Chap. 3.
1 AND there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler amongst the Iewes.
2 This man came vnto Iesus by night, and said vnto him, Rabbi, wee knowe that thou art come as a teacher from God, for no man can doe these myracles which thou doest vnlesse God be with him.
3 Iesus answered and saide vnto him, verilie, verily I say vnto thee, vnlesse a man bee borne againe, he cannot see the kingdome of God.
4 Nicodemus saith vnto him, Howe can a man, when he is olde bee borne? Can he•• enter againe into his mothers wombe, and be borne?
5 Iesus answered, verilie, verily I say vnto thee, vnlesse a man be borne of water and the spirite, he cannot enter into the kingdome of God▪
6 That which is borne of flesh is flesh: and that which is borne of the spirite, is spirite.
1 And there was a man. The Euangelist setteth foorth vnto vs in the person of Nicodemus how fraile and brittle the faith of those men was, who beeing mooued with myracles did of a sodaine beleeue Christe. For this man, seeing that he was by order a Pharisee, and was a ruler in his nation, shoulde haue farre exceeded others: for in the common sort there reigneth lightnesse, for the most part. And who woulde not haue thought that this man who excelled in learnyng and practise had beene a graue and heartie man? But it appeareth by the answeare of Christe, that he came altogether vnprepared to learne the first principles of godlinesse. If a gouernour be more ignoraunt then a childe, what must we thinke of the riffe raffe and common sorte? And although this be the intent and purpose of the Euangelist, to set before vs as it were in a glasse, howe fewe in Ierusalem were rightly disposed to receyue the Gospel, yet is this historie verye profitable for vs, for other causes: