THAT which was the summe of the Old Testament, to wit; Christ and his Church,
as S. Augustin saith, catechizing the ignorant: the very same is the summe of the
New Testament also. For (as the same S. Augustin saith againe) In the Old
Testament there is the occultation of the New: and in the New Testament there is the
manifestation of the Old. And in an other place: In the Old doth the New lye
hidden, and in the New doth the Old lye open. And thereupon our Sauiour said: I
am not come to breake the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfil them. For assuredly I
say vnto you, til Heauen and earth passe, one iot or one title shal not passe of the
Law, til al be fulfilled. In which wordes he sheweth plainely, that the New
Testament is nothing els but the fulfilling of the Old.
Therfore to come to the parts; The Ghospels doe tel of Christ him selfe (of
whom the Old Testament did foretel) and that euen from his coming into the world,
vnto his going out therof againe. The Actes of the Apostles doe tel of his
Church beginning at Hierusalem the head-citie of the Iewes, and of the propagation
therof to the Gentils and their head-citie Rome. And the Apocalypse doth
prophecie of it, euen to the consummation therof, which shal be in the end of the
world. The Epistles of the Apostles do treat partly of such questions as at
that time were moued, parly of good life and good order.
The Summe of the foure Ghospels.
THE Ghospels doe tel historically the life of our Lord Iesus; shewing plainely, * that he
is Christ or the king of the Iewes, whom vntil then, al the time of the Old Testament,
they had expected: and withal, that they of their owne meere malice and blindne (the
iniquitie beginning of the Seniors, but at the length the multitude also consenting)
would not receaue him, but euer sought his death: which for the Redemption of the world,
he at length permitted them to compasse, they deseruing thereby most iustly to be
refused of him, and so his Kingdom or Church to be taken away from them, and giuen to be
Gentils. For the gathering of which Church after him, he chooseth Twelue, and appointed
one of them to be the cheefe of al, with instructions both to them, and him accordingly.
The storie hereof is written by foure: who in Ezechiel and in the Apocalypse are likened to
foure liuing creatures, euery one according as his booke beginneth. S. Matthew to a Man,
because he beginneth with the pedegree of Christ as he is man. S. Marke to a Lion, because
he beginneth with the preaching of S. Iohn Baptist, as it were the roaring of a Lion in the
wildernes. S. Luke to a Calfe, because he beginneth with a priest of the Old Testament (to
wit, Zacharie the father of S. Iohn Baptist) which Priesthood was to sacrifice Calues to God.
S. Iohn to an Egle, because he beginneth with the Diuinitie of Christ, flying so high as
more is not possible.
The first three do report at large what Christ aid in Galilee, after the imprisonment of S.
Iohn the Baptist. Wherefore S. Iohn the Euangelist writing after them al, doth omit his
doings in Galilee (saue only one, which they had not written of al, the wonderful bread which
he told the Capharnaites he could and would giue, Io. 6.) and reporteth first, what he did
whiles Iohn Baptist as yet was preaching and baptizing: then after Iohns imprisoning, what he
did in Iurie euery yeare about Easter. But of his Passion al foure do write at large.
Where it is to be noted, that from his baptizing (which is thought to haue been vpon the
Twelfthday, what time he was beginning to be about 30 yeare old, Luke 3. ) vnto his
Passion are numbred three moneths and three yeares, in which there were also 4 Easters.