Iesus did with this saying couertly notise vnto them that were present that al infidâ—litie set aparte they should quickely go about to beleue the sonne of God whom they coulde not long after see bodily Moreouer he did insinnate therwithall that those which otherwyse coulde not be brought to beliefe than by hearing him speake and seeyng him worke miracles should to none effecte desire to haue him made away whom they despised beyng present And at whose light beyng obiecte to all mennes sight they shut their iyes Furthermore he signified likewise that al suche as of obstinate minde did persist in wilful blindnesse of minde should when time were as menne vnrecouerable and without hope to be amended be lefte to theyr owne folly vnto eternall destruccion euen when aduersaunte miserye is immynent and ready to inuade them whiche calamitie wyll rather cause them perishe than heale them And ouer all this he dyd ensigne them in tyme to come a terrible iudgemente at what season the wicked shall couet to labour aboute businesse of theyr saluacion And it shall not bee lefull for that the night will not suffre it for as muche as they neglected the day in which they myght haue wrought yet for all this euery one whyle he is in state of this bodely lyfe and also after Christes ascencion into heauen hath this dayes lyght of the Apostles and of holy scripture whiche geueth habilitie to doe the thyng that appertayneth to our saluacion But after the bodye be once dead than is his daye awaye from hym nor it cannot worke any thing more but the rewarde of his foredoen dedes is to be hoped vpon and loked for These diffuse sayinges our Lord Iesus than had to quicken and pricke forwarde with feare of the thyng to come men that were slowe to beleue But nowe while the disciples looked for a miracle Iesus spatte on the grounde and of his spattle and duste mixed together he made clay and he anoynted the blinde mans iyes with the clay euen therby resemblyng his fathers or rather his owne worke wherein he made the firste manne of hard clay molified with licoure And to restore that whiche was loste pertayneth to thesame author which fyrst made thesame thynges of nought And to purifie or make whole agayne a thyng that is corrupted is of more power strength than to begette a thyng that is not borne Well but in the meane tyme the noueltie of this plaster made all theyr myndes attentiue and quietely to geue hede and well to considre the miracle that should be wrought and it also proued a stedfast fayth in the blynde man whiche murmured nothyng at hym that anoynted hym but simply obeyeth hym that doeth what hymselfe liste doubtyng nothyng at all of the benefyte what waye so euer it should be geuen The blynde dyd not furthwith receyue his sight but as soone as he was anoynted with the clay he is commaunded to goe to the poole Siloe and there to washe awaye the clay wherewith his iyes were embrued to thentente that both the blynde mannes faithfull affiaunce should be of greater fame for that he made no refusall to doe that he was commaunded and that the noueltie of that straunge sight also the delay whiche was through length of the Iourney should bryng furthmoe recordes of the miracle for the blynde manne â—at not farre of from the temple beggyng by the waye syde And the well Syloe wherof ryseth the poole is at the foote of the mounte Syon of whiche water Esay speaketh too and complayneth that that water was contemned not that the water geueth to any manne helthe but because it beareth the figure of holy scripture Which scriptures of God wheÌ„ as without blusteryng of worldely eloquence they issue furth caulmely and smoothely yet because they bubble out of the priuy hid caues of godly wisedome they haue heauenly violence to remoâ—e the blyndenesse of mannes mynde howe long soeuer it hath continued and to open those iyes wherwith God is seen whom to haue seen is felicitie For Syloe in the Syrians tongue sygnifieth sent For one there is euen specially sente from the father whiche only geueth lyght to mennes myndes for he is the fountayne It did represente Christe hymselfe who euen at this presente tyme also beyng as it were with a secrete power enclosed in holy scripture openeth the iyes of the blynde yf so be that they will acknowledge theyr blyndenesse He must be made more then blynde that will receyue light of Christe He that is wyse to the worlde is very farre of from hope of heaueÌ„ly wisedome he that thinketh himselfe well sighted nor vouchesaueth to haue his iyes closed vp with the clay of Iesus there is no cause why he should hope for the lyght of the ghospell Nowe than whan the blynde felowe a notable knowen manne for his beggyng and knowen also to bee borne blynde wente thither as he was commaunded no doubte but a great croude of people folowed hym as he wente not without laughyng to see his iyes blurred with clay and so twise blynde goyng to a water whiche was of no name through any miracle that euer was doen therin when they were come to the water he washeth awaye the clay from his iyes and returneth home with open iyes and and cleare sight ¶ So the neyghbours and they that had seen hym before howe that he was a begger sayed is not this he that sate and begged Some sayed this is he Agayne other sayed no but he is lyke hym He hymselfe sayed I am euen he Therfore saied they vnto hym howe are thine iyes opened He aunswered and sayed The manne that is called Iesus made clay and anoynted myne iyes and sayed vnto me Goe to the poole Sâ—loe and washe â—nd whan I went and washed I receiued my sight Then sayed they vnto hym where is he He sayed I cannot tell They brought to the Pharisees hym that a litle before was blynd and it was the Sabboth daye when Iesus made the claye and opened his iyes Neighboures therfore and other whiche had knowen hym before neither coulde he but be well knowen to many considering he was a common beggar when they knewe his face but as for his iyes they sawe altered they sayed Is not this he whome we sawe sitting before the temple and begged by the waye syde Some sayde It is he Other contrarie it is not he but it is an other like hym Whyle they disagreed among themselues the blynde himselfe sayed Yes verely I am the same beggar and he that was borne blynde whome ye haue often seen And he thus sayed that his voyce also beyng knowen should cause the miracle be the better beleued But we say they sawe the blinde now see we the see with open iyes How chaunced it that thyne iyes were shut and now are open The man saieth he that is called Iesus made claye and therwith anoynted mine iyes and that doen he sayed goe thy waye to the poole Siloe and there washe thine
beleue his witnes yet haue I a more certaine testimonye of my selfe that is to saye my fathers testimonie and witnes who is greater than Iohn and whose witnes cannot be reproued There is no recorde more sure than the very dedes that a man doeth yf ye do perceyue those workes to be worthy for God whiche ye haue seen me dooâ— they beare sufficient witnesse of me that I doe nothyng of my selfe but by hym whiche for your saluacion hath sente me into the worlde wherfore ye haue no cause whereby to excuse your infidelitie and diminishe my credence as who sayeth I alonely were myne owne witnesse and did declare great thynges of my selfe Ye haue Iohns witnes whiche among you is muche regarded and taken to be very weightie howbeit in dede he rather nedeth my witnesse lesâ—e he seme to haue borne false witnes Ye haue the testimonie of my workes so that nowe ye nede not to beleue any mannes sayinges when ye looke vpon the dedes themselfe And if all this dooe not satisfie your vnbeliefe yet haue ye hearde at Iordane the voice of my father from aboue bearing witnes of me But yet my father forasmuche as he is a spirite neither hathe voice whiche maye be perceyued with mannes eares nor fourme or shape that maye bee seen with bodely iyes For Moses did neyther heare him nor see hym in the veraye fourme of his owne mere nature as you suppose he did Onely his sonne hath seen hym and heard him after that sorte â–ª yet neuertheles he hath made himselfe knowen to your senses by some kynde of voyce and thorowe some manner of fourme He spake to the Prophetes and by the Prophetes hath spoken to you He hath spoken to Iohn and by Iohn to you but vnto me he hath spoken as he is of his owne very nature and by me he speaketh vnto you If ye can make no excuse but that Iohn did beare playne manifest witnesse why do ye not beleue hym If ye thinke that God in very dede did speake and was seen of Moses and the Prophetes wherfore do ye not credite those thynges which he hath spoken by them ¶ Searche the scriptures for in them ye thinke ye haue eternall lyfe And they are they whiche testifie of me and yet will ye not come to me that ye mighte haue lyfe I receyue not prayse of men but I knowe you that ye haue nor the loue of God in you I am come in my fathers name and ye receyue me not if an other come in his owne name him will ye receiue Howe can ye beleue whiche receiue honour one of another and seke not the honour that cummeth of God Do not thinke that I will accuse you to my father There is one that accuseth you euen Moses in whome ye truste For had ye beleued Moses ye would haue beleued me for he wrote of me but yf ye beleue not his wrytynges howe shall ye beleue my woordes Uerely ye beleue that the scriptures are come from God and albeit you do diligentely occupie your selues in searchyng of them and put the â—ope and felicitie of your lyfe in them yet euen as ye would not beleue Iohn to whom in other thynges ye gaue very great credite when he bare witnes of me so you beleue not the very scriptures in that whiche is the chiefe poynte of all for they promyse life but through me The father doeth there beare witnesses of me and promiseth that he wil send his sonne by whom men shall be saued But as ye haue heard Iohn and not beleued hym and also the voice of the father and not geuen credite vnto it so neither the witnesse of the lawe nor of the Prophetes sticketh in your myndes And although ye haue theyr bookes euer in your handes and their woordes alwaye in your mouthes yet doe ye reiecte hym whome those scâ—iptures dooe promyse and doe not beleue hym whome the father hath sent accordyng to the promyses of the Prophetes and wheras there is none other entrie into life but by me who hathe been approued to you by so manye testimonies yet ye wyll not forsake all thing and come to me wherby ye maie obtain life withoute difficultie For the gate and entrie of saluacion is to haue beleued the sonne whoÌ„ the father sent There is no cause why I should seke for worldlye glory amonges you by the testimonie of Iohn or the Prophetes but I am sory for youre destruccion whiche through your incredulitie dooe in maner enuye your owne saluacion And besides that I leaue you no maner of excuse to make for your selfe if you will not beleue for I haue brought foorth thus manye witnesses whiche in other thynges be of veray great auctoritie among you and onelye in matters concernyng me for whose cause all thynges wer written and spokeÌ„ ye doe not alowe them ye pretende to wurship and loue God ye haue the prophetes in reuerence by whom he spake and yet you do despise him which was promised of God and doeth declare himselfe by his workes what he is This is a playne argument that ye wurship God with counterfaicte holynes and that ye loue not God in dede whom the lawe commaundeth you to loue with all the power of your soule and your streÌ„gth inasmuche as ye contemne and regarde not his sonne Therfore your infidelitie is not for wante of witnesses but for lacke of true loue towardes God You loue worldly glory you loue money â–ª you loue pleasures and to get these thynges you misuse your selues with false pretence of religion But ye persecute the sonne of God because he teacheth those thynges whiche be contrary to these your wicked desyres albeit his reachyng agreeth with the will of the father These thynges declare that ye loue not god with your herte For he whiche loueth doeth also beleue and obeye and whoso loueth the father cannot hate his moste entierly beloued sonne In lyke maner he that loueth the sender cannot mislyke and contemne the messanger specially consideryng I couet neither glory kyngdome nor richesse among meÌ„ but onely the glory of my father And also I couet that to th entent you maye be saued You see workes wurthy for God and yet I doe not ascribe the worldlye prayse to my selfe but to my father who worketh by me Therfore although ye would â—eme religiously to wurship my father yet ye do not receyue me who am come in his name and doe none other thyng but that whiche he hath prescribed vnto me And looke howe peruersely you do discredite me who cummyng in my fathers name do freely offer lyfe and saluacion euen so fondely shall ye beleue whosoeuer cummeth in his owne name presumpteously takyng vpon hym the glory of God and therewith attendeth his owne busines and not Gods bringyng suche thyngâ—s vnto you as maye leade you into eternal death If ye loue God why do ye murmure and crie out agaynst him that seketh his glory If ye loue euerlastyng lyfe why
and deceitfull waiter that neither he refused the name of the sonne of God nor yet hymselfe to be ouercome with hungre after the common sorte of men And because he woulde not take vpon hym to aunswere of his owne authoritie he layeth vnto hym a manifest scripture saying It is written in the Deuteronomi Man shall not lyue onely of bread but of euery worde that cummeth out of the mouthe of God Than the deuyll taketh hym into the holy citie and setteth hym vpon a Pynnacle of the temple and sayeth vnto hym if thou be the sonne of god caste thy selfe do downe backewarde For it is wryten he shall geue his aungels charge ouer the and with theyr handes they shall holde the vp leste at any tyme thou dashe tâ—y foote agaynst a stone And Iesus saide to hym Agayne it is wrytten Thou shalte not tempte the Lorde thy God Than Satan beeyng eluded and shaken of with this doubtful answere doeth euen of his partye also abuse the woordes of scripture to dooe hurte and myschiefe And as he deceyued the fyrste parente of mankinde with the baite of ambicion promysyng hym eguall honor and immortalitie wyth God by a lyke guyle assaylyng the lorde he toke hym vp into the holy citie and whan he had sette hym vpon the hygh Pinnacle of the temple he exhorted him if he were the very sonne of God that he woulde fal doune hedlong alleagyng that he could take no harme by so dooyng For God hymself had thus promysed in the mistical psalme He wil geue his aungels coÌ„maundement and charge ouer the and they shal take the in theyr haÌ„des lest thou shouldest hurt thy foote at any stone But the lord Iesus laiyng scripture against him again geueth a secrete vnderstandyng howe peruersâ—y he wrested the sence of the holy scripture Contraryewyse ê™ he it is wryten in the Deuteronomie Thou shalt not tempt the lorde thy God For scripture doeth exhorte vs to this poyncte that whan aduersitye and daunger is at hande we should haue a good hope trustyng vpoÌ„ the helpe of god and not put our selues rashely in daunger The miracles of godlye men be not tryed by sekyng of perylles but by auoydyng daungers whan they chaunce For it is no godly poyncte for to caste a man headlong into the ryuer that by deliuering of hym thou mayest seme to be a man of great feates but it is a godly thing to plucke out him that by chaunce is falleÌ„ in Nor miracles be not to be donne for euery thing nor emongest all men Iesus would not once vouchsafe to speake before Herode â–ª who was desirouse of suche thynges muche lesse would he showe any signe or token of hys godly power at the requeste of Satan So often as charitie inspired with the holy gost desyreth it so often as the glory of God requireth it the power of God is to be shewed abrode Agayne the deiuil taketh him vp into a very high hil showeth him al the kingdomes of the world and the glory of them sayeth vnto hym all these wil I geue the yf thou wylte fall downe and worshyp me Than sayeth Iesus vnto hym auoid Satan For it is writen Thou shalt worshyp the lorde thy God and hym only serue Than the deiuill leaueth hym And beholde the aungels came and ministred vnto hym Nowe to thintente that Christe myght teache suche as be his not to geue themselues to a careles securitie after they hadde the hygher hande once or twyse but alwayes to kepe watche and to be in a redinesse for all assaultes of Sathan he suffred also the thirde tyme thinportune assailing of the temptour who as he deceyued the fyrst Adam with the bayte of curiositie and auaryce promising hym the knowlege of good and euyll so in likewyse he setteth vpon the latter Adam and toke him from the pinacle of the temple and ledde hym into a verye hygh hyll where he might loke at libertye farre and wyde and see all the kyngdomes of the worlde and the woondrefull glorye and pompe of eche of them Surely he knewe by experience of other menne that there was nothing so wicked and sinful but they woulde take it in hande to obtayne rule and dominion But albeit God is the authour maker of al thynges in heauen and yearth the deuil hath no title nor interest in them vnlesse he hath viciated defiled any thing yet as though he were lorde ouer all he is not affrayed thus to speake vnto Chryste I will geue the al these kyngdomes if thou wylte fall downe and honour me O blynde impietie The vngracious spirite promyseth an other mans gooddes and asketh honour due vnto god onely But Iesus who hitherto tooke the reproche of hymselfe wel in worth cannot beare his fathers ignomynie Hence Sathan ê™ he Thy counsel is farre from the doctryne of holy scripture The scripture sayeth Thou shalte adoure the lorde thy God and him onely shalt thou serue After that the deiuil had tempted hym by these and lyke other wayes finding hym alwayes to be valiaunte and an inuincible chaÌ„pion agaynst all inuencions ingins he left hym at last beyng disapoyncted of his purpose two wayes Fyrst in that he perceyued that Christ was inuincible Secondly where as he came to searche whether he was the sonne of God or no he departed more vncertayne then he came Thys conflicte was made in the syght of God and hys Aungelles the whiche the lorde Iesus woulde not haue vnknowen vnto his to thyntent we myght knowe with what a cumberous enemy we should haue to doe with what wages and rewardes he would styrre and prouoke ignoraunt vnware myndes And this did he not that we should dispayre but that we should diligeÌ„tly watch take good hede Christe ouercame hym to shewe vnto vs that he was vincible taught vs how we also myght geat victorye of hym Finally he ouercame for vs and not for hymselfe purposyng by vs to ouercome thesame if we deserue to haue hym presente with vs. And by vs he shall heare Christe saye Hence Sathan and he shall feare the seruauntes of him of whome he was ouercumme Further-like as in worldly warre thinges haue theyr course and ordre and labours bee eased with rest sorofull thynges with pleasaunt and after fore conflictes triumphes be made so in the warre of Christe sore stormes of tentacion be mitigated with myrthe and ioyfulnes After the cumberouse frowardenes of the filthye spirite by and by the Aungelles be ready to serue wait vpon Christ the conquerour Surelye this exaumple teacheth vs howe in aduersitie we shoulde staye oure mynde with hope of better trustyng vpon the goodnesse of god whiche so doethe ordre al thinges that nowe than he doeth exercise and proue the valiauntnes of his warriers with trouble and aduersitie and agayne wyth sum solace dothe prouoke them to reioysyng and thankes geuyng whiche is the tryumphe of Christen men And in affliccions thorowe the helpe of God
alone that maketh all thynges holy forsoth ye vnderstand that corporall enoyntyng must ceasse the priesthood of the lawe together with the oblacions and sacrifices of thesame to be abrogated For Iesus was neuer enoynted with thatsame holy oyntement which the lawe did veray scrupulously teache for to make threatenyng death vnto those persones whosoeuer had couÌ„trefeited or practised the lyke confeccioÌ„ or had applied thesame â—nto any secular vses For the enoynting of the body maketh nothyng at all â—o the effecte or purpose of the priestes but that it was a signe of the spirituall enoynting wherwith Christe was enoynted accordyng as I recited erewhyle out of the prophecie The spirite of God is vpon me for the Lorde hath enoynted me Wherunto the psalmiste Dauid accordeth speaking of Messias Therfore the God thy God hath enoyncted thee with the oyle of gladnesse aboue all thy compiers What the Prophete promised ye sawe perfourmed whaÌ„ Iesus was baptised in fluime Iordane For the holy ghoste came in a visible lykenesse and lighted on the toppe of his head and the voice of the father was heard who had enoynted his soÌ„ne with the oyle of gladnesse aboue the Prophetes and Patriarkes yea and aboue all mortall creatures whiche eyther in tyme past haue been or nowe at this present be or herafter shal be This heauenly and spirituall enoyntyng hath sette an ende to the priestehood of Moses institutyng whiche thyng Daniel doeth forthwith clerely bryng in sayinge And in the middes of the weke hostes sacrifice shall faill Neyther any other thyng it was that God ment speakyng by Esai as one whose stomake arose and stode against their corporall sacrifices of beastes What care I for the multitude of your killyng of sacrifices sayeth the Lorde I am full The burnt sacrifices of wethers and the greace of the fatte beastes and the bloud of calfes and lambes and goates I will none of Nowe ferthermore Daniel did he not manifestly foreshewe the destruccion throwyng downe of the citie of Hierusalem to gether with the Temple therof And dyd not Christe prophecie thesame vnto his disciples with wepyng iyes lamenting and bewailyng the wofull case and extremitie of thesame citie people For it grieued God already beeyng as he is spirituall and made him wery to enhabite a temple made and built vp with the handes of man He was nothyng delited with the offreynges of beastes slain in sacrifice He founde a misse and a lacke of an other citie on whiche thatsame name Hierusalem myght truely light he missed and wanted an other temple mete for hym to dwell in builded of himselfe consecrated and hallowed with his owne spirite other sacrifices oblacions an other nacion circumcised in herte on whom the name of Israel might truly agree Nowe is there nothing of perpetual coÌ„tinuaunce that may be seen with bodily iyes thynges that are not seen are euerlasting and therfore mete semely for God who is eternitie selfe neuer to haue end But yet these shadowes of thinges visible were geueÌ„ for a time to the grosse and vntrained people to the ende they might one daye in processe of tyme by these fyrste introduccions growe and procede forwarde to thynges of the minde But Iesus whose stomake stode muche against aswel the citie as also the temple and the nacion and the sacrifices of the olde lawe doeth by the Prophetes declare euidently enough what maner thynges he wished from thensforth to haue in stede of these others nowe rehersed Haue ye not read what Esai wrote of the heauenly Hierusalem Thou shalt sayth he from hensforth be called the citie of the righteous man the feithfull citie Sion shall be redemed in iudgemente and they shall bryng hir home again in righteousnesse Ye heare a new buildyng of the citie whiche is the churche or congregacion built vp of liuyng stones the corner stone wherof and the foundacion wherof is veray Christe himselfe And this is the stone whom the prophecie of the mistical Psalme did signifie where it sayeth The stone whiche the builders refused and cast asyde thesame is made to be the head stone of the corner And ye haue heard Christ himselfe obiecting the testimonie of this scripture vnto the Phariseis who attempted and did the best they could to cast aside the stone which God had choseÌ„ Yea and of thissame stone an other Prophete also maketh mencion I shall lay in the foundacion of Sion a stone approued and tryed a corner stone a stone of price founded in the foundacion And did not the tune of Christes woordes wheÌ„ he liued agree with the woordes of thys prophecie at what tyme he propouned a parable of an house builded vpoÌ„ a sounde rocke of stone which house no violent blaste or rage of wyndes or waters could be hable to plucke out of his place wherin veraily he signified himselfe to be the fouÌ„dacion of the churche against whom no not yâ— gates of hell are hable to preuaill as he did one day freely promise vnto his disciple Peter SalomoÌ„ builded a teÌ„ple at HierusaleÌ„ according to the appoyntement and ordeinaunce of Moses But lyke as he beeyng a peacefull kyng did beare the image and figure of Messias who restored a perpetuall peace and atonemente for euer betwene God and man so the sayed Temple being built vp with mannes labour conteined the figure of the Temple wherof Christe himselfe was the builder a chiefe workeman as the Lord many yeres agon spake by his Prophete Nathan vnto Dauid as ye reade in the secound boke of the kinges Thou shalt not be he that shalt builde me an house to dwell in but I shall reise thy sede after the whiche shall come forth of thy wombe he shall builde vp an house to my name and I shall establish his throne euen for euer and euer And verayly that the woordes whiche spoken by the sayed Prophete doe not agree to be spoken of Salomon euen this poynte though there were nothyng els doeth plainly proue and conuince because in Salomons throne euen nowe at this present daie there sit straunge borne aliens and all the whole people of the Iewes shall shortely be dispersed and scattred abrode into all nacions of the worlde The saied house which Salomon built in Hierusalem was a buisie thyng with slaughter of beastes with fumigacions with washynges and veray troubleous with perfumes But this house whiche Christe hath builded is made acceptable through faith inuisible this house knoweth no ende For the Prophete in thesame place afore alleged speaketh in this maner And faithfull shall thy house be and thy kyngdome euen for euer before my face and thy throne or seate shal be firmely established for euer These promisses are the vainest of the worlde and the moste full of lyes yf they be taken according as the lettre renneth to concerne Salomon or Dauid eyther For Dauid he deadly foiled his kyngdome with aduoutrie coupled with murdre and Salomon was through the
he had caryed tofore sayed vnto them Why dooe ye yet feare me as the sight of a ghoste seeyng that ye playnly beholde me with your iyes and knowe my fauour of olde and seeyng that ye heare my voyce beyng acquainted and familiar vnto you yet neuerthelesse dooe thoughtes of vnbelief mystrustyng aryse yet still in your hertes euen suche like as are woont to come commonly in mēnes myndes Satisfie ye euery one of your senses vieu and beholde you my hādes my feete they haue manifest prientes of the nailes touche handle ye my syde it hathe the gashe of the speare fele ye my bodye come nerer me with your iyes leaue ye suspectyng of any spirite For a ghoste hath neither fleashe nor bones as ye see that I haue That I entred in hither the doores beeyng shutte that whan my wyll is I am seen and whan my will is I am inuisible it is not any blyndyng of mennes iyes by any sleyght but the gifte of the body beyng now made immortall And euen suche lyke shal your body also be after the resurreccion Whan the lorde had by suche woordes as these taken awaye the feare from thē and had put them in a comforte he shewed foorth vnto them his handes and his feete to be viewed he opened his side that they might handle the manifest dientes of the woundes For it was the lordes pleasure to reserue thesame to the entente that by those euidēt tokens he might than emong his disciples perfectly auouche the trueth of his humain bodye and also that he maye in tyme to come at the laste daie of iudgement enbraide to the Iewes their vnbelief accordyng to the prophecie which sayeth They shall see in whom they haue perced and made holes Nowe wheras some there wer yet still which did not plainly belieue it to bee thesame bodye that they had seen dead but were in case that a certain inebriacion as ye would saye of drounkenship or gladnesse did so holde theyr myndes that they did neither perfectly beleue theyr owne iyes nor theyr eares nor theyr handes for oft tymes we be afeard to belieue the thyng whiche we doe rather then our liues wishe to be true as men fearing leste we should caste our selues into some fooles paradise or false ioye wherof to bee anon after depriued again Iesus vouchesaluyng with all tokens of euidence to bee a Phisician to their vnbelief because there should no spiece of the lyke mistrustfulnesse remaine in vs saied Haue ye any thyng here that maie be eaten For none there is a more vndoubted token or prouf of a man to be aliue then yf thesame take meate And therfore Iesus willed meate to be geuen to the damisell whā she was called again to life sembleably also vnto Lazarus not that we shall fele any hūger after that we be reised agayn to immortalitie but because he woulde as that presēt tyme requyred confirme and make euidente vnto his disciples the veritie of his humain body There wer present at that tyme in the same place a good nūber of his disciples and yet was there but veraye small prouision of viandrye Therfore that that they had they bryng foorth whiche was a morsell of fishe that had been bruiled and a honey combe Than Iesus in the sight of them al eate parte of the thinges whiche were set before hym And he sayed vnto them These are the woordes whiche I spake vnto you whyle I was yet with you that all must nedes be fulfilled whiche were written of me in the lawe of Moses and in the Prophetes and in the Psalmes Than opened he theyr wittes that they might vnderstande the scryptures and sayed vnto them Thus it is written and thus it behoued Christe to suffer and to aryse agayn from death the thyrde day and that repentaunce and remissyon of sinnes shoulde bee preached in hys name emong all nacions and muste beginne at Hierusalem And ye are witnesses of these thynges And beholde I will sende the promisse of my father vpon you But tarye ye in the citie of Hierusalem vntyll ye bee endowed with power from on high And whan he had nowe made all theyr senses perfectely to belieue that he was no sighte of any ghoste but a verai and a liuyng man euen thesame whō they had tofore seen bothe liuing and also dying he taketh recourse vnto the holy scriptures wherunto there ought credite to bee geuen although the sēses of man should neuer so muche crye against it Ye ought not sayeth he to meruaill at the thynges whiche ye see to haue been doen. The scripture cannot lye forasmuche as it hath been wrytten by the inspiracion of the holy ghoste Whatsoeuer thyng hath hitherto been doen thesame had been foreshewed and prefigurate afore in the bokes of Moses in the prophetes and in the psalmes For euen I am veray he whom the figures of Moses lawe did signifie I am the man of whom the holy prophetes promised so many thynges and it is I whose first springyng vp whose progression or goyng foreward and whose cōsummacion the misticall psalmes doe describe And with no lesse trueth shall all the rest of thynges also bee perfourmed which haue in thesame scriptures been foreshewed concernyng my returnyng into heauen concernyng the spirite of God to be sent who after that this bodye of myne shal be taken awaye from you shall make you the more stedfast concernyng the ghospell to bee spredde throughout the whole vniuersall worlde and concernyng the laste ende of this worlde These are the thynges whiche I did so many tymes labour to beate into your heades whan hauyng yet a mortall bodye subiect vnto death I lyued conuersaunt emong you beeyng also mortall At that tyme had not the premisses setled in your hertes now can ye not any longer doubte whan ye see my sayinges to agree with the misticall scriptures and the cummyng to passe or sequele of thynges to agree with them bothe Hitherto as the tyme hath required I haue tendrelye borne with the weakenesse of your fleashe and I haue with grosse proufes laied the trueth of matiers before you From hensforthe growe ye forewarde to a spiritual vnderstandyng of the scriptures There shal ye frō henceforth see me there shall ye heare me And because the misticall bokes are not vnderstanded excepte God open our mynde and reason Iesus opened vnto them the iyes of theyr herte that thei might reade belieue and vnderstād that was written in the scripture For no man doeth vnderstande scripture but he that dooeth beleue it In this ordre sayed Iesus it hath semed good vnto my father to restore mankynde And the thyng whiche he had decreed hath ben set forthe by his inspiracion in bookes of holy scripture The selfe same thyng hath been foreshewed by me before it was doen neither was it possible that it should any otherwyse come to passe because the determinacions of God are immutable and the holy scriptures can as litle
they ought to thanke for theyr saluacion They knowe of whom to bee succoured and whome to leane to They doe depende vpon thee I praye for them I praye not for the worlde but for them whiche thou hast geuen me for they are thyne And all myne are thyne and thine are myne and I am glorifyed in them And nowe I am not in the worlde and they are in the worlde and I come to thee Holye father kepe thorowe thyne owne name them whiche thou hast geuen me that they also maye be one as we are Whyles I was with them in the worlde I kepte them in thy name Those that thou gauest me haue I kepte and none of them is loste but that loste chylde that the scripture might be fulfylled Therefore I praye for them whome beyng withdrawen out of the worlde thou wouldest shoulde be thine and my prayer is that thy goodnes would stablyshe and make the thyng perpetually theyr owne which thou haste begun in them I do not nowe praye for the worlde which being blynded in euyl desyres doeth stubbernly oppugne and reclayme agaynste my doctrine hauyng enuie at theyr owne saluacion when it is freely offred them I praye for them whom thou hast committed to my tuicion because thei be not of this worlde but thine and agaynst the malyce of the deuill they cannot be in sauetie but by thy continuall ayde I therefore o father commende them to thee that it maye please thee to let them be alwaye thyne lyke as I am perpetually thyne for euer And therfore are they myne because they bee thyne For betwene vs are all thynges common For whatsoeuer is myne thesame is also thyne And whatsoeuer is thine thesame is also myne And like as thou arte honoured and glorifyed by my doctryne among menne so am I glorifyed by the beliefe of these whiche sticke vnto me constauntly when as the Phariseis and the scribes stāde obstinately in the deniall therof For these shall after a sorte succede me in offyce and come into my roume and after that I be takē a way out of this world they shall make bothe thy name and myne to be of famouse memorye throughout all the worlde I haue played the preachers parte and dooen my funccion and office therein wherein these shall succede me and come to lyke offyce And nowe am I not in the worlde whiche I do furth with leaue and goe out of it but yet these abyde styll in the worlde in my steade to disperse abrode throughout all nacions of the worlde that whiche they haue learned of me But I leauyng them behynde me come whole to thee O holy father kepe and preserue them in preachyng of thy name whome thou gauest me to teache and so kepe them that they maye preache and teache those thynges which thou haste wylled me to preache and whiche thynges I haue taughte obeying thy wyll in all thynges And this do that as I neuer went from thy commaundementes but in all thynges haue agreed and consented to thy wyll so bothe the doctrine of these and also theyr lyfe do neuer dissent frō myne For so shall our name be truely glorifyed by them yf as we agreyng within ourselues do bothe the one and the other glorifie eche other so euen these neuer dissentyng from vs doe make our name famouse all the worlde thorowe For whatsoeuer they haue taught and doen ▪ because it shall be perceyued to haue come from vs it shall therfore redound and be referred to the prayse and glorie of our name As long as I lyued in theyr company familiarly as a man with men I was diligente to kepe them as thyne and as men that thou haste put me in truste withall euē with bodely seruice and doynges also and I haue reteyned and continued thē hitherto in league with vs. So manye as thou gauest me haue I faythfullye kepte safe and neuer one of this couente or felowship hath perished except one whiche though he lyued in my companye yet was he none of myne but borne to damnacion whiche hymselfe through his owne faulte willinglye called for and occasioned to fall vpon hym For I omitted nothyng that should haue reuoked him and haue brought him to better mynde And this thyng truely dyd not happē by casualtie but holy scripture dyd long tyme before shewe it should come to passe that a familiar and a companion of householde shoulde betraye to death his owne lorde and Maister Notwithstandyng throughe thy godlye deuise and diuine prouidence it is come to effecte and purpose that also this mannes death and damnacion shall be profitable and do good to the publique healthe and saluacion of the whole worlde synce that by hym is procured the thyng without whiche saluacion coulde not be had and sithe also an example is gotten thereby whiche ought to counsayle and admonishe euery man to abyde constantly and to perceyuer in the thyng that he hath once begunne and taken in hande leste he by his owne folie turne to his owne vtter destruccion and cause of his owne damnacion that thyng whiche by the mere bountie and free goodnes of God was geuen hym to obteyne thereby eternall health and saluacion Nowe come I to thee and these wordes speake I in the world that they might haue my ioye full in them I haue geuen them thy worde and the world hath hated them because they are not of the worlde euen as I also am not of the worlde I desyre not that thou shouldeste take them out of the worlde But that thou kepe them from euill They are not of the worlde as I also am not of the worlde Sanctifie them thorow thy trueth Thy worde is the trueth As thou dyddest sende me into the worlde euen so haue I also sent them into the worlde and for theyr sakes sanctifie I my selfe that they also might be sanctified thorowe the trueth But nowe lyke as these matters are dooen by thy eternall wisedome and iudgement euen accordyng as thou wouldest haue it so I now after I haue finished the thynges that thou commaundedst me do leaue the worlde and come to thee But I that shall go hence do in the meane while speake these thynges vnto thee not that I am any thyng doubtfull of thy wyll but that I maye by this prayer comforte and stablishe my disciples to the entent they maye vnderstand how that thou wilt care and prouide for them after that they shall wante the presence and sight of my body and that they maye also put awaye sorowfull pensiuenesse for that they knowe howe that I shall lyue agayne and so theyr ioye to be soone renued agayne when they haue sene me risen from death to life and in conclusion after they haue seene me taken vp into heauen and they to haue receiued that heauēly spirite the holy ghost one that shal be both in steade of thee and me they maye conceyue and receyue no temporall or vnperfite ioye whiche maye ryse by the sight of my body when it is
read I saye this superscripcion and sum knewe well the name of Iesus of Nazareth And howe litle he desyred any worldly kyngdome many had truâ— knowledge whiche had seen hym hyde hymselfe when he shoulde haue been drawen by force to a kyngdome That very kyng whiche was promysed by the prophetes and whome the Iewes call Messias was of very truthe loked for among all the Iewes And althoughe Pilate was ouersene herein yet vnawares he gaue hym that tytle which dyd moste demonstrate notise to all folke who he was that hong vpon the crosse For of very trueth that selfe kynge of kynges honge there crucifyed whiche by his deathe dyd vanquishe the tirannye of the deuyll Thou oughtest to call it rather the token and banner of victorie than a crosse Thoughe all thynge semed full of shame and rebuke to the byshops scribes and to the Phariseis yet this intitleing and superscripcion did greue theyr myndes because it was more honorablye set out than they woulde haue had it So great was the desyre of the wycked to abolysh a name to the which onely all glory of the whole world ought to be geuen And therefore they treate and common with the president of chaungeing the title and that it should not be written the king of the Iewes but that he dyd vsurpe and vniustly take vpon hym that name But the presydent notwithstandyng that euen then vnawares he dyd pronosticate what should folow that is to were that the profession of that healthfull name whiche the Iewes falsely denyed should departe thence to the redy beleuyng Gentiles that is to saye to the true Iewes in dede yet I saye this notwithstanding and that also heretofore he did condescende and folowe theyr malyce the presydente woulde not alter and chaunge the title but sayeth that I haue wrytten I haue wrytten For because it was in verie deed to the commoditie and profit of all folke that Christe shoulde be put to death and agayne also it was for all mennes weale that his name should be of most fame and renoume thorowe the whole worlde by the profession whereof saluacion shoulde bee brought to all folke Than the souldiers when they had crucified Iesus they toke hys garmentes and made â—ower partes to euery souldier a parte and also his coate The coate was without seame wrought vpon throughout They sayed therfore among themselues let vs not diuide it but cast lottes for it who shall haue it That the scrypture myght be fulfylled saying They parted my rayment among them and for my coate dyd they calle lottes And the souldiers dyd suche thynges in dede There stoode by the crosse of Iesus his mother and his mothers sister Mary the wife of Cleophas and Mary Magdalene when Iesus therfore sawe his mother and the disciple standyng whome he loued he sayeth vnto his mother Woman beholde thy sonne Than sayed he to the disciple Beholde thy mother and from that houre the disciple toke her for his owne Nowe therefore when the Lorde Iesus was nayled as the maner was all naked vnto the crosse and the foresayed superscripcion aboue his heade the souldiers that crucified hym accordyng to the vsage parted among them Iesus garmentes For this thyng came to them as amendes and reward for theyr paynes taking And forasmuche as they were fower in noumbre they so deuided the resydue of his garmentes saue his coate by cause they were made of soundrye pieces and sowed together that euery manne had hys parte porcionately But than his coate or iacket a garmeÌ„t verely whiche was more inner and nere his bodye no sewed garment but so wouen from thouer hem to the lower that beyng leusyd or rypte it woulde haue been good for nothinge and nought wourth Therefore the souldiers thought good that it shoulde bee kept whole vncut and that sum one of them shoulde haue the whole iacket to whose lotte it should chaunce But not withstandynge that the souldiers dyd these thinges of a prophane mynde and of a worldlye purpose yet vnawares they fulfylled in their so doyng the prophecies of the Prophetes that hereby also he might haue bene knowen to bee he of whome the holy ghoste had spoken in the Psalmes thus they haue deuyded myne apparel amonge theÌ„ and caste lottes vpon my garmentes And these thinges perdye the souldiers did whiles yet the Lord honge vpon the crosse alyue But there stoode by the crosse of Iesus Mary his mother associate with her syster Marye the daughter of Cleophas and Marie Magdalene Therefore Iesus lokynge from the crosse vpon his mother and castynge his iye withall vpon the disciple whom he loued more familiarly than the reste to thentente that as his clothes beyng distributed he lefte no worldly substaunce behynde him so he woulde leaue vpoÌ„ earthe no worldly or mannes affeccion Iesus I saye turned towardes his mother and sayed Woman beholde that thy sonne poyntynge with a nod of his head and with a wincke of his iye to the disciple And turning furthwith to the disciple sayeth Beholde thy mother And verily from that tyme the sayd disciple bore a very soÌ„nes mynde and affectioÌ„ toward the mother of Iesus and toke the whole charge and care of her After these thinges Iesus knowyng that all thinges were now perfourmed that the scripture myght be fulfilled he sayeth I thirst So there stoode a vessell by ful of vinegre therfore they filled a sponge with vinegre and wounde it about with Isope putte it to his mouthe Assone as Iesus receyued of the vynegre he sayd it is finished bowed his heade and gaue vp the ghoste When these thinges were doen and Iesus knew that nothing wanted perteyning to a lawfull sacrifice yet to bryng therunto and to accomplyshe the Prophetes saying where he sayeth They gaue me gall to eate and when I was thirstye they gaue me vinegre to drinke he cried from the crosse I am athirst For a trueth suche as dye in this kynde of death are wonte to be sore greued with vehement thirst by reason that through the woundes of the body the bloude is exhaust and cleane draweÌ„ out And euen this now too did much proue and declare him to be a very man to be oute of doubte punyshed to his great payne Now thaÌ„ a vessel full of vinegre stoode there at haÌ„d which was wont to be reached vp geuen to theÌ„ that were athirste to make them the sooner dye The souldiers therfore fylled a sponge with vinegre wouÌ„de it about with ysope and helde it to his mouthe But as sone as Iesus had tasted the vinegre he saied It is finished signifying that the sacrifice was rightely doen and accomplyshed accordynge to his fathers wyll and byanby he bowed his héade and gaue vp the ghoste The Iewes therfore bicause it was the preparing of the Sabbothe that the bodies should not remayne on the crosse on the Sabboth day for the Sabboth day was an hye day besought By late that their legges might be brokeÌ„ and that they might
gospel was wel forward there he thought it best to depart for a season and to geue place to the furious rageyng of the Iewes And so takyng his leaue of yâ— brethren he appoynted to sayle into Siria hauyng Aquila with hym and his wyfe Priscilla And forasmuche as Paul perceyued that the Iewes were most moued because that he a man borne vnder the Iewes lawe semed to sette no store by the tradicions of the lawe before he toke shyppyng at Cenchrea whiche is the hauen at Corinthe he shore his heade makyng a solemne vowe accordyng as the custome was among the Iewes He did not this craftily to colour or to feigne with them but he had regarde vnto charitie that they should not be offended For â—is desyre was to wynne theym all to the gospell and therfore did he frame himselfe to al mennes appetites as nere as he could to th entent that he myght wynne them all to Christ. Emong the Iewes he ordred himselfe as a Iewe and whan he was emonge those that were not circumcised he also behaued himselfe as a man vncircumcised But thus bare he with them for a space because they were so wedded to supersticion that they could not easely bee plucked from it vntyll suche tyme as the trueth of the gospell myght more clerely spryng abrode For to make a vowe and to shere thy head vpon thesame is not that thinge whiche of it selfe is euyll but to put confidence in suche Iewyshe ceremonies is damnable And in like manier circumcision hurteth not a man that beleueth in Christe neyther yet to be vncircumcised in whiche matier at a tyme it is the parte of charitie to geue place vntyl a man see oportunitie and in suche wyse as whan he shall haue oportunitie he speake against thesame But in all other matiers that of themselues are nought we must not geue place to any mannes weakenesse For Paul neuer bare with the Gentiles in any matier of coÌ„mitting aduoutrye or wurshyppyng Idolles but in famyliar conuersacion together in neglecting choyse of meates in cityng or allegeyng their Poetes sometyme he bare with them So firste they arryued at Ephesus whiche is a citie vpon the sea syde in the lesse Asia whiche properly and without any other addicion had wonte to be called Asia There he lefte Aquila and Priscilla who were desirous to tarye and to dwell at Ephesus And himselfe entring into the Sinagoge of the Iewes that dwelte there disputed with theym Of whom whan he was desired to continue there a great while he excused hymselfe and toke his leaue of them and puttyng them in hope that he woulde shortely see theim agayne he coumforted them in this wise There is no remedy I muste nedes kepe this feaste that is nowe at hande in Hierusalem but I wyll returne agayne vnto you by goddes grace Whan he had spoken these wordes he departed from Ephesus and sayled towardes Hierusalem and whan he hadde arryued at Cesarea a cytie in yâ— countrey of Palestine he wente vp to Hierusalem and saluted the congregacion From thence he toke his iourney to Antioche that is in Syria After he had taried there a while he wente forewarde on his iourney that he had begon goyng ouer all the countrey of Galacia and Phrigia confirmyng the disciples fayth in euery place wheresoeuer he mette with any assembly of them Thus carefull was Paule for hys flocke that he had wonne to Christe ¶ And a certayne Iewe named Appollos borne at Alexandria came to Ephesus an eloquent man myghtie in the scriptures The same was enformed in yâ— way of yâ— lorde and spake reuerently in the spirite taught diligently the thinges of the lorde knewe but the baptisme of Iohn only And thesame began to speake boldly in the Sinagoge WhoÌ„ whan Priscilla Aquila had heard they toke him vnto them expouÌ„ded vnto him the way of God more perfectly And wheÌ„ he was disposed to go into Achaia yâ— brethreÌ„ wrot eâ—hortyng the disciples to receyue hym Whiche when he was cum helped them muche which beleued through grace For he ouercame the Iewes mightilye that openly shewing vp the scripture that Iesus was Christ. In the meane space one Apollos an Alexandrian borne but one that kepte the Iewes religion a man that was well learned and had good knowlege of holy scriptures came to Ephesus where as Paul had left Priscilla Aquila This Apollos was halfe a christen man For he had learned the rudimentes and first rewles of the ghospel of the christen men and wyth feruente desire he dyd communicate thesame to others that himself had learned and suche thynges as he knewe of Iesus before that he the sayed Apollos was christened with Christes baptisme wherby grace was more pleÌ„tifully geuen he taught diligentlye but as yet he knewe not the sayed baptisme of Christe but knewe onely the baptysme of Iohn wherby penaunce was taught and preached This Apollos beyng not yet fully enstructed in those thinges that Christ had taught thought that sufficiente Whome whan Priscilla and Aquila hearde boldely speake of Iesus but yet in suche sorte that they well perceyued hym to bee not fully instructed in the principles of the gospell and seeyng hym endued with so many good qualities that as it appered he woulde bee an excellent preacher and setter foorth of Christes name they toke hym home with them and seuerallye taught him more perfectly the misteries of the ghospell according to the doctrine that Paul had taught them before They refused not him to be a teacher whiche thoughe he were diligent yet was not perfecte and he on the other syde disdayned not to be monished of any manne what euer he were They gaue exaumple in so doyng that suche oughte gently to be holpen forwardes in whome any hope of doyng well remayneth Agayne here is an exaumple that we muste gladly learne of any man suche thynges the knowlege wherof cannot be let passe without perill of damnacion Apollos was christened in the name of Iesus and receyued the holy ghoste But than afterwardes he was desyrous to go into Achaia where as Corinthe is to the ende that he myght preache the ghospell the brethren seeyng hym wyllyng of hys own accorde dyd set him forwardes and more prouoked hym to it and wrote letters in commendacion of him to the disciples in Achaia that they shoulde receyue hym Who did after his cumming thyther muche good vnto theÌ„ that had bene conuerted to the fayth and valiauntly dyd sette foorth the ghospell For the holy ghoste holpe to set forwardes his eloquence that he had ioyned with knowlege of the holy scriptures With whiche weapons he beeyng armed did stoutly put the Iewes to sylence that continually contended against the young sowen corne of the ghospell that was bladyng vp shewyng openly and also playnelye by euydente testimonies of the scriptures that Iesus was the same Messias whom the Iewes had so many hundred yeares looked for and that all thinges that the Prophetes spake