Christ going into the desert, to prepare himself before his Manifestation, ouercometh the
Diuels tentations. 12. Beginning in Galilee, as the Prophet said he should; 8. he calleth foure
Disciples; and with his preaching and miracles draweth vnto him innumerable folowers.
1.
⋮
The Ghospel vpon the first Sunday in Lent.
THEN
*
Mar. 1,12.
Luke 4,1.
Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ was ledde of the Spirit into the
Desert.
Eremites.
As Iohn the Baptist, so our Sauiour by going into the desert, and there
liuing in contemplation even among brute beasts, and subiect to the
assaults of the Diuel for our sinnes, giveth a warrant and example to such
holy men as have liued in wildernesse for penance and contemplation, called Eremites.
desert, to be tempted of the Diuel.
2. And when he had
Fasted fourtie daies.
The Lent-fast.
Elias and Moyses (saith S. Hierom) by the fast of 40 daies, were filled with the familiaritie
of God, and our Lord himself in the wildernesse fasted as many to leaue vnto vs the solemne
daies of fast (that is, Lent.) Hierom. in c. 58 Esa. S. Augustine also hath the very like
wordes ep. 119. And generally al the ancient Fathers that by occasion, or of purpose speake
of the Lent-fast, make it not only an imitation of our Sauiours fast, but also an Apostolical
tradition, and of necessitie to be kept. Contemne not Lent, (*Saith S. Ignatius) for it
containeth the imitation of our Lords conuersation. And S. Ambrose saith plainely,
**that it was not ordained by men, but consecrated by God: nor inuented by any earthly cogitation
but commaunded by the heauenly Majestie. And againe, that it is sinne not to fast al the Lent.
S. Hieroms words also be most plaine: ***We (saith he) fast fourtie daies, or, make one
Lent in a yeare, according to the tradition of the Apostles, in time conuenient. This time
most conuenient is (as S. Augustine saith ep. 119) immediatly before Easter, thereby to communicate
with our Sauiours Passion:and (as other writers do adde) thereby to come the better prepared and
more worthily, to the great solemnitie of Christs Resurrection: beside many other goodly reasons in
the ancient Fathers which for breuitie we omit. See (good Christian Reader) 12. notable sermons of
S. Leo the Great de Quadragesima, of Lent: namely Ser. 6. and 9. where he calleth it the
Apostles ordinance by the doctrine of the Holy-Ghost. See S. Ambrose from the 23. Sermon forward;
in S. Bernard 7. Sermons, and in many other Fathers the like. Last of al, note wel the saying of
S. Augustine, ****who affirmeth that by due obseruation thereof, the wicked be separated from the
good, Infidels from Christians, Heretikes from faithful Catholikes.
*Igna. ep. 5.
**Ambr. de. Quadrag. ser. 36. 34.
***Hier. ep. 54 ad Marcel. adu. Montanum.
****Aug. Ser. 69 de temp.
fasted fourtie daies and fourtie nights afterward he was hungrie.
3. And the tempter approached and said to him: If thou be Sonne of God, commaund that these stones be made bread.
4. Who answered and said it is written,
*
Deu. 8,3.
Not in bread alone doth man liue, but in
euery word that proceedeth from the mouth of God.
5. Then the Diuel tooke him vp into the holy citie, and set him vpon the pinnacle
of the Temple,
6. and said to him: If thou be the Sonne of God, cast thy self downe, for
It is written.
Heretikes alleage scriptures, as here the Deuil doth in the false sense; the Church vseth
them, as Christ doth in the true sense, and to confute their falsehood. Aug. cont. lit.
Petil. lib. 2. c. 51. to 5.
it is
written:
*
Psa. 50,12.
That he wil giue his Angels charge of thee, & in their hands shal they hold
thee vp, least perhaps thou knock thy foote against a stone.
7. Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ sayd to him againe: It is written,
*
Deu. 6,16.
Thou shalt not tempt the
Lord thy God.
8. Againe the Diuel tooke him vp into a very high mountaine: and he shewed him the
Kingdoms of the world, and the glorie of them,
9. and sayd to him: Al these wil I giue thee, if faling downe thou wilt adore me.
10. Then Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ saith to him: Avant Satan; for it is written,
*
Deu. 6,13.
The Lord
thy God shalt thou adore, and
Him only serue.
It was not sayd, saith S. Augustine: The Lord thy God only shalt thou adore, as it was said,
Him only shalt thou serve; in Greeke, λατρεύσεις Aug. sup. Gen. 9. 16. Wherevpon
the Catholike Church hath alwayes vsed this most true & necessarie distinction, that there is an
honour dew to God only, which to give vnto any creature, were idolatrie; and there is an honour
dew to creatures also according to their dignitie, as to Saints, holy things, and holy place.
See Euseb. Hist. Ec. li. 4 c. 14. S. Hierom. cont. Vigil. ep. 53. Aug. lib. 10 Ciuit. c. 2
li. 1. Trin. c. 6 Conc. Nic. 2 Damasc. li. 1 de Imag. Bed. in 4 Luc.
him only shalt thou serue.
11. Then the Diuel left him; and behold Angels came, and ministred to him.
12.
⋮
THE THIRD part of the Ghospel, of Christs manifesting him self by preaching, & that in
Galilee.
And when
*
Mar. 1,14.
Luke 4,14.
Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ had heard Iohn was deliuered vp, he retired into Galilee:
13. and leauing the citie of Nazareth, came and dwelt in Capharnaum a sea towne, in
the borders of Zabulon of Nephthali;
14. that it might be fulfilled which was said by Esay the Prophet.
15.
*
Isai. 9,1.
Land of Zabulon & land of Nephthali, the way of the sea beyond Iordan
of Galilee, of the Gentils:
16. the people that fate sate in darknesse, hath seen great light: & to
them that sate in a countrie of shadow of death, light is risen to them.
17. From that time Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ began to preach, and to say:
*
Mar. 1,15.
Doe pennance,
Doe pennance.
That penance is necessarie also before Baptisme, for such as be of age; as Iohns, so our
Sauiours preaching declareth, both beginning with penance.
for the Kingdom
of Heauen is at hand.
18.
⋮
The Ghospel vpon S. Andrewes day.
And Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ
*
Luke 5,1.
walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon who is called
Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea (for they were fishers)
19. and he sayth to them: Come ye after me, and I wil make you to be fishers of men.
20. But they incontinent leauing the nets, folowed him.
21. And going forward from thence, he saw
*
Mar. 1,19.
Luke 5,10.
other two brethren, Iames of Zebedee, and
Iohn his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, reparing their nets: and he called them.
22. And they forthwith left their nets and father and folowed him.
32. And Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ went round about al Galilee, teaching in their Synagogues, & preaching
the Ghospel of the Kingdom: and
Healing euery maladie.
Christ (saith S. Augustine) by miracles gat authoritie, by authoritie found credit,
by credit drew together a multitude, by a multitude obtained antiquitie, by antiquitie fortified
a Religion, which not only the most fond new rising of Heretikes vsing deceitful wiles, but
neither the drowsie old errours of the very Heathen with violence setting against it, might
in anie part shake and cast downe. Aug. de vtil. cred. c. 14.
healing euery maladie, and euery infirmitie, in the people.
24. And the bruite of him went into al Syria, and they presented to him al that were
il at ease, diuersly taken with diseases and torments, and such as were possest, and lunatikes,
and sick of the palsey, and he cured them:
25. And much people folowed him from Galilee, and Decapolis, and Hierusalem, and from
Iurie and from beyond Iordan.