The first tome or volume of the Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Newe Testamente

The xvii. Chapter.

[ The texte.] He saied vnto his disciples: It cannot bee, but offences will come. Neuerthelesse woe vnto him through whom thei come. It were better for him that a milstone were hanged a∣bout his necke: and he cast into the sea, then that he should offende one of these litell ones. Take hede to your selfes. If thy brother trespace against thee, rebuke him, & if he repent, forgeue him. And though he sinne against thee seuē times in a daye, and seuen tymes in a daie turne again to the, saiyng: it repenteth me, thou shalte forgeue him.

NOw, so was it decreed by the heauenlye father▪ & so was it expedient for y^e saluacion of mankynde, y^t the proud Pha∣riseis should bee offēded with the weakenesse of y^e humain bodye & nature, whiche the Lorde had taken: and that the same Phariseis shoulde punishe hym with affliccion, yea and also should putte hym to deathe beeyng in fourme of pouerty & of low degree, & brought in fourme of mekenes & humilitie: & y^t thei should also be in mind to shew neuer a whit more of mercy or fauour to his disciples neither, if they folowed the steppes of their maister. But as the vnbeliefe of the eiuil disposed & vngracious sort, doeth wrappe the godly in affliccions: so is y^e pacient suffreing which the good mē haue in them, an occasion of the greater dānacion to y^e eiuil. But yet neuertheles, God vseth the malice of suche, ferre otherwyse thē thei meane it, to y^e benefite of y^e whole world. Iesus therfore sayeth vnto his disciples, emong whō was Iudas, who was afterwarde to bee the causer & fyrste beginner of offence (that is to say of slaundre & grutche of conscience) & an occasioner to betray Iesus vnto death, being a man after the worldly estimacion selie & of lowe degree. Albeit y^• wic∣kednesse of the saied Iudas made y^e redēpcion of the world the sooner to come

& his dānable ende was an holsome ensaumple to all creatures. It cannot bee auoided ne chosen (saieth Iesus) but y^t offences must & shall happen: but yet is y^t none excuse to him through whose default such offence of consciēce shal arise.* 1.1 For it were a great deie more expedient for such an one, to be cast headlōg into the sea with a great lidger milstone tied about his necke, then to be an occasion of suche slaundre or offence to one of these that are such litle tendre ones to the worldeward. For they haue God to be an auenger of their cause: who thinketh hymselfe to bee hurted in thesame litell ones, whan they are hurted. And a lesse my sauenture it is for a man to endure punishement here in this world, (bee it neuer so sharp,) then by offending the consciēces of litle ones, whō God loueth, wilfully to seke & procure euerlasting tormentes in helle. Beware ye therefore. It lieth not in you to auoide, but y^t such slaundres of conscience shal arise: but it is your partes to beware that none suche arise through your faulte or occa∣sion. And the best way or meane howe for you to auoide that no such offence of conscience maye bee imputed to you, is, if not onelye ye shall not geue anye oc∣casion of slaundre or offence of conscience to any body through your fault, but also yf anye suche thyng bee ministred vnto you by others, ye eyther wype it cle••e awaye through your mildenesse, or elles suffre it with your good exaum∣ple of pacience, and in no wyse dooe the like to any of them again. For ye shall haue vexacion and vproares arise against you, not at the handes of the wic∣ked sorte onely, but also beeing, as ye are, mortal menne made of frail metalle, there shall euen emong youre selfes manye times arise offences and trespaces, whiche ye muste remedye with brotherlye and charitable admonicion,* 1.2 whose proprety and condicion is, neyther to bewraye or disclose the offendour, if there may be anye reformacion in him: and yet to haue pardone readye for hym, in case he repente and bee willing to emende. If therefore it shall by any chaunce happen, that thy brother haue commytted any trespasse agaynst thee, doe not ••ynke at the fault as though thou knewest it not, leste y^e leattyng it to escape vnspoken of, maye bee to the other an occasion of more boldenes eftsons to do the lyke: but playe thou the faithfull phisician, that is to saye, shewe thou him his disease with a lighte chydyng in secrete, to the ende he maye bee refourmed with beeyng ashamed of that he hath doone. He wil sooner heare a frendely man that shall tell hym of hys faulte, then a troubleous or brablyng accuser whome he must repute and take for an open enemie. For suche is the nature of manne, for the moste parte, that he will with a better will sette himselfe in a staigh and quiette by good aduise and counsaile, then he will yelde to be ouer troden with wrong. It cannot but appere to bee a great poyncte of ientilnesse, whan one secrtely telleth a bodye of his faulte. But he that openlie detecteth a manne, and requireth to haue hym punished, semethe not to bee of any suche minde, or will, to cure his brothers sore, but rather to notifie and publishe the same to his dishonestee and open confusion.

That in case thy brother beeyng tolde of his faulte by the, shall emende and acknowelage his offence: leat forgeuenesse bee ready, whiche maye familiarly and louinglye receiue him again,* 1.3 as soone as he is refourmed: and so ferre bee thou frō ons thinkyng howe to redresse it by auengemente, that thou saue the parties honestee also, as muche as in thy power lyeth. That if the same partye through humain frailtie shal eftsones be fallē in relapse of thesame or an other suche lyke offence: yea although he trespace against the seuen tymes in a daie,

and than doe seuen tymes in a daye repente agayne, and earnestelye appliyng himselfe to pacifye thee, shall saye: I haue doone amysse, I am sorye for it, for∣geue me: forgeue thou him the faulte from the botome of thy herte. This ien∣tilnesse of forgeuyng and releasyng one an others offences and trespaces, shal after a muche better sorte mainteine peace and concorde emong you, then mu∣tual requiting of one shrewde turne or displeasure for an other.

[ The texte.] ¶And the Apostles sayed vnto the Lorde: increace our faith. And the Lord saied: if ye had faith like a grain of mustard sede, ye shoulde saie vnto this Sicamine tree: plucke thy selfe vp by the rootes, and plant thy selfe in the sea, and it shoulde obeie you.

The Apostles, because they well perceyued by these saiynges of Iesus, that faithe is the fountaine of all euangelicall vertues, whiche fayth the Lord did so diligentely require in them as a thyng necessarye yf they should bee ha∣ble to worke miracles, whiche faith he dyd so many times allow and cōmend, yea euen in many alienes too that wer not borne in Iewry, which faithe could obteine any manier thyng what euer it were, and throughe whiche fayth euen theyr owne selfes also had putte awaye soondry diseases from men, and hadde cast out deiuils: and because they knewe and remembred well, y^t onely through defaulte and wante of faithe in theim, it hadde hapened, that they coulde not deliuer a certaine persone afore, beeyng possessed with a dumme deiuill. Albe∣it one shall not be a fitte man for the other necessarie preceptes of the ghospell neither, onlesse he haue conceiued an vndoubted faith and truste in hys herte. For whan will he despise the sensuall pleasures of this worlde, whan will he poure oute his gooddes to bestowe theim on the poore, whan wyll he releasse and clerelye forgeue a displeasure or a wrong dooen vnto hym by his brother, whan will he dooe suche persones good, as haue dooen hym the contrarye, whan will he mekely and pacientelye take enpriesonmente, scourgeyng with roddes, and the peines of death: which is not fully and throughly perswaded, that he hathe an vnestimable large rewarde prepared for hym in heauen? Thys thyng (I saye) because the Apostles well vnderstoode,* 1.4 they saye vnto the lorde: Maister, forasmuche as we haue no goodnesse at all but of thee, we praye thee that thou wilte encreace our faythe in vs. The Lorde hereupon, as one that well knewe the Apostles to bee as yet grosse and vnperfeicte, and to make requeste to haue their fayth encreace chiefly for such a purpose, that they myghte haue the more power to shewe myracles: dooethe in dede allowe and ratifye the strength and power of fayth, yf it bee syncere and pure in a body as it ought to bee: but he opened vnto theim, that thesame oughte to bee coupled with humilitie and sobrenesse of the moste perfeicte degree, and that it oughte not to bee shewed foorth for vainglorious bostyng, but at suche times alwaies as either the preseruacion of the neighbour, orels the glorye of God dooeth at the poynte of some extremitie necessarily require it. And hereupon sayeth he by a similitude or comparison: If ye haue fayth as a graine or corne of mustar∣sede, whiche is litell in quantye, and lowe by the grounde, ne putteth not foorth his vertue of bityng the toungue excepte it be bruised in some thing or broken betwene the teeth,* 1.5 ye shall saye to this Sycamine tree, whiche by reason that the rootes are taken of a great wyde coumpace within y^e grounde, semeth vnpossible by any strength or power to be plucked vp out of his place, bee thou plucked vp by the roote, and bee thou remoued into the sea, there to stande as fast rooted as thou standest here nowe, & it shal obey your bidding.

Tertes by the graine of mustardsede, y^e Lorde signifyed himselfe, who wheras he shewed and vsed hymselfe the moste lowest and meanesse of al creatures, yet dyd he hyde within hym a secrete power of the nature of the godhed, which thā & neuer afore vttred it selfe, whan the grayne of his bodye was bruised on the crosse: & was in deathe (as it were) burried within the grounde. The effectuall strengthe of this grayne wrought in the disciples, whereof they oughte not to haue vsurped any porcion to theyr owneselfes, as the which were not the prin∣cipall autours ne heade dooers of the thynges that they wroughte, but onelye ministers and seruauntes, assured to be punished if they had lingred or slacked to goe through with executyng that was geuen theim in charge & commission to dooe: and bounde to putte ouer all the lande & prayse vnto god, if any thing had or shoulde by meane of theim bee iolyly or royally wel doen.

[ The texte.] ¶Who is it of you, if he had a seruaunte ploughing or feding cattalle, that wil say vnto him whan he cometh from the fielde: Goe quickely and sitte down to meate, & saieth not rather vnto him: dresse wherewith I maie sup, and girde vp thy self and serue me, til I haue eaten and drounken, & afterward eate thou and drinke thou? dooeth he thanke the seruaunte because he did the thinges, that wer commaunded vnto him? I trowe not. So likewise ye, whan ye haue dooen all those thinges whiche are commaunded you, saye: we are vnprofitable seruauntes, we haue dooen that, whiche was our duetie to dooe.

This good lesson afore goyng the lorde dyd by addyng thereunto an other parable, engraue in the hertes of his disciples. Whiche of you (sayed he) is a maister so muche for a seruauntes ease or commoditie to dwelle withall, that in case he haue a seruaunt that is a tiller of hys grounde, or his hearde to kepe hys cattall, wyll saye to hym by and by as soone as he is come home from hys weorke out of the fielde: Geat thee yonder, & goe sitte the downe to meate: and well not rather thus speake:* 1.6 come on, make readye somewhat for me to haue to my supper: and girde thy clothes to thee, and come & awaite vpon me vntill I shall haue taken my repaste of meate and drinke, and than shalte thou take thee some meate and drinke afterwarde? And yet this notwithstandyng that the saied seruaunte dyd vprightly and faythfully that his duetye was to do in the fielde, dooeth his maister vse to geue hym thankes because he hath dooen all that was geuen hym in commaundemente to bee dooen? I thynke not: but he would haue punished hym well and truelye in case he had not dooen it. And why so?* 1.7 veraily for none other respecte or consideracion, but because they are seruauntes, and euen of duetye oughe all theyr seruyce to theyr mayster, to whom theimselfes and all are due as to the true owener. And as for the thanke and praise of all that euer is dooen, the maister taketh to hymselfe, who is accoumpted for the dooer of y^e thynges, whatsoeuer he dooeth by meane of theim, who without hym can vtterly dooe no manier good thyng at all. And in lyke manier euen ye too, take not vnto youre selfes the glorie of youre well dooynges: but onely do ye your faithfull labour as your duetie is. And whan ye shall haue dooen all thynges, whiche been enioyned or commaunded you, yet saye ye: Unprofitable seruauntes we are, what our duetye was to dooe, we haue dooen,* 1.8 and no more. For this humilitie shal conserue and kepe the Iewel of feyth perfecte in you. Al the rest of thynges leaue ye vnto your Lord. Leat none of you take into his owne handes as due vnto hym, any honour, ne pre∣uent he not the iudgement of the Lorde. He best knoweth hys owne tyme: and he wil defraude no man of his reward. Ye in the meane whyle remembre

youre selfes to bee none other but seruauntes, oughyng all your woorke and labour of a bounden dutie.

[ The texte] And it chaunced, as he wente to Hierusalem, that he passed through Samaria and Ga∣lile. And as he entred into a certaine toune, there merte him tenne men that were lepres. Which stood a fette of, and putte forth their voices, and sayed: Iesu maister haue mercye on vs. Whan he sawe theim, he saied vnto theim: Goe, shewe your selfes vnto the priestes. And it came to passe, that as thei went, thei wer clensed. And one of thē, whā he saw that he was clensed, turned backe againe, and with a loude voice praised God and fell downe on his face at his fete and gaue him thankes. And thesame was a Samaritane. And Ies{us} aunswered, and saied: Are there not tenne clensed? but where are those nine? There are not found that returned again to geue God praise, saue only this straungier. And he saied vnto him▪ arise, goe thy waie, thy faithe hath made the whole.

And so it befell that as the Lorde was goyng towardes Hierusalem, he made his waye lye throughe the countreyes of Samaria and Galilee. For he had oftentimes a fansy, whā he myght haue anye occasion, to take Samaria and Galile in his waye, y^t he myght enbraide the inhabitauntes of Hierusalem with their hardenesse of beleuyng, whereas they abhorred the Samaritanes wurse then the heathen, and reputed y^e Galileans for more then half Paganes & miscro••aūtes. And as he was entreing into a litle village, there met him tēne men beyng lepres euerye one of them. Ye maie wel thinke y^t by these lepres are signified hereticall persones, beeyng within foorth altogether defourmed and corrupted with eiuil affeccions, the skinne withoutfoorth spotted & speckled, (as by this resēblaunce to vnderstand,) that in heretical persones vnpure doc∣trine altogether entremedleth false thynges with the true. An infectiue kynde of people and sore to bee abhorred: and therefore be they streightly kepte from coumpaigniyng emong men: yet no kinde of sore there is, which Iesus dooeth not heale, so that the diseased come in his sight, and so that the disease be vttred vnto hym, and perfecte affiaunce reste in the parties.

These lepres agnised and knowlaged their disease, and therefore thei ap∣proche not nere to the persone of Iesus,* 1.9 but standyng a ferre of, they lifte vp theyr voice on high, and crie aloud vnto the Lorde. O Iesus our maister haue thou mercie and pietie vpon vs. Iesus hearde their crye (whiche was a good witnesse of their affiaunce in hym) and turned his iyes towarde theim. Blis∣sed is suche a criyng, as maketh the Lorde earneste to geue eare: and blissed is that castyng of the iye on them, whiche moueth hym to shewe mercie. But none other aunswere made Iesus vnto theim, sauyng that they shoulde goe theyr waies,* 1.10 and shewe theimselfes to the priestes. For in the priestes rested the au∣toritie to discerne the lepre from a clene manne. They dooe as he biddeth them, and departe theyr waies replenished with faythe and assured truste in god for their health. And euen in their goyng they were made all clene. They hadde euerye one of them eguall fayth and affyaunce, but they hadde not euerye one eguall thankefulnesse of herte for the benefite receyued. The Samary∣tane onelye and no mo of theym, whan he perceyued and felte hymselfe plainly in veray dede deliuered from his disease, he made no counsail of the beneficial goodnesse of God towardes him, but returned immediately vnto Iesus, glo∣ryfiyng god with a loude voyce: and fallyng downe prostrate on his face, he layed hymself at the fete of Iesus, wurshippyng hym, & geuyng hym thankes. But Iesus knowing well enough, that the benefite of health hadde come vnto al the tenne, but myndyng to checke the vnthankefulnesse of them, who did as

much as they could in theyr mynde by priuye stealth to enioye so great a bene∣fite, saied: were there not tenne lepres made whole, and nine of them where are they become? For the Lorde knoweth none vnthankefull people, and sheweth suche ones to bee vnworthye a benefite receyued, as doe not geue thankes to hym that hath dooen theim good. For god cannot abyde to haue his benefites kepte secrete in hugger mugger. Whan the Samaritane kept ••ilence being a man not onely thankefull, but also full of humilitie & sobrenesse, as one y^• was come thyther to dooe his owne duetye, and not to accuse anye others: Iesus turnyng to the coumpaignie whiche stood round about,* 1.11 saied: of all the tenne hath there not one beene founde, that would returne backe again, and glorify God, but this one straungier beeyng a foremer borne in an other countreye. But it had more become the others thus to dooe, who because thei be Iewes, haunte theimselfes to bee true seruers and wurshippers of God. And yet in the veray thyng selfe this Samaritane passeth their deuoute holinesse. And whā the Lorde had thus muche sayed,* 1.12 he spake to the Samaritane liyng pro∣strate on the ground. Arise vp (saied he) and goe thy wayes, assured that thys my benefite shall continue with thee for euer, whiche benefite thy faithfull af∣fiaunce in me hath purchased and obteined vnto thee.

[ The texte.] ¶Whan he was demaunded of the phariseis, whan the kingdome of God should come, he aunswered them, and saied. The kingdome of God shall not come wyth waiting for, neither shal thei saie: loe here, or loe there. For beholde the kingdome of God is with∣in you.

Nowe for because Iesus hadde the kyngdome of god oftentimes in hys mouth, the Phariseis, (who dyd not yet vnderstande the kingdome euangeli∣call to bee a ghostelye kyngdome, but dreamed that it was some other kyng∣dome, wh••rein the nacion of the Iewes should haue dominion ouer other na∣cions,) came vnto hym,* 1.13 & demaunded whā the kyngdome of god should come. But Iesus, who at all times whan anye mencion was made of the laste daye, vsed euen of a custome to aunswer doubtefully, saied: The kyngdome of God will not come after the manier of a worldlye kyngdome, in sorte that either the tyme therof, or the place maie bee watched for and espied. For it is not a kyng∣dome of the bodies but of the soules, neither dooeth it stande by visible mayn∣tenaunce, but inuisible. Therefore it shal not bee saied vnto you: loe here, or loe there. For what nedeth it to awaite for any place, seyng the kyngdome of God is within you? why dooe ye looke without foorth, for the thyng whiche ye haue within you, and is carried aboute with you whereuer ye goe, yf ye bee so disposed youre selfes? Why dooe ye looke for the thyng, as thoughe it were yet hereafter to come, whiche is already present? Wheresoeuer is a mynde or hert beeing maister ouer riches, sensual pleasures, dignitie and promocions of this world, yea and finally a contemner of death: whersoeuer is a mind strong and stout in feith, burnyng in charitie, enspired with the holye ghoste: in thatsame place is y^e kingdom of God. There is nowe no more to do, but that ye embrace the thing which is present, lest whan that same day shal sodainly come, whiche shal make perfect and shall shewe this kyngdome, it fynde you vnreadye.

[ The texte.] ¶And he saied vnto his disciples: the daies will come, whan ye shall desire to see one daie of the soonne of man, and ye shall not see it. And thei shal saie to you: see here,

see there. Goe not after theim nor folowe theim. For as the lightening that appereth out of the one parte that is vnder heauen, and shineth vnto the other parte, which is vnder heauen: so shall the sonne of man bee in his daies: but first muste be suffre manye thinges and be refused of this nacion.

And where the disciples neyther, dyd not well vnderstande this, who on their partes also dreamed that the yearthlye kyngdome of Israell shoulde bee greatly enlarged: Iesus turnyng vnto them, did so tempre his woordes, as he myght make them to be alwaies ready against the last day of iudgement, and yet take awaye from them, the carefull searchyng of the tyme whan it shoulde bee, and myght rather arme thē to the tempeste of the crosse euen than already veray nere approchyng. The tyme (saieth he) vndoubtedly shall come, whan ye shall desire to haue the fruicion of the syght of the sonne of manne but euen so muche as for one dayes space, (whereas now that he is presente, manye an one dooe set naughte by hym:) and yet ye shall not haue your wishe n•• desyre: And yet shall there not want some persones, who flatreyng the earnest fainesse of men, shall attempte and make somewhat a dooe to shewe hym as thoughe he wer present,* 1.14 saiyng: loe, here, loe, there: but geue ye no credit to suche manier prophetes. If they shal say: Here he is amongest vs, go not ye: if they shal say: loe yonder he is a ferre hens, gooe ye not thyther to folowe theym. Leate your beliefe be to credit suche thynges, as ye see to haue been told and spoken afore by the holy prophetes, and to be now at this present fulfilled. This onely one thyng it was not goddes pleasure, that is should bee made open to the world, and therefore it pleased hym not, that the tyme thereof shoulde bee knowen aforehand, because it is so moste expediente for the health and saluacion of all men, whom his will and mynde is, that they bee in a readinesse againste all ty∣mes and houres. Therefore lyke as lightenyng soodainlye flashyng foorthe, dooeth shewe his fierie brightenesse from one syde of the aier as ferre as the o∣ther syde against it, before ye haue any perceiueraunce that any suche thing is to come: so shall the cummyng of the soonne of man bee, (certes with no small glorye, but yet vnloked for) at suche a daye as hymself and no mo knoweth, & will in any wyse haue thesame to you vnknowen. But his maiestie he shal not shewe foorth, before that he shall haue throughly fulfylled the dispensacion of his lowenesse and humilitee. For the waye to the brightenesse of the kyngdome of God,* 1.15 must first bee shewed: and the doore of the kyngdome of heauen muste first be opened, that men maie entre in. Otherwise to a veray smal benefite or commoditie should the kyngdome of God come, for suche persones partes, as haue not prepared themselfes to thesame. Than ere the maiest••e shall shewe it selfe, whiche ye dooe affeccionately desire before the due tyme, the soonne of man must suffre manye thynges, and muste bee condemned of this nacion: to the ende that as in a fyer fyrst mounteth y^e smoke, and than afterward shooteth vp the flame: so maye the glorie of god more clerely shewe forth it self, after the open shame and reproche of this worlde.

[ The texte] And as it happened in the daies of Noe: so shall it bee also in the daies of the sonne of man. Thei did eate and drinke: thei maried wiues and wer maried, euen vnto that s••••e daie that Noe went vnto the arke: & the floud came and de••••••uied them al. Likewise also as it chaunced in the daies of Lot. Thei did eate, thei dranke, thei bought, thei solde, they planted, thei builded. But euen thesame daie that Lot went out of zodome, it rained with ••ier and brimstone from heauen, and destruied them al. Euen thus shal it bee in the daie whan the sonne of man shal appere. At that daie, he that is on the house toppe & his stuffe in the house, leat him not come downe to take it out. And lea••e not him that is in the field turne backe again to the thinges that he lea••t behinde: Remembre Lottes wyfe.

But that the saied day may not take a man tardie, the remedie and pro∣uision is easie, if euery one so prepaire hymself to be in a readinesse, as though thesame day wer euen nowe euerie momente cumming at hande.* 1.16 But men be∣yng wedded vnto the worlde, will promysse and waraunt themselfes of a lon∣ger daye ere it come, yea or that suche a day will neuer come at all, and beyng carelesse by reason of suche hope,* 1.17 they will idlely geue themselfes to their own lustes and appetites. Therefore thesame chaunce shal come in the daies of the soonne of man, whiche happened in the dayes of Noe. They toke wyues and they gaue out their daughters to mariage, as though the floudde, which was differred for a time, would not haue come at al. But the euil misauēture came soodainlye vpon theim & tooke them tardy. Onely Noe with a fewe mo was saued by meane of the Arke. The residue perished euery one of them. And euē a muche like lighte also there was to bee s••one in the time of Lot: for because there was some delay made of goddes vengeaunce,* 1.18 thei conceiued an opinion, that it should be vnpunyshed, whatsoeuer synne they committed. And therupō beeyng voide of al care, they eate and dranke, they bought and sold, thei plāted & set trees, thei made buildinges. But the stroke & vengeaunce of god lighted soodainly vpon theim also, whan they wer al voide of care, & thought nothing vpon it. For the selfe same daye, whan Lot forsooke the citie of Sodome, and departed his waie thens, it rained down fier and brimstone from heauen, and sodainly destruied them al. And euen the veray same thing to see to, shal there bee in the worlde, whan the sonne of man shal soodainly shewe forth his ma∣iestee. Whansoeuer that daye shal growe & come fast vpon the worlde, leat al care of worldly thynges be shaken of. Leat euery man in the present perill, no more but looke for sauing himse••fe to escape as he may. Therfore whōsoeuer thatsame day shall find in y^e house toppe,* 1.19 al his gooddes leaft beneath in his house, leate him not go down to take away with him such gooddes as he hath there: but leat him onely thynke vpō sauyng of himself. Semblably if y^e saied daye shal by chaunce sodainly finde any man abrode in the field, leat him not flee home to escape it: for y^e peril shal come ouer fast vpō him, to leat him haue any time of laisure at all. Euery bodye as he shall bee found, euen so leate him with renning away as faste as he can, saue his life. Call ye to remembraunce what chaūced vnto Lottes wife.* 1.20 She did no more but turne her to loke backe, and perished immediatly, so yll dooeth the swift stroke of the saied eiuil suffre any more delay or tariaunce at all. Suche an one what euer he bee, shalbe the more safe from the perill, as shalbee lighter burdened then an other to flee.

[ The texte.] ¶Whosoeuer wil goe aboute to saue his life, shall lose it: and whosoeuer shal lose hys life, shal saue it. I tell you: in that night there shalbee twoo in one bedde, the one shall bee receiued, & the other shalbee forsaken. Two shal bee a grinding together, the one shall bee receiued, and the other forsaken. Two in the fielde: the one shalbe receiued, and the other forsaken. And they aunswered, and saied to him: where lord? He saied vnto them, wherso∣euer the bodie shall be, thither will also the eagles bee gathered together.

And at that houre or day, to goe seke or prouide suche thynges, wherewith we commonly vse to sette a sure staigh for our life to come, as (for exaumple,) apparel, money, dwellyng places or suche other thynges, shalbe none other, but casting awaie & lesing of the life. But suche an one as castyng away from hym al pestreaunce and heauy carriage, shal not regard the helpes & staighes of this present life, but shall leat thē goe: such on one shalbe sure to winne life.

For at that day there shalbe no laisure n•• space to thynke of the lyfe of y^e body, whan the lyfe of the soule shall turne in the wh••le of beeyng in hassarde and ieoperdy.* 1.21 Neyther gooddes, ne place, ne thys or that kynde of liuyng, shall in that peril saue any man: but a mynd that is ready to departe a waie hens. For of twoo persones beyng as nere together as is possible, sodainely shal the one bee taken to life, and the other shalbe leaft behind to damnaciō. Thus much I tell you to abide vpon. That night in which the sonne of man shal come, there shall bee two persones liyng in one bedde, and them two shall the diuersitte of rewarde soodainly parte in sondre. For the one shalbe taken vp to euerlasting blisse, and the other shalbee leafte behynd to endlesse damnacion. There shall∣bee twoo persones gryndyng in one mille: of whiche the one shall bee taken, and the other leafte behynd. Twoo persones shalbe at their housebandrie labouring in the fieldes: one of theim shalbee taken vp, the other shalbe leaft. Whan y^e disciples heard al this as it had been half in a dreme, not vnderstan∣dyng what it mente, they saie vnto Iesus: where maister? They were still in a dreame of the fleashe, and seke to knowe the place of this kyngdome. Than Iesus myndyng vnder a derke couert to signify vnto them, y^t the holy people, wheresoeuer they shall bee found, shall not bee disseuered from the Lord, aun∣swered: wheresoeuer there shalbee caryan, thyther will the Eagles also drawe and gather together. It forceth not in what place ye be, so that ye be with me, whiche am the feder of your soules, and doe fede theim with myne owne selfe, who am the foode of endlesse felicitie.

Notes

• * 1.1

  It cānot be but offences will come.
• * 1.2

  If thy bro∣ther tres∣pace against thee rebuke hym,
• * 1.3

  And if he re¦pente for∣geue hym.
• * 1.4

  Lorde en∣crease our faith.
• * 1.5

  If ye had faith lyke a grain of mu¦stardesede.
• * 1.6

  Whiche of you if he hadde a ser¦uaunte ploughing? &c.
• * 1.7

  Dooeth he thanke y^• seruaunte because he did the thinges? &c.
• * 1.8

  We are vn∣profitable seruauntes
• * 1.9

  Goe▪ shewe your selfes vnto the priestes. &c.
• * 1.10

  And one of theim. &c. turned backe.
• * 1.11

  There are not founde that retur∣ned.
• * 1.12

  Thy faythe hathe made the whole.
• * 1.13

  The kyng∣dome of god shall not cō•• with way∣tyng.
• * 1.14

  And they shall saye to you se here.
• * 1.15

  But fyrste must he suf¦fre manye thynges.
• * 1.16

  And it hap∣pened in the dayes of Noe.
• * 1.17

  Gene. viii. v. Mat. xxiiii.
• * 1.18

  Likewise al¦so as it chaū¦ced in the dayes of Lot. Gene. .xix.••.
• * 1.19

  At that daye he that is on the house toppe. &c.
• * 1.20

  Remembre Lottes wife.
• * 1.21

  In y^e nyght there shal be two in one bedde &c