How Paul began the Church of Ephesus, first in twelue that were baptized with Iohns Baptisme, 8.
then preaching three moneths in the Synagogue of the Iewes, vntil for their obstinace &
blaspheming, he forsooke them, disputing afterward in a certaine schoole for two yeares space to
the maruelous increase of the Church, specially through his great miracles also, in healing diseases
with the touch of his clothes, and expelling Diuels, 13. who yet contemned the Exorcists of the Iewes.
18. How the Christians there confesse their actes, and burne their vnlawful bookes: 21. and how he foretold
that after he had been at Hierusalem, he must see Rome. 23. And what a great sedition was raised
against him at Ephesus, by them that got their liuing by working to the Idolatrous Temple of Diana.
1.
⋮
The Epistle vpon whit suneue.
AND it came to passe when Apollo was at Corinth, that Paul hauing gone through the
higher parts came to Ephesus, and found certaine Disciples:
2. and he said to them: Haue you receiued the Holy Ghost, beleeuing? But they said
to him: Nay, neither haue we heard whether there be a Holy Ghost.
3. But he said: In what then were you baptized? Who said,
✟
Iohns Baptisme not sufficient.
In Iohns Baptisme.
4. And Paul said:
*
Mat. 3,11.
Mark 1,8.
Luke 3,16.
Iohn baptized the people with the Baptisme of penance, saying, That
they should beleeue in him that was to come after him, that is to say,
✟
Christs Baptisme necessarie.
in Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ.
5. Hearing these things, they were baptized in the name of our Lord Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ.
6. And when Paul had
✟
S. Paul minstred the Sacrament of Confirmation. See annot. c. 8,17.
imposed hands on them, the Holy Ghost came vpon them, & they
spake with tongues, and prophecied.
7. And al the men were about twelue.
8. And entring into the Synagogue, he spake confidently for three moneths, disputing
& exhorting of the Kingdom of God.
9. But when certaine were indurate, and beleeued not, il-speaking the way of our Lord
before the multitude, departing from them, he sparated the Disciples, daily disputing in the
schoole of one Tyrannus.
10. And this was done for the space of two yeares, so that al which dwelt in Asia,
heard the word of our Lord, Iewes and Gentils.
11. And God wrought by the hand of Paul miracles not common:
12. so that there were also brought from his body
Napkins.
Touching of Relikes, & miracles done by the same.
The napkins that had touched S. Paules body, wrought miracles, and it was no
superstition to attribute that vertue to them which God gaue to them indeed: nor to seeke to touch them
for health, was any dishonour to God, but it much proued Christs religion to be true, and him to be the only
God, whose seruants, yea whose seruants *shadows and napkins could doe such wonders, as S. Chrysostom
(to. 5. cont. Gentiles, quod Christus sit Deus, in vita Babylæ.) sheweth in a whole booke to
that purpose, against the Pagans: prouing hereby and by the like vertue of other Saints and their Relikes,
that Christ their Lord and Maister is God. For it is al one concerning the bodies of Saints, relikes,
garments, staues, bookes, or any thing that belonged to them: al which may & haue done & yet doe
(when it is necessarie to our edification) the like wonders to Gods great honour; not only in their
life time, but after their death much more. For S. Paules napkins had as great force when he was dead,
as when he liued, and so much more, as his grace and dignitie with God is greater then before. Which
S. Chrysostom in the place alleaged proueth at large by the shrine of S. Babylas the Martyr: and to
thinke the contrarie, is the Heresie of Vigilantius, condemned so long since as S. Hieromes time, and by
him refuted abundantly.
*Act. 5,26.
napkins or handkerchefs vpon the
sicke, and the diseases departed from them, and the wicked spirits went out.
13. And certaine also of the Iudaical Exorcists that went about, assaied to inuocate
vpon them that had euil Spirits, the name of our Lord Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ, saying: I adiure you by
Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ whom Paul preacheth.
14. And there were certaine sonnes of Sceua a Iewe, cheefe Priest, seuen, that did this.
15. But the wicked Spirit answering, said to them: Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ I know, and
Paul I know.
The name, or presence, or Reliques of Saints & holy men, confound the Diuel.
Both the said napkins taken from S. Paules body, and his name also, were
dreadful and able to expel Diuels. Whereby we learne that not only Christes name, which is the principal,
but his seruants names also inuocated vpon the possessed, haue power ouer Diuels: which is a
maruelous honour to Saints, and nothing diminisheth the glorie of God, but exceedingly increaseth the
same, not only himself, but his seruants also being able to doe such things, and to be stronger then any
Diuel in Hel. So we read in *S. Hierom, that many did inuocate the name of S. Hilarion vpon the
possessed, and the Diuels straight departed. So did the Diuel know *S. Babylas & other Saints,
euen after they were dead, when they could not speake for the presence of their Relikes, and when they
were tormented & expelled by them: whereof al antiquitie is ful of testimonies. But our Heretikes,
Luther and Caluin and their Schollers attempting to cast out Diuels, sped much like these good
fellowes did.
*In vit. Hilarionis. Chrys. loco citato.
Paul I know:
but you, what are ye?
16. And the man in whom the wicked Spirit was leaping vpon them, and mastring both,
preuailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
17. And this was made notorious to al the Iewes and the Gentils that dwelt at Ephesus:
and feare fel vpon al them, and the name of our Lord Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ was magnified.
18. And many of them that beleeued, came confessing & declaring
✟
They made not only a general confession wherin al men shew themselues alike
to be sinners, as our Protestants doe, but euery one confessed his owne
proper deeds & faults
their deeds.
19. And many of them that had followed
Curious things.
Superstitious, heretical, & al hurtful bookes must be made away.
Curious and vnlawful sciences, as Witchcraft, Necromancie, and other
meanes of diuination by southsaying, figure-casting, interpretation of dreames, or any way not allowed by
God and his Church, must much more be abhorred of old Christians, when these so lately conuerted
were so zelous and diligent to leaue them. And by this example al that are newly reconciled to the
Church, are taught, the first thing they doe, to burne their heretical and naughtie bookes.
curious things, brought together their
Bookes.
Decrees & penal lawes against heretical bookes.
A Christian man is bound to burne or deface al wicked bookes of what sort
so euer, specially Heretical bookes: Which though they infect not him alwaies that keepeth them, yet
being forth-comming, they may be noisom & pernicious to others that shal haue them & read them
after his death, or otherwise. Therfore hath the Church taken order for condemning al such bookes, &
against the reading of them, where danger may ensue: & the Christian Emperours, Constantinus
Magnus, Valentinian, Theodosius, Martian, Iustinian, made penal lawes for the burning or defacing of
them. Sozom. li. 1. c. 20. li. 2. c. 31. Conc. Chalc. act. 3. in fine, cap. Ampla. & in fine
totius Conc. c. Imperator. Conc. Constantinop. 2. conses. 5. cap. Debitum. & Act. 1. cap. 1. &
cap. Rom. See Eusebius li. 3. de vita Constant. c. 61. 62. 63. 64. The danger of
reading them, as it is manifest, so it is signified by Euseb. li. 7. c. 6. S. Augustin
li. 3. de bapt. c. 14. S. Greg. li. 3. ep. 64.
bookes,
and burnt them before al: and counting the prices of them, they found the money to be fiftie
thousand pence.
20. So mightily increased the word of God and was confirmed.
21.
⋮
The 6. part.
And when these things were ended, Paul purposed in the Spirit, when he had passed
through Macedonia Achaia, to goe to Hierusalem, saying: After I shal haue been there I must see
✟
Of taking away the Ghospel from Hierusalem the head citie of the Iewes,
and giuing it to Rome the head citie of the Gentils.
Rome also.
22. And sending into Macedonia two of them that ministred vnto him, Timothee and
Erastus, himself remained for a time in Asia.
23. And at that time there was made no litle trouble about the way of our Lord.
24. For one named Demetrius, a siluer-smith, that made siluer
✟
ναοὺς.
The Protestants translate, shrines, in the Bible an. 1577. to make the
people thinke that it toucheth the holy shrines of Saints; most corruptly,
the Greeke signifying plainly. temples, & that of heathen gods.
Temples of Diana,
procured to the artifices no smal gaine:
25. whom calling together and them that were the same kind of workemen, he said: Sirs,
you know that our gaine is of this occupation;
26. and you see, and heare that this same Paul by
persuasion hath auerted a great multitude not only of Ephesus, but almost of al Asia, saying:
That they are not gods which be made by hands.
27. And not only vnto vs is this part in danger to be reproued, but also the Temple
of great Diana shal be reputed for nothing, yea & her maiestie shal begin to be destroied, whom
al Asia & the world worshippeth.
28. Hearing these things they were replenished with anger, and cried out saying: Great
is Diana of the Ephesians.
29. And the whole citie was filled with confusion, and they ranne violently with one
accord into the theater, catching Gaius & Aristarchus Macedonians, Paules companions.
30. And when Paul would haue entred into the people, the Disciples did not permit him.
31. And certaine also of the Princes of Asia that were his freinds, sent vnto him,
desyring that he would not aduenture himself into the theater:
32. and others cried another thing. For the assemblie was confuse, & the more part knew
not for what cause they were assembled.
33. And of the multitude they drew forth Alexander, the Iewes thrusting him forward. But
Alexander with his hand desiring silence, would haue giuen the people satisfaction.
34. Whom as soone as they perceiued to be a Iewe, there was made one voice of al,
almost for the space of two houres crying out: Great is Diana of the Ephesians.
35. And when the Scribe had appeased the multitudes, he saith: Ye men of Ephesus,
for what man is there that knoweth not the citie of the Ephesians to be a worshipper of great
Diana, and
✟
τοῦ διοπετοῦς.
Here the Heretikes adde to the text this word, image, more then is in
the Greeke, to put a scruple into the peoples mind concerning holy images.
Iupiters child?
36. For asmuch therfore as these things can not be gainsaid, you must be quieted,
and doe nothing rashly.
37. For you haue brought these men, being neither sacrilegious, nor blaspheming your
Goddesse.
38. But if Demetrius & the artificers that are with him, haue matter to day against
any man, there are Courts kept in the common place, & there are Proconsuls; let them accuse one
another.
39. And if you aske any other matter, it may be resolued in a lawful assemblie.
40. For we are in danger also to be whom we may giue an account of this concourse.
And when he had said these things he dimissed the assemblie.