a figurate representacion of a more secrete doctrine The Apostles had prouision of viaundrie but it is suche as belongeth to Iesus This viaundrie lyke as it is of lyght pryce and course geare for poore folkes eatyng so is it but litle in quantitie For the doctrine of Moses is manyfolde and the philosophiers learnyng is of soondrie manier sortes of matiers and ful of plenteous stuffe but the worde of the ghospell is playne homely geare and short and yet suche as maie suffise for the soules of all nacions to be refreashed in case it be deliuered and receyued as it ought to bee To men of the apostles profession is the worde committed wherewith soules are made fatte but thesame woorde doe they not sette afore the people to fede on except it be firste consecrated and broken of Christe For than and neuer els is it the true fruite of preachyng the ghospell if the teacher dooe not presumpteouslye vsurpe to hymselfe the gift of learnyng whiche he hath as a thyng commytted to his credite ne vndiscretely or misaduisedly shewe foorth the same as thoughe it were of his owne but yelde it vnto Christe to bee made holy of him Otherwyse all in vain shall the teachers labour bee when he preacheth onlesse Iesus shall firste haue blissed the woorde onlesse he shall haue broken it onlesse he shal with his own handes deliuer it to be distributed to the people For piththye and effectuall it is whatsoeuer procedeth out of hys holy handes he only it is that fedeth that refresheth that maketh full bishops are nothing els but ministers and distributoures of an other mannes liberalitie The people all the while sitteth down in coumpanies vpon the ground nothyng stickyng or doubtyng nothyng murmuryng or repinyng whereby is signified that in the faithfull congregacion of Christes churche there oughte to be sobre humilitie and plain faithfull truste of the heart in god without any doublenesse and that all discorde and sedicious vproare ought to be away CoÌ„sider me ferthermore this mysterie too The Lorde Iesus firste of all thynges taught and healed the people and than fedde them afterward The woorde of God also is the heauenly meate of the soule But sum porcion hereof is not denayed to the vngodly and to the newely entered or instructed in the faythe For it is the medicine of mennes soules and the refeccion of the weake For holsome doctrine worketh the like effect in the soules of sinners that Iesus with his worde and his touchyng did in diseases of the body But there is a mistical bread whiche is not geuen but to persones now already wel taught and also throughly healed Thesame forsouth is that heauenly breade of the lordes body which is not geueÌ„ to those that are not yet through baptisme receyued into the body of the churche and congregacion ne vnto suche whose mynde and soule is holden with some grieuous cryme as it wer with a mortall sickenesse And that same meate of the priuie hidden wysedome of God which Paule the Apostle dyd not shewe foorth but emong the perfect is not to be vttered vnto all persones at auenture ¶ And it fortuned as he was alone praying his disciples were with hym and he asked them saying Who saye the people that I am They aunswered and sayed Iohn Baptyste some saye Helias and some saye that one of the olde Prophetes is aâ—iâ—eu He sayed vnto them But who saye ye that I am Simon Peter aunswered and sayed thou art the Christe of god and he warned and commaunded them that they should tell no man that thyng saying the sonne of man must suffre many thynges and be reproued of the elders and of the high priestes and Scribes and bee slayne and ryse agayn the thyrde daye Now because the lorde had so tempered all his sayinges and dooynges that some whiles he would shewe forth tokeÌ„s of his godly power and another tyme he would manifestely shew the veritie of his humayn nature the opinioÌ„s of men concernyng hym dyd muche varie But because it was requisite that emong them by whom he had appoynted to renewe the world there should bee one vniforme profession perfectly agreyng in it selfe concernyng hym at a time whan he was in his prayer solitarie with his disciples he demaunded of them what opinion the people had of hym or whom they sayed that he was The disciples aunswere some suppose thee to bee Iohn the Baptiste reuiued agayn some saye that thou arte Helias of whom the Iewes thynke that he shall come agayne before that Messias shall come and some others beleue the to be some one man of the olde Prophetes called to lyfe agayn Than sayed Iesus As for the people they are inconstaunt and waueryng as they are woont to be But ye that knowe me nerer and familiarly who dooeye saye that I am There Petur beeyng more ardent and fyerie then the residue made aunswere in the name of them al we know thee to be Messias whom God hath enoynted with all heauenly gyftes of grace And this theyr right profession Iesus in dede alloweth well but yet he geueth them a great charge that they shoulde make no woordes to no creature what opinion they were of For he sayed the tyme of openyng that misterie in the open face of all the worlde was not yet come and that the sacrifice of his death muste firste bee executed and accomplished and that he was appoynted to come to the glorie of that name by many kyndes of despite and reproche For the sonne of man sayeth he muste abyde muche woe and must bee reproued of thelders and of the Scribes and of the chiefe of the priestes yea and at length bee slaine too and aryse agayne from death to lyfe the third daie Ye muste therfore beware leste the glorye euen of this name if it should now at this present be preached should not fynd feyth to be credited because of the affliccion and death of the bodye and so might be a let to my death ¶ And he sayed vnto them all If any man wyll come after me leat hym denye hymselfe and take vp his crosse dayly and folow me For whosoeuer wyll saue his lyfe shall loose it But whosoeuer dooeth lose his life for my sake the same shall saue it For what auauntageth it a man if he winne the whole worlde and lose himselfe or runne in damage of himselfe For whoso is ashamed of me and of my woordes of him shall the soonne of manne be ashamed when he cometh in his maiestie and in the maiestie of his father and of the holye Aungels I tell you of a trueth There be some standing here which shall not â—ast of death till they see the kyngdome of God Than where Petur at the mencionyng of deathe trembled and quaked for veraye feare and aduised Christe to some other better waies then so whan Iesus had putte hym to silence he begoonne to exorte his other disciples also to the folowyng of his deathe saiyng Thus
hathe it pleased my father by thys waye muste I come to glorye And whoso wyll bee a disciple of myne yf he gladly desyre to bee partaker of my blisfulnesse he muste of necessitye bee a folower of my deathe afore It is not enoughe to goe folowyng me on fote at my helâ—s where I goe he muste folowe me in deedes or els will I not acknowelage hym for a disciple For whosoeuer shall come to the office of preachyng the ghospell must denye hymselfe altogether and muste renounce all the cares of this worlde for euer rychesse pleasures promocions kynsâ—olkes affeccions yea and lyfe it selfe also and muste euery daye take his crosse on hys backe hauing his mynde euermore readye vnto all suche thynges as ye see that I abyde and endure I wyll goe before you as the maister leat hym come after whosoeuer shall bee mynded to bee a disciple Neyther is there anye cause why ye shoulde feare to bee slayne For so to peryshe is to bee preserued For whosoeuer shall lose his lyfe for my sake thesame hath set his lyfe in perfeicte safetye and on the contrary side whosoeuer stertyng backe or shrynking away from the buisy charge of the ghospel shall haue a mynde to saue the lyfe of hys bodye thesame shal lose the life of his soule which alone and none but that is to bee reckened the true lyfe and for the preseruyng of this lyfe it is the parte of a wise man gladlye to take the losse of all other thynges in the worlde For what shall it auayle a manne yf he wynne all that euer this worlde hath woorthye to bee desired whan he hath loste hys owne selfe whan the mannes selfe dyeth those thynges also that he had gotten are perished and gone with hym And he perisheth altogether in dede whoso hath loste euerlastyng lyfe Leate no disciple of myne thinke shame to suffre such thynges whiche I my selfe shall suffre Leate hym not bee ashamed to professe my doctryne afore all the worlde For whosoeuer shall bee ashamed of me and my woordes before men as one offended and slaundred with the worldly shame of the crosse of suche an one shall the sonne of man agayne bee ashamed whan after the laiyng downe of the infirmitie of the fleashe he shal come at the secouÌ„d time shewyng foorth vnto the whole vniuersall worlde the maiestye of hymselfe of his father and of hys holy aungelles And doubte ye nothing that the thing that I saye shall one day come to passe For this I affirme vnto you for a matter of assured trueth Some there bee here emong you standyng by whiche shall not departe out of this life but that they shal fyrst in some parte se the maiestye of the kyngdome of god The thyng that nowe lyeth hidden shall one daye in tyme to come be made open and manifeste vnto all creatures ¶ And it fortuned that aboute an eyght dayes after these saiynges he tooke Petur and Iohn and Iames and wente vp into a mountayne to praye And as he praied the facion of his countenaunce was chaunged and his garmente was whyte and shone And beholde there talked with hym two men whiche were Moses and Helias that appered in the maâ—â—ye and spake of his departiyng whiche he should ende at Hierusalem But Petur they that wer with him were heauy with slepe And whan they awoke they sawe his maiestie and twoo men standing with him Than Iesus to perfourme the promysse whiche he had nowe made dyd about theight day after these woordes speaking choose out three of his .xii. Apostles that is to weâ—e Petur Iames and Iohn and according to his accustomed woont he gotte hym vp to a mountaine there to praye And as he was in prayyng his face was soodaynly chaunged into an other lykenes replete with maiestie and glorye and his garmentes shone as white as any snowe There were seene also with him at thesame instaunte two other men of lyke maiestie talking with him of whome the one was Moses and the other Helias For the lawe had by figures set out Christ derkely as it were in a shadowe and the prophecies had directely poynted him oute what he was Nowe the talkyng of these twoo wyth Iesus what other thing doeth it signifie but the perfeicte agreyng of the olde and newe Testamente together Their talkyng with hym was concernyng the kynde of deathe whiche the Lorde accordyng to the tenour fourme of the prophecie many a daye afore written and set foorth by theim shoulde afterwarde accomplishe at Hierusalem to th eÌ„de that eftsons the delectable swetenesse of the glorie shoulde bee brought to a tempre with the mencion of deathe But al this did not the Apostles euen veray wel see because they had their iyes euen heauye with slepe But as soone as they were awaked they playnely sawe the maiestie of the Lorde and also the two men standyng harde by him ¶ And it chaunced as they departed from him Petur saied vnto Iesus maister it is good beeyng here for vs let vs make also three tabernacles one for thee and one for Moses and one for Helias and wiâ—â— not what he saied While he thus spake there came a cloude a â— ouer shadowed them and they feared when thei wer come into the cloude And there came a voice oute of the cloude saing This is my dere soâ—ne heare ye him and as soone as the voice was paste Iesus was founde alone and they kept it close and told no man in those daies any of those thinges whiche they had seen Whiche twoo men when they begun to departe from Iesus Petur fearing leste all that same delectable sight shoulde also goe awaie he saied vnto Iesus Maister it is no goyng any whyther oute of suche a place as this Fare well Hierusalem and leate it goe which threateneth to put thee to death Tushe 〈◊〉 vs rather make three tabernacles here in this mountayne one for the one for Moses and one for Helias Thus spake Petur as a man inebriate and made droncken with the swetenesse of this vision not knowyng what he sayed For he required to triumphe before he had woonne the battaile and woulde haue had the best game of rennyng before he had tenne for it Euen in the instaunte tyme while Petur was speakyng these woordes there soodaynly arose a cloude and caste a shadowe ouer all the disciples beeyng nowe not hable in theyr mortall bodie to abide the beholding of so greate glorye And while Moses and Helias wer entreyng into the cloude and wer vanishing awaye from the iyes of the disciples for reason it was that the light of euangelicall trueth apperyng 〈◊〉 shadowes and misticall derkenesse of figures shoulde geue place and be goâ—â— the voyce of his heauenly father sowned downe from the cloude saiyng Moses and Helias who prophecied of my sonne the Iewes haue hitherto had in highe estimacion and reuerence Great men were thei two in dede yet wer they but my seruauntes But thissame is he
tyme to eleuate theyr myndes from yearthly affeccions to heauenly thynges from bodily thynges to spirituall thynges from mortall thynges to immortall from thynges transitorye to eternall thynges he woulde haâ—â— that also imprinted in theyr myndes that he knewe before and was willyng to suffre what thyng soeuer he shoulde suffre his father also willyng thesame from whose wyll his did neuer varye His will was that his Apostles so farrâ— as mannes weakenesse coulde beare should be witnesses and seers of his passion and therefore in this sermon he maketh oftentymes mencion of his departure litle by litle thereby to inure them to sufferaunce but mixyng withal many coumfortes to mitigate the bitter payne of sorowe saiyng that in very dede he muste departe but so that within a while he shoulde come to them agayne that he should go to his father that thence he should sende him an other coumforter whiche should finishe that he had begoonne and also that he and his father ioyntly together should come and dwell with them He sayed furthermore that this persecucion shoulde not vtterlye deuour and consume them and after all this he had them thence to an other place because the place where they weâ— than was open in syght and for because that they had hearde that the prynce of the world was euen than presente they stoode in a generall feare of themself and therfore he brought them to an other place wheras they wer more in safetie to thyntente they myght with more bolde hertes geue eare to other thynges In conclusion he telleth them aforehande that at the length they shoulde folowe hym thyther whether he nowe goeth before them well nowe he hath recourse agayne to that saiyng whiche algates muste sitte inwardely and a byde in theyr heartes in whiche saiyng he counsaileth them to perseuer in charitye and obseruyng his commaundementes leste throughe theyr owne faulte they shoulde disseuer theymselfes from the felowshippe of the father the sonne and the holy ghoste from whiche Iudas had already forceably dissociate himselfe But he aduiseth theym to sticke to theyr couenaunte by obeying the saiynges of theyr Lorde and to thuttermoste of theyr power to folowe his doynges And trueth it is that this coulde not be doâ—n vnlesse they dyd perseuer in the spirituall felowshippe of the soonne and yet in the meane tyme not to truste to theimselfes or any thyng at all to presume vpon theyr owne propre strength for they shoulde neuer bee able to dooe oughte at anye tyme but by the benefite and free gyfte of Godde from whome floweth and issueth oute to all folke what thyng soeuer setteth forwarde true health and maketh to saluacion and that they myght the better vnderstande this and retaine it in memory he declareth the matter by a similitude taken and brought in of a plaine knowen thing that is the vyne and the braunches thereof ¶ The .xv. Chapter I am the true vine and my father is the husbande man Euery braunche that beareth no fruite in me he will take awaye And euery braunche that beareth fruite he wyll pourge that it maie bring foorth more fruite TO thintent saieth he that ye maie vtterly vnderstand how cleane voyde of all perill ye be yf ye wyll continue stil to be of my felowship and what great daunger it is for you yf ye fallyng from the couenaunte that I haue made with you bee disseuered from me remembre this that I am the true vyne ye bee the braunches and my father is the housbandman I am the roote or stocke of the vyne ye are my membres as braunches sprong out of the stocke My father hath planted me that is to saye he hath begotten me The stocke came foorth from hym and ye out of the stocke The thanke of the whole benefite redoundeth to my father as the fountaine therof whiche doth geue vnto you by me and his spirite whatsoeuer he geueth you And the sappe of the stocke whiche geueth vnto the braunches both lyfe and strength to bring forth fruite is the spirite that is common bothe to my father and to me Lyke as the spirite knitteth me to my father so doth it also ioyne you to me Therefore what braunche soeuer cleaueth to me and liuyng by my spirite bringeth forth fruite woorthy for the stocke thesame shall my father purge cuttyng awaye the superfluous desyres thereof that it maye bring forth more plenteous and kindly fruite But whoso cleaueth to me by the profession of faith and bringgeth foorth no fruite of euangelicall charitie my father shall cutte him of from the vyne as a cumberous and vnprofitable membre For that braunche which hath no fruite but onely leaues serueth to no purpose in the vyne Nowe are ye cleane through the woordes whiche I haue spoken vnto you byde in me and I in you As the braunche cannot beare fruite of it selfe excepte it bide in the vine no more can ye excepte ye bide in me I am the vine ye are the braunches he that abydeth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth muche fruite For without me can ye do nothing if a man bide not in me he is cast foorthe as a braunche and is withered and men gather them and caste them into the fier and they burne If ye byde in me and my wordes abide in you aske what ye will and it shal be doen for you Herin is my father glorified that ye beare muche fruite and becum my disciples Now already ye be braunches somewhat purged and made cleane through beleuyng my woorde but yet ye muste hereafter bee more purged that ye maye bring forth more plentye of fruit At this tyme it is inough for you to bee grafted in the stocke from whence through fayth ye maye receyue life laboure dilygently to abyde in me I will in lyke manner dwelle in you so long as you depende vpon me For as the braunche if it be pulled of froÌ„ his vine cannot it selfe bring foorth the fruite because it taketh all his sap of the stocke no more can ye bryng forth the fruite of any good worke excepte ye cleaue to me by faythe and charitie from whence muste come to you whatsoeuer furthereth to trewe and eternall saluacion Wherefore neyther Moses nor any of the Prophetes is the vyne but I am the onelye vyne to the whiche all they muste cleaue that wyll bryng foorth the fruite of saluacion Ye be the braunches of this vyne wherein ye are frely graffed freely pourged but ye maye fall from thence through your owne faute Wherefore ye muste earnestely take hede that ye maye bee alwaies ioyned to me For whosoeuer continueth stil ioyned to me hauyng me likewyse ioyned to hym and liuyng by my spirite that persone throughe my fathers inspiracion bringeth forth fruite plenteously gayning for himselfe eternall saluacion and causing God for whose sake al thinges bee dooen to bee glorified amonges men And his glorie is my glorie by whome it hathe pleased him liberally to geue al that he geueth
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
beleue hym And ye when ye had seen it were not moued afterwarde with repent 〈◊〉 to beleue him But because a simple and playne question could not wryng oute the confession of truth Iesus putteth forth an other question by a riddell that vnwares they shall geue sentence against themselues what thynke ye ê™ he of that I will propose now A certayne man had two sonnes He came to the one and sayed Sonne go and worke this day in my vineyard He answered frowardly I wil not But strayt afterward repenting himselfe he went into the vineyarde The father likewyse came to the other sonne and sayed go and labour in my vineyarde this day He answereth redily loe I goe sir and yet he wente not Therfore of these two whether thinke ye fulfilled his fathers wil â–ª They not vnderstanding to what ende these went answered The firste soÌ„ne whiche repenting forthwith wente into the viâ—eyarde Than Iesus turning the parable vpon them sayed certaynlye I tell you truethe that the publicanes and â—ommon women shall go before you in the kyngdome of heauen They beyng rebelles agaynst God before with theyr wicked life yet by and by touched and moued by penaunce obeyed the doctryne of the ghospell Ye which be the people of God by title and profession and ye whiche sayed in times paste and this day say we will do all thinges whatsoeuer the Lorde sayeth vnto vs whiche also haue euer in your mouthe the preceptes of God and the Lordes temple the Lordes temple the Lordes temple beyng so many wayes prouoked cannot be moued to penaunce For Iohn came shewyng you the waye of ryghteousnes and that the wrathe of God was at hande and the axe set at the tree rootes vnlesse furthwith ye would repent Ye sawe the Publicanes and common women desperate folkes after your iudgement obedient vnto hym Ye could not be moued vnto penaunce neyther by the great holines of Iohn neyther by his holsom doctrine neither by his threteninges neither by the example of the publicanes and common women So it cummethe to passe that they throughe faythe take from you the kyngdome of God ye vaynelye professing God with your mouthe be shut out for the vnbelefe of your mynde ¶ Heathen an other similitude There was a certayne man an householder whiche planted a vineyarde and hedged it rounde aboute and made a wine presse and builded a â—wer and let it out to husbandmen and went furth into a straunge countrey And whan the tyme of fruyte drew nere he senâ—e his seruauÌ„tes to the husbande men to receyue the fruites of it And the husbande men takyng his seruauntes dyd beare one kylled another and stoned another Agayne he sente other seruauntes mo than the firste and they dyd vnto them lyke wise But last of all he sente vnto theÌ„ his owne sonne â–ª saying They will haue my sonne in reuerence And the husbande men whan they sawe the sonne they saied in them selues This is the heyre cum let vs kyll him and let vs enioye his heritage And they toke him and caste him out of the vineyarde and kyled him Than whan the Lorde of the vineyarde cummeth what will he doe vnto those husband men They saye vnto him Sith they bee ill â—e will truelly destroy them and will let out his vineyarde to other housbande menne whiche shall deliuer him the fruite in due season He put them another parable euen as darke where with he doth recite seâ—â—â—â—ely and leyeth before their iyes their notable vnkindenes whiche beeyng prouoked by so manye benefites of God dyd not onely not amende but also â—ruelly killed the Prophetes one after another which were sente that at their preachyng they myght once repente And not content herewith finallye they would kyll the sonne of God hymselfe and that after that he was caste out of the vineyarde shewyng as it were by the waye the place where he shoulde be crucified By the whiche communicacion he declareth both that their inuincible malice is vnworthye pardon seeyng that nothyng was omitted that myghte call them backe to a better mynde and that he shoulde suffre nothing of them whiche he knewe not of before This was the parable There was ê™ he a certayne householder whiche planted a vineyarde and hedged it aboute and digged in it a cesterne to receyue the swete wine that was pressed out of the clusters of grapes and buylt in it a lodge for the kepyng of the vineyarde and so whan it was well garnished he set it out to husbande menne that they should trustely tyll it and tendre the fruites vnto the lorde This doen he weÌ„t far of Nowe when the tyme of gatheryng the fruite approched nere he sente his seruauntes to receyue the fruite of them But the husbande men dyd not onelye not deliuer the fruites that were due but also layed handes vpon hys seruauntes and bette sum killed sum and stoned sum to death This knowen the householder did not furth with punishe them but loking that they shoulde repente and amende sente vnto theim a greater number of seruauntes than he dyd before trusting that they beeyng kept vnder and in awe with the multitude they woulde do their duetie But they handeled theim also no more gentely than they handeled the other before The householder suffered this displeasure also and finally to ouercum them with softnes and gentilnesse he sent vnto them his owne sonne saying with himselfe although they haue been cruell toward my seruauntes yet at the leaste they wil vse my sonne reuerently whan they see that he is cum But the husbande menne the more they were prouoked to repentaunce the more they were styrred vnto cruelties For whan they sawe the sonne they did not reuerence him insomuche that furthwyth they consulted to slea him saying this is the heyre cum let vs kill him and we shall take his inheritaunce And by and by they layed handes vpon hym and plucked him out of the vineyarde and killed him Therfore ê™ he when the Lorde of the vineyarde shall cum what shall he do to those husbande menne The Phariseis answered those ill men he shall ill intreate and destroy and set out his vineyarde to others whichâ— may trustely render the fruite in tyme vnto the Lorde whithe lette it out So they deceyued by this ryddle condemne them selues with theyr owne mouth pronouncing that they themselues for the inuincible frowardenes of their mynde be wurthy punishmente and that the gentiles be wurthy to be receyued to the grace of the ghospel whiche will till the vineyarde more trusttely than they dyd ¶ Iesus sayeth vnto them Dyd ye neuer reade in the scriptures The â—â—oue which the bâ—â—lders refused the same is made the head of the corner this is doen of the lorde and is maâ—uailouse in our â—yes Therfore saye I vnto you the kingdome of God shal be taken froÌ„ you and geuen to a nacion whiche shall do the fruytes therof And whosoeuer falleth on this stone shal be broken in pieces â–ª But on
Iesus to be his owne very soonne Than Ioseph the spouse of the virgin Marie who was mother to Iesus was after the fourme of the law called the sonne of Heli beyng his vncle by the fathers side but after the trueth of naturall generacion he was the soÌ„ne of Iacob whiche Iacob reised sede vnto his brother Heli beyng borne oute of yesame bealy that himself was because thesame Heli was deceassed with out issue so vpon his wife whoÌ„ he at his diyng left a widow Iacob beegot a sonne called Ioseph Heli was the sonne of Mathat and he again had Leui to his father Leui was borne of Melchi who was begotteÌ„ of Ianna the sonne of Ioseph sonne of Matatthias to whoÌ„ Amos was father And him did NauÌ„ beget who was the sonne of Helsi Helsi borne of his father Nagge and Nagge issued out of Maath the sonne of Matathias This Matathias was cum of the seede of Semei the sonne of Ioseph who was begotten and borne of Iuda Iuda had to his father Ioanna the soonne of Rhesi beyng soÌ„ne to zorobabel zorobabels father was zalathiel borne his self of Neri the sonne of Melchi who was descended of the linage of Addi the sonne of Cosam begotten of HelmadaÌ„ And he was lineallye descended of Her the sonne of Ieso who was borne of Heleazer the soonne of Ioram And father to Ioram was Mattha beyng hymselfe borne of Leui the sonne of Simeon borne of Iuda the sonne of Ioseph And him had IonaÌ„ begotteÌ„ beyng himself the sonne of Heliachim the sonne of MeleaÌ„ And he was borne of Mathatha beyng the sonne of Nathan This man had kyng Dauid begotten of Barsabee by whom was restored the stocke of Salomon whiche failed afore and decayed in Ozochias Dauid was begotten of Iesse the sonne of Obed beyng borne of Booz Father to this maÌ„ was SalmoÌ„ the sonne of Naasson beyng borne of Aminadab to whom Aram was father and Aram sonne to Esrom begotten of phares the sonne of Iuda Iuda came by lineall discente from the Patriarke Iacob the sonne of Isaac whom Abraham being an aged man had accordyng to Goddes promyse begotten of his olde wife Sara And Abraham was borne of Tharra the sonne of Nachor beyng begotteÌ„ of Saruch the soÌ„ne of Ragau to whom Phalec was father and father to him again was Heber begotten of Sale the sonne of Cainan and Cainan the sonne of Arphaxat whose father was Sem the sonne of Noe and Noe the sonne of Lamech and he the sonne of Mathusalah beyng born of Enoch whose father was Iareth and he desceÌ„ded of Malalehel the sonne of Cainan who was begotteÌ„ of Enoch the sonne of Seth whose father was Adam and begotte Seth after that he had lyued an hundred and thirtie yeres Adam was the head of al maÌ„kind hauyng none other autour ne progenitour of his generacion but onely God of whom he was created of the claie of the yearth beeyng to him as it wer in stede of a mother And for because that all mankynde was infected taynâ—ted through the synne of this our yearthly father and resemblynge the inclynacion of the same fyrst father it was now fallen into all kynde of viciousnesse there was sente the lord Iesus as a restorer and a redemer of the same mankynde whan it was so extremely fallen to the end that thesame whiche had ful whole falleÌ„ doun through the disobedience of one might be recoÌ„ciled again through the obedience of one and to the ende that lyke as all those whiche had folowed the steps of their earthly father became therby subiect vnto deathe so they whiche beyng exempted from the kynred of the synner thorough baptisme were graffed into the heauenlye Adam which is Iesus Christe and did cleue fast vnto the steppes of the same should attayne euerlastyng life in heauen And in dede the begynnynges of mankynde whan it fell and of the same at the restorynge of it dooe in many behalfes answer taunt pour taunt the one contrary to the other For nothyng at all was there doen in this matier by blynde chauÌ„ce or casualtie but all the whole processe and discourse of thynges was tempered and ordred by the wisedom and ordinaunce of God almightie The talkyng of Eue with the serpent whan she was a virgin was the begynnyng of our deadly perishyng and the talkyng of the virgin Marie with Gabriell was the begynnynge of our healthe and recouerie Eue beeyng corrupte with the lure of an apple laughyng on her both cast awaie her housbande and also brought in death into the worlde Marie beyng a virgin for euer euer vncorrupted constauntly despysynge all alluremente of the fleshe and with simple plain faythe willingly yeldyng her self vnto the will of god brought foorth the man that brought helth and saluacion to the worlde Adam also was tempted and ouercomed Christ beeyng tempted ouercame the temptour Adam folowyng the mynde of his wyfe whan she was corrupted was caste out of paradise for his laboure Christe obeiyng his father euen vnto death sette the waye into heauen wide open For the sensuall pleasure of tasting an apple was Adam made a bonde seruaunt vnto the deuill Christe by settyng all the kyngdomes and delycate pleasures of the world at naught deliuered our enemie into our handes to be subdued at oure owne pleasure The one thoroughe the eatyng of an apple lost al his posteritie and succession and the other through abstinence of meat restored them that afore were lost The one was driuen awaie out of Paradise into the yearth replenished with miserie and liyng al desert and the other hath made a waye vnto heauen safe and strongly fensed from al desertnesse AdaÌ„ through the vain desire of proude knowelage plucked his successioÌ„ after him vnto death and Christ through the huÌ„ble obedience of faith did restore life again Yea and besides al this on bothe parties woode and tree On the one syde the serpent by meane of the tree ouercame and beguiled Adam on the other side Christ by meane of the tree beguiled also ouercame the deuill By meane of the tree came death by meane of the tree came lyfe The head and chiefe captayne of our destruccion was made out of the yearth beeyng a virgin and the head of our saluacion borne of the virgin Marie Adam was created to the lykenesse of God and Christe beeyng the true lykenesse of God tooke on hym bothe the lykenesse and nature of manne Adam was deceyued through his wyfe Eue and Christe hath called backe his spouse the churche from the deceiptefull errour of the deuyll On the one partie a woman whyle she seketh to bee made wyse vttred furthe the begynnyng of all foolyshenesse and on the other partie a woman while she sheweth herselfe voyde of al suche presumpcion bryngeth furth vnto vs the fountayne of wysedome The firste Adam while he hath more desyre to be wyse then obedient brought in folishenesse into the worlde and the new Adam wheras he was the wisedome
man we haue touched him with our handes and by all profes and tokenes we haue founde him to be very man yea and also we haue seen his godly glory in very dede mete for the onely sonne of God the like whereof was neuer shewed to any of the angels Prophetes or Patriarches but it was suche as God the father woulde haue his onely sonne to be honoured with And this glory we haue seen in the workinge of his miracles in the vttringe of his heauenly doctrine and in the vision vpon the mounte Thabor when he was transfigured before our iyes when also the very voice of his father cumming downe from heauen professed him to be his dearly beloued sonne as the saied father did notably set him furth in his baptisme both with his voice and with the holy goste vnder the figure and similitude of a dooâ—e And againe when the sonne before his death desired hym to glorify hym with that glorye whiche he had before the worlde was made a voyce came downe from heauen and knowledged him to bee his sonne saying Bothe I haue and will glorifye the. In conclusion we haue seen hym in his resurreccion both when he already beeyng risen from death to lyfe did shewe furthe to vs his body whiche we mighte touche and handle but yet was it subiecte to no euill and also when before oure iyes he was carried vp into heauen And his glory did appeare and shine vnto vs not onely by these thinges but also his very death did aproue his godly power and strengthe when as the vaile of the temple was deuided the earth quaked the stones braste in soundre the graues and monumentes did open the dead bodies did rise againe the sunne losinge his lighte broughte sodaine darkenes into the worlde And whiles immediatly after a vehementcrie he yelded vp his goste as who sayeth he forsoke his life wyllyngly and not for lacke of strengthe By thys so wonderfull a death he did so glorify the father that both the thefe whiche did hange by him and also the Centurion did acknowledge him to bee the sonne of God And albeit when he was conuersaunt here in earth and went about the busines of our saluacion he had leauer shewe vs exaumple of sobrenes mekenes and obedience then to boast his owne greatnes yet all his communicacion all his dedes yea his very behauiour and countenaunce did declare hym to bee full of all godly giftes full of eternall and suche trueth as cannot bee confounded For although God doeth geue to other holy men also large giftes of his grace trueth yet he did powre into him as into his onely sonne the whole fountaine of heauenly giftes to thintent that in hym alone might be so muche as shoulde suffice all men And we did thorowly see him to be suche one euen vntill his ascencion ¶ Iohn beareth witnes of hym and crieth saying This was he of whom I spake whiche though he came after me went before me for he was before me Let vs now procede and declare how he was first knowen vnto the world wheras vntil this time not so muche as his owne brethren beleued hym to be any other but man for he woulde be knowen lytle by lytle lest so straunge a thing shoulde not haue been beleued emonges men if it had risen sodainly And truly many thinges went before whiche might some maner of way haue prepared mens mindes to faithfull beliefe as the auctoritie of the prophetes the shadowes of the lawe the agreable song of the Angels at his natiuitie the godly deuocion of the shephardes the guiding starre the deuout behauiour of the three wise men the vnquietnes of kyng Herode with all Ierusalem for the birth of this new kyng the prophecies of Simeon and Anna and also certain thinges that he did beyond the reche course of mans nature wherat his mother and Ioseph meruailed with theim selfe what those thinges should meane yet neuertheles when the tyme was come wherin it was deereed eternally that he should openly take in hande the busynes of preaching the kingdome of heauen it pleased hym as I sayd before to be commended and set furth by the witnes of Iohn also for a tyme not that he neded mans witnes but because so it was expedient eyther to allure the Iewes to beleue of whom euery one had Iohn in hye estimacion or els to rebuke the vnbeliefe of the wicked when they woulde not beleue no not hym bearing witnes of Christ to whom in other thinges they did attribute so much that they toke him to be Messias which was promysed by the prophecies of the prophetes to deliuer the people of Israell Therfore when Iohn preaching the kyngdom of God to bee at hand had alredy gathered together many disciples dyd dayly baptise many was had in great auctoritie emong al men but in very dede men had an ill opinion of Iesu the said Iohn doth openly beate into the heades of the multitude and eftsons reherseth that thing whiche diuers times before he had witnessed of him And accordyng to Esaies prophecy whiche dyd tell before hand that he shoulde in wildernes say with a loud voice make redy the way of the lorde he nowe not priuely vnto his owne disciples but to all people indifferenly which euery day resorted to him accustomably because of his baptisme and doctrine yea and came purposely to heare the very certaintie what opinion so notable a man had of Iesu he I say spake out with a plain and a cleare voice saying This is he of whom heretofore I haue often spoken vnto you before whome thorow errour you do prefer me when that I tolde you there shoulde be one which should folowe me in age and time of preaching and shoulde also be rekened inferiour to me in the opinion of the multitude he hath nowe ouertaken me and whereas he semed to bee after me he hath begun to be before me And no meruaile seing that euen then also he did excell me in all giftes although in the iudgemente of men he semed inferiour vnto me ¶ And of his fulnes haue all we â—eceiued euen grace for grace for the law was giuen by Moses but grace and trueth came by Iesus Christe He is the fountain of all truth and grace All we whom ye haue in so great admyracion bee nothing els but as it were litle brookes or furth cumming streames for the litle that we haue euery man according to his porcion is drawen furth out of the fulnes of this fountain froÌ„ whence whatsoeuer apperteineth to euerlasting saluacion springeth vnto all men All the vertue that was in the patriarkes in the prophetes and in Moses dyd come from this fountain I am nothing els but the goer before of hym that is cumming he is both the very publisher and also the auctour of the grace of the ghospell whiche geueth true and euerlastyng saluacion to all men thorow faithe We are bounde to thanke hym for that by the
before should make redy the waye for him against he came I am his seruaunt he is Lord of all thynges But if he now begin to be knowen to the worlde that his fame and renoume doeth derken myne I reioyce that my witnes was true For I did only wish desire that my seruice myght growe to that ende and effecte For as the bryde is his by right whiche is the very bridegrome in dede and yet he whiche is not the bridegrome but onely his frende doeth not enuy the bridegromes felicitie nor taketh his spouse from him but reioyseth on his behalfe whom he loueth in his herte and holdyng his peace standeth by him also with great ioy of mynde heareth the voice of the bridegrome whiles he talketh with his spouse so I who haue wished for nothing more then that he should knowen to be so great a man as of trueth he is that I should be no more taken for a greater man than I am in dede doe greatly reioyce in that I perceiue this matter to haue so good successe Of right he must encrease which hitherto hath been reputed to be much lesse then he is in dede And it is mere that I should decrease who haue alwaye be taken to be greater then I was Thus it is expedient for mans saluacion both that myne estimacion should be darkened and his glory should dayly growe greater and that my disciples should leaue me goe to him in comparison of whose power myne is but weake and of none effecte And my baptisme is as farre vnderneth his as fire is of more might then water He that cummeth from on hye is aboue all He that is of the yearth is yearthly and speaketh of the yearth He that cummeth from heauen is aboue al and what he hath seen heard that he testifieth no mā receiueth his testimonie He that hath receiued his testimonie hath set to his scale that God is true for he whom God hath sent speaketh the woordes of God It is mete that yearthly thinges should geue place to heauenly worldely to Godly vnperfite to thynges perfite He that cummeth from the earth is earthly and speaketh thinges that be earthly and base For what other thing can man speake but thynges pertayning to man but he whiche is come from heauē excelleth al men be they neuer so great We haue receyued but a small knowledge of heauenly thinges as we are able so we testifie but he doeth beare witnes moste faithfully emong men of that thyng whiche he hath seen and heard in heauen with his father And men haue me in admiracion who am muche his inferiour but no man almoste receiueth his witnes they doe require me that am but a seruaunt to beare recorde of hym And they refuse the witnes that he beareth of his father And in dede yf any bodie doe not trust me he doeth but mistrust a man yf any doe not beleue hym whiche is the only sonne as the father hath witnessed with his owne voice that person maketh God a lier The Iewes doe wurship the father and they contemne and dishonor his sonne whom he sent howbeit euery reproche iniury doen to the sonne redoūdeth to the father Therfore whosoeuer receiueth the witnes of the sonne he geuing credit to the sonne doeth certainly affirme God to be true whiche speaketh in the sonne For the sonne which is sent from the father speaketh not the woordes of a mā but the woordes of God God hath spoken bothe by the Prophetes and also hath made euery man partaker of his spirite accordyng as they haue been able to receyue it But God hath geuen his spirite to this his onely sonne not after any certaine measure but he hath powred vpō him the whole fulnes of his spirite so that the father hath nothyng but the sonne hath thesame The father loueth the sonne and hath geuen all thynges into his hande He that beleueth on the sonne hath euerlastyng lyfe He that beleueth not the sonne shall not see lyfe but the wrath of God abideth on hym And whatsoeuer the incredulitie of men would take from the sonne the father imputeth it to be taken from himselfe for the father loueth his only sōne most intierly and hath put in his hande the whole summe of all thynges not depriuing himselfe of his owne power but maketh that vertue and power which he hath common to both And what thing soeuer God hath willed to geue and bestowe vpon mankynde his pleasure was to geue it by his sonne And verily he offreth to all men no small or meane thyng for he offreth euerlastyng lyfe but by hym whiche is the only fountayne of eternall lyfe howbeit that person maketh hymselfe vnapte to receyue this so excellent a gyfte whiche refuseth to take it And surely he refuseth it whiche doeth not beleue that the sonne can geue and perfourme that whiche he promiseth Moreouer he doeth charge the father with vntrueth as who sayeth he should promise by his sonne vaine vntrue thinges Therfore the rewarde of belefe is great and the punishment of vnbelefe is fierce and terrible For of trueth whosoeuer putteth his hope and trust in the sonne hath already the sonne and whoso hath the sonne hath eternall lyfe Contrariwyse he that trusteth not in the sonne forasmuch as he hath as it were closed vp his owne iyes that he cannot behold the light he shall not see lyfe because this lyght is the lyfe of men but he continewyng in his sinnes remaineth bounde and gyltie of the vengeaunce and wrath of God that is to say euerlastyng death The .iiii. Chapter As soone as the Lorde knewe howe the Phariseis had heard that Iesus made and baptysed moe disciples then Iohn though that Iesus himselfe baptised not but his disciples he leaft Iewry and departed againe into Galile ANd so Iohn with these woordes corrected the vnmesurable loue and affecion of his disciples toward hymselfe and their euill and wicked opinion concernyng Iesus secretely prouokyng them that they should leaue him and now folowe Iesus of whom all men ought to aske al thynges Therfore when Iesus frō whom nothyng at all was hid dyd perceiue the like thing to haue chaunced to him which is wonte to happen emongest men that is to saye that enuy foloweth prayse and renoume and also that now already the Phariseis took in euyll parte that he should allure and drawe to hym many disciples and that more people had recourse to his baptisme thē to Iohns although in dede not Iesus himselfe but his disciples did baptise Euen thē declaring that to preache the gospel was a more excellent office then to baptise And the Phariseis were so muche the more greued displeased because his disciples dyd take so muche vpon them as they scantly would haue suffred Iohn to haue doen to whom they dyd attribute very muche Iesus I saye partly because he would not prouoke sharpen and stiere vp theyr enuy in case
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
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
stande muche in your owne conceyte because ye be the sonnes of Abraham I know that ye be borne of Abraham as touching the flesh but this honour is but smal vsual and coÌ„mon to al Iewes If ye wil algates be thought to be Abrahams posteritie and children of a moste holy father nothing degenerate in your dedes declare you to be his sonnes For it is the propertie of a very true naturall childe to resemble and expresse the fashion maners of his parentes Abraham did so muche beleue God that where as there was promised him of God a populouse succession and great in nuÌ„ber to come of his sonne Isaac he doubted not at one commaundement of God to â—lea his sonne Isaac But ye see now how farre ye be of from the maners of your father whiche do your endeuour to kill euen me for no cause els but that you being blinded with desyres of the flesh and the worlde do not vnderstande my communicacion and wordes whiche be spirituall Abraham not doubtyng of the promyses did in a thing against nature beleue the aungel by whome god spake vnto him To me whom ye se and by whom god speaketh to you promising greater thynges then in times paste he did to Abraham ye do not onelye not geue credence but also maliciously seke and deuise my death Do not therefore arrogantly chalenge Abraham to be your father Euery our is before God the sonne of hym whose acres and condicions he folowethe For as the children seeth theyr parentes do at home so will they do and growe to be of lyke affeccion maners I proue both by wordes and dedes that I am his sonne from whom I was sente for I speake that which I haue sene and heard of my father You lykewyse do the thynges whiche you haue seen your father do ¶ They aunswered and sayde vnto hym Abraham is our father Iesus sayeth vnto theÌ„ If ye were Abrahams children ye would do the dedes of Abraham but now ye go about to kill me a man that hath tolde you the trueth â–ª which I haue hearde of God this did not Abraham Ye do the dedes of your father Then sayed they vnto hym we were not borne of fornicacion we haue one father euen god Iesus saied vnto them If God wer your father trulye ye woulde loue me for I proceded forth and came from God neyther came I of my selfe but he sent me Why doe ye not knowe my speache Euen because ye cannot abide the hearyng of my woorde Ye are of your father the dâ—uill and the lustes of your father wyl ye serue He was a murtherer from the begynning and abode not in the trueth because here is no trueth in him when he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his owne for he is a lyar and the father of the same thing And because I tell you the trueth therefore ye beleue me not Forsomuche as the Iewes toke this saying of our Lorde Iesus in euill parte they frame their aunswere in suche sorte that they go aboute therein to picke out of Iesus wordes some thing spoken to AbrahaÌ„s rebuke which thing if it had been so in dede they woulde haue prouoked the people to haue stoned Christe for where as he had openly testified that their dedes were euill and added further that they did those thinges whiche they had sene theyr father do neyther did they knowledge any other father then Abraham they toke it as if by this saying of Iesus Abraham the Patriarche had been reproued who had hymselfe been suche one as were the children that came of him But Iesus spake nothing sore at all against Abraham but reasoned coÌ„trary to their saying prouing that therfore they were not the children of Abraham because they were moste farre from his wayes moste vnlike him If ye will sayeth he be taken for the true children of Abraham do as your father did beleue Goddes worde For he of trueth through notable affiaunce in God deserued the commeÌ„dacioÌ„ of righteousnes and was called righteouse Now although ye haue neuer doen boastyng Abraham to be your father neuertheles your studie and drifte is to kill me a maÌ„ that albeit I were none other but very man yet were I innocent and one that harme no man and you therefore woulde â—lea me because I tell you the trueth whiche I do not fayne of myne owne heade but that trueth whiche I haue hearde of God insomuche that whosoeuer distrusteth me thesame must nedes distruste God But Abraham will not acknowledge you for his sonnes whiche goe about a wicked matter and muche disagreable to his maners And if it be so that euery one is that mans sonne whose dedes he foloweth and that your dedes withall are farre vnlike to Abrahams you muste nedes haue some other father whosoeuer he be whose naturall disposicion you do resemble and shewe your selfe lyke in condicions The Iewes beeyng of trueth more prouoked by these sayinges nowe as it were geassing to what ende the processe of Iesus wordes tended and whom he noted to be their father aunswere whom els apointest thou for our father that takest awaye our father Abraham We be not base gotten we maye reioyce in that which is common to all the Iewes who are not onely the succession of Abraham but also the sonnes of God whiche calleth Israell his first begotten childe And we are Israelites And if thou take away our father Abraham from vs if thou geue vs another father then God the common father of all our nacion thou art not only iniuriouse and dispiteful to vs but to the whole nacion of the Iewes Wheras this was a wicked and shameles aunswere for what coulde be more shameful theÌ„ to boaste themselfes to be the children of God who knewe themselues giltye in such great faultes who also laied in wayt to bring the sonne of God to death Iesus replied sharpely to this answer and saied If God were your father that is to witte if ye were very true and naturall Israelites ye woulde I am sure loue me as a brother begotten of the common father of all and as one that doeth expressely folowe his fathers behaueour and maners euen as it becummeth a true naturall childe For I neyther shewe foorth any other thyng then God the father nor I do none other mens busynes then my fathers from whom I proceaded and came into this world For I neither speake nor do any thing of my selfe I do not apoint my selfe to this embassage but he sente me whom ye clayme to be comon father to you all And yf ye saye trueth why do ye not acknowledge his speache that is the same fathers sonne and his very true sonne who was also with his father before he came into the world neither speaketh he any thyng but at his fathers appoyntment Why can ye so very euill beare my wordes wheÌ„ as by me god speaketh vnto you If ye beleue God to be true beneficiall an health geuer frendely
firmely sticke thesame shoulde bee without feare of death Thomas sayeth he howe happeneth this that thou deniest the to knowe the waye vnlesse thou as yet percase knoweste me not at all For verely I am the way the trueth life I sayed euen nowe that I doe goe agayne to my father and onely do open for all tolke the way vnto hym and because he is come to by dedes fit and semyng for god ye haue the proufe of good life in me and also because no man without me cummeth to the father ye haue learned of me the trueth And yf the feare of death do in the meane tyme trouble youre myndes knowe well that ye bee sure of immortalitye forasmuche as I am lyfe dooe ye onelye folowe thyther as I goe beefore beeleue and kepe in minde that whiche I haue taughte you hope assuredly for the thyng which I promise If ye aske whither I goe I goe to my father yf ye desyre to knowe the waye whereby ye maye come thither I say to you no man cummeth to the father but by me â–ª wherefore you knowe bothe aswell whyther I dooe goe as what waÌ„ye the iourneye lyeth excepte paraduenture ye bee vtterlye ignoraunte who I am verely yf ye hadde knowen me ye hadde also knowen my father yea to say trueth ye haue already some waye knowen my father whome ye thynke to bee vnknowen vnto you nor ye haue not onelye knowen hym by the determinacion of the lawe but ye haue also seen hym doubtlesse Our Lord Iesus dyd with this obscure saiyng sumdeale aduertise his disciples that hys father of trueth was inuisible and not onely inuisible to the bodilye iyes but also that the mynde of it owne propre nature coulde not see and perceiue what he is yet notwithstanding but that he had beene seene after a sorte in his sonne as whyle they see hym in his soonne rewlyng the wyndes and the sea forcyng deuils to obeye putting awaie with a woorde sickenesses and diseases were they neuer so incurable and with a woorde raysing the deade to life But the vnlearned Apostles didde not as yet vnderstande these hye misteries and yet for all that euen as though they had in very dede vnderstand that which the Lorde spake vnto them they euen leap and skip of greate affeccion to see the father Imaginyng that the father mighte bee seene in suche sorte as they sawe his sonne such was there simplicitie as yet albeit neyther sawe they the sonne throughly whiche beholde hym with bodily iyes alone ¶ Philip saieth vnto him lord shewe vs the father and it suffiseth vs. Iesus saieth vnto him haue I been so long time with you and yet hast thou not knowen me Philip he that hath sene me hath seen my father And howe saieste thou than shewe vs the father beleuest thou not that I am in the father and the father in me The wordes that I speake vnto you I speake not of my selfe but the father that dwelleth in me is he that dooeth the workes beleue me that I am in the father and the father in me Or els beleue me for the workes sake Philip therfore beyng more desirous to learne then the reste speaketh thus lorde ê™ he thou tellest vs that the father is seene of vs but woulde God thou wouldest graunte that it myghte bee lawfull for vs to see and looke vpon thy father then were oure desyres satisfyed and we woulde wishe no more nor desire ought els In deede we haue hearde muche speakyng of him we lacke onely the sight of hym Our lorde doth controull and correct Philips request that was so very rude and foolishe saiyng Philip haue I been so long tyme wyth the and yet thou knowest me not It is not the syght of my face that thou knowest me by but the ryght vnderstandyng of my power vertue and trueth maketh the to knowe me This my mighty trueth and true power is not seen with bodilye iyes but the minde and soule seeth it Therefore when as I am the verye Image of my father in all thynges lyke vnto hym and that by my deedes and woordes thou oughtest already to haue knowen me and verelye to haue knowen is to haue seen howe dareste thou bee so bolde with what countenaunce sayeste thou to me shewe vs the father as though he that hath seene me hath not seene my father I meane not that my father is none other than I but that betwene vs two is no vnlikenes or any thyng vncommon as touchyng the higher and our diuyne nature In case thou canste not vnderstande what I saye by naturall reason he seeth also I tel you that beleueth Thou hast heard me speake thou hast seen me do myracles â–ª and therein surely thou haste seen and heard of my father doest thou not yet beleue that by an inseparable copulacion of nature wil and power my father is in me and I in my father What thing soeuer I speake I speake it of his mynde what â— thyng soeuer I dooe I dooe it after his mynde I am therefore alwaye in hym by reason of suche a coniunccion of nature and wyll as cannot be vnioyned and disseuered and he alwaye in me speakyng by me and by me declaryng with miracles his power Neyther doe I speake any thing of my selfe whiche same thing he speaketh not by me neither dooe I any thing of my selfe whiche he by me ioyntelye doeth not worke howe therefore doest thou separate them that be inseparable and with seueral sight desireste to see them seuerally beleueste thou that the one being knowen the other can be vnknowen doth the reste of you also yet not beleue that al thynges cummeth of my father which are spoken and doen by me and that there is no separacion betwixt vs two It had behoued you to haue credited me so oft teachyng this thing and if ye mistrusted my woordes yet truely the diuine woorkes and deedes surmounting mannes power oughte to haue caused you to beleue that what thing soeuer procedeth froÌ„ me is of my father yf my father himselfe should speake vnto you he would speake none other thing than I doe or if he would worke by himself he would worke none other thing than I do worke we haue one minde one will one power and nature ¶ Uerely verely I saie vnto you he that beleueth on me the wâ—orke that I doe thesame shall he do also and greater workes then these shall he do because I goe vnto my father And whatsoeuer ye aske in my name that will I dooe that the father maie bee glorified by the sonne If ye shall aske any thing in my name I wil dooe it If ye loue me kepe my commaundementes And I wil pray the father and he shal geue you an other coumforter that he maye hide with you for euer euen the spirite of trueth whom the world cannot receiue because the world seeth him not neyther knoweth him but you knowe him for he dwelleth with you and shal be in
not doen among them the workes which none other man did they should haue had no sinne But now haue they bothe seen and heard not onely me but also my father But this happeneth that the saying might be fulfilled that is written in theyr lawe They hated me without a cause And whatsoeuer despite they shall doe against you I will thinke it doen to me for all thynges that they shall do agaynste you they shall doe it for the hatred they beare to me when they curse you they shal curse me when thei reiecte you they shal reiecte me when they beate you they shall beate me For whatsoeuer displeasure is doen to the membres thesame redoundeth to the head And they would doe the lyke to me if they had me present with them Now because they cannot shewe their crueltie to me they wil shewe it to you But as all the iniurie that is dooen to you toucheth me In lyke maner whatsoeuer is committed against my name tourneth to my fathers dishonour also whom if they did rightlye knowe as they thynke they doe they woulde neuer so shamfully haue handled his sonne They arrogantlye pretende loue towardes God and yet they bee wickedly minded againste his sonne They aske saluacion of God and goe aboute to destroye his sonne They boaste themselues to be kepers of Gods commaundementes and doe reiecte the preceptes whiche his sonne geueth by the auctoritie of his father They glorie in their knowledge of the lawe and doe not receiue the knowledge of hym whom the lawe setteth forth They wurship the sender and persecute hym whome he hath sente Therefore they knowe not God whome they boaste themselfes to knowe And yet thys ignoraunce shall not excuse them in the daye of punishemente They be ignoraunte in dede but why because they woulde not learne And therfore woulde they not learne because they loued more theyr owne glorye then the glorye of god They did set more by their owne aduauntage then to winne saluacion by the gospell Wherefore that thynge whiche my father hath ordeyned for theyr saluacion haue they through their owne stubberâ—esse heaped vp to theyr eternall damnacion For verily I am come and was sente for this purpose if it mighte be to saue all men If I the sonne of God and greatest persone that could be sent had not come my selfe and declared vnto them all suche thinges as might haue brought them to a better minde If I had not also doen these thinges whiche had been inough to haue forced euen stouye hertes to faythe and belefe surely theyr destruccion shoulde haue been the more easie as giltlesse of this infidelitie the addicion wherof shall make the burden of theyr eternall damnacion the heauyer But nowe sith I haue leafte nothing vndoen wherby they might be saued and they againe with obstinate malice haue resisted him whiche frely offereth saluacion they can alledge no excuse for theyr incredulitie If one hate a straunger it maie bee thought sumwhat woorthie of pardon because he hateth him whom he neuer sawe but me they haue bothe seene and hearde They haue seene me doe good to all folkes and haue hearde me speake thinges woorthy for God Neuerthelesse they hate me for those thinges for whiche they ought to loue me But whoso hateth me must nedes hate my father by whose auctoritie I speake that I speake by whose power I do all that I do And I haue not onelye spoken by wordes but also by my dedes yet were they so blinded that they did neither beleue my woordes not dedes And this selfe thing shall make their damnacion more greuouse in that they haue so stubbernely abused the goodnesse of God being alwaye so ready for them If I had not doen suche miracles among them as neuer any of the Prophetes afore me did whether a man consider the noumber or greatnesse of them and that not to make them afeard or astonished therewith but to helpe them that were afflicted If I had not doen al this I say they should not haue been giltie of this moste greuouse sinne but nowe they haue both heard and seene and so muche the more haue hated not only me that haue both spoken and doen but also my father whiche hath spoken by me and set furth his power by me They neuer sawe Moses and yet hym they doe exteme hylye they beleue the Prophetes whom they neuer hearde but they turne cleane awaye from me whom they haue presentely seene before theyr iyes whom they haue hearde speake of whose benefites they haue so manye wayes had the profe And not herewith satisfyed they take my lyfe from me In the meane while they pretende a reuerente loue to God the father whereas whoso truely loueth the father cannot hate his sonne Howbeit these thinges happen not by chaunce for the very same thing that these men doe the Psalmes whiche they haue and reade did long agon prophecie should cum to passe that is to saye that in stede of thankes they shoulde recompence good turnes with euill will For thus spake I there by the mouthe of the Prophete let them not reioyce and triumphe ouer me whiche vniustely are myne enemies hate me without cause If a man being prouoked hate an other it maye bee suffered if one hate a straunger it maye sumwhat be pardoned but who can forgiue him that hateth one whom he bothe knoweth and hath found beneficiall But when the comforter is cum whom I will sende vnto you from the father euen the spirite of trueth whiche procedeth of the father he shall testifie of me And ye shall beare witnesse also because ye haue been with me from the begynning Neuerthelesse the incredulitie of these persones shall not make their fruite vneffectuall whiche will cleane to me For when I shall haue accomplished al that my father hath geuen me in commaundement and after that the comforter is come whom proceding from my father I wil sende you according to my promisse whiche is the holy goste beyng the inspirer and teacher of all trueth he shall declare all that euer I haue sayd and doen wherby bothe my goodnesse and their obstinate blindnesse shall euideÌ„tly appeare He shall shewe how there hath been nothing doen against me but the same hath been prophecied before in their owne bookes whiche they reade and yet vnderstande not Ye also whiche are now but weake then being made strong through the inspiracion of my spirite shall testifie of me before all menne for so muche as ye haue seene in ordre what I haue doen and hearde what I haue sayed Lyke as I haue tolde you thinges certaine euen the very whiche I haue seene and heard of my father neyther shall the holye goste put any thing but trueth in youre mindes for so muche as he procedeth from my father so shall ye beare witnesse of thinges not doubtefull but suche as be throughly tryed by all your senses And there will be sum whiche will not beleue you but yet muste not the saluacion
becummeth not you to be ignoraunt of my fathers wyll verely I shall than speake vnto you whishtlie and without wordes but I shall speake assured and manifeste thinges if so bee ye aske them yea and than also the holy ghoste shall incense you what to aske and howe to aske in my name whiche in case ye so do surely though it were a great matter and a thing of difficultie yet shall the father for my sake not deny it you askyng it And I doe not nowe speake this as if ye shall obtaine your requeste by my mediacion in suche sorte as men doe sumtime at a kinges hande that is but a maÌ„ obtaine their requeste at the desyre and suite of sum one that is in fauour with the kyng whiche peticion the kyng woulde not els haue graunted but that he was content to geue it for his sake whiche did commende set forward the suters supplicacion but as for my father althoughe he loueth to bee asked of by his sonne by whome his will hath beene to graunte all thynges to menne yet that notwithstandynge he wyll otherwise consente to your desyres not onlye for the loue that he beareth towardes his sonne but whiche he hath also towardes you for he loueth not his sonne so that he loueth not you but whomsoeuer the sonne loueth those the father loueth also Therefore he loueth you not for your workes sake but for that ye loue me semblablie and beleue that I am cum out from hym for this is to loue the father euen to loue his sone and to beleue the father is euen to beleue the sonne He of trueth dooeth not beleue whiche denyeth the sonne to haue cum from the father and not to haue sayed and doen all thyng euen by the fathers auctoritie I was already with the father before I came into the worlde euen for to cary you vp takyng vnto me this mortall body that ye se but for your cause came I into the worlde euen for to cary you vp into heauen Now than the thynges beyng once doâ—n whiche the father gaue me in commaundemente I doe euen for your sake leaue the world as touchyng bodily presence and returne again vnto the father and truely whatsoeuer is or shal be doen here it is and shall bee doen to bryng you to saluacion ¶ His disciples sayed vnto hym lo nowe â—alkeste thou plainly and speakeste no prouerbe Nowe are we sure that thou knowest all thynges and nedest not shal any man should aske the any question Therfore beleue we that thou camest from god Iesus aunswered them Nowe ye do beleue beholde the houre draweth nye and is already cum â–ª that ye shal be scattered euery maÌ„ to his owne and shall leaue me alone And yet am I not alone for the father is with me These wordes haue I spoken vnto you that in me ye mighte haue peace For in the worlde shall ye haue tribulacion but be of good there I haue ouercum the world The disciples beynge boldened with these sayinges begunne sumwhat to stande in their owne conceite and as though they had of theyr owne strength beene able to abide and heare their lordes death that was at hande they answere on this wyse loke saye they euen now at this present doest thou fullfill the selfe thynge whiche thou promisedâ—t afterwarde to doe for nowe withoute any darkenes of parables thou speakeste plainly out what thou wilte do neyther nedeth it to aske the any further question For thou knoweste all thynges and with thy good wordes hast deliuered our hertes from sorowe so that we nede no further communicacion why we nothinge doubte but that through hope of thy ioye to come wee shall boldly and paciently suffre the thynge that is imminent and cumming towardes vs and we do therfore finallye and verily beleue that thou art cum out from god because thou seest throughly the very botome and secrecie of our hertes And than the Lord Iesus whose maner was euery where sharply to controll and restraine whatsoeuer humayne and worldely arrogancie ambicion or selfe affiance he perceiued to arise in his discyples heartes that they mighte plainely learne to distruste their owne strength and vertue whereby they myghte dooe nothyng and wholly to depende vpon the hande of God the father The Lorde Iesus I saye dyd thus abate and acoole that arrogancie whiche was suche that thoughe they yet vnderstoode not what he sayed thoughe they had no true belefe and as yet were not meete for the stormes that wer cummyng vpon theÌ„ for all that they tooke on hande the thing that was to be asked of God by prayer And he aunswereth them after this sorte What dooe I heare the thynge whyche I promyse to geue you hereafter whan ye shal be made stronge and be staied by my doctrine and by the inspiracion of the holy ghost ye now proudely take on hande before due time as if ye might do at least sumwhat by the helpe and assistence of maÌ„s owne power and vertue when as rather the tyme is full nyghe that ye shall declare howe strengthelesse yeare of your selfes For ye shall not onely bee vnable to go through the instante tempeste but leauing me alone in the handes of the sergeauntes catchpolles whiche shall violently draw me to the deathe of the crosse ye shall run awaye eche one a â—ere waye through feare so amased that ye shall not one beare cuÌ„pany with another to your succoure and comforte whyles euery one shall feare other leste by any others telling he mighte be bewrayed and come in daunger albeit in dede I nede not your aide and helpe I shall of trueth be forsaken of all my frendes but yet shall I not be desolate because the father shall neuer leaue me Therefore I do speake these thynges vnto you that distrusting your owne strength ye maye reste and staye your selfe in me The worlde shall make greate commocioÌ„ and fiercely rise againste you as it doeth agaynst me but bee bolde and shrynke not remeÌ„bryng that I haue conquered the worlde ye shall take exaumple at me and shall trust to be holpen by me ye shall also haue victorie but through me beyng of youre owne nature very weake and yet when tyme and occasion shall require ye shal be throughe my spirite stronge and vnuanquished The .xvii. Chapter ¶ There wordes spake Iesus and lift vp his iyes to heauen and sayen father the houre iâ— cum â–ª glorifie thy sonne that thy sonne also may glorifie the. As thou haâ—â— geueÌ„ him power ouer all 〈◊〉 that he should geue eternall lyfe to as many as thou hast geuen him This is life eternall that they might know thee the only true god and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sente AFter that Iesus had with this kynde of talke partelye comforted his disciples and partely taughte them and geuen them also instruccion againste the daungerouse storme that was imminence and cumming vpon theim than for so muche as he had by woorde of mouthe aduertised
c. We speake as we doe knowe c. No manne asceÌ„deth vp to heauen As Moses lyfted vp the serpent He gaue his one â–ª ye begotten sonne He that beleueth on him is not condemned Because he hath not beleued Men loued darkenes more then lyght Because theyr woorkes were euill For euerye man yâ— euill doth hateth the light He taried with them and baptised and Iohn also baptised c. There was muche water c. And there arose a question c. And they came vnto Iohn All men come to him A man can receyue nothiÌ„g excepte it be c. Ye your selues are witnesses c. I am not Christ but am sent before hym He that hathe the bryde is the brydegrome What he hath seen heard that he testifieth The father loueth the sonne c. He that beleueth not the sonne shall not see lyfe For it was so that he must nedes go thorowe Samaria Than he came to a citie c. And it was about the sixt houre His disciples were goen awaie vnto the toun to bye meate â–ª The womaÌ„ saieth vnto hym c. Sir I perceyue that thou art a prophete our father 's wurshipped in this mouÌ„tayne And ye saye that in Ierusalem is the place where men oughte to wurship Ye wurship ye wâ—â— noâ— what we know what we wurshippe c. I knowe yâ— Messias shall come â–ª whiche is called Christe Iesus sayeth vnto her I that speake vnto the am he I haue meate to eate that ye know not c. Iesus saith vnto them my meate is to do the will of hym that hathe sent me Say not ye there are yet .iiii. monethes end than cummeth haruest And herein is the saying true that one soweth and an other reapeth And he abode there ii dayes The ruler sayeth vnto hym Iesus sayeth vnto hym goe thy waye thy sonne lyueth Then he enquired of them the houre whaÌ„ he began to amende So the father knewe c. And he beleued and al his houâ—holde This is the seconde miracle And there is at IerusaleÌ„ by the slaughter house apoole c. Whan Iesus sawe him lye c. He sayed vnto hym wylte thou bee made whole Sir I haue no man c. And thesame daye was the Sabboth c. Tha asked they hym what man is that c. The man departed tolde the Iewes that it was Iesus Because he doeth these thynges on the sabboth daye Therefore the Iewes soughte the more to kill hym The sonne can doe nothyng of himselfe c For the father loueth the soÌ„ne c Neyther iudgeth the father any man He that honoureth not the sonne c. The time shall come and nowe it is c. For as the father hath life in hymselfe c. Maruailâ— not at this c. I can of mine owne selfe do nothyng yf I should beaâ—e wytnesse of my selfe But I receyue not the recorde of man c. He was a burnyng a shynyng light But I haue greater witnes theÌ„ the witnesse of Iohn for the workes whiche my father hath geuen me to finishe c. Ye haue not hearde his voyce at anye tyme nor seen his shape Ye haue not the loue of god WheÌ„ce shal we by bread that these maye eate Iesê° saieth make the people sitte downe And Iesus toke the bread Labour not for the meate which perisheth This is the worke of God that ye beleue what signe shewest yâ— then I am the bread of life For I am cum downe from heaueÌ„ This is the wil of him that seÌ„t me And they shall bee al taughte of God I am the liuing bread Excepte ye eat the flesh of the sonne of manne This is the bread whiche came down from heauen c. What and yf ye shall see the soÌ„ne of man c. Will ye also go away c. Thou hast the woordes of eternal life c. We are sure that thou arte Christ. c. His brethren therfore sayed vnto hym There is no man that doeth any thyng in secrete c. For his brethreÌ„ beleued not in hym My time is not yet cum c. The worlde cannot hate you I will not go vp to this feast c Howbeit no maÌ„ spake â—penly of hym c. For feare of the Iewes How knoweth be the scripture If any man will be obedient vnto his will He that speaketh of himselfe seketh his owne praise The people aunswered and said thou hast a deuill Who goeth about to kil thee And ye on the Sabboth day circumcise a man Iudge noâ— after the vtter apperance c. Then cried Iesus in the temple c. And I am not cum of myselfe but he that sent me is true And him ye knowe not Ye shall seke me and shall not finde me c. Than sayd the Iewes among themselues whither wil he goe c. If any man thirst let him cumme vnto me and drinke Doeth any of the rulers or of the Phariseis beleue on hym Searche loke for out of Galile a riseth no prophete And the Scribes and Phariseis brought vnto hym a woman taken in aduoutrie Let hiÌ„ that is among you without sinne cast the firste stone at her He said vnto her woman where are thyne accusers Go synne no more I am the light of the world c Thou bearest recorde of thy selfe But ye can not tell whence I am I iudge no man and yf I iudge my iudgemente is true If ye beleue not that I am he ye shall dye in your sinnes Thei vnderstoode not that he spake of his father If ye coÌ„tinue in my woorde c. And the truâ—th shall make you free Whosoeuer committeth sinne c. But if theâ—â— sonne make you free c I speake that whiche I haue seeÌ„ c. Yf ye were Abrahams children c. If god wee your father He that is of god heereth Gods wordes I seke not myne owne prayse c. What makest thou thy selfe It is my father which honoureth me c. Than toke they vp stones to caste 〈◊〉 hym He sawe a man which was blind I am the lyght of the worlde Is this your sonne c. Geue God prayse We are Moses disciples I am come iniudgemeÌ„t c. If ye were blynde ye should haue no sinne I am the good shepehearde I geue my life for the shepe c. I put my life froÌ„ me that I might take it againe Yf thou bee Christ tel vs playnly My father c. is greater than al. c. Lazarus is dead and I am glad for your sakes c. Iesus wept Excepte the wheat corne faâ—l into the ground and dye Lord doest thou washe my feete If I washe yâ— not thou hast no part with me For I haue geueÌ„ you an example Now I tel you before it come One of you shall betray me That he shoulde geue some what to the poore A new commauÌ„dement geue I vnto you that ye loue together Before the cocke crow c. In my
whiche ye cannot but of my gyfte obteyne that is to wete a Prynce and wyth him al worldely coumforte ioye and secuâ—itie that ye maye wel perceiue both that nothyng is vnpossible to God also that if ye abyde in me and my woordes abyde in you aske what ye wyll and it shal bee dooen for you Whan I saye the woorde of God the law the preceptes or the coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes of God I mene not fantastical dreames of maÌ„nes inuencioÌ„ for these thinges are nothing lesse theÌ„ the worde of God but I mene the true liuely worde of God conteyned in holy scriptures I mene his holy gospel testament purely sincâ—rely taken without the venomous corrupcion of the fylthie dregges or of the soure leauen of any the aboue rehersed pestilencies accordyng as your moste noble father our late soueraigne lorde kyng Henry the eight with vnestimable care studye and trauayll mynded and laboured to haue it sette foorth to be daily preached and taught to hys people without any declynyng eyther to the ryght hande or to the left Whiche thyng if he could not so throughly accomplishe as his moste earneste hertes desyre was I truste the almyghtâ—e god who hath prouided and sent vs your highnesse a moste woorthye soonne to succede suche a woorthye father wyl by his especial grace illumine your herte to procede in the way of trueth whiche your father hath opened vnto you wyl geue you grace al thinges to perfeâ—cte whiche your father moste godly begaÌ„ne to your handes And although to maynteine vpholde conserue that kyng Henry prepayred and hath nowe lefte to your gouernaunce is of it self so muche matter of immortall honour renoume that it wer enough for any kyng to dooâ— yet hath God prouided that ye shall not haue cause to â—aie as AlexaÌ„der the great conqueâ—our whan he considered the great manyfold actes of his father Phylip kyng of Macedonie said My father wil leaue nothing for me to doe For god of a veraie pietye that he had on kyng Henries vncomparable the same vnceaâ—â—auÌ„t trauaylles for the publique behouf welth of Englande long yeres susteined tooke hym awaie from this troubleous worlde as soone as he had prepaired your Grace in a readinesse by due successioÌ„ of inheritauÌ„ce to receyue at his haÌ„des the sceptre croune of his royalmes dominions God by a special dispeÌ„sacioÌ„ breake of the course of his life ere al thinges wer brought to a ful perfeccioÌ„ because he would declare hymselfe to haue appoynted your Maiestie not to lyue altogether in a carelesse supmitie but in a perpetual exercise of al princely vertues that ye might consuÌ„mate finishe suche regall enterpryses as he begoonne partely in other worldly affaires especially coÌ„cernyng the redresse of abuses in matters of religioÌ„ Kyng HeÌ„ry was the Moses whoÌ„ God elected stoutly to deliuer vs out of the haÌ„des of the Romishe Pharao to conueigh vs through the read sea of the waueryng iudgemeÌ„tes of meÌ„ the troubleous sourges of the popishe generacioÌ„ swelling rageyng agaynst him and through the wildrenesse of beyng lefte alone destitute of the assisteÌ„ce or coumforte of other ChristeÌ„ princes whiche in this so noble and so godly an enterprise might laudably haue sette in foote with him through this wildrenes to coÌ„ducte vs as ferre as the laÌ„de of Moab but ye are the Iosue whom god hath appoynted to bryng vs into the lande of promissioÌ„ flowyng and reÌ„nyng wyth milke and honey to sette vs Englishe men in the lande of Canaan which is the sincere knoweleage the free exercise of Goddes moste holy woorde He was the Moses who by goddes ordeinaunce dispensacion wrote the booke of Deuteronomie whaÌ„ he caused the holy Byble to bee turned into Englishe laied it in the tabernacle whaÌ„ he coÌ„mauÌ„ded thesame to bee â—aied in al singular the churches throughout his Royalmes dominioÌ„s chargeyng the Leuites that is the Byshops Pastours Curates in the time of the free yere that is at al due conuenient seasons to read and declare it vnto al the people gathered together both meÌ„ women chyldren yea the straungiers that were in any his cities that they might heare learne and feare their lorde God But where some of the priestes yâ— soÌ„nes of Leui had now in these last yeres through their iugleyng theyr false packyng and their playn sorcerie bewitched kyng Henry with a wrong persuasion had so craftily couÌ„paced and conueighed the matier that vnder the pretence coulour of religion they kept the worde of God froÌ„ the iyes and eares of the people beatyng his moste faythfull louyng subiectes froÌ„ the knowleage therof wyth a mortal whyppe made of sixe deadly knotted chordes in the meane tyme kept the booke of the lawe hiddeÌ„ vntyll they had so ferre obscured derkened oppressed the worde that all thynges were â—eplete with errour and insinceritie it now euidently appereth your Maiestie to be the faythfull Iosias in whose tyme the booke of the law is found out in the house of the Lorde by your moste godly iniunccions read in the hearyng of all your people and a couenaunt made with the Lord that they shal walke after the Lord shal kepe his commauÌ„dementes with al their hertes al their soules wherunto all your people moste willyngly dooeth consent by glad receyuyng of all suche good ordre reformacion as by your Maiesties moste godly direccion is mynistred vnto them Your most noble father was the Dauid who of a good hert zele entended yea made mocioÌ„ to build an house for the Lordes name but we all trust yâ—ur highnes to be the Salomon whoÌ„ god hath appointed and by special dispensacion elected to build finishe an house for him for euer by restoryng establishyng the true Christian religion Which thyng that your Maiestie maye haue the grace spirite to doe ye lacke not the perpetual wyshinges and prayers of al your most louyng and obedient subiectes The world seyng these your moste princely begynnynges in this your tendre yeres of chyldehood is confirmed in a sure hopâ— and expectacion that your Maiestie wil in proces of time growe to bee in this behalfe a veray Phenix emong Christian princes a mirrour and spectacle vnto them all And certes your Maiestie is in muche other case theÌ„ other kinges of England before your tyme haue been For where the frowardnes oâ— fortune beyng suche that moste parte of thynges lyke as they are through her aide and fauoure easie to bee achiued so the same through her malignaunt wiâ—kedenes are more easie to be lost again it deserueth no lesse but rather more glorie wel to kepe and maintein thynges wel gotteÌ„ theÌ„ to acquyre more to it some of your moste woorthie progenitours haue had a â—eadye path-way to renoume and haue had but an easie trauail to succede folow the prince nexte afore goyng in the laudable exauÌ„ple of politique regimente
the lordes ouer suche as be vnder their obeysaunce and subieccion And they whiche are great men among the heathen do exercise their power and authoritie ouer them that they haue rule and gouernauÌ„ce of Beware there be no suche thyng among you Here a desyre to helpe the neyghbour maketh a man greater and not the desyre of worldly prefermeÌ„t Therfore as I haue also taught you before tyme whoso desyreth to bee great in very dede among you let the same be your minister let him I say not exalte himselfe to beare rule but humble himselfe to do all men good And whosoeuer will be chiefe among you let the same be the seruaunt of all the rest let him not chalenge any soueraignitie or preeminence but serue to th ende he may do all men good not sekyng hereby his own honour but referring all the whole prayse and glory vnto God whom he serueth in his meÌ„bres Let it not greue you to counterfaite the ensample whiche you see plainly expressed in me For the sonne of man came into the world not to rule nor to lay the yoke of bondage vpoÌ„ other mens neckes but to be a minister for euery mans saluacion and not onely to serue for all mens wealth coÌ„moditie but also to geue and bestowe himselfe for the enfranchisyng of boÌ„dmen to this ende that by the death and losse of one a great many shoulde be saued Of a truthe this is the very Euangelyke and chrystian soueraigntye whiche whoso will desyre let hym desyre it as I doe and loke for a rewarde not suche a one as he appoynteth vnto himselfe but suche as it shall please the father to geue hym lyke as I without condicion obey my fathers commaundementes euen to the crosse wholy referryng the rewarde of myne obedience vnto his wyll and godly arbitrement It shal be a great shame for you to desyre dignitie as you see worldly prynces doe and to seke for a rewarde of the father of heauen Eyther desyre you the kyngdome of heauen and loke after an heauenly rewarde or els if you desyre this worldly kyngdome then require ye not the rewarde of the kyngdome of heauen With suche lessons and monicions they were before hande instructed and taught who went with Christ to Ierusalem For the cleuer that euery man is from all affeccions the better appointed is he to go to the battayle of the crosse ¶ And they came to Hierico And as he went out of the citie of Hierico with his disciples and a great numbre of people blynd Bartymeus the sonne of Timeus sat by the hye waie syde beggyng And when he hearde that it was Iesus of Nazareth he began â—o crie and saye Iesus thou sonne of Dauid haue mercy on me And many rebuked him that he should hold his peare But he cryed the more a great deale thou sonne of Dauid haue mercy on me And Iesus stode styll and commaunded hym to be called And they called the blynd saying vnto hym Be of good comforte ryse he calleth the. And be threwe awaye his cloke and rose came to Iesus And Iesus answered and saide vnto him what wilte thou that I doe vnto the The blynd sayde vnto hym mayster that I might see Iesus sayde vnto hym goe thy waye thy faythe hath saued the and immediatly he receyued hys syght and folowed Iesus in the waye Nowe were they cum to the Citie of Hierico whiche is not farre from Ierusalem Hierico in the Syrian tong signifieth the Mone By the Mone is figured this present life whiche is nothyng els but the common course of the worlde where some be borne and some dye some be sycke and some be whole some growe towarde mans state and some draw in age sometymes chaunceth glad thynges and sometymes heauy For our cause Iesus came downe from that heauenly tranquilitie yet wyll he not tarry here but hasteth to Ierusalem being very desyrous of mannes saluacion And hitherto his disciples and with them a great multitude of people folowed him Marke well howe Iesus is euery where as he is called Eyther he teacheth or healeth or els restoreth to lyfe agayne What his deathe shoulde cause through the beliefe of the ghospell that was preached he shewed nowe plainly by a corporall fygure Mankynde was blinde through ignorauÌ„ce of the trueth poore and beggerly for lacke of all vertues Unlesse Iesus had passed by vs there had bene no hope of lyght For a certaine blynde begger well knowen of the people called Bartymeus the sonne of one Timeus sate by the hyghe wayes syde who when he perceyued hym to cum began to crye and saye Iesu the sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon me Fyrst the bruite or preaching of the Ghospell sheweth vs that Iesus passeth by then the great confidence whiche we straightwaies conceiue of hym will not suffre vs to holde our peace when he goeth by For the synner knowledging and confessyng his wretched lyuing cryeth vpon the mercyfull sauiour and desyreth hym to take mercy and compassion vpon hym He is at the nexte dore to lyght whoso knowleageth his owne great blyndnes To saye Lorde haue mercy vpon me is not a saying of the Phariseis who thought themselues to be men of a perfite syght but an euaÌ„gelike and a christian saying Neither vse the Phariseis to saye O thou sonne of Dauid For they say is not this the carpenters sonne That blynd man sawe a great-deale more in the darke then the Iewes do at this present day whiche boast bragge vpon the knowledge of the lawe professe themselues to be guydes of the blynde But the multitude of people is an impediment and hynderaunce to the sely wretche thus crying and calling for mercy For what other thyng can they do but disturbe and trouble His conscience also cryeth out against hym not with one voyce but with as many as are the offences that he knoweth hymselfe giltie of saying what hast thou to doe with Iesus whiche art defyled with so many synnes The lawe cryeth and barketh against hym saying thou cryest in vaine God is iust loke after punishement for thyne offences The rulers of the Synagoge crye out againste hym commaundyng that no man preache no nor be so hardy as once to name this name Iesu saying there is no healthe and saluation in Iesu but in Moyses To be shorte the same thyng doe the Philosophers and heathen princes But that a man may knowe a very euangelike and christen faithe in this blynde man he gaue not ouer when the people thus cried against hym insomuche that being rebuked and commaunded to holde his peace he cryed louder then he did before saying Thou sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon me The people were offended with his crying Iesus alone was nothing offended herewith but stode styll and commaunded hym to be called vnto hym He hearde hym crye as he passed by but he made as though he had not heard hym This came not of any daungerousnes on Iesus behalfe but was
euery side dryue cleane awaye the darkenesse of all the Gentyles and that thy people Israell mighte haue whereof not without good cause to glorye thy people Israell I saye beyng in true dede thy veraye owne not after the fleshe onelye wherehence in dede the begynnyng of thys saluacyon hathe proceded but after a spirituall kynred whiche is acquired and purchased throughe the faythe of the ghospell For suche an one veraylye is to bee called by the name of Israel whosoeuer earnestly fixeth deuout and godly iyes vpon this same lyght and with the violence of faythe forceablye breaketh into the kingdome of heauen In tymes paste hitherto the people of the Iewes hath gloryed and made all their vaunte vpon Abraham Isaac and Iacob they haue gloryed and made great vauntes of Moses of theyr temple and of the prophetes but now from hensforth the gostly Israel which is here and there in suÌ„dry places dispersed throughout all the worlde shall glory on thy sonne whome thou hast vouchsalued to sende after all the others here mencyoned as one that in greatnesse in vertue and in power is ferre aboue them all Nowe at thys presente in dede he lyeth hidden in a corner not knowen as he ought to bee but of veraye fewe persons but in tyme to come the lighte of hym shall blase abrode and he shall with hys bryghte shynyng beames lyghten all quarters and coastes of the worlde And his father mother meruelled at those thinges whiche wâ—re spoken of him And Simeon blâ—ssed them and saied vnto Marie his mother beholde this childe is set to bee the falle and vprising again of many in Israell for a signe which is spoken against And moreouer the swâ—orde shal perce thy sâ—ule that the thoughtes of many hertes may be opened Nowe the mother of the infaunte and Ioseph seeyng all thys to bee spoken of the olde manne Simeon by the inspiracion of the spirite of god conferring it also with the other thinges that had gone afore said neuer a worde but merueyled in theyr myndes what the olde mannes wordes might meane But Symeon whan he had blissed the chylde and also had prayed god to sende the parentes muche ioye of hym turnyng hymselfe vnto Marie sayde vnto her This sonne of thyne although he hath bene geuen vs of god to the ende that he may geue vnto all persons euerlasting saluacyon yet through the defaulte of manne it shal so chaunce that lyke as he shall lift vp to the hope of euerlasting health a great maignye whiche shall willingly enbrace the gifte of God euen so a greate number of the people of Israell vtterlye despysing the bounteouse goodnesse of god cummyng towardes them and offreyng itselfe vnto them shall bee cast downe to eternall damnacion For whan the trueth shal by thys thy sonne be opened and published manye shall fall whiche afore seemed to stande and many shall aryse vp that seemed to lye in the duste He hath bene looked for of all the Israelites but he shall not bee receyued of them all For he shall be set vp vnto all for a signe suche an one as neuer hath yet beene set vp sence the beginning of the world but yet shal he be one that shal haue many a man to speake agaynst him deny him The Phariseis the Scribes the bishops shal make much murmuring and prating against him the vnbeleuers and heritiques shall make muche clamouring and roryng agaynst hym And so muche sediciouse brablyng shall from euery place bee reysed agaynste hym that euen thou thy selfe shalte not bee withoute some parte of the euilles that shall come For the crueltie of them shall not lyght vpon suche persones onely as shall beleue on thy sonne but also thy verye owne hearte and soule shall the sweorde of doloure and gryefe perce Suche a sygne hath it pleased God to shewe furth before the iyes of al menne that the cleare light of the trueth being once shewed furth to shine abrode the thoughtes of men might and should be discouered which afore laye hidden in theyr heartes and that the course of thinges shoulde in suche wyse be turned the contrarie waye as the thyng selfe might playnelye declare that they were ferre of from the true ryghteousnesse which in the sight and iudgemente of men semed to sit euen in the high chaire of righteousnesse and suche to bee manifestelye founde wieked as had gotten and taken into theyr owne handes the doctryne and teachyng of true relygyon towarde god and contrarye wise suche as afore were reputed for men ferre out of the waye of true religion and godlinesse might be playnely declared to haue bene muche more nere vnto true relygyon then the others and suche as semed vnto the worlde to bee reiected and paste all grace or hope of recouery suche shoulde the vnfeigned readynesse of beleuing in god admitte and leatte in firste of all to the kyngdome of heauen The Scribes and the Phariseis haue contynually Messias in theyr mouthe they haue the lawe euermore in theyr mouthe they haue ryghteousnesse alwayes in theyr mouthe they keepe often and muche in the temple they tarrie long in theyr prayers they faste often they walke vp and downe notably besene with theyr brode phylacteryes but they hide in theyr heartes a thyng ferre contrarye to that that they shewe in outwarde semblaunce But the wily and wicked thoughtes of suche the light of the trueth of the ghospell whan it aryseth shall playnely fynde out and detecte Publicanes harlottes and sinners are by these counterfaictes of holyenesse debarred from all sacres or holy rites of the temple But suche shall god receiue firste of all into the kyngdome of heauen The Gentiles whiche haue bene geuen to idolatry sodaynly chaunging theyr life shal with gredy zeale affeccion enbrace the doctrine of true godlynesse the Phariseis and Bisshops in whose handes and power the keye of the â—awe and of relygyon dyd reste shal with most obstinate endeuoure resist it and be agaynst it The night hath no perfect iudgemente of thinges but ofte times in stede of the thynges selfes it sheweth to the iye the onely shadowes and vayne counterfaites of thinges but the sunne whan it is vp and geueth cleare lyghte it dryueth awaye all blinde casting of mistes before mennes iyes shewing euery thyng in his owne likenesse and geuing to euery thing hys owne coulour All this dyd that same godly olde manne speake reioysing and making glad chere from the botome of his hearte whiche the holy ghoste had throughly enspired ¶ And there was a prophetiâ—â—e one Anna the daughter of Phanuell of the tribe of Aâ—er whiche was of a greate age and had lyued with an housbande seuen yeres from her virgynitie And she had bene a wedowe about fower score and fower yeres whiche departed not from the temple but serued god with fastinges and prayers nyghte and daye And she came furthe that same houre and praysed the Lorde and spake of hym to all them that looked for
the soure pestilent fruites of euyll workes that is to wete pride wrathfulnesse auarice enuie hypocrisie contenciō Now if ye be in very dede tourned from euil trees into good trees bryng ye forth good fruites suche as maye testyfy your hertes to be truly altered into a better frame It is not here now requisite nor any thing material that ye chaūge your garmētes or to leaue take this or that kind of meat but ye must chaūge the euill lustes of your hertes This is in very dede the roote of the tree which roote if it haue a bitter and a venemous sape thā spring there none but euill fruites out of the braūches but contrariwyse if the roote minister sende vp a pleasaūt holsome sape to the boughes than do there grow forth vpon the braunches those fruites of the spirite that are semely for god worthy acceptacion that is to wete entier loue instede of hatred for bitter frouning godly ioye and lightnes of hert for discord peace for fiercenes sufferaunce for snatchyng and polling liberalitie for lecherousnes chastitie for deceitful craftines simplicitie and plain dealyng for presūpteous taking vpon him humble sobrenes for supersticion true godlynesse These are the thynges whiche declare who be the true and vncounterfayted Iewes these be the thynges that declare who be circumcysed as they ought to be and who are the verye true chyldren of Abraham in dede these sacrifices they are that god is delyted withal Now is the lyght at hande let shadowes passe awaye the truthe is in place away with al counterfait hipocrisie doe away your vayne confydence whiche the fygures of ghostely thynges haue nouryshed in you and not the thinges selfes as for exaumple whan ye say in the way of gloriyng Hierusalem that holy citie of ours the lordes tēple the lordes temple the lordes tēple also such figures of thinges as here foloweth that is to wete slaughter of bruite beastes in sacrifice ordeining and solemne halowing of sabboth dayes obseruyng of newe moones choice and difference betwene one meate an other brode borders vpō vestures which ye call your philacteries fastyng and abstinence with heuinesse louring of countenaunce the resydue of obseruaunces a great manye whiche eyther the lawe did for a tyme prescribe and apoint as figures of thinges to be referred to the mynde or els the Phariseis haue inuēted for a vain pretense of holines al these thynges euery one with circumcision it self and altogether shal ceasse and be abolyshed And suche an one shall from hensfoorth bee esteemed for a Iewe of the right sorte whatsoeuer he be that shall confesse and acknowelage him whose comyng shall now ere long be seen to the world And suche an one shall bee taken for a man rightly circumcised as he shoulde bee whosoeuer shall haue an herte pourged through fayth from all inordinate lustes and desires Let it therfore no more enter into your hertes to thynke with your selues vaingloriously It is we that are the heritage the succession and children of Abrahā it is we and none els to whom the inheritaunce of saluacion hathe been promised the Lorde wyll not forsake vs that are his people Naye I say vnto you that like as the wickednesse of your forefathers shal be nothing preiudiciall nor hurtful to you in case ye amend and take better waies euen so shall the holinesse of your progenitour Abraham nothyng auayle you yf ye wyll still continue in your olde vngodlinesse Ye will be caste away ye will surely bee disherited ye will vtterly perishe to eternall damnacion onlesse beeyng conuerted and turned to better life ye bryng foorthe suche fruites as maye semely and worthily stand with the ghospell Neither shall Abraham be destitute of posteritie or succession nor god want a people of his own of whō to bee condignely wurshipped and serued and to whom to performe the inheritaunce by him promised though ye should shrinke and fall awaye from him For this dare I be bolde to auouche and assure vnto you God is not vnhable but hath power enough euen of these stones here to reise vp chyldrē vnto his frēde Abraham to whom he promised issue and successiō like in noumbre to the sandes of the sea to the sterres in the skye In time herafter to cum the children of Abraham shal be estemed accepted not after the kinred of bloud but as euery one shall folowe and resemble Abraham in faith Abraham shal acknowelage and accepte for his children euen the Sogdiās the Gotthyans and the wylde Scythians if they embrace Messias shall coumpte and repute you for aliens and straunge borne bastardes onlesse ye turne to the faith beleue God hath hitherto shewed paciēce sufferaūce towardes you though ye haue but euē so so brought forth the outward fruites of the lawe such as they wer that is to say sacrifices vowes fastīges washinges difference of meates and paryng away of the foreskin in circūcision But these thinges had no more but superficially an outward apparaunce of religion And these are but leaues of the tree detestable afore God except the fruites of the spirite bee ioyned therewith But nowe from hensfoorth shal euery body be estemed according to the true treasures of the hert the soule euen as they shal be founde good or euill Now is there cum a more streight and precise iudgemente of God and cum he is that seeth the botome of the depest secretes of the herte For now is the axe euen ready set hard by the roote of the tree that hath so long time been suffered Abrahās people shal be hewed away frō the stem therof the heathen so many as in prompte readynes of beleuing shall resemble Abraham shall be graffed in their places Moses had no eare geuen vnto him the prophetes were not harkened vnto of whome a great many ye slew and put to death at the voyce of the lawe ye haue hitherto been of dull and deaf eares nowe is he cum whose greater there can none be sēt and after whom there is none to bee loked for Utter peryshing for euer hangeth ouer the whole nacion of the Israelites ▪ except ye repente betime and grow to more goodnesse For euery tree whiche shall not now bryng foorth the good frute of faith shal be felled downe and cast into the fyer Meane is there none nor respect is there none but either through true godlynes to make haste vnto euerlastyng saluacion or not so doyng remediles and vtterly to be damned for euer And the people asked him saiyng what shal we do thē He aūswereth saith vnto thē he that hath two coates let him part with him that hath none and he that hath meat let him do likewise The common multitude of the Iewes beeyng sore adrade with these terrible and manacing woordes of Iohn saied vnto him If it be so as ye saie what thynke ye than good for vs to dooe wherby to auoyde and escape the
recite all will make relacion but of a certaine noumbre of places gathered out of that same blissed talkyng of Christe with the sayed two disciples Whiche places would God that the Iewes would at leastewyse euen now at last geue eare vnto and would leaue looking for any other Messias and would with earnest zele and affeccion embrace this man Iesus who is geuen to the worlde an onely salueour and redemer whereby they myght be saued and myght be made free yf not from the empire of Cesar yet at leastewyse which is a more blissefull thyng from the tyrannie of the deuill that they myght with theyr captaine Christe atteyne the kyngdome not of this worlde whiche is fraile and transitorie but of heauen whiche knoweth none ende As for Moses saied he the Iewes doe in maner no lesse then wurship as a certain God because he cōducted and brought the people of Israel out of Egypte and deliuered vnto them in deserte a lawe through the obseruing and kepyng wherof they should atteyne deliueraunce safegard and should come to a lande flowing with honey mylke But thissame Moses what other thing was he but a certain shadowe of Christe to come For he was not the sonne of God but the seruaunt ▪ nor he did not in veray true dede deliuer the people seeyng that they were afterward in bondage vnder the king of Babilon nor he was not vtterly without synne no nor neuer entred in his owne persone into the lande vnto the whiche he was a guide and captayne to the people And in case he had entred it had been no great matter seeyng that there be idolatres enhabiting in the selfe same lande euen at this present daye All these thynges beeyng vnderstanded after the fleshe doe conteyne no great matter in them But Christe is thatsame true and right Moses who by his owne propre power doth deliuer not the Hebrewes onely but also all the vniuersall nacions of the worlde as many as doe put theyr affiaūce in him all suche doeth he deliuer from the vengeaunce and stroke of God he deliuereth them from the tyranny of the deuill he deliuereth them from the derkenesse of errours he deliuereth them from the abhominable bondage of synnes and whan he hath first clensed them with his owne bloud he bryngeth them forth into the fredome of the spirite beyng to them a perpetuall guyde and coumpanion also vntill he bryng them through and past all the daūgiers of this presente lyfe vnto thatsame heauenly lande aboue plenteously flowyng and rennyng ouer with all kindes of blisse and felicitie He is the true Moses who made a lawe ghostely and euangelicall whiche lawe should not teache a corporall righteousnesse through ceremonies sacrifices of beastes but should geue true and perfeite righteousnesse through feith and charitie And that suche an one should spring vp Moses himselfe foresayed For thus speaketh he in the Deuteronomie The Lorde thy God shall reise vp vnto thee a Prophete of thyne owne nacion and of thine owne brethren as he hath doen me him shalt thou heare And forthwith euen in thesame Deuteronomie the Lord confirmeth the promisse of Moses saying I shall reise vp vnto them a Prophete out of the myddes of their brethrē lyke vnto thee and I shall put my woordes in his mouth and he shall speake vnto them all the wordes that I shall cōmaunde enioyne him to speak Ye haue here the prophecie of Moses now compare the thing with the prophecie There sprang vp none after Moses which hath by any meanes eagually matched him in authoritie sauing only Iesus Christ who hath in suche wise resembled Moses that he euery waye ferre passed Moses He was the maker of a newe testament but thesame testamente for euer to endure And this testamente hath he consecrated not with the bloud of a calfe but with his owne bloud He was the maker of a newe lawe but it was such a lawe as should bryng present helth Moses was but the ministre and seruaunt of God but this Christ was his sonne and came downe from heauen and taught those thynges whiche he sawe aboue with his father as one hauing within himselfe a perpetuall vncessaunte power to doe whatsoeuer his wyll is Moses vpon the mountayne talked with God in a cloude Christ hath proceded and come foorth from the brightenesse of his father Moses taught and deliuered the shadowes of thynges Christ taught and gaue the trueth Moses did in such sort make intercession for the sinnes of the people that hymselfe hath nede of an other mediatour for his owne offences Christ beyng clere from all synne pourged and clensed the sinnes of al ages times aswell past as to come Moses fasted fowertie daies Christ dyd thesame so that one might at leastewyse by that token knowe him to be the seconde Moses Moses brought the lawe firste downe from the mountayne Christe on the mountayne taught the perfeccionyng of the lawe whan he pronounced those straunge beatitudes neuer afore heard of He taught often tymes also in the temple whiche is sette in the mounte Sion whiche thing was doen according to the prophecie of Esai that sayeth The lawe shall come out of Sion the woorde of the Lorde from Hierusalem But at what tyme the lawe of Moses was made and geuen all thynges wer wholly replete with terrours for to snibbe hamper the hardenesse of herte that reigned in the people Christe came milde amiable rather then terrible conuincing them with reason prouokyng them with benefites alluryng them with mekenesse offreyng himselfe to all menne and readie for euery manne to geue them health and ouercummyng them with paciente suffreaunce And suche maner an one had the holy sayinges of the Prophetes afore promised that he should be For ye haue read what Esai hath wrytten I haue geuen hym my spirite that he may shewe foorth iudgemente and equitie emong the Gentiles He shall not be an out cryer nor lifte vppe hys voice his voice shall not be heard in the stretes And a brused rede shal he not breake the smokyng flaxe shall he not quenche but faithfully and truly shal he geue iudgement not be pensife nor carefull that he may restore righteousnesse vnto the earth and the Gentiles also shall kepe his lawes Againe the same Esai in a certain other place maketh Messias speakyng in this maner The spirite of the Lord God is vpon me for the Lord hath enoynted me and hath sent me to preache good tydynges vnto the poore that I myght bynde vp the wounded hertes that I might preache deliueraunce vnto the captiue and open the prieson to them that are bounde that I myght declare the acceptable yere of the Lorde and the daye of vengeaunce of our God that I myght coumforte all them that are in heauinesse that I myght geue strength of herte vnto them that mourne in Sion that I myght geue I say beautie in the stede of ashes ioyfull oynctement
age He dyed the three score and eight yere after the passion of the Lorde Iesu and was buried a lytle besyde thesame Citie The paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the gospell of sainct Iohn ¶ The first Chapiter BEcause the nature of God doeth passe beyond measure the weaknesse of mans wit although in other thinges it be right good and of quicke sight yet that diuine nature can neither be perceiued with our senses as it is in dede ne conceyued in mynde imagyned nor expressed with woordes And although in thinges create certain apparauÌ„ce of godly power wisdome and goodnesse is shewed and so it commeth to passe that the similitudes brought foorthe of those thinges whiche we dooe sumwhat perceyue with our senses and witte maye bringe vs into summe small and shadowelyke knowlage of incomprehensible thinges that we may behold theim as it wer in a dreame and a cloude yet that not withstanding no similitude maye bee taken out of any thinges create whether ye behold the Aungels the woorkemanship of the heauens or els these inferiour bodies whiche although they bee familiare to our senses neuerthelesse we cannot fully perceiue theim no similitude I say canne bee broughte foorth of any of these forsaied thinges whiche maye in all poynctes agree to the reason and nature of those thinges of the whiche for to attaine the knowelage those comparisons are brought in place Therfore it behoueth manne to apply all the study of his minde to this that he may rather loue the goodnesse of God then meruail at or comprehende his highnesse whiche neither Cherubin or Seraphin dooeth fully attayne to And although God cannot but bee meruaylous in all his workes yet he had rather be beloued of vs for his goodnesse then to be meruayled at for his excelleÌ„cy But the more full knowlage of the diuine nature is reserued in the worlde to come for theym whiche haue purged the iyes of their herte here through godlynesse of innocent lyfe No man knoweth the father as he is in dede but the sonne and suche as the sonne will manifeste him vnto Therfore to serche the knowlage of Goddes nature with mans reason is presumptuous boldenesse to speake of those thinges that cannot bee expressed with wordes is madnesse to geue iudgemente therof is wickednesse If we haue grace in the meane while to beholde any parte therof it is more truely comprehended with pure faith then with the helpe of mans wisedome And in the meane tyme it is enough for to attayne eternall saluacion to beleue those thinges of God whiche he did openly sette furth of himselfe in holy scripture by men chosen for that purpose whiche were inspired with his spirite and suche thinges as he hymselfe afterwarde being conuersaunt in yerth opened to his disciples and last of all hath vouchsaued to declare manifestly by the holy gost to the same disciples chosen for that entent To beleue these thinges simply and truly is christen wisedome to reuerence these thinges with a pure hert is true religion By these thynges to goe forewarde vnto the meditacion of an heauenly lyfe is godlynesse to continue and perseuer in these thinges is victorye to haue had the victorie by these thinges is the whole summe of felicitie But for man to serche of godly causes with mans reasons ferther then thinges is a certaine perilous and wicked boldnes And although it semed to be enoughy that was bothe trulye preached and set furthe in writinge of the other Euangelistes whiche declaring in order the natiuitie of Iesu Christe as concerning his manhed life deathe did affirme him to haue the true nature of man and ferthermore by declaringe his sermones rehersinge his miracles and resurreccion from death did so declare his godly nature as that time required speaking nothynge all that while of his diuine natiuitie by the whiche he was borne by an vnspeakable waye of his father without beginninge and refreyninge also to call him manifestly by the name of God to thintente that neyther the trueth should be hidden from those that were godly disposed and easy to be taughte neither occasion should be geuen to the weake and vntaught Iewes to go backe froÌ„ the doctrine of the ghospell whiche had vttrely perswaded themselfes by the tradicion of their elders and also out of Moyses holy bookes that the name of God could not bee rightfullye attributed but onelye to God the father whom they had alwaies wurshipped And besides that also leste the gentiles whiche did wurshippe innumerable goddes yea goddes made of men should haue taken occasion to continue in their peruerse errour if they had perceiued that in the ghospell the name of god had beene made common to many which thinge the â—ares of the Iewes not hable to receiue this mistery as thinkinge that name to bee approiprate but to one at the firste could by no meanes haue borne And the minde of the Gentiles beynge broughte vp in the opinion of many goddes coulde not at the firste bee perfeictly taughte that there were thre deuided in proprietie of persones of the whiche thre euerye one was very God and yet thre was but one God â–ª by the occasion of one godly nature whiche was common to all thre equally Yet thus it hath pleased God that to thintente the faith of the ghospell shoulde bee the more stablished he woulde haue it declared to mankinde by litle and litle as shoulde beste serue the time and mans capacitie So the nacion of the Iewes did wurshyppe God the father deuoutly many hundrethe yeres being ignoraunte bothe of the sonne the holy goste And the sonne of God himselfe whan he was herein yerthe averay man and as we can witnes did hungre thirste slepe sorowe wepe was displeased had compassion longe suffred to be reputed for none other but manne yea euen of his owne disciples Also after his resurreccion he would haue theim ignoraunt in some thinges In so muche that by the holy goste he did not open all thynges to them but those thinges onelye whiche helped forwarde the perswasion and beliefe of the euangelical doctrine and saluacion of mankinde For considering that the nature of godly thinges is in comprehensible yea to the highest wittes of men or Angels and the profession of the gospel pertainethe indifferently to all men the heauenlye father hath opened vnto vs so muche of godly thinges by his sonne as he hath willed to be sufficiente for the obtaininge of our saluacion Therefore it comethe of a certaine perilous presumpcion to affirme any thyng of the godly nature more then that whiche either Christ himselfe or the holy goste haue opened vnto vs. ¶ In the beginning was the woorde and the woorde was with God â–ª and God was the woorde But because in these daies as the wheate of gods woorde hath growen in the hertes of good folkes so also the cockle of the wieked hath ouergrowen whose cursed presumpcion hath braste out so far that some hath not ben afraide to take from Iesu Christe
But all those came of Goddes liberalitie and not of his owne nature that was geuen hym at the firste yet he was chosen and sente of God for this purpose that accordyng to the prophecie that was prophecied of hym before he myght beare witnes of that godly lyght whiche being couered with his manhed was conuersaunt in the worlde not as who say that he whiche was God and so declared before by the voice of the father shoulde nede mannes witnes but to thintent he might by all manier of meanes cause hymselfe to bee had in credit with the people he woulde that Iohn shoulde bee the goer before the lyghte as the day sterre appearing before sheweth the rysyng of the sunne to the woorlde And also that by his preachyng he shoulde prepare mennes mindes to receyue that lyght whiche shoulde immediatly come after And because synne is the lâ—t wherby the heauenly lyght is not admitted and receyued Iohn dyd allure and call all people to penaunce proclaming openly that the kyngdome of heauen was at hande for the firste degree or step to the lyghte is that men shoulde hate their owne darkenes And this Iohn was of so great auctoritie emonge the Iewes for the excellente holines of his liuinge that many toke him for Christe himselfe whereby Christ would the rather bee coÌ„mended to the Iewes by his witnes as that time required to thintente that litle by litle as men do commonly vse he might crepe into the mindes of the people for otherwise the meaner person is alwaye wount to bee commended by the witnes of the greater And Esay had promised that at Christes cuâ—ming there shoulde a certaine excellente lighte arise and springe vp to theym whiche did liue in darkenes and in the shadowe of deathe and for that cause before that Christe was notable by his miracles many suspected Iohn to haue been the light whiche was promised of the Prophete But Iohn was onelye the publisher before of the true lighte and not the light it selfe Therefore Christe as the oportunitie of that time serued did as ye woulde saye abuse both the errour of the Iewes and the auctoritie of Iohn to prepare the mindes of all men to the faithe of the gospell Truely Iohn was a certaine light that is to saye a burninge candle and geuinge lighte feruently burninge in godlines and geuing light by holynes of life neuertheles he was nor the lighte whiche should bring life to the whole worlde but the woord of God whereof wee doe speake at this presente was that true light euer proceding from God the father the fountaine of all light from whence what soeuer is lightsome in heauen and earth boroweth his lighte what sparke of witte what knowlage of trueth what light of faith soeuer there be either emong men or Angels all the same cummeth from this fountaine ¶ That lyght was the true light which lighteth euery man that cummeth into the world As this worlde is blind without the sunne so all thinges are darke without this light The worlde also was full of darkenes on euery syde because sinne and abhominable errours did reigne in euery place And in the tyme of this darkenes there did often tymes shine foorth men excellent in holynes of lyfe as a lytell sterre in the moste darkest nightes and gaue some lyght as it were thorow a cloud howbeit they dyd it but to the Iewes only or to the borderers of Iewry but this true light geueth lyght not onely to one nacion but to all men that come into the darkenes of this worlde The Iewes went about to challenge this lyght seuerally to themselues because they thought it to be promised to theim onely for asmuche as touchyng the fleshe it dyd spring of theim and emonge theim but that light came to geue lyght to the hertes of all nacions of the whole world thorow the faith of the gospel Neither Scithian Iewe Spaniard Gothian Englisheman kynges nor bondmen be excluded from this lyght The lyght came to geue light to al men asmuche as lay in it but if any continue in their darkenes the faute is not in the lyght but in hym that frowardely loueth darkenes and abhorreth the lyght For the lyght shineth to al meÌ„ because none might pretend any excuse when willingly wittingly he perisheth thorow his owne faute As if a man shoulde get a knocke at noone daies because he woulde not lyfte vp his iyes ¶ He was in the world and the world was made by hym and the world 〈◊〉 hym not This woord of God was alwaies in the worlde not as who say that he whiche is without measure can bee contayned in any circuite of place but he was so in the world as the deuise of the workeman is in his woorke and as the ruler is in that thing he ruleth Also at that tyme this lyght dyd shine in the worlde sumwhat opening the godly power wisedom and goodnes therof by these thinges which were wunderfully creat by it and by this meanes it did then after a sorte speake to mankinde But many putting their felicitie in the visible thinges of this worlde whome for that cause of good righte our lorde Iesus did accustome to cal by the name of the worlde when he taughte them eternall thinges they beinge blinded with earthly affeccions did not acknowleage their maker The darkenes of mindes was so greate that the worlde knewe not the maker thereof but did wurship serpentes oxen goates lekes oynions yea that whiche is more vile then all these stockes stones dispising him of whome they had receiued both that themselfes were and all that they had ¶ He came emong his owne and his owne receiued him not They being accustomed to darkenes did abhorre the light and being blinded with sinne did enbrace deathe in stede of life yea and whan he did shewe himselfe more familiarly to the worlde being conuersaunt liuing in his manhed emonges men he was not knowen of them whiche had dedicate themselfes wholy to this worlde Neither is it any meruail though the gentiles beeynge woorshippers of ydols measuring all thinges by the commodities of this life being also ignorant of the prophetes and the lawe did not acknowleage him whiles he liued here in the shape of a man This is more to be meruayled at â–ª that when he came specially to his owne people to whome Messias had ben promised by so many prophecies of the prophetes to whom he had bene shadowed with so many figures of whom he had ben loked for so many hundreth yeares before which saw him do miracles heard his teaching yet they wer so far from receiuing of him that with fierce mindes they wente about his destruccion whiche came specially to saue them And procured that innocentes death who frely brought life to his enemies They sawe did not see heard and did not heare hauing intelligence did not vnderstand whiche thorow a froward study of the lawe did rise against him whom the
law had promised Therfore by their malice it came to passe that the light whiche brought eternall lyfe to the beleuers therof was to them occasion of greater blyndnes But their frowardnes could not hinder the health of theym that beleued in it but rather the blindnes of the Iewes made open way for the Gentiles to the lyght of the ghospel They which vnto that time were taken for the people of God which onely did boaste theimselues in the wurshipping of the true God in the religion of the lawe in the kynred of the fathers and in the promises of Gods testament turned theimselues from the sonne of god when he came to theim And therefore the Iewes being righteously caste out as rebels to the ghospell the grace of the ghospell remoued thence to the Gentiles that the course of thinges being altered they whiche before swelled in pride thorowe the false colour of religion shoulde openly declare their wickednes reiecting the sonne of him whom they wurshipped for God And on the other parte thei which before were vtterly contrary to true religion and dyd wurship beastes and stockes for their goddes shoulde enbrace the holynes of the ghospell by faith howebeit vpon this occasion the Gentyles were so admitted to bee saued by the ghospell that neyther the Iewes nor any other nacions at all shoulde be excluded from hauing entry therunto so they woulde put away their stubbernes and shewe theymselues obedience to faith which is the principall and onely gate to eternall saluacion But as many as receyued hym to theim gaue he power to be the sonnes of God euen them that beleued on his name And albeit many both of the Iewes and the Gentiles whiche loued the worlde more then God withdrewe themselfes from this lighte yet the cumming thereof was not in vayne Firste of all it did manifeste their infelicitie whiche thorowe their owne faulte did depriue themselues of so greate goodnes frely offered vnto them Neyther coulde any man doubte but that by the iuste iudge mente of God they shoulde be reserued to eternall deathe Furthermore it caused that of the contrary parte it shoulde more euidently appeare howe notable the liberalitie of God was to them which with a simple redy faith would receiue the woord of the gospel And for that cause he that was bothe the sonne of God and God did humble himselfe to our lowe estate to thintente that thorowe faith he might exalte vs to his highnes Therfore he toke vpon him the rebukefull misery of our mortalitie to make vs partakers of his godly glory Therefore also he woulde be borne a corporal man of the virgin to thintente we should be borne again spiritual of God and for that purpose he came downe into the earth to carry vs vp into heauen The stately scribes and pharisees the proud kinges and powers of the worlde the stoute and hau◠philosophers were reiected because they woulde not beleue But to this high dignitie were admitted men of lowe degre of litle estimacion without renoume vnlearned persons bondemen barbarous men and sinners whom the worlde hath in no estimacion at all of whom nothing is required but pure faithe neither cunninge nor noblenes of bloode nor yet the professyon of Moses lawe but all that did receyue this worde of what nacion or condicion so euer they were of his behalfe he gaue to theim this dignitie that they beinge graffed in Christ thorow faith and baptisme and hauing professed his name should be made euen the children of God that they mighte bee made by adopcion the same thinge whiche Christe was by nature And what can bee higher then this honour that they whiche before were the children of the deuill inheritours of hell shoulde thorowe faithe onely be made the children of God the brethren of Iesu Christe and coinheritours of the kingdome of heauen As touching the flesh we were all borne the children of wrath of our firste father Adam but by the worde of God we be released from that sinfull kinred touching the spirite we be happily borne again of God by Iesu Christ. Which wer borne not of blood nor of the will of the fleshe nor yet of the will of man but of God For finally God takethe for his children not suche as bee borne the children of Abraham by mans sede or actuall luste in generacion but those that be borne of God by faith Our first father Adam had begotten vs after an vnfortunate and miserable sorte for he begate vs to deathe and hell Moreouer they whiche are borne touchinge the carnal birthe bee not all borne to one estate for some he borne to a kingdome some to bondage But Christe Iesus the auctor of our newe generacion doth regenerate al men without difference to like dignitie that the bondage of sinne and the misery of mortalitie put awaye thorow faith and grace they may be made children of the lyuyng God And the same woorde became fleshe and dwell emong 〈◊〉 Neyther is it any meruail though man be transformed after a sorte into the felowship of the godly nature seyng the woord of God did submit it selfe for this cause to take our fleshe that is to say a mortall body of the virgine ioyning together in himselfe two thynges moste vnlyke God and manne what thing is more frayle or more vile then mans fleash and what thing is more mighty or more excellente then God Neuer meruaill that these thinges were knit to gither It was God that did it Neither mistrust that men may be made the children of God seynge he loued vs so that for our sake he himselfe would be made the sonne of man doubtles he toke vpon him no fantasticall body for who coulde loue a vain vision or a disceitful illusion but truely he toke vpon him the body of a manne that is to say the full and perfect nature of man abhorring not so muche as that parte wherby we be subiect to death and dooe very litel diffre from the kinde of brute beastes And he bacame not man for a small time redy by and by to put awaye that thinge whiche he had taken but to proue assuredly that he toke his manhed not deceitfully or vnder a colour he was long conuersaunt in earth he was hungrie thirstie diuers waies punished suffred death was seen with iyes hearde with eares and touched with handes And to thintent this dignitie should alwaye remaine with mankinde the godhed hauing the manhed with it and in it being glorified sittinge on the righte hande of the father allmighty dooeth stil dwell in vs. And we sawe the glory of it as the glory of the onely begotten sonne of the father full of grace and trueth Neuertheles he lacked not his godly maiestie when he in his manhed walked here in earth for we whiche liued familiarlye with him are witnes that he was both God and man we haue seen him hungry athirst slepinge wepinge vexed and dyinge We haue hearde him speake with the voice of a
voyce of the Prophetes we haue been enstructed to godlinesse by the prescript and appointmente of the lawe we haue been forbidden to dooe eiuill and for that we haue receiued as it were the shadowe of true religion Nowe doeth euen very he offre to all men more plenteous grace who thorowe the faythe of the ghospell pardoneth freely all synnes and geueth euerlasting life to theim that deserued death For Moses whose auctoritie is had emong you as a thing halowed or consecrate is no manier of waye to bee compared to hym Moses was onely the pronouncer and setter furth of the lawe but not the auctor and he brought a lawe vneffectuall sharpe and hard the whiche with figures and shadowes might bee as it were a preparacion to the light of the ghospell that should come after and thesaied Moses lawe should rather make synnes to bee knowen then take them awaye yea and to say trueth shoulde rather make a way to health then geue health or allure vs with promises But nowe in steade of the straytnesse of the lawe grace is geuen by Iesu Christe whiche thorowe faith of the ghospell frely and wholy forgeueth all men their synnes He hath geuen the lawe of trueth in steade of shadowes wherof he hymselfe is not onely the declaâ—â—â— but also the auctor as he vnto whom God the father hath geuen all power No man hath seen God at any time the onely begotten sonne whiche is in the bosome of the father he hath declared him And truely these be the secretes of God the father these bee the hidde counsailes of the diuine mynde by the whiche it hath pleased hym that god shoulde become manne and after a sorte to make menne Godlike to mixe moste highe thinges with the lowest and to exalt the lowest vnto the hiest He dyd neuer fully open these thinges to any of our forefathers although he dyd sometyme shewfurth to them certain lytel sparkes of his lyght by Angels by dreames and by visions For no mortall man were he neuer so great did euer see God as he is in dede but couertly as it were in shadowe And although he dyd vtter in some parte to Moses to the Patriarkes and Prophetes a litell porcion of his secretes yet none but his onely begotten sonne dyd receyue this fulnes of grace and trueth who being made man did so come down to vs that neuertheles by his godly nature he doeth alway remaine in the bosome of God the father and as touchyng all thinges that pertayne to the obtayning of euerlastyng saluacion he hath declared vnto vs more familiarly and plainly without wrappyng or coueryng the thyng whiche he dyd signify to the other but partely or vnder a cloud and as it were in a slepe ¶ And this is the recorde of Iohn When the Iewes sente priestes and leuites from Hierusalem to aske him what art thou And he confessed and denied not and saied plainly I am not Christe When Iohn had often times priuely commended Christe by this maner of witnes then did he openly declare what maner of man he was doing the dutie of a pure honeste seruaunte whiche neither woulde wrongfully take vpon him the honour of his maister wheÌ„ the Iewes woulde haue geuen it to him neither yet woulde depriue his saied maister thereof althoughe he knewe well inough that he shoulde not onely by that meanes leese the estimacion and auctoritie which alredy he had emong the Iewes but also it shoulde cause them to enuy him muche because they had rather haue geuen that auctoritie to Iohn whose birthe also was famous notable emonge the Iewes who for the dignitie that his father was of beinge a head prieste was the more highly estemed of theim who for the straungenes of his diet his wearinge of Camell skinnes his beinge in wildernes his baptisme and the greate numbre of his disciples caused the people to haue him in admiracion whereas Christe for the basenes of his kinred by reason of his trade of liuing and apparell nothinge differing from the coÌ„mon vse of people at that time was litel set by therefore seing that poore Christ himselfe did not contente the proud Pharisees yea and they began sum what to enuy Iohn only because he had commended Christe in his preaching the said Pharisees sent from Ierusalem priestes and leuites being men of great auctoritie to enquire of Iohn before the multitude who he was of whom the iudgemente of the people did somuche vary For some said that he was Christ that shoulde deliuer the whole nacion of the Iewes from seruitude Some supposed him to be Helye whom according to Malachies prophecie they thought was come again to be the goer before of Messias to come As touching Christe very fewe regarded hym because both his parentes himselfe liued barely and poorely yet neuertheles some began to enuy hym And so the crafte of the Pharisees did then goe aboute this thyng to thintent they might frame Christ to their euill desires Whiche thing they thought shoulde be brought to passe if he had not been alowed but by theyr auctoritie profe for if he had taught thinges repugnaunte to theyr affeccions and vices they woulde haue disalowed and taken away his auctoritie emong the people whose doctrine they had perceyued shoulde hinder theyr commodities This is the folishe policie of worldely wisedom But Christe whose doctrine is all heauenly woulde not haue any part of theyr humain auctoritie to be mixe with his euangeliall doctrine Some of the Iewes also did trust it should come to passe that Iohn although he wer not Christ yet would accept so honorable a name that was willingly offred him They being bondmen most addict geuen to glory did know wel inough that moste holye men be soone deceiued with this pestilence of vainglorye they were not ignoraunt how muche all that nacion woulde haue reioyced if Iohn woulde haue taken vpon him the name of Messias â–ª which already a good part of the Iewes did willingly attribute to him If he had taken it vpon him emonge the people they had occassion wherby they might exclude Christe whom they hated for his poore estate if he had taken it vpon him they woulde furthwith haue falsely accused him Therefore they aske Iohn before the people by the auctoritie they had of the Priestes Phariseis saying â–ª Who art thou for alredy they had begunne both to be greued with his auctoritie and sumwhat to enuy his good renoume He beinge well assured that they asked him these questions for the hatred they had to Christ did not byanby open vnto them his owne opinion as concerning Christ but did repell the false suspicion that they had touchinge himselfe whiche mighte haue hindred the glory of Christ among the people boldly contemning the glory of an vnrightful title did confesse that he was not Messias as many thought he had ben neither did he deny himselfe to bee that thinge he was in dede beinge redy to declare who he
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
But the houre cummeth and nowe it is when the true wurshippers shall wurshyppe the father in spirite and in the trueth For suche the father also requireth to wurship hym God is a spirite and they that wurship him must wurship hym in spirite and in the trueth The woman when she perceyued the rebukeful synnes of her life committed at home not to be hidden from Iesu beyng a straungier and also a Iewe who could not know by the reporte of menne that thing whiche he did disclose she shrynketh not awaye from hym as one confounded with shame neither is she with anger moued to answer him agayn spitefully but so muche the more she is inflamed to haue hym in great admiracion wheras if Iesus had spoken any suche thyng vnto the Phariseis they would haue cried out saied he is an enchaunter possessed with a deuill But what aunswere made this godly sinner the Samaritane Sir saieth she as I perceiue thou arte a prophete The feith of the woman was come to this poynte At the firste she calleth him but a Iewe and meruaileth that he did no more earnestly obserue the Iewes religion because that contrarie to the custome of other Iewes he did aske drynke of a Samaritane Anon after she calleth him Lorde Here nowe she attributeth vnto him the name of a Prophete because euen of himself he knew the secretes of other And at last she desyryng to learne certayne higher thynges of this prophete ceassed to speake of lowe and meane matters and propoundeth to him a question as a thyng to her thynkyng impossible to be assoyled concernyng the waie and maner how to wurship God because in this poynt the Iewes and the Samaritanes did very muche disagree For albeit bothe those kyndes of people did wurship one god yet the Iewes had an opinion that God should be wurshipped in no place but onely at Ierusalem in the temple as though God did no where els heare the desires of them that did praye Cōtrariwyse the Samaritanes with like supersticion but after another sorte denyed that God should be wurshipped in any place but in the mounte Garizim because that place was appoynted by Moses where the Patriarkes should blesse the people that kepte the commaundementes of God And forasmuche as both these nacions beyng wel pleased with their owne seuerall rites and customes did the one of them contemne the religion of the other the woman desyred to learne of Iesus as of a Prophete not ignoraunt in suche thynges whiche of those two nacions had the holyest waye in seruyng of God as one that would folow that waye whiche she should knowe to be best Therfore she sayeth Our elders wer wont to wurship God in this mount and they thinke it not lawfull to wurship hym in any other place where as you Iewes contrariewyse accoumpt it abhominable to do sacrifices in high places groues that it is not lawfull to wurship God any other where then at Hierusalem in the temple wherof they do glorie as though God were shut vp in a house builded with mans hand Because this question of the womā did apperteine to the learnyng of true godlynes Iesus openeth declareth to her howe that after the true and spirituall wurshippyng of god should be sette foorth by the doctrine of the ghospel the supersticious religion of the goddes and deuils of the Gentiles should be vtterly extinguished yea and also that the maner of the Samaritanes wurshyppyng of God should be abolyshed whiche had no suche iudgement of god as they ought to haue but toke hym to be as a certain special deuell and did mixe the wurshippyng of hym with the wurshippyng of deuils mingling and confounding together the wicked supersticion of the Gētiles with the wurshyppyng of God as a man should put fyer to water and folowing the saied Gentiles exaumple did their sacrifices in hye groues and mountaines And furthermore he shewed her that the Iewes religion which as the time required had been hitherto grosse and carnal and did rather represent certain shadowes of true godlines thē very godlines it selfe should encreace vnto more perfeccion that God being afterward more fully knowen through the sonne and the holy gost should be wurshipped not onely in Iurie but through the whole worlde yea that in more holy temples then the temple of Hierusalē was that is to say in the pure myndes of mē which God had dedicate vnto himselfe with his spirite and is not nowe to be pacified with the sauoure of burt offreynges of beastes but with holy prayers godly desires and chaste affeccions But before Iesus would open this misterie of the godlines of the gospel he speaketh first of feith without which none is mete to be a hearer of the euangelicall doctryne neyther fitte to be a wurshipper of Christes religion for faith only doeth purifie the hertes and maketh them apt to be put in trust with the secretes of heauenly wysedome Woman sayth he beleue me if thou take me for a Prophete in dede the time is come now when both the vnpure wurshippyng of the Samaritanes shal be abolyshed and also the carnall religion of the Iewes shall be turned into better neither shal ye herafter wurship the father in this mountayne who is not only the God of this mountayne but also of the whole worlde ne yet at Ierusalem but wheresoeuer shal be the congregacion of good godly people there shall hereafter be Ierusalem In the meane whyle we Iewes doe excell you in this behalfe that we wurship God whom we know by the lawe whom we doe confesse to be the Lord of all thinges all people nor we doe not defile the wurshipping of him who is only to be honoured with the wurshipping of other Gods You wurship you cannot tell what supposing God to be no bodies God but the Iewes your owne yea and ye take hym to be suche a one as would suffer hymselfe to be matched with deuyls wheras all godly honoure is due to hym alone The lawe hath taught the Iewes these thynges And by Gods commaundement there was a temple builded at Ierusalem to wurship one God therin which should be a fygure of the spirituall temple There were priestes ordayned also rytes and ceremonies of sacrifices as it were with certain shadowes betokening the holynes of the gospell Therfore the Iewes doe excell you herin that both we haue a better iudgement of God then you haue also that we doe not pollute or defile the wurshipping of him with any prophane wurshippinges of other Gods And moreouer we doe excell you in that we doe wurshippe hym in a place appointed of God himselfe with rytes ceremonies of his own teaching Howbeit in the meane while this our religion although it be not perfit yet it is as it were a step or furtheraūce toward perfit honouryng of God Therfore eternall health came firste of the Iewes to whom the Prophetes haue promised Messias to
come whiche by the meanes of the lawe haue the fygures and shadowes of the religion of the gospell Now the tyme is come that the false religion of the Gentiles must geue place and that both the carnall wurshipping must geue glace to the spirituall wurshipping of God and also the shadowes of the lawe to the light of the gospel For now I tell you the tyme is at hande yea it is alreadie presente when true wurshippers shall wurshippe the father not in temples not with beastes nor with bodily thynges but in the spirite not with shadowes but with trueth For God seyng he is a spirite is not delyted with the purenes of the body nor with the walles of the temple neyther yet to haue beastes offered in sacrifices but he loueth spiritual wurshippers of whom he may be wurshipped according to the spirite and trueth For there hath been hitherto enough attributed to the shadowes and figures of Moses lawe Hereafter whersoeuer there shal be a mynde pure from synne through the faith of the ghospel there shal be a worthy teÌ„ple for God Whersoeuer there shal be heauenly desiers pure praiers and holy thoughtes there shal be sacrifices wherwith God is pleased The woman sayeth vnto hym I wote that Messias shall come which is called Christe When he is come he wyll tell vs all thynges Iesus sayeth vnto her I that speake vnto the am he And immediately came his disciples and meruayled that he talked with the woman yet nâ— manne sayed what meanest thou Or why talkest thou with her The woman then left her waterpot and went her waye vnto the citie and sayeth vnto the men Come see a man whiche tolde me all thynges that euer I dyd Is not he Christe Then they wente out of the citie and came vnto hym The simple and pacient belefe of this woman of Samaria dyd so muche profite by the forsaid communicacion of Iesu that she nowe supposeth hym whom first she had called a Iewe then a Lorde and after a Prophete to be Messias himselfe For the Samaritanes also by the promyse of Moses dyd loke for that excellent Prophete to aryse come of the Iewes Therfore she aunswered after this sorte I knowe that Messias shall come whom the Iewes doe loke for of whom already there is a rumoure emong the Iewes Therfore when he shall come he shall declare vnto vs all these thynges whiche thou haste spoken concernyng the newe maner of the wurshippyng of God neither shall he suffre vs to be ignoraunte in any thyng Iesus perceyuyng the belefe of the woman apte to be taught and suche feruente desyre to knowe the trueth as he had not founde the like among his countrey men the Iewes he vouchesalueth therfore to opeÌ„ and declare vnto her who he was Thou lokest sayeth he for Messias to come be thou assured he is come and euen nowe thou seest hym for I that doe talke with the am he in dede And as soone as these thynges were spoken his disciples returnyng from the toune came thyther and before they came at hym perceyued that he talked with a woman of Samaria and dyd meruaile at his so great gentlenes Yet no manne durst aske hym what thyng he required of the woman or for what cause he had talked with her But the woman beyng amased with the saying of the Lorde Iesus did aunswer nothing at all but leauing her waterpotte at the well for nowe the thirsting for that water was clearely gon and forgotten after she had tasted of the water which Christe had promised she maketh haste towardes the citie and of a synful Samaritane sodenly became a messenger as it were an Apostle in that she doeth declare this thing openly to all folkes to thintent that the knowledge of many should coÌ„firme her feith Come saieth she and see a manne to be meruailed at one that knoweth all secretes who although he be a straunger and one that I neuer sawe before yet hath he tolde me all the secretes that I haue doen it is possible that thesame is Messias Trust not my woordes proue the thyng your selues and ye shall fynde me no lyar In the meane while his disciples prayed him saying Maister eate He sayed vnto them I haue meate to eate that you knowe not of Therfore sayed the disciples emongest themselues hath any man broughte him oughte to eate Iesus sayeth vnto them my meate is to do the wyll of hym that hath sent me and to finishe his worke Saye not ye there are yet fower monethes and than cummeth haruest Beholde I saye vnto you lifte vp your iyes and looke on the regions for they are all white alredy vnto haâ—uest and he that reapeth receyueth rewarde and gathereth fruite vnto life eternall that bothe he that soweth and he that reapeth might reioyce together And herein is the saying true that one soweth and another reapeth I sende you to reape that wheron you bestowed no labour Other men laboured and yeare entred into theyr labours Whiles the woman did bruite abrode this rumour emonges the citizens of Sychar in the meane tyme Iesus disciples supposyng hym to bee payned with houngre moued hym to take suche meates as they had brought But Iesus euery where takyng occasion to drawe men vp from the care of bodilye thinges to the desire of spirituall thynges lyke as he had allured and drawen the woman to the knowlage of the fayth of the ghospell by his speakyng of the water so by the occasion of meates he prouoketh his disciples that were as yet but ignoraunt to be diligent in preachyng the ghospel yea and peraduenture at that time he did not so muche thyrste for the water of the well and although he did so yet did he more desyre and thirst for mans saluacion neuertheles the affeccion of the woman whiche came to drawe water gaue him occasion of this godly coÌ„municacion In lyke maner although he was then hungrie in that he was a very man he was muche more hungrie to saue mankynde for which cause he descended from heauen Therfore he sayed vnto his disciples whiche moued hym to take his bodilye refeccion I haue other meate to eate sayeth he and suche meate as I delite more in then in that whiche you bryng me His disciples meruailyng what this saying mente and yet not bolde to aske their maister for reuerence they bare vnto hym leste he shoulde bee any thyng offended therewith talked thus emong themselues what meaneth he by this hath any other body whiles we were absent brought him any meate But Iesus because he would nowe imprint in theyr myndes the thynge whiche he had spoken before darkely sayeth nowe openly I passe very litle sayeth he vpoÌ„ this bodely meate There is an other kynde of meate which I do specially care for that is to saye to accomplishe that thyng for whiche cause my heauenly father hath sent me hither This is my houngre this is my thirst to go about the thyng which he hath
call againe the lyfe after it was once past as to kepe thesame in the body when it was ready to go out therof Therfore Iesus without rebuking the rulers fayth sheweth by the dede it selfe that he can doe much more then the ruler trusted that he could doe I nede not sayth he for this cause go to Capernaum Go thy waie thy sonne whom thou diddest leaue at the poynte of death is now aliue and in helth The rulers faith was somewhat stayed by this saying for he trusting to Iesus woorde maketh haste homewarde And as he was goyng thyther his seruauntes mette with hym to bryng the father good tidinges of his childe that is to saye that he whiche was a litle before at poynte of death was sodeinly recouered that he should not trouble Iesus of whose helpe they had no nede for they supposed that the childe had recouered his health but by hap as men that were ignoraūt what was doen betwene the ruler and Iesus In this poynt verily the rulers lacke of full trust being mixte with some hope caused the miracle to be better beleued For the ruler desirouse to knowe the trueth certaynly whether his sonne was restored to helth againe by chaunce or by the power of Iesu enquired of his seruaūtes at what houre his sonne began to amend Yesterday say they at the seuenth houre that was about one of the clocke at after none the feuer sodeinly lefte hym and byanby your sonne was whole The father knewe that euen at that very houre Iesus sayed vnto hym go home thy sonne lyueth and than he was well assured that his sonne was reuiued not by chaunce but through the power of Iesus And though this miracle was wrought vpon an heathen man yet muche fruite came therof for not only the ruler himselfe beleued that Christ was Messias but also by his perswasiō and exaumple his whole housholde beleued thesame which must nedes haue muche people in it considering that he was ryche and a manne of high autoritie wheras Iesus after he had wrought many miracles amongst his owne countreymē and kinsfolkes had muche a doe to wyn a fewe to the gospell This is the second miracle that Iesus wrought when he was come out of Iewry into Galile to the entent that he myght confirme agayne the former miracle whiche he had wrought in Cana with doyng an other that was greater then it and by the example of a prophane and heathen manne might prouoke his owne countreymen vnto fayth and did euen than by that occasion as it were pronosticate and signifie bothe that the Iewes should be repelled for theyr incredulitie and the Gentiles through faith receyued to the grace of the ghospell ¶ The .v. Chapter ¶ After this was there a feast daye of the Iewes and Iesus went vp to Ierusalem And there is at Ierusalem by the slaughter house a poole which is called in the Hebrue toungue Bethsaida hauing fyue porches in which lay a great multitude of sicke folke of blynd halt and withered waiting for the mouyng of the water for an Angell wente downe at a certain season into the poole and stired the water whosoeuer then first after the stirring of the water stepped in was made whole whatsoeuer disease he had AFter that Iesus had in this wyse begunne his matters among the Samaritanes and the people of Galile he goeth again to Ierusalem euen about the feast of Penthechost intendyng there by reason of the great resorte of people to declare setforth his autoritie to many and to reproue the Phariseis of their infidelitie whiche swelled in pryde through false perswasion of holines and knowledge whom nowe the Samaritanes heathen did so muche excell At Ierusalm verily there was a poole or a certayne depe lake of water whiche the Grekes calleth probatica takyng that name of cattell because the priestes were wonte there to washe the sacrifices that were to be offered and of a lyke reason it is called in Hebrue Bethsaida as a mā would say a slaughter house or an house of cattel This lake hath fiue porches ouer it In these porches lay a great numbre of men that were sicke of diuerse bodily diseases and besydes that there was a great multitude of folkes that were blynde that halted and were lame abiding and lokyng for the mouyng of the water for the Angell of the Lorde went downe at certaine times into the poole and therwithall the water was moued who so than after the Angell had stiered the water stepped first into the poole he was made whole were he sicke or whatsoeuer bodily mayme he had And euen at that tyme was this a figure of baptisme wherby the filthines and diseases of our soules be they neuer so deadly are washed away at once so often as the office of the baptiser Gods operacion from aboue be concurrant with the element of the water There is no doubte but by this occasion muche people at that time were in that place either of such as were gathered together there to beholde and see what was doen or els of them whiche dyd attende vpon the sicke folkes that lay in the fyue porches And a certayne man was there whiche had been diseased .xxxviii. yere when Iesus sawe hym lye and knewe that he nowe long time had been diseased he sayeth vnto hym wylt thou be made whole The sicke man aunswered him Syr I haue no man when the water is troubled to put me into the poole but in the meane time while I am aboute to come an other steppeth downe before me Iesus sayeth vnto him ryse take vp thy bedde and walke And immediately the man was made whole and toke vp his bed and walked And because the miracle myght be the more notable Iesus did chose out from among all the sicke folke one whiche was of them all furthest frō hope of recouery whose disease was dangerouse and almoste incurable and had also holden hym a long tyme finally the saied manne moste of all lacked the helpe and succour of other men was so poore that he was not able to prouide any man by whom he might at due tyme be caryed downe into the water Nor any one of the multitude was cured but only he whose chaūce was first to goe downe into the water This mans great misery must nedes setforth the greatnes of the miracle and thesame mans faith helped muche to the example of other For the palsie had vexed him .xxx. yeres together to teache vs that there is no disease of the soule so deadly and of so long cōtinuaunce but that baptisme and faith in Iesu may easily take it awaye Therfore when that moste mercifull Iesus had beholden this sicke mā of the palsey whom euery body pitied lying withall his membres looce shakyng by reason of that disease also perceyued that sickenes so muche the more to be dispayred of for that it had holden already the miserable creature thirtie yeres together
of man remain still aliue And to thintente also that the whole man shoulde like throughe me my father wylâ—eth thys thyng too that in the last day I shal restore the dead body also to lyfe For this is my fathers wyll that sente me euen by his soonne to geue â—ternall lyfe vnto all men and that not through Moses lawe but by faythe of the ghospell The father dooeth nothyng but by his sonne And therfore he that dooeth not acknowlage the soonne dooeth not acknowlage the father and whoso resisteth the sonne he also resisteth the father The father is inuisible but yet he is seen in his sonne Therfore whoso seeth the sonne acknoweledgeth hym and beleueth his woordes the saide soonne will not suffre hym to perishe but althoughe he bee deade in bodye he wyll rayse hym agayne in the laste daye accordyng to his fathers wylle that he so maye liue wholly both in bodie and soule in the presence of the soonne whome he gaue credite vnto The father hath geuen this power vnto the soonne that he maye restore euen the dead vnto life The Iewes then murmured at hym because he said I am the bread of life which came downe from heauen And they said Is not this Iesus the sonne of Iosephe whose father and mother we â—news How is it then that he saieth I came down from heaâ—â— â–ª Iesus aunswered and saied vnto them Murmure not among youre selfes No man can cumme to me excepte the father whiche sente me drawe hym And I wil rayse hym vp at the laste daie When Iesus had spoken these thinges the people whiche hytherto thorough hope of meate coulde metely wel away with his communicacion now seyng that they sawe their hope of bodilye sustenaunce was taken awaye they fell to quarellyng with hym to maligne against him And also whome they beeing sufficed with eatyng woulde haue made king him doe they no we contemne as a vyle persone â–ª and laie arrogancie to his charge not openlye as yet but murmuring emong theimselues chieflye at that saiyng whiche of all others they oughte to embrace that is to weâ—e I am the liuelye breade whiche descended from heauen They moste coueted and gaped for bodilye foode and with this saiyng they thoughte theimselues deluded and mocked where as in dede a thyng farre more excellent was offred them then they loked for Certes the infirmitie of his manâ—ed offended theim whiche they onely looâ—â—â— vpon with bodily iyes when as they myght bothe of his dooynges and sayinges haue seene the power of god in hym yf they had had iyes of faythe Is not this man saye they Ioseph the carpenters sonne whose father and mother we knowe well enough by sight and to be but poore folkes and of a very meane estate Furthermore how can he for shame say that he came doun out of heauen when as but of late time he was borne here in earth emongest vs a very man of men as we bee Or what meaneth he by tellyng vs of an other father And whyles they wer talkyng secretly one to an other of these thynges Iesus declaring forthwith that meÌ„s very thoughtes wer not hid froÌ„ his knowlage did make more plain and also confirme that which he had spokeÌ„ before saiyng there is no cause why ye shoulde murmure among your selfes at these thynges which I haue spoken vnto you Your infidelitie is the cause why my woordes sticke not in your myndes Ye se and se not you heare and heare not and whyles ye be present yet are ye absent Of trueth whosoeuer cuÌ„meth to me shal obteine eternall life but by fayth muste men cum to me And faithe cummeth not at all auentures but it is hadde by the inspiracion of god the father who like as he draweth vnto him mens myndes by his sonne so by breathyng in fayth secretly into mens soules he draweth them to his sonne in suche wyse that through the operacion of both ioyntly together men cum to them both The father doth not geue this so great a gift but to them that be willing and desirouse to haue it And truely whoso doeth with a redy will and godly diligence deserue to bee drawen of my father he shall obteine euerlastyng life by me For I as I tolde you shall call to lyfe again euen him that is dead when the day shall cum wherin the felicitie of the godly and the destruccion of the wicked shal be finished and fully concluded He that beleueth me receiueth an excellent greate thyng but he ought to thanke the father for it without whom no maÌ„ can beleue and yet for al that they that in the meane season doe not beleue can not excuse theyr faute by saying that they were not drawen For the father so muche as lieth in hym coueteth to drawe all men He that is not drawen is in faute himselfe because he wythdraweth hymselfe from him that els would drawe hym ¶ It is written in the prophetes and they shal be al taught of god Euery man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the father cummeth vnto me not that any man hath seen the father saue he whiche is of god the same hath seen the father Uerilye verilye I saie vnto you He that putteth his truste in me hath euerlasting life Thynges of thys worlde are learned by mannes endeuour and studye This celestiall philosophye is not vnderstande vnles the secrete inspiracion of the father make mannes hatte apte to bee taught Undoubtedlye thys is that whiche the prophetes long ago dyd saye shoulde be thus Propheciyng before haÌ„d And they shall be al taught of god But the lustes of this world maketh many one vntowardes to be taughte whiche worldelye desyres whyles they euen droune men in these earthlye thynges they suffre theym not to lifte vp theyr myndes to heauenlye thynges The gyfte is goddes but the endeuour is yours I man heareth my wordes with bodily eares in vayne excepte he heare before the secrete voyce of the father whiche must inspire the mynde with an insensyble grace of faythe Therefore whosoeuer fashyon theymselfes to bee apte to receiue this inspiracion the father dooeth thus drawe theym And he onely that is so drawen cummeth finally to me For god is a spirite and is neyther hearde nor seen but to them that bee spirituall And so to haue seene and haue hearde hym is saluacion Many shall see and heare the sonne to theyr peryl and daunger notwithstandyng that ye do glorye in that god was seene and heard to Moses and to the prophetes There was neuer mortall manne that sawe and hard god as he is in his own nature and substaunce that thing is geuen to the sonne of god alone whiche onely came from God with whom he was euermore before he came into this worlde Therfore put clearely out of your myndes the vyle cares of this corporall lyfe labouryng al that ye can that through earnest desyre of thynges that be spiritually good ye may attaine life euerlastyng I would ye should forget
with greate softnesse signifying that carnal kinred hath no inrresse in that he did concerning the saluacion of mankinde but that all suche businesse because it is heauenly is to be moderate by thauctoritie of the father of heauen he declared also that he neyther feared death which he was ready willingly to suffer for the saluacion of mankind nor that he desired the glorie of this world the hatred wherof he did prouoke towardes himselfe by speaking trueth thiÌ„ges coÌ„trary to mens worldly affeccions and in consideracion hereof Iesus sayed My tyme is not yet cum Whan that shall exhorte me then shall not nede your aduertisementes It dependeth of the father of heauens determinacion not of mans deuise how whan it behoueth me to be knowen to the world I that came at the fathers pleasure and arbitremente haue my tyme. But your tyme whiche beyng led with worldly affeccions seketh for the glorye of this world woulde haue me according to the iudgement of the worlde to glory is alway ready Ye may safely go whither ye list when as the world loueth you as men coÌ„formable therunto I do not seke glorye at the worldes hande with this affeccion loue that ye hunte about for it for I seke my fathers glory and go about the saluacion of man It is so vnlike far of that I should by any kynde of fâ—attery get glory and prayse in the world that I do rather bring the hatred of the world vpoÌ„ me by dissentinge from the lustes and carnall pleasures therof by testifying openly that the woorkes of it are euel not withstanding that the world selfe putteth forged godlynesse and false felicitie in such workes as be but carnall and worldly The Iewes haue theyr feastfull dayes whiche now of late time God abhorreth For they offre vnthankfull sacrifices and odiouse to God seying in the meane tyme they haue their handes all bloudie and in the self same daies which they would should be thought pure and holye they go about the death of innocentes There is one true feastfull daye which I must celebrate spiritually wherewith the father is pleased and delited That day is not yet cuÌ„ but when it shal cuÌ„ I shal willingly go mete with it You that are yet stil carnal and worldly wise get you vp to this soleÌ„ne feast I intend not to go with you to this greate feast that is now me at hande for because my time is not yet fullye accomplished With these woordes our lorde Iesus sent awaye from hym his natural kynsmen being alwaye wont to set asyde the regarde and affeccion towardes theim as often as the vusynes of the gospel was to be gone in hand withall whiche matter because he woulde it shoulde be wholly ascribed to his fathers wil arbitremeÌ„t he would not suffre it to be polluted with any worldly thing Thus did he restraine stint the autoritie of his mother at the mariage and again he was euil apaied and in maner thought scorne and disdayned that he should be called out by his mother kynsfolkes from talking of the gospel after that he had made his abode a while with his nye frendes at CapernauÌ„ he left them and set in hande to preache furthermore hanging vpon the crosse he called his mother woman as though he had knowen no mother in the businesse Yea and also beyng a child but of .xii. yeres old he semed to disdayne that by theyr autoritie he shoulde be called from his fathers affaires Now therfore they supposyng that for feare of the Iewes Iesus woulde not cum to the hye and solemne feast weÌ„t thither alone And they going vp to Hierusalem Iesus taried still in Galile so tempering al his doinges and with moderacion duelye bestowing theÌ„ that somtime he proued himself to be verye man lest he shoulde not haue semed to be man and sum other time he shewed great likelihood of his godlye power lest men should beleue that he was but man only But after that his brethren were departed and gon towardes the feast then did he himself go after so that the matter is plain he did not so muche refrain going to the solemne meting for feare of the Iewes as he did to eschewe the coumpany of his kinsmen whom being as yet carnall he would not haue to be associate with hym in the gospels cause or to haue anye medlyng therwith But he came to Hierusalem not to auaunt himself but as it were by stelth and priuely as a man would say to cause them the more earnestlye to loke for his cuÌ„myng and when his time were to cum abrode and declare himselfe to the brode worlde with more fruite For he knewe the Phariseis mindes how that they had been a great while about in their conuenticles and secrete counsels to fynde sum occasion vpon the holy daye to attache and apprehende him Now therfore when he was of trueth cum to Hierusalem but as yet he went not abrode into the common resorte and assemblie of people as he was wont to doe the Iewes marked him and layed spyal for him whether he went to the keping of the holy day or no and forasmuche as they desyred to se him they enquired one of an other where he was And euen nowe alredy many sundry tales went of him amonge the people as if he had been absent because all men had not one opinion nor were not lyke affected towardes Iesus For of suretie manye of the homely sort of the people whiche had been present at his miracles workyng had heard him preache who also had had experience of his gentlenes by being in his cumpany said that Iesus was a good man and one not mete to be euil entreated and cruelly haÌ„dled Of the coÌ„trarye side the Priestes and Phariseis whom the prayse and renoume which was of Iesus had vexed a great while denyed that he was a good man â–ª who lyke a sedicious felowe did allure the people to hym and turne theÌ„ from hauing the Priestes Scribes Phariseis in reuereÌ„ce Uerely these sayinges were by secrete whisperinges sperpled abrode concernyng Iesus whereas no man durst in the meane while opeÌ„ly make any good reporte of hym Howbeit there was many whiche had a good opinion of hym For they feared the head men of the Iewes of whome they knewe Iesus to be muche hated because he semed with his woordes and dedes to diminishe theyr auctoritie Moreouer as touchynge the kepinge of hym selfe out of the waye he so did of very mekenes and modestie lest he should be thought wittingly and willingly to haue prouoked the malice of the Phariseis who soughte for nothinge els but matter and occasion to put him to deathe That he did go abrode was doen for theyr cause whoÌ„ he knewe shoulde bee furthered to saluacion by his doctrine whereas he was not ignoraunt that the Phariseis Scribes would growe more heady and fierce through that he should saye and doe for the
more and is of greater auctoritie then one mannes mynde alone but yet Goddes iudgement alone passeth the iudgement of all mankynde If ye despise my sentence as but mans iudgement trulye ye cannot contemne the iudgement of God though he himselfe alone geue iudgement And yf ye do not despise the iudgement of God neither can ye reiecte or refuse my iudgement whiche is consentyng to his in all thynges except with a common contempte ye do vs bothe at once wrong bothe him that sendeth and me that am sent from hym I speake or do nothyng but that whiche he hath commaunded me Semblably euen amongst menne the recorde of many is more substauncial then of a fewe after your lawe there is no recorde vnlesse it be of two at least allowed and admitted before a iudge But yet in dede it is more to be regarded if a man beare recorde of another then if he beare witnesse of himself Howbeit it cannot be auoided but among men there be wrong iudgementes and vntrue recordes yea and although a thousand men should agre vpoÌ„ one thyng beyng but men either for because through errour they knewe not the truth or els because they being corrupte in their affeccions do not pronounce geue sentence accordyng to the true iudgement of reason but after the leâ—de affeccions of the heart Notwithstandyng where euen one alone sayth any thing of hymselfe in case he do not pronounce the thyng which he râ—porteth of himselfe as of his owne heade but by Gods commaundement his iudgemente and recorde must nedes be true because God can neither be deceiued nor corrupt I beare no witnesse of my selfe but by the autoritie of my father who doeth also himselfe beare witnesse of me neither do I pronounce any other thing coÌ„cernyng myne owne person then he hath testified who sent me into the worlde to be a witnesseâ— of the trueth which onely he hath knoweÌ„ If ye do put away my recorde ye must nedes therin also reiecte his If ye infringe and repel my iudgement ye must of force and necessitie contrarie him We be twaine but we two haue all but one witnesse and iudgemeÌ„t And there is one of these twaine who if he were alone yet were his iudgement not to be replied against And if ye aske when did the father testifie of me forsoth he bare recorde of me in your law whose voyâ—e ye should know if ye would with pureheartes vnderstand that which is writteÌ„ he did also testifie of me at Iordane his recorde of mâ— is to be seen in the very artes and dedes whiche he doeth by me and in conclusion wheÌ„ tyme shall be he shall glorifie me with more euident and clere witnesses After these thinges wer spokeÌ„ the Iewes because they heard the father ofteÌ„ named from whom he was sent and whose auctoritie he laied for his defeÌ„ce meruailed if he woulde speake so highly of Ioseph the carpenter whose soÌ„ne he was then commoÌ„ly thought to be And in case he ment not of him they be desirous to get out of him who should be that other father froÌ„ whom he had come to whom he should go Where is ê™ thei this thy father of whom thou speakest suche wonderful thynges But Iesus somewhat opening that as yet he was not knowen vnto them touchyng his diuine nature and Godhead wheÌ„ as they supposed him to be but a very man and nought els and yet for al that they should haue beleued him as a man vnlesse theyr iudgment had been corrupted with carnal affeccions yea his wordes did also implie that neither the father could truly be knowen but by the sonne nor the soÌ„ne fully knowen except the father wer knowen for the sonne is not knowen with bodilye iyes but by fayth nor the father can be shewed to mans seÌ„ses but maye be brought into deuout myndes spiritually Well Iesus I say maketh answere on this wyse Ye neyther know me nor yet my father and so long as ye will not know me ye can not knowe my father Geue credence vnto me ye shall both know me and my father Ye saye that ye know me because ye know my countrey my dwelling place my pareÌ„tes brethren WheÌ„ as through these wordes which they vnderstode not our lorde Iesus did sore prouoke the phariseis myndes against him teaching openly in the temple yea where most preace of people was in a place of the Temple called the treasury because that offringes and thinges geuen to the Temple were brought thither and kept there whiche thinges wholly wer turned to the priestes and Phariseis pleasures and gaine excessiuely though the thinges were geuen and as ye woulde saye were consecrate to God Albeit I say that Christe did thus as I haue said yet no man layde handes on hym not because they lacked any vngracious wyll but because God did not suffre them to do it For the time was not yet come wheÌ„ as Christe had appoynted himselfe to suffre neither would he suffre vntyll he had fully taught that doctrine whiche the father had committed to his ministracion for the saluacion of man ¶ Then sayde Iesus agayne vnto them I go my waye and ye shall seke me and shall dye in your synnes Whither I go thither can ye not cum Then sayed the Iewes wyll he kyll hymselfe because he sayeth whither I go thither can ye not come And he sayed vnto them yâ— aâ—â— from beneth I am from aboue Ye are of this world I am not of this worlde I therfore saye vnto you that ye shal dye in your synnes For if ye beleue not that I am he ye shall dye in your synnes Therfore whiles they wer whisht and kept silence yet cumpassyng in minde full vngracious and murderous thoughtes Iesus went forth with his talke priuely pricking their coÌ„sciences that so at leaste waâ— it might forthinke them when as they knew that nothing was hid vnto him a thyng whiche was neuer before geuen to hym that was but a verye man No mannes wickednesse sayeth he can let the thyng that I do by my fathers commaundement