rubbyng them with theyr handes eate the corne the Phariseis takyng occasion on euery syde falsely to blame them sayed vnto him Seest thou not what thy disciples do breaking the Sabboth day Why than doest thou not forbid them sith they do vpon the Sabboth daye that whiche is not lawfull Here Iesus so defended his disciples that they coulde not blame hym as the aucthour or breakyng of the Sabboth day teacheth them withall that suche maner ordinaunces ought to cease as often as necessitie or some notable profite chaunceth For the Sabboth daye fastinges and suche lyke constitucions were not ordeyned for mans hurte and vndoyng but for his preseruacion and health Therfore he doth obiect against the Phariseis beyng skilfull in the lawe an exaumple out of the lawe and that of a man not of the common sorte but of him whom they counted chiefly to be an honest man and blamelesse Why ê™ he doe ye falsely blame my disciples for that they asswage theyr hunger with a smale thing and easie to be gotten Haue ye not red how that holy Dauid coÌ„strained by necessitie enterprised a greater thyng Who fleyng from Saule when he came to the citie of Nobe dyd eate the loaues whiche they called the leaues set furth to be shewed and not only he but also his folowers and seruauntes It is vnlawfull for any man sauing only priestes and Leuites to eate of these loaues but when he was in daunger for hunger neyther the priestes feared to shewe hym these loues nor Dauid feared not to touched and eate them as though they had been prophane and not holy Yf ye alowe the doyng of the priest Albimalech if ye disalow not the doyng of the Prophete Dauid why do ye reproue my disciples for a thing muche lesse to be regarded For what a finale worke is this to plucke vp the eares of corne being at hand to eate the corne rubbed out with your haÌ„des Besides this the lawe it selfe coÌ„maundeth the Sabboth to be broken For the priestes in the temple killing the beastes on the Sabboth day exercising the bucherly office gathering together a pile of wood and setting it a fier plucking of the skinne cuttyng them in pieces and sethyng them breake not they the Sabboth day the lawe suffereth no worke to be doen and yet the sacrate priestes doe exercise vse these fowle workes in any holy place vpon the sabboth day Ye knowe that these thinges be doen and ye doe allowe them for this because they make for the vse of the temple If the authoritie of the temple be so great that the worke which is bestowed vpon it doeth not breake the Sabboth daye this I saye vnto you Heare is one of greater authoritie than the temple They that doe seruice vnto hym ought more to be excused from the blame of breakyng of the Sabboth daye If they breake not the Sabboth day which labour in the sacrifices of Moyses muche more ought they to bee excused that serue and wayte vpon the ghospell whiche is a sacrifice moste acceptable to God He that did ordayne the Sabboth daye may also take awaye the Sabboth and he that ordeyned the Sabboth daye dyd ordayne it for mans sake and contrarywise he made not man because of the Sabboth daye It is mete therfore that the kepyng of the Sabboth daye geue place to the profite and commoditie of man and not man to perishe because of the Sabboth daye If sacrifice be made so muche of that whoso attendeth vpon it may blamelesse breake the Sabboth daye why holde ye not hym excused whiche by a necessariâ— benefyte helpeth his neyghbour vpon the Sabboth daye For God confesseth that he estemeth more this kinde of sacrifice than yf a man offer vp to him a beast For he sayeth by his Prophete Osee. I desyre mercye and not sacryfice And the knowledge of God more than brente sacrifice Ye take vpon you to be learned in the lawe and yet this is wrytten in the lawe which yf ye truely vnderstoode ye would neuer haue blamed them that be blamelesse for a lyght matter noysome to no manne For there be certayne ordinaunces not that they be good or yll of themselfes but that by some meanes they be profitable towardes godlines and do rather signifie than bring or geue holines as be kindes of meate the colour or fashion or garmentes or the stuffe that they muste be made of fasting and holy dayes These thinges we must not so supersticiously obserue and kepe that for them we omitte and let passe thinges that be of themselues and euer good or doe those thynges whiche be of themselues and euer yll Aduoutrye homicide back bytyng and enuye bee euer yll and wicked And yet they that bee of the pharisaicall religion doe lesse abhorre from these thynges than from the bâ—â—akyng of the Sabboth daye To helpe thy nedye neghbour is euer godlye and holy and yet the Phariseis vnder the colour of kepyng of the Sabboth daye suffre theyr neyghbour to be greued and vexed But he departed thence and went into theyr Synagogue And beholde there was a man hauyng a withered hand And they ashed him saying Is it lawfull to heale vpon the Sabboth dayes That they myght accuse him And he sayed vnto them who emong you shall haue a shepe and if it fall into a pit on the Sabboth daies will he not take it and lift it out Than howe muche better is a man than a shepe Wherfore it is lefull to do a good dede on the Sabboth dayes Than sayeth he to the man stretch furth thy hande And he stretched it furth And it was restored vnto health lyke as the other This daungerous supersticion Iesus Christe studied clerely to plucke out of the myndes of his disciples Therfore to the intent he myght beate thesame into the myndes of all men by a more manifest example departing from this place he returned into theyr Synagogue mynding to take them to witnesse whom he knew to be chiefly infected with this disease And behold furthwith there was geuen hym occasion of a miracle For there was one in the multitude whiche had a lame and a wichered ryght hande Nowe the Phariseis lekyng after an honest quarell to accuse Iesus marked him whether he would heale the man vpon the sabboth day which a litle before defended thapostles where as they were blamed for breakyng of the sabboth daye But Iesus myndyng to declare vnto all men that their accusemente came not of religion but of enuy commaunded the man with the lame hande to come furth before them that the faulte myght appere vnto them all to the intent they myght be moued with pitie towarde the miserable man whiche had that membre dead and vnprofitable that is moste necessary for a poore manne But before he healed the man not ignoraunte what the Phariseis thought he demaunded of them this question Is it lefull to heale a manne on the sabboth daye And whether is it more
of fine linnen clothe and therin wrapped the bodye and layed it in a newe sepulchre hewed out of free stoone and then rolled a great stone to the doore or entry of the sepulchre that no man should lightly conuey awaye the body by stealth But of the women whiche behelde the lorde when he dyed two folowed hym vnto the sepulchre that is to wete Mary Magdalene Mary Ioseph markyng where the body was layde to th entent that they might at time conuenient thither repaire and honorably perfourme the solemnities and ceremonies belonging vnto burials accordyng to the manour and vsage of that nacion The .xvj. Chapter And when the Sabboth was paste Mary Magdalene and Mary Iacob and Salome bought swete odoures that they might cum and anoint hym And early in the mornyng the first daie of the Sabboth they came vnto the sepulchre when the Sunne was risen and thei sayde amoÌ„g themselues who shall rolle vs awaye the stone from the doore of the sepulchre â–ª And when they loked they sawe howe that the stone was rolled awaye For it was a very great one And they went into the sepulchre and sawe a yong man sitting on the right syde clothed in a long garment and they were afrayde BEcause that on the preparyng daye on the which daye the lord was buried a litle before the euentide immediatly after the Sunne setting it was not lawful to do any worke for the reuerence and highe solemnitie of the Sabboth these women ceased for that time to make further prouision for spices as they began to do awaytyng for the ende of the nexte daye folowing And anon as the Sunne was gone to glade and the time come agayne when men might lawfully returne to theyr businesse then came Mary Magdalene Mary of Iames and Salome with spices readie prepared to enoint Iesus And early in the mornyng vpon the fyrste daye of the sabbothes the whiche folowed next after the sabboth was ended and was the thyrd daye from the preparing daie these well disposed women came to the sepulchre what tyme the element waxed now faire bryght about the Sunne rysing sayde one of them to another Who shall rolle vs awaye the stone froÌ„ the dore of the sepulchre The stone was great and houge it passed womans strength to remoue it And they loked aboute yf they could get any body to helpe them in the meane while that they thus loked backe they sawe the stone already remoued to theyr handes TheÌ„ anone as they were entred into the doore of the sepulchre they sawe a yong man sitting on the right syde of it clothed with a long white garmeÌ„t With this sight though it were a right ioyfull syght and a token of good lucke yet because it appeared sodainly at vnwares they were amased And he sayth vnto them be not afrayed ye seke Iesus of Nazareth which was crucified He is rysen he is not here Beholde the place where they had put hym But go yonte waye and tell his disciples and Peter he goeth before you into Galile there shall ye see hym as he sayed vnto you And they went out quickly and fled froÌ„ the sepulchre For they trembled were amased neyther sayed they any thyng to any man for they were afrayed But byanby an Aungell recomforted them with swete and pleasaunt wordes saying you haue no nede to be afrayed You seke Iesus of Nazareth who was nayled on the crosse He is risen he is not here Beholde the voyde place where they had put his body Therfore all this that you haue prepared to honour and reuerence hym with all is superfluous Get you hence rather to shewe vnto his disciples beyng greatly dismayed with their Lordes death but especiallye vnto Peter who because he denied hym thryse is twyse as sory as the rest Get you hence I saye to shewe them how Iesus wyll go before them into Galile Thither let them folowe There shall you see hym alyue whome ye nowe bewayle as dead But these wemen what for great ioye and gladnes and what for the feare they were in by reason of this straunge sight fled out of the Sepulchre and spake not one worde as long as they were there so greatly were they afearde ¶ When Iesus was rysen earlye the fyrste daye after the Sabboth he appeared fyrste to Mary Magdalene oute of whome he had caste seuen dyuels And she went and tolde them that were with hym as they mourned and wept And they when they hearde that he was alyue and had appeared vnto her beleued it not After that appeared he vnto two of them in a straunge figure as they walked and went into the countrey And they wente and tolde it to the remnaunt And they beleued not these also As yet Iesus had not appeared to any bodye but after he was rysen he appeared fyrst of all to Mary Magdalene out of whome he had caste seuen diuels and this appering was the fyrste daye after the great Sabboth early She incontinent shewed the disciples who wept and mourned for theyr lordes death what she had sene But when they heard her tell howe he was aliue and that she herselfe had sene him and hearde hym speake they gaue no credence vnto her wordes So cleane out of memory was the thyng which he had so ofte tymes promised that is to saye howe he would ryse againe on the thyrde daye The same daye that he appeared vnto Mary Magdalene he appeared also vnto two disciples in the likenesse of a straunger and wayfaryng man as they went from Hierusalem into the countrey But they knowyng at the length that it was the Lorde retourned to Hierusalem and shewed vnto the resydew of the disciples what they had sene Neyther was suche thynges as they tolde beleued of the moste parte ¶ Afterwarde he appeared vnto the eleuen as they sat at meate and caste in theyr teeth theyr vnbelefe and hardnesse of hart because they beleued not them which hadde sene that he was rysen againe from death And he sayde vnto them Go ye into all the worlde and preache the gospell to all creatures he that beleueth and is baptised shal be saued But he thaâ— beleueth not shal be damned Laste of all when he was readye to departe hence and returne into heauen he appeared vnto the eleuen Apostles as they sate at meate for Iudas was then dead and hit them in the teeth with their vnbelefe and hardenesse of harte because they woulde not beleue those persons who had sene that he was rysen agayne from death For it was not requisite that all should se his death and resurreccion but sufficient for the fayth and certaintie of the gospell that the thyng was â—nce proued by mete and conuenient witnesses Els how shall the heathen geue credence to those thinges that were doen yf they would likewyse discredite the apostles reporte as Thomas and some other of them did at the begynning And Iesus sayed vnto them After all those thinges are now at the
cum to the knowlage of thynges heauenlye it begoon to geue laude and praise to the mercifulnesse of god through whose fre benefite and goodnesse it hathe clerelye been delyuered from all her synnes vnto the whiche beyng a long tyme captiue and thrall she had in mooste piteous wyse liued as a bondseruaunt vnto Satan Now on the contrary part consider me the euyll frute of an euill tree Whan the reweler of the Synagogue had seen this matter beyng in dede the sayed figtree it selfe barrain but yet settyng out it selfe to the iyes of menne as it were to sale onely by reason of the leaues of the lawe takyng indignacion that Iesus had healed the woman on the Sabboth daye turned hymselfe to the people there congregated as though he would haue taught them sum great matter Nowe heare then a verye ryghte voyce of a Pharisee and by thesame voice of this one manne esteme thou all the wholle doctrine of that secte This deuout godly man fearyng leste the people should through the exaumple of Iesus fall vnto all vngodlines prouideth to take a good way for their preseruacioÌ„ sayiÌ„g with great autoritie There be sixe daies in the weke in which it is leful to worke Therfore if any body be desirous to be made whole let him cuÌ„ in one of these working dayes but to violate the sabboth day is a thyng not standing with gods pleasure This so folishe a saiyng could not the most merciful lord abide who had made the sabboth day not for any such purpose that men should rest or ceasse froÌ„ helping the neibour but had made the sabboth to the end there should be froÌ„ al euil doynges a perpetual resting which rest yesame outward rest of the Iewes sabbothes did figurate And because this voice of the ruler of the Synagogue was spokeÌ„ by the mindes of al the Phariseis the Scribes the lawiers vnder the person of him alone Iesus made aunswer to them all saying ye hypocrytes which not passyng on the very pith of the lawe lye altogether on the rynde or barke therof only and make a glorious paynted shewe of righteousnes without forth where in dede ye are fer froÌ„ al true godlines see ye how wicked Iudges ye are in this matter Who is it of all you whom the reuerence of the Sabboth should let but that he would vntye an Oxe or an asse of his owne from the stalle to haue thesame to water If ye iudge the sabboth daye not to be violated for a commoditie whiche is beestowed on a bruite beast that doth you seruice doe ye lay vnto my charge as such a perillous sore acte that I haue on the sabboth day healed this same doughter of Abraham rightly borne as one who in synceritie and purenesse of faith doth perfitelye resemble her sayed parente Abraham that she came of Is youre owne priuate commoditie of so great estimacion among you that ye haue no scrupulositie at all to vntye the haulter vnto an Asse on the sabboth day that he may not perishe for default of drinke and haue ye indignacioÌ„ that I haue on the sabboth daye looced and deliuered this woman here beeyng one of your owne nacion whom Satan hath by the space of eyghtene yeres kepte fast tyed and bounde If workyng and labouryng on the Sabboth daye bee forbidden whether of the two doeth more bodily labour he that vntieth an Asse and ledeth hym to the water or els I who with a mere worde and only touchyng haue made whole al this whole woman bothe bodye and soule too Are ye in suche sorte more mercifull and fauourable to an oxe or an asse then to your syster or brother And do ye in suche wyse obserue the law that for supersticion thereof ye neglecte that whiche is the highest and chyefeste poynte of all the whole lawe These woordes of Iesus because they coÌ„prised a veritie both clere and manifest and also agreable to the common reasoÌ„ of mannes owne nature made these slaunderous raillers full euill ashamed For it was no small grefe vnto them whan any parte of their glorye was abated in the face of the multitude before whoÌ„ thei had alwaies set out themselfes as muche as they could to their owne glory Than said he what is the kingdoÌ„ of god like or wherto shal I compare it It is like a grain of musterd seed which a man toke sowed in his garden and it grewe and wered a great tree and the foules of the ayre made nestes in the braunches of it And again he said wherunto shal I lyken the kyngdome of god It is like leauen whiche a woman toke and hid in thre peckes of meale till it was leauened Iesus hereupoÌ„ minding to open that al that same vain glorious bostyng of the Phariseis whiche conteyned an high portly shewe of holy conuersation should shortely vanishe awaie and contrariwise that the vertue of the ghospel should from most lowe beginninges grow vp to so high state of dignitie that it should drawe all the whole vniuersall worlde vnto it and that the same should be by meane of death and by meane of Apostles beeyng poore meane men and ignorauntes put foorth two sundrye parables at once of one meanyng Ye see ê™ he that the kyngdome of the Synagogue fighteth against the kyngdome of god Notwithstanding thesame that is more of puissauÌ„ce and might shall in the ende haue the victory Therfore the lord as it had been one enspired with a newe spirite to the entent he would make the multytude of the people geue the better eare vnto hym sayed to what thyng shall I say the kyngdom of god to be like or to what thyng shal I compare it to make you vnderstande what maner a thyng it is by comparison of some thyng that is to no creature of you all not excedingly well knowen And whan the people euery one of them looked to heare sum royall hygh symilitude taken of sum comparison of the sunne or of lightenyng or of some other such lyke matter Iesus thought better to take a parable out of a litle sede that no body estemeth or setteth by It is lyke sayth he to a litle grayne or corne of mustardsede which for a time that it is whole like as it is one of the least thiÌ„ges possible so is it a thyng of the least value that can bee in the worlde and a thyng that neyther with the colour ne with the sauour is pleasaunte to the iye and yf it haue any strength or vertue it hath it withinforth and not without A certain wyse felowe whan he had gotten one of the sayed litle sedes he did not set it at naught ne cast it away but sowed it in his gardeÌ„ And thissame sede of lest value and regarde spronge vp and grewe to a mightie great tree in so muche that euen the birdes made themselfes nestes in the braunches therof and for one litle litle grayne that was sowed it brought forth many thousandes And â—â—ght
them his power which he had receiued of God the father therby to make them afearde to procede in theyr wicked crueltie and doeth so tempre his communicaciō that otherwhiles he talketh of certaine hye thinges to signifie vnto thē couertly his diuine nature whiche was all one betwene God the father hym And otherwhiles againe in his communicacion he bringeth in lower thinges to testifie his māhed therby that it the affinitie which was betwene him and them in that he was mā would not stirre them to loue at the leaste the maiestie of his godly power should let them from their wicked rashenesse but yet he doeth so chalenge to hymselfe lyke power with his father that neuertheles he attributeth to him the preeminence of autoritie And he spake on this wyse Ye meruayle that I haue taken vpon me to be of equall power with my father in his workyng This I doe assuredly promyse you the sonne whiche doeth wholy depēde of the father can doe nothyng of hymselfe forasmuche as he is not of hymselfe but doeth that whiche he seeth his father doe They haue both one will and one power but the autoritie resteth in the father from whence procedeth to the sonne whatsoeuer the sōne is or may doe Therfore whatsoeuer the father doeth thesame in likewise worketh the sonne by the equalitie of power communicate to him through his eternall natiuitie Among men oftentymes children be vnlike in maners to theyr parentes neyther is the fathers wyll and the sonnes all one nor yet theyr power like but in this case the thing is farre otherwyse For the father loueth his sonne intierly and hath begotten hym moste like to hymselfe pouryng into hym egall power of workyng and sheweth vnto the sonne howe to doe all thynges whiche he doeth himselfe The exaumple cummeth from hym but the workyng is common to both he hath create the world and he also gouerneth the world yea euen vpon the Sabboth dayes He hath made man and it is he also that preserueth man vpon the Sabboth dayes Therfore whosoeuer doeth slaundre the workes of the sonne doeth iniurie to the father These thynges whiche ye see me doe on the Sabboth daye I doe them by the fathers autoritie at his appoyntment but yf ye thinke it a thyng to be merueyled at and aboue mans power to restore helth with a woorde to a man sicke of the palsey the father at whose commaundement the sonne doeth all thynges whiche he doeth wyll declare that he hath shewed to his sonne greater workes than these because ye may she more maruaile For it is a thyng of farre greater power to raise the dead to life than to restore helth to the sicke yet the father hath geuen this power also to the sonne and he hath geuen him it as his owne for euer that as the father with his only becke rayseth the dead and calleth them agayne to lyfe so the sonne also by that selfe power may call agayne to lyfe whom he lust for whatsoeuer the father doeth he doeth it by the sonne whatsoeuer the sonne doeth he doeth it after the will of the father and the father the sonne haue both one wyll lyke as they haue both one power The moste hye and chiefe autoritie of God is to iudge the world For he is king and Lord of all thynges And yet hath he made his sonne partaker with hym of this whole power vnto whom he hath geuē al power to iudge whatsoeuer is in heauē in yearth vnder the earth Like as the father hath create all thynges by his sonne gouerneth al thinges by his sonne and hath restored al thinges by his sonne so he iudgeth nothing but by his sonne to the entent that eyther of thē may glorifie and honour the other The father is knowen by his sonne by whom he worketh the sonne on the other partie declareth the maiestie of his father from whence he hath whatsoeuer he worketh so that eyther of them beyng knowen by the other all men may honour the sonne as they doe the father For it is mete that they which be egall in power and will should be also felowes in honour Thinke not that ye can haue the father mercifull vnto you if ye be alienate fallen from the sonne Whosoeuer honoreth the father working in the sonne he honoreth also the sonne working by the power of the father And whosoeuer doeth not honour the sonne which is moste intierly beloued and moste lyke to the father that person doeth dishonour the father who sent the sonne to thintent he might through hym be honoured for euery thyng is common betwene them be it honour or dishonour He that mistrusteth the sonne mistrusteth also the father which sent hym into the worlde by whose wyll and appoyntmente he doeth all thynges that he doeth and by whom also the father speaketh vnto the worlde Lyke as the faithfull shall haue great reward so the vnfaythfull shall haue no small punishmente Uerily verily I saye vnto you he that heareth my woorde beleueth on him that sente me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into damnacion but is scaped from death vnto life For this I tell you for certayne whoso heareth my woorde and beleueth hym whiche both sent me and speaketh in me that persone hath already euerlasting life For whosoeuer is iustified from his sinnes and lyueth to God thorowe righteousnes he hath God and also life eternall neyther shall he nede to feare the damnacion of eternall death whiche is redie to receyue the vnfaithfull yea rather which doeth alreadie possesse the vnfaithfull but the true beleuer beyng clensed from his olde sinne by faith passeth thorowe frō death to lyfe For it is a greater thyng to rayse a soule that is dead by sinne from death to life than to restore a dead body to life but the father hath geuen power to the sonne to doe both these thynges Uerily verily I saye vnto you the houre shall come and nowe it is when the dead shall heare the voyce of the sonne of God And they that heare shall lyue For as the father hath lyfe in hymselfe so lykewyse hath he geuen to the sonne to haue lyfe in hymselfe and hath geuen hym power also to iudge because he is the sonne of manne Maruayle not at this for the houre shall come in the whiche all that are in the graues shall heare his voyce and shal come forth they that haue doen good vnto the resurreccion of lyfe and they that haue doen euil vnto the resurreccion of damnacion Be ye well assured of this the tyme is now at hande yea it is alreadie presente that euen the dead also shall heare the voice of the sonne of God and whoso heareth it shal liue for they being as it were raysed out of their slepe shall come forth out of their graues and shall declare vnto you beeyng astonished therwith that they liue in very dede In like maner also the dead soules doe liue
blasphemie vnto my charge because I doe more seke the glory of God then mans prayse Ye obiect against me the breakyng of the Sabboth daye who haue saued a man on the Sabboth day when as the holy religion of the Sabboth doeth not stay you from deuisyng and labouring to destroye an innocent and not only an innocent but suche one as hath deserued good at your handes Is this to magnifie Moses whom ye preferre before me Is this to honour and reuerence God whom ye with feyned religion wurshippe Doeth not the law curse him that sheadeth innocentes bloud â–ª Neither doeth it permitte any power or autoritie of putting to death but vpon malefactours nor vpon them neyther except they be lawfully conuicted and condeÌ„ned Why than do ye contrary to the lawe trauaill about my death that being sent of God do preache his wil and pleasure to you according to the intent of the law that do seke his glorye and not mine owne that do not effectuously seke a kingdome or riches to myself but that do frely offre saluacion to all men that hurte no maÌ„ but do good to all men This saying of Iesus did vexe and trouble the Phariseis mindes for two causes first because they perceiued well that their craftie inuencions though they were secretly doen were not hid from his knowledge whom they supposed mighte soone without difficultie haue been made awaye yf the thing that they went about could haue been kepte secrete from him Secondarily his woordes pinched their mindes because he did appeale them of sinnefull transgression of the lawe in the presence of the people who would haue been thought moste true obseruers of the law They laying snares for the innoceÌ„t bloud feared not the knowledge of God but they feared to haue their dedes knowen to the people Therfore to face out the thyng by dissimulacioÌ„ they let fare as if they thought the multitude did not knowe their wickednes so fell to open rebukes and checkes as is the maner of all wicked persons that are taken with the maner in a mischeuouse dede that caÌ„not be excused Thou hast say they the deuill seyng thou makest the father of heauen very God himselfe to be auctour of thy doctrine to auaunt thy selfe thereby God is true and thou by the deuils instigacion art vntrue Who goeth about to deuise thy death â–ª The Lorde Iesus did not brawle with them again with any checking answere to their so furiouse blasphemie lest he should haue made them more woode by putting to of furie to them that were already cruel and furâ—ouse but geuing vs an ensaumple of mildenesse full gentelly he telleth them the cause why he did the dede for the whiche they quarelled with hym And where as themselfes in very dede were breakers of the lawe in all thinges yet did they accuse Iesus as a transgressour of the lawe because he had healed a man sycke of the Palsey on the Sabboth day I saieth Iesus did one certain dede on the Sabboth daye which was neyther euil sinfull nor yet vnhonest but wherwith I gaue health to a man that was miserably diseased which you your selues could not but allowe commend in case it had not been doen on the Sabboth day But they do rather breake the Sabboth whiche goeth about that thing on the Sabboth which is sinful and wicked on what daye soeuer it bee doen. The religion of the Sabboth is not so great but it ought to giue place to those thinges whiche are of more weight â—nd greatter importaunce and good and godly euery daye whensoeuer they be doen. If Moses himselfe whom ye highly esteme and attribute so much vnto haue geuen you the same exaumple and hath doen before me like wise as I haue doeÌ„ If also the very lawe do teache that worke maye be doen on the Sabboth day without breakyng the lawe of the Sabboth eyther ye muste nedes absolue and cleare me or els â—n case ye condemne me ye must also coÌ„demne Moses with me and the lawe it selfe to because whatsoeuer he gaue vnto you was a lawe Moses gaue circumcision vnto you not that circumcision began euen very than whan Moses lawe began for it was geuen of God to the Patriarches before the lawe was writen for that cause circumcision is a greatter matter in religion then the Sabboth daye because it went before the lawe and is as it wer the head of the lawe But the very same Moses whiche commaunded circumcision commaunded the Sabboth daye You do circumcise a man on the Sabboth daye and ye thinke not that ye violate the Sabboth day therin because of the dignitie of circuÌ„cision wherunto ye thinke that the religion of the Sabboth ought of right to geue place like as the Deacons and Priestes doe also in the temple these thinges whiche be pertaining to Goddes seruice and yet in so doyng they take not theymselfes to be breakers of the Sabboth daye for somuche as they esteme the thyng that they doe to be of more holynesse then that it should be omitted because of the Sabboth daye Consideryng therefore that ye doe circuÌ„cise a man on the Sabbothe daye leste throughe not beynge circumcised he should not be one of you neyther doe you wene that the Sabboth day is by that worke the wurse kept I meruaill why than do you like disdainfull men make suche clamour that by my worke the Sabboth daye is vnkept and broken who haue healed not one parte alone of maÌ„ but haue preserued and saued the whole manne altogether on the Sabboth daye Although circumcision were before the lawe and is after a sorte the very beginning chiefe parte of the lawe â–ª yet it is not perpetuall For men were acceptable and dearly beloued of God before there was any circumcisioÌ„ and the time shal be when God shall mislyke and refuse the ouerthwarte circuÌ„cision of the fleshe beyng without the inward circumcision of the herte But to geue health both of body and soule to a mans â—â—ly wretched neighbour as it is a greater acte and a more holy dede than to circumcise a man so is it alwaye good before the law in the tyme of the law and after the law because it is of it owne selfe good Why than doe ye in a cause not vnlyke yea in a much better matter as touchyng my behalfe wurship and haue Moses in reuerence and accuse me as giltye of a greater crime For I doe not now dispute whiche of vs twayne is greatter then the other Take Moses still as he is for an excellent man let it be so that I am euen as you suppose me to be a mean and an abiect person yet if ye loke well about you and do consider the matter rightly either ye ought to coÌ„demne vs bothe or to assoyle vs bothe And the very lawe of trueth teacheth vs this that in geuyng iudgement ye should loke vpon the matter and not the persone and he standeth accursed that through fauouring the
their grosse iudgemente of him whereby they thought he did woorke his miracles to the intente to deserue therewith at the rashe peoples hand a worldly kyngdome whereas Christe in veraye deede accordyng as the tyme required didde shewe sum prouâ—e of his diuine power by certaine miracles for none other cause surelye but that throughe sensyble and bodilye thinges he myghte cause more credit to bee geuen vnto his doctrine whiche promysed those thynges that cannot bee perceiued with bodilye senses And by this waie also to bring vp those that were yet rude and weake by certaine degrees to the capacitie of more hye thynges Like as a trustie Maister would wishe that if it coulde be his scholer shoulde foorthwith take and vnderstande his whole science yet for a time he fourmeth and fashioneth the rude and vnframed wytte wyth certayne pryncyples vntyll he haue broughte hym vp to the perfecte knowlege of his facultie so that he shal after neede none of those introduccions And though the teacher dooe not teache the veraye letters and his fyrste rules without werines yet he doth beare that tediousnesse and weare it awaye with the hope of profityng his scholer labouryng all the wayes he can to get him soone out of those course principles Therefore Iesus to declare here also his godhead in that he knewe theyr thoughtes when he sawe the people hadde nowe agayne recourse vnto hym for the desire of suche myracles whiche shoulde rather fyll the bellye then instructe the mynde he tooke occasion of the meate that he hadde once geuen them to teache theym what foode they ought to haue moste desired The effecte of his saiyng was this Uerely this thing is true saieth he whiche I wyll tell you ye calle me maister not because ye bee muche desirous of my doctryne whiche is all spirituall but because ye seeke for worldelye pleasures and small commodities whiche are more estemed of you then thynges whiche dooe farre excelle them And at this presente ye dooe seeke me with great affeccion and yet â—wisse not so muche for to see myracles whiche ought in dede to allure you to mynde celestiall thynges but yesterdayes there dooeth more prouoke you then that ye bee enamoured of goddely power And ye coumpte it a great matter if a manne fede your bodye without your charge It is but a small matter to feede this bodie that otherwyse muste needes decaye and bee destroied neyther shal they that bee desirous of the doctrine of the ghospell lacke meate Therfore turne all youre care to gette that foode whiche where it is taken dooeth not perishe by disgestion nor dooeth prolong lyfe of the bodye for a shorte tyme as the common materiall susteinaunce dooeth and yet within a while hungre cummeth againe â–ª But gette suche foode I saye as tarrieth styll in man noryshing the soule with spirituall foode and geueth eternall lyfe thereunto The sonne of man wil geue you this excellent bread if he perceiue that you doe long and hungre for it For certainly God willyng to geue eternall lyfe to mankynde dydde speciallye appoynt this sonne of manne geuyng vnto hym power and with myracles bringing him to greate estimacion that he shoulde geue spirituall foode to all that desyre eternall life And also for this purpose he gaue vnto thesame power and auctoritie and with myracles brought hym to great estimacion For Iesus came not into the worlde to get vnto himselfe worldelye honour or to make menne blessed with worldly commodities but he came rather aboute this buisinesse that is to were to lift vp men from vyle filthy cares to care and studye for heauenly thynges ¶ Then said they vnto him what shal we do that we might worke the worke of God Iesus answered and said vnto them this is the worke of God that ye beleue on him whoÌ„ he hath sent They said therfore vnto him what signe shewest thou then that we maie see and beleue thee what doest thou worke our fathers did eat Manna in the deserte as it is written He gaue them bread from heauen to eate When as the rude and ignoraunt people minding altogether their belly vnderstoode not these thynges no nor once considered theim they aunswered Iesus on this wise For so muche as thou councelleste vs to woorke a certaine meate that shoulde still remayne in vs and bring with it euerlastyng life what shall we doe therefore that we maie woorke those thynges which are mete for God and that we maie deserue eternall lyfe for whiche causes you saye that you were sent into the worlde Iesus beeyng nothyng offended with this so grosse an aunswere procedeth by liâ—le and litle to call them from their fondnesse to more perfite thynges If ye aske saieth he what is the woorke whereby ye maie deserue to haue God whiche is a spirite and is pleased with spirituall thynges ye shall vnderstande that it is no sacrifisyng of beastes no keepyng of the Sabboth daye no outwarde washynges no choyse of meates no relygion of garmentes nor other thynges whiche dooeth consiste in corporall ceremonies but this is the woorke whiche God requireth of you to beleue his sonne whome he hath sent and by whome he speaketh vnto you leste he shoulde seme to graunt euerlasting life to you that be vnthankeful persones or rather vnworthy suche a benefite The people whiche chalenged a wondrefull religion throughe the obseruyng of Moses lawe made nowe aunswere vnto these thynges not onely grosly but also vnkyndelye and wickedlye and saye If you take vpon you a speciall auctoritie aboue our elders whose auctoritie we haue hitherto folowed shewe sum profe and lesson of thine auctoritie geuen ther of God that vpon syght therof we maye beleue not thy woordes but thy deedes For it is no reason that without sum woonderous signe we should beleue the whiche in wordes takest arrogantly vpon the this auctoritie Neyther woulde we rashelye haue geuen credence vnto our forefathers but that throughe a token whiche came from Heauen they dydde certifye vs of theyr goddelye authoritie Our auncetours dydde eate Manna in the wildernesse vnder Moses that was theyr guyde This was of truethe the breade of God an heauenly foode whiche dydde not putrifie as it is writen in the Psalme he gaue them celestiall breade to eate Therefore by reason of this woondrefull thyng the people then beyng moued obeyed Moses And in case thou canste doe the lyke or els summe greatter thyng we wyll also beleue the. Nor yet dyd this so grosse so vnkynde so wicked an aunswer of the people make the gentlenes of Iesus weary from alluryng them to the knowledge of spirituall thynges For fyrste of all they require sum straunge token as thoughe they had neuer seene anye myracle before neyther be they contente with euerye kynde of myracle but as men that woulde gooe before hym in all thynges they prescribe hym what kynde of myracle they would haue hym doe and to conclude amongest so many wonderful doinges that are red to be doen
bee taken downe Then came the souldiers and brake the legges of the first and of the other which was crucified with him but whan they came to Iesus and sawe that he was dead already they brake not his legges but one of the souldiers with a speare thrust him into the syde and furthwith came there out bloud water And he that sawe it bare recorde his recorde is true he knoweth that he sayeth true that ye myght beleue also for these thinges were doen that the scripture should be fulfilled Ye shall not breake a bone of him and agayne another scripture sayeth They shall looke on hym whome they pearced But it is a sporte an a wonder withall to heare now againe in this case the peruerse religion of the Iewes so farre out of course and mysordred The Iewes vpon a myscheuous malice and by wicked meanes brought with violence vnto the crosse an innocent and one that had bene beneficiall vnto them beyng nothing abashed with the relygion of the feastfull daye to do so cruel and so vngraciouse a dede but they were very supersticiouse and made muche a do about taking the bodies of frō the crosse They came vnto Pilate and besought him the by his commaundement the legges of them which were crucified might be broken to th entent they might the sooner be deade and then their corpses be taken downe and had out of the waye lesse beyng sene they shoulde violate and breake the feastfull daye That daye was a solemne greate daye whiche of the great apareylyng and fournature of holy adournmētes and dyuine seruice is called of the Grekes Parasceue that is to saye a preparacion And their holy and solemne Sabbothe daye was nye at hande vpon whyche daye to worke was a detestable thing For at this season the men beeynge ye wote well very precise in their relygion after they had finished and accomplyshed so horryble an acte as thoughe the thinge had been well doen they bente their myndes to celebrate the sacrifice that was to be offered by Moyses lawe solemnely and purely not knowyng that the very true Easter lambe was already offered vp in sacrifice Suche a poyson and so pestiferouse a thing is holynesse that consisteth in outwarde and bodily thinges and hath not holynes and godlynes of herte and mynde ioyned and annexed vnto it Nowe therfore Pilate grauntyng them their request the souldiers brake bothe the theues legges whome they found yet aliue And then when they were come to Iesus because they saw him alreadye deade and therefore thought it a vayne and superfluous thynge to breake his legges they lefte them whole vnbroken For to this ende and purpose were the legges broken that those whiche hung vpon the crosse shoulde the sooner gyue vp the ghoste But among the souldiers stoode a certaine man whiche for the more certeintie of the Lorde Iesus death opened his syde with a speare and immediatly out of the wounde there gushed forth bloude and water in a great misterye declaryng that his death shoulde washe and cleanse vs from synne and the same also geue to vs euerlastinge lyfe and saluacion For baptisme standeth in water and with water are we baptised And the lyfe of a manne is in the bloude But it is againste the course of nature for water to runne out of a bodye that is wounded Howbeit he that sawe the thing with his iyes testified and beareth witnes hereof And we knowe his recorde to bee true And leste any of you shoulde stande in doubte whether ye maye or no beleue the thing whiche els mighte seme incredible I assure you that Iesus himselfe knewe that witnes to tell trueth And althoughe these thinges semed to be doen by chaunce or casualtie that is to saye that in stede of breakyng his legges as the others were his chaunce was to haue his side thruste thorowe yet for all that were they doen by the foresight and prouidence of God and as his diuine councell disposed that in this pointe also theffecte and conclusion of the thing myght aunswere and agre with the prophecies of the Prophetes For among other rites and customes wherwith Moses teacheth in Exodus that the paske or passouer ought to be obserued and celebrate he had prescribed euē that thing specially by name that is to wete that lambe which was sacrifised should be so slaine that no bone of it should be broken euen thereby notyng and declaryng that Iesus was the very true phase or passeouer the figure whereof that Mosaicall lambe did beare resembled thesame For the bloud of this true lambe Iesus saueth them that beleue in hym from death And the spirituall eatyng of this lambe conueyeth vs beeyng made free from the seruitude of Egypte that is to saye from the sinfull lustes of the worlde and from the tyranny of sinne into an heauenly region And againe the holy ghoste speaketh thus by Zacharye They shall see hym whom they pearsed For he shall once come with thesame body wherwith he hong on the crosse though it be alreadye a gloryouse body yet shall he shewe the printe of the wounde to all folke and he shall shewe the vnfaythfull to theyr rebuke the fountayne that was open all in vayne to them that would not beleue with the flowyng and streames wherof they might haue been cured After this Ioseph of Aramathia which was a disciple of Iesus but secretely for feare of the Iewes besought Pilate that he might take downe the body of Iesus And Pilate gaue hym licence he came therfore and tooke downe the body of Iesus And then came also Nicodemus which at the begynning came to Iesus by night and brought of myrthe and aloes mengled together aboute an hundred pounde weyght Then tooke they the body of Iesus and wounde it in lynnen clothes with odours as the maner of the Iewes is to bury And in the place where he was crucified there was a gardeyne and in the gardeyne a newe sepulchre wherin was neuer man layed There layed they Iesus therfore because of the preparyng of the Sabboth of the Iewes for the sepulchre was nye at hande And so nowe his death beyng already certayne and himselfe founde dead by the experience of many it behoued furthermore that his buryall should many wayes confyrme the belefe of the resurreccion And as Christe would perdie his whole life to be base and of a lowe porte so he would that his buriall should be honorable and of a great maiestie not intendyng therby to teache vs to be carefull of a sepulchre but to th entent that those thinges once accomplyshed whiche concerned the abasyng of hymselfe and the whole ministery thereof he might make a waye to the honour and prayse of his resurreccion And in very dede the honour whiche is geuen to a manne alyue is not without either suspicion or daunger but the honour whiche voluntarily we geue to the dead is a sure wytnes of prowes goodnes and vertue Nowe therfore Ioseph beyng a manne of
any thyng that his brothers necessitie requyred But the apostles which were as chiefe pieres of thys newe citie beeyng dispurueyed of worldely goodes but ryche in gyftes of the holy ghost augmented theyr company euery day more than other bearyng wytnes of our Lord Iesus Christes resurreccion with wonderfull great stedfastnesse of mynde and myghty power in workyng of miracles For his resurreccion was pryncipally to be perswaded by witnes of miracles For many one at his death had been present and not a fewe had been pryuy to his buriall And so lyued thys newe comminaltie vnder ryght valyaunte Capitaynes hauyng aboundaunce of all thinges for what they lacked in goodes was supplied and borne out with mutuall loue and concorde For although many one were poore yet was there none amongest them that lacked For as many as were possessioners eyther of landes or houses made sale of them and brought the pryce therof and laied it at the Apostles feete that they whom reuerently as fathers they regarded myght distribute the same goodes in common at theyr owne pleasure Fynally there was no lesse vpryghtnes amongest them that dealed the pryce of mennes possessions then was with those whiche brought it Trueth and vpryght dealyng is seldome founde among stewardes of housholde and layers out of money But here was that distribucion made among them accordyng to euery mannes necessitie without any choyse had of persons There was in this company one Ioseph whome the apostles by syrname called Barnabas whiche woorde in the Sirians toung betokeneth sonne of comforte by bloud and auncestry a Leuyte borne in Cipres This Ioseph bycause he dyd excell among other in great giftes and qualities of the mynde by reason wherof he was called Barnabas for the ioyfull comforte that the multitude had of his accesse was an example for many to folowe that lyberaliâ—ie whiche was semely for the ghospel For wheras he had lande in Cypres he solde it and brought the pryce therof and layed it at the Apostles feete as though it had been a vyle thyng and woorthy to be despised But yet were the Apostles of suche holynes that they would take nothyng therof for them selues aboue other The .v. Chapter ¶ A certayne man named â—nanias with Saphira his wyfe solde a possession and kepte awaye parte of the pryce his wyfe also being of counsell and brought a certayne part and layed it downe at the apostles feete But Peter said Ananias howe is it that Sathan hath fylled thyne herte that thou shouldest lye vnto the holy ghost and kepe awaie part of the pryce of the landes Pertayned it not vnto the onlyâ— after it was solde was it not in thyne owne power why hast thou conceiued this thing in thine herte thou hast lyed not vnto meÌ„ but vnto God Whan Ananias heard these wordes he fell downe and geue vp that ghost And great feare came on all them that hearde these thynges And the young men arose vp and put him aparte and carryed him out and buryed hym BUt lyke as Barnabas playne trueth without colourable deceite moued many to folowe his lyberalitie so was here an exaÌ„ple to put al people in feare that in matters of spiritual charge one should not deceyue an other For the holy ghost loueth playnes of hearte and hateth al deceite dissimulacion In like maner Iudas among the twelue Apostles was an example that no man shoulde put affiaunce in hymselfe but that eche manne should with all carefull diligence continewe in doyng his dutie There was of this companie a certayne man called Ananias one farre vnlyke vnto his owne name because he throughly not consented to the gracious fauour of God This Ananias had a wyfe called Saphira not vnlyke vnto the housbande Whan that Ananias more ambicious of honour theÌ„ desirous of perfite holynesse sawe dyuerse persons hyghly commended of all menne for their free sincere lyberalitie he solde his lande laied vp parte of the money his wyfe being pryuy therunto and allowing the same that of the two partes wherein his money was deuided the one shoulde purchase him prayse of the people with an estimation also or fame of holynesse the other woulde he kepe for himselfe yf any nede should happen distructing doubtlesse the holy ghoste and more caring or prouiding for himselfe then for the whole company of his brethren rekenyng thus with himselfe yf other dye for hunger I am sufficiently prouided for Suche forecasting was not besemyng a man that should put his whole affiance in Christe who promysed that they shoulde wante nothyng that seketh for the kyngdome of god and the rightwysenes therof neyther was this imaginacion mete for hym whiche shoulde bee of one will wyth other and of one mynde Whan he had brought to the apostles feete parte of the money that his liuelode was solde for Peter vnderstandyng by inspiracion of the holy ghoste whiche was in him aboundauntly the mannes vngodly dissimulacion sayed Ananias where as thou hast once dedicate thy selfe to the holy ghost and seen his power by so many tokens euidently declared why hast thou suffered the deuill nowe eftesones to put this in thy mynde to take by stelth awaye parte of that money whiche thou receyuedst for thy lyuelode as though thou couldest face downe the holy ghost with a lye who can in nowyse be deceyued and to bryng into this companie suche a presidente moste daungerouse If we had constrayned thee to sell thy liuelode against thy will some cause peraduenture it might haue been for to dissemble nowe sence thou diddest this of thyne owne free wyll whiche thou haste done to what purpose auayled it to deface that thyng with hypocryse whiche should haue bene to other an example of liberalitie Mightest not thou haue kept thy lande in thyne owne hand yf thou wouldest and moreouer after thou haddest solde it couldest not thou haue reserued the money wholy vnto thy selfe They for theyr trueth playne dealyng are well commended whiche of theyr owne free will bringeth forth all that they haue For we enforce no man thus to doe yf he be not willyng to thesame Upon what occasion than hast thou stablyshed in thy minde thus to disseÌ„ble in this matter It is not man that thou hast made this lye vnto but almightie god Yf thou thinkest that god may be deceyued thyne opinion of him is false and vngodly But yf thou beleue that he is pryuie to all thynges eyther thou despisest his righteousnesse or els thou thynkest that he fauoureth falsehood Ananias than perceyuing that thapostles knewe hys falsehood sodaynly fell downe as one that had be stricken to the herte with a sharpe rebuke and yelded vp the ghoste One for an example suffered death that many myght be therby preserued For after that this facte was bruted abrode it made many sore afrayed that none durste enterpryse any suche lyke offence against the holy ghost Young men remoued thence the dead corse and whan they had carryed it foorth buryed it
attempted the same vpon the writinges of thapostles secondly that the Apostles in dede wer godly men yet neuerthelesse men they were but the maiestie of Christ to be more great then that it myght be lefull to auenture the doynge of suche a thynge in his wordes And though the maiestie of the worke did not put of dryue one awaye yet the nature of the argument or matter of the gospels to refuse the thyng not to suffre one that should go about to make a Paraphrase and not onely for that there are in the gospell persons of diuers and sundry sortes vnto whome while the wordes and talke is so applied as to euery of them for his rate or degree maye best accorde it commeth to passe that the wryters penne is kept shut within the enclosure of an excedyng streyght grate because it is debarred from that libertie whiche all other sortes of commentaries doe suffer and receiue for a paraphrase also is to be reputed as a kynde of commentarie Furthermore where as a good porcion of the gospell consisteth in makyng report of this and that acte doynge and that of a simple and a plain report without any curiositie one that shoulde in thys parte make a paraphrase shall seme nothyng els to doe but at noontyde to light a candell as the prouerbe of the Grekes doeth call it Nowe ferther wheras the aunciente doctoures and wryters doe in expoundyng the allegories partly varie not declaryng it all after one waye and partely so handle themselues that to me they seme oft tymes to playe and dallie with it nor myght expresse or bryng in the same allegories but vnder the persones eyther of Christ orels of the euangelist it is euidente and well to be knowen in what narow streyghtes I should trauayle I let passe and saye nothyng that Christ in suche wyse spake certayne thynges as he woulde not haue the same to be vnderstanded at the time of the speakyng of them of whiche sort this here ensuyng is one Destroy ye this temple and within thre dayes space I wyll buyld it vp agayne And allso of bying a swearde of the Phariseis leuen to be eschued And truly in that same his talke where he foresheweth the distruccion of the citie of Hierusalē and prophecieth of the ende of the world and of affliccions long after to ensue vnto the Apostles Iesus doeth so intermedle and temper his talke that me semeth his will and pleasure was to be darke and not vnderstanded not onely to the Apostles but also vnto vs all There be also certayne places as I thinke almoste vnpossible to be expouned of whiche sort one is concernyng that sinne against the holy goste shall neuer be remitted an other concerning the day of iudgement reserued to the knowlage of the father onely and vnknowen euen to the very sonne selfe In these places and suche lyke yf one wryte commentaries he maye at his pleasure without daunger reporte the sundrye opinions of sundrye expositours he hath libertie frankly to confesse and acknowlege that he dothe not vnderstand the mening of the place But one that maketh a paraphrase hath not the lyke libertie nor power Moreouer certayne thinges there be in suche sorte spoken that they touche and concerne euen these verai times that now are in which our tymes right many thinges there be ferre disagreyng from the institucions ordinaunces of the Apostles And suche thynges although the Euangelistes foreknew them by the spirite of prophecie yet certes vnder the persones names of the Apostles they can not be reported but both coldely also cuttedly There was yet also an other point that moued my minde which was that in case I should take and bestow this labour vpon Mathew only there would by and by be some that would make instaunte earnest request for to haue the lyke doen vpon all the residue of the Euangelistes whose wyl desire if I should folow than muste it cum to passe that I must many tymes more then once make repeticion of one manier mattiers that is to were of all and euery matter in whiche the Euangelistes did amonge themselues accorde Or if on the othersyde I shoulde tye and linke together a certayne continuall processe of tellyng the thynges so to make but one whole tale of them all together than forasmuche as to declare and to open all the places which in the Euangelistes seeme to disagre is nothyng els but to be coumbreously entangled as it wer in a certayne mase could I neuer haue been hable to do that is to be doen for the clerenesse and light that a Paraphrase ought to haue Whan with these verai many mo argumentes and reasons I desired to be ridde of the charge that was layed vnto me to go in hande withall wheras I thought my selfe to haue a good cause and an excuse that might haue preuailed yet did the sayed Matthewe vanquish me by his eloquence he got the ouer hande of me by reason of hys autoritie wherby he might commaunde me takyng on hymself the daungier and hasard of all the whole matier Neyther durste I bee so bolde as any longer to striue or strougle agaynst the aduise and councell of hym whose counsailes your Maiestie customablie vseth in moste high and weighty affayres not vnwyllyngly to folowe And yet where as I had not euen plainly taken the matier vpon me but had onely promysed that I woulde one daye assay yf happily the thyng would frame go forward he than iourneiyng towardes Millayn had made assured warantise vnto the Germaines in my behalf that the worke should this instant winter season cum foorth Wherupon I cummyng backe my self againe vnto Basile was in suche wise on eche side continually called vpon of my maisters the Germaines being crauers not of the lest importune sort that because I would in any wise discharge both his promyse myne own honestie to I finished vp the weorke with litle more then a monethes labour And God he graunte that bothe the cōmaundement of hym and the obedience of me may be to all persons luckie and fortunate and I trust it wyll so be if your maiestie will fauourablie acknowlage and accepte this slender gifte presente to the same dedicated But here perchaunce some man that knoweth you by none other title sauing onely by the name of Emperour wyl saye What is a booke of suche an argumente or matier as thys for a prince secular whiche it had been more mete and conuenient to haue dedicated vnto abbottes or bishops for aunswer wherof first me thinketh it a thyng aptlye geuen whatsoeuer thyng beyng honest is put vp to a Christen prince And besides this where as no prince is so secular but that he hath a doe with the profession of the gospell the Emperours are anoynted sacred for this very purpose that they may eyther maynteyne or restore or elles enlarge and sprede abrode the religion of the gospell Ergo than wil some man saye the
sake and hither to you beeynge bare and poore haue folowed me lykewyse bare and poore if ye perseuer and continue in the worlde to cum when the dead shall ryse and euerye man shall receyue rewarde after his desertes and whan that the sonne of maÌ„ his humilite that ye nowe see set aparte shal sitte in the seate of his maiestie ye fysshers than beyng partakers of honor whiche are nowe partakers of afâ—iccions shall sit in twelue seates and shall iudge the twelue trybes of Israel because they cumming of the same stocke hauyng knowledge of the same lawe prouoked with the same miracles and benefytes yet by no meanes coulde be brought to beleue whereas ye meane persones and vnlerned by and by at my simple bidding haue lefte yea those thinges whereby ye susteyned your life And this rewarde shal not be yours onelye but whosoeuer for the profession of my name forsaketh his house his brothers or sisters his father or mother his wyfe or chyldren his landes or anye other possession he shall not lose that whiche he lefte for my sake insomuche that he shall haue a greate gayne therby For in this worlde he shall receyue an hundred folde for the thinges that he hath lefte and in the tyme of resurreccion he shall possesse euerlastyng life For in the stede of the thinges that he hath left the whiche bee casuall and vyle possessions he shall possesse here in the meane tyme that precious Margaryte of the euangelicall mynde whiche is to be estemed and compared with no marchandise of this worlde In the stede of one house that ye haue left the doctrine of the ghospell shall make open vnto you a numbre of houses thorough out the worlde For one piece of grounde manye groundes shall serue your necessities for one father or mother ye shall haue so manye as there shal be olde men and olde women whiche ye shall conuert vnto the ghospell Ye shall haue so many brothers systers sonnes and daughters as your equals or yongers shal be whiche by your prechyng ye shall bryng to euerlasting life These shall geue vnto you euery where of theyr owne accorde yf ye shall neede anye thyng and theyr affections shall far passe thaffeccions of theÌ„ whom onely kinred of bloud hath ioyned vnto vs. For the kinred of the felowship of the ghospell is more nere than fleshly affinitie and they loue more vehementlie whom godlines hath coupled together than they whom carnall byrth hath ioyned together Unto this great rewarde that shal be added also whiche is the greatest of all that for thynges whiche shortely shall perishe ye shall possesse euerlastyng life I say not this that the profession of the ghospell doth teach vs to despyse them whom nature hath ioyned vnto vs but suche maner of affeccions muste be neglected as often as they withdrawe vs from euerlasting saluacion This great felicitie is set furth indifferently to all men There is no difference of fortune condicion age or person But in this estimacion and iudgement which shal be made of God the equall iudge many shal be last whiche seme nowe to be first Contrariwise many whiche seme now vile and of no reputacion with men shal there be counted chiefe There shal be preferred a common woman before a Scribe a Publican before a Pharisie an heathen before a Iewe a poore manne before a ryche a plough manne before a king and they that semed nexte to the kyngdome of heauen shall enter in last and they that semed farre of shall enter in firste The heathen men throughe fayth shall goe before the Sinagoge through vnbelefe shal be set besyde ¶ The .xx. Chapiter For the kingdome of heauen is like to a man that is an householder whiche went out earely in the morning to hyre labourers into his vineyarde And whan the bargayne was made with the laborers for a denary a daie he sent them into his vineyarde And he wente out about the thirde houre and sawe other standyng ydle in the market place and sayed vnto them go ye also into the vineyarde And whatsoeuer is right I will geue vnto you And they went theyr waye Agayne he went out about the sixte and ninthe houre and did lykewyse And â—bout the eleuenth houre he went out and founde other standing ydle and sayed vnto them why stande ye here all the daye idle They say vnto him because no man hath hâ—ted vs. He sayeth vnto them go ye also into the vineyarde and whatsoeuer is right that ye shall receyue ANd because it semed a darke riddell that he spake concerninge the first and the last he declareth the thing that he spake with a parable whereby he sheweth that men were called to the keping or obseruing of righteousnes in diuers ages and yet al the seruauntes of righteousnes haue one and the same rewarde of euerlasting saluacion so that they whiche be called labour diligently in the vineyarde of righteousnes For they haue no lesse whiche be called in the time of Christ than they whiche be called in the time of Abraham or Moyses or Dauid And they haue no lesse whiche be called and drawen to the seruice of the gospell being aged than they whith be children or yong men The one and the same denary and rewarde of euerlasting lyfe is geuen vnto them al. And yet they yâ— came late seme to haue greater honour by this that the liberalitie of the lorde maketh them equall to them whyche came before The Iewes were firste called but yet the Gentiles called afterwarde be not onelye made equall vnto them but also preferred before the vnbeleuing Iewes The parable is after this sorte The kingdom of heaueÌ„ ê™ he is like vnto an householder whyche wente abrode earely in the mornynge to hier workemen into his vineyarde And getting certayne and bargayning with them that they shoulde haue eche of them a denary a piece for theyr dayes worke sent them into his vineyarde He wente out agayne aboute three of the clocke and when â—e same certayne stande idle in the markete saide vnto them go ye also into my vineyard and I shall geue you that shall be mete He went oute agayne about sixe of the cloke and agayne aboute nine and did likewyse as he did at one and three of the clocke Againe going out aboute three of the clocke towarde night he founde certayne other in the market to whome he sayed why stande where all day idle They saye because no man hath hired vs. He sayeth to them go ye also into my vineyard ¶ So whan euen was cum â–ª the lorde of the vyneyard sayeth vnto his stewarde Call the laborers and geue them theyr â—yer beginning at the laste vntill the fyrste But whan they did cum that came about the eleuenth houre they receyued euery man a denary And whan the firste came also they supposed that they shoulde haue receyued more and they also receyued euery 〈◊〉 a denarie And whan they had receyuyd it they murmured against the householder
and kepyng of mans ceremonies Iohn as a meane betwene the old law the new weÌ„t about to myngle together two sundry doctrines For he durst not commit this liuely philosophy pure and vnmengled as it was vnto them that were weake of mynde Nowe all is weake that is humayne carnall And contrarily that is full of lyfe vertue and strength whatsoeuer is godly spirituall and heauenly Wherfore vnto my disciples whome I chose rude and ignoraunt to the entent I myght the soner enstruct them in this strong and pithful Philosophy I prescribe none of these thinges folowyng Eate these meates forbear these now rest now labor vse suche apparel touch not this thing handle not that And the cause is for feare leste they woulde alwayes continewe weake if they once learned of me theyr maister to put any trust in suche corporall thynges It is a thyng very vnprofitable to ioyne thynges together whiche disagree one with an other ¶ No man also seweth a piece of newe clothe vnto an olde garment els taketh he away the new piece therof from the olde and so is the rent wurse And no man poureth newe wyne into olde bottels els the newe wyne doth burst the bottels and the wyue runneth out and the bottels are marâ—ed But newe wyne must be put into newe bottels For there is no man so farre from reason that if he be disposed to amende an olde garment wil sewe therunto a patche of newe clothe And why so certes for that he perceyueth yf he should so do he shoulde bothe lose his new cloth also make the hole of the olde garment bigger then it was before For beyng offended with the notable diuersytie betwene the piece of cloth sewed on and the yll mended garmente he strayght wayes plucketh of the piece that he sewed to and so the hole of the same garment gapeth fowler then it dyd before Neyther is there any man so folysh as to put newe wine in olde bottels And why because he seeth that he should sustain double losse therby For the new wyne wurketh so feruently through the vehemencie of the fumes therein enclosed that it breaketh the bottels beyng weake by reason of age all to pieâ—es and so are bothe bottels and wyne cleane lost and spilt Howe doeth he then prouide bothe for the safetie of the one and the other Trulye he putteth the newe wyne into newe bottels Euen so they whose mindes haue of long time been accustomed to the naughtie wine of Pharisaâ—call supersticion can in no wyse away with the newe wine of heauenly spiritual doctrine but lothe and abhorre thesame stylle callyng after a taste of the wurse wine that hath been theyr accustomable drynke And that Iesu spake the truthe herein the Phariseis them selues many tymes declared by theyr deedes ¶ And if chaunced again that he went thorow the corn fieldes on the Sabboth dayes and his disciples began by the waye to plucke the eares of the corne And the Phariseis sayd vnto hym Beholde why do they on the Sabboth dayes that whiche is not lawfull And he sayed vnto them haue ye neuer read what Dauid dyd when he had nede and was an hungred both de and they that were with hym howe he went into the house of God in the dayes of Abiathar the hye priest and dyd eate the shewe bread whiche is not lawfull to eate but for the priestes onely and gaue also to them whiche were with hym And he sayed vnto them the Sabboth was made for man and not man for the Sabboth therefore is the sonne of man Lorde also of the Sabboth For as it chaâ—nced on a certaine season that his disciples trauayled thorough a corne fyeld and that vpon the Sabboth daye on the whiche day it was a matter of conscience among the Iewes to doe any maner of weorke they wente before and Iesus theyr mayster followed And anon prouoked by hunger they beganne to plucke the eares of the corne and with the chasyng of theyr handes to rubbe once the corne and eate it Nowe heare howe the olde bottels were offended with the newe wyne of the libertie of the ghospell calling after the olde wyne of kepyng the Sabboth that hadde cleane lost his verdure For the Phariseis who as menne very righteouse in theyr owne conceyptes folowed Iesus beholdyng what the disciples dyd wrongfully blamed the Lorde in them For lyke as the vertuousnesse of the schollers is a great commendacion to the mayster euen so theyr mysbehaueoure and lewde taches are reproched and layed vnto those that instructed them They tolde the lorde and poynted vnto his disciples as thoughe they had doen a greuouse offence for that they brake the Sabboth daye to the ende that he shoulde cause them to leaue worke and by that meanes approue the pharisaicall supersticion orels yf he woulde not so do then myght they take some occasion to piâ—ke a quarell or surmise some matter agaynst hym The Lorde so defended his disciples that he disproued the learned in the lawe of Moses by the auctoritie of the lawe and of his gentlenesse vouchesafed to teache them the true meaning therof whiche in dede deserued shaperly to be rebuked With what face ê™ he do ye accuse my disciples for that thorough constraint of hunger they plucke a fewe eares of corne beeyng by chaunce in their waye for theyr reliefe and sustenaunce sithe there is expresse mencion in the very lawe it selfe wherof you professe your selues to be teachers howe Dauid when he was in lyke necessitie dydde a thyng whiche soundeth muche more to the breache of the lawe then this For he beyng almost famished and in great daunger to perysh for lacke of foode fled for succour vnto the house of God and although he were a laye man was not afrayed to desyre Abiathar then chyef of the priestes to geue him those moste holy loaues called the shewe bread the whiche it was not lefull for any man to eate of but the priestes onely â— and that but duryng the litle whyle they were within the precinct of the Temple occupied about makyng of sacrifice Abiathar was not here ignoraunt what the lawe had commaunded and yet feared not he to deliuer vnto Dauid and his trayne the sayed holy loaues to be eaten in the holy place If you knowe not that this is scripture orels yf you haue it not in memory howethaÌ„ for shame dare you professe the knowledge that of law If you know and remembre it why doe you in a lyke ease quite Abiathar and Dauid yea and allowe theyr facte and yet accuse my disciples as giltie of an heynous trespasse If the rigorousnes of the lawe did then geue place vnto the necessitye of the neyghboure when the lawe was of mooste force strengthe howe muche more then standeth it nowe with reason that the ceremonies of the same lawe geue place therunto whensoeuer charitie moueth a man to help his euen Christen Moreouer it is lykewyse commaunded in the lawe
shorte they had nothyng els but a plaine and a symple faythe in Iesu whome they as yet knewe not perfectlye ¶ And kyng Herode heard of him for his name was spread abroâ—â— I he said Iohn Baptist is risen agayne from the dead and therfore myracles are wrought by hym other saide it is Helias some saied it is a prophet as one of the prophetes But when Herode heard of byâ—s he sayd it is Iohn whome I be headed he is tysen from deaâ—h â–ª agaynt For Herode hymselfe had sent furth mâ—nne of warre and layed handes vpon Iohn and bounde hym and caste hym into pryson for Herodias sake his brother Philippes wyfe because he had maried her For Iohn sayde vnto Herode It is not lawfult for the to haue thy brothers wyfe Herodias layed wayte for hym and would haue kylled hym but she could not For Herode feared Iohn knowyng that he was a iust man and an holy and gaue hym reuerence And when he hearde hym he dyd many thynges and hearde hym gladlye By these thynges Iesu waxed euery daye more famous then other so that his name was nowe knowen euen vnto kyng Herode For it is very late ere kynges knowe Iesu whome it behoueth firste and chiefly to knowe hym neyther are there any that know him worse and lesse for theyr soule healthe then they do After that Iesu had wrought so many and so euident miracles that no man could cauill and saye they were fayned thynges and the same myracles had done so many menne good that no manne coulde sclaunderouslye reporte and say they were done by the power and operacion of euill spirites And after diuerse menne had diuersly spoken theyr myndes and conceites what they thoughte of hym at the length Herode shewed also his opinion Iohn sayth he is rysen from death and therfore now hath he power to worke myracles Agayne other there were who taking coniecture of the prophecy of Malachy sayed howe Iesu was Helye whiche is promysed in scripture to cum againe before the great and terrible daye of the lorde There were other sum whiche denied hym to be Hely who was of greatest authoritie among the Iewes auouchyng him to be one of the meane sorte of prophetes reliued and rysen agayne When Herode had hearde all theyr opinions yet stacke he styll vnto his owne and sayd Yea this is the selfefame Iohn whose heade I caused to be striken of He is alyue agayne and beyng nowe made a faynete worketh suche thynges as passeth mannes power There was none of all those whiche beleued not that the bodies shall reliue And yet are there manye at this daye who beleue not that Christe rose agayne from death to lyfe And to th entent thou mayest here perceyue how vnright are the iudgementes of the wicked they beleued that Iohn who neuer hadde any name for workyng of miracles was aliue agayne and moste stifly denyed the resurreccion of Iesu whose godly power was so many wayes declared Consydre also the foÌ„dnesse of wicked kinges Herode affirmeth Iohn to be alyue agayne and coÌ„fesseth he hath now greater power then he had when he was firste alyue and yet for all that he in a manour maketh his vaunt howe he caused hym to deputte to death ready to slea hym afreshe yf it laye in his power Here it is expedient to heare what occasion Herode hadde to committe so haynous a dede For at the prouocacion of an vnchaste woman he commaunded Iohn to be taken and layed in yrons not for anye offence committed on his behalfe but to gratifie Herodias the daughter of kyng Areta the whiche Herodias notwithstanding she was maried before vnto Phylyppe one of the fower rulers of the countreyes of Iturea and Trachonitis the Kyng hee father by reason of a certayne debate that befell bewixt them toke awaye from his sonne in lawe Philippe by whom she had then a daughter and maried her to this Herode brother vnto the sayde Philippe but yet his enemie Iohn to th entent he might the better resemble Helye who verye frankely rebuked Achab and Iezabela could not abyde this vnchaste and filthye matrimonie but sayde vnto kyng Herode It is not lawfull for the to kepe still in house with the thy brothers wyfe synce he is not barrayne and is yet alyue Herodias who was then diuorced from her former husbande fearyng leste she should by Iohns procurement by lykewyse diuorced from this weÌ„t aboute to entrappe him and sought occasion to make him awaye but all that euer she went about came to none effecte For albeit Herode loued not Iohn hartely yet did he feare hym True vertue is of suche force that kynges and mightie princes feare it Herode knewe right well he was a iuste manne and an holy lyuer and therfore had hym in awe and reuerence and folowed his counsayle in manye thynges and gladlye hearde him speake These thynges letted the wicked womanne to destroye hym according as she purposed to do She entended mischiefe but occasion woulde not serue therunto whiche is the thing that onely lacketh vnto yuell folkes to do harme ¶ And when a conuenient daye was cumme that Herode on his byrthe daye made a supper to the lordes high capitaines and chiefe eâ—ates of Galile and when the daughter of the same Herodias came in daunced and pleased Herode and theÌ„ that sate at borde also the kyng sayde vnto the damsell Aske of me what thou wylte and I will geue it the and he sware vnto her Whatsoeuer thou shalte aske of me I wyll geue it the euen to the one halfâ— of my kyngdome And she went foorth and saide vnto her mother what shall I aske she sayed Iohn Baptistes heade And she came in streyghtwaye with haste vnto the kyng and asked saying I will that thou gyue me by and by in a charger the head of Iohn Baptiste and the kyng was sorye howbeit for his othe sake and for theyr sakes whiche sate at supper also he would not caste her of And immediatly the king sent the hangmaÌ„ and commaunded his head to be brought in and he went and beheaded him in the prison brought his heade in a charger and gaue it to the damsell and the damsell gaue it to her mother And when his disciples heard of it they came and toke vp his body and layed it in a graue Nowe was Herodes byrthe daye come a tyme verye propise and meete to worke this vngracious dede in It was besemyng that the natyue daye of a wicked kyng shoulde be polluted with the death of a man of moste holye lyuyng and godly conuersacion and that the mâ—ddes of the excessiue banketting and courtlye delicacies shoulde be distayned with the cruell murtheryng of an innocent and gyltlesse person Wherfore when that in the honoure of his byrth daye he made a souper of gorgious and excessiue furniture to the princes capitaines and great estates of Galile because there shoulde be the moo present to beare witnesse of his crueltie
of the ghospell a famouse name is requisite not for that suche an one ought to seke glory emong men but for that an honest opinion of the teacher doeth purchase vnto the same bothe credite and authoritie But the sayed honest opinion as it is not to be desired so is it not by all maner waies to be acquired and gotten Let a teacher of the ghospell accordyng to the exaumple of Iesus so lyue that whereas he maketh no vauntâ—e voste of hymselfe he may yet neuerthelesse be aduaunced by the testimonie of the heauenly father by the power and vertue of the holy ghoste and by the voyce of Ihon that is to saye of euery honest and good man in whom the grace of God resteth let hym so lyue that he maye through the perfeccion of his liuyng and behaue our turne the iyes of all folkes vpon hym And to bee short let hym be of suche feith and constaunt affiaunce in God that yf the case should so require he may glorifie God euen with shewyng myracles too howbeit as the worlde nowe is it is a miracle great great enough if suche an one neyther with richesse neyther with sensual pleasures nor with worldly promocion ne with dreadfull offering of tormentes ne with the feare of death it selfe will not any whit at all be turned from the purenesse of the veritie euaÌ„gelicall Nowe emong the Iewes it was a custome that often seasons but moste specially on the Sabooth daies the people assembled together into the temple or into theyr Synagoges to th entent that the tyme of restyng which the lawe enioyned them from all filthie secular workes should not be spenâ—e on dycing and cardyng on harlottes on banquettyng and reuelyng on chydyng and brallyng and other veray naughtie vices but to be bestowed about thynges perteynyng to the soule And in the saied temple or Synagoges there was talking of one with an other not concernyng triflyng matters of the worlde but about the lawe of the Lorde about Messias to come who was with moste ardent prayers looked for of all good and godly folkes And what euery man could he conferred and declared amonges all the presence of what state or degree soeuer he were And whosoeuer made any countenaunce that he had what to teache vnto the people there was deliuered vnto hym a booke of the lawe of God wherhence it is the parte duetie of a teacher of the ghospell to fette out wherwith to fede the soules of the people and not out of the dreames of men And whatsoeuer thyng was in this place and audience done coulde not be priuie or hidden because there stocked thither a great multitude of all sortes and degrees of people Iesus therfore willyng his doctryne to be knowen vnto all creatures as he walked throughout the cities of Galile he vsed accordyng to the lawdable custome of the Iewes to come into their Synagoges shewyng furth euery where thesame wonderfull and piththie doctryne of the kyngdome of heauen beyng of so muche more power and force then the doctryne of the Phariseis who preached naught but the vtter rynde of the lawe and the constitucioÌ„s of menne as wyne is stronger of herre and operacion then water Neyther dyd there lacke emong the people of Galile some mindes apt desirous to learne whiche marueiled at this newe kynde of doctryne and whiche dyd reuerence the wonderfull teacher therof highly praysyng and manifying hym And he came to Nazareth where he was nourced and as his custome was he went in to the Synagoge on the Sabboth daye and stode vp for to reade And there was deliuered vnto him the booke of the Prophete Esai And whâ— he had opened the booke he found the place where it was written The spirite of the Lord vpon me because he hath enointed me to preache the ghospell to the people he hath sent me to heale the broken herted to preache deliueraunce to the captyue and sight to the blynde freely to sette at libertie them that are bruised and to preache the acceptable yere of the Lorde And he closed the booke and gaue it agayne to the minister and sate downe And hitherto verayly the ghospelles cause dyd sufficiently well procede vntyll he came to his kynsfolke and to the knowelage of his familiar frendes and acquaintaunce becauâ—â— we should vnderstande that he whiche teacheth heauenly thynges ought as muche as he maye to estraunge hymselfe from the fleashe and from the blond of his kinred For whan he had passed through certaine litle townes and cities of Galile at the last he came to Nazareth in whiche place by reason that he had been there brought vp of a young nourcechylde and had long tyme liued there with his parentes and kynsfolkes he was supposed of many to had been borne and for thesame cause was also comonly called a Nazarean And to th entent the Nazareans should not fynde themselues grieued that he had thought skorne of his kinsfolkes and aliauÌ„ce as one that had more mynde and desyre to go hunting about for glory emong people of straunge parties where none of his kynne dwelt he came thither also to Nazareth beeyng nowe a manne of great fame and muche spoken of whereas he had tofore had no suche fame in those quarters And because he would declare that he had nowe renounced and geuen vp all priuate busynesse and affayrs of the worlde he came accordyng to his accustomed maner into the common Synagoge For no where ought suche a man to be more conuersaunt then in the temple whoso is consecrated to the profityng of all folkes in generall And when he heard others treatyng and reasonyng of Moses lawe he also arose vp signifying by that gesture as others vsed to doe that he also beeyng inspired with the holy ghoste had some thyng in his mynde that he was willyng to speake before the multitude beeyng there assembled Whiche custome euen at this daye endureth in the churches by the ordinaunce of S. Paul that menne shall speake and heare by course And in case any man haue any thyng opened vnto him by reuelacion woorthy or mete to bee knowen he that spake afore shall leaue of and shall geue place to the partie that succedeth hym because that no troubleous noyse and confusion of speakyng so as one maye not bee heard for an other shall aryse in the holy congregacion in whiche it is decent that all thynges bee doen with peace and tranquillitie The booke was deliuered vnto Iesus and that accordyng to the custome and vsage for vs to be enstructed and taught therby from wheÌ„ce the doctrine of saluacion ought to procede that is to weâ—e not out of the inuencions of men not out of the posicions of Philosophiers but out of the booke of holye scripture whiche hath been reueled vnto vs by the secrete instincte and operacion of the spirite of God Iesus in whom all the treasoures of knowlage and wysedome were hidden had no nede of any booke but yet
not read what Dauid did whan he himselfe was an hungred and they which were with hym how he went into the house of God and did take and eate the shewe bread and gaue also to them that were with him whiche are not lawful to eate but for the priestes onely And he sayd vnto them The sonne of man is Lorde also of the sabboth daie ANd beholde there ensued immediatly as God woulde haue it an occasion whereby it might be playnely made open what thing was the newe wyne and whiche were the olde bottels The high and holy keping of the sabboth daye was olde wine and charitie being euer ready by all occasions to helpe our neighboure is newe wyne So it happened therfore on a certayne Sabboth day whiche the Iewes did call a sabboth secound first or secouÌ„nde principal because that falling betwene two other sabbothes it semed to haue a double holynesse and soleÌ„nitie the one because it was th eÌ„de of the sabboth aforegoyng and the other because it was the begynnyng of the sabboth nexte to folowe it happened that on suche a sabboth day Iesus goyng on hys waye passed through a fielde of corne And so his disciples beeing as it fortuned an houngred had pulled a fewe eares of the corne and also rubbed them in theyr handes and eate the grayne This was a kinde of easemente that euerye bodye might and woulde commonly take if houngre were â—o sore vpon them that they muste nedes eate somewhat In whiche case veraily whereas the charitie of the gospell woulde of it owne accorde haue geuen some susteynaunce vnto them beyng houngrie the Phariseis beeyng olde bottels require in theÌ„ the sower verdured wine of the olde supersticion saying Why doe ye this geare whiche it is agaynst al gods forbode to do on the sabboth dayes Here the Lord once agayn playing the aduocate for his disciples aunswered Ye that professe the high knowelage of the lawe haue ye not at lestwyse read that poyncte what Dauid did in a like case whan he all hys coumpainy were an houngrie like as ye se my disciples here houngrie now Dauid woulde not only haue auentured in the extremitie of hungre to haue doen that my disciples now doe but being a manne of the laitee he entred into the temple of God nor was any thing afearde to care the consecrate loaues whiche they called panes proposition it â–ª that is to saye the loaues of proposicyon or of shewyng foorthe whiche loaues to eate was by a playne ordeynaunce leefull to the pâ—â—â—stes onely and to none other persone And yet did he not onely auenture to 〈◊〉 that breade himselfe alone but of the selfesame loaues he fed al his coumpainy too nothing moued neither with the reuerence of the temple ne with the streight commaundement of the lawâ— forbidding any persone to doe so muche as touche the saide loaues sauing onely the priestes yea and that thing might the priestes selues doe so long and no longer as they remayning in the temple did execute minister the sacres there No nor the prieste neither did any thing stare or sticke to deliuer vnto Dauid those same holye loaues as one verayly which well vnderstode that suche streight obseruaunces were not first ordeyned for the destruccion of men but for theyr preseruacion and therfore to ceasse and lese their force as often as any certayne greatter cause of vrgente necessitie doeth so require And whan the Lorde Iesus had at large declared manye thinges concerning this matier at last he knit vp his talke with this sentence Take ye this for a matier of certaintie that the sonne of man who is the lorde of all thinges is lorde of the sabboth too For he that was the firste maker of the sabboth hath power to abrogate the same sabbothe And he that is come to geue health vnto al creatures is not letted from his office for the reuerence of the sabboth ¶ And it fortuned in an other sabboth also that he entred into the synagogue and taught And there was a man whose right hand was dryed vp And the scribes phariseis watched him whether he woulde heale on the sabboth daye that they myghte fynde howe to accuse him But he knew theyr thoughtes and sayd to the man which had the withered hande rise vp and stande furth in the middes And he arose and stode furth Then sayed Iesus vnto them I will aske you a question whether is it lawfull on the sabboth dayes to doe good or to doe euill to saue ones life or destroy it And he behelde them al in a coumpace and sayd vnto the man Stretch furth thy hande And he did so and his hand was restored againe as whole as the other And they were filled with madnesse and commoned together emong themselues what they might doe to Iesus There ensued shortely after an other exaumple also howe greatlye olde bottels can not abyde newe muste of the libertie of the ghospell For it happened that on a certayne other sabboth day he entred into the sinagogue as his custome was to dooe and there taughte And as for thys thyng the Phariseis could soso away withall because it was a thing both of the coÌ„mon vsage and also of the prescripcion of the law But there was present in the same place emong manye moe a certayne miserable creature much to bee pietied carriyng about with him all dried vp and cleane maymed the same hande with the helpe and labour wherof he had bene wont to fynde both himselfe his children â–ª in such wise as it had bene better not to haue had the hand than to be loden with the bearing of it whan it was dead And al the while the Scribes and Phariseis whose parte and duetie it had bene to haue takeÌ„ compassyon on the man and to haue spoken vnto Iesus for the healing of him sayd neuer a word but stode watching of him whether he woulde restore the felowes hande whole agayn vnto him for they knewe the mercyfulnesse of the lorde euery where readie to helpe all creatures And therof sought they an occasion to surmuise some false matter agaynst him of breaking the holy sabboth if he had on such a day restored vnto this woefull creature hys hande agayne on whiche sabboth the lawe had forbidden to doe any worke or laboure But Iesus not vnknowyng what mattier the Scribes and Phariseis dyd thynke and caste within themselfes speaketh vnto the man that had the dead same hande and to the entente that he might plainly bee seene of all the coumpaignye he commaunded hym to arise and to come foorthe into the middes of all the people there But the partie that ye maye at the firste woorde perceyue that he was one woorthye the benefite of Iesus dooyng as an obediente persone arose 〈◊〉 sighte of all the presence stode euen still shewing out there before them all the syghte of his extreme missehap Here Iesus turnyng hymselfe to the Scribes and Phariseis did not discouer
to be the head of all holinesse and religion All your glory shall be transposed from you and shal go from you vnto the Gentiles And your own selfes shal geue sentence and iudgement against your selfes And as for me in dede ye shall put me to death but this I playnly affirme vnto you ye shall not see me before that ye shall saye Blessed is he that cummeth in the name of the Lorde This shall be your open protestacion whiche the trueth shall enforce you to vtter but yet this notwithstandyng ye shortely returnyng at once to the naturall inclinacion of your forefathers shall put him to death whom ye magnified afore with suche high wordes The .xiiii. Chapter And it chaunced that he went into the house of one of the chiefe Phariseis to eate bread on the saboth day and they watched him And behold there was a certain man before him which had the dropsie And Iesus aunswered and spake vnto the lawiers and Phariseis saiyng Is it lawfull to heale on the sabboth day And they held their peace And he toke him and heale◠him ▪ and let him goe and aunswered them saiyng whiche of you shall haue an asse or an ore fallen into a pitte and wil not straight way pull him out on the Sabboth day And they could not aunswere him again to these thinges ANd so it befell afterwarde that beyng desyred to dyner by a certayne manne that was one of the chyefe among the Pharyseis he wente to the mannes house and there toke his repaste with hym And it was a sabboth daye And there sate at thesame table also many Phariseis who according to their accustomed woont watched Iesus yf he shoulde speake or dooe any thyng whiche thei might slaunderously reproue in him And loe euen ready for them an occasiō of a false accusacion againste hym For there was there in presence a certayne manne possessed with the dropsie a disease for the moste parte vncurable by any Physike talowe coloured and swollen all his body ouer But a blessed turne it was for this pieteous creature that he came in Iesus sight For vnfortunate is suche a sinner as withdraweth or hydeth himself frō the sight of him who would faine haue all people to be saued Nowe Iesus knowyng well enough what thought the phariseis and lawiers had in their myndes demaunded of them whether it were a thyng standyng with Gods pleasure to geue health on the sabboth daye vnto a man beyng otherwyse ready to perishe and dye Whan they held their peace and would make none aunswer Iesus calleth vnto him the partie whiche had the dropsye and by touchyng him with his handes he healed the man and bidde him goe his waies Immediatly the mannes coulour was chaunged and the swelling of his fleshe abated to the due course again And although this dede was woonderfull yet the solemnitie of the sabboth day beyng broken as they interpreted it did highly offende the Phariseis But Iesus shewyng their religion to be of a peruerse contrary sorte in that they would be offended in the preseruyng of a mannes life and in sauing of an asse were not offended made aunswer to their secrete thoughtes said If an oxe or an Asse of any of youres had fallen downe in a diepe pitte on the sabboth daye whether would the partie tarie vntil the sabboth day were al past orels makyng no tariaunce at all would he straight waye euen thesame daye geat out his beaste that it might not miscarry If the preseruyng of an oxe or an asse doeth weigh so muche with you that ye thinke not the sabboth daye to bee broken why is your herte offended for that I haue on the sabboth day geuen health to this man who was in ieoperdy to haue died out of hand of the disease of the dropsie In case it bee the bodily worke and laboure that is weighed there is more bodily labour in halyng an oxe or an asse oute of a great depe pit thē in makyng this man whole of his disease I haue no more but seen him touched hym and bidden hym goe his way If it be the persone that ye esteme then ought ye more to tendre the preseruyng of one sole māne then of a right great noumbre of oxen or asses At all these woordes the Phariseis plaied mum For their hertes were so corrupt so peruerse that whan thei had no aunswer to make against the plain and clere trueth yet could thei not mollifie thēselfes to allowe that they sawe doen of Iesus That in case thēselfes had been hable to haue doen any suche lyke thyng they would with al the trompettes in a countreye haue blowen abrode their own glory But because the lord Iesus would that the glory of all his doynges should redoūd to his father which was god of heauen he euerywhere discouered the peinted holynesse of the phariseis who had ouerlōg already mocked and seduced the plain simple people with their cloked hipocrisie For they hūted for their own glory among men and therfore they enuied at the glory of god And this was a true dropsie of the soule growing first of a corrupt iudgemēt of the mind as the dropsie cūmeth of the liuer being corrupted or perished For the said phariseis setting al their glory in such thīges wherin there was no gloriyng to be made were swollē with outforth and puffed vp in haultnes pride where al their entrailes withinforth wer miserably corrupted and putrified He put forth also a similitude vnto the geastes whan he marked how they pressed to the highest roumes and said vnto them whan thou art bidden of any man to a wedding sit not down in the highest roume leste a more honorable man than thou be bidden of him and he that bid him and thee come and say to thee geue this man roume and thou then begin with shame to take the lowest roume But rather whan thou arte bidden goe and sitte in the lowest roume that whan he that bidde thee cummeth he may say vnto thee ▪ frende sitte vp higher Then shalt thou haue wurship in the presence of them that sitte at meate with thee For whosoeuer exalteth himselfe shal bee brought lowe and he that humbleth himselfe shal bee exalted The Lorde therefore who had with onely touchyng healed the man that had the dropsie was very desyrous to cure these mens disease also with the medicine of holsome woordes and doctryne For whatsoeuer the Phariseis did they did it for pride and for vainglorious bosting For they woulde goe walkyng vp and downe in their philacteries they would stand praiyng in the open stretes where soondrie waies mete much people passe by thei would haue a trompet to blowe afore thē whan they gaue almes Whan they fasted thei had a feate to discolour their faces that thei might loke pale thei would goe hunting about to haue glorious salutacions and gretinges in the stretes and where they came to diner or supper they loked and sought to sit vppermoste at mens
death without a cause they thoughte to honour the remembraunce of him with a magnificente buiriall Wherupon they laied the corpse in a toumbe which stoode in a garden platte therby heweÌ„ out of a whole piece of rocketstone eueÌ„ as it grew in the whiche there had been neuer any body buryed before These thinges wheras at that present they semed to bee dooen by mere chaunce were yet altogether dooen by the prouidence and ordeynaunce of God that the Iewes might not quarel or make any cauillacions that the toumbe hauing an hole made in it the body had been taken a way or chaunged And that day was the preparyng of the Sabboth and the Sabboth drewe on The womeÌ„ that folowed after whiche had cum with him from Galilee beheld the sepulchre and how his body was layed And they returned and prepared swete odours and oyntmentes but rested on the Sabboth day accordyng to the commaundement Whan these thinges were in doyng it was the day of preparacion that is to saye the eane of that high Sabboth and it was called with them parasceue because that vpon that day they prepared al thinges which were necessary the to solemne kepyng of the Sabboth daye that shoulde bee on the morowe to the entent they might not bee compelled by doyng of any bodily labour to breake the reste of the Sabboth daye Now the women whiche had a farre of loked vpoÌ„ Iesus on the crosse folowed him to his buirial because they would not be ignoraunt where the body of Iesus was layed and in what place or with what maner of orderyng it was layed to the ende that they might knowe it whan they should come to it again These thynges beeyng diligently vieued and marked thei returne home again and prepared spices odours and oyntementes wherewith they myght afterward dresse the bodye of the Lorde although it had been nowe already soso as it myght be anoynted ouer with myrthe by Nicodemus But the Godly deuocion of the women minded to put some other more precious thyng to the lordes corpse But the lorde therefore had before suffered an allabastre of precious oyntemente to bee powred vpon hym beecause he woulde nottary for these womens swete oyntementes now at this tyme whose deuoute diligence neuerthelesse auayled to confirme the belefe of his resurreccion For whan they seke hym as dead to bee anoynted and spyced they haue due knowelage that he is alyue Nowe after the sunne sette of thesame day vntill the eauenyng of the nexte day folowyng they had rested accordyng to the prescripcion of the lawe because it was not standyng with Goddes precepte that they shoulde doe any bodily labour on the Sabboth daie Than after the sunne was sette they finished that they had begoonne before in preparyng of the oyntementes and spices It the selfsame tyme also the Lorde kepte his Sabboth restyng in his graue after that he had before on the sayd day of preparacion executed and accomplished the woorke of our redempcion because we should vnderstande that mankynde was restored by thesame manne by whom it had been created He finished the makyng of the worlde on the sixte daye and on the seuenth day he rested from his worke thesame lorde finished the redempcion of the world on the sixt daie which is the parasceue day rested in the graue He rested from working as touchyng his humain body vntill the eight day dyd shyne the which eight daye the Iewes knowe not but the Christians doe wurshippe The eight daye is the daye of iâ—mortalitie in the which reste and werinesse weorke and idlenesse shall not by course enterchaungeably the one succede the other but they shal be in euerlastynge gladnesse neyther shall the daye folowe the night and the night the daye agayne by course but continuall and euerlastyng light shall shine to the iyes of the godly The .xxiiii. Chapter But vpon the firste daye of the Sabbothes veray erely in the mornyng they came vnto the sepulchre and brought the swete odours which they had prepared and other women with them And they foundâ— the stone rolled awaye from the sepulchre and they went in but they fâ—und not the body of the Lorde Iesus And it happened as they were amased therat behold two men stoode by them in shynyng garmeÌ„tes And as they were afrayed and boughed dowâ— theyr faces to the yearth they sayed vnto them Why seke ye the liuing emong the dead He is not here but is arisen Remembre howe he spake vnto you whan he was yet in Galile saying that the sonne of man muste be deliuered into the haundes of synnefull men and be crucified and the thyrde daye aryse agayne THat the selie weomen rested from doyng any weorke was a thynge geuen to the solemnitie of the Sabbothe But assoone as it was lawfull to returne agayne to workynge the diligence of the weomen bestowed the tyme in watchyng after sunnesette aboute a deuoute piece of woorke but yet a woorke that as than neded not For on the daye that was first nexte of all folowyng after the Sabbothe that is to saye on the eight daye whan all the Sabbothe daye was fully ended euen veray erely in the firste breake of daye they make haste vnto the graue carrying with them the spieces and swete sauours whiche they hadde purposely prepaired certes to bestowe this same as the laste poynte of honour that euer they shoulde shewe vnto hym beeyng now dead whom they had tendrely loued whyle he was aliue wheras yet neuerthelesse they had no truste nor hope that euer he shoulde aryse agayne to life Now was the mouth of the sepulchre stopped and shut fast vp with a mightie big stone suche an one as might vneath be remoued awaye of a good many of men There was also a seale set theron and that was a thyng prouided and doen by the Phariseis and the Scribes leste some felowe mighte priuely haue stolen awaye the dead body and so sprede abrode an vntrue rumoure that he was arisen to life agayne in that he coulde nowhere be found There were kepers moreouer set there of the Lorde lieutenauntes men Then the weomen whyle they carefully looke round about how the stone might be rolled asyde they see it soodainlye remoued awaye and a way to come to the sepulchre lying wyde open for them They tooke hertes to them to entre in deuocion and loue towardes God had geuen them boldenesse euen weomen as they were Whan they were entred in they fynde not the bodie of the Lorde Iesus there Whan this matier had soore dismayed them and in manier killed theyr veraye hertes because that whan the stone was remoued they had conceyued a veraye good hope and yet on the other syde againe they wer in a great meruayle how it was possible that the graue should bee emptie whiche they hadde but euen byanby afore seen shutte and sealâ—d vp soodaynly there stande harde by them twoe Aungels in fourme and lykenesse of twoe young menne with gladsome and
their answer that did not perceiue to what purpose Christ did speake so For many thynges be spoken of Christ after suche a sorte that he knewe well that they neither coulde neither woulde he that they should be perceyued vntill the conclusion of the thyng dyd declare his sayinge Furthermore in asmuche as it is the office of a Paraphrase to expresse that thing that is brefely spokē and in fewe wordes couched with more copy plēty of wordes I could not obserue the due measure of time For wher as it is read that our lorde did kepe his maundy vpon the night time with his disciples at the saied time to haue washed their feete yet after thesame maūdy he had so long cōmunicatiō with his disciples that it maye be thoughte a wonder that he had time to speake so manye wordes namelye seynge that the woordes of the other Euangelistes do declare that manye other thynges also wer bothe saied and doene by hym thesame nighte wherfore dewe measure in tyme could not be obserued of me whiche should declare at large all the sayed thynges with more copy plenty of wordes Finallye this Euangelist hath a certaine peculiar kynde of stile of his own For he doth knit his stile as thoughe it wer ring ringe ioyned linked togither sumtime with contrary mēbres sumtime with like sumtime with one selfe thynge sūdry tymes repeted so that a paraphrase is not able to expresse suche pleasaunte elegance of his stile I meane suche places as this In principio erat verbum verbum erat apud deum deus erat verbum In the beginning was the worde and the worde was with God God was the worde In these .iii. places worde after worde God after God is pleasaūtly repeted And byan by repetyng agayne the beginning he concludeth the sentence Hoc erat in principio apud Deum Thesame was in the beginninge with God again Omnia per ipsum facta sunt sine ipso factum est nihil Al thynges wer made by thesame without thesame was nothing made that was made Quod factum est in ipso vita erat vita erat fux hominum sux in tenebris sucet tenebre cam non comprehenderint In him was the life the life was the light of men and the lighte shineth in derkenes and the derkenes did not cōprehend it In these it doeth appeare how that euery membre of the sentence doeth alwaye repete the former so that the ende of the former beginneth the latter suche a lyke thyng may be perceiued here as the Greke Eccho is wōt to represent but as touchynge these thinges sumthyng haue I spoken in the argumentes of the Euāgelistes gospels and Epistles This peculiar grace and elegancie of speche I perceiued well could haue no place in my paraphrase Therfore although I did perceiue these and many other like difficulties yet I toke vpon me this busye piece of worke seyng that so many and noble men did by theyr exhortacion encourage me thereto by auctoritie enforce me specially because the good successe of my former dewtie and obedience rather than any presumpcion dyd bolden me to thesame For I had not onely good successe forasmuche as the gentyll reader for my trauayle and paines doeth thanke me but also forasmuche as Charles of al Emperours that for this eight hundreth yeres hath reigned in this world both of moste puissance if we beholde his large dominion and also the moste vertuous if we consider besides his other very imperiall qualities his feruēt affeccion and zeale towardes religion and godlynes hath this my paynes for vnto him I did dedicate it not only by countenaunce and wordes but also by letters both full honorably and louingly wryten certified me that it was most thankfully accepted of his grace wher upō me thought it conuenient that seing Mathew was to the Emperour Charles dedicate and presēted Iohn should be vnto Ferdinando the other and second Charles dedicate And plainly good hope doeth greatly comfort my minde promising me that it shal come to passe that like as my former labour by Charles good fauour did wel procede had good successe so shal this my present endeuour by the gracious fauour of Ferdinando procede haue lucky successe These be two names in our tyme moste fortunate a couple of brethren in these daies moste lucky Neyther is it to be doubted thinke I but that the fauour of God wil prosperously set forth the godly purpose of suche so godly disposed princes For a man maye as I thynke haue a good opinion in them in whom beeyng yet of tender age the excellente fruite of vertue doeth satisfy the great expectacion the whiche if I might so call it the blading tendre age did put vs in comfort of For in your very chyldage there appered in you a certayne straunge and meruelous towardenes of suche prudencie moderacion mekenes integritie deuocion and godlines that euery mā did hope that your grace woulde be a wonderfull excellent prince in euery condicion perfite and absolute And now as touchyng the publike hope that al the whole world hath cōceyued of you like as hitherto you haue not frustrated it so haue you brought to passe that nowe when you be come to the age of more discrecion it doeth appere that you will not onely contente and fullfill the sayde hope and expectacion but also the desire of all men to the vttermoste My litle treatise of a Christian Prince suche as it was for many dayes a goe when ye were a young man you caused all studious persons to lyke in asmuche as ye dyd vouchesafe to reade it And this present worke dedicate vnto your graces name you shall likewise cause to be lyked seing that of all yoūg mē in our time you be the floure and for many fold consideracions vnto all the worlde moste derely beloued neyther shall ye so do eyther to aduaunce your glorye and renoume eyther to procure me any benefit or commoditie for neyther your noble estate neyther suche a sober and moderate nature doeth couet or looke for the prayse or commendacion of man neyther my minde or fantasie doeth seke any thyng els then the fauour of Christe but that those for whose furtheraunce these paines were taken and for all men in generall is my paine bestowed more plentifully might haue cōmoditie therby For suche as be of thieir owne nature commendable haue then especial◠profite and singuler commoditie when they ouercum all malice and be thought worthie the fauour and commendacion of all men To this present purpose maye your grace muche helpe if you declare this my present worke compiled by my payne and studie for to haue bene not reiected of your graces maiestie For it is not to be feared I truste leste your graces wysdome geue credence vnto them ▪ the whiche peraduenture will saye when they shal vnderstande a paraphrase vpon the ghospell to be dedicate vnto prince Ferdinando what
vpon whome he had bestowed that benefite of health he sayed vnto hym beholde thou hast obteyned health and art deliuered from the bodelye sickenes whiche came to the by reason that thy soule was sicke I haue cured thee of bothe those diseases Take thou good hede hereafter that thou fall not agayne into thyne olde former synnes and therby cause thy selfe to haue some wourse disease Therfore after the man that was made whole knewe that this was he whiche before had commaunded him to carrye awaye his couche and whiche nowe also hauyng testified himself to be the authour of health did monish and warne hym to beware leste he shoulde fall agayne into some sorer and wurse disease by committing and renewyng synne also perceyuyng that his name was Iesus the sayed manne went to the maliciouse and slaunderous Iewes and tolde them howe it was Iesus whom he might thanke for his health thinkyng that it should be profitable for manye to haue hym knowen to all menne whiche with a woorde could so helpe a desperate disease And here nowe againe the Iewes peruerse and damnable frowardnes sheweth it selfe for wheras the Samaritanes had honourably receyued Iesus by the reporte of one woman whereas the people of Galilee beeyng euill spoken of commonlye among the Iewes for theyr basenes ignoraunce of the lawe had geuen credite to Christ when a great ruler also beyng a gentile and an heathen man with all his familie and householde for one onely miracle had confessed Iesus to be the sauioure of the worlde yet the citizens of Ierusalem beyng proude as well of the noblenesse of theyr citie as also of the wholy religion of theyr temple and in lykewise auauntyng themselues to bee menne exactely learned in the lawe picked quarels to Iesus of suche purposed malice that albeit the benefite of healthe was so euident that it coulde not be denayed and so holy that it coulde not be found faulte with for what thyng is more holy then freely to geue healthe of body to a manne miserablye afflicted yet dooe they laye to Christes charge as a faulte that without regard of the Sabboth daye he hath commaunded hym to carye awaye his couche as who saye man had be made for the Sabboth daye and not rather the Sabboth daye ordeyned for manne or as though the ceremonies of Moses lawe oughte not euerye where to geue place to more holye preceptes and dueties But what great blyndnes was this to disdayne Iesus because he hadde healed a piteouse creature vpon the Sabboth daye when they whiche thoughte themselues moste precyse kepers and obseruers of the lawe were not afrayed to helpe vp theyr asse beyng fallen into the ditche vpon the Sabboth daye They falsly say that in helpyng the manne God was offended without whose helpe the man coulde not be cured but in helpyng vp the asse they thought not the religion of the Sabboth day be broâ—â—n This is the ouerthwart and disordered religion of the Iewes imbracyng outwarde apparaunce of religion and therby subuertyng the very perfeccion of true religion styffely obseruing the shadowes of the lawe and with obstinate mindes persecutyng hym who was the cause that the lawe was wrytten For they did not onely slaunder Iesus but also persecuted him because he had doen an holy and good dede vpon the Sabboth daye And Iesus aunswered them My father worketh hytherto and I worke Therfore the Iewes sought the more to kyll hym not onely because he had broken the Sabboth but sayed also that God was his father and made hymselfe equall with God But Iesus to shewe that he was maister of the Sabboth day and not bonde the verye auctor and not subiecte to it therewithall declareth that the thyng wherof the Iewes slaundred hym beyng sonne to the father of heauen and one that did worke whatsoeuer he did by his fathers auctoritie dyd also redounde to his fathers dishonour Iesus I saye went about to represse and put awaie the Iewes false reporte of him with these woordes My heauenly father saieth he whose religiouse wurshippers ye would seme to bee who also made the sabboth daye for you when after he had made the whole worlde in sixe daies he rested the seuenth daye and wroughte not he I saye did not so bynde hymself to rest and quiet but that he maye worke whatsoeuer he wyll as ofteÌ„ as it pleaseth him For althoughe the sabboth daye dooeth yet stil endure neuerthelesse he ceasseth not from his worke wherby he gouerneth all thynges whiche he hath made wherby also he causeth from tyme to tyme by procreacion one thyng to succede of another and finally wherby he restoreth thynges decayed Therfore lyke as he doeth not cease dayly to do good both to men all other thinges that he hath create notwithstanding the religion and obseruaunce of the Sabboth day wherin as scripture saieth he ceassed from the creacion of thynges so I who am his sonne hauyng both power and exaumple of hym to worke suche thinges as perteineth to mans saluacion am not letted by the religious obseruacion of the Sabboth day but I maye perfourme those thynges whiche my father hath commaunded me But yf ye blame me for breaking of the Sabboth daye by thesame meanes ye condemne also my father who geueth me both exaumple and autoritie to do these thynges But yf ye thynke hym faultlesse and glorifie hym for restoryng health to a desperate creature wherfore do ye laye to my charge the fault of breaking the Sabboth daie and do not rather acknowledge the vertue and power whiche is greater than the keping of the Sabboth daie I haue restored lyfe to a miserable man And you craftely go about to procure my death for doyng so good a dede These moste sacred wordes which Iesus spake dyd so litle asswage the fury of the Iewes that they were thereby the more sharpened and vehemently styred against hym sekyng occasion to putte him to death because that nowe he dyd not only breake the Sabboth daie but also dyd as they sayed wrongfullye take god to be his owne father makyng himselfe equall with god both in his woorkes and auctoritie to do whatsoeuer he would ¶ Than answered Iesus and sayed vnto them Uerely verely I say vnto you the sonne canne do nothyng of hymselfe but that he seeth the father doe For what soeuer he doeth that doeth the sonne also For the father loueth the sonne and sheweth hym all thynges that hymselfe doeth and he will shewe hym greater workes then these bycause you shoulde meruayle â—or lykewyse as the father rayseth vp the dead and quickeneth them euen so the sonne quickeneth whom he wil. Neyther iudgeth the father any man but hath coÌ„mitted all iudgemente vnto the sonne because that all men should honour the sonne euen as they honour the father He that honoureth not the sonne thesame honoureth not the father whiche hath sent hym But after our Lord Iesus had perceiued their malice he procedeth further with them and openeth more manifestely vnto
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
playne blasphemous because he beyng a mortall man semed to take vpon hym the eternalitie a thyng for God only cōuenient they coulde not withholde theyr handes but toke vp stones and wente in hande to ouerthrowe and presse hym with stones But Iesus professyng hymselfe to be God to declare hymselfe to be a very man also gaue place to their fury not because he feared theyr forcible violence whiche he had power to kepe of but to teache vs by the waye that when time requireth that the trueth of the ghospell should be preached valiantly and boldely and again that when we had once executed our duetie the fury of euill men should not causelesse and in vayne be prouoked and exasperate for our Lorde Iesus knewe that it coulde not haue been beate into the heades I will not say of the grosse and ignoraunte multitude but not of his disciples and they to be brought to belefe therof in case he had openly preached himselfe to be both God man and thesame to be all at once both mortall as touching his manhed and also immortall as touching his deitie and as perteyning to the fleshe to be a man borne of a virgin in time as touchyng diuine power to haue been alwaye before all time God of God Surely this so secrete a misterie was rather to be at time conueniente perswaded to the worlde by miracles death resurreccion ascendyng to heauen and by the inspiracion of the holy ghoste then before due tyme to be brought in and vttered in open playne woordes to them that would not belue it Therfore Iesus withdrewe hymselfe from them geuyng place to theyr fury and wente secretly forth of the temple by that acte declaryng beforehande that afterwarde the light of the ghospell beyng repelled of the wicked and voluntary blynde Iewes should be put ouer to the Gentiles their house left to them desolate which only thought themselfes the true seruauntes of God and obseruers of true religiō And so Iesus which is the author of true godlines wente to an other place The .ix. Chapter And as Iesus passed by he sawe a manne whiche was blynde from his byrth and his disciples asked him saying Master who did sinne this manne or his father or mother that he was borne blynde Iesus sayed neyther hath this manne sinned nor yet his father and mother but that the workes of God should be shewed THerfore our Lorde Iesus did now for a while geue place to the fury of them whom as yet he sawe incurable and falleth in hande with miracles to declare his Godly power whiche he coulde not all this while dryue into theyr headdes by any perswasion of woordes And loe there fel forthwith a matter in his waye not vnlike those thynges which were doen in the temple For of trueth much a doe was there with the blynde But suche as were blynde in soule not in body whiche is the moste vnhappy kynde of blyndnesse And so muche also the wurse as that although they were more then blynde yet they thought themselues quicke sighted so that they were not only miserable but also vnworthy to be cured For somuch as miser was not that blynde man whom Iesus sawe as he passed by whiche man lacked onely bodily sight and was borne blinde so that it was a maladie aboue the Phisicions cure but yet coulde Christe heale it This man had an inwarde sight sawe with iyes of the soule when Iesus therfore sawe the man and had compassion on him much pitying his misery the disciples which called to their remembraunce that Christe had sayd to the man that was healed of his palsey Go and hereafter sinne no more leste some wurse thing come vpon the supposing that euery blemishe of the body had come of some faulte of the soule axed Christe of the blinde man and sayed through whose sinne chaunced it that this man should be borne blinde for where as none coulde sinne or he were borne whosoeuer is borne with any sickenes or impediment of body is to be thought punished for some other mans faulte which thyng should yet seme against equitie the disciples therfore sayed Maister whēce came so great euill to this felowe that he should be borne blinde Whether came it of his owne or of the sinne of his parentes Iesus aunswered Neyther did this man through his owne sinne deserue to be borne blinde who coulde not sinne when as yet he was not nor his parentes For as the lawe teacheth God punysheth not the chyldren for the faultes of theyr parentes excepte the children folowe the sinnes of theyr parentes But blyndnesse chaunced to this man vpon a casualtie and not through any mans sinne as in the course of mans life many thinges chaūce to many folke This mans misery lacke of sight was not prohibit but suffered to chaunce vnto hym because that by hym the mightie power and goodnesse of God whom the blinde Iewes so obstinately cryeth out vpon should be declared to mē The more vncurable the disease is the more famous and commendable shall be the healing of thesame I must worke the worke of hym that sent me whyle it is daye The night cummeth when no manne can worke As long as I am in the worlde I am the light of the worlde Assoone as he had thus spoken he spatte on the grounde and made clay of the spettell and rubbed the clay on the iyes of the blynde layed vnto hym Goe washe the in the poole of Siloe which by interpretacion is asmuche to saye as sent He wente his waye therfore and washed and came agayne seeyng For this cause was I sent into the worlde euē to procure the glory of God with suche dedes as should cause the vnfaythfull to beleue my woordes to be true and to thintent also that those whiche will beleue should be cured of their blindnes I must doe this commaundement diligently while it is daye for yf menne haue any worke in hande they be wonte to doe it in the day The night perdy is vnhansome to worke in Therfore in the meane tyme whyle prensent day geueth vs leaue to worke we may not cease For the night shall come when as men all in vaine would worke and cannot As long as I am in the worlde I am the light of the worlde If men make spede to finishe the worke which they goe about for some commoditie of this life before night how muche more behoueth it euery man to labour that while they haue me with them they may go thorowe with the busines of the eternall saluacion In fauour wherof whatsoeuer in the meane season I doe in this worlde I doe it for that thing sake and to further saluacion For what other thing doe I then that all folke should through iyes of faith see and acknowlege God and his sonne whom he sent into the worlde I shall within a while departe hence than shall those that haue nowe had no will to worke desyre lyght in vaine The Lord
that was euen at hande to allure theym chafed theyr myndes and made them the more incensed against them insomuch that theyr hertes would haue braste for anger laying theyr heades together howe they myght slea them Than had the priestes for their parte of a long tyme customably vsed murther and to cutte lyke buchers shepe goates in the temple wherby they had gotten themselues nought els but a slayght to kyl men also the more easely In all this their communication not a worde was heard of diuyne scripture nothing godly spoken for mans erudicion no reason at all Onely this commaund we this is our wil pleasure eyther obey thesame or els shalte thou suffre death ¶ Then stode there vp one in the councell a Pharisey named Gamaliel a doctoure of lawe had in reputacion among al the people and commaunded the apostles to goe aside a litle space sayed vnto them ye men of Israell take hede to your selues what ye entende to do as touching these menne For before these daies rose vp one Theâ—das boasting himselfe to whome resorted a noumbre of men aboute fower hundred which was slayne and they al whiche beleued hym wer scattered abrode brought to nought And after this man was one Iudas of Galile in the dayes of the tribute and drewe awaye muche people after hym and he also perished and al euen as many as harkened to him were scattered abrode And now I say vnto you refraine your selues from these men and let them alone For yf this counsell or this worke be of men it wil cum to nought But yf it be of God ye cannot destroye it lest ye be haplye founde to stryue against God In that councell sat one Gamaliell a Pharisey at whose fete Paule the apostle learned the lawe a man in high estimacion with the whole people of Israel both for his excellente knowleage in the lawe for his singuler wysdome This Gamaliel whan he sawe them so bent to vnthriftie councell stood vp and desyred that the apostles might for a while departe out of the councel That doen this sayed he to them that were there sittyng ye my brethren of Israel procede not headlyng in your councell neyther determine any thinge vnaduisedly whiche afterwarde may turne remediles vnto your shame but take good hede what ordinaunce ye make or iudgemente ye geue of these persones Take counsayle of thinges past what shal be expediente for you to determyne for the tyme to cum I wyll reherse no auncient examples of old tyme. That as I shall reherse to you was done sence al ye may well remembre There was of late dayes one Theudas an enchauÌ„ter and a false deceauer who by boastyng hymselfe to the people and promysing of prodigiouse thinges drue to his factiouse opinion a great number of men nigh vnto the poinct of fower hundred But hys busie enterpryse because it proceaded of a maliciouse stomake had an vnthriftye ende For both he hymselfe suffered paynes of death and as many as had taken his parte were sum slaine sum taken prysoners Whan all wer thus scattered abrode the secte was brought to nought After hym was Iudas of Galile a countreyman to these persons that ye now consulte vpon the same tyme that the whole worlde was taxed by commaundement of Augustus Cesar. And this same Iudas for as muche as he taught thynges pleasaunt to the people that they bryng dedycate to god ought to pay no tribute to Emperours whiche were woorshyppers of false goddes drew to his faccion a greate parte of the comens And afterwarde both he the capitaine of this faccion was slaine as many as toke his parte were scattered abrode Wherfore this is myne aduise that more wisely shall ye do yf ye forbeare these persones and let theim goe seyng that no man hytherto is hurte by them For yf this that they haue enterprysed or that that they goe about to bryng to passe procede of mans witte it shall of it selfe cum to nought But yf god be the worker of this so woonderfull a matter it were both an vngodly poynte in you to mynde the destruccion of that thing which God is the principall doer of for what were that els but to resiste god and besydes that lacke of foresight to goe aboute that that ye cannot bring to passe For who shal be able to withstand the wil of god And to hym agreed the other and when they had called the apostles they bet them and commaunded that thei should nor speake in the name of Iesus and so let theÌ„ go And thei departed from the counsell reioysing that they were counted worthie to suffâ—e rebuke for his name And dayly in the temple and in euery house they ceased not to teache and preache Iesus Christ. This his councell was so estemed with the whole assemblye that the sentence of death which they would haue pronounced on them was differred vntill an other tyme. And as for this tyme they agreed to Gamalyels councell not that they would vtterly holde their handes of thapostles but that after they wer al twelue called together and beaten they should be charged agayne vpon a strayte commaundemente not to speake from that daye forwardes so muche as one woorde of the name of Iesus And so were they contented vpon this punishement to dimitte them thinkyng that though they had made lyght at their thundryng woordes and threatninges yet would thei be better aduised what they did or said beyng once punyshed for a warning esteminge thapostles whiche wer to loke vpon abiect persons and of the base coÌ„minaltie to be like in condicion to the rude and barbarouse people that are amended with strokes But the liuely spirite in a preacher of the woorde of god is wont after suche iniurious afficcions to gather his strength together Thapostles because they wer well assured that the woordes the Iesus spake wer trewe that they should be called before iudges and that they shoulde be scourged in their Synagoges and congregacions for no euil dede but for professing his holsum name departed from the councell lufty in courage and ioyous takyng their reprocheful beatinges whiche to other wer thought intollerable to their prayse and glory for as muche that god would recognyse them his apostles worthy such honour that they might for his owne sonnes sake spitefully be entreated They had in remembraunce what Iesus had saied to them before reioyce ye be glad for great is your reward in heauen So litle this punishment and menacing auayled the princes to holde them abacke froÌ„ preachyng Iesus name that thapostles toke therof the more courage to preache continuallye what thei had heard of their maister Iesus both openly in the temple and in euery mannes house priuily and to bryng to eche man gladsum tydynges that this was very Messias by whome all shoulde be saued The .vi. Chapiter In those daies whan the numbre of the disciples grewe there arose a grudge among the Grekes against the Hebrues
moue you any thing or of those that be rewlers there whiche in condemning Iesus to death whome they woulde not knowleage for their Messias nor vnderstande the Prophetes whiche yet bee read euery sabboth daye to them hath vnawares fulfilled that that was before prophecyed For so was it determyned by the wyll of god and so did the Prophetes with one conseÌ„t signifie and declare before that one that was free from al sinne should be sacrifysed as a lambe without spotte for the sinnes of all men And what the priestes Pharisees Scribes and other of the piers with the conseite also of the commons had assayed all meanes and coulde finde no iust câ—use why they shoulde put him to death yet obteyned they with importunâ— clamours of Pilate that he woulde put him to death And whan they haâ— this vnaduisedly fulfilled all those thynges that wer spoken before of hyâ— by the mouth of the prophetes they toke him downe from the crosse aâ—â—â—ayed hym in his graue But he whom man of malyce had slayne by the permission of god the very same was reysed from death by the power lykewâ—se of God the thirde daye according as it was before prophecied And leseâ—â— shoulde thinke this to bee but a vayne tale that I tel you he was seene â—â—arde felt and in his owne person knowen of his dysciples that folowed hym whan he went from Galile to Hierusalem to suffre by the space after he rose from death to lyfe of fowertie dayes and they be almoste all aliuâ— vntâ—ll this day testifying faythfully before all the people those thinges that they sawe with their eyes and heard with their eares and felt with their hands ¶ And we declare vnto you how that the promise whiche was made to the fathers God hath fulfylled vnto their children euen vnto vs in that he reâ—ed vp Iesus again euen as it is written in the first psalme Thou art my sonne this dâ— haue I begotteÌ„ the. As concerniâ—â— that he reysed him vp from death now no more to returne to corrupcioÌ„ he 〈…〉 wise The holy promises to Dauid made wyll I geue faithfully to you â—â—â—fore he saith also in an other place Thou shalt not suffre thine holy to see corrupcioÌ„ For Dauid afâ—er he had in his tyme fulfilled the will of god fell on sleape was laid vnto his fathers sawe corrupcion but he whome god reysed againe saw no corrupcioÌ„ And we lykewyse beyng commaunded by our sauiour to execute the office of apostles doe witnesse that god hath now fulfylled his promyse to you and your posteritie in raysing Iesus from death to lyfe whiche thing long ago was promysed to Abraham and Dauid your forefathers and to your other auncestâ—â—â— by the mouthes of the prophetes For this is the same sonne of god borne of the virgin Mary as concerning his humayne nature and bodye of whome the father himselfe speaketh in the first misticall psalme saying thou art my sonne I haue begotten the this daye And that he hath reysed him from death to lyfe who shall neuer after be more subiecte to mortalitie or death he affirmeth by his prophete Esaye saying I wil perforume vnto you faithfully the promyse that I made vnto Dauid Now had he kept no promise if he had not raysed Iesus to lyfe euerlasting For this was his promyse vnto Dauid I haue once sworne to Dauid as I am holy and I wil not deceiue hym his seed shall continue for euer and his throne or royall seate shall continue as the Sunne in my sight as the full Moone without ende as a faithfull witnesse in heauen But ye see now that none of the lynage of Dauid obtayneth this kindom but this prophecie signified Christ that sitteth on the right-hand of his father and enioyeth the kyngdom that neuer shall haue ende Of this selfe same matter speaketh also the .xv. psalme in this wyse Thou shalt not suffre thy holy to see corrupcion Whiche prophecie can not be referred to kyng Dauid in his owne personne of whome we certaynly knowe that after that he had liued and reigned as long as pleased god he than died was buried sembleably as his auncestry was before him But if to see corrupcion be nothing els but to die than his graue whiche yet vnto this daye is remaining among vs where his bones lye dothe euidently proue that he hath sene corrupcion Wherfore this prophecy cannot be referred vnto hym but to thother whome we preache vnto you of whom god raysed from death to lyfe â—re his body began to putrifie and made him immortall ¶ Be it knowen vnto you therefore ye men and brethren that through this man is preached vnto you remission of sinnes and that by him all that beleue are iustified from all thinges from whiche ye coulde not be iustified by the law of Moyses Beware therefore lest that fal on you whiche is spoken of in the prophetes Beholde ye despisers wondre and perish ye for I dooe a woorke in your dayes whiche ye shal not beleue though a man declare it to you Be it therfore knowen vnto you brethren that thorow thaforesayde Iesus ye haue profered vnto you remission of sinnes and freedom from all offenses which you coulde not hitherto be cleane ridde of by keping of the lawe For the lawe was vnperfect takeÌ„ carnally neither coulde it put awaye all sinnes but punished sum of them nether it helped all nacions But through this same Iesus eche man without respecte of any persone or els offence hath righteousnesse or iustificacion and innocencie profered vnto him so that he beleue the promyses of the ghospel Beware therfore lest it may be spoken of you that god threteneth to the vnfaithful and those that resiste the preaching of his ghospell saying by the mouthe of his prophet Abacuc Looke ye dispisers and maruayle ye beyng amased and euen dye for angre for I woorke in your dayes a woorke that ye shall not beleue thoughe a man tell you of it Who euer yet did beleue that a virgin shoulde beare a childe Who woulde haue thought that all countreyes should obtaine life euerlasting by the death of one man Who woulde haue beleued that a man beyng slaine and buried coulde within three dayes aryse agayne from death to lyfe euerlasting This wondrefull woorke god accordynge to his promyse heretofore made hath wrought nowe in your time Become not ye despisers bee not occasion that your selues perish through stubberne and wylfull vnbeliefe but beleue ye in him embrace ye that health of soule whiche is now frely profered vnto you ¶ When the Iewes were gon out of the congregacion the Gentiles besought that they would preache the worde to them the next Sabboth When the congregacion was broken vp many of the Iewes and vertuous proselites folowed Paule Barnabas which spake to them and exhorted them to continue in the grace of God After Paule had concluded and she hearers began to departe they desyred Paule and Barnabas that they
that they dwellyng more nerer the temple woulde not permyt the Gentiles to be partakers of the ghospell vnlesse they woulde kepe the lawe whiche they dyd not yet perceyue shoulde bee abrogate as concerninge the shadowes figures and ceremonies after the true lyghte was once come Of this sorte were circumsicion vacacion and forbearyng from worke on the Sabboth day choyce of meates holy dayes dyuersities and dyfferences betwene one sorte of men and an other in garmentes vowes fastinges eschewing the eating of suche beastes as dyed by them selues whiche thinges all that grosse people were commaunded to kepe for a season that they might accustome themselues to obey Gods commaundemente vntyll that the true lyght dyd appeare throughe the ghospell and to it shadowes shoulde geue place Wherfore suche as vnderstoode not the lawe to bee spirituall affirmed that that whiche was commaunded and appoynted by god and lefte to them of their fathers and obserued or duely kept of their auncestry so many hundred yeares ought to continue for euer This opinion in them proceded not of malice but rather of a supersticious fauour to the lawe whiche whyles they endeuoured to kepe stil they cleane ouerthrewe For Paule at the first time beyng prouoked with lyke zele persecuted the christen men And so whan as the rumour and brute of those thinges which wer doen at Antioche from whence Paule and Barnabas of a common consente toke their iourney towardes Cypres and thence to Pamphilia and had openly without respect of any person preached the ghospell both to the Iewes to the Proselites and also to the Gentiles and had not willed them to obscrue or kepe any parte of the lawe had bene spred as far as Hierusalem certaine came from Iewry to Antioche teaching a new doctrine disagreeyng from that that Paule and Barnabas had taught For they sayde to those of the Gentiles that were turned to the faith Except ye bee circumcised accordyng to the rule appoynted by Moses lawe ye can not bee saued This was the beginnyng of dyssencion betwene those that stucke to the litteral sence of the lawe and the other that folowed the pure and spyrytuall lybertye of the ghospell whiche stryfe and dyssencion wyll still euermore continue among christen menne also And to none other ende did god suffer this same stryfe to aryse vp but that all suche as were the disciples of Christe myghte the better perceiue howe pernicious a thing relygion is that is wholy founded vpon ceremonyes But whan as Paule and Barnabas lyke valiauÌ„t defendoures of the libertie of the gospel had ernestly resisted their doctrine whiche outwardly semed to be godly but in very dede was very ful of myschiefe there arose a great variaunce whyles that the apostles strongly defended the puritie of the doctrine of the ghospell whiche is spirituall by testimonies of the prophetes againste those that supersticiously defended the lawe and they on the other side beyng affeccionate to the law that they had receyued of theyr forefathers went about to bryng the Gentiles vnder the same yoke not perceiuyng in the meane season what slaundâ—â— and reproche it was to Christe whose grace they thought lacked assistence of the lawe For it was lawful for him that made the law to abrogate and abolyshe the same Howbeit he doeth not abrogate the law that perfourmeth it This sedicion was more hurtful to the ghospell than the crueltie of Herode or any other prince because it stroue against the true relygion vnder a false and cloked pretence of godlynes Wherfore lest that this myscheuous dyscorde shoulde increase it was thought expedient by the congregacion of the disciples that Paule and Barnabas and certaine other of the same sorte shoulde take their iourney to Hierusalem to Peter and the other apostles nnd priestes whiche did than rule the churche of Hierusalem that this question or controuersie that was arisen mighte bee decysed by theyr cunning and knowledge For hitherto the chiefe autoritie remayned there where the doctrine of the ghospell first sprong vp the same autoritie remayned emong them that firste were sent abrode by Iesus Christe to preache And after they were brought on their way by the congregacion they passed ouer Phenice Samaria declaring the conuersacion of the Gentiles and they brought great ioy vnto all the brethren Than Paule and Barnabas toke their iourney and a great multitude of disciples honorably broughte them on their waye and as they passed by Phenice and Samaria they shewed in euery place howe the Gentiles were conuerted to the faythe so sure were these apostles that they had preached well that they feared not openly and of theyr owne accorde to rehearse the same neyther wente they to Hierusalem to learne of the apostles whether they had dooen well before tyme or not but that the troublous commocion and disquieting of the weaker sorte mighte be layed downe and appeaced by the autoritie of the elders And as many as were conuerted to the faythe in those partes did not onely not reyse sedicion as the Iewes had doen but reioyced also wondrefully ¶ And whan they were come vnto Ierusalem they were receiued of the congregacioÌ„ and of the apostles and elders and they declared al thinges that God had doen by them But whan Paule and Barnabas and their other companions were come to Hierusalem they were ientely receiued of the congregacion whiche was there and lykewise of the apostles and seniours vnto whome beyng assembled together they shewed all thinges that God had wroughte by them emoÌ„g the Gentiles ¶ Then arose vp certain of the secte of the Pharisees which did beleue saying that it was nedefull to circumcyse them and to commaunde them to kepe the lawe of Moses And than the apostles and elders came together to reason of this matter And wheras the more parte of the multitude approued their doynges there arose certaine of the Phariseis secte that had been conuerted to the faythe whiche were in this opinion that they thoughte that man coulde not obtayne saluacion by grace and fauour through the ghospell vnlesse he kept the lawe And therefore earnestlye resoned that no Gentiles ought to be made partakers of the ghospell vnlesse they woulde before take vpon them the yoke of Moses lawe whiche thing the Gentyles excedyngly abhorred But the Pharisâ—is woulde be seen more earnest folowers of the lawe than others were And therefore they as doctours of the lawe affirmed that those Gentyles that were receyued to the faythe ought to bee circumcised and that a streyght commaundement ought to bee geuen vnto them that they shoulde kepe Moses lawe not vnderstanding the none brake the law more then 〈◊〉 as sticked so muche to the letter and not to the meaning of the law And what in this matter eftsones dissencion was moued see howe perillous a thynge and how easye to set men together by the eares supersticion is the Apostles and elders assembled together to th entent that they mighte consulte and deuyse what was best to bee doen
I haue spoken For this thing was not dooen in a corner but openly and the rumour of it was sparsed throughout all Iewry Than Paul turned himself to Agrippa and sayed O kynge Agrippa beleue ye the Prophetes to bee true I knowe ye doe beleue them And he that beleueth them cannot chose but beleue the ghospell which sheweth that it is cum to passe that the Prophetes sayed shoulde cum Than Agrippa breakyng his communicacion sayed vnto Paule Thou doest sumwhat perswade me to becum a Christen man Than sayed Paule veraily I would wyshe of God with all my herte that ye shoulde beleue not onelye sumwhat but throughly and not your selfe onely but also that all men that heare me this daye shoulde be lyke me this thing onely excepted that I would not wyshe any of them to bee thus in bandes as I am ¶ And whan he had thus spoken the kyng arose vp and the deputie Bernice and they that sate with them And whan they were gone aparte they talked among them selues saying This man doeth nothing worthy of dâ—â—th or of bandes Than sayed Agrippa vnto Festus This man might haue been let leuse yf he had not appealed vnto Cesar. Whan Paul had this saied the kyng the presydent and Bernice arose and all the other that late there by And whan they had gone asyde to common of the matter they agreed euery man in this opinion that they sayed that Paule hath committed nothing worthy death ne yet of imprisonment Wherfore it had cum to passe that Paul had been dimissed had not kyng Agrippa sayed vnto the president Festus this man myghte haue been quytte yf he had not appealed vnto the Emperour The .xxvii. Chapter ¶ Whan it was concluded that we should sayle into Itaâ—y they delyuered both Paul and certaine other prisoners vnto one named Iulius an vnder captaine of Cesars souldiers And we entred into a shyp of Hadramicium and leused from lande appoyncted to sayle by the coastes of Asia one Aristarchus out of Macedonia of the countrey of Thessalonica ratiyng stil with vs. And the next day we came to Sydon And Iulius courteously entreated Paul and gaue him libertie to go vnto his frendes and to refreashe himself And whan we had launched from thence we sayled hard by Cypres because the wyndes were contrary And whan we had sayled ouer the sea of Cilicia and Pamphilia we came to Myra whiche is in Licia ANd after that kyng Agrippa had geueÌ„ suche senteÌ„ce that euen as Paul had appealed to the Emperoure so shoulde he goe into Italy they deliuered Paule and with him certaine other prysoners in handes vnto the vnder captaine of the Emperours souldiers named Iulius And thaÌ„ entred we into a shyppe whiche came froÌ„ Hadramicium a citie of Affrike whiche shoulde set vs vp in Asia the lesse forasmuche as her iourney laye by the coastes of Asia at what time Aristarchus out of Macedonia a Thessalonian borne contynued with vs and would nedes beare vs company in our iourney And so the nexte daye after we had leused from Cesarea we arriued at Sydon There the captayne Iulius forasmuche as he entended to handle Paule gentilly permitted him to goe out of the shyp and to goe visite his frendes yf he had any in Sidon to the ende that he might the better bee refreshed of them And whaÌ„ we had leused thence also we adueÌ„tured not into the maigne sea but tooke the left hande and shored by the sydes of Cypres for because that the wynde was against vs. After we had passed ouer the sea whiche is righte againste Cilicia and Pamphilia we came to Myra whiche standeth on the sea syde in Licia ¶ And there the vnder captaine found a ship of Alexandria ready that sayled into Italy he put vs therein And whan we had sayled slowely many dayes and scarce wer cum ouer against Guydon because the wynde withstode vs we sayled hard by the coastes of Candie ouer against Salmon with much worke sayled beyoÌ„d it and came vnto a place whiche is called the fayre hauens nygh wherunto was the citie of Lasca Whan muche tyme was speÌ„te whan sayling was nowe ieopardouse because also that they had ouer loÌ„g fasted Paul put them in remembraunce and sayed vnto them Syrs I perceiue that this vyage wyll be with hurte and muche damage not of the ladyng and shyppe onelye but also of our lyues Neuerthelesse the vndercaptayne beleued the gouernoure and the mayster of the shyp more then those thinges whiche wer spoken of Paul And because the hauen was not commodiouse to wynter in manye toke councell to departe thence yf by any meanes they might reache to Phenice and there to wynter whiche is an hauen of Candie and lyeth towarde the Southwest and Northwest wynde When the Southwynde blewe they supposyng to obtain their purpose leused vnto Asson And saâ—led past all Candie There met the capitayne with an other shyppe whiche had cum from Alexandria a citie of Egypte and was readye to sayle into Italye and shyfted vs into thesame And after that we had sayled many dayes slowly and scarcely at the last were cum ryghte againste Guidus by reason that the wynde was against vs we turned to the Ylande Candie nighe to a citie of the fame YlaÌ„de whiche is sytuate on the very sea banke and is called Salmon or as sum menne called it Sammonium After we had with muche a dooe passed by Salmon we came to an other hauen of Candie that is called fayre hauens This place was not far of from the citie of Lasea And after that we had spent a long season in this nauigacion or saylyng Paule perceyuing that it was daungerous sayling not onely forbecause they could not kepe such course as they would haue kepte by reason of the winde being against them but also because they had ouer long absteyned from meate he admonished and warned the mariners in this wyse Syrs I perceiue that this saylynge wyll be daungerous and full of damage and peryll not onely of the burden that is in the shyppe and the shyppe it selfe lykewyse but of our lyues wherefore we were better cease from saylyng forwarde But the captayne gaue â—are to the mayster of the ship and to the Sterne man rather then to Paules sayinges And for as muche as there was no conuenient hauen where they might couch to lye at rode beynge wynter season manye were of this mynde that yf they possyblie coulde they woulde sayle as farre as Phenice whiche is an hauen of Candie hangyng into the sea towardes the Southwest and Northwest wynde In the meane tyme the South wynde blewe and they trustynge that they might obteyne their purpose and that they might reache to Phenice leused from the sea coaste of Asson that is a citie of Candye and shored by the coastes of Candie But not long after there arose againste theyr purpose a flawe of wynde out of the Northest And whan the shyp was caught and could not resist the