And the fadre dyde not this onely of his highe
charitye, thus giue his deere darlynge, his sone
for vs: but his mercyfull sone also dyde giue him
selffe for vs. Thapostle saythe. Qui dilexit me,
tradidit seipsum pro me.
He that loued me, dyde giue
him selfe for me. But why dyde he soo? what
hadde we done for him, that he shuld so do to vs?
was it of our desertes? hadde we deserued that
he shuld so do? Nay. We were wretched synners,
we were myserable lyuers, the enemyes to god,
and out of fauour: and yet he gaue himselffe into
the handes of hys enemyes for vs. But why
dyde he so? Certaynely for loue. Dilexit me, sayth
thapostle. He loued me. Loue was the cause, loue
moued and styrred hym to giue hym selffe to
the deathe for vs. What loue? The loue whiche
I spake of a fore, the loue that he bare to the, to
me, and to all mankynde. What gaue he for the?
Money? gold? precyouse stones? landes? or goodes?
Nay. He gaue a more precyouse gyfte than
so. Tradidit seipsum.
He gaue hym selffe. Hym selfe,
hys body. And not onely hys bodye, but also
hys soule, hys liffe, hys deathe, and hys godhede.
He gaue hys bodye for the to the Iewes, to ha~dle,
to treate, to beate, to scourge, to turmoyle,
to kyll, to slee, to crucifye, to do with it what
they wolde: and so dyde they, euen to theyr own
dampnacyo~, he gaue so hys bodye in to theyr
handes to redeme and bye the. He gaue for vs
also his bodye beinge a liue to the crosse, beinge
deade to the sepulture, that thy bodye beinge a
liue, mought liue cleane: & beinge deade, mought
and shuld rest in the sepulture, and at that daye
of god to ryse ayen, to be gloryfyed and raigne
with hym in glory. He giueth to the aye~ this his
moost precyous bodye nowe rysen frome deathe
to liffe, in that moost holy sacrament of the Euchariste,
the sacrament of the aultre. He giueth
hym selffe vnto vs, bothe bodye and blood: soule,
and godhede, nowe raignynge in glory and syttynge
on the ryght hande of his fadre, Vbi postulat
pro nobis, as thapostle witnessyth, & is ther
a petycioner for vs to god the fadre. Christus Iesus
qui mortuus est qui & resurrexit, qui est ad dextera~
dei, interpellat pro nobis. Christe Iesus whiche
dyed, whiche rysse frome deathe to liffe, whiche is
on the ryght hande of the fadre, he maketh peticyon
& intercession for vs. He dayly dothe shewe
to god the fadre, his manhode whiche he toke
vpon hym, & the greuouse maner of his deathe
and passion whiche he suffrede for vs: so to moue
the fadre to mercy & pytie, so to procure mercy
for man: whose peticyon cannot be contempned
but gracyously harde.
Here saythe saynt Barnard in contemplacio~
of this mercyfull intercession of Christe beinge
in dextera patris, Securum habes accessum o homo
ad deum, ubi habes apud patrem, filium intercessore~:
apud filium, matrem: mater ostendit filio, pectus &
ubera: filius patri, latus & uulnera: ibi nequit esse repulsa,
ubi tot ostenduntur charitatis insignia. O man
thou mayste surely goo and sue to thy lorde god
by petycyon, by desyour and prayour for thy necessities
of soule. Where thou hast an intercessour
for the. Afore the sone, thou haste his modre
Marye. And to procure grace and mercy, to
moue god to pytie, she dothe shewe to hir sone
Christe, hir breste & pappes: the sone dothe shewe
to his fadre, his syde and woundes: there can be
no repulse, no denyall of our peticions, where
are shewed and alledged so many tokens of loue
and charytie.
The shewynge of this breste and pappes, is
no more but a remembraunce of the great infinite
mercy of god the sone, whiche he shewed to
man, whenne he toke manhode for vs: borne of
a mayden, beinge an infante, and suckynge his
modres brestes. As who saye, that mercy, that
pitie and compassion that thou shewest to man
in this doynge, shewe now vnto hym in his myserie
of synne, haue compassion on hym, shewe
thyn olde mercy, graunte thou him his iuste peticio~
and humble suyte, remytte hys synne, giue
hym grace, take hym to thy fauour.
In like maner dothe god ye sone shewe to ye fadre
his wounde in his syde, & hys other woundes,
to moue hym to like mercy: whiche was so
mercyfull to sende downe hys sone, to suffre
these woundes and deathe for man. Postulat pro
nobis , he maketh petition and desyor to the fadre

B.

for vs. Ayen saynt Ioha~ saythe. Si quis peccauerit,
aduocatu~ habemus apud patrem, Iesum Christu~
iustu~, & ipse est propiciatio pro peccatis nostris:
no~ pro nostris tantu~, sed etia~ pro peccatis totius mu~di.
If any man by frayltie dothe offende and synne
let hym not despayre, for he hathe an aduocate
in heuen afore the fadre, his sone Iesus Christe.
Aduocatum iustum, a iuste aduocate. For he prayeth,
not for euery synner that wyll crye and call
and neuer ryse frome synne: but for veraye true
penytentes, for them that are displeased with
them selues and with theyr synne: lett the~ crye,
lett them call, and anone he callythe with them,
and makyth peticyo~ for the~: anone he heareth,
he helpeth, and he then intercedeth to the fadre
for them. Iustum, a iuste aduocate, he promoteth
none euyll causes. Iustum. He taketh no rewardes,
no gyftes, no brybes. He dothe not accepte
any personage but after hys liuynge. He regardeth
not bloode nor byrth, kythe nor kyne, strengthe
nor wisedome, beawtie nor fayrenes, ryches
nor pouertie. He regardeth onely the Christiane
and vertuouse liffe of man. And after hys
deedes he dothe accepte or repell. Iustum. He is a
iuste aduocate.
And thre tymes I reade that he dyde shewe
hym selffe a vocate, a peticioner for vs. Ones
before his passion, whenne he sayth to the fadre.
Ego pro eis rogo, non pro mundo, sed pro his quos

5

dedisti mihi, quia tui sunt. I pray for them and not
for the worlde, I praye for those that thou haste
gyuen me, for they be thyn. Secondaryly in
hys passion, whenne he sayde, Pater ignosce illis,
quia nesciunt quid faciunt. Fadre forgyue them,
they wote not what they doo. Thyrdely after
hys passion as here, Aduocatum habemus, & cætera.
The fyrst intercession was by worde. The soconde
was by effusion of his bloode. The thyrde
is by his dayly shewynge to the fadre his woundes,
so to moue hym to mercy and pytie, to haue
compassion on the worlde.
Of this grette and infinite charytie writeth
the apostle Paule in an other place sainge. Vt
quid enim Christus pro impijs mortuus est? uix
enim pro iusto quis moritur. Nam pro bono quis audeat
mori? Commendat autem deus charitatem suam
in nobis, quoniam cum adhuc peccatores essemus,
Christus pro nobis mortuus est, in cuius sanguine iustificati
sumus, in cuius sanguine salui erimus ab ira.
What moued Christe to dye for wycked synners?
Scante we shall fynde one that wyll dye for a
iuste man. And where shall we fynde hym that
dare dye for a good man? Our lorde god hathe
shewed a commendable and laudable charytie
towardes vs, for where that we were synners,
wretched lyuers, abhomynable in the syght of
god: Christe dyed for vs. In whose bloode, we be
iustifyed and made rightuouse: in whose bloode,

B ii.

we shalbe saued frome the yre & wrathe of god.
Lyue thou neuer so well, liue thou neuer so holyly,
let se if thou were in the case nowe to dye,
vnles thou shuldest gett one that wolde dye for
the, where shuldest thou haue one? where shuldest
thou fynde hym that wold doo so muche for
the, by whose death thou shuldest escape death?
Nowe thou beinge a synner, a mysseliuer, lett
see who will dye for the? Any one? Not the fadre
for the sone, not the sone for the fadre. Yet thou
beinge a synner, an ennemye to god: he dyed
for the. Frely, without queste. Frely, not hyred,
not requyred, but of his owne, mere, mercyfull
goodenes offrede hym selffe thereunto, onely for
the loue he bare vnto the. And that is it the apostle
saythe. Commendat deus charitatem suam in
nobis, quoniam cum adhuc peccatores essemus,&
cætera. He shewed a meruelouse laudable charytie
to vs, in that we beinge horryble synners
yee before we were renate or borne the chyldren
of god by baptisme, before we were iustifyed by
faythe, ye before that we were borne or knowe~
to the worlde, Mortuus est pro nobis, he dyet for
vs, not requyred, not desyored, not hyred thereunto:
but gratis & sine argento redimimini, frely of
hys owne mere mocion, of hys owne goodenes,
he offrede hym selffe voluntarily to the deathe.
In cuius sanguine iustificati sumus,& cætera. In
whose bloode, we be iustifyed, purged, washed, &
made clene. In whose bloode we shalbe saued
at that grette daye frome the grette wrathe of
god, if we liue therafter. That we maye be parteners
of this gloryouse passion and bloode of
Iesu Christe, let vs praye.

Whenne Christe mett Iudas wt a grette multitude
of the Iewes wyth lanterns, torches, fyre
brandes and other lyghtes: with staues, swordes,
with other wepons, and in armure, to apprehende
and take hym, and knewe hym not whenne
they mett hym, for that god hadde taken awaye
theyr knowledge: and Christe asked them,
Quem queritis? whome seke you? They answerd
Iesum Nazarenum. We seke Iesus of Nazareth. And Christe sayde,
Ego sum.I am, Att whyche
worde, Iudas and they all stayde, wente backe
and fell to the earthe. He pausyd a lyttyll, and
suffrede them a yen to ryse. He askyd them a ye~,
whome seke you? They answerede, Iesus of Nazarethe.Christe sayde, dyd not I tell you,
Quia ego sum? That I am he? Iff ye seke me, suffre these
my disciples to goo saaf, vntouchid, hurt the~
nott. And so put hym selfe voluntarily into hys
enemyes handes, and saued his disciples. For he
hadde sayde before to his fadre, Quos dedisti mihi,
non perdidi ex eis quenq~. I haue not loste oon
of those that thou haste geuen me to kepe, butt
haue preserued them all.
He shewed hymselfe to be god thus in hys takynge
whenne he was apprehended. Also in healynge
Malchus, whose eare was cutt of frome
his hedde by Peter. He proued hym selfe God in
all his wordes, in all his behauyours, in all hys
doinges, in all hys answers made before the iudges,
and in his meruelouse pacie~cy, shewed both
before them & the Iewes, whenne he was scourged,
when he was beaten, when he was bounde
to a pyller, crowned with thorne, blyndfeld bobbed,
and when he was euery way moste cruelly
entretyd. Whiche he coude not haue doon yff he
hadde not bene god, And yet the worlde knewe
hym not. Yett was he to the world, Deus absconditus, a hyyd gode. And howe by farther processe
in his passion, dyd shewe hym selfe more playnely
to the worlde, itt shall appere by a breue
epylogacion and rehersall of ye same. For yff we
doo call well to our remembrau~ce as we oughte
to do howe effectuously, howe compe~diously,
and with how breue, how pythy and effectuall
wordes, the foure euangelistes hathe wt a maruelouse
dyligencie truely & faythefully gadrede
and wryten this passio~ of our sauyour christe:
we shall fynde the same mooste preciouse passio~
to stande princypally in three thynges: whyche
dothe instructe and teache vs thre necessarie lessons,
for our soules helthe.
The fyrste parte of his passion, stoode In rerum
suarum ablatione & corporis denudatione, in yt hys
clothes were taken frome hym and he lefte naked.

E j.

For after he hadde bene broughte before
so many iudges, wher he was deryded, accused,
and by false testimonye condempned to deathe,
to the deathe of ye crosse: he was fyrste scourged,
beate, and bare his crosse thorough ye Citye, to ye
place of passion called Golgatha in the mounte
of Caluary: where the Iewes whyche were apoynted
to putt hym on the crosse, spoyled hym
frome all that he hadde, frome his clothes and
frome his apparell. They toke all frome hym, &
lefte hym bare & naked wythoute ragge or bratte,
annethe they lefte vpon hym femoralia, any
clothe aboute the neyther partes of hys bodye.
And yf they lefte somoche as that vpon hym, we
reade itt not in the Gospell. Nor yett we reade
that any thefe or malefactor hathe bene so nakydly
spoyled, so nakydly lefte whenne he shulde
suffre, as Christe was whenne he shulde dye.
For they toke from him not oonly his outeward
apparell, but also they spoylyd hym of hys secrette
coote, and toke frome hym, tunica~ inconsutilem, a coote whiche was wythoute seeme, whyche
cote they wolde not deuyd as they dyd hys
other garmentis, but caste lotte who shulde haue
it hoole. Diuiserunt sibi uestimenta mea, & super
uestem meam miserunt sortem. They deuyded emo~ges
them my garmentis, and caste lotte vpon ye
oon coote sayd God. Loo ma~, See how thy lorde
god was thus ignomyniously lefte naked and
baare, and cryed not att itt, grudged not wyth
itt, murmured not for hyt. He Complayned not,
but suffrede, and paciently helde his peace, wherein
we Christe~ people be taughte to remembre
paciencie in our aduersitie, to remembre, Quod
nihil in hunc mundum intulimus, nec quieq~ auferre
possumus. That we broughte nothyng in to this
worlde wyth vs, nor shall beare any thynge awaye
whenne we shall departe. The same Iob
sayethe, Nudus egressus sum de uentre matris mee~,
& nudus reuertar. I was borne & came into thys
worlde baare and naked, and baare and naked
I shall go frome itt. Be all folkys so borne? dothe
all folkis so baarly go owte? be all borne naked
and baare? Ar Emperours and Kynges borne
naked? and goo nakyd oute? Ye bothe Emperours
and kynges, Quenes and ladyes, lordes
and gentylme~, riche and poore. All, All, All
are born nakyd and baar, and as baarely shall
they ayen departe this worlde? Baare, naked,
wythoute clowte or clothe: vnless itt be that the
grette man shall percase haue a fyner wynding
shete thenne shall the poore man, but bothe be
mortall, bothe shall dye, bothe shall rotte, bothe
shalbe forgoten, bothe be Terra & cinis, puluis &
esca uermium, quos hereditabunt serpe~tes. This fayre
bodye of thyn yt yu makeste somoche of, yt yu dekkest
so preciously, yt yu settyste somoche by: itt shall awaye,
itt is butt terra & cinis, puluis & esca uermiu~

E ii

It is but earthe, ashes, duste, & wormes meate.
Serpentes hereditabunt illud. Serpentes shall enheryte
thy bodye, as thou doeste naturally enheryte
thy fadre his landes. Euen so serpentis, wormes
and toodes, shall enheryte thy bodye. Serpentes,
wormes, and toodes, shall naturally ingendre
& brede of thy bodye. Serpentes, wormes,
and toodes, shall gnawe, eate, and deuoure
thy beawtyfull face, thy fayre nose, thy clere eyes
thy whyte handes, thy gudly bodye. Remembre
this thou lorde and layde. Remembre this thou
Chrysten man and woma~. Remembre this ones
a daye. Quia nunq~ peccat, qui se semper cogitat moriturum.
He shall neuer synne deadly, that euer
hathe in remembraunce that he shall dye. He yt
wyll therefore ouercome thys frayle worlde, lett
hym leaue the delectacion thereof, Et nudus cum
nudo Christo crucem ascendat. And let hym nakedly
wyth naked Chryste, Lett him poorely wt poore
chryste, ascende & goo vppe vpon the crosse. And
how? I shall anone shewe the.
The seconde parte of this passion, stode In summo
contemptu & irrisione: in grette horryble contempte
& derisio~, whiche ye Iewes put Christe vnto.
I thinke no earthely ma~ ca~ reherse ye oon parte
of the manifolde and open contemptuouse derysions,
obprobryes, mockes and scornes, whyche
they dyd vnto Christe as vppon this night paste
and this daye: reputynge and takynge hym
for a spectacle, for a mockynge stocke, for a malefactor,
for a contemptuouse person, and for an
abbreacher of the lawe. For whenne they came
to take hym, they came as Christe him selfe witnessythe,
Tanq~ ad latronem existis cum gladiis & lignis
comprehendere me. Whenne ye came to take
me, ye came as the maner is to take a theffe: wt
armure, with swerdes and battes, in the nyght
tyme. And whenne I was dayly emonges you
in the temple teachynge, ye toke me not, ye layd
noo thynge to my chardge. Thus vylenously
they toke Christe, they lugged hym to and froo:
they strake hym, they buffetted hym, they bounde
hym, they pulled hym by ye heare, they spytte
vpon hym, they gaue hym buffatts~ and strokes
to beyond home. They scourged hym wt oute
pytye or compassio~, they clothed him in purple colour
in derisio~, they crowned hym with thorne,
they blyndefelde hym, they mocked hym, they
put in his hande a reede in stedde of a cepture,
And in mockage strake hym by course, & cryed,
Tell vs who stryketh the nowe. And lykewyse
strake hym aboute the hedde, cryynge, tell vs
nowe who strake the? swapte hym vpon ye face,
cryynge who was yt strake the now? who was
that? And kneled downe afore hym salutynge
hym in derision, cryinge, Aue rex iude~orum, Aue
rex iude~orum. Hayle kynge of Iewes. Hayle kynge
of Iewes. As so saye, thou takest thy selfe to

E iii

be kynge of Iewes, and nowe thou arte serued
lyke a kynge, nowe thou arte crowned, nowe yu
haste a ceptre in thy hande, nowe thou syttest in
thy throne, in purpul colours, Nowe we honour
the for our kynge, Aue rex iude~orum, Hayle kynge
of Iewes. Undre this maner outragiously &
beyond all estymacyo~ of man, they deryded and
mockyd hym.
And yett not beynge this contente, they had
hym forthe ayen in pre~torium, into the ye yeldhall
before Pylate, neuer ceasynge but cryed, Iudge
hym, condempne hym to the deathe, he is gyltie
and wurthy to dye, let hym be crucifyed, let hym
be hanged vpon the crosse: lett hym dye a shamefull
deathe, delyuer vnto vs Barrabas and condempne
Iesus. Pylate hyring this raage, Answered
I fynd noo cause in hym why he oughte
to dye. Take you hym and crucifye him for I ka~
not. They sayde ayen, we haue a lawe, and after
our lawe he oughte to dye. And yff thou lett
hym thus goo, thou arte nott frende vnto Cesare.
Whenne Pylate harde that, he sate down, he
gaue iudgement and sentens anenst Christe, he
committyd hym to theyre handes to crucyfye.
They toke hym, they put of hys purple garme~t,
and put on ayen his own apparell, yt he mought
the better be knowen to ye Iewes, to hys shame
& rebuke. They putt a grette hudge crosse vpon
his backe, they ledde hym & haalyd him throughe
the citie, they broughte him to the place of execution,
they gaue hym aysell and gall to drynke.
They faryd so vngoodly wyth hym, that I thinke
the Euangelistes whyche were mooste discrete
& soobur in their penne wolde not for shame
expresse all the vngoodly and shamefull maner
of theyr ludibryes, of theyr wycked behauiours
in this behalfe towardes Christe. But wyth as
breue, pure and chaste penne as they coude they
expressed, not the nombre of theyr euyl doynges,
but onely in parte expressid Modum & formam,
the maner & fasshyon of theyr doynges, of their
derysions and conuiciouse words~, of ther outragious
behauyours towarde Christe. So vndre
thys maner was christe our sauiour on euery behalffe
skornefully and mokkyshely handlede, vnmercifully
treatyd: In suche wyse, as the prophete
Esay dothe saye. Vidimus eum, & non erat
in ipso nec species, nec decor, tanq~ nouissimu~. Reputauimus
eum quasi leprosum & percussum a deo, &
humiliatum. We loked vpon hym and ther appered
nother beawty nor sauour in hym, but as a
man out caste of all men. We reputed hym as a
lepur, as a man oute of the fauour of God, as a
man mooste vile in reputacion, and as an abiecte
of the worlde.
And what dyd he in all this trouble, in all thies
turmuyllys? hitt foloweth. Sicut ouis ad occisionem
ducitur, & quasi agnus coram tondente obmutuit,

15

non aperiens os suum, In all this aduersitye,
he vsed hymselfe lyke vnto ye propertye of a sheepe,
whiche whenne he is brought to the shamuls
to be slayne, And lykewyse the lambe that is vndre
the hande of hym that doth shere hym, The
shepe cryeth nott, the lambe complayneth not: ye
shepe is put to deathe and strogleth not, the lambe
loseth his fleese and some tymes a pece of his
skynne & fleshe, and yet complayneth not. Soo
Christe, in all these his pangnes, in all these hys
paynes and iniuryes, rebelled not, complayned
not, murmured not: but pacie~tly as a lambe suffrede
all suche iniures, wro~ges and payns that
the Iewes dyd putt vnto hym. Wherein we be
taughte, paciently to suffre all obprobryes, all iniuryes,
wronges, or dyspleasures done vnto vs
by our enemyes, in the cause of God. Paciently
to suffre hytt for the name and loue of God, whiche
suffrede soo many wronges, so many Iniuryes
and rebukes for vs. Of this vertue of pacience
itt is wryten. Vsq~ ad tempus sustinebit paciens,
& postea erit redditio iocunditatis illius.The pacient
man suffrethe for a whyle, tyll the tyme yt
God shall rewarde all thynges good and badde:
and the~ne shall he haue his rewarde of ioye and
gladnes therfor.

Lett vs therefore Christen people for whome
Chryste hathe thus shedde his bloode, gyue tha~kes
for his passion, lett vs ioye in his resurreccio~,
lett vs laude hym for his ascencio~, for all ye hoole
catholique chirche thrughoute the worlde dothe
reioyce therein: besechinge him that dydde this
moche for vs, that he wyll of his mercyfull godenes
brynge and make vs tascend in to thys hys
glorye. Lett vs Chrysten people reioyce yt cryste
was borne, to teache vs, that he died, to heale vs.
For his crosse was deathe to hym, & to vs lyffe.
His natiuitie was ioye to all the worlde. His lyffe
& doctrine was to vs lyght & co~forte: his passion
& deathe was to vs lyffe and solace: his resurreccion
was to vs ioye and glorye. For after
he was deade & wente to the helles, he reuerted
ayen to the worlde and tryumphed. For he appered
to sainte Thomas & saide, putt thy fingre in
to the wounds~ of my syde, touche my wounds~, see
howe that oute of them ranne bloode. Loke thomas
vpon ye pryce of ye worlde, looke vpo~ ye sygnes
of the nayles, for in those wou~des shalte yu fynde
remeadye & healthe for all ye sores of thy soule.
And to you ye Iewes, scrybes, and pharysees:
beholde you this sepulcre, & recognice your sacrilege
co~mitted annenste your lorde God beholde

L ii.

you the grette crosse, beholde you ye roughe nayles,
beholde the sharpe spere. Beholde the soore
greuoouse woundyd bodye, whyche ye prykled,
whiche ye scourged, whiche ye wounded & enuiously
entreated. Beholde you ye sepulcre in whyche
he was buryed. It is voyde, the bodye is rysen
and ascended to the fadre, to your confusion
& dampnacion. For Chryste reseruethe fixuras
clauoru~, the markes and scarres of the nayles &
wou~des, to shewe vnto you att that greate day,
your sacrilegiouse tyra~nye whiche ye haue done
vnto ye bodye, yt ye maye ther see your deades,
that ye maye ther see your myscheuouse actes,
your abhominable doyngs, to your own confusion,
shame, and dampnacion. O pharyses,
scrybes, and Iewes: consydre your malyce:
consydre your malignitye commytted annenste
your maker chryste. Reuoke your malice,
putt awaye your enuiouse hartes, do ye penau~ce,
wepe and wayle your synnes, crye to this crucyfied
chryste that he maye remytte and forgyue
you your offenses.
And you chryste~ people, come ye nere, Ioye ye
and co~forte your selues in this chryste & god, in
this sauiour of the worlde. Studye you to lyue
in hym, to lyue in a sobrenes, in a clennes & chastitye,
to lyue chrystianely, godly and vertuously.
Chrysten ma~ thou haste harde nowe, howe many
wayes criste hathe opened & shewed him selfe
to the worlde, and proued hym selfe veraye god.
And namely in his passion & deathe, in his desce~cion
to hell, in his resurreccion: and principally
whenne he ascended vnto the heuens bodely, &
ther sytteth in dextera patris on the ryghte hande
of the fadre. And afterwarde accordinge to his promyse se~te
downe the holye gooste in symilitude of fyerye
tongues vpon the Pentecoste daye emo~ges his
disciples: whyche gaue them veraye knowledge
of chryste to be god. They wente thenne streight
forthe abroode & preached chryste, and taughte
hym to the worlde. At whose words~ the people came
in, they ranne to penaunce, they toke baptysme,
they beganne to smake of god, they lame~ted
their synnes, they cryed for mercye, they bega~ne
a Chrystian lyff. And to declare Chryste abrode
to all the worlde, the disciples deuided the~ selues
into sundrye partes and countreyes: Peter
into Ierusale~, Antioche, and Rome. Paule into
Rome, Damaske, Atheyns, Galathy, Corynthy,
Sythia & Tracy. Mathewe into Ethyope, Thomas
into India Inde. Bartholomewe into the
other India. Andrewe into Achaia & Ierusale~,
Iohn into Asia. Bothe the Iames, in terra~ Iude
into the lande of Iude. And the residue of the~
after ther lymytacion & lotte: some into oon cou~trey,
and some into an other: so to edyfye chryste
his faythe, so to buyld his chirche, so to shewe

L iii.

god to the worlde. And annon Chryste grewe in
knowledge to the worlde, annon the people beganne
to knowe hym: to smake and sauour of
hym: butt not in all parts~. For after that Paule
was conuerted & wente abrode preachinge christe,
he came into the cyte of Athenes. And as his
custome was, euer whenne he came into a Citye
or towne, he wolde fyrste vysyte the te~ple or chirche,
and so dydd ther, & walked aboute their temple,
and behylde the maner of their sacrifyce &
culture of their godds~: where he sawe many ymagies
& aulters. And vpon euery aulter was a title
sett vppe to shewe in whose honour itt was dedicated.
Some aulter was dedicate as appered
by the scripture to the godds~ of Asia, some to the
goddis of Europe, some of Aphryca. Some to
Iouis, some to Mercury, to ye Sonne, to Mars,
to the Mone, & to suche other. And ouer oon aulter
was wryten for the tytle to whome that aultre
was dedicate, thes words~, Ignoto deo. This
aulter is consecrate in ye honour of the vnknowen
god, Ignoto deo, to ye vnknowen god. And Paule
seynge this, cryed to the people, O uiri Athenie~ses,
per omnia uideo uos superstitiosos. O you people
of Athaynes, I see you almoste in all thynges
concerninge your rytes & customes in your temple,
to be superstitiouse. I se your aultres dedicate,
some to oon god, some to an other. Unto those
that ar no goddes but creatures, symulacres
& deade thinges. And oon of your aulters is made
& sanctifyed Ignoto deo, to an vnknowe~ god.
Quem ergo ignorantes colitis, hunc ego annuncio uobis.
I am no p~acher nor teacher of newe goddis.
I do not faynt any newe godds~, but I do shewe
you the olde god, the god of Gods, the God euerlastynge,
the god that is withoute begynnynge,
and shalbe wythe oute endynge, the onely god of
heuen and earthe, whyche ye yett knowe not, &
yet ye worshipe him in your te~ple at oon of your
aulters: where is wryten Ignoto deo, Dedicat to
an vnknowen god. Et quem ignorantes colitis, hu~c
ego annuntio uobis. I preache this god vnto you
that ye do worshipe and knowe not. Ye worshipe
a god att this aulter, and knowe nott whome ye
worshype, nor what God, I preache hym vnto
you. This is he that madde heuen and earthe &
all that is therin. This is the lorde of all. Of him
all thynges hathe theyr beynges. This is hee yt
maade the fyrste man of nawght, & of that oon
man, all man kynde. This is he that toke ye same
nature oon hym, so to be knowen to the worlde.
And that is itt that the phylosopher saythe, & rehersid
by the appostul, Ipsius enim & genus sumus.
He toke our nature and became man. In ipso viuim9,
mouemur & sumus. In hym & by hym we lyue
& haue our beynge, our mouynge, our lyff, &
all that we haue. This is he yt ye haue put to deathe
& passion. This is he yt suffrede for you, yt dyyd

L iiij.

oon the crosse. He is the price of the world, he hathe
washed you in his bloode. He was the sacryfyce
for ye hool worlde, he made thattonme~te betwene
god and man. He is the mediator that procurethe
remyssion of synne. And he shall come ayen
and iudge ye worlde. Hunc ego annu~tio uobis.
This god I shewe & preche vnto you and to all ye
worlde. This is he that was vnknowen, that
nowe is knowen to all ye worlde to be God. And
thoughe the Iewes and pagans, thoughe the
Sarysons, infydelles, & Turkes, wyll nott yett
knowe hym, worshype hym, nowe take hym for
theyr god: att the daye of iudgemente whenne
he shall come ayen, the~ne shall they see him, the~
shall they feale hym & knowe him. The~ shall thei
knowe ye hygh myght & power of this lord & god.
Then shall they knowe yt he is veraye god. The~
shal he shewe hi~ sylf to ye world as he is, god & ma~.
Ecce ueniet cu~ nubib9 & uidebit eu~ oi~s oculus & qui
eum pupugerunt. Et plangent se super eum omnes tribus
terre, etiam Amen. He shall come in ye clowdes
and as Mathewe dothe saye he shall come in a
grette maiestye, and euery eye, euery person, ye
all ma~ kynde shall thenne see hym, ye and they
that hathe pryked and prouoked hym to wrathe
and to displeasur and they that hathe crucified
& wou~dyd hym. All shall see & knowe hym the~ne.