendeth them to the common reporte and also to the recorde of his enemies a profe of moste certaintie for the innocent and sayth vnto the Byshop Why askest thou me what I haue taught my disciples secretly or in hugger mugger My doctryne hathe not been sediciouse nor secrete I haue spoken openly to the brode worlde That whiche I haue taught I haue alwaye taught it in your Synagogues I haue taught in the temple vpon the holy dayes in place and tyme moste notable and famouse whither Iewes on euery syde out of all partes of Syria resorte And I haue spoken nothyng in priuitie or corners whiche same thing I durst not teache openly Full ofteÌ„ hath the people and Phariseis too heard me Why then doest thou nowe aske me of suche maner of doctrine as should be taught by stelth and very priuely But rather aske them that haue heard me teache openly Theyr recorde shall be of more certaintye which hath with me no familiar acquaintaunce yea of whom some do hate me Let euen them that be mine enemies reporte what I haue taught for many knowe it and it shal be easie to fynde witnesses of my doctrine Whan Iesus had spokeÌ„ these thynges teachyng thereby that the trueth is to be answered for boldely in dede but without tauntes or rebukes one of the bishoppes ministers that by chaunce stoode nexte him a man not vnlyke his lord and maister willing to defende his bishops dignitie agaynst the franke and liberal speache of Iesus after suche lyke sorte as Peter would haue defended his maisters lyfe against the force of the souldiers not tarrying for any commaundement of his lorde gaue Iesus a blow vpon the cheke and suche a checkeful rebuke as was fit for suche a byshop and suche a felow his seruaunt saying Aunswerest thou the byshop so Our Lorde Iesus might bothe haue destroyed this wicked byshop and also haue letted this blowgeuer but that he would shewe by exaumple to his howe ferre out of course and how peruerse the iudgementes of the world be For our Lorde Iesus whiche behaued himselfe moost mekely agaynst all iniuries beyng no where so sharpe as against them that vnder the pretence of religion barke and worke againste true religion tooke not the blowe without replying in woordes whiche yet endured the crosse and made no wordes therat The bishoppes sate in auctoritie Iesus beyng bounde was examined here loe was a face of iudgement And of trueth before a temporall iudge beyng but an Heathen he that is accused shall be heard to saye for hymselfe Here now before a bishop a blow was geuen for makyng one aunswere and the blowe too was geuen hym that afterwarde should be iudge of the quicke and the dead And so in dede Iesus aunswered in dede frankely but yet mildly and coldely saying I speake before a iudge and I aunswere hym beyng required In this case before Gentiles also is the matter haÌ„dled with good reasons and not with strokes If I haue sayed any thyng amisse tell me howe but if I haue spoken nothing euill why doest thou beyng a iudges officer here in tyme of iudgemeÌ„t the iudge holdyng his peace beate me without consultyng the thyng that I saye And Annas sent hym bound vnto Caiphas the hie priest Symon Peter stoode and warmed hymselfe then sayed they vnto hym Art not thou also one of his disciples He denyed it and sayed I am not One of the seruauntes of the hye priestes his cosin whose â—are Peter smote of sayed vnto hym Did not I see them the garden with hym Peter therfore denied it againe and immediately the cocke crewe Then they led Iesus from Caiphas into the hall of iudgemente It was in the mornyng and they themselues wente not into the iudgement hal leste they shoulde be defiled but that they mighte eate the Passeouer Uerily Annas although vpon malice he reioysed that Iesus was vnder warde and had in hold neuertheles because he could trye out nothyng of him whereby he might by any colour be proued giltye he sendeth hym euen bound as he was to bishop Caiphas his sonne in lawe But in the meane time whilest these thynges were in handlyng Peter vewyng all thynges a farre of whiche as I begun to tell stoode in the throng of the ministers warmyng hym at the fyre syde and among these some there were which by certayn tokens somewhat knew Peter and sayed vnto hym Arte not thou one of this mannes disciples whome the byshop thus handleth Peter seeyng so cruell a syght whiche made hym also sore afrayed once agayne denyed that he was Iesus disciple For he nowe perceyued by the byshops interogatyues howe that they were in deuyse to attache Iesus disciples also Peter thought by this deniall to bee safe from daunger lyke as he had shifted hymselfe from her that kepte the doore but to make him know the better how he could nothing do of his owne propre streÌ„gth beyng disseuered from the felowshyp of his Lorde there stoode among other in that throng of the ministers a certayn kinsman of him that had a litle before in the garden first auentured to laye handes vpon Iesus and had his eare striken of by Peter This felow was by the iudgement of god brought in as an instrument vnder pretence to auenge his cosen Malchus harme but in very dede it was to correcte the rashe confidence that Peter had in hymselfe For the sayed felow beyng not content with Peters only one denial for his fighting though it were doen in the darke made him to be wel knoweÌ„ sayeth vnto Peter What sayeth he doest thou denye thy selfe to be one of his disciples Did not I euen right nowe see the with mine iyes in the garden with Iesus Peter beyng with this saying vtterly blancke and sore astonished wished himselfe accursed yf euer he knewe Iesus And anon the cocke crewe Neyther did Peter by this token whiche oure Lorde had tolde hym of before come to hymselfe agayne neyther woulde haue been well aduised except our Lorde had recouered hym and brought him to himselfe agayne by his effectuall lokyng vpon Peter and had also by inwarde inspiracion prouoked teares of penaunce in hym So many wayes was he that should be a speciall minister vnder Christ of the holy churche to be taught how in al thinges to mistrust his owne strength and to
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
whose name was Gamaliel and euen from my chyldehoode was I diligently instructed in the lawe of my countrey earnestly bent to the honouring of the true God in suche sorte as ye do to this presente tyme insomuche that I for the affeccion that I bare to the lawe dyd persecute this doctrine of the ghospell whiche I nowe professe pursuyng suche as professed thesame not to pryson and bandes onely but also to death entendyng nothyng els then persecucion with sore threatnynges and sondry kyndes of death againste the professours of the ghospell byndyng and castyng into pryson bothe man and woman that stycked to the sayed doctrine And that I tell nothinge otherwyse then trueth he can beare me wytnesse whiche was than the high priest and all the other auncientes with him from whom I receyued letters and tooke my iourney towardes Damasco that I myght bryng theÌ„ prysoners from thence to Hierusalem whiche proâ—essed Christes name to the entente that they myght be punyshed accordyng to the dyscrecion of the priestes and elders ¶ And it fortuned as I made my iourney and was come nygh vnto Damasco about none sodaynly there shone from heauen a great lyght rounde about me and I tell vnto the yerth and I heard a voyce saying vnto me Saule Saule why persecutest thou me And I aunswered what art thou Lord And he saied vnto me I am Iesus of Nazareth whome thou persecutest And they that were with me sawe veryly a lyght and were afrayed but they heard not the voyce of hym that spake with me And I sayed what shall I do Lord And the Lord sayed vnto me aryse and go into Damasco and there it shall be tolde the of all thinges whiche are appoynted for the to doe And when I sawe nothyng for the bryghtnesse of the lyght I was led by the hande of them that were with me â–ª and came into Damasco And one Ananias a perfecte manne and as pertaynyng to the lawe hauing good reporte of all the Iewes whiche dwelt there came vnto me and stoode and sayed vnto me Brother Saule receyue thy sighte And the same houre I receyued my syght and sawe him And he sayed the God of our fathers hath ordeyned the before that thou shouldest know his wil and shouldest here the voyce of his mouth for thou shalt be his witnesse vnto all men of those thinges whiche thou hast seen and heard And nowe why tariest thou Aryse and be baptised and washe awaye thy synnes in callyng on the name of the Lorde This mynde dyd I than beare them for none other cause then for the affeccion that I had to the lawe and to our relygion whiche I had receyued of my forefathers whiche thing is the occasion that ye nowe at this presente are so muche against me Nowe wyll I tell you by what occasion I chaunged my mynde whiche whan ye shall perceyue perchaunce ye also wyll turne your myndes For it chaunced whan as I went thyther and was almoste at Damasco aboute high noone sodaynlye a great lyght compassed me about from heauen wherewyth stricken I was and I fell downe to the grounde and hearde a voyce speake vnto me from heauen saying Saule Saule why doest thou persecute me Unto whome whan I had made aunswer What art thou lorde the voice saied againe I am Iesus of Nazareth whom thou pursuest But my companions that were with me sawe the light and were sore afrayed as for the voyce that spake vnto me they hearde it not Than sayed I Lorde what is thy wyll that I shoulde doe The lorde made aunswer againe in this wyse Aryse and go to Damasco There shall eche thynge that thou must doe be tolde thee And where myne iyes were so daseled with the brightnes of that lyght that I coulde see nothyng at all my felowes led me by the hande vntyll I came to Damasco There mette I with a good man and one that for his vpryght walkyng in the lawe was also Godly named Ananias of whome all the Iewes that dwelt than at Damasco reported well This Ananias standyng by me sayed thus Brother Saule receyue thy syght againe And I forthwith receyued my syght and sawe him Than sayed he The God of our fathers hath chosen and ordeyned the for this ende that thou shouldest knowe his wyll and that thou shouldest see him that is onely iuste whiche iustifyeth all thynge and that thou shouldest heare the voyce of his mouthe For Iesus was in the same lyghte that daseled thyne iyes and it was his voyce that thou dyddest here forbecause thou shalte bee a wytnes vnto him before all menne of those thinges whiche thou hast seene and hearde and now seeing this is the wyll of god wherefore doest thou stay Aryse and be christened and washe awaye thy synnes callyng vnto his name whom thou before hast persecuted ¶ And it fortuned that when I was come agayne to Hierusalem and prayed in the temple I was in a traunce saw him saying vnto me Make haste and get the quickely out of Hierusalem for they wil not receyue thy witnes that thou be arest of me And I sayed Lord they knowe that I prysoned and bet in euery Synagoge them that beleued on thee And when the bloud of thy witnes Steuen washed I also stode by and coÌ„sented vnto his death and kept the tayment of them that slewe hym And he sayed vnto me departe for I wyll sende thee a farre hence vnto the Gentyles These thynges doen at Damasco when as I within shorte space after had returned vnto Ierusalem beeyng than a newe man and was praying in the temple rauished I was besydes my selfe and Iesus I sawe whiche sayed vnto me Make haste and get the spedely out of Hierusalem for here wyl they not receyue thy testimony of me Than aunswered I in this wyse Lorde I haue a good hope that I shall doe good amonge this people forasmuche as themselues knowe that I for fauoure that I dyd beare vnto the law cruelly handled thy disciples halyng into pryson as many as I coulde take whyppyng them in all congregacions that gaue credence vnto thy gospell And yet was I not satisfyed with this doyng But whan the bloude of Steuen was shed whiche by his death bare faithfull witnes of the and with great boldnes and constancie I also was by whan they stoned hym consented to the death of the innocent man insomuche thaÌ„ I kepte their garmentes whiche brought hym to the place of execucion and that fyrst began to cast stones at him And seyng that euery man may well vnderstande by this howe muche affeccionate I was once towardes the lawe they may now ryghte well perceyue that I chaunged not myne intent without great causes many shall be founde that wyll so muche the more gladly folowe myne ensample the more they shall see that my zeale was towardes this olde religion for loue whereof I the more cruelly persecuted thyne Whan I had this sayed the Lorde aunswered Goe I say and