yet was he the more knowen through the fame of the late doen miracle it was not vnknowen abrode that Iesus was at Bethania And an on verie many came thither out of the citie thicke and threfolde partely to see Iesus whose fame and renowne the myracle that was so notable dyd muche encrease partly also they came to see Lazarus whom they hearde to be raysed from death to lyfe The curiositie that is naturally geuen to man caused them thus to doe Moreouer enuy and despite against Iesus had so blinded the myndes of the priestes and the Phariseis that it did not suffice their malice to put Iesus to death but they fel in deuice also howe to make Lazarus away against whom they coulde lay no colour or likelyhood of any fault They had cast out of theyr Synagogue the blinde man because he did boldly defende Iesus glory among thē nowe their enuy was growen to suche malice that they were in mynde to kyll Lazarus a mā of great estimacion and power of whom they were neuer by any woorde or dede prouoked and offended and against whom they coulde not imagine any thing and kill him would they for nothing els but because many Iewes being moued with so manifest a myracle did fall awaye from the Phariseis conspiracie and beleued in Iesus On the nexte daye muche people that were come to the feast when they heard that Iesus should come to Ierusalem toke branches of palme trees and went forth to mete him and cried Hosanna blissed is he that in the name of the Lorde cummeth kyng of Israel And Iesus got a yong asse and sat theron as it is written feare not daughter of Sion beholde thy kyng cummeth sittyng on an asses coite But the daye folowyng when as a great route of men which were assembled at Ierusalē because of the feastfull day had knowledge that he would leaue Bethania and come to Ierusalem to doe him honor came they to mete him with branches cut of from the palme trees wherwith they strawed the waie that he should goe by For of this tree were theyr garlandes made that gate victorie and it was a tree perteyning to triumphes alwaie grene long and hye hard to be climed vpon but of a pleasante swete frute and by a certayne peculiar power of nature it riseth vp againste the weight and burden that is layed vpon it And that saying whiche is written in the Psalmes Osanna prayse and honor be to him that being loked for of vs cummeth in the name of the Lorde was cried vp aloude like as the people is wonte to publishe and witnes a common ioy Iesus also euer before this tyme bearyng a full lowe sayle and a contemner of worldely glory was than contente to come to Ierusalē with a newe solemne portely shewe For after he had gotten vnto him an asse he rode vpō her wheras before he was wount to walke his iourneyes on foote partly to teache his howe vaine is the honor of this worlde partly to ratifie that whiche Esay prophecied of him for it is written Feare not daughter of Sion beholde thy kyng cummeth to thee meke gentle sitting vpon the colte of an asse Suche a pompe certainly becummeth well the kyng of the spirituall Ierusalem whiche is the churche ¶ These thinges vnderstode not his disciples at the first but whan Iesus was glorified then remembred they that suche thynges were written of hym and that suche thynges they had doen vnto him The people that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his graue and raysed him from death bare recorde Therfore mette him the people also because they hearde that he had doen suche a miracle The apostles verily at that season vnderstode not these thinges supposyng thē to be doen by casualtie but after that Iesus through death through his resurreccion by sending downe the holy gost was glorified than cōferring the thing that was doen with the wordes of the Prophetes they wel perceiued that the wordes whiche the people cried out a loude also the thing that he thus cummyng did was written of hym For there were some whiche loked for suche a kyng as worldly kinges be Christes pleasure was to haue those mens expectacion decided declaring that the kyngdome of the ghospell doeth not consist and stande in the aide and defenses of this worlde but in mekenes and heauenly doctryne This great and notable affeccion that was in the people came of those mens stirryng and prouocacion which had of late been presente a litle before at Bethania when the Lord raysed Lazarus out of his graue and so they made relacion of that thyng whiche they sawe with theyr iyes to other And therof came it that suche a preace of people came foorth to mete Iesus because they had learned of them that sawe it how that this wonderous miracle suche one as had neuer been hearde of since the beginnyng of the worlde was wrought by hym And accordyng as the thyng broughte with it in open apparaunce a certain godly power so had he suche honour geuen vnto him as was neuer geuen to any prophete The pharisees therfore sayed among themselues perceyue ye howe we preuayle nothyng Beholde al the whole world goeth after him There were certayne Grekes amonges them that came to wurship at the feast thesame came therfore to Philip whiche was of Bethsaida a citie in Galile and desired him saying Sir we woulde faine see Iesus Philip came and tolde Andrewe And agayne Andrewe and Philip tolde Iesus That thing droue the myndes of the priestes and phariseis almost into desperacion neyther do they repent them of theyr wicked enterprise but there was a spitefull mutteryng emong them and they sayed ye perceiue that with all our crafty policies and deuices against him we go nothyng forwarde in oure purpose but the more we do resist the more doeth his autoritie florishe the more earnestly doeth the people fauour hym Before this he had but fewe disciples beholde nowe the whole world falleth from vs to hym in somuche that nowe it is sumwhat daungerous for vs openly to arest him The vngraciouse phariseis had this communicacion to thintent thei might thereby stirre and prouoke eche one another to set on and sodainly to come vpon the lord Iesus with more succour and greater guiles wherfore thei did not atchieue and accomplishe this mischieuous acte before they had the graund consent of the Phariseis the scribes the priestes and the auncient rewlers the people also as in dede theyr mynde is vnconstant beyng inflamed with thesame fury and wicked mynde yea and with Pilate the viceroyes auctoritie neyther yet withoute deceytfull craft brought in withall by Iudas the traytour The people notwithstanding did that tyme so fauour Iesus that the Gentiles also whiche for religion sake came to Ierusalem there to praye muche desired to see Iesus The reuerence of that temple was so great that out of farre countreies many went thither of deuocion to serue god and for
carnall loue of weomen plucked awaye from God and drawen euen vnto idolatrie Consider ye nowe in what sorte the woordes of Nathan doe agree with the woordes of Esai Thou shalt saieth Esai be called the citie of the ryghteous man and the faithfull citie And of all meÌ„ that euer were there hath been none besides only Christe alone who myght be called purely righteous not only free from all corrupcion or infeccion of synne but also suche an one that by and through him all men are iustified and made righteous And what doeth Christe require of his seruauntes but fayth And for thesame consideracion did he call his churche which caÌ„not skill of the workes of the lawe the faithfull citie wholly altogether staighyng and trusting on him alone Whan ye heare that this citie shal be redemed in iudgement ye see the confidence and trusting on the ceremonies of the lawe to bee taken awaie For God iudgeth not man of his workes but of his fayth not of meate or drinke not of the garment or of solitarie quiete liuing but of the godlynesse of mynde And the iudgement is this that suche persones as shal beleue in Christe shall through the death thesame Christe who suffred peines and tormentes for all creatures be redemed from theyr synnes and shal be iustified through his righteousnesse yf they folowe goe the steppes of their head and captaine Ye heare nowe and knowe the spirituall citie and teÌ„ple which caÌ„not be shewed ne pointed vnto with mens fyngers as neither the kyng and workemanselfe can be poynted vnto according to the lesson here folowing which himselfe taught whaÌ„ he was heare liuing whan they shall saye Beholde here is Christe beholde yonder he is beleue ye them not The Iewes glory in the mounte of Sion whiche beareth the temple But after this there shal be a ghostly Sion bearing vp the myndes and soules of them that beleue froÌ„ the couetous desire of thynges earthly to the study of thynges celestiall of whiche the Prophete Esai prophecied vnto you saying And there shal be in the last dayes an hill prepared the house of the lorde in the top of mountaines it shall be lifted vp aboue all hilles And all nacions shall flowe vnto him there shall many peoples goe and shall saye Come ye let vs clyme vp to the mountaine of the lorde to the house of the God of Iacob and he shall teache vs his wayes we shall walke in his pathes for forth of Sion shall the lawe come and the woorde of the lorde forth of Hierusalem Dauid also doeth ofttymes make mencion of this spirituall mounte They that trust in the Lorde as the mounte of Sion shall not be moued for euer whiche dwelleth in Hierusalem And of this materiall temple of whiche the Iewes are nowe proude howe it shall shortely be cast downe euen Christe also prophecied Your house saieth he shal be leaft deserte waste vnto you And that the selfesame thyng should euen so come to passe God had before that tyme threatened vnto Salomon as ye reade in the third booke of the kynges And the temple whiche I haue poynted marked out to my name I shall cast out froÌ„ my sight Israel shal be into a prouerbe into a common talkyng stocke to all peoples this house shall be into an exaumple Euery body that passeth by it shall be astouned for woondres and shall hisse at it and shall saye wherfore hath the Lorde thus doen to thissame lande and to thissame house And they shal aunswer Because they haue forsakeÌ„ the Lorde their God For this is thatsame house the prouoker with whom God doth by his Prophetes so often tymes chyde and bralle and whiche so ferre forth fell froÌ„ their God that his only sonne they hoighced vp nayled on the crosse Yea and moreouer in stede of a people carnall and stifnecked the Prophete doeth promise a people peaceable obedient euen vnto death For in maner folowyng doeth Esai speake and they shall forge theyr swordes into plugh shares their speares into sithes and sicles One nacion shall not lift vp the sworde against an other nacion neither shall they any ferther forth be exercised to fightyng in battayle Ye house of Iacob come ye and lette vs walke in the light of our God Are not these woordes consonaunt and agreable to the woordes of Christe in whiche he promised that he would of the very stones reiâ—e vp children vnto Abraham and whan he called himselfe the lyght of the worlde whom whoso folowed should not walke in derknesse whan he cast at them this saying of the Prophete Esai This people honoureth me with their lippes but their herte is ferre from me And as for a newe people he promiseth vnto hymselfe by the Prophete Oseas a people not makyng vauntes and braggues of theyr workes but acknowlageyng the mercy of God And it shall be in a place where it shall be saied vnto theÌ„ Ye are none of my people it shal be saied vnto theÌ„ the children of the liuing God And again And I shall haue mercy on the same people whiche was destitute of mercy signifying the people of the Gentiles who wheras it hath hitherto serued idolles shal shortly receiue the doctrine of the ghospell which the Iewes hath refused forsaken of whom the Psalmiste Dauid also hath prophecied tofore A people whom I knewe not hath serued me in hearing of the eare hath it obeied me Did not the woordes of Christe agree with this prophecie whaÌ„ he saied I haue other shepe too which are not of this folde euen them also must I nedes bryng home Forsouth the priesthood and the kyngdome restored and made newe again dooeth make all thinges newe And as for a newe priest the holy writte of the Prophetes had promised aforehande For the misticall psalme renneth in manier and forme folowyng The Lorde hath sworne and it shall not forthynke hym thou art a prieste for euermore after the ordre of Melchisedec Melchisedec beeyng bothe a priest and a kyng the priest of the highest god for he was not instituted by the lawe and the kyng of Salem that is to saye the kyng of peace signified Christe who neither hath had begynning ne neuer shal haue endyng Thissame Christ not through the bloud of calfes or of goates but through his owne bloude entreth into the high holy place to make intercessioÌ„ for the synnes of all the whole worlde And this sacrifice he executed in the altare of the crosse offreyng himself a moste pure sacrifice vnto God the father Suche a prieste certes had god long agon promised vnto Helias whan he was readie to dye I shall sayeth he reise vp vnto my selfe a feithfull prieste who shall doe after myne owne herte and after myne owne mynde and I shall builde vp vnto him a feithfull house and he shall walke before myne enoynted people al dayes for euer And veraily this is
Henry the eyght beeyng otherwyse by al tokens of natural constitucion a man hable and also likely to haue chyldren had alreadye by the twoo most faire blossomes and most freshe floures of the world the lady Maries Grace the lady Elizabethes Grace your Maiesties moste noble and moste dere sisturâ— yet liuyng declared himselfe apte to be veray fruicteful of procreacion yet had he continued eight and twentie yeres Kyng of this Royalme ere he had any soonne in lawfull matrimonie begotten to whome he myght leaue the succession of this his Emperiall croune and sceptre In the meane tyme Kyng Henry as a moste vigilaunt pastour ceaseth not with perpetuall trauayll to procure for the commodities and wealth of Englande he ceaseth not by moste politique and moste holsome lawes to prouide for the establishyng of Englande in peace and tranquilitie And because by the diligent readyng and meditacion yf holy Scriptures he founde and obserued the true blissynges of God and the fountayne of al grace and prosperitie to procede of the knowleage of God and the due obseruacion of his lawes lyke a moste christian Prince and a true defendour of the fayth he conuerted and emploied al his studie and cogitacions to the redresse of such abuses in relygion as by the moste corupte doctrine of the Romishe papacye had by degrees crepte into Christes churche and preuailyng throughe continuaunce of yeres were nowe so confirmed and established throughout all parties of Christendome that the Romishe Nabugodonozor held vs in forer subieccion then euer was Israell holden in the captiuitie of olde Babilon and so should we haue stil continued had it not pleased almightie God of his botomlesse mercie to reise vp a Christian Cyrus your moste puissaunt father to restore vs agayne to our freedome in Christes bloud For the Romishe Nabugodonozor had by wrestyng and peruertyng the holy scriptures of God to the establyshing and maintenaunce of his vsurped supremitie clymed so high that he was not nowe content to sitte in the chaire of Moses but had moste blasphemously exalted hymselfe aboue all that is called God that is to say had made Goddes woorde frustrate that his moste corrupte and moste pestilente doctrine myght take place He had by his deiulishe inuencions caste such a foggie miste of ignoraunce ouer Goddes moste holy Bible he had with his Pharisaicall interpretacions in suche wyse polluted the sinceritie of Christes doctrine he had so infeeted the clere fountayne of Goddes woorde with the suddes of humayne tradicions and the dregges of vayn ceremonies he had by meane of papisticall troumperie so peruerted the vnderstanding of holy scriptures he had so defaced the puritie of the faith with the beggerly patched cloke of supersticious weorkes not commaunded by Goddes lawe he had so perplexed the grace of the ghospell with the false feigned merites and weorkes of supererogacion he had so mangled the Christian profession with mo then an hundred soondry sectes of counterfaicte cloystreers of Antichristes owne generacion liuing like idle loitreers and veraâ—dranes and vnder the pretence of religion deuouryng the common weales that woulde maynteyn theim he had so oppressed the true religion and wurshyppyng of God wyth pilgremages to dead stockes and stones of mannes handie weorke with transferryng the honoure whiche was due to God alone vnto Sainctes and to feigned miracles wyth other kyndes of idolatry innumerable and wyth a purgatorye of materiall fyer and to make some ende of speakyng in a matter of it selfe infinite he had so clene subuerted al good and godly conuersacion and doctrine that Satan had no more power of the worlde whan Christe came downe to yearth for to redeme mankynde then religion was nowe broughte oute of frame by the tyrannye of the Romyshe Babilon nor God and hys soonne Iesus Christe any where lesse founde than whan he was moste buisily named and spoken of in pulpites Beeyng vnder the title and name of Christe the moste eagre aduersarye of Christe and his ghospell he ioyned hymselfe to the Philistines and beyng their Goliah more nere sixtene then sixe cubites high neither feared â–ª ne shamed to shewe hymselfe in playne battayl of defiaunce ne spared to open hys blasphemous mouthe ne to drawe hys tyrannous sweorde ne to shake his huige murderyng speare agaynst the true Israelites of Christes litle selie flocke and moste presumpteously to braggue agaynst all that euer woulde professe the syncere and vpryght doctrine of Gods woorde tyll it pleased God to reyse vp vnto vs an Englishe Dauyd your moste noble father who without anye armoure or weapon of yron and stele without any harnesse of mannes makyng without displeighing any banners in araye of humaine battaile shoulde out of the slyng of his Regall auctoritie cast the corner stone of Goddes woorde whiche lyghtyng vpon the forhead of the sayd Goliah felled his papacie stone dead crushed it to poudre neuer to be hable any more to noye or to face Englyshe Israel Our sayd Dauid kyng Henry the eyght had learned by the boke of Deuteronomie in whiche booke the feithfull seruauÌ„t of God Moyses charged that whomsoeuer Israel shoulde make Kyng ouer them thesame from the tyme that he wer sette in his Regall throne should all the dayes of his lyfe haue continuall meditacion and should styll reade therin to the entente he myght learne to feare the Lorde his God for to kepe all the woordes of hys lawe and his ordinaunces for to dooe theim and that he should not turne from the commaundementes eyther to the ryght hand or to the left that bothe he and his children myght prolong their dayes in his Kyngdome he hadde I saie learned in the same booke on the one syde the blessynges of god promysed to all suche prynces as on theyr owne parties woulde for the loue and feare of god walke vpryghtly in the execucion of the sayde commaundementes and woulde partly by theyr good exaumple prouoke theyr subiectes to dooe the same and partly by due execucion of iustice make them ashamed and also afeard to swerue or declyne from the lorde their god and on the other syde the terrible malediccions and plagues of gods wrathe threatned to all suche as neglected the vpryght obseruyng of all his preceptes and wayes He loued the goodnesse of God and feared his stroke he sawe religion to bee ferre out of frame he sawe some parte of his moste earnest trauailes and endeuour to sette Englande in moste quiet and blissefull state to fayl of condigne effecte through defaulte of reformacion in matters of religion He saw found by experience of his owne manyfolde moste princely enterpryses the onely cause why Christian Royalmes are plagued wyth warres derthes famyns pestilences other mortall extremyties to come of Gods indignacion because the worlde was so ferre gone astraigh from Christe that nothyng was nowe weaxed so odious or detestable as his holy woorde nothyng reputed so blasphemous as Christes holy ghospell nothyng so lyght estemed as Christes blood and passion He sawe the
cuÌ„ning clergie weorkemaÌ„shyp of peincted eloquence vntyll they had peruerted them and drawen them clene a straygh from all the wayes of the Lorde theyr true God well knowyng that the people some for loue some for feare and some through exauÌ„ple woulde without any buisinesse folowe the trace and ledyng of theyr king gouernour They made the kynges rewlers sure on theyr syde well wetyng that the subiectes some for obedience sake of theyr owne accorde would and the rest by their cruell diuises myght by tyranny be enforced to drawe after theyr Princes line Whereof the auncient prouerbe sayeth that euery kyng is to his royalme and subiectes eyther a singuler precious benefite orels a very pernicious destruccion because that suche as euery kyng is suche wil his people bee Wherfore lyke as a werte or a molle standyng in a bodyes face is a more blemyshe a greatter deformitee a wurse disgracing then if it stode in some priuie place of the body where eyther the prouideÌ„ce of nature hideth it or maÌ„nes own reuereÌ„ce and good prouision doeth kepe it secrete so is a vyce or any eiuil qualytie a more fault a greatter dishonour in a Prince then in an other priuate persone because that euery his saying doyng yea euery his looke gesture is taken vp as a publique exaumple and paterne for all hys subiectes to folowe so that the kynges of Israel coulde not be ciuill but to the veraie pernycious ensaumple and corrupcion of al theyr sely people But at length came good kyng Ezechias of whom the Scripture in his due commendacion testifieth that he did that pleased the Lorde in al thyng lyke to his forefather and progenitour Dauyd His well doynges he begoonne with the redresse of religion and the extirpyng of idolatry vp by the rote For whyle idolatry reigned nothing could he doe the myght be pleasyng to God Fyrst of all therefore he put awaye the hil alters brake the images cutte downe yâ— groues and all to brake the brasen serpente that Moyses had made For vnto those dayes the chyldren of Israel dyd burne sacrifice vnto it He trusted in the Lorde God of Israel he claue to the Lorde and departed not from hym but kepte his commaundementes and the Lorde was with hym so that he prospered in all thynges whiche he tooke in hande c. Thus duryng the time of his reygne by the space of tweÌ„ty nine yeres he renewed religion restored the lawe of God to his perfeccion he reduced his people to the trade of holy and vpryght conuersacion in the syght of God of walkyng in the commaundementes of the Lorde detesting al Idolatrye abhorryng al suche abomynacions as myght iustely prouoke his wrathe vengeaunce All this whyle the subtyl crafty false prophetes and priestes of Baall dissembled played mum they folowed the necessitee of the time and for feare of the iron rodde did as the worlde vnder suche a kyng required But as soone as good kyng Ezechias was once dead leauyng behynde hyme his soonne Manasse a chylde of twelue yeres olde to reygne by succession ouer Israel in his stede than the false prophetes and priestes of Baall thought it a fitte and propyes tyme to shewe themselues in theyr owne colours As soone as by his death a gappe was opened to theyr false iugleyng to theyr crafty practyse to their wyly dryftes and theyr subtyle conueyghaunce they aâ—oâ— shewed theyr affeccions as they were They leat not slyppe theyr occasion â—o reduce Israell to the former trade of dooyng sacrifice to the Idolles whiche they had learned in the tyme of wieked Achab wherby theyr lucre and aduauntage hadde a long season come in thicke and vnder Ezechias vtterlye decaied in whose dayes they weâ— of force compelled to haue the lawe of God in honour and the same onely to vse and to â—eache to the people In herte priuely they styll coÌ„tinued most detestable most pernicyous fauourers maynteyners and weorkers of Idolatrye though they had for the tyme through hypocrisy and for feare of punishemente intermytted thesame But the youth of Manasse beyng a babe easye to be inticed allured and trayned to the lustes of sensualitie through flatreyng persuasions and beeyng destitute of faythfull and godly counsayllours that might and woulde protect his tendre chyldehood and bryng hym vp in the knowledge of God in the way of his preceptes was for the sayde false Prophetes and couetous priestes of Baall a mete praye Hym therefore they enueygled with many swete woordes of flaterye doubte ye not with many woordes of coumforte with muche circumstaunce of glorious peincted eloquence with allegeyng of many politique consideracions with many ciuyll respectes of the state of the world that than was with many gaâ—e and solemne promises of innumerable and thesame right high commodities that shoulde thereby ensue to him and his common weale with many assured warauntises of welth peace and tranquilitie if he would vse their counsayl in folowyng the wayes of wyse Achab beyng as they alleaged a noble Prynce and a polityque wise man in folowing the trade of his forefathers not of such a newefound tâ—ade of learnyng and religion as Ezechias had lately inuented brought vp in Israel to the great troublyng disquieting of himself the grieuous annoiauÌ„ce and vexacion of his subiectes and the extreme perill of his coÌ„mon weale For Almanazar king of Assyria had in the daies of Ezechias come vp agaynst Samaria and besieged it and woonne it and had carried awaye Israel into Assyria and after him Sennacheryb kyng of Assyria had coÌ„e vp agaynst all the strong cities of Iuda had takeÌ„ them albeit God by his power deliuered Ezechias his people Cities the AuÌ„gel of the Lorde slewe of the proud blasphemous bragguiÌ„g AssiriaÌ„s an huÌ„dred fowre score fiue thousand at a clappe By these meanes the salse prophetes wicked priestes of Baall couÌ„pace and weigh young Manasse though he succeded his owne father beyng so good so godly a kyng as yâ— expresse testimonie of holy scripture coÌ„mendeth with these woordes that after hym was none lyke hym emong all the kynges of Iuda neyther were there any suche before him yet the not wtstaÌ„ding by the suger-mouthed false prophetes by the couetous priestes of Baall through defaulte of good godly Counsayllours whome doubte ye not but this wieked rable founde meanes to wring out of fauour to remoue awaye from the Kynges presence he was so coumpaced weyghed persuaded woonne be wytched peruerted so foâ—re seduced that as the scripture recordeth he did eiuil in the syght of the Lorde euen after the abominacyons of the heathen For he went buylt the hill altares whiche Ezechias his father had destruied he reared vp alters for Baall made groues as dyd Achab Kyng of Israell and wurshipped all the hoste of heaueÌ„ and serued them And he builte alters in the house of the Lorde of whiche the Lorde had sayd
In Hierusalem will I putte my name And he buylte alters for all the hoste of heauen euen in twoo Courtes of the Lorde And he offered his soonnes in fyre and gaue hede vnto witchecrafte and sorcery and mayntayned weorkers with spirites and tellers of fortunes and wroughte much wickednesse in y◠syght of the Lorde to angre hym And he put an ymage of a groue that he had made euen in the Temple of whyche the Lord had saide to Dauid Salomon his sonne in this house and in Hierusalem whiche I haue chose out of all the tribes of Israell will I putte my name for euer And Manasse led them out of the waye to dooe more wickedlye then dyd the hethen people whome the Lorde destroyed from before the chyldren of Israell and he wrought more wyekedly then all the Amorytes whiche were before hym did and made Iuda also to synne with his Idolles and dyd shed innocent bloude excedyng muche euen tyl he replenished Hierusalem from corner to corner wyth the bloude of the true Prophetes and of as many as myght be founde to be the true worshyppers of God and sincere kepers of the lawe After so wicked a father who reigned fiftye fyue yeres in Hierusalem succeded as wicked a sonne Amon beyng twēty twoo yeres old whan he begoōne to reigne And he lykewyse dyd euill in the syght of the Lord as his father Manasse had doen and walked in all the waye that his father walked in serued the Idolles that hys father serued wurshypped them And he forsooke the Lorde God of his fathers and walked not in the waye of the Lord. c. Whan Amō was deceassed his soōne Iosias was in his stede made Kyng and was but eight yeres olde whan he was enoyncted Kyng And where he reigned thyrtie one yeres and begonne to reigne so young yet as the scripture plainelye mency oneth he did that whiche is right in the sight of the Lorde and walked in all the wayes of Dauid his forefather and boughed neither to the ryghte hande ne to the selfe vndoubtedlye throughe the speciall grace of God and the helpe of good Gouernours who well consyderynge and ponderynge the vngodlye lyfe and dooynges of Manasse coulde not of theyr fydelytye fynde in theyr hertes to suffre suche an innocent babe in lyke sort to be seduced and abused as Manasse had been both to his owne perdicion and also to the vtter desolacion of Ierusalem and Iuda For beholde sayd the Lorde because Manasse King of Iuda hath done suche abhominacyons c. I will bryng suche eiuyls vpon Hierusalem and Iuda that whoso heareth of it bothe his eares shall tinkle and I wil wipe out Hierusalem as a man wipeth a dish and whan he hath wiped it turneth it vpsyde downe c. And to Iosias thus aunswereth the Lorde by the prophetisse in the fowerth of the Kynges Because thine herte did melte and because thou hast humbled thy selfe before me the lorde whan thou heardest what I spake against this place c. Beholde therfore I wil receiue thee vnto thy fathers and thou shalt be put into thy graue in peace and thine iyes shal not see al the eiuils whiche I will bring vpon this place They were both of them young Kinges and immediate successours the one to Ezechias who had extirped idolatrie by the roote and the other to a wurshipper of false Gods otherwise also a very wicked man And yet Manasse through peruerse enticers fel from God to all naughtines and Iosias beeyng younger of age then he did by the helpe of faythefull and godly Counsaylours apply himselfe to all goodnes and thereby prospered These twoo very notable exaumples moste gracious Soueraygne I haue some what the more at large propouned and set foorthe to your Maiestie partely that ye may marke and 〈…〉 shall of your godly dooynges redounde to youreselfe youre people 〈◊〉 Royalmes and dominyons yea and to youre posteritie also for your sake and partely to declare vnto youre hyghnesse that nexte to the speciall gifte of Gods grace to be of your owne good disposicion plyanne flexible and much enclined to vertue the chiefe and principall porcion of all suche good happe is to bee ascribed to the discrete gouernaunce the sapient direccion the vertuous trayning the vpright guydyng the godly aduertisementes the holesome admonicions and the vncorrupt educacion in vertue and litterature ministred vnto a yong king by feithful and woorthy Counsayllours Which thing forasmuch as it so is how happy blyssed is your Maiestie of gods owne hande who hath prouyded your Grace of suche noble and woorthy Counsaylours in this time of your minoritie and how much are we your most feithful louing subiectes bound to laude praise and magnifie his moste holy name for that in this so daungerous a tyme he hathe so mercifully graciously prouided for vs whose welth and safegard in this worlde must wholly and onely depende of your godly educacion vertuous trainyng or our extreme confusion of the contrarye And certes this your innocent babehood and tendre minoritie is the veraie time in which it may euidently be tried what persons dooe feithfully tendre your welth your honour and your godly procedinges They are aboue all precious Iewelles and aboue all worldely treasoures to bee estemed loued regarded thanked and folowed of your Maiestie whiche in thys your mynoritie shewe themselues feithfull earnest diligent and careful ▪ not onely as touching the safegarde and preseruacion of your most Royall persone but also concernyng your minde in this your tēdre youngth to be furnished with literature with the due knowlege of God with such disciplines as many confirme you in all Princely vertues for your honour welth and renoume whan God shall make you a manne of yetes and stature as your moste noble and moste honourable Counsaylours doe their true and diligent endeuour to make you a manne in maniers and learning Wherein like as Philip King of Macedonie at the birth of his sonne Alexandre the great alleged himselfe for two causes principally to reioyce the one because he had now a sōne borne to succede him in his croune sceptre the other because the same was borne in the time of so noble a Clerke as Aristotle was to whome the tuicyon gouernaunce and instruction of Alexandre might be committed so did your most noble father and so doe al we your most beneuolent subiectes yet stil reioice that your hap was to be borne hauing two such worthy vncles to serue and assist you and especially such an one as your most dere vncle Edward Duke of Somerset is to whome aswel the gouernaunce and vertuous institucion and training of your most Royal person as also the proteccyon of all your Roialmes and dominions and of al vs your most feithfull louing subiectes during the time of this your minority might be safly committed Of whose fidelitie now a long season aswel in King Henries time as sence the beginning of your
that Christ beginneth to dwel emōg vs. For as Christ groweth so shal vice weare away And by egual degrees shal the loue of vertue and the hatered of vice grow in our hertes A great mayny that haue hated matrimony and yet haue not hated fornicacion inceste and aduoutry begin now to abhorre and manifestly to flee these and other like pestilences and to exercise the contraries Which thing if some persones shal percase deny and affirme to be otherwise truely in mine opinion it is not so but because it is in so great a numbre emended looke where suche corrupcion stil remayneth there doeth it better and more notably appere as straunge thinges are commonly more wondred at For al good and godly folke doe now wondre that Gods worde being spred abrode being now almoste in euery bodies hand and mouth so common there should be any creature in whome any of the enormities afore mencioned shoulde reigne But by Goddes grace and your Maiesties most holsome prouision it is to be hoped that through this salue of Goddes woorde and other deuoute weorkes for declaracion of the same sette foorthe to the people if any shepe eyther be scabby or els doe yet ren astraygh the same shall by the right ledyng of the head belle weather theire Prince and by the whystle and voyce of their good Pastours be reduced to suche a concorde vniformitie that they wil full and whole goe the streight pathway of Christes doctrine vntil according to his promisse there shal of vs al be but one folde and one shepeheard as your most excellent Maiestie by setting forth suche bookes as may edify your people of all states and degrees in the knowlage of goddes woorde in innocencie of life doth labour to haue it Whiche your godly purpose and desire if I may with your gracious pardone saye myne opinyon I verayly suppose that no creature is of suche wicked herte to hindre except if any such there be whiche thing God of his great mercy and grace forbid that would not with his good wil haue your highnesse so wel to prosper flourish and growe as to the honoure and glory of God to the coumfort and reioysing of all your wel willers to the terrour and drede of all your foes and to the welth and honoure of all your Royalmes and dominions God be thanked ye nowe dooe And doubt you not moste excellent Soueraygne but that so long as your Maiestie by the aduise and assistence of your sayde most dere vncle and the other your moste honourable Counsailours shall tendrely seke and setforth Gods glory framing and trayning your people to walke in his preceptes so long wil God prosper you in all affaires who can no more be false of his promisse then he can ceasse to bee God If ye reade the fifth chapitur of Iosue and the fifth chapitur of Iudith besydes many places moe aswell in the bookes of the kinges as also in other bookes of the Scriptures ye shal plainly finde how merueilously God protected saued prospered and preserued the people of Israel so long as they walked in his preceptes truely sincerely wurshipping him and keping his lawes againste all the force and vyolence of all their enemies were they neuer so innumerable neuer so puissaunt neuer so well appoynted for battayl nor neuer so fierce In the fifth chapitur of Iudith emong other notable testimonies of Gods tendrenes ouer Israel and by their example ouer al such as truely serue him it is conteined that whan worde came to Holofernes Prince and Captain general of the warre of the Assirians vnder the king Nabugodonozor how the children of Israel prepared themselfes to make resistence against him and his armie Royal and he demaunded many questions of the Princes of Moab of the Captaines of Ammon concerning the power of the Israelites Achior the Captaine of all the Ammonites whan he had in a long processe declared vnto Holofernes how wōdrefully Israel whan they truly serued god had euermore from tyme to tyme been preserued and had preuayled againste all their enemies and contrarie wyse howe God had alwayes plagued them whansoeuer they fell from hym to wurshippe false Goddes thus doeth he conclude and knitte vp his oracion Therefore my lorde sayth he make diligent inquisicion If this people haue doen wiekednes in the sight of their God than lette vs goe vppe against them For doubtlesse their God will deliuer them into thy handes and subdue them vnto thy power But yf this people haue not displeased their God we shall not be hable to withstand them For their God will defend them and so shal we be a shame to al the worlde c. I therfore with all tendrenes of herte beseche almighty God that this your godly purpose of setting forth the worde glory of god wherunto his moste holy spirite first moued your most noble father and hath now more strongly and effectually wrought thesame in your Maiestie may neuer slacke And than I nothing doubt but that according to the most earnest and the same vnceassaunt prayers not onely of all vs your most feithful louing subiectes but also of all other good and godly people he shal in al thinges most prosperously continue your most noble and most gracious Reigne ouer vs pouring and heaping into you as into a vessel of singular prerogatiue peculiarely chosen the right true administracion of his lawes and of your common weale which by hys special grace he gaue vnto Moses and vnto Iosue the like testimony of feithfulnes and of being a manne chosen after his owne hert which he gaue vnto king Dauid the singular gift of wisedome richesse magnificence and renoume wherwith he notably aboue al others endewed king Salomon the fortunate and prosperous successe in battayl if necessitie of war must come vnto you that he sente vnto Abia no lesse integritie and purenes of liuing ioyned with effectual taking a way of supersticion then the scripture reporteth of good king Asa the same grace to set your people in good ordre and to constytute echewhere within youre Royalmes and dominions prudent vpright and discrete Magistrates to minister iustice and to haue God with you in al affaires therfore as we reade of noble king Iosophat the like prosperitie and continuaunce of most victorious reigning that God sent vnto Ioathan king of Israel the like addicion of yeres to your natural tyme that Ezechias had and finally the luckie and prosperous olde age which God gaue vnto Abraham with semblable happe for propagacion of sede for your succession by suche a noble Sara as may be a condigne spouse to be coupled with so noble a King Wherunto al true Englishe heartes that shall fortune to reade or heare these presentes I doubte not wil with one voyce saye Amen To the Ientle christian reader Nicolas Udal wisheth health grace and peace in God the father and in hys sonne Iesus Christ our salueour THou hast here good Christiā reader the
and touche nothing but the body As for the solle they neyther helpe nor hurt vnlesse a man misuse them And to misuse them is not the faulte of the meates but of the misuser But the thinges which goe out of the mouth bee the thinges whiche men doe speake Talking cummeth not from the belly but from the harte And that is in mannes harte that in dede is pure and cleane or els vnpure and vncleane For from that fountaine doe spring noysom thoughtes wherwith meÌ„ go about to lye in wayte to hurt their brother from thence do spring murder adultry rape theft fraude deceite enuie arrogancie strife false witnes blasphemie These thynges though they go not out by the mouth yet they make men vncleane and abhominable in the sight of God If they burste out in maner of a pestilente breath out of a filthy siege lyke as they declare man to be vncleane so with theyr infeccion and blasting they do defile others also But whether thou take thy meate with handes washed or vnwashed so thou take it to the vse of nature maketh not man vncleane Neither drinke taken out of an vncleane cup defileth not man so thou take it mesurably for the vse not for the excesse Likewyse to syt vpon an vnwashed seate doeth not defile the minde of man like as the washed seate doth not make pure and cleane hym that sitteth in it Therefore whereas the Phariseis teache and obserue supersticiously these folishe trifles yet they dooe not abhorre those thinges wherby the minde is defiled in dede They lye in wayte for him that doeth them good they do subornate and prepare false witnes they do backbite the fame of their neighbour and so seke for theyr owne glory that they enuy the glory of god falsely reprouing the workes which be done by his spirite and ascribing them to Beelzebub They should abhorre these thinges if they woulde seme cleane in dede But what aukewarde kinde of holynes is this to haue washed and cleane handes and to haue both minde and tongue defiled with so many mischeuous vices ¶ And Iesus goyng thence departed into the coaste of Tyre and Sydon And beholde a woman of Canaan whiche came from the same coaste cryed vnto hym saying Haue mercye vpon me lorde the sonne of Dauyd my daughter is myserably vexed with a deuyll But he aunswered her nothing at all And his dysciples came and besoughte hym saying sende her away for she crieth after vs But he answered and sayde I am not sente but vnto the loâ—e shepe of the house of Israell Than came she and wurshipped him saying Lorde helpe me But he aunswered and sayde It is not mere to take the childrens bread and to cast it to dogges She aunswered and sayde Trueth lorde for the dogges eate of the crummes which fal from their maisters table Than Iesus aunswered and sayde vnto her O woman greate is thy fayth be it vnto thee as thou wilt And her daughter was made whole from that tyme. After that Iesus had spoken these thinges he left that countrey and went into the coastes of Cyrus Sydon in maner prophecying with that dede that the Iewes through the supersticion of their lawe should expell the doctrine of the gospel which the GeÌ„tiles through sinceritie of fayth should take vnto theÌ„ For Cyrus and Sidon were inhabited of Idolaters Iesus went thither not to preache as he did in Iewry for the time was not yet come but to be secret hid there for he entred into a house desiring to be secret but the fame did vtter him This was done for the inuincible malice of the Iewes leste they mighte complaine that the wicked and prophane GeÌ„tiles were preferred before them Therfore he would that the miracle that he shewed there should not seme to be sought after or done of purpose but offered by chaunce in maner extorted obteyned of him by force Therfore when the rumour was spred abrode that Iesus was present whose fame increasing by litle and litle went beyond the coastes of the Iewes a certayne woman of Canaan cuÌ„ming out of her coastes durst not come nere to Iesus lest she beyng vnclean might seme to defile him which was clean but a far of called vpon him with a miserable crie haue mercy vpon me the sonne of Dauid telling him that she had a daughter at home miserably vexed with a deuil This Iesus so merciful and easy to be intreated which was wont to be prompt and ready vnto al men to thintent both that he might make open vnto al men the very constaÌ„t fayth of the woman also leye vnto the Iewes charge theyr very styffe obstynate vnbelefe to teache vs with all of what efficacy and power importune and earneste prayers powred out of an humble harte be with god he despiseth the peticyoner whiche cryed out for sorow of her harte insomuche that he woulde not vouchesafe to make her aunswere shewing therby a certayn fashion of the Iewes arrogancie because the Iewes couÌ„ted the Cananees their olde enemies and wurshippers of Idolles to be abhominable and that they be defyled if they do but talke with them And the apostles at that time were yet of the same affeccion and minde But the woman ceased not although she were repelled Sorowe and faythe made her importune she foloweth at hys backe and cryeth lamentably haue mercy vpon me lorde the sonne of Dauid The disciples not yet vnderstanding what was in dooyng moued with shame rather than with pitie because of the importune crying of the woman of a straunge countrey speake vnto Iesus not desyring hym to haue mercye of the wretched woman but because of her importunitie to sende her away with some aunswere Therefore Iesus made an answere more sore and harde than the former repulse shaking of to the intent he might make the constancie and coldenes of the straunge woman more marueilouse also by the example of her to charge the Iewes with their pride and arrogancie I am not sent ê™ he but vnto the lost shepe of the house of Israell For the Iewes stode merueilously in theyr owne conceyte because of this title that they were the stocke of Israell The woman was not weryed with so many repulses and denials insomuche that she durste yet drawe nere vnto Iesus and falling downe at his knees sayde Lorde succoure me She did not confute the saying of Iesus but with often repeting of her prayers she went about to wery him She layed not for her righte and iustice she requireth nothyng but mercy Iesus not contente with this goeth on still to trye the sobre importunitie of the woman It is not mete ê™ he to take the childrens bread and cast it to the dogges calling the fruite of the gospel which is by fayth bread callyng the children the Iewes which did glory that they had god to their father calling the dogges straungers aliens froÌ„ the religioÌ„ and wurshipping of God Which of the Iewes would
neyther why any should be enuiouse at an other mannes dignitie for who can enuye him whiche studieth no nother thynge but to do an other man good and that if nede be with the losse of hys lyfe Also if honour be geuen vnto them they take it not vnto themselues but yelde it vnto God And when they departed from Ierico muche people folowed hym And beholde two blinde men sitting by the way whan they heard that Iesus passed by they cryed sayinge O lord the sonne of Dauid haue mercy on vs. And the people rebuked them that they should holde theyr peace But they cryed the more saying Haue mercy on vs o lorde the sonne of Dauid And Iesus stoode still and called them and sayde What will yeâ— that I shall do vnto you They say vnto him Lorde that our iyes maye be opened And Iesus had compassion on them and touched theyr iyes and immediately theyr iyes receyued sight and they folowed him And whan he went with his disciples out of Ierico a great multitude of men folowed him And behold two blind men sate by the wayes side whiche wheÌ„ they perceyued by the noyse that it was a great multitude and askynge what it shoulde be knew that it was Iesus whiche passed by wheÌ„ they could not see him and if they had sene him coulde not go vnto hym for the multitude they spake vnto Iesus with a loude voyce saying Lord Iesu the sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon vs. Iesus made as though he hearde them not to thintente that theyr faythe and feruentnes might be the more manifeste to all men The people seyng that Iesus made no aunswere at their crying and suppossing that it was paynefull to him that twoe blinde common beggers made such a clamoure at his eares rebuked them and bad them holde theyr peace But they through a constante truste in Iesus whom they heard saye to be beneficiall towardes all men cried out louder and sayde agaâ—ne Lorde the sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon vs. Iesus therfore when he had sufficiently declared theyr fayth to them all had taught vs by theyr exaÌ„ple that we should beate at the eares of God feruently and constantly yf we will obtayne anye thynge stode still for they could not folow but onely with crying and commaunded theÌ„ to cum to him At his worde they cum Iesus askethe them what they would with theyr great crying and what they woulde that he shoulde do for them Iesus was not ignoraunte what they desired but he would that the disease that they were troubled wyth should be knowen to all menne by theyr owne confession that the faythe of the miracle mighte be the more certayne Lorde ê™ they we desire that oure iyes maye be opened by your helpe They speakyng these thynges with a great affeccion declare that blyndnes was a great griefe vnto them And he is nexte vnto light whiche is very wery of his blindenes Than Iesus shewyng his pietifull affeccion both in countenaunce and iyes with whiche affeccion euery gospeller ought to bee sory for other mens harmes touched theyr iyes and forthwith their iyes beyng opened they saw and with others they folowed Iesus So Iesus with his touching healeth the mynde blinded with worldly desyres and lighte is geuen to this ende that we maye folowe his steppes The .xxi. Chapiter And when they drewe nye vnto Hierusalem and came to Bethphage vnto mounte Oliuete Then sent Iesus two disciples saying vnto them Go into the towne that is oâ—ce agaynst you and anone ye shall fynde an asse bounden and a colte with her looce them and bring them to me And if any man saye ought vnto you saye ye The lord hath nede of them and streyght waye he wyll let them go All this was done that it might be fulfilled whiche was spoken by the Prophete saying Speake ye to the doughâ—er of Syon beholde thy kyng cummeth vnto the meke sitting vpon an asse and a colt the fole of the asse vsed to the yoke THerfore Iesus goyng forwarde to HierusaleÌ„ laboured about this diligently with his disciples to fasten in theyr mindes that he went to his death wittingly and willyngly and that no man shoulde hurte him yf he woulde resiste Therfore he beate it into them so often that he must go to Hierusalem and there suffre death And wheras sumtyme he semed to wythdrawe himselfe from perill it was not for feare but to kepe himselfe vnto the tyme apoynted of the father The whiche when it was than at hande he dyd not onely not hyde hymselfe but willyngly put furthe hymselfe and so putte furth himself that with the noueltie of his pompe he styrred the mindes of the whole cytie againste him and in the meane season he ceaseth not from myracles he ceaseth not from preachyng of the trueth also he reproueth the lyfe of the Phariseis more frely or frankely he casteth the marchauntes out of the temple by the whiche thinges he knewe that all theyr myndes woulde bee the more vehemently styrred against him Whome because he had prouoked against him with well doyng he made them not vnfaultie but gaue them lybertie that they might do the thing that they would do Therfore now being nere to the citie of Hierusalem he came into the mount of Oliues where he thought good to frame a new maner of pompe of his cumming by the which in maner he mocked the pryde of this worlde and by this spectacle he somewhat comforted his disciples beyng yet but weake that they might the more quietly beare the death of theyr Lorde Therfore from this hill he sente two of his disciples saying go ye into the village that is ouer agaynste you and as soone as ye enter in there ye shall fynde a female Asse tyed and her fole with her whereon neuer hath any manne yet sitten looce them bothe and bring them hither vnto me And if any manne saye any thing vnto you demaundyng why ye looce them whither or to whom ye leade them make none other aunswere but that the Lorde hath nede of them At this worde they will suffer them furthwith to be brought These thinges were doen partlye because they shoulde vnderstande that nothing is to hym vnknowen and that he hath power to commaunde whom he will and what he will if he woulde vse his power partely that the Iewes might know at lest wise by this very token that he was Messias because they sawe this strauÌ„ge kinde of entring prophecied in tyme paste by the Prophete Zacharie For thus he did prophecie Saye ye doughters of Syon beholde thy kyng cummeth to thee meke and humble sitting vpon a she asse and vpon a colte the fole of a yoked beaste The disciples went and did as Iesus commaunded them and brought the Asse and the â—olt and put on them theyr clothes and set him theron And many of the people spred theyr garmentes in the waye And other cut downe â—oughes from the trees and strawed them in the waye Ferther the
people that went before and they that came after cryed saying Osanna to the sonne of Dauid Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lorde Osanâ—a in the highest The disciples departed they found true whatsoeuer Iesus had tolde them before By and by at the mencion of the lord the beastes wer let looce where as neyther the Lorde was there presente nor the disciples made any countenaunce of any autoritie that they had In dede the owners of the beastes knewe no suche thing but yet in theyr hertes they perceyued that he whiche was lorde ouer all commaunded this The disciples because the Lord should sit the more at ease cast on theyr clokes and so set him vpon the coltes backe whiche colte did beare the figure of the Heathen nacion beyng vncleane and filthy folowyng all yll desyres whiche whan it was once couered with vertues apostolicall and Iesus receiued vpon her backe ceassed any longer to bee vncleane ceassed to folow her old vices beyng made the bearer of him who purgeth and sanctifieth all thinges This she asse is the dame of the fole because healthe and redempcion cummeth oute of the Iewes but the same asse was fast tyed to the lettâ—e of the lawe Bare she was of euangelicall vertues but at the lordes biddyng they are both vntied and couered with the Apostles clothes The Apostles as yet vnderstoode not these thynges but yet this it was whiche was signified thereâ—â— and shoulde more playnely be vnderstanded afterwarde When Iesus was now come to the foote of the hill a great multitude of men came out of Ierusalem to mete hym Yea and the multitude had suche a fauour vnto him that the moost parte of them strawed the waye with theyr garmentes some cut downe boughes from the trees and strawed them in the waye Ferther the company that went before and also that folowed declaryng themselues to bee glad of his cumming sang vnto hym this saying out of the prophecie of the psalme Osanna to the sonne of Dauid blessed be he that cummeth in the name of the lorde Osanna on high Others cryed blessed be the kyngdome of our father Dauid the whiche is come Others cryed Blessed be the kyng of Israell whiche is come and they praysed God for the myracles whiche they sawe done by Iesus This honoure the Lorde Iesus who hadde euer to fore liued humble and lowe suffred to be geuen vnto hym whereby he declared that he shoulde not bee without the glorye of this worlde in case he were mynded to haue it but that he had rather to despise it than to embrace it to the ende it might bee so muche the more shame that it shoulde be sought for of suche as professe themselues to be his disciples where as he despysed it which onelye deserued it Yet this honor was mere and semely for the cummynge of hym who by his death shoulde redeme the whole worlde And whan he was cum to Hierusalem all the citie was moued saying Who is this â–ª And the people sayd This is Iesus that prophete of Nazareth in Galile And Iesus went into the temple and cast out all them that solde and bought in the temple and ouerthâ—ewe the tables of the money chaungers and the seares of them that solde doues and sayd vnto them It is wrytten My house shall be called the house of prayer but ye haue made it a den of theues And the blynde and lame came vnto hym into the temple and he healed them Therfore when Iesus entred into Hierusalem with this straunge and vnwoonte pompe the whole citie was moued with this vncouthe syght saying What man is this The multitude whiche folowed him aunswered This is Iesus the Prophete of Nazareth the citie in Galile This they thought a goodly prayse although that it was farre vnder his maiestie For the people as yet coulde suppose nothyng of hym aboue man And Christe dyd purposely so ordre his lyfe that he vttered not openly his godlye nature whiche he shoulde haue persuaded in vayne yf they had seene hym afterwarde suffer deathe Therefore with this rufflyng Iesus entered into the temple and there furthwith began to vse a certayne kyngdome When he sawe in the temple a fashion of a market sum selling sum biyng and the changers of money sitting Iesus moued with the vngoodlines of the thing accordynge to the sayinge of the Prophete The zeale of thy house hath eaten me he made a whip of litle coardes and droue all the byers and sellers with theyr marchandise out of the temple he cast downe the tables of the money changers and scatered theyr money vpon the grounde he cast downe the seates of the doue sellers alleging furth of Esay a iust cause of his griefe who sayeth in the person of God My house shall be called the house of prayer but ye haue made it a den of theues By this act Iesus mente an other thynge For that the temple was polluted with marchandyse of bullockes shepe goates and doues did not so greatly moue hym but it was hys mynde to shewe that auaryce and lucre would be a deadly poyson vnto his church in time to cum whiche was figured by that temple whose religion should shortlye after be abolished For at suche tyme is the temple which is consecrate to offer vp to God spirituall sacrifice turned into a denne of theues whan vnder the pretense of religion and priesthode the people is robbed For nothing can be sincere and holy where the loue of money doethe reigne And this mischiefe is than a thynge vntollerable when it is vsed vnder the roofe of the temple when rauine is couered with the shadowe of religion There was no sorte of men agaynste whom Iesus at any time shewed any more rigour then he dyd towardes these and yet hath he reserued the same vnto himselfe to be cast out when himselfe shall thinke best Then vnto Iesus being in the temple there came the blynde and lame whome the lawe barred from entryng into the temple But the temple of Iesus receyueth all whiche make spede vnto healthe For the blynde came that hauinge theyr sight they might see Iesus whome they hearde so spoken of The lame came that folowing his steppes they mighte come into the kyngdome of heauen As manye therfore as came to hym he healed them ¶ Whan the thiefe priestes and Scribes sawe the wonders that he did and the children crying in the temple â–ª and saying Hosanna to the sonne of Dauid â–ª they disâ—ayned and sayed vnto him hearest thou what these saye But Iesus sayeth vnto them Why not Haue ye neuer red Out of the mouth of infantes and sucklinges thou haste ordeyned prayse And he lefte them and went out of the citie vnto Bethallia and abode there The chiefe Priestes and the Scribes thorough those thinges wherby they ought at last to repente were the more kyndled with burning in enuye when they sawe the people reioysing so louingly on euery syde and sawe the greate power in
meane season Peter sate without in the courte beholding a farre of the heauie sight and loking for the ende of the matter for he durste not come nere lest he shoulde be knowen of the ministers And a certayne wenche came vnto hym whiche partely knewe hym and sayde Thou also waste one of the folowers of this Galilean Here Peter beyng amased at the wenches woorde and forgetting that stout woorde that he spake to Christ and if I should dye with thee I wil not deny thee denied his lorde before theÌ„ al saying I cannot tell what thou sayest And furthwith the cocke did crowe And as he prepared to goe out euen in the doore an other wenche spyed him which vttering hym to the ministers standyng by sayeth Thys man also was with Iesus of Nazareth And agayne he denyed it swearing that he knew not the manne And a little after certayne of them that stoode by knowing Peter sayd Truely thou arte one of this numbre For not onely thy face but also thy speche doeth vtter thee to be a Galilean Than Peter being more afrayde began not onely to abiure and forsake Iesus but also to execrate and ban himselfe if euer he knewe the manne And furthewith the cocke crowed agayne After these Iesus dyd beholde him and speaking as it were vnto him with his iyes monished him Than at length Peter cumming to himselfe remembred that Iesus tolde him before when he craked of hys boldenes and valiantnes before the cocke crow twise thou shalt denye me thryse But because he sinned thorough the weakenes of man being amased with feare and not of purposed malice he deserued mercy Christe suffered this in hys chosen apostle that no man offende he nouer so sore shoulde dispayre of pardon so that he repent and washe the spot of his mynde with teares For Peter whiche was as it were besyde hymselfe at the looke of Iesus by and by came to hymselfe agayne and repented and goyng furth wepte bitterly ¶ The .xxvii. Chapiter ¶ Whan the morning was come all the chiefe priestes and elders of the people helde a counsel against Iesus to put him to death And broughte hym bounde and deliuered hym to Pontius Pilate the deviâ—ie THerfore that night was throughly watched of the heades of religion with these wicked cruell deedes And when day drew nere againe the chiefe priestes and the seniours of the people went to counsayl against Iesus to put hym to death Therfore they deliuered him bound vnto Pontius Pilate president to take punishment of the condemned man Here Iudas that betrayed hym seeing that he was now condemned and that they went to extremities moued with repentaunce broughte agayne the thirtie pieces of syluer to the heades of the priestes and senioures of the people saying I haue synned because I haue betrayed the innocente bloud Truely this mannes confessyon should haue moued the prynces mindes He confesseth that it was doen by the infeccion of auarice and he confesseth that he hath betrayed an innocent But they vtterly raging and thirsting after nothing els but innocent bloud aunswered what is that to vs whether thou hast betrayed an yll doer or an innocente Looke thou to that ¶ Than Iudas whiche had betrayed him seing that he was condemned repented hymselfe and brought againe the thirtie plates of siluer to the chiefe priestes and elders saying haue sinned betraying the innocente bloude but they sayde what is that to vs See thou to that and he cast downe the siluer plates in the temple and departed and hong himselfe Iudas now repenting of his gayne desired to breake of his bargayne but theyr crueltie coulde by no meanes be mitigated Iudas therefore casting the pieces of siluer at their feete departed away heaping and increasing his wicked dede with a more wicked dede He knowledged the greatnes of his sinne but he knowledged not the greatnes of goddes mercy Peter wepte bitterly and obtayned mercy Iudas wept also but with a desperate minde rather thaÌ„ a conuerted minde and therfore he went asyde and hanged himselfe and burst in the middes and his bowels fell out And the chiefe priestes tooke the pieces of siluer and sayde It is not lawfull to put them into â—orâ—on because it is the price of bloude And they tooke counâ—el and bought with them a potters fielde to bury straungiers in Wherefore the fielde is called the fielde of bloude vnto this day Than was fulfilled that whiche was spoken by the Prophete Hieremye saying They tooke thirtie siluer pieces the price of hym that was valued whome they bought of the children of Israell and gaue them for the potters fielde as the lorde appoynted me After this the heades of the priestes went to counsayl agayne and that theyr crueltie mighte be the better knowen to all menne they dyd nothing without a common counsell They consulte to what vse the thirtye pieces of syluer shoulde goe whiche Iudas had cast at theyr feete And being menne of aukewarde religion hauing no religion nor feare in killing of an innocente who had doone so muche for them It is not lawfull ê™ they to put this money into Corbon that is emong the gyftes of the temple whiche they woulde haue estemed and regarded religiousely For it is the price of bloude But the holines of the temple must not be poluted with bloud And in the meane season they dysclose theyr vngraciouse conscyence confessyng hym to bee innocente whose betraymente they had boughte Therefore because that they all shoulde bee partakers of the synne they counselled together and with that money they bought a grounde of a certayn potter for godly vses that straungiers mighte be buried there as though they woulde haue recompenced the sinfull dede that they had in haâ—de with thys good dede And yet by thys meanes they prouyded very yll for theyr good name For they coulde not by any other meanes more blase abrode theyr wickednes For the thyng is come to suche a common saying that at this daye that grounde is called of the Sirians Acheldema that is to saye the grounde of bloude Neyther was thys thing done by chaunce for Hieremie prophecied that it shoulde come to passe and they tooke thirtie pieces of siluer the price of him that was prised whome they boughte of the children of Israell and they gaue them for the grounde of a potter as the lorde appoynted me Iesus stode before the debitie and the debitie asked him saying Arte thou the king of Iewes Iesus sayeth vnto him Thou sayest And whan he was accused of the chiefe priestes and elders he aunswered nothing Than sayde Pilate vnto him hearest thou not how many witnesses they laye agaynste thee And he aunswered hym to neuer a woorde insomuch that the debitie matuayled greatly Therfore whan Iesus stode before the president as giltie they accused hym busily of many thinges speaking nothing in the meane season of blasphemy of the relygyon of the temple defyled and broken and of the cummyng of the sonne of man with the whiche thinges
reliue which of them all shall chalenge her for his wyfe for in her lyfe tyme she was like wyse maryed vnto them all seuen The Saducies thought they woulde by thyncoÌ„uenience that they inferred of this case make the resurreccion of the dead to apeare a very fonde thyng and disagreable to reason specyally yt there shoulde then ryse strife and debate among the brethren for the wyfe whiche was common vnto them all Iesus grutched not to teache those grosse felowes saying Doethe not thys question playnly declare that you be in a wrong belefe and altogether out of the waye for asmuche as ye neyther vnderstand the Scriptures nor yet perceiue the power of almighty God The Scripture is spirituall God who made manne of naught canne rayse hym agayne at his pleasure from death to lyfe He wyll not onely make the deade aliue agayne but also rewarde them with lyfe euerlastyng Nowe wedlocke was inuented among menne for this purpose because the thyng I meane mankynde whiche of it selfe and owne propre nature contyneweth not for euer myght by procreacion and encreasyng of the worlde be multiplied preserued and contynued But whereas menne neyther dye nor be borne after the common course of the world what nedeth there any matrimonye For after the resurrection of the dead neyther shall any manne mary nor any manne geue his daughter in maryage to an other but as the angels of god in heauen because there is among them no mortalitie knowe not the vse of matrimony so shall they that shall be relyued in the generall resurreccion be made lyke vnto the aungells theyr bodies beynge all spyrytuall and immortal Furthermore why do you thinke it disagreable to reason to beleue that the dead shall aryse agayne Haue ye not redde in holy scripture the auctoritie wherof is counted among you holy and inuiolable what god sayed when he spake vnto Moyses out of the bushe I am saied he the god of Abraham the god of Isaac and the god of Iacob they were then dead and yet doth he call himselfe theyr god Therfore euen the dead do verily lyue because their soules remayne styll aliue And if it be so that theyr sowles remayne what great maystrye is it then for God to call them agayne into theyr olde bodyes wherein they dwelt before But yf the dead be vtterly perished so that nether bodye nor soule remayneth alyue then standeth it not with reason that he is called the God of the deade As no man glorieth that he is a king of those that are not so is God the God of the liuyng and not of the deade Wherefore you Saduceis are farre deceiued imagyning that there shall be nothying in the lyfe to cum otherwise then you see in this present life Those thinges no doubt haue a more true and blessed beyng whiche are not vnder mans corporall light then those whiche are seene with bodelye iyes There is nothyng that more truly is then god and yet he is not seene but felte or perceyued ¶ And when there came one of the Scrybes and hearde them disputyng together and perceyued that he had aunswered theâ— well he asked hym whiche is the fyrste of all the commaundementes Iesus answered hym The fyrste of all the commaundementes is Beare O Israell The Lorde oure God is lorde onely and thou shalte loue the lorde thy God with all thy hatte and wyth all the soule and with all thy mynde and with all thy strength This is the fyrste commaundement And the second is like vnto this Thou shalte loue thy neybour as thy self There is none other commaundement greater then these And the Scribe sayde vnto hyme well Mayster thou haste sayde the trueth for there is one God and there is none â—ut he And is loue hym with all the harte and with all the mynde and with all the soule and with all the strength and to loue a mannes neyghbour as hym selfe is a greater thynge then all burnte offerynges and sacryfices And when Iesus sawe that he answered discretely he sayde vnto hym Thou art not ferre from the kyngdome of God And no man after that durst aske hym any question Yet for all this these wicked felowes made not an ende to teÌ„pte Christ. After the Saduceis came the Pharyseis and the Scrybes who were encouraged to take hym in hand because he hit the Saduceis in the teethe with ignorauÌ„ce of the law For the Scribes and the Phariseis auaunt themselfes more then other for the great knowledge they pretende to haue in the same and dissenting in opinion from the Saduceis do beleue there are angles and spirites and that mens soules remayne aliue after the bodyes be dead and finally that the dead shall ryse agayne These felowes beyng right glad that the Saduceis were put to a foyle blancked and that Iesus had aunswered to their mindes dyd lyke learned men propoune and putte forthe vnto hym by one of the scribes set vp for the nones to playe this parte a notable question out of the moste inward misteries of the law They asked hym what was the chief and greatest commaundement in the whole lawe Iesus straightwayes answered them out of the boke entyled Deuteronomium where as it is written on this wyse Heare O Israell the lorde thy God is one god and thou shalt loue the lorde thy God with all thy harte and with all thy soule and with all thy mynde and with all thy strength This is the chiefe and greatest commaundement next vnto this is that that foloweth Thou shalt loue thy neyboure none otherwise then thyselfe There is no other commaundement greater then these two because they comprise the summe and effect of the whole law WheÌ„ the Scribe heard him saye so he sayde againe Thou hast wel truly answered how there is one God and none other but he and that to loue him with all the harte and with all the vnderstandyng and with all the soule and with all the strength is a thing whiche passeth all burnt offrynges and other sacrifices Iesus perceyuyng that he had ryght discretly aunswered sayd vnto him Thou arte not far from the kyngdom of God For the euangelyke godlynes standeth not in sacrifices of beastes but in cleannes of spirite He is not farre from this meaning whoso preferreth that commaundement whiche is spirituall simple or plaine before all other preceptes whiche be rather figures and tokens of true godlines then the thyng selfe But the coÌ„mon sorte of the Iewes beleue verely that the chiefest parte of vertue and godly lyuing standeth in visible thinges as in washinges in kepyng of the sabboth daye in choyce of meates in offred giftes in sacrifices in holy dayes in fastinges and in long prayers Whoso with all his harte loueth god for gods self the whiche can neuer be loued enoughe and his neybour for goddes sake thesame hath made sufficient sacrifice After that Iesu had thus with his wisdome euery where confouÌ„ded and ouercum them that ceassed they to
the byrth of thy sonne all suche as do thirst the cummyng of Messias This Messias beeyng as it were the sunne in the skye thy sonne shall go before as it were a certayne day sterre to geue knowlage afore by his woonderfull brightnesse that the arisyng of him is euen at hande which shall on euery syde put awaye the derkenesse of all the whole vniuersall worlde In dede the other shall be out of all comparison moste greatest but yet thy sonne too lyke as he shal be muche inferiour to the other so shall he in dignitie excell and passe all the reste of the other Prophetes that hitherto haue been For he shall in veray dede be great not only in the opinion of men but also in the iyes of the Lorde vnto whom no man is great but by the vertues and gyftes of grace whiche himselfe doeth frankly geue For he shall be great not in worldly richesse and ruffleyng porte of this lyfe or in worldely dominion but rather by the contempte and despisyng of those thinges which make certayne persones great in the iyes of men And the lesse that he shall desyre the commodities or welth of this worlde somuche the more plenteously shall he be couched full of gooddes heauenly ¶ Wyne also and strong drynke shall he not drynke and he shall bee replenished with the holy ghost euen from his mothers wombe and many of the chyldren of Israel shall he turne to their lorde God And he shall goe before hym in the spirite and power of Helias to turne the hertes of the fathers vnto the chyldren and the vnbelieuers to the wysedome of the iust men to make ready a perfecte people vnto the lorde And as for all kynde of excessiue or delicate fedyng withall the other obiectacions and pleasures of the body he shall so muche abhorre that he wyll not at any tyme drynke any wyne or any other delicious or strong drynke ne any liquour at all that is hable to take awaye so briete from a manne or to distemper his braine For these filthy delites of sensualitie haue no place in such an one in whose breste the holy ghost hathe taken possession afore to dwell in which holy ghost shall replenishe the mynde and soule of thy sonne euen whyle he lyeth secrete within the enclosure of his mothers wombe that he may play the parte of a Prophete in gesture before he be able to haue any vtteraunce of woordes by speakyng And in short processe of yeres whan the gyftes of the spirite of God shall haue growen as his yeres and age shall do he shall worke wondres on the one syde by the exaumple of his moste holy life and on the other syde through suche his preachyng as men shall maruayle at For accordyng to the prophecie of Malachias many of the children of Israel beeyng fallen from the fauour of God by reason that whyle they bearyng themselfes bolde on the carnall lawe tooke no regarde to do those thynges whiche the figures of the lawe do signifie he shall conuerte to theyr Lord God preaching with great frankenesse and plainnesse the kyngdome of God to be at hande exhortyng them to the repentaunte emendyng of theyr former lyfe makyng withoutwarde baptisyng in water a foreprofer to the abolishyng of synne whiche abolishing of synne was to come through Messias and finally vnto all persons openly shewyng that same manne whom God for this purpose would shortly after send into the worlde that by hym alone and onely euerlastyng saluacion should come vnto all men Thissame Messias shall first come as a poore humble mā of lowe degree to the ende that he may conferre geue euerlastyng saluacion vnto all persons putting their trust affiaunce in hym Then afterwardes shall he eftsones come in maiestie to geue rewardes vnto euery one accordyng to their dedes that is to were to the good and the godly euerlastyng lyfe and to the vnbeleuyng and wiked persons euerlasting death And lyke as by Malachias prophecie Helias shal be the foremessagier of his second cumming to prepare the heartes of mē by his preaching agaynst that same great and terrible daye of the Lorde ryght so shall thy sonne be the foremessagier of the former cummyng in whiche God by his sonne Messias shall descend downe into the yearth to lure prouoke all persons in generall without excepcion by Iohns preaching vnto the knowledge and loue of himselfe And for this poynte he shall of a great many he thought to be Helias Neyther shall he without good cause be sayd to be Helias in that he shall in the spirite and power of Helias come before the cummyng of the Lorde to the ende that as the Prophete Malachias hath wrytten he maye turne the hartes of the fathers to the children wherby the Iewes who haue so farre growē out of kynde and fallen from the holy trade of their forefathers may amende and come agayne to better grace and that thesame Iewes beleuyng in the woordes of Messias by whom God shall speake vnto them may truely deserue to bee called the children of Abraham in that they folowe the prompte readynesse of beleuyng whiche was in Abraham and also that suche persons as whyle they cleaue fast to the outwarde rynde or barke of the lawe do not vnderstand the minde and effectuall pith of the lawe he may conuerte and bryng vnto the wysedome of the iust whiche haue learned that vnder the vtter playster or pergetyng of the lawe there lyeth hydden some higher pointe and some holyer matter the whiche shall ere long be vttered abrode by the preachyng of Messias who shall perfeitely accomplyshe and fulfyll the lawe in the right kynde as it ought to be but thy sonne beeyng as a waye leader vnto the heauenly preaching of thissame Messias shall prepare the heartes of menne that he may deliuer vp vnto Messias at his cumming a people not vtterlye vntraded or vnentred in his discipline but somewhat prepared already and instructed therunto with the agnisyng and knowledgyng of theyr owne synfulnesse with the expectacion of the kyngdom of heauen and with feling a great misse and lacke of the Messias to come For so was it thought best vnto almyghtye God by castyng fyrst of all certeine entreinges and principles to bryng man whiche had been fallen to vtter ignoraunce and wickednesse a lytle and a lytle by degrees vp to the highest poyntes of godly perfeccion And Zacharie sayed vnto the Aungell vp what token shall I knowe this For I am olde and my wyfe is well stricken in age And the Aungell aunswered and sayed vnto hym I am Gabriell that do stand in the presence of God and am sent to speake vnto the and to shewe the these glad tydinges And beholde thou shalt be dumme and not hable to speake vntyll the daye that these thynges come to passe because thou diddest not beleue my woordes whiche shal be fulfilled in theyr tyme. The Aungell vsyng all thissame frendely talke zacharie hath nowe
vertuous disposicion and shamefastnes commonly go together more then halfe ashamed for because that to suche persons as dyd not yet knowe all thissame matter to bee done God being the worker and doer of it she being now already an aged woman might seme to had wholly geuen herselfe yet still vnto the satisfying of the wanton lust of her body For she was not ignoraunte howe muche inclined the moste parte of folkes are as well to misdeme the wurst as also to speake naughtily And the prudent minde of the woman had also a ferther iye and regarde vnto this poynte too that there was no vauntes ne braggues to be made among the people of the gyfte of God vntill it were assuredly past all doubtes leste if the thing had afterward quailled or gone awaye in any behalfe the reproche of her baraines should be double for that beyng so fer strieken in yeres she had conceyued suche a vayne hope to haue a childe Neuerthelesse whan by sundry assured tokens she perfeitely knewe herselfe to be with childe she did in suche wise at all times shewe herselfe glad of her happie chaunce that all this matter euery whit of it what soeuer it were she referred vnto the onely goodnesse of God I haue hitherto sayeth she been diffamed with the reprochefull name of a baraine woman and one that neuer should haue childe among the people of Israel in whose opinion the barainnes of the body is a thing of more dishonestie shame then naughty disposicioÌ„ of the mynde But the Lord I see well hath for this purpose made a delay of my fruitfulnesse that a childe borne nowe whan no man looked for it not onely might deliuer me from the reproche of barainnes but also should cause vnto me the more aumple ioy For plainly the free gyfte of God it is who at suche time as best pleased himselfe hath vouchedsafe to cast a fauourable iye on me his simple handmaide in suche sorte that by reason of my chyld though beyng but one alone borne whan it was almost past season yet neuertheles a childe specially to be marked regarded whom I haue borne in Gods behalfe I shall from hencefurth in folkes communicacion bee reported to bee a mother muche happier then a great many of others the whiche do with a great sorte of children a piece enriche their housebandes And in the sixth moneth was the Aungell Gabriel sent from God into a citie of Galile the name wherof is Nazareth to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Ioseph of the house of Dauid and the name of the virgin was Mary And the Aungell came in vnto her sayd haâ—â—e thou full of grace the lorde is with the. Blissed art thou among women These thinges thus done it remained that the holier greater piece of this misterie shoulde bee procured by the Aungell that is to wete that the sonne of God beeyng God immortall should of a virgin beeyng a creature subiecte vnto death bee borne a man mortall the like wherof neuer had afore sence the creacion of the world been heard ne to the last ende of the world again should bee heard Therfore whan the tyme from without begynnyng by God prefixed drewe nere that God the father would by his sonne deliuer the whole vniuersall worlde from the tyranny of death and of synne he sent the selfsame Aungell Gabriell as a broker or procurer and a maker vp of this godly copulacion andioynyng with the sayed virgin And this was done in the sixth moneth after that Elizabeth was conceyued with Iohn Unto this heauenly matter there was specially deputed a tendre yong virgyn not set furth to the worlde with aboundauÌ„ce of riches or possessions not by famousnes of name not with portlynesse of lyfe ne with the other thynges whiche this worlde vseth to haue in high regarde but endued with excellente vertues of the minde the whiche do make a manne acceptable in the sight of God that is to saye with puritie of lyfe vndefiled with maidenly demurenes and with godly deuocion Her habitacion was in an homely basse litle toune of Galile called Nazareth a people nothyng regarded ne set by emong the Iewes And the virgin was espoused vnto a man of no fame ne porte in any behalfe to the worldes estimacion but for his vertues of the mynde a man to be accepted afore God a carpenter by occupacion and his name Ioseph beyng lineally descended of the stocke of Dauid from the which stocke of Dauid the espoused virgin also had her progenie to the ende that the case might not disagree with the prophecie whiche had promised that Messias should be borne of the stocke of Dauid kyng of Israel And the name of the virgin was Mary God had for the nons picked out two persons of lowe degree and of small porte to th entent that the worlde myght not in this heauenly matter clayme or chalenge to it selfe any poynte or part therof He had also pieked out persons of moste faultlesse and moste pure behauiour to the ende that no poynte of cryme myght be layed to theyr charge He had pieked out persons coupled together in chaste and leefull matrimonie to th entent partely that the priuetie of a childe to bee borne by a pure virgin myght be secrete vntyll the due tyme therof and partly that the case beyng otherwyse vnbeleuable whiche was that a virgin had without coumpaynying with any manne brought furth a chylde myght not lacke a witnesse conuenieÌ„t At a tyme whan this virgin was in her contemplacion within her priuy closet as virginitie loueth to be secrete the Aungell Gabriell apperyng visible with muche bryghtnes came in vnto her and hayled her with a straunge sorte of salutacion Rest thou well sayth he and reioyce o virgin beeyng full of grace and highly in fauour Thou hast the Lorde ryght fauourable vnto thee and muche thy frende And therfore shalt thou be siggularly renoumed and of a laudable name among all women ¶ When she sawe him she was abashed at his saying and cast in her mynde what maner of salutacion this might be And the Aungel sayd vnto her Feare not Mary For thou hast found grace afore God Beholde thou shalt conceyue in thy wombe and beare a soÌ„ne and shalt call his name Iesus He shal be great and shal be called the sonne of the highest And the Lord God shall geue vnto him the seate of his father Dauid and he shall reigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer and of his kyngdome there shal be none ende But the virgin at the sodayne sight of the Aungell and agayne also at the fourme and tenour of his salutacion beeyng straunge and suche as neuer had been heard of afore forasmuche as she on her owne behalfe conceyued no great opinion of her selfe was right muche dismayed in her minde For that she was fore adrad at the entreyng of one in the likenesse of a young man not loked for was a
is the goodnes of God and with all kyndes of praisynges to bee magnifyed who whereas â—e is the God of all peoples yet his pleasure was to be of a speciall purpose called the God of Israell not as though he wer not the Lord of al other nacions also but because it hath pleased hym that the people of Israel shal be a figure of that heauenly people whiche by renouncyng and despising the yearthlye thynges of thys worlde dooe laboure to atteyne and to come vnto that eternal citie of Hierusalem where God is wurshipped with thinges inuisible Of al such what countrey soeuer they lyue in and out of what nacion soeuer they bee borne is God to be praysed who after so long processe of time hath at laste vouchsalued in suche sorte as hath not been sene afore to visite hys people being now in great agonye and almoste â—lene tyred with the tedyousnes of most careful and long continued bondage and beyng euen now at the veray poynt of vtter despaire Agaynst the whiche people Sathan synne and the worlde had so mightilye preuailled that no maner hope did now remaine neyther in the phariseis nor in the philosophiers nor yet in the ceremonies of Moses lawe He hathe nowe caste hys iye lyke a mercifull lord vpon hys sayd people and hath freelye redemed them from al these euils And hath reised vp an horne of saluacion vnto vs in the house of his seruaunte Dauid A myghty tiraÌ„ne it was whiche hauyng a trayne of an houge coumpaigny of souldiers to garde him did ruffle and playe the king ouer al sortes of men out of whose clawes it was not possible by any power of manne to recouer the deliueraunce of the Israelites Onelye god beeyng of more puissaunce then our ghostely enemy gaue strength vnto theÌ„ that wer weake sending a capitayn most victorious who through the puissaunce of his godlye mightinesse shoulde ouerthrowe the power strength of his aduersaries and by ouercumming deathe should frely through feith geue vnto al persoÌ„s euerlasting saluacion And thys sure waraÌ„t fortres of saluacioÌ„ he hath reised vp for vs in the house and generacioÌ„ of Dauid who truly serued and wurshipped him vnto the which Dauid he had afore made sure promisse that from his sede should this benefite assuredly come vnto all suche persones as after the spirite deserue to bee the chyldren of Dauid not growyng out of kynde nor sweruing from the tendre loue that their said father Dauid had towardes god Dauid valiauntly luckely foughte against forein nacions and agaynst the enemies of the people of Israel And seÌ„blablye vnder this our captayne must we fight agaynst enemies muche more pernicious and hurteful that is to were against such enemies as destruie and â—leagh mennes soules Sathan with hys armie of wieked spirites And such enemyes be also the corrupt affeccions and naughty desyres of the mynde prouokyng and busilye stieryng men to suche thynges as are odious and hatefull afore god Suche enemies also are those persones whatsoeuer they be which haue more loue and desyre to the thynges of this worlde then to such thynges as are godlye by whyche persones as by his instrumentes and tooles the deuill putteth hys strength in vre ¶ Euen as he promised by the mouthe of his holy prophetes whiche were sens the world began That we should be saued from our enemyes and from the hande of al that hate vs. Neyther dooe these thinges by chaunce or at al auentures come thus to passe but the thyng that god doeth nowe perfourme thesame had he many a longe yere sens promysed by the mouthes of al the prophetes whom he had endewed with his spirit as many as haue prophecied sens the first creacioÌ„ of the world For he had made promise that by a captain of might puissauÌ„ce which should one day be sent we should be saued from our enemyes and should be deliuered oute of the handes of them all whiche did beare vs suche extreme malice that they did continually wrastle and laboure to drawe vs vnto deathe euerlasting That he would deale mercifully with our fathers and remember his holy couenauÌ„te And that he woulde perfourme the othe whiche he swore to our father Abraham for to geue vs that we deliuered out of the handes of our enemyes myghte serue hym withoute feare in suche holines and ryghteousnes as are accepted before him all the dayes of our lyfe And yet was not thys of the meryte or deseruyng of vs that are nowe at these preseÌ„t dates liuiÌ„g to whoÌ„ god hath perfourmed this same so hygh a benefite nor yet of the deseruing of oure fathers to whoÌ„ he had afore promised thesame thing which he hath now doen vnto vs â–ª But thus hath it pleased his gracious goodnesse bounteously to geue this so greate a thyng vnto vs not deseruyng thesame Thus hath it also semed good vnto his ryghteousnesse at suche time as best pleased hymself to perfourme the thyng that he had promised to th entent he might thereby of all creatures bee perceyued to bee not onely mercifull and beneficiall but also true and iuste in kepyng hys promisse For besides his earnest promisse he did also make a plain bargain and couenaunt with our fathers For beeyng delited with â—he woondrefull affiaunce and truste of oure chyefe father Abraham towarde hym whiche was soe greate that bearyng hymselfe bolde vpon goddes promysse he made no manner bones ne stickyng but wente in hande to offer vp his onely sonne Isaac in sacrifyce he swore by hys owne selfe to the same Abraham saiyng in this wise I make an othe and do sweare by my veray own self because thou hast dooen thys same thing and for the respecte of me and my commaundement hast not spared thine onely begotten sonne I shall blisse thee and I shall multiplye thy posteritie and issue as the sterres of the skye and as the sandes that are liyng on the sea shores Thy sede shall possesse the gates of theyr enemies through the name of thee shall all naâ—ions on the yearth be blissed because thou hast bene obedient vnto my voice For in verai dede this is the true posteritie and the right sede of Abraham whiche is obedient vnto God not by the ceremonies of the lawe but by the obedience of beleuing in God who by the meane of the ghospell dooethe speake vnto the world And vnto such of vs is geuen the promysed victory ouer our enemies as being deliuered from the tiranny of sinne deliuered from all errours deliuered from the yoke of the deuill haue the grace and happe to renounce our former naughty liuyng to the ende that from hensfoorth beyng out of all care and feare vnder the wyng and safegarde of our captayn we may nowe serue no mo maisters but hym alone to whome onely we are bounden debtours for al the goodnesse that euer we haue where in tymes past we had bene bondeseruauntes to ambicion which is the desire of worldelye honoure pompe
of the vnwonte and soodain miracle wer all at ons throughly taken with a veray great feare But the Aungel anon taketh away this feare with speakyng amiablie vnto them Dooe awaye all feare sayeth he there is no cause why ye should drede For I am come to be vnto you a messagier of a moste gladdesome matter and suche ioye as neuer yet hath bene hearde of do I bryng not to you onely but also to al the people of Israel The godly mouthes of the Prophetes long and many yeres gon had promysed you a salueour Many a long yere hath Messias bene loked for And this night is thatsame Messias borne and borne he is vnto you all And this is the veraye true Messias the Prynce and Lorde of all a king a priest anoynted of God froÌ„ aboue And in dede borne he is in the citie of Dauid called Bethleem accordyng to the holy saiynges of the Prophetes euâ—â— thissame veray nyghte Go ye and enquire of hym I wyll geue you a toâ—â—â— whereby he maye be knowen Go ye to the common inne and there shal ye find the litle suckyng babe lapped in swathyng cloutes and layed doun to rest in a maungier Assone as Gabriell had thus much sayed immediatly was heard a great multitude of heauenly souldiers that is to say of Aungels who are the minysters and seruauntes of the Lorde beeyng myghtye and puissaunt in battaill and the which also do warre and fyght for vs agaynst the Princes of this worlde These Aungels with suche an heauenly armonie and with such a melodious swete noyse as no tongue can expresse dyd syng songes of prayse vnto God magnifiyng and settyng furthe hys vnspeakable loue towardes mankynde and declaring the great ioye and gladnes that they had conceiued on the behalfe of the same mankinde to whom so great blisfulnes had through Goddes mere fauour and mercie so happened And the hymne forsouth which that same heauenly quier of Aungelles with such swete tunes syng all together in one charme was thys Glórye on high to god on yearth peace and in men good vville Whiche song of the Aungels dothe muche in effecte signifye vnto vs verailye that in thys matter no poynte at al of glory is due neyther to the Aungelles ne yet to man but al the whole glory and laude therof is due vnto the onely goodnes of God who of hys mercye and loue towardes vs whom he hath created doeth by wondrefull wayes and conueighaunce prouide for vs from heauen to the entent that we should wel perceiue that whatsoeuer thing either for our honoure and anauncement or els for our helth and saluacion dooeth happylye chaunce vnto vs it cummeth vpon vs from heauen and that we ought here on yearthe to wishe or desire none other thyng but peace whiche maye abolyshe synne and bryng vs into the fauour of God and the whiche maye knit vs together with mutual loue and charitie of one towardes another For thissame is truely the peace not of the worlde but of God whyche dooeth excede and passe al the compace and râ—ache of maÌ„s vnderstanding and ferre out weigheth all poyntes and degrees of any blisfull state that may be in this present world And this peace is freely offred vnto vs through this reconciler and maker of atonemente betwene God and man not by anye meane or helpe of oure owne merites and desertes but of the ready and willing goodnes of God towardes vs whome it hathe pleased after thys woondrefull maner to prouide for the recouerye and sauyng of mankynd ¶ And it fortuned assone as the Aungels wer gone awaye from them into heauen the shepeherdes sayde one to another Let vs goe nowe euen vnto Bethleem and see this thing that we heare say is happened which the Lord hath shewed vnto vs. And they came wyth hast and founde Marye and Ioseph and the babe layed in a maunger And whan they had seen it they published abrode the saiyng whyche was told them of that chylde And as they that hearde it woondred at those thynges whiche were tolde them of the shepeherdes But Marye kept all those saiynges and pondered them in her heart And the shepeherdes returned praisyng and laudyng God for al the thynges that they had heard and seen euen as it was tolde vnto them The Aungels assone as thei had with their moste ioyfull and gladsome noyse begonne vnto the shepeherdes with synging this song in honour of the childes birth returned agayne into heauen This done the shepeherdes being a sort of good homely plain folkes came and laied their heades together in counsail not doubtyng of the wordes that the Angels had spoken but coueting more fully to knowe the thing that they had heard Thus therfore spake they emong theÌ„selues and sayde one to another Leat vs dooe as the Aungel hath aduertised vs leat vs goe hence euen streight to Bethleem that the thing which we haue with oure eares heard to be happened we maye euen there presentely see beholde with our iyes to the entent that we may with the more readie and perfect truth and credite speake and declare vnto others the thyng that the Lord hath vouchesalued to geue vs knowelage of by his Aungels This godly deuise lyked them all And so furth on theyr way go the shepherdes with all haste deuocion and godly zeale was a spurre to theyr heartes to pricke them foreward anon were they come to Bethleem come they were into the ynne appoynted And there euen as the Angel had promised they finde Marie newly deliuered of childe and Ioseph a witnes of the virgins deliueraunce and the babe also bound vp in swathyng clothes and layed therby in a maungier These deuout and godly shepeherdes are nothyng at all offended neyther with the bare pouerty of the tender young virgin nor with her housband beyng to the syght and estimacioÌ„ of the world a man of the meanest and bassest sorte ne yet with the poore litle babe whom for defaulte of a more commodious place the parentes wer faine to laye doune in a maungier which thynges would haue made the proud Phariseis and Scribes to take vtter scorne disdayne at the matter but the shepeherdes are by all these thynges the better confirmed to beleue the matter more stedfastly whan they by witnesse of theyr owne iyes perfeictly knew founde that it wer no fables ne lyes that the Aungel had tolde them tydynges of And here maye we note that tender loue and zele towardes God hath in all persones be they neuer so slender or lowe of degree a certain wisdome and worldly cast of it owne in thynges For these shepeherdes dyd not euen byanby publish abrode the thyng that they had heard but assoone as they perfectely knewe the thyng to be certayn and out of doubt than did thei not feare to talke the thing that they had heard abrod also emoÌ„g other coumpanies Christ loued to haue the talke of his birthe and cummyng fyrste
bee enforced nor yet with onely common poynctes of euydence bee confirmed the which being credited and beleued shoulde vnto al ages and times as wel past as to come and to all persons bring euerlasting health and saluacion being not beleued shoulde contrary wise bring euerlastyng death An Aungell therfore cummeth in message from God and bryngeth woorde of the thyng afore vnto Marie her spouse Ioseph is ioyned vnto her afore to the ende he maye be a true witnesse of the mattier Elizabeth whiche had liued barayne tyll she was an aged woman bringeth furth childe zacharie whan he had a long time contynued dumme is restored to the vse of hys tongue and hathe hys speche agayne bothe of them as well zacharie as Elizabeth are sodaynelye rauyshed with the spiryte of prophecie Iohn leapeth in hys mothers woumbe for ioye a virgin without mannes helpe conceyueth chylde Magians beyng straungiers of a farre countrey come renning to haue a sighte of the childe and doe wurship him on theyr knees Shepheardes talke of him abrode and declare openlye that he is come By suche a greate noumber of euidente tokens and by so many straunge wonders and miracles is the newe birth of this child approued and aucthorised ¶ And beholde there was a man in Hierusalem whose name was Symeon And thesame man was iust and godly and loked for the consolacion of Israell And the holye ghoste was in him And an aunswere had he receyued of the holye ghoste that he shoulde not see deathe excepte he firste sawe the lordes Christe And he came by inspiracyon into the temple And whan the father and the mother broughte in the childe Iesus to dooe for hym after the cus 〈◊〉 of the lawe then toke he him vp in his armes and sayde â–ª Lorde nowe â—eattest thou thy seruaunt departe in peace according to thy promise For myne iyes haue seen the saluacion whiche thou haste prepared before the face of all people A light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israell Nowe to the entente that there shoulde bee no sexe no age no state or degree of menne nor no profession but that Christ should haue testimonie and witnesse of euerie one of them neyther any one bodye lefte behinde but that he might assuredly promyse vnto hymselfe healthe and saluacyon at the handes of the same Christe there was at the same time in Hierusalem a certayne man named Symeon a manne by reason of olde age colde in hys bodye but in spirite feruente hote of bodye feble and impotente but of soule quiuer and lustie of yeres drye and withered but in all perfectenesse of good lyuyng as freshe as floures that is to wete a veraye iuste and vpryghte man and in verye dede a deuoute manne and full of Godlynesse not huntyng aboute for glorye and lucre at the handes of menne after the exaumple of the Phariseis but ryghte desirouse and muche hungryng for the health and saluacyon of al mankinde in generall whome no delite or pleasure dyd make willing to continue in thys life sauyng onely that he myghte with hys owne iyes once see the veraye selfe Messias whome the wholy sayinges of the Prophetes had promysed to come for the veraye entente and purpose to recomforte the people of Israell whiche people hadde bene long tyme afore many wayes in muche distresse and dyd euen veraye than lyue in greuous afflyccyon Thys Symeon as in dede a good manne he was had assured knowleage afore by inspiracyon of the holy ghoste that the same day and tyme was nowe alreadye come And whereas he had with moste ardente prayers besoughte the lorde to geue hym the gift that he mighte but euen once with hys bodelye iyes beholde the Messias nowe so manye hundred yeres loked for he had in the secrete closet of hys godlye breste receiued an aunswere of the holye ghoste that he shoulde be sure not to depart out of this presente lyfe but that he shoulde firste see with his bodely iyes that same blessed babe whome he had seene manye a daye afore with the iyes of his â—eyth to the ende he myghte wytnesse hym to bee come in dede whome he dyd nothyng doubte but that come he shoulde that same blessed chylde I saye whome for a very south god hath singularely aboue al other menne enoynted that he mighte haue and enioye bothe a kyngdome for euer to endure and also a priestehood neuer to bee abrogated or abolished Therefore whan the tyme shoulde come that the chylde Iesus shoulde bee broughte into the temple as we haue sayde the blyssed olde manne afore named being secretly warned by the mocyon of the spirite came euen a litle before into the temple And whan Marie the mother of the chylde and Ioseph who was yet styll beleued to bee his father broughte the babe into the temple there to execute and to doe suche thinges as vnto the accustomed rites of purifycacion dyd appertayne as soone as the chylde was offered vp and the pryeste had receyued it as the maner was and had blessed it the godlye zeale of the olde man coulde no longer forbeare but that he also woulde nedes take in hys armes the litle young babe whome he had so greately longed for and euen furthwithall hys voyce being in case not long after to continue but to fayle by reason of age sodaynly brast out into the praysing of God singing out a most swete and melodious song muche after the sorte if ye will so lyken it as in the poetes and Philosophiers it is written that the swannes vse to do a litle before they shall dye and thus he sayde All my desyres o Lord are nowe fully satisfied Nowe will I be willing and glad to dye For nowe thou geuest thy seruaunte leaue to departe with a restfull and a quiete mynde not felyng ne hauing any ferther wante at al or lacke in this life but euen desirouse fayn nowe to passe out of this feble olde carkas vnto the blissed company and felowshippe of the godly persones whiche haue long afore nowe loked for thys day and yet neuer had the happe to see it but with the spirytuall iyes of theyr faythe My prayers are nowe more aboundauntlye satysfyed who haue had the happe euen with my bodely iyes also to see and to whome it hath beene geuen in myne olde armes to embrace thyne only sonne by whome and through whome it hath pleased thee to geue true healthe and saluacyon not onely to the people of Israell but also to all nacions of the vnyuersall worlde In thys babes litle bodye though it bee but homelye and symply borne to the syghte of the worlde I acknowlage o lorde thy vertue and power I acknowlage this babe to bee the lyghte of the worlde promised by the holye saâ—ynges of the prophetes I acknowlage thys childe to bee the brighte sonne whiche it was thy holy will and pleasure to haue spring vp and arise vnto the worlde that it myght on
redempcion in Israell Now had the lorde Iesus receyued witnesse of his cumming into this world of Aungels of the virgyn Marie of her spouse Ioseph who had neuer hadde to do with her of zacharie being a prieste of the young babe Iohn being yet in his mothers woumbe vnborne of Elizabeth being a maried woman of shepeheardes of wyise menne called Magians of Scribes who gaue vndoubted sentence and iudgemente oute of the prophecie in what place Christe shoulde bee borne of Herode being in drede and feare leste some eiuyll shoulde growe to him by Christes natiuytie of Symeon who was neyther pryeste ne leuite but an vpright liuyng man and nothyng els nowe remayned that he myghte haue semblable testymonie of a wedowe too So greate was the efficacye and vertue of thys young babe not yet shewing furthe his full mighte and power that he rauyshed all thynges with the spiryte of God enspiryng the humble and poore sorte with the holye ghoste stryekyng the proude with sore trouble of mynde and with feare so that of these preambles of thinges it might without anye dyfficultie bee gathered what chaunge of the worlde was lykelye in tyme comming to be whan the same childe being once come to full age would openlye vtter foorthe that same godlye voyce of hys and whan he shoulde through doing miracles daily more and more weare famouse whaÌ„ he should dye and arise agayne to lyfe and whan he shoulde plenteouslye power furthe the holye ghoste from heauen vpon all suche as beleued on hym So then nexte after an olde manne that had long tyme liued withoute anye wife foloweth and olde woman that had many yeres liued a wedowe without an housbande For a certayne woman there was called Anna whiche had that name geuen her of the thyng that was in her that is to saye of Grace for hyghlye endued she was with the spyryte of prophecye She was the daughter of Phanuell beeyng a manne of good fame and muche commended and of the tribe of Aser whiche trybe beyng the eyght in order emong the twelue dooeth vnder a certayne pryuie fygure sygnifye the blyssednesse of the resurreccyon whiche solemnytye the doctryne of the ghospell hath added to the hallowyng of the Sabbothes that the Iewes dydde vse For Aser in Hebrue is as muche to saye in Englyshe as Blissed Thys Anna in that she was so ferre stryeken in age seemed to haue beene delayed from dying and preserued in thys lyfe for none other purpose but that being an olde woman she mighte according as she had afore tymes with moste feruente prayers wyshed and desired see the young babe that was promysed whiche shoulde bryng healthe and saluacyon to the people of Israell For the holye ghoste had put in hâ—r minde that he was alreadye borne euen by the same suggestion of the spirite of God whiche Symeon had tofore bene enspired withall came thys Anna vpon them euen in the veraye same houre whyle these thynges whiche we haue alreadye tolde were in doyng within the temple This Anna in the tyme whan virginitie was not yet honourable neto bee gloryed of emong the Iewes had liued with an housbande of her owne by the space of seuen yeres from her maydenhood So muche tyme she was contente because of the custome to bestowe in hauing an housbande for brynging furthe of chyldren But all the resydue of her lyfe she consecrated to the onelye seruing of god in contemplacion For she contynued in the state of wedowhod about the space of fourescore and foure yeres After that she had once assayed wedlocke although she were yet of lustie age and in the veraye floure of her tyme yet had she no manyer mynde ne thoughte to marrye any more agayn but eueÌ„ as a woman being dead to the world and now wholy dedicated vnto god she almoste neuer departed from the temple but was there busilye doing sacrifice vnto him with euangelical oblacions not only in the day time but also by night offering herselfe vnto the lorde a liuely a reasonable and an acceptable hoste For her bodye she offered with often fastyng and her soule with deuoute meditacyons and prayers And euen while the aforesayde rytes and ceremonies of purificacion were in doing within the temple in the veray houre whyle Symeon is in hys prophetycall talke in the veraye momente whyle all thinges are full of holye and godlye wordes both of reioysing and of thankes geuyng for thys heauenlye young babe thys Anna too euen as god woulde haue it commeth emong them that she also might be a witnesse of the same childe that borne he was and that she myghte ioyne the affeccyons of her hearte with the ioyfulnesse of the others extollyng and hyghelye praysyng the bounteouse goodnesse of god for that he had caste so mercifull an iye vpon his people Neyther did she whan she was in coumpaigny and presence of others kepe secret the thing that she had seene with her iyes and the whiche she hadde learned by Goddes inspiracyon but she woulde euermore bee speaking and talking of thys chylde vnto all suche as were in Hierusalem and loked for the redempcion of the people of Israell And thys was enough for a womanne being a wedowe onelye in the temple to talke and to auouche that Christe was come and the same to entimate and disclose vnto a fewe persones abrode beeyng desyrouse and hungrie of it For that same tyme was not yet come which was reserued for the Apostles whan they shoulde bee replenished with the holy gost of the whiche Apostles it is sayde in the Psalme of Dauid Into all the yearthe is theyr sonne gone furth and their wordes into all the endes of the worlde throughout ¶ And whan they had perfourmed all thynges accordyng to the lawe of the Lorde they returned into Galile to theyr owne citie Nazareth And the childe grewe and waxed strong in spirite and was filled with wisedome and the grace of God was vpon hym All thinges being at the last fully and ordrely executed as muche as the lawe of Moyses had prescribed for the purificacyon of women late delyuered of childe they returned into Bethleem where the chylde was borne But whan king Herode beeyng doone to wete by the Magians that there was a newe king of the people of Israell borne had commaunded all the infantes to bee flayne as many as within two yeres daye next afore passed had bene borne in Bethleem and in all the circuite of the same lordeship or countie Ioseph being aduertised and warned in his slepe so to doe conueighed awaye prieuelye bothe the childe and the mother that bore it into Egipte and there made their abode vntill the death of the wieked kyng That thyng done they eftesons returned at the warnyng of an aungell not into Bethleem leste some occasyon of shewing ferther crueltie mighte perchaunce thereby haue bene geuen to the sonne of Herode who had at that tyme succeded his father in a porcion of his
a syncere hearte and mynde and dooeth so heare my woordes that whan the case requirethe he will shewe furthe euident tokens of perfecte vertue out of the treasour of hys sayde hearte I will shewe you to whome he is lyke He is lyke to a prouydent and circumspect buylder that buildeth his house not for a vaine braggue or shewe onelye nor to serue hym for a shorte whyle and no longer but for a firmenesse and stedfastenesse to stande and endure without perishyng agaynste any bloustreous storme or tempeste to come And therefore he diggeth downe of a great depth and layeth a sounde and substauncial foundacion vpon a sure rocke Thys dooen he maketh the vpper buyldyng Than afterwarde whan any fluddes arise and beate agaynst it or any mightie tempest of windes light vpon it neyther with the swift rage of the flud extremely roushing vpon it nor yet with the forceable vyolence of the wyndes blousteryng agaynste it can suche an house bee ouerthrowen or appayred because it standeth sure vpon a strong foundacion And contrarywyse he that so cummeth to me that suche thinges as I teache in dede he heareth them but he suffereth not my preceptes and good lessons to sinke throughly downe euen to the bottom of his hearte is like to a builder that hath but a slender forcast who maketh his buildinges after such a sort as if there were no tempeste like at anytime after to arise And forasmuche as suche an one hath no care at all ne passeth not on a substauncial foundacion but goeth vp with his buildinges of a great height for a braggue and a shew onely as soone as eyther any renning ouer of the fluddes doth come or any blustryng storme of wyndes doeth aryse by and by downe cummeth all that euer he hath buylded and the more statelye or royallye that he hath made his building for a vayne shewe with so muche the greatter ruyne dooeth all the house fall downe And truelye whatsoeuer standeth on the foundacion of ceremonies pharisaicall constitucions obseruacions of thinges outwardly belonging to the body is an house or buildyng vndoubtedly to quaile and falle as often as there shall light vpon it wronges or displeasures losse or damage of goodes open shames or punyshementes of the worlde deathes or any sore storme of vnluckie fortune otherwise ¶ The seuenth Chapter Whan he had ended all his sayinges in the audience of the people he entred into Capernaum And a certaine centurions seruaunte whiche was dere vnto hym laye sicke and was in peril of death And whan he heard of Iesus he sent vnto him the elders of the Iewes beseching him that he woulde come and heale his seruaunt And whan they came to Iesus they besought him instauÌ„tly saying He is worthie that thou shouldest do this for him For he loueth our nacion And hath built vs a Synagogue And Iesus went with them And whan he was now not fer from the house the Centurion sente freÌ„des to hym saying vnto him lord trouble not thy selfe For I am not worthie that thou shouldest enter vnder my roufe Wherefore I thought not my selfe woorthie to come vnto thee But say thou the worde â–ª and my seruaunt shal be whole For I also am a man set vnder power and haue vnder me souldiers I saye vnto one goe and he goeth and to an other come and he commeth and to my seruaunt doe this and he doeth it Whan Iesus hearde this he merueiled at him and turned him about sayde to the people that folowed him I say vnto you I haue not found so greate feith no not in Israel And they that were sent turned backe home agayne and founde the seruaunt whole that had bene sicke AFter that the Lorde Iesus had spoken many woordes of the muche lyke sorte as is afore rehearsed by the whiche he trayned his discyples and the people to sette them in a trade towardes the excellent high perfeccion of euangelical philosophie he went again to the citie of Capernaum in whiche citie he vsed muche and often to bee conuâ—rsaunte And there eftsons befalleth many a soondrye occasyon to weorke and shewe miracles to the ende that the autoritie of hys doctryne myghte bee confirmed and ratified with the most highe excellencie of his actes and dedes There was in the same place a certain CeÌ„turion who had at home in his house a seruaunt whiche was in suche perill and daungier of his lyfe with the disease of the paulsey that he was euen nowe at deathes doore Thys matier did not a litle vexe the hearte of the Centurion who estemed his bondeseruaunte not by hys vile state of bondage but by the fidelitie and trustinesse that he founde in him and by the pure honestie of his behauiour and by thesame his exaumple did also reproue the inhumanitie of certayne maisters whiche doe commonlye esteme and vse theyr seruauntes in no better degree of regarde then they dooe their horses or their oxen But to the purpose whan this Centurion had gotteÌ„ knowleage that Iesus was gone into Capernaum he procured and made out certayn auncient head men of the Iewes to make instaunt request to the Lord in theyr owne names that he woulde vouchsalue to go vnto his house to make his seruaunt whole agayn It came of reuerence and shamefastnes not of mistruste that the Centurion first beeyng a Gentile and secoundly a man of armes whiche to bee was thought an vngodly thing maketh suite to the Lord by meane of others and not by himselfe But they whan they were come vnto Iesus suspecting and halfe deming it to be a thing like enough that so greate a benefit would not without much a doe bee obteyned firste for a bondeman secoundlye for an heathen and thirdely for a Centurion that is to saye a petâ—captayne for a Crue of souldyers they entreate hym with muche carefulnesse and earneste woordes saying Syr haue no respecte that he is a Gentile that he is a man of armes ne for that thys benefyte is asked for one that is but a bondeseruaunt vnder him in his Crue For he is soondry wayes a man worthie for whome to doe as good a pleasure as this cometh to For he is right louing and frendly to oure nacion and hath builded vs a Synagogue Than Iesus because he woulde shewe that no persone is vyle afore hym if the same bee commended and sette furthe to hym by feyth wente to thesame place that he was called vnto And whan he was nowe come somewhat nere to the house where the partie laye sycke in hys bedde the Centurion perceiuyng that the Lorde approched willed hys frendes to goe mete hym and thus to saye vnto himâ— Maister there is no cause why for thee to take all thys laboure of cumming hither Thy bounteous goodnesse doeth more now then I durste haue presumed to desire I knowe thy dygnitie well enoughe and I knowe myne owne selfe An heathen creature I am â–ª a Centurion I am and all this businesse that I make is about
no better a man but a bonde seruaunt I am by myne owne iudgemente a felowe vnwoorthye vnder whose house-roofe thou shouldest put thy head and for thys cause durste I not presume to come vnto thee my selfe For the Iewes thynke themselues by metyng or cummyng of any of vs emongest them to bee defiled because we are taken as men vttrely estraunged from all true seruing and wurshyppyng of God and enwrapped with manye soondry sinnes Neuerthelesse the great dolour of my herte and mine exceding great trust in thee hath caused that I haue presumed to desire and aske health for my seruaunt lying nowe in extremes whiche health thou arte hable with a woorde of thy mouthe to geue But this is to symple and basse a mattier yea and also to light a mattier for thee to come and dooe in thyne owne persone I coniecture this by comparyson of myne owne selfe For I am a man subiecte to the power of an other man to whose commaundementes I am obedyente and haue other Souldyers also vnder me whiche dooe all thynges that I commaunde them so that it is not necessarie for me to goe aboute the dooyng of all thinges in myne owne persone But in case there bee anye homely or slendre mattyer to dooe I saye to thys felowe goe and he gooeth and to an other come hither and he cummeth I saye to anye of my seruauntes whome me lusteth dooe thys and he beyng obedyente to my biddyng dooethe it If the commaundemente of suche an one as I am haue so great autoritie that I syttyng styll the thyng that I woulde haue is neuerthelesse executed and dooen by men that are vnder my gouernaunce how muche more though thou stiere not at all shall it bee dooen if thou with a woorde and nothyng els shalt geue such commauÌ„dement or commission to any of thy disciples Iesus being delyted with thys talke because it was full of hertie good affeccyon towardes his seruaunte and of a lowelye opinion of himselfe and of woonderfull affyaunce towardes the Lorde stayghed sodaynelye and stode styll and shewed the veraye tokens of one beeyng in a greate meruaile not because the thing that he hearde was straunge vnto hym forasmuche as he knewe well enough the herte of the Centuryon before these woordes were spoken but the purpose that he wente aboute was by making a countenaunce of merualing to commende vnto the Iewes the Centurions affiaunce and assured truste in god and also to embrayde theÌ„ with theyr vnbeliefe by this exaumple of a man being bothe an heathen and a souldyer Iesus therefore makyng delaye of an aunswere to the Centuryon turned to the multytude of the Iewes that accompainyed hym and saide Thys one thing I affyrme vnto you of certaintie that yet vnto this daye I haue not founde ne knowen so muche fayth in al the nacion of Israell For the senioures of the Iewes that had come vnto him did lesse beleue on him in that they made suche earneste desire to haue the Lordes owne presence there and in that they halfe mystrusted that Iesus woulde not haue healed the seruaunt of an heathen man onlesse they had alleged his hertie fauoure towardes the nacyon of the Israelites as thoughe the Lorde were a geuer of his benefites for humain or worldly affeccions or for the dignitie and woorthinesse of the persone and not muche rather to the feithfull truste of the peticioner Iesus therefore after that he had affirmed vnto them that a tyme shoulde come whan suche as by the Iewes estimacion were reputed for heatheÌ„ and for sinners shoulde through the commendacion of fayth be receyued vnto the dignitie of the nacion of Israell these persons reiected who beeyng by natural descent the children of Abraham had through theyr vnbeliefe made theÌ„selues vnworthy suche a paterne or heade stocke and lynage sayde vnto the Centuryon who at the laste was come hymselfe too goe thy wayes for the thyng that thou hast beleued maie be doen is doen thy seruaunte is perfitely whole And as he was in returnyng homward he had knowelage by hys seruauntes meting him on the waye that his seruaunte was euen at the selfe same tyme sodainly deliuered from his disease in which the lord had said thy seruaunt liueth For so largely dooeth the vertue and efficacie of Iesê° worde extende that it doth with no lesse fruite or benefite helpe persons absent and ferre distauÌ„t then those that were presente within his sight or reache if their faythfull belefe and affiaunce in hym dyd hable theim as apte and woorthye to receiue their godly desire for theyr faythe 's sake especially whan the exaumple was suche as myghte eyther put the Gentyles in hope and cumfort of goddes grace towardes theim orels bee a monicion to the Iewes that for defaulte of the true fayth they should lese the fauour of god which they should wilfully and obstinately reiecte and cast of whan it were offered For certes this present exaumple was but an image or figure of the Gentiles afterward to cum into the felowshyp of the grace of the ghospel through pure fayth without the obseruacion of Moses lawe and yet neuerthelesse by the commendacion of the lawe after a sorte For the lawe was as a nouryce or a first scholemaister and bringer vp of men vnto Christe and from the Iewes did the originall preachyng of the ghospell first procede And certes for a fygure of this matter and nothyng els it was that the elders of the Iewes do commend the Centurious cause and doe speake for him vnto Iesus and the same Iewes dooe accumpany Iesus into the Centurions house whom they would and did afterward driue out of their owne temple And it fortuned after this that he went into a citie which is called Naim and many of his disciples went with him and muche people Whan he came nigh to the gate of the citie behold there was a dead man carried out whiche was the onely soonne of his mother and she was a wedowe and muche people of the citie was with her And whan the lord sawe her he had coÌ„passion on her and said vnto her wepe not And he came nigh and touched the coffin â–ª and they that bare him stode styll And he said young man I say vnto the arise And he that was deade sate vp and began to speake And he deliuered him to his mother And there came a feare on them all And they gaue the glory vnto god saiyng A great prophete is rysen vp among vs and god hath visited his people And this rumour of hym went foorth throughout all Iewrye and throughout all the regions whiche lye round about And forsooth the Lorde to the entent that the seede of euangelicall doctryne might ferther and ferther be spred abrode did oftentimes remoue departe from one place to an other And so it befell that leauing the citie of CapernauÌ„ he passed by the citie of Naim whiche lieth froÌ„ the mountain Thabor muche about the distaunce of two myles towardes the South coaste not ferre
god dooeth not drawe hym to this deiuelishe acte but he is ledde thereunto of his owne inordinate couetise This saying of Iesus sore dismayed all theyr hertes and caste them in a great passion and they begon to aske and serche emong themselues who it shoulde be of whome Iesus had spoken Not one of them knew hymself culpable in his conscience besydes Iudas Iscarioth onely and yet durste not one of them truste his owne selfe in the matter Notwithstandyng Iesus bewrayed not his betrayer but oftentymes pricked his conscience to th entent he shoulde emende And he knewe well enough that Iudas would neuerthelesse continue stil in his madnesse teachyng vs therewhyle to vse the moste fauoure possible towardes synners forasmuche as we cannot be sure whether thesame parties maye one daye come to themselues agayne or not And there was a striefe emong them whiche of them shoulde seme to be the greatest And he sayed vnto them The kynges of nacions reigne ouer them and they that haue autoritie vpon them are called gratious Lordes But ye shall not be so But he that is greattest emong you shal bee as younger and he that is chiefe shall be as he that dooeth ministre For whether is greater he that sitteth at meat or he that serueth Is it not he that sitteth at meate But I am emong you as he that ministreth ye are they whiche haue abidden with me in my temptacions And I appoynt vnto you a kyngdome as my father hath appoynted vnto me that ye maye eate and drynke at my table in my kyngdome and sitte on seates iudgeyng the twelue trybes of Israell Nowe because the Lorde Iesus had in the supper tyme made mencion of the kyngdome of god there eftesones befell a contencion emong the disciples beyng yet weake and hauyng yet still in some behalfe a smatche of the fleashe which of them should after the lordes death haue the primaâ—ie and supremitie in the kyngdome of God For in holdyng forth the breade and the cup vnto theÌ„ he semed to make them all eguall one with another saying deuide ye this emong you But Iesus although he had at sondrie tymes afore also called them backe from suche affeccion yet beyng now veray nere towardes his death he repeateth thesame and beaâ—eth it into theyr heades saying Doe not ye imagine any suche lyke thing in the kyngdom of heauen as ye see in worldly kingdomes It is a ferre other sorte of reygnyng for it standeth by benefites and not by force of armes it is kept and defended by spirituall fence and not by violence it is dilated and enlarged in circuite by perswasion of wordes and not by forceable compulsion For the prynces of this worlde doe exercise a lordelye power ouer suche people as they haue the gouernement and rewle of for they doe not vse perswasion of woordes to make them loue honest wayes but they feare them from euill doynges by terrour of punishemente and of their subiectes they require to haue honour and reuerence doen vnto them though they bee not worthie thereof Yea and the nerer they drawe to the poynte of tyrannie so muche the more obedience and subieccion dooe they require to haue of theyr commons and all the whyle are they honoured of thesame people with titles and styles of estate and royaltee They haue names and styles geuen them to be called prynces fathers to theyr countrey sauers and defendours and consuls because by theyr power they kepe theyr inferiours vnder subieccion Of this sorte forsothe is the reygnyng of the heathen nacions But emong you whom I frame and breake to the kyngdome of the ghospell there shall bee a ferre other trade The greater that euerie one shal be emong you so muche the lesse shall take vnto hym of violent power or of glorie For he shall not haue an iye to oppresse or ouertrede his inferiours with the good giftes and qualities whiche he hath receyued of god but how to dooe his inferiours good therby and how to relieue them neyther shall he take the laude and prayse vnto hymselfe but refer thesame entierly vnto god And yet I speake not this as though there shal not be any ordre in this kyndome but because that he whiche is chosen to the preeminence of beyng a guide vnto others towardes godlynesse shall so greatly serue the commodities of all persones that he maie seme to be a minister and a seruaunt rather then an head He shal make no sekyng ne suite for fauour but his good herte and mynde beyng moste quicke and readie to doe good vnto all persones shall deserue iustely to haue it And as for his autoritie his perfeccion of lyuyng shall mainteine it and not his proude disdeynefull looke or stately porte and countenaunce And let it not greue truely to perfourme and shewe thesame humilitee emong yourselues whiche I haue throughly shewed vnto you whereas of my due right I might haue taken vnto me the state of Lordely power and dominion For considre and pondre ye this in your myndes whether of the twoo semeth the greatter man he that serueth at the table orels he that sitteth at the table is serued doth not he that sitteth seme the greatter maÌ„ Not for that whosoeuer sitteth doune is in dede the greatter man but he rather which enterteineth others with makyng them a feaste is euen for this very respect the greater of dignitie because he dooeth good to many And yet suche an one for courtesy and good maners sake whan the others whom he hath called to his feaste dooe sitte at the table goeth about the house froÌ„ place to place careful and diligent to see that no persone lacke any thing in the feaste and so the carefulnesse of hym alone prouideth for the satisfiyng and well beeyng of all the coumpanye And haue not I vsed my self lyke suche an one among you Haue not I in suche sort been conuersaunt among you as though I wer the seruaÌ„t of you all mynystryng to you of that that was myne owne and takyng care my selfe alone for you all How muche more ought ye to bee ferre from al tirannye and ambicion which in condicion and state are all eguall one with an other whiche ministre vnto others of my thynges and not of your own and whiche haue one maister egually indifferent vnto you all Ye haue receiued the same high and holy caucion or token and pledge of euaÌ„gelical concorde that with what entier loue I haue embraced you with thesame loue ye shoulde embrace one another among your selfes And where reigneth ambicion there cannot concorde bee at any sure staye In the meane tyme honoure must bee willyngly deserued but not vsurped or taken as a thyng of duetie and right For the princes of this worlde although they dooe their offyce rightlye yet because thei require homage and fealtie of their subiectes therfore they shal not haue any reward at all for it before god But as for ye puttyng away al care
as touchyng your rewarde leat your myndes be onely vpon your office and dutie it shal be mine office to prouide for you as touchyng your dignitie If ye shal be true folowers of my humilitie ye shall also be partakers of my glorie if ye shal be felowes with me in takyng suche part of affliccions as I do thē shall ye also haue suche part of immortalitie in heauen as I haue And hitherto haue ye persisted continued with me in mine affliccyons by which affliccions it hath pleased my heauēly father to haue mine obediēce throughly tried and approued Neither lownesse of degree nor pouertie not the trauailles of this life not the obloquie of men not the Phariseis laiyng await for you not the threatenyng of men of power hath disseuered you frō coumpaniyng and liuyng with me wheras others haue fallen away frō me wheras others haue not had the bold spirit to professe thēselfes disciples of mine That yf ye shall still persist in thesame mynde that ye haue hitherto had and shall not irke in the meane tyme to folowe my humilitie to the end ye may the better profit all persones I againe on my parte shall bryng to passe that ye shall an other day bee partakers of the glorye of my kyngdome For it hath so pleased my father that this shal bee the waie to the kyngdome of heauen And thesame haue I heretofore opened vnto you will doe again thorough my death By meane of lowenesse my father shall exalte me to the glorye of a kyngdome by temporall affliccions to ioyes euerlasting And like as there is a kyngdome prepared for me of my father because I in the meane whyle accordyng to his will doe behaue and vse my selfe as a minister and not as a Lorde euen so will I after that I am exalted to the dignitie of my kyngdome prepare the feloweshyppe of the same kingdome for you that folowe my steppes in suche wyse that ye whiche haue not sought for honour here in this worlde but haue behaued your selfes as ministers and seruauntes vnto all others diligently dispensing the doctrine of the ghospell shall sitte with me at my table in my kyngdome not now as ministers but as the honourable chyldren of god And where ye are nowe for my sake reputed amōg the Iewes for persones moste abiect ye shal at that houre sitte as head men of dignitie vpon twelue thrones iudgyng the twelue tribes of Israell For at that day shall the vasenesse of suche people appere as at this present seme to sitte on high benche in this world so shall your highnes who seme at this daye to be the outcastes of the world Thus muche did the lord Iesus speake vnder a figure qualifiyng and tēperyng his wordes to the rawnesse of his disciples whiche rawnesse be suffered for these causes to remaine a long season in them partly because he would in vs the more effectually plucke out suche worldly affecciōs as the disciples wer at that time subiect vnto partly because we should learne with great pacience fauour to suffre the weakenes frailtie of other folkes vntil they may growe to thinges of more perfeccion And the Lord said Simon ▪ Simon beholde Satan hath desired to lift you as it were wheat But I haue praied for thee that thy faith fail not And whan thou art conuerted strength thy brethren And he said vnto him Lord I am ready to goe with thee into prison to death And he saied I tell thee Peter the cocke shall not crowe this daye till thou hast thrise denied that thou knowest me There was no more remaining but for hym to arme the mindes of his disciples against the tempeste euen than approchyng and to roote out of theyr hertes the puttyng of their trust and confidence in themselfes For the sodain stormes of affliccions dooeth to no persones so ouer geue an ouerthrow then to suche as haue a confidence and boldenesse in their own strength But suche persones as vtterlye mistrustyng theyr owne assurednesse that is to say all worldly aide and mainteinaunce of man do wholly depend of goddes defēce and helpe suche none others are hable to stand sure against all the vproares tumultuous businesses of this presēt worlde So than tourned he his tale vnto Peter to the entent he might by exaumple of Peter trayne and correcte them all For he knewe Peter to be of a more quicke and prest spirite thē the others and to bee one that put very muche confidence in hymself of a tendre good affeccion certes but yet humain and worldly For he had not yet receyued thatsame holy spirite of god being the bounteous geuer of al vertue He therefore saied Simon Simon beholde Satan hath earnestlye desyred to haue you all that he might winow and sifte you as they do wheate of a purpose to blow you in soondre if he might And he would so haue doen in dede in case ye had been or should be leaft to your own frailtie but I haue hartyly prayed my father for thee Peter that although thy faith wil be somwhat waueryng yet it maye not fail clene away The first exaumple hereof it hath pleased hym to shewe vpon thee whiche trustest verye muche on thy selfe to the end that beeyng come to thyselfe again after thy falle thou maiest by exaumple of thy self confirme thy brethrē whā thei shal through the same frailtie bee fallen to the end they may euery one of them vnderstande that no man may possibly of his own strength bee an hable matche againste the malyce of Satan onlesse he bee stayed with my aide and mainteinaunce Peter whan he heard these wordes trustyng yet still in his owne strengthe aunswereth Lorde what fallyng a way from thee or what conuersion doest thou tell me of Naie thou shalt perceiue and fynde me a constant man in faith and vnpossible to be ouercomed And like as I haue not hitherto at any tyme forsaken thee so will I not forsake thee at any tyme hereafter neither insomuche that I am ready to put my self in extreme daūger of my life with thee whether it be to go into prisō yea or to death either This saiyng of Peter procedyng truely out of a good a plain menyng hert but yet not euē throughly knowē vnto hīself the lord immediatly repressed with this aūswer ▪ what saiest thou Peter Art thou he that wilt go into prison to death with me Naye I tell thee another contrary tale aforehād For it will so cum to passe that thou wylt thrise reneague me wilt sweare thou knowest me not euē this presēt night before the cocke crowe twise so great shal the storme of afflicciō be vpō thee And he said vnto th◠whan I sēt you without wallet or scrippe shoes lacked ye any thing And thei said no. Thou said he vnto thē but now he that hath a wallet let him take it vp and likewise his scrippe and he
recite all will make relacion but of a certaine noumbre of places gathered out of that same blissed talkyng of Christe with the sayed two disciples Whiche places would God that the Iewes would at leastewyse euen now at last geue eare vnto and would leaue looking for any other Messias and would with earnest zele and affeccion embrace this man Iesus who is geuen to the worlde an onely salueour and redemer whereby they myght be saued and myght be made free yf not from the empire of Cesar yet at leastewyse which is a more blissefull thyng from the tyrannie of the deuill that they myght with theyr captaine Christe atteyne the kyngdome not of this worlde whiche is fraile and transitorie but of heauen whiche knoweth none ende As for Moses saied he the Iewes doe in maner no lesse then wurship as a certain God because he cōducted and brought the people of Israel out of Egypte and deliuered vnto them in deserte a lawe through the obseruing and kepyng wherof they should atteyne deliueraunce safegard and should come to a lande flowing with honey mylke But thissame Moses what other thing was he but a certain shadowe of Christe to come For he was not the sonne of God but the seruaunt ▪ nor he did not in veray true dede deliuer the people seeyng that they were afterward in bondage vnder the king of Babilon nor he was not vtterly without synne no nor neuer entred in his owne persone into the lande vnto the whiche he was a guide and captayne to the people And in case he had entred it had been no great matter seeyng that there be idolatres enhabiting in the selfe same lande euen at this present daye All these thynges beeyng vnderstanded after the fleshe doe conteyne no great matter in them But Christe is thatsame true and right Moses who by his owne propre power doth deliuer not the Hebrewes onely but also all the vniuersall nacions of the worlde as many as doe put theyr affiaūce in him all suche doeth he deliuer from the vengeaunce and stroke of God he deliuereth them from the tyranny of the deuill he deliuereth them from the derkenesse of errours he deliuereth them from the abhominable bondage of synnes and whan he hath first clensed them with his owne bloud he bryngeth them forth into the fredome of the spirite beyng to them a perpetuall guyde and coumpanion also vntill he bryng them through and past all the daūgiers of this presente lyfe vnto thatsame heauenly lande aboue plenteously flowyng and rennyng ouer with all kindes of blisse and felicitie He is the true Moses who made a lawe ghostely and euangelicall whiche lawe should not teache a corporall righteousnesse through ceremonies sacrifices of beastes but should geue true and perfeite righteousnesse through feith and charitie And that suche an one should spring vp Moses himselfe foresayed For thus speaketh he in the Deuteronomie The Lorde thy God shall reise vp vnto thee a Prophete of thyne owne nacion and of thine owne brethren as he hath doen me him shalt thou heare And forthwith euen in thesame Deuteronomie the Lord confirmeth the promisse of Moses saying I shall reise vp vnto them a Prophete out of the myddes of their brethrē lyke vnto thee and I shall put my woordes in his mouth and he shall speake vnto them all the wordes that I shall cōmaunde enioyne him to speak Ye haue here the prophecie of Moses now compare the thing with the prophecie There sprang vp none after Moses which hath by any meanes eagually matched him in authoritie sauing only Iesus Christ who hath in suche wise resembled Moses that he euery waye ferre passed Moses He was the maker of a newe testament but thesame testamente for euer to endure And this testamente hath he consecrated not with the bloud of a calfe but with his owne bloud He was the maker of a newe lawe but it was such a lawe as should bryng present helth Moses was but the ministre and seruaunt of God but this Christ was his sonne and came downe from heauen and taught those thynges whiche he sawe aboue with his father as one hauing within himselfe a perpetuall vncessaunte power to doe whatsoeuer his wyll is Moses vpon the mountayne talked with God in a cloude Christ hath proceded and come foorth from the brightenesse of his father Moses taught and deliuered the shadowes of thynges Christ taught and gaue the trueth Moses did in such sort make intercession for the sinnes of the people that hymselfe hath nede of an other mediatour for his owne offences Christ beyng clere from all synne pourged and clensed the sinnes of al ages times aswell past as to come Moses fasted fowertie daies Christ dyd thesame so that one might at leastewyse by that token knowe him to be the seconde Moses Moses brought the lawe firste downe from the mountayne Christe on the mountayne taught the perfeccionyng of the lawe whan he pronounced those straunge beatitudes neuer afore heard of He taught often tymes also in the temple whiche is sette in the mounte Sion whiche thing was doen according to the prophecie of Esai that sayeth The lawe shall come out of Sion the woorde of the Lorde from Hierusalem But at what tyme the lawe of Moses was made and geuen all thynges wer wholly replete with terrours for to snibbe hamper the hardenesse of herte that reigned in the people Christe came milde amiable rather then terrible conuincing them with reason prouokyng them with benefites alluryng them with mekenesse offreyng himselfe to all menne and readie for euery manne to geue them health and ouercummyng them with paciente suffreaunce And suche maner an one had the holy sayinges of the Prophetes afore promised that he should be For ye haue read what Esai hath wrytten I haue geuen hym my spirite that he may shewe foorth iudgemente and equitie emong the Gentiles He shall not be an out cryer nor lifte vppe hys voice his voice shall not be heard in the stretes And a brused rede shal he not breake the smokyng flaxe shall he not quenche but faithfully and truly shal he geue iudgement not be pensife nor carefull that he may restore righteousnesse vnto the earth and the Gentiles also shall kepe his lawes Againe the same Esai in a certain other place maketh Messias speakyng in this maner The spirite of the Lord God is vpon me for the Lord hath enoynted me and hath sent me to preache good tydynges vnto the poore that I myght bynde vp the wounded hertes that I might preache deliueraunce vnto the captiue and open the prieson to them that are bounde that I myght declare the acceptable yere of the Lorde and the daye of vengeaunce of our God that I myght coumforte all them that are in heauinesse that I myght geue strength of herte vnto them that mourne in Sion that I myght geue I say beautie in the stede of ashes ioyfull oynctement
for syghyng pleasaunt raymente for an heauy mynde Ye haue heard what maner one the prophecie promised that he shoulde be nowe rekon in your myndes whether he came not euen suche an one as he was promised What sexe what age what state high or lowe did he remoue or putte of from his beneficiall goodnesse not children not wemen not Publicanes not synners not harlottes What kinde of disease did he cry fie vpon or turne his face from not lepres not men possessed with deiuils not persones possessed with bloudie flixes not folkes diseased with the palsie What coulde bee more meke or ientyll then this saying whiche ye haue heard spoken of his owne mouth Come vnto me all ye that laboure and are loden and I shall refreshe you for my yoke is swete and my burden is light learne ye of me that I am meke and lowe in herte and ye shall fynde reaste vnto your soules What mother hath euer so loued so suffred and so cherished hir childreÌ„ as he did his disciples Besydes all this the lawe of Moses neyther was geuen to all peoples nor to al ages Christes lawe like as it is geueÌ„ vnto al nacioÌ„s so that it in no age ne time be chauÌ„ged vntill th ende of the world And coÌ„sidre ye in this behalfe also howe all poyntes doe iustely agree one with an other Firste and formoste howe clerely plainly Hieremy did prophecie vnto you afore that the circumcision of the body shall ceasse together with the sleaghyng of beastes in sacrifice the solemnisyng of Sabbothes the obseruacion of dayes the difference of meates the fastes the vowes and the residue of ceremonies whiche were for a season for this purpose geuen that they might be vnto the Iewes as figures of thynges spirituall Plough your lande sayth he and sowe not emong the thornes Be ye circumcised in the Lorde and take ye awaie the foreskynne of your hertes all ye of Iuda and all the enhabitauÌ„tes of Hierusalem Again in a certain other place thesame Prophete sayeth Beholde the dayes shall come sayeth the Lord and I shall make a newe league and couenaunte to the house of Israel to the house of Iuda not after the tenour of the couenaunte whiche I couenaunted with your fathers forthwith he added a manifest difference betwene thatsame lawe beeyng rough and vnpossible for any man to beare whiche was not without good cause written in stones whiche stones did by their hardnesse represente the hardnesse of the Iewes hertes and betwene the lawe euangelicall by meane wherof innocencie is freely offred through fayth This shall be the couenauÌ„t sayeth he whiche I will make with the house of Israel after those dayes sayeth the lorde I shall plante my lawe in the inward partes of them and in theyr hertes will I wryte thesame And forthwith teacheth he that the shadowes also of the lawe shall cease as soone as the lyght of the trueth is shewed forth And from thensforth shall no man teache his neighbour nor his brother saying Knowe thou the Lorde For all people shall know me from the leaste of theÌ„ to the moste sayth the Lorde for I shall haue mercy on theyr iniquitie and I shall neuer remembre theyr sinnes any more And doe not ye remembre how Christe spake and did all thinges agreable herunto whaÌ„ he was yet liuyng Did he not manifestly denounce and geue warnyng of an ende of the lawe whan he sayed The lawe the Prophetes reigned vntill Iohn The Iewes wurshipped God prayed vnto him in the citie of Hierusalem But what sayed Iesus to the Samaritane woman The houre shall come and it is nowe already present whan ye shall neither in this mountaine nor yet at Hierusalem wurship the father but in spirite shall they wurship hym Did he not secretely without making any woordes beginne to abrogate the lawe whan he healed on the Sabbothes the Phariseis in vain roaring against hym Whan he spake in the defence and maintenaunce of his disciples against the slaundreous querelyng of the saied Phariseis at what tyme hys disciples plucked the eares of wheate in the corne field on the Sabboth day whan he plaied the aduocate for thesame his disciples in a seÌ„bleable querele pieked against them by thesame Phariseis for that they dyd not kepe theyr soleÌ„ne faste But a great dele more at what time he healed the lepre without any ceremonies and which thing the lawe forbiddeth touched one with his handes after he was coÌ„demned of the lepry by the priestes and at what time he did without any remedy of the lawe forgeue sinnes vnto the maÌ„ possessed with the paulsey to the woman sinner that rushed into the Phariseis house vnbidden while they were at diner to many moe besides these For the law had commauÌ„ded burnt offreynges to be sacrificed for their synnes and that any offence committed should be pourged and cleÌ„sed with certain sacrifices and oblacions appoynted by name But Christe beeyng a newe reforger of the old law in stede of burnt offreing did substitute charitie There be saith he many synnes forgeuen hir because she hath loued muche He substituted feith in stede of sacrifice at an other tyme also whan he sayed O sonne haue thou a sure feith and trust thy synnes are forgeuen thee Yea yet more manifestly also at a certain other seasoÌ„ did he shew vnto you a diuersitie of both lawes the new the olde forbidding diuorce which the lawe of Moses had by permission graunted also whan he forbidde swearing which the former lawe of Moses had not forbidden also whan he coÌ„maunded to loue the enemies wheras the olde lawe did permitte both to hate the enemie and also to be aueÌ„ged on him for any trespace Did he not once for altogether abrogate take awaie al autoritie from the priestes the Scribes and the Phariseis in that they did yet still hold the grosse letter of the lawe fast in their teeth Let them alone saied he they are blind and guydes of the blind And had not the Prophetes foreshewed this thing also that thynges carnall should in tyme cummyng geue place to thynges spirituall Doe ye not remembre what Daniell the Prophete doeth wryte That preuaricacion sayeth he may be at the vttermoste and that synne may haue an ende and iniquitie may be wyped cleane awaye and euerlasting righteousnesse may be brought in and that the vision and the prophecie may be fulfilled and the holy of holyes may be enoynâ—ted Whan ye heare that the prophecies are consummate and brought to theyr perfeite effect verayly ye doe nowe vnderstande that suche thynges as are alreadie past and doen ought not any longer to be looked for as if they were still to come and wheÌ„ ye heare eternall righteousnesse ye vnderstande that the righteousnesse of the lawe whiche was to endure but for a whyle is nowe abolished Whan ye heare that Messias is to be enoynted who is the holy of all holyes and he
seen and partely ye might haue knowen of his kynsfolkes and familiars and ye shall not fynde any one poynte that hath not been bothe signified and marked out by figures also foretolde by the Prophetes He was promised out of the stocke of Dauid and out of the tribe of Iuda and out of the toune of BethleeÌ„ As touching the place where he should be borne se ye whether Micheas did derkely prophecie or els plainly And thou Bethleem Effrata a litle one thou art in the thousandes of Iuda Out of the shall one come for the whiche shall be vnto me a rewler in Israel and his cummyng foorth is without beginning from the daies of eternitie And that this should so come to passe the Scribes the Phariseis vnderstode before they were doen who whan Herode demaunded the question of them made aunswere at once that Messias should be borne in the citie of Bethleem And euidente it is that Iesus was borne in this citie through the occasion of the surueigh and taxe which Cesar caused to be made The cause matter selfe was through Herodes crueltie made knowen to the worlde And once ye knowe that he was coÌ„monly reputed not for a Bethleemite but for a NazareaÌ„ and a man of Galile because he was brought vp in Nazareth vntyll the tyme of full mannes state and lyued there a good noumbre of yeres with his fosterfather Ioseph his mother Mary in so muche that the poisee of his crosse had the intitulacion of Iesus the Nazarean Neither was this poynte vnspoken of by the Prophetes neither who nowe and than note hym and call hym by the name of holy and of the holy of holyes because he was singularly consecrated to the Lorde not only after the lawe whiche indifferently apperteined to the first borne of maÌ„ sexe accordyng wherunto Iesus also was brought by his pareÌ„tes vnto the temple and there coÌ„secrated vnto the Lord but also aboue all mortal creatures by a certain speciall prerogatiue whiche no man had but he This Nazarean did Iacob see beeyng a man in maner altogether blynd in the iyes of the body but veray sharp and quicke of sight in the iyes of his feith at what tyme he blissed Ioseph who bare the figure of Christe And they shall be sayeth he in the head of Ioseph and in the toppe of the croune of the Nazarean that was separate from his brethren For whatsoeuer thyng the lawe of Moses doeth after the fleshe appoynte or enioyne for consecratyng of the Nazareans thesame is after a spirituall vnderstanding fulfilled in Christe And God to Dauid thus speaketh in the psalmes Of the fruite of thy wombe will I set vpon thy seate And againe elswhere the prophete Esai before Dauids tyme. There shall a rod issue forth of the roote of Iesse and a floure shall asceÌ„de out of his roote the lordes spirite shall rest vpoÌ„ him And well knowen it is the Mary was of the tribe of Iuda of the house of Dauid neither was that thyng hidden or vnknowen to the Phariseis who whaÌ„ Iesus himselfe before he suffered death asked of theÌ„ whose sonne Messias should bee made aunswere without any study or tarying the sonne of Dauid The Prophete had foresayed that he should be borne of a virgin For thus did Esai prophecie For this cause shall the Lord himselfe geue vnto you a signe Behold a virgin shal conceiue and shal bryng forth a sonne and his name shall bee called Emanuell Daniel foretolde the selfesame thyng more couertely whan he expouned what was mente by the stone that was cut of from the hill without haÌ„des which brake al to pieces and into powdre thatsame prodigious image made of golde siluer brasse iron clay and within a short while it grew into a great mountaine which with his largenesse fylled and possessed all the kingdomes of the world For Christe being without mannes helpe borne of the virgin Mary shal grynde and crushe to powdre all the kyngdomes of the worlde and shall with hys doctrine possesse all the worlde Uerayly Ezechiell beyng enspired dyd perceyue thesame to fore at what time he described the Este gate of the temple through which the Maiestie of the Lord entred in Of which gate he speaketh in this maner ‡ This gate shall be still shutte shall not be opened there shall not a man passe through it because the Lorde God of Israel hath come in therat els shall it be shutte still The prince hymselfe shal come through it c. Whan ye heare the Temple of the Lord ye knowe well enough to be meÌ„t therby the wombe of Mary consecrated by the holy ghoste Whan ye heare the Este gate doe ye not knowe the menyng of it to bee the enclosure and tabernacle of the virginly chastitie which neither any mortall man entreing vnto it ne the sonne of God either entreyng in or cummyng forthe of it hathe violated or defoiled Certes thissame is the Este gate out of whiche proceded issued the light that should lighten all the worlde vniuersall And this misterie although it be not yet published abrode emong the Iewes yet is it not vnknowen vnto those that haue had familiar conuersacion of lyuing with Mary the mother of Iesus and with Ioseph hir spouse For the saied Ioseph was taken and vsed as a moste true vndoubted witnesse of this priuy misterie which at his due tyme shall be famously spred and spoken of throughout the worlde vniuersall howe that a virgin without any lyke exaumple afore goyng sence the worlde first begon by the breathing of the holy ghost vpon hir brought forth a babe whiche was partaker of the diuine nature of the godhead of the humain nature of man both at once That if it appere to you or seme a thing vncredible that God should be borne of a creature mortall considre ye what the Prophete Baruch did prophecie of the sonne whom God taking pietie and compassion on mankynde dyd euen for the veray purpose sende into the yearth that vnto the straighing wandreers and to the blynded he should shewe the waye of health and saluacion Thissame is our God sayeth he there shall be none other estemed besydes hym This is he that hath found all the way of discipline hath â—aught it vnto Iacob his babe to Israel his beloued After this he hath ben seen in yearth and hath liued emong men And as for Daniel doeth also shewe the tyme of his birth accoumptyng it by seuens or seuenfoldes of wekes and yeres if a man will any thyng curiously serche and trye it out But long and many a daye before him the patriarke Iacob beeyng noweâ— ere the tyme of his departing out of this worlde and endewed with the spirite of prophecie to shewe thynges to come prophecied in this manier The scepter shall not be taken awaye from Iuda a guide froÌ„ the thighe of hym vntill he
saluacioÌ„ he hath geuen his only begotten sonne to suffer death yea and suche a death as is moste shameful after the worldes estimacioÌ„ his will was to bestow geue one for the saluacioÌ„ of al men Nicodemus sayth he let not this thyng seme to thee to be suddayne and straunge this is the very thyng which Moses by a figure did signifie should come when at such time as the people did perishe thorow the vehement inuasion of serpentes he did hang vp a brasen serpent vpon a stake that whosoeuer had loked therupon should be safe from the deadly biting of the serpeÌ„tes Therfore as that brasen serpent hauing in dede the likenes of a venemous beaste but yet beyng so voyde of all venome that it did also helpe others whiche were poysoned was hanged vp in the desert that all men might see it for their safetie so muste the sonne of man be exalted to thâ—ntent that all which thorowe faith shall lifte vp theyr iyes vnto hym maye be deliuered froÌ„ the deadly poyson of synne that not onely the people of Israel but generally what manne so euer with a pure herte putteth his full truste in hym should not perishe as subiect to sinne which bringeth euerlastyng death but thorow the death of one innocent shoulde obtayne eternall lyfe Trulye our lorde Iesus by this maner of darke sayinges opened to Nicodemus the misterie of his manhed and of redemyng the worlde by the crosse albeit he was not yet able to receyue and vnderstande these thynges In the meane while declaryng therewithall howe great difference was betwene them whiche did reade the lawe after a carnall sence consideryng nothyng but the plaine story therof and them whiche by inspiracion of the holye ghoste of whom heretofore we haue spoken did perceyue the mistical sence that lâ—eth hid couered ouer with the texte But neuertheles our lorde Iesus did then as it wer sowe seedes of fayth into Nicodemus minde that hereafter he might perceiue this thyng to haue been doen not by casualtie or chaunce but by the appoyntment of God and so the good seede beyng receyued into apte grounde might bryng furth in due tyme the fruite of faith not only in Nicodemus hert whiche did heare these thynges but also in all theyr myndes vnto whom these thynges should be declared by his reporte For God so loued the worlde that he gaue his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleueth in hym should not perishe but haue euerlastyng life For God sent not his sonne into the worlde to condemne the worlde but that the worlde thorow him might be saued He that beleueth in hym is not condemned But he that beleueth not is condemned alreadye because he hath not beleued in the name of the onely begotten sonne of god For who would haue beleued the charitie of God to haue been so greate towardes the worlde beyng rebell to hym and giltie of so many great faultes that not onely he did not reuenge the vngraciouse actes that had been committed therin but also sent downe his onely sonne from heauen into earth and deliuered hym to suffre death yea euen the moste shamefull death of the crosse to thintente that what man soeuer would beleue in him wer he Iewe Grecian or neuer so barbarouse should not perishe but obtaine eternall lyfe thorowe the fayth of the ghospel For albeit that in tyme to come the father should iudge the vniuersall worlde by his sonne at his last cummyng yet at this tyme whiche is appoynted for mercie God hath not sente his sonne to condemne the worlde for the wicked dedes therof but by his death to geue free saluacion to the worlde thorow faith And leste any body perishyng wilfully should haue wherby to excuse their owne malice there is geuen to al folkes an easie entrie to saluacion For satisfaccion of the faultes committed before is not required neither yet obseruacion of the law nor circumcision only he that beleueth in hym shall not be condemned forasmuche as he hath embraced that thing by the whiche eternal saluacion is geuen to all folkes be thei neuer so muche burdened with synnes so that thesame person after he hath professed the ghospell dooe abstayne from the euil dedes of his former life and laboure to go forward to perfect godlines according to the doctrine of him whose name he hath professed but whosoeuer contemnyng so great charitie of God towardes hym and putting from himselfe the saluacion that was freely offred hym doeth not beleue the ghospell he hath no nede to be iudged of any body forasmuche as he doeth openly condeÌ„ne himselfe and reiectyng the thyng wherby he mighte attaine eternall lyfe maketh hymselfe giltye of eternall payne God hath offred saluacion to all folkes by his onely begotteÌ„ sonne and that thorow faithe to thyntent we maie knowlege and wurshyp hym as the auctour of saluacion and put the hope of all oure felicitie in hym Whosoeuer refuseth thus to do and despiseth the goodnes of god beyng so readie to be had and dishonoreth his sonne whom the father woulde haue to be honored and also estemeth as nothyng his death that he suffred for vs that person I saye doeth declare himselfe euen in very dede to be woorthy of euerlastyng punishement For who perceyueth not hym to perishe of good right and thorow his owne faute whiche willingly wittyngly doeth embrace that thing by the which he perisheth and resisteth that thyng wherby he might haue recouered health And this is the condemnacion that light is come into the worlde and men loued darkenes more then lighte because their dedes were euill for euery man that euill dooeth hateth the light neither cummeth he to the light lest his dedes should be reproued but he that dooeth trueth cuÌ„meth to the light that his dedes maye be knoweÌ„ how that they are wrought in god Errour and synnes be the darkenes of myndes and synnes doe ingender euerlastyng death The sonne of God is the lighte of the worlde for the lighte is trueth to beleue him is euerlastyng health Therefore when thorowe the bountifull goodnes of God light came into the worlde whiche was blynded thorowe lacke of knowledge of the trueth and with innumerable vices to thintent that the trueth beyng knowen it should be conuerted and saued yet men loued theyr owne darkenes more then the lyght that was sente from heauen If the sicke man perishe whiche hideth his disease from the phisician because he would not be holpen dooeth not he geue iudgemente of hymselfe that he perisheth thorowe his owne faute So menne that were altogether geuen to the worlde did refuse the light when it was offred them â–ª because their workes were euill For as he whiche committeth a shamefull acte dooeth loue the darke nighte â–ª and shunneth the light of the sunne leste his deedes should be knowen so thei whiche know themselues giltie hate the light of the euangelical trueth by the whiche all foule and naughtie doinges are bewrayed because thei
doen hitherto but ghostely thynges and greate trouble shal ye haue for preachyng of my ghospell Wherefore it is necessarye that ye bee strēgthed with power from heauē that ye may be hable to susteyne so chargefull an entrepryse that shall not be brought to passe by mannes policie but by helpe of the holy ghoste For those thynges that haue been hitherto done are but as rules instruccions princyples for young begynners in respecte of setting forward the gospell As that Iohn Baptyzed with water but the holy ghoste gaue he not for it passeth mannes power to geue hym and nothing els preached he but the man should repent and that the kyngdome of heauen was at hand Nowe muste ye haue stronger mayntenaunce to sette forthe the lyuelye doctryne of the ghospell and to beare of the assaultes of the worlde whiche shall stryue agaynste it To bryng that about it is not sufficient that y◠be voyde of synne but ye haue nede of a newe spirite to the settyng forth of this newe kinde of lerning a plenteous spirite that shal aboūdantly assist you an heuenly spirite a spirit lyke fier in whō ye shal be christened within fewe daies This is the baptisme that Iohn could not geue but prophecied that I should geue it For thus sayde he in bearyng wytnesse of me he shall christen you sayed he with the holy ghoste and fyer In tymes past also god endewed hys Prophetes and other holy men with his spirite And I haue brethed my holy spirite on you It is euen the veray same spirite but nowe shall he most plenteously be powred ouerall the whole worlde and shall renewe all thynges Agaynst his cummyng make your selues ready with fastyng and prayer but specially with full truste and confydence that ye maye be fytte instrumentes for hym to spreade abrode his heauenly power Whan they therefore were cum together they asked of him saying Lorde wilte thou at this time testore agayne the kyngdome of Israell And he sayed vnto them It is not for you to knowe the tymes or the seasons which the father hath put in his own power but ye shall receyue power after that the holy ghost is cum vpon you And ye shal be witnesses vnto me not onely in Hierusalē but also in all Iewrye in Samaria euen vnto the worldes ende After Iesus had spoken these wordes vnto his disciples beyng assembled into one place because he woulde haue no variaunce lefte emong theim at hys departyng for euen to that houre they had not yet put oute of theyr heades theyr phantasticall dreame of the kyngdome of Israell to be aduaunced and enlarged by hym they enquyred of the Lorde as he was euen readye streight wayes to departe whether that as soone as he had sente downe the holy ghost he woulde restore his people of Israell to theyr worldelye kyngdome agayne and whether he woulde immediatlye appere before the face of the woorlde in his maiestie For they had not yet conceyued what manner a thyng thys ghostely kyngdome shoulde bee Peter woulde haue had hym establyshe a kyngdome whan he was on the hille The reste also of thapostles what tyme mencion was made of rysyng from deathe to lyfe enquired of hys kyngdome and nowe eftsones vpon that communicacion whiche they had hearde of sending down the holy ghoste they came to remembraunce of a temporall kyngdome For they trusted that it shoulde cum to passe that the Iewes shoulde bee rewlers ouer all the world And in veray dede sure it was to cum that Israell shoulde reigne not that fleashly Israell but he that truelye had deserued this name that is to saye he that in dede were strong in God For Iacob deserued well to haue that name whan he wrastled with thaungell As longe as the worldly manne trusted to his owne desertes he was not hable to satisfye the Iustice of god For all the world for sinne was reproued and subdued vnto punishment But after that manne began to mystruste his owne workes and to sticke vnto the promyses of the gospell he dyd as a man woulde saye ouercum the iustice of god and by force obtayned mercye This kingdome beeyng decayed in euerye place but speciallye emong the Iewes Christe restored through hys gospell The disciples not vnderstandyng thys phansied with them selfes that sum good chaunce woulde cum whiche shoulde delyuer them from all persecucion of the wycked But as for that was not to be loked for before the ende of the worlde Whiche tyme the lorde woulde not haue theim to knowe because it was not expediente for them to knowe it And therfore whan they curyouslye demaunded it he put them to silence with this answer Enquire not of those thynges whyche are not expediente for you to knowe Onely beleue stedfastly dooe that ye are commaunded Ye shal be but ministers in this matier Leaue the procedynges herin the ende of the same to my heauenly father It is not therfore your parte to knowe what yeare what moneth or what houre that kingdome of Israel shal cum which thinges the folysh Calkers curiously seke for As much as my fathers pleasure was that you should knowe I haue tolde you but that time haue I not vttered vnto you because my father reteineth to hymselfe the knowleage therof to this ende that ye be diligent in doing your duties The kingdome of god shal cum finally wheras both the good the bad shal bee rewarded accordyng to their desertes againste whose cummyng must ye bee alwayes ready Albeit this spirituall kyngdome shall in the meane season also appeare in setting forthe whereof god shall vse your helpe but as for rewardyng you therfore let him alone with that Wherfore settyng aparte your desyre to knowe those matters whiche ye oughte not to know make redy youre selues to that that is at hand To the whiche thyng because ye of your own habilitie are not sufficient the holy ghoste accordyng to my promyse shal be powred on you from heauen to augment your strength of mynde and to bryng into youre remembraunce agayne whatsoeuer I haue heretofore taughte you and farther to put in your myndes whatsoeuer thing els it shal behoue you to know And so shal ye being taught by his instructiō and strengthed wyth hys ayde beare wytnesse of me fyrste at Hierusalem accordyng to the saying of the prophete out of Syon shall the lawe procede and the word of the lord out of Hierusalem and sone after throughout all Iewry nexte throughout Samaria which is nygh adioyning to Iewry and fynally through al cuntreys in the world where euer any dwelling of man is For I came indifferently for all mens sakes I died for euery man and eche man hath the gracious fauour of my gospel profered him Hitherto the law hath reigned onely among the Iewes but my father wyl haue his gospel to reigne as farre abrode as the worlde is open or wyde And when he had spoken these wordes while they behelde he was taken
knew perfectly what should happen of these thinges which ye se now perfourmed in Iesus of Nazareth who doubtlesse was borne as touching his humanitie of Dauids kinred family Ferthermore sins that it is euidently knowen that Iesus in his lyfe tyme dyd affect no worldly kingdome and neuer sate vpon Dauids regal seate but was most spitefully dealed with al it appereth plainly that there was some other kingdome promised which as the prophetes say hath none end He could not sit vpon Dauids seate if that he being once slayne had neuer arisen to lyfe againe He therfore is arisen from deathe to lyfe agayne and sytteth nowe vpon Dauids seate that is to saye vpon the seate of hys eternall father the Lorde of all thinges that are in heauen and eke in yearth This was it vndoubtedly that Dauid beyng inspyred with the spiryte of prophecie spoke of before and what he before hath spoken that is come to passe And although Iesus soule went downe to hell yet there it was not withholden but rather deliuered the soules whiche were from libertye restreigned Yea although his body was layde in graue voyde of all lyfe yet there it did not rotte or putrifye but god who in all hys promises can not lye hath called his soule from hell againe and hath restored the same to his owne former body Of this thing we all beare witnes whom here ye see standing whiche haue traded our liues familiarly with him whiche haue heard him oftimes say that he shoulde bee both crucifyed accordyng to the prophetes sayinges and afterwarde aryse the thirde day to lyfe agayne We were those persons that both sawe him a dooyng and hearde him and nowe bee witnesses of his resurreccion to whome he hath oftetymes appered not alonely as one seen of vs and heard but felt also with our handes we knewe his voyce we knew his face we knew felt the printed dentes of his woundes finally he eate togither in coÌ„pany with vs to thintent that we might be wel assured to se the very same body there with vs that lay in his sepulchre ¶ Seâ—s nowe that he by the right hande of God is exalted and hath receyued of the father the promise of the holy goste he hath shed forth this gifte which ye now see heare For Dauid is not ascended into heauen but he sayeth The Lord saied vnto my Lord syt thou on my ryght hande vntill I make thy fooes thy foote stole So therfore let all the house of Israel know for a suerty that God hath made that same Iesus whom ye haue crucified lorde and Christe Wherfore than the selfe same person whome man ouerthrew and brought to extreme vilany and reproche god hath now aduaunced to the heigth of eternall glory whiche glory he shall once set open manifestly to all men at the ende of the world and now doeth he in the meane season put forth with you the power of his godhead by secrete operacion of the holy gost whiche he whiles he liued vpon earth promised to send vs from his father Now hath he beyng returned agayne to heauen powred from thence the same spirite vpon vs bounteously accordyng to Iohels prophecie aboue mencioned And of him cummeth this straunge miracle that ye see and heare vs speake in languages whiche you beyng gathered here together out of sondrye nacions do semblably vnderstand And like as the prophecy of the resurreccion can not be vnderstand of Dauid as we haue to you declared euen so that thing which was prophecied of his ascending vp to heauen and of the sitting on the right hande of god his father and of his euerlasting kingdome can not perteyne to Dauid like as the Pharisees theymselues reasoning with out maister confessed For Dauid neuer ascended vp to heauen as he that had before retourned to his lyfe agayne and yet for all that in the misticall psalme thus sayeth he beyng enspired with the spirite of prophecye the lorde sayd to my lorde sit on my right hande vntill I make thyne enemies thy footestole Wherefore than the matier is playne that this prophecye was spoken of god the father who hath exalted to heauen Iesus the sonne of Dauid as touching his humanitie but as concerninge the spirite the lorde of Dauid and would that he should sit by him as copartener of his kingdome Therfore let al the whole people of Israell be wel assured that the selfe same Iesus of Nazareth whome ye once crucifyed god hath now aduaunced to the kingdome of heauen and hath made him lorde ouer all and Messyas that is to say the annoyncted whome ye loke for as your Messias whiche was promised of all the prophetes nowe many hundred yeres agoe ¶ When they heard this they were pricked in their hertes and saied vnto Peter and vnto the other apostles Ye men and brethren what shall we doe Peter sayed vnto them repent of your synnes and be baptised euery one of you in the name of Iesus Christe for the remission of synnes and ye shall receyue the gifte of the holy ghoâ—t For the promyse was made to you and to your children and to all that are a farre of euen as many as the Lorde our God shall call And with many other woordes bare he witnesse and exhorted them saying Saue your selues from this vntoward generacion Then they that gladly receyued his preaching were baptized and the same daye there were added vnto theÌ„ about three thousande soules This tale of Peters made the hearers thereof sore afrayed For they wer prime to their owne doynges howe they had cryed out vpon Pilate crucifye hym crucifye hym crucifye hym and perceyued by reason of the prophecie howe he was made on the righte hande of hys father copartener of hys kingdom vntyll all his enemies were broughte vnder his fotestoole Whom they had put to deathe beyng as he was vnto them beneficiall of the same nowe sence he is cum vnto his reigne were they afrayed leste he woulde take vengeaunce vpon them This is a beginning to a mannes saluacion to knowleage his faulte and to feare the payne deserued for the same Therfore they beyng than pricked in conscience sayde to Peter and to the reste of the apostles what must we do welbeloued brethren It is wel whan a man feling hymselfe of a giltie conscience dispaireth not but ensearcheth for remedye Nowe what doeth Peter in this case who represented a sobre and a meke shepeherde he exerciseth no tyranny amongest them with reprocheful checkes he heapeth not together theyr faultes he putteth not them abacke with a delay he willeth them not to kyll beastes for sacrifice but declareth to the sorowfull hertes a remedy euen at hande putting no difference bitwixt them that had crucifyed Iesus and those whiche had not consented to that wicked acte For none of them all was cleane without sinne And therfore sayeth he doe ye repent your lyfe that is past and let euerychone of you be baptysed in water in the
name of Iesus Christe and for that benefites sake whiche he hath freely doen to vs ye shall haue forgeuenes of all your synnes and shall receaue after that ye be purely clensed the gifte of the holy ghost whiche ye here see shed on vs. Let none of you pondre weigh his owne merites for all that here is geuen is frely geuen vpon this onely condicion that ye beleue Iohels prophecy doeth specially pertaine to you and your children that come after you whome he calleth sonnes and doughters whome he calleth seruauntes and handemaydes Beleue god that made you the promis and ye shall frely receaue forthwith that is promised Neyther doeth Iohels promise in his prophecy pertayne to you alone whiche are of the people of Israell but to all the heathen also whiche be far of both from al kinred with the Israelites and far from knoweleage of god whom euer our lord god shall of his merciful goodnes vouchesafe to call to bee partakers with vs of this his gifte And the same thynge hath the prophecy well declared where it sayeth and whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the lorde shal be saued Albeit eche man that sayeth Lorde Lorde doeth not cal vpon the lord but he that putteth all his whole hope and truste of saluacyon in the mercyfulnes of the same lorde Other prophetes also hath spoken of the same thyng that the worde of the gospel shoulde in time cumming spreade throughout the world And besides this our maister Iesus gaue vs a speciall commaundement that we shoulde firste of all declare to you this mercifull message of peace and loue and that we shoulde than afterward call the gentiles to the same For this calling cummeth not of mans deseruinges but of the fre bounteousenes of god In these wordes and others manye mo Peter bare witnes to them of Christe bryngyng foorthe to them the prophetes sayinges to testify the same and conferring with them those thynges whiche had alredy than come to passe And beside his teachinges he exhorted them that he might the better pricke them forewarde whiche were of wauering mindes Go to he sayeth my brethren embrace ye this so excellent bounteousnes of god towardes you so ready to mete you Ye know what complaintes all the prophetes hath made of the ouerthwartenes and stubbernes also in this Iewyshe nacion whiche hath declared themselues at all tymes rebellyous to theyr lorde and god and to those whiche were sent to theim his mynisters for theyr saluacion Howe often times dyd they resist Moses howe many prophetes haue they slayne how ofte haue they prouoked god to angre with theyr mischeuous dedes Wherefore they be iustly named the house that maketh the lorde angry and the vyne turned to bitternes whiche yeldeth to his keper in stede of swete grapes wylde vynes Iohn the baptiste lamented in them thesame thyng callyng them a progenie of serpentes And our maister Iesus complayned not a fewe times of the selfe same thing beyng offended with many of them for their inuincible frowardenesse who seyng dyd not see and hearyng dyd not heare and vnderstanding did not vnderstande The holesome doctryne for mans soule they despysed and all suche benefites as he wrought in man through hys miracles they imputed to the spirite of Belzebub Wherfore he called them a frowarde nacion and harde or ill wylled to beleue and bewayling their state tolde them that they shoulde be destroyed for why they had beaten killed stoned and crucifyed all that were sent from god Draw your selfes a backe my brethren and get ye away from the vengeaunce of god whiche hangeth ouer your heades caste of all cankred frowardenes of the Iewish nacion which while they stande stifely in defence of theyr owne Iustice do wickedly rebell againste the iustice of God For ye haue by faith and sincere obedyence already for you prouided eternall saluacion Than shall ye finally be accoumpted the true Israelites than shall ye be the very children of Abraham Than shal ye be of the right sorte of Iewes in dede if ye will knowelage Iesus and recognise him for youre king Ridde your handes of this carnall generacion whiche woulde rather perishe for theyr incredulitie than be saued Be ye contented to be borne a new and transfourmed into a spiritual nacioÌ„ and celestial whiche by trust in Iesus is in waye of saluacion Of this sorte verely was the fishers eloquence whyche he piked not out of Retorical preceptes or rewlers but receiued it from heaueÌ„ and therfore it was of muche more power and efficacie in his operacion This was the same suâ—â—orde that entreth through euen to the diuiding of the soule and the spirite whose edge hath punched strickeÌ„ the Iewes hertes This was the first cast and throw of his net wherein the fisher of mans soule drew vp a great plenteous multitude This was the seede of the gospel that ought to bee caste euery where abrode whiche as Christe hath taught falleth not downe into all mens hertes and yet here it found forthwith good grounde which brought forth fruite For than wer baptised and to the numbre of the disciples whiche were at that time very few were increased and ioyned almost three thousand moe These were the luckie first fruites that the ghospel brought forth for his reuenewes The new testament agreeth in this point also with a figure of tholde Moyses commaunded a feast of the firste fruites to be kept holy the fiftieth day after Easter And here are consecrated to the lord this fiftieth day the first fruites not of eares of corne but of mens soules For now through preaching of the gospell and fayth in the same the water washed away all their sinnes and nowe was that heauenly spirite gredely receiued Nowe marke what doeth that spirite of god in them truely he is not ydle sithen that he is lyke vnto the fyer We are freely made cleane in soule as innocentes we haue frely receyued of the holy gost his gift of grace Now it resteth for our parte to take hede that we lose that vnaduisedly whiche god hath of his mercifull goodnes frely geuen vs. Suche are the first beginninges of euangelycall religion suche is as a man woulde say the childehood of oure first regeneracion in Christe All that we haue taught hitherto is as it were milke for infauntes we must procede further to whole fast meate Preachers and suche as feede with the woorde of god oughte to haue with them both kindes of meate euer redy at hande For thus the lorde commaunded them go ye foorth he sayeth and teache all people baptizing them and teaching them to kepe all that I haue commaunded you Teache them that muste be christened the rudimentes and firste beginninges of the gospell whiche rudimentes or principles excepte a manne wyll beleue hys Baptisme is in vayne Those that bee alredy baptized thus must ye teache that they liue after my teachynges procedyng alwayes to more perfeccion ¶ And they continued in the
apostles tale they spake aloude with one assente vnto the Lorde of whose goodnes the ghospell had begon to haue right good successe sayed Lord God omnipotent that madest thorowe thy woorde heauen earth the sea whasoeuer is in them contayned whose moste blessed wyll no power of man is able to withstande whose eternall decrees no mans conspiracie is hable to empayre for all that nowe we see here brought to passe thy blessed spirite hath spoken of before by the mouth of thy faythfull seruaunt Dauid our Patryarche saying Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine vayne thynges The kynges of the earth stande vp and the prynces hath gathered themselues together agaynst the Lorde and agaynste his Christe All we recognise trueth in this prophecie For what he sawe to come beyng than enspired with thy holy spirite that see we both doen in very dede and the doyng of thesame For of a trueth agaynste thy holy chylde Iesus whom thou hast enoynted bothe Herode and also Poncius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel gathered themselfes together for to do whatsoeuer thy hande and thy counsell determined before to be done And nowe lorde behold their threatenynges and graunt vnto thy seruauÌ„tes that with all confidence they may speake thy woorde So that thou stretche fourth thy hand that healyng and signes and wonders be doen by the name of thy holy child Iesus And assone as they had made theyr praier the place moued where they were asseÌ„bled together and they were all fylled with the holy ghost and they spake the woorde of god boldely For in this citie whiche professeth holines both Herode and Ponce Pilate yearthly prynces with the heatheÌ„ and people of Israell gathered themselues together agaynst the maister and capitayne of all holynesse thy holy chylde Iesus whom thou haste enoyncted with an heauenly oynctment forecastyng with theyr wicked counsell to bryng those thynges to passe whiche thou of thy power inuincible and eternall decree haddest determined to bee doen for the saluacion of man But whosoeuer conspireth againste thy sonne Iesus sent downe from the he conspireth agaynst the. And beholde a great assembly of the chiefe rulers are cum eftsones together to conspire agaynst the holy and blessed name of thy sonne Iesus But lyke as thou dyddest reyse Iesus from death beyng slayne of them and aduaunced hym to heauens as partener of thy kingdome dysapoyntyng them of theyr purposes euen so see nowe vnto theyr threatening that they in no wyse preuayle but strength courage thy seruauntes that they may with moste stedfaste boldnes vttre the ghospell whiche is not mannes woorde but thy woorde that is to saye brought downe from thee to earth by thy sonne for all our sakes and lyke as thy miracle in makyng whole the lame creple allured many to professe the name of Iesus and feared the prynces whiche were all bent in conspiracie agaynst his glory euen so vouchesafe to ayde them nowe in tyme to come wyth thy almyghtye power that by meanes of healyng workyng of wondrefull miracles thorow the holy name of thy sonne Iesus the glorye of thy ghospell maye the clearer shyne and further abrode while they that rebell agaynst the and thy sonne doe rage all in vayne Whan they had thus made theyr prayer with one accorde the place where they together stode trembled Which thing betokeneth that their prayer was graciouslâ— heard with the lorde anâ— their desire ratified For there is nothing so effectuall as is the prayer of the churche in one whole consent Uerely it ought to be of no small strength and power that was hable to shake the earthe whiche is not of it selfe mouable This was no voyde token for the lyuely strength of the holy ghost was forthwith in theÌ„ all renewed and augmented in somuch that they would not for all suche threatnynges as the prynces made concele and hyde the ghospell but preached the name of theyr maister Iesus more stedfastely and more frankely yea more of theym also in numbre than before For suche is the nature of the ghospell as touching his encrease that lyke as Safron and other thynges many moe come forthe although they be yll handeled more plenteously euen so aryseth vp the ghospell agaynst the assaultes of the worlde and the sooner by wrastelyng therwith ouercommeth thesame The faithfull that professed the name of Iesus amounted than within fewe dayes to a woondrefull great numbre And the multitude of them that beleued were of one herte and of one soule Neyther sayed any of them that ought of the thinges whiche he possessed was his owne but thâ—y had all thynges common And with great power gaue the apostles witnes of the resurreccion of the lorde Iesu. And great grace was with them all Neyther was there any among them that lacked For as many as were possessours of landes or houses sold them and brought the pryce of the thynges that were solde and layed it downe at the apostles feete And distribucion was made vnto euery man accordyng as he had nede And Ioses whiche was also called of the apostles Barnabas that is to saye the sonne of consolacion being a Leuite and of the couÌ„trey of Cypres where as he had lande solde it and laied the pryce downe at the apostles feete And yet that thou mayest vnderstande howe this theyr consent of myndes came not of mannes policie among so many together in one companye there was no ambicion at all no enuy no brawlyng no stryuyng but in suche conformitie of mynde and peaceable quietnes of herte were they all as a mâ—nne would haue thought them all to be of one harte and one minde For than was eche man at a poynte with himselfe no longer to folow his owne mynde which is in all sortes of men so diuerse that vnneath a man maye finde two brothers germane that can agree betwixt themselues But as for this company Iesus was the ruler of them all by his owne blessed spirite From thence proceded that so great a consent of so many persons together one vnlike an other either in kinred age or worldely substaunce insomuche that not onely those thynges were commen amongest them whiche eche man is wonte to departe one to other withoute losse to the geuer of the whiche maner thynges bee learnyng counsell admonicion consolacion and exhortacion but temporall possessions also whiche are coÌ„municate to other not without dammage or losse to the possessour and therfore scarcely may a man fynde any that can be content to be in this poynte liberall But suche thinges amongest them all were so common that no man would somuche as once chalenge any thyng of all that he possessed for his owne Wherfore he that gaue any of his owne goodes looked for no thankes at their handes that receyued thesame because he thought all that was geuen to be hys owne propre good that had nede of it and hymselfe a robber and no iust person yf he should withholde
in Egypte vntyl Pharao dyed and an other kinge succeded hym with whom Ioseph was not so muche in fauoure as he before had been with Pharao This same king fearyng lest the Hebrewes shoulde to muche increase kepte vnder our kynred craftely and dealte euil with our fathers commaundyng the mydwiues by proclamacion that they should cast out men children that none shoulde remayne on lyue At the same tyme was Moyses borne agaynst whome these men falslye reported of me that I shoulde haue spoken blasphemous wordes This Moises was in fauour before god who suffered not him to perish for by his prouidence priuely was he nourished for thre monethes space in his fathers house Yet for feare of the kynges commaundement he was cast out in a twiggen basket or hamper playstred ouer with lyme into the ryuer of Nilus As it chauÌ„sed Pharaos daughter toke him vp beyng muche delited with the propernes of the childe nouryshed hym vp at home for her owne sonne Than was Moyses taken for an Egypcian and instructed from his childhood in al maner cunning and wisdome of Thegypcians and was myghty in woordes and dedes And whan he was full fourty yere olde it came into his herte to visite hys brethren the children of Israel And whan he sawe one of them suffre wrong he defended him auenged his quarell that had the harme done to hym smote yâ— Egyptian And he supposed his brethren woulde haue vnderstande how that God by his hand should deliuer them But they vnderstoode not But whan he was fully cum to fourty yeres of age he thought it good to visite his brethren the childreÌ„ of Israel For he expressed alwayes tendre loue towardes his owne nacion of whom he had his beginnyng And whan he had seene as he was conuersaunt amongest them one of the Israelites suffre wroÌ„g of an Egyptian he auenged the Hebrewes quarell and slewe the Egyptian Declarynge euen than the towardenes of a good capitayne And he supposed that the Hebrewes had knowen allready at that time howe God had determined to saue the people by hym and to deliuer them from the bondage of Pharao And this Moyses presented in hymselfe a figure of Iesus of Nazareth whome god verily hath chosen to redeme the people from bondage of synne But lyke as the Israelites perceiued not this in Iesus euen so nor than dyd they vnderstande that in Moyses And the next day he shewed hymselfe vnto them as they stroue and woulde haue set theÌ„ at one againe saiyng Syrs ye are brethren why hurte ye one another But he that dyd his neighboure wrong thrust hym awaye saiyng wilt the kyl me as thou diddest the Egipcian yesterday who made the a ruler and iudge ouer vs Than fled Moyses at that saiyng and was a straunger in the lande of Madian where he begate two sonnes The daye after as he was in waye agayne to visite his brethren he found two Israelites stryuing togyther partyng them a sundre he would haue set them at one agayne saying what do ye syrs sithen that ye are brethren and of one nacion why hurte ye one an other but he that dyd his neyghboure wrong thrust him a backe that woulde haue sette them at one saying what medleste yâ— in our matter who made the a iudge and ruler ouer vs wylt thou slaie me al so as thou slewest the Egypcian yesterday And where as al that Moyses did was by inspiracion of the holy ghoste yet founde he shortly there amongest his owne brethren sum that rebelled agaynst hym Whan Moyses heard of this perceyuynge how his face was not vnknowen abrode fearyng for his owne parte the Egiptians fled into the land of Madian where he begat two sonnes ¶ And whan fowerty yeares were expired there appeared to hym in the wildeâ—nes of Mount Sinai an aungel of the lord in a flame of fyre in a bushe Whan Moyses saw it he woondred at the sight And as he drewe neare to behold the voyce of the lord came vnto him I am the God of thy fathers the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob Moyses trembled durst not beholde it Than sayd the lord to him out of thy shooes from thy feete for the place where thou standest is holy ground I haue perfectly seen the affliccions of my people in Egipt and I hearde their gronyng cum I am doun to deliuer them And now cum and I wyll sende the into Egypt And fourty yeares after an aungell of the Lorde appeared vnto Moyses in wyldernes vpon Mount Synay in a Bushe which seemed to be all on fyre Moyses beyng as one dismayde at this sight assayed to go nere therunto to see what thynge it was But the Lorde whose voyce sounded in the bushe forbade him I am he sayd the god of your fathers the god of Abraham the god of Isaac the god of Iacob Moyses whan he heard this name trembled therat for feare and durst loke no neare Than sayed the lorde put of thy shooes from thy feete for the place where thou standest is an holy ground Moyses obeyed the lorde Than forth he wente in his talke I haue wel marked how my people in Egipte hath been troubled and haue hearde their groning And therfore of compassion towardes them am I cum downe to delyuer them And now cumme and for this cause wyll I sende the into Egypte Beholde and see howe playnely is Iesus of Nazareth signified here by Moyses The people of Israell reiected Moyses before they knewe what he was saiyng Who made the a ruler and iudge ouer vs Lyke woordes spake oure brethren vnto Iesus in what authoritie dooest thou these thynges and who gaue the this authoritie For al this while knewe not they that god for the pitie he had to our people than had sent them this capitaine and purchaser of libertie and gyuer of lyfe euerlasting This Moyses whom they forsoke saiyng who made the a ruler a iudge thesame dyd God send to be a ruler and a deliuerer by the handes of the angell whiche appeared to hym in the bushe And the same brought them out shewyng wonders sygnes in Egipt and in the read sea and in the wildernes fourty yeares This is that Moyses which sayed to the childreÌ„ of Israell A Prophete shall the lorde your god rayse vp vnto you of your brethren lyke vnto me hym shall ye heare And Moyses whom his brethren despysed god aduaunced to honoure and made him a capitaine a gouernour and a deliuerer of his people And for his ayde and assistence he had with him thangell presente whiche appered to him oute of the burnynge bushe By whose helpe broughte he hys people oute of Egipte workynge manye woonders and meruailes in the lande of Egipt soone after in the rede sea and besydes that in wildernes by the space of fourty yeares As Moyses was to one nacion or people alone so truly is Iesus of Nazareth vnto al that will folowe his guyding Nowe lest
is in vaine For it shall be harde and paynfull for the to beate thy heeles againste the prycke For thy striuyng is not against manne but againste god whose wil no manne is hable to resiste Wherfore thine offeÌ„ce herein is double the more and nothing shalt thou preuaile therby and yet doe thy selfe a shrewde turne Saule hearing this trembled for feare and as one amased saide Lorde what wylte thou haue me doe By this answere his erroure appeared to haue cumme of plaine ignoraunce and of no malice To instructe once suche erpsons it were sufficient But it was expedient that an high and fierce stomake were plucked downe and suche one that mynded nought els but to threaten and kylle were made afrayed to th entent he myght be easlye taught Than sayed the lorde to him aryse and go into the citie There shalt thou learne what is for the to do The lorde stryketh man in suche a sorte that it maye be for his health so he casteth downe that he maye set vp so maketh he them blynde that he maye lighten them Saule beyng in his cruellrage was throwen downe headlyng but after that he became meke and ready to obeye he was byd stande vp ¶ The meÌ„ which iourneyed with him stoode amased hearyng a voyce but seyng no maÌ„ â—â—d Saul arose from the yearth when he opened his iyes he sawe no man But they led hym by the haâ—d brought him into Damasco And he was three daies without sight and neither did eate nor drinke And there was a certaine disciple at Damasco named Ananias to him said the lord in a visioÌ„ Ananias And he sayd beholde here I am lorde And the lord saide vnto him aryse and go into the strete whiche is called streyght â–ª and seke in the house of Iudas after one called Saule of Tarsus For beholde he praieth and hath sene in a vision a man named Ananias cumming in to him and puttyng his handes on hym that he might receiue his syght Whyle these thinges were thus in doyng the men that went with Saule in his iourney stode amased hearing certainly one talke to Saule but seing no man Than Saule vpon good comforte that he toke hereof arose vp The first step to vertue is to be set vp on foote And beholde againe an other myracle although his iyes were open he could not see Than those that came in his company lead him by the hande into the citie of Damasco And yet was not he than forthwith admitted to the gyfte of the holy ghoste that it shoulde be noted of vs that came after for an example howe it were not mete to laye hande forthwith vpon eache person but firste to see them that are newlye instructed diligently tryed and prepared by fastyng praier Wherefore than lyke as the apostles abode at Hierusalem ten dayes space in expectacion of the holy ghoste so taryed Saule at Damasco three dayes seing none yearthlye thyng with his corporal iyes but thinwarde iyes of his soule were in the meane space clearly illustrate al that whyle receyuyng no foode but his mynde was fed the meane time with heauenly doctrine There was the same tyme at Damasco a disciple for so were they than called whiche had receiued the gospel named Ananias The lorde had piked oute this Ananias by whose handes his pleasure was bounteously to replenishe Paule with giftes of his holy spirit And therfor hym spake he vnto beyng a sleape in his dreame and sayd Ananias He on the other part anon perceiuing that god called him made answer lo I am here lorde as who sayth disclosyng a true christian herte ready at all commaundementes Than sayde the lorde ryse vp and go thy waye into the streat whiche they commonly call streyght and aske at Iudas house for one Saule who was borne in Tarsus For lo there is he in prayer suyng to haue grace and liberall comforte from vs. At the very same tyme Saul lykewise as he was in prayer thoughte the one Ananias had entred into the house to hym and layde his handes upon him to thintent he myght receyue againe his iyesight Euen so the lorde prepared in their mutuall vision eache one for other ¶ Than Ananias answered lorde I haue heard by many of this man howe muche euil he hath done to thy sainctes at IerusaleÌ„ and here he hath authoritie of the high priestes to bynde all that cal on thy name The lorde sayde vnto him go thy waye for he is a chosen vessell vnto me to beare my name before the Gentiles and kinges and the childreÌ„ of Israel For I wyl shewe him howe great thinges he muste suffre for my names sake But Ananias sore afrayed at the name of Saule who for his cruelty was than muche spoken of among the christians made aunswere I haue heard lord of many one howe sore this man hath vexed thy blessed saintes at Hierusalem and yet not so contented but nowe is he hither come also beeyng put in authoritie by a streyght commission from the hygh byshoppes to laye theÌ„ al fast in fetters that call vpon thy name Herunto the lorde agayne made aunswere I knowe right well howe ye my shepe are muche afrayed of that rauenous wolfe But there is no cause why thou shouldest feare For that wolfe haue I chaunged into a right gentle shepe Wherefore see thou go vnto hym boldly For hym I haue chosen to myne owne selfe as a notable instrument to carye my name before the Heathen before kynges of the yearth and the chyldren of Israel What he hath done hytherto was not done of malyce but of a zele to the lawe of his countrey And forasmuche as of plaine ignoraunce his iudgemeÌ„t failed him sum tryall hath he shewed of his towardnesse how earnest a defendour of my gospell I am lyke to haue of him in tyme to cum Hitherto hath he scryuen against the professours of my name beyng armed therunto with bulles from the high byshoppes with threatnynges and with fetters for them Hereafter more manfully shall he fight and stoutly beyng armed but with my spirite and gyrte with the sworde of my euangelicall worde againste all them that hate my name For the glory and renoume wherof far greater affliccion shall he willyngly suffre than nowe of late he prepared againste you ¶ And Ananias went his waye and entred into the house and put his handes on him and sayde brother Saule the lorde that appeared vnto the in yâ— waye as thou cammest hath sent me that thou myghtest receyue thy sighte be fylled with the holy ghost And immediatly there fell from his iyes as it had ben scales and he receiued sight arose and was baptised and receyued meat and was comforted Ananias well encouraged at these wordes departed thence and entred into Iudas house he founde Saule praying and layde his hande vpon hym and sayde brother Saule the lorde Iesus Christe that appered vnto the in the waye â–ª as thou waste cumming hither hath sent me to the
in al people he that feareth him worketh righteousnes he is accepted with him Than Peter perceyuing their vnfayned meanyng opened his mouthe and began to speake in thys wyse I doe ryght well perceiue that in the syght of God one person is not preferred before another but that in all countreys who that feareth God and liueth lyke a good man vprightly to God and the worlde is set by of hym Ye know the preachyng that god sent vnto the children of Israel preaching peace by Iesus Christ which is lord ouer al thynges Which preaching was published throughout al Iewry and began in Galile after the baptysme which Iohn preached how god anoynted Iesus of Nazareth with the holy gost with power Which Iesus went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed with the deuill for god was with him For asmuche as I vnderstande that you are free from oure lawe and yet neuertheles that ye woorship one God whiche is the true God as we do that dayly ye offer thorowe prayer sacrifice and seeke hys fauoure by succouring of the nedye For why this is thonely thyng that the lawe and prophetes doe teache And although that God hath nowe at the last perfourmed that thing whiche he long sence promysed by the mouthes of his prophetes that he woulde sende Messias that is to saye Christe shewyng to the Israelites his wyll nowe not by meane of any prophete but by hys onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ and proferyng them thorow fayth obedyence to hym whome he sent â–ª remission of synne and that he eftsones wil be reconciled with theym Yet that notwithstandyng bycause there is none other God but he as well of the Gentiles as also of the Israelites his wyll is that this fauour be shewed to all men whosoeuer beleueth the gospell And I am assured that the rumour of this thyng beeyng sparsed as it is thorowout all Iewrye is hearde among you also howe that Iesus walked ouer all partes of Iewry exhortyng all men to repentaunce bearyng wytnes that the kyngdome of God is euen at hand And chiefely hys beginning to preache was aboute Galilee after he had ben christened of Iohn whiche was his foremessanger and openlye bare witnesse of hym the Iesus of Nazareth was the lambe of God that should take away the synnes of the worlde and that god had anoynted hys Messias with the holy ghoste â–ª whome he had seene in lykenesse of a doue as cummyng from heauen and restyng on his heade and that it was onely he that shoulde Christen all the faythfull not in water as he hymselfe Christened but wyth an heauenly power And this oure lorde Iesus also expressed in deades walkyng thorowout all partes of Iewry helpyng all men not onely in teachyng the heauenly Philosophye of the gospell whereby the soule is healed but also in curyng the sycke castyng oute of deuyls healyng lepers and reysyng the dead and to be shorte in helpyng all men whome the deuyll by tyranny kept vnder hys yoke For as he onely was free from all synne so he only was hable and of power to vanquishe the tyranny of the deuyll the whiche raygneth ouer theym that leadeth theyr lyfe in synne For God expressed hys might in his sonne whiche all Satans power was not hable to withstande All these thynges beyng coÌ„monly spoken of thorowout Iewry I am assured that you likewise haue heard and doe beleue them And we are witnesses of all thynges whiche he dyd in the lande of the Iewes and at Ierusalem whome they â—â—ewe and hanged on tree hym God reysed of the thyrd day aud shewed him openly not to all the people but vnto vs witnesses chosen before of god for the same intente whiche did eate and drynke wyth hym after he arose from deathe And he commaunded vs to preache vnto the people and to testifye that it is he which is ordeyned of God to be the iudge of quicke and dead To him geue al the Prophetes witnes that thorow his name whosoeuer beleueth in him shall receiue remission of sinnes But that you maye more surely beleue thys we that were conuersaunte wyth hym both in house and in all other places as long as he beyng manne lyued among men doe beare wytnes of all suche thinges as he did in all coastes of Iewry and in Hierusalem also whome the highe priestes scribes and Pharisees with the consentes bothe of the nobilitie and the commens put to death fastenyng hym on the crosse rendryng hym euyll thankes for hys so manyfolde benefites employed on theym But God by whose permission all these thinges were doen for the health of man restored him to lyfe the third day after his death and endowed him with life euerlasting To make this certainly to be beleued he did personally appeare alyue he was hearde sene and felt also with the handes not of all the people as he had bene before his death but of certayne that were before chosen witnesses by God purposely of vs I say vnto whom he appered after he had arisen from death being conuersauÌ„t on earth fowertie dayes we did eate and drinke wyth hym and he wyth vs lykewyse lest we should doubte in our myndes whether his body were in very dede raysed or not And before he went into heauen he commaunded vs whome he before had chosen to this office that we should openly preache to euery man and beare witnes that he was one whom god had aduaunced to hyghe estate and power that in thendâ— of the worlde he shal be iudge of all bothe quicke and dead In the meane space a sure and an easy remedy is profered euery man For all the prophetes long synce with one consente prophecied the very same of hym that we teache that it is onely he in whose name remyssyon of synne shal be geuen not to the Iewes onely but to all nacions also thorow out the worlde not by merite of their woorkes wherein the Iewes put confidence but by fayth wherby we beleue the ghospell and by meane of the ghospell beleue in Christe Whyle Peter yet spake these woordes the holy ghost fell on all them whiche hearde the preachyng And they of the circumcision whiche beleued were astonied as many as came with Peter because that on the Gentyles also was shedde out the gyft of the holy ghost For they hearde them speake with tongues and magnified god Then aunswered Peter can any man forbyd water that these should not be baptised which haue receiued the holy ghost as well as we And he commaunded them to bee baptysed in the name of the lorde Than prayed they him to tarie a fewe dayes Peter had not yet made an ende of his tale and beholde the holy ghoste visibly descendyng from heauen came on all that had hearde and beleued the apostles wordes Whiche thing made the Iewes that were conuerted to the ghospell and had come in Peters company from Ioppa to beare wytnes to those thynges that were for to be
them Helyas verely when he coÌ„mmeth fyrst restoreth c. And the soÌ„ne of man as it is written of hym c. But I saye vnto you yâ— Helias is cumme And 〈…〉 c. But if thou canst do any thing c. And wet afâ—ayed to aske him c. And he cam to Capernaum c. Wherfore yf thy hand hynder thee c. And if thy foote be an hinderaunce c. Salt is good c. Haue ye salt in your selues Is it lawâ—ful for a maÌ„ to put awaye his wyfe c â–ª And Iesus answered sayd c. But at the first creacioÌ„ God made them c. Suffre the children to cum vnto me c. why callest thou me good c. One thing thou lackest c. With meâ— it is vnpossible c â–ª Theâ— is no man that hath forsaken house or brethren c. And they were in the way goyng vp to Ierusalem Beholde we c. They saâ—â—â— vnto him c. CaÌ„ ye driÌ„ke of the cuppe â–ª c. But Iesus wheÌ„ he had called them c. For the soÌ„ne of man also came not c. Blind Bartymeus the sonne of Tymeus And they called the blynd saying And threw away his cloke The blind sayd vnto hym c. Go youre waye into the towne c. And they brought the Coalte to Iesus And caste their garmeÌ„tes on him The Byshop of Romes pompe is couertly described And nowe the eueÌ„tyde was cum And Iesus went into the temple c. And he taught theÌ„ salyng c. For thei feared him because all the people c â–ª And as he walked in the teÌ„ple c And they thought in themselues c. And again he sent an other c. And so wheÌ„ he had yet but one beloued soÌ„ne c. But the husbandmen sayd among themselues c. They went about also to take him For thou considerest not â–ª c. But â—e vnderstoode their simulacion And Iesus answered and sayde vnto them 〈◊〉 wer seuen brethren For when they shal aryse agayne c. Ye are therfore greately deceiued He asked him whiche is the first c. And no man after that durst aske hym any question Nowe saye the Scribes yâ—â—orâ—â— c And he said vnto them Whiche deuouâ— wydowes houses c. Thâ—se shall receiue greater â—aÌ„nâ—cioÌ„ And manye that were riche cast in muche One of his disciples sayed vnto him And as he sat on moâ—t Oliuete For there shall nacion aryse agaiÌ„st nacion For it is not ye that speake The brother shall deliuer vp the brother c Let hym that readeth vnderstand Wo shal be then to theÌ„ that are with chylde 〈…〉 that youre flight For there shall be in those daies Loe here is 〈◊〉 c. And then shall they see the sonne of man c. As a man whiche is gone into a straunge couÌ„trey c. And that I saye vnto you c But they say not in yeâ—east daye c. What nede this waste of oyntmeÌ„t c. For ye haue poore c. When they heard that they were glad It is one of the twelue c. But wo is that man All ye shalâ— be offended â–ª c. Before the cocke crowe twyse c. My soul is heuy eueÌ„ vnto the death And againe he went asyde c. And immediatlye while he yet spake c And he thaâ— beâ—rayed hym had geuen them c. And one of them that â—â—ode by â–ª c. I was dayly with you in the temple And there folowed hiÌ„ a certayne young man For maâ—â— bare false witnesse But yet theyr witnesses Then the hye prieste reÌ„t his clâ—thes What thiÌ„k ye â–ª c. Peter remeÌ„bred the worde And Pilate asked hym again And they brought him to a place named Golgotha c. And they brought him to a place named Golgotha c. He that beleueth and is baptised shal be saued In my naÌ„e shall they caste out diuels ii Cor. viii Colloss iii. i. Tim. iiii ii Tim. ii Of the actes that are coÌ„e to passe emong vs. That if mighie not bee denyed but that they hadde seen hearde and felte these thynges In the actes of the apoâ—â—les Theophilus iÌ„ Greke is in english the louer of god Of Herode the kyng A certayne priest Daniel ix Named zacharie Of the course of Abia. And his wife of the daughters of Aaron They were both righteouse before God And they had no childe Because Elizabeth was baraiÌ„ And they bothe were nowe well stricken in age Whan he executed Before god His lotte fel to burne incense Exod. xxx d And the multitude of the people were without in prayer There appered vnto hym an Angell Whan Zacharie sawe him he was abashed and feare came vpon hym And the Aungell sayed Feare not Thy praier is heard Thy wife Elizabeth shall beare a sonne And thou shalt calle his name Iohn And thou shalt haue ioy c. Wyne and stroÌ„g drink shall he noâ— drinke 〈◊〉 Many of the children of Israel shal be turne to their Lord. And he shal goe before hym c. Mala. iiii To turne the heartes of the fathers vnto the children To make redy a perfeâ—ct people vnto the Lorde For I am old and my wyfe is wel strieken in age c. I am Gabriell that stande iÌ„ the presence of God And behold thou shalt be dumme And after those dayes his wyfe And she hid her selfe fiue monethes Saying thus hath the Lorde delte with me In the daies wherein he hath loked vpon me c. And in the sixth moneth was the AuÌ„gell Gabriell sente from God Into a citee of Galile c. And the name of the virgin was Marie Haile thou full of grace And the Angel said vnto her â–ª Feare not Mary c. Beholde thou shalt conceyue in thy woÌ„be And of his kyngdome there shall be no ende Esay vii Than sayd Mary to the Aungell c. And the Aungel answered and sayde vnto her c. And the power of the highest shal ouer shadowe thee For nothing shal be vnpossible with God And Mary said behold I am the handmaideÌ„ of yâ— Lorde Be it vnto me according to thy woorde And saluted Elizabeth And so it was that whaÌ„ Elizabeth heard the salutacioÌ„ of Marie c. And Elizabeth was filled with the holy ghost Blissed art thou emoÌ„g women c. For loe as soone as the voice of thy salutacion souned c. And blâ—ssed art thou that thou haste beleued My soule magnifieth the Lorde And my spirite hath reioyced in God my sauioure From heÌ„ceforâ— he shall all generacioÌ„s call me blessed â—ecause he 〈…〉 c. Hys serâ—â—unte Israel be hath taken to hym In remembraunce of hys mercie Then as he spake vnto out fathers Abraham c And to the sede of hym For euer And retourned agayne to her owne house And they reioysed with her And thei called hym zachary after the name of his father And they sayde vnto her there is no man in al thy kynred that