The second part: The preparation that was made to the manifestation of Christ.
Iohn, to prepare al the Christ (as Esay had prophecied of him) baptizeth them to penance, 7.
insinuating their reprobation, and the Gentils vocation. 10. teaching also & exhorting each sort
to doe their dutie. 15. That himself is not Christ, he sheweth by the difference of their two
Baptismes: 17. and saith that Christ wil also iudge his baptized. 19. Iohns unprisonment. 21. Christ
being him selfe also baptized of Iohn, hath testimonie from Heauen, 23. as he whose Generation reduceth
vs againse to God.
1.
⋮
The Ghospel vpon Imber Saturday in Aduent. And on the 4. Sunday in Aduent.
AND in the fifteenth year of the empire of Tiberius Cæsar, Pontius Pilate being
Gouernour of Iewrie, and Herod being Tetrach of Galilee, and Philip his brother Tetrach of
Ituréa and the countrie Trachonitis, and Lyfanias Tetrach of Abilina,
2. vnder the high Priests Annas and Caiphas: the Word of our Lord was made vpon Iohn
the sonne of Zacharie, in the desert.
3. And
*
Mat. 3,1.
Mark 1,1.
he came into al the countrie of Iordan, preaching the Baptisme of
✟
Pennance prepareth the way to Christ.
pennance vnto
remision of sinnes; as it is written in the booke of the sayings of Esay the Prophet:
4.
*
Isai. 40,3.
A voice of one crying in the desert; prepare the way of our Lord, make straight
his paths.
5. Euery valley shal be filled; and euery mountaine and hil shal be made low, and
crooked things shal become straight; and rough waies, plaine:
6. And al flesh shal see the Sᴀʟᴠᴀᴛɪᴏɴ of God.
7. He said therfore to the multitudes that went forth to be baptized of him:
*
Mat. 3,7.
Ye vipers
broods, who hath shewed you to flee from the wrath to come?
8. Yeald therfore
✟
Fruits of pennance be works satisfactorie.
fruits worthie of penance; and doe ye not begin to say, we haue Abraham,
to our father. For I tel you, that God is able of these stones to raise vp children to Abraham.
9. For now the axe is put to the roote of the trees.
✟
A man without good workes is vnfruitful, and shal be cast into euerlasting
fire.
Euery tree therfore that yealdeth
not good fruit,
✟
'is'
shal be cut downe, and cast into fire.
10. And the multitudes asked him, saying: What shal we doe then?
11. And he answering, said vnto them:
✟
Almes counseled or enioyned for sinnes and to auoid damnation.
He that hath two coats, let him giue to him
that hath not; and he that hath meat, let him doe likewise.
12. And the Publicans also came to be baptized, and said to him: Maister, what shal
we doe?
13. But he said to them: Doe nothing more then that which is appointed you.
14. And the souldiars also asked him, saying: What shal we also doe? And he said to
them: Vexe not, neither calumniate any man; and be content with your stipends.
15. And
✟
Iohn was so holy that many might by errour easily thinke he was Christ.
the people imagining, and al men thinking in their harts of Iohn, lest perhaps
he were Christ:
16. Iohn answered, saying vnto al:
*
Mat. 3,11.
Mark 1,8.
Iohn 1,26.
Act. 1,5. 11,16. 19,4.
I indeed baptize you with water,
✟
How say then the Heretikes that the Baptisme of Christ is of no greater
vertue then Iohns?
but there
✟
'commeth'
shal
come a mightier then I, whose latchet of his shoes I am not worthie to loose; he shal baptize you
in the Holy Ghost and fire:
17. who fanne is in his hand, and he wil purge his floore; and wil gather the wheat
into his barne, but the chaffe he wil burne with vnquencheable fire.
18. Many other things also exhorting did he euangelize to the people.
19.
*
Mat. 14,3.
Mark 6,17.
And Herod the Tetrach, when he was rebuked of him for Herodias his
✟
'brother Philips'
brothers' wife,
and for al the euils which Herod did:
20.
He added this aboue al.
The fault of Princes and other great men, that can not only not abide to heare
their faults, but also punish by death or imprisonment such as reprehend them for
the same (specially if they warne them, as Prophets & Priests doe, from God) is
exceeding great.
He added this also aboue al, and shut vp Iohn into prison.
21.
*
Mat. 3,13.
Mark 1,9.
Iohn 1,32.
And it came to passe when al the people was baptized, Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ also being
baptized and praying, Heauen was opened:
22. And the Holy Ghost descended in corporal shape as a doue vpon him: and a voice
from Heauen was made: Thou art my beloued Sonne, in thee I am wel pleased.
23. And Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ him self was beginning to be about thirtie yeares old: as it was
thought, the sonne of Ioseph, who was
Of Heli.
The reconciliation of Matthew and Luke in our Sauiours pedegree.
Whereas in S. Matthew, Iacob is father to Ioseph, and here Heli, the case was
thus. Mathan (named in S. Matthew) of his wife called Escha begat Iacob: and
after his death, Melchi (named here in S. Luke) of the same woman begat Heli:
so that Iacob and Heli were brethren of one mother. This Heli therfore marying
and dying without issue: Iacob his brother, according to the Law married his
wife, and begat Ioseph, and so raised vp seed to his brother Heli. Whereby it
came to passe, that Iacob was the natural father of Ioseph which as (S. Matthew
saith) begat him: and Heli was his legal father according to the Law, as S.
Luke signifieth. Euseb. li. 1 Ec. Hist. c. 7 Hiero. in c. 1 Mat. Aug. li. 2
c. 2. 3 de cons. Euang.
of Heli,
24. who was of Matthat, who was of Leui, who was of Melchi, who as of Ianne, who was
of Ioseph,
25. who was of Matthathias, who was of Amos, who was of Naum, who was of Hesli, who
was of Nagge,
26. who was of Mahath, who was of Matthathias, who was of Semei, who was of Ioseph,
who was of Iuda,
27. who was of Iohanna, who was of Resa, who was of Zorababel, who was of Salathiel,
who was of Neri,
28. who was of Melchi, who was of Addi, who was of Cosam, who was of Elmadan, who was
of Her,
29. who was of Iesus, who was of Eliézer, who was of Iorim, who was of Matthat, who
was of Leui,
30. who was of Simeon, who was of Iudas, who was of Ioseph, who was of Iona, who was
of Eliacim.
31. who was of
✟
'Melcæ'
Melcha, who was of Menna, who was of Matthatha, who was of Nathan, who
was of Dauid,
32.
*
Mat. 1,5.
who as of Iesse, who was of Obed, who was of Booz, who was of Salmon, who was of
Naasson,
33. who was of Aminadab, who was of Aram, who was of Esron, who was of Phares, who was
of Iudas,
34. who was of Iacob, who was of Isaac, who was of Abraham, who was of Thare, who
was of Nachor,
35. who was of Sarug, who was of Ragau, who was of Phaleg, who was of Heber, who was
of Sale,
36.
✟
Beza boldly wipeth out of this Ghospel, these wordes, who was of Cainan:
though al the Greeke copies both of the old Testament & of the new, haue them
with ful consent.
Whereby we learne the intolerable saucines of the Caluinists,
and their contempt of holy scripture, that dare so deale with the very Ghospel
itself.
who was of Cainan, who was of Arphaxad, who was of Sem, who was of Noë, who was of
Lamech,
37. who was of Mathusale, who was of Henoch, who was of Iared, who was of Malaleel,
who was of Cainan,
38. who was of Henos, who was of Seth, who was of Adam, who was of God.