He teacheth Nicodemus, that to come to the Kingdom of God, Baptisme is necessarie, as
being our Regeneration. 10. Which point Nicodemus as then not vnderstanding. 11. he
sheweth that they must beleeue him, and what good cause there is for them so to doe. 23.
After this he also baptized, & Iohn likewise at the same time, 25. Wherupon a question
being moued, whether Baptisme is better, 15. Iohn answereth it by saying, that he is so
farre inferiour to Christ, as a mere man to God most high.
1. AND there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a Prince of the Iewes.
2. This man came to IESVS by night, and said to him: Rabbi, we know that thou art
come from God a Maister; for no man can doe these signes which thou doest, vnles God be with
him.
3. IESVS answered, and said to him: Amen, Amen I say to thee, vnles a man be borne
againe, he can not see the Kingdom of God.
4. Nicodemus said to him: How can a man be borne, when he is old? can he enter into
his mothers wombe againe & be borne?
5. IESVS answered: Amen, Amen I say to thee, vnles a man be borne againe of water
and the Spirit, he can not enter into the Kingdom of God.
6. That which is borne of the flesh, is flesh: & that which is borne of the Spirit,
is spirit.
7. Maruel not, that I said to thee, You must be borne againe.
8. The Spirit breatheth where he wil; and thou hearest his voice, but thou knowest
not whence he commeth and whither he goeth: so is euery one that is borne of the Spirit.
9. Nicodemus answered, & said to him: How can these things be done?
10. IESVS answered, and said to him: Thou art a Maister in Israel, and art thou
ignorant of these things?
11. Amen, Amen I say to thee, that we speeke that which we know, and that which we
haue seen we testifie, and our testimonie you receiue not.
12. If I haue spoken to you earthly things, and you beleeue not: how if I shal
speake to you heauenly things, wil you beleeue?
13. And no man hath ascended into Heauen, but he that descended from Heauen, the
Sonne of man which is in Heauen.
14. And as Moyses exalted the serpent in the desert, so must the Sonne of man be
exalted:
15. that euery one which beleeueth in him, perish not, but may haue life euerlasting.
16. For so God loued the world, that he gaue his only-begotten Sonne; that euery
one that beleeueth in him, perish not, but may haue life euerlasting.
17. For God sent not his Sonne into the world, to iudge the world, but that the
world may be saued by him.
18. He that beleeueth in him, is not iudged. But he that doth not beleeue, is
already iudged: because he hath not beleeued in the name of the only-begotten Sonne of God.
19. And this is the iudgement: because the light is come into the world, and men
haue loued the darknesse rather then the light: for their workes were euil.
20. For euery one that doth il, hateth the light, and commeth not to the light, that
his workes may not be controuled.
21. But he that doth veritie, commeth to the light, that his workes may be made
manifest, because they were done in God.
22. After these things IESVS came and his Disciples into the countrie of Iewrie; &
there he abode with them, and baptized.
23. And Iohn also was baptizing in Ænon beside Salim; because there was much water
there, and they came, and were baptized.
24. For Iohn was not yet cast into prison.
25. And there rose a question of Iohns Disciples with the Iewes concerning
purification.
26. And they came to Iohn, and said to him: Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Iordan,
to whom thou didst giue testimonie, behold he baptizeth, and al come to him.
27. Iohn answered and said: A man can not receiue any thing, vnlesse it be giuen
him from Heauen.
28. Your selues doe beare me witnesse, that I said, I am not CHRIST; but that I am
sent before him.
29. He that hath the bride, is the bridegrome: but the freind of the bridegrome that
standeth and heareth him, reioyceth with ioy for the voice of the bridegrome. This my ioy
therfore is filled.
30. He must increase, and I diminish.
31. He that commeth from aboue, is aboue al. He that is of the earth, of the earth
he is, and of the earth he speaketh. He that commeth from Heauen, is aboue al.
32. And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth: and his testimonie no
men receiueth.
33. He that hath receiued his testimonie, hath signed that God is true.
34. For he whom God hath sent, speaketh the wordes of God. For God doth not giue the
spirit by measure.
35. The Father loueth the Sonne: & he hath giuen al things in his hand.
36. He that beleeueth in the Sonne: hath life euerlasting: but he that is incredulous
to the Sonne, shal not see life, but the wrath of God remaineth vpon him.