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 ¶ The prophete
Ionas / with an introducciō before teachinge tovnderstōde him and the right vse also of all the scripture / and why itwas written / and what is therin to be sought / and shewenge wherewith thescripture is locked vpp that he which readeth it / can not vnderstōde it /though he studie therin neuer so moch: and agayne with what keyes it isso opened / that the reader can be stopped out with no sotilte or falsedoctrine of man / from the true sense and vnderstondynge therof.

  W. T. vn to the Christen reader.

As y^e ēvious Philistenes stopped y^e welles of Abraham ād filledthem vpp with erth / to put y^e memoriall out of mīde / to y^e ententy^t they might chalenge y^e grounde: even so the fleshly mīdedypocrites stoppe vpp the vaynes of life which are in y^e scripture /w^t the erth of theyr tradiciōs / false similitudes & liengeallegories: & y^t of like zele / to make y^e scripture theyr awnepossessiō & marchaundice: and so shutt vpp the kingdome of heven whichis Gods worde nether enterīge in thē selues nor soferinge them thatwolde.

¶ The scripture hath a body with out / ād within a soule / sprite & life.It hath w^t out a barke / a shell ād as it were an hard bone for y^efleshly mynded to gnaw vppon. And within it hath pith / cornell / mary &all swetnesse for Gods electe which he hath chosen to geve them hisspirite / & to write his law & y^e faith of his sonne in their hertes.

¶ The scripture cōteyneth .iii. thīges in it first y^e law to cōdemneall flesh: secōdaryly y^e Gospell / y^t is to saye / promises ofmercie for all y^t repent & knowlege their sinnes at the preachīgeof y^e law & cōsent in their hertes that the law is good / & submittethem selues to be scolers to lern to kepe the lawe & to lerne to beleuey^e mercie that is promised thē: & thridly the stories & liues ofthose scolars / both what chaunces fortuned thē / & also by what meanestheir scolemaster taught thē and made them perfecte / & how he tried thetrue from the false.

¶ When y^e ypocrites come to y^e lawe / they put gloses to ād make nomoare of it then of a worldly law which is satisfied with y^e outwardeworke and which a turke maye also fulfill. Whē yet Gods law neverceaseth to cōdemne a man vntill it be written in his herte and vntill hekepe it naturally without cōpulsion & all other respecte saue only ofpure love to God and his neyboure / as he naturally eateth whē he is anhongred / without cōpulsiō & all other respecte / saue to slake his hongreonly.

¶ And whē they come to the Gospell / there they mīgle their leuen & saye /God now receaueth vs no moare to mercie / but of  mercie receaueth vs topenaunce / that is to wete / holy dedes y^t make them fatt belies & vstheir captiues / both in soule and body. And yet they fayne theyr Idoley^e Pope so mercifull / y^t if thou make a litle money glister inhis Balams eyes / there is nether penaunce ner purgatory ner any fastīgeat all but to fle to heven as swefte as a thought and at thetwinkellynge of an eye.

¶ And the liues stories and gestes of men which are cōtayned in thebible / they reade as thīges no moare perteynīge vn to thē / then atakeof Robī hode / & as thīges they wott not wherto they serue / saue to faynefalse discāt & iuglinge allegories / to stablish their kingdome with all.And one y^e chefest & fleshliest studie they have / is to magnifiey^e sayntes aboue measure & aboue y^e trueth & with their poetrie tomake them greater then euer God make them. And if they finde anyinfirmite or synne asscribed vn to y^e saintes / that they excuse withall diligēce / diminushīge the glorie of y^e mercie of God & robbingewretched sinners of all theyr cōforte / & thinke therby to flater thesayntes and to obtayne their fauoure & to make speciall aduocates ofthē: even as a man wold obtayne y^e fauoure of wordely tirantes: asthey also fayne the saintes moch moare cruell then ever was any heathēman & moare wrekefull and vengeable then y^e poetes faine their godesor their furies y^t torment y^e soules in hell / if theyr euēs benot fasted & their images visited & saluted wyth a Pater noster (whychprayer only oure lippes be accoynted with oure hertes vnderstōdinge noneat all) and worsheped w^t a candell & y^e offerīge of oure deuociō/in y^e place which thei haue chosen to heare y^e supplicaciōs & mekepeticiōs of their clientes therin.

¶ But thou reader thīke of y^e law of God how y^t it is all together spirituall / & so spirituall y^t it is neuer fulfilled w^tdedes or werkes / vntill they flow out of thyne herte w^t as greateloue toward thy neyboure / for no deseruīge of his ye though he be thineenimie / as Christ loued y^e ād did for the / for no deseruīge of thyne /but evē whē thou wast his enimie. And in y^e meane time / thoroute allour infancie & childhod in Christ / tyll  we be growen vpp in to perfectemen in the full knowlege of christ & full loue of christ agayne & ofoure neyboures for his sake / after y^e ensample of his loue to vs /rembenbirthat y^e fulfillynge of y^e law is / a fast fayth inchristes bloud coupled w^t our professiō & submyttīge our selues tolerne to doo better.

¶ And of y^e Gospell or promises which thou metest in y^e scripture /beleue fast y^t God will fulfill them vn to y^e / and that vn toy^e vttemost Iott / at the repentaunce of thyne herte / whē thou turnestto hym & forsakest euell / even of his goodnesse & fatherly mercie vn tothe / ād not for thy flatterīge hym with ypocritish workes of thyne awnefayninge. So y^t a fast faith only with out respecte of all workes /is the forgeuenesse both of the synne which we did in tyme of ignorauncewith luste ād cōsent to synne / & also of all the synne which we doo bychaunce & of frailte / after y^t we are come to knowlege ād haveprofessed y^e law out of oure hertes. And all dedes serue only for tohelpe oure neyboures & to tame oure flesh that we fall not to synneagayne / & to exercice oure soules in vertue / & not to make satisfactionto Godward for y^e synne y^t is once paste.

¶ And all other stories of y^e bible / with out excepciō / are y^epractisinge of y^e law & of the Gospell / and are true and faitfullensamples & sure erneste y^t God will euen so deale with vs / as hedid with thē / in all infirmities / in all temptaciōs / & in all like cases& chaunces. Wherin ye se on y^e one syde / how fatherly & tendirly &with all cōpassion god entreateth his electe which submitte them seluesas scolers / to lerne to walke in the wayes of his lawes / & to kepe thēof loue. If they forgatt thē selues at a time & wēt astraye / he soughtthē out & sett thē agayne with all mercie. If they fell & hurte thēselues / he healed thē agayne with all compassion & tendernesse of hert.He hath ofte brought greate tribulation & aduersite vppon his electe:but all of fatherly loue only / to teach thē & to make them se their awnehertes & y^e sinne y^t there laye hid / that they might aftirwardefeale his mercie. For his mercie wayted vppon thē / to rid them outagayne / assone as they ware lerned & come  to y^e knowlege of theirawne hertes: so that he neuer cast man awaye how depe so euer he hadsinned / saue thē ōly which had first cast y^e yocke of his lawes frōtheir neckes / with vtter diffiaunce & malice of herte.

Which ensamples how cōfortable are they for vs / whē we be fallen in tosinne & God is come vppō vs with a scorge / y^t we dispeare not / butrepēt with full hope of mercie after y^e ensamples of mercie y^tare gone before: And therfore they were written for our lernīge / astestifieth Paul Ro. xv. to cōforte vs / y^t we might y^e better putoure hope & trust in God / whē we se / how mercifull he hath bene in tymespast vn to our weake brethern y^t are gone before / in all theyraduersities / neade / temptaciōs / ye & horrible synnes in to which theynow & then fell.

¶ And on y^e other side ye se how they y^t hardened their hertes &synned of malice & refused mercie y^t was offered thē & had no powerto repēt / perished at y^e later ende with all confusion & shamemercilessely. Which ensamples are very good & necessary / to kepe vs inawe & dreade in tyme of prosperite as thou maist se by Paul. j. Cor. x.that we abyde in the feare of God / & wax not wild and fall to vanitiesād so synne ād prouoke God and bringe wrath vppon vs.

¶ And thridly ye se in that practise / how as god is mercifull &longesoferynge / euen so were all his true prophetes & prechers / beringethe infirmities of their weake brethern & their awne wrōges & iniurieswith all paciēce & longesoferinge / neuer castinge any of thē of theirbackes / vn tyll they synned agenst y^eholygost /maliciouslypersecutinge y^e open & manifest trouth: cōtrary vn to the ensample ofy^e Pope / which in sinninge agenst God & to quench y^e trueth of hisholy spirite / is euer chefe captayne and trōpetblower / to sett otherawerke / ād seketh only his awne fredome / liberte / priuilege / welth /prosperite / profite / pleasure / pastyme / honoure & glorie / with y^ebondage / thraldome / captiuite / miserie / wretchednesse & vile subiectiōof his brethern: & in his awne cause is so feruent / so steffe & cruell /that he will not sofre one word spoken agenst his false magiste / wilyinuenciōs ād iuglynge ypocrisie to be vnaduēged /thonghallchristendome shuld be sett to gether by the eares / and shuld cost hecared not how many hundred thousande their lives.

Now y^t thou mayst reade Ionas frutefully & not as a poetis fable /but as anobligacōbetwene God and thy soule / as an ernist peny geueny^e of God / y^t he wil helpe y^e in time of nede / if thou turneto him ād as the word of god y^e only fode ād life of thy soule / thismarke & note. First count Ionas the frend of god ād a man chosen of godto testifie his name vn to y^e worlde: but yet a younge scolar / weake& rude / after y^e faciō of y^e appostles / while Christ was yet withthem bodyly. Which though Christ taught thē euer to be meke & to vmblethē selues / yet oft stroue amonge them selues who shuld be greatest. Thesonnes of Zebede wold sitt / the one on the right hōde of Christ ād theother on y^e lifte. They wold praye / that fire might descēde fromheuen / and consume the Samaritanes.

¶ Whē Christ axed who saye men that I am / Peter answered / thou arte thesonne of the lyuinge God / as though Peter had bene as perfecte as anangell. But immediatly after / when Christ preached vn to thē of hisdeeth & passiō / Peter was angre & rebuked Christe & thought ernestlyy^t he had raued & not wist what he sayde: as at a nother time / whenChrist was so feruētly busied in healinge y^e people / y^t he hadnot leyser to eate / they went out to holde him / supposinge that he hadbene besyde him selfe. Ande one y^t cast out deuels in Christes name /they forbade / because he wayted not on them / so glorious were they yet.

¶ And though christ taughte all waye to forgeue / yet peter after longegoenge to scole / axed wether men shuld forgeue .vij. tymes / thynkingey^t .viij. tymes had bene to moch. And at y^e last soper Peter woldhave died with christe / but yet within fewe howres after / he denied hym /both cowardly & shamefully. And after y^e same maner / though he had solōge herd that nomā might auenge him selfe / but rather turne y^e othercheke to / then to smyte agayne / yet when Christ was in takīge / peteraxed whether it were lawfull to smyte with y^e swerde / ād taried noneanswere / but layed on rashly. So that though when we come first vn toy^e knowlege of the trueth / and the peace is made betwene God & vs / &we loue his lawes & beleue & trust in hym / as in oure father & haue goodhertes vn to him & be born anew in y^e sprite: yet we are but childernād younge scolars weake &foble& must have leysar to grow in y^espirite / in knowlege / loue & in y^e dedes therof / as younge childernmust have tyme to grow in their bodies.

¶ And God oure father & scolemaster fedeth vs & teached vs accordinge vnto the capacite of oure stomakes / & maketh vs to grow & waxe perfecte / &fineth vs & trieth vs as gold / in y^e fire of temptaciōs &tribulations. As Moses wittneseth Deutero. viij. sayēge: Remēber ally^e waye by which y^e lord thy God caried y^e this .xl. yeres iny^e wildernesse / to vmble the & to tēpte or proue the / y^t it mightbe knowen what were in thine hert. Hebrougtthe in to aduersite & madey^e an hongred / & then feed y^e with mā which nether thou ner yetthi fathers euer knew of / to teach y^e that a mā liueth not by bredonly / but by all that proceadeth out of the mouth of God. For y^epromises of god are life vn to all y^t cleaue vn to thē / moch moarethē is bred & bodyly sustinaunce: as y^e iourney of y^e childern ofIsrael out of egypte in to y^e londe promised them / ministreth thenotable ensamples & y^t aboundātly / as doeth all y^e rest of thebible also. How be it / it is impossible for flesh to beleue & to trustin y^e trueth of gods promises / vntyll he haue lerned it in mochtribulacion / after that God hath deliuered hī out therof agayne.

¶ God therfore to teach Ionas & to shew him his awne hert & to make himperfecte & to enstructe vs also bi his ensample / sent him out of y^elande of Israel where he was a prophete / to goo amonge y^e heathēpeople & to y^e greatest & mightiest citie of y^e world thē / calledNiniue: to preache y^t within .xl. dayes they shuld all perish fortheir sinnes & that y^e citie shuld be ouerthrowē. Which message y^efrewil of Ionas had as moch power to doo / as the weakest herted womā inthe world hath power / if she were cōmaunded / to leppe in to a tobbe oflyuinge snakes & edders: as happely if God had cōmaunded Sara to hauesacrificed hir sonne Isaac / as he did Abrahā / she wold haue disputedwith hī yer she had done it / or though she were strōge ynough / yet manyan holy seint coud not haue found in their hertes / but wold hauedisobeyed ād haue runne awaye frō y^e presens of y^e cōmaūdemēt ofgod w^t Ionas if thei had bene so strōgly tēpted.

¶ For Ionas thought of this maner: loo / I am here a prophete vn to Godspeople the Israelites. Which though they haue gods word testified vn tothem dayly / yet dispice it & worshepe God vnder y^e likenesse ofcalues & after all maner facions saue after his awne worde / & therforeare of all naciōs y^e worst & most worthy of punishment. And yet godfor loue of few y^t are amonge them & for his names sake spareth them& defendeth them. How thē shuld god take so cruell vengeaunce on sogreate a multitude of them to whome his name was neuer preached to ādtherfore are not y^e tenth parte so euel as these? If I shal therforegoo preach so shall I lye & shame my selfe & God therto and make themthe moare to dispice god and sett the lesse by him ād to be the moarecruell vn to his people.

¶ And vppon that imaginaciō he fled frō the face or presens of God: thatis / out of y^e contre where God was worsheped in & frō prosecutynge ofGods cōmaundemēt / and thought / I wyll gett me a nother waye amonge y^ehethen people & be no moare a prophete / but lyue at rest & out of allcōbraunce. Neuer y^e lesse the god of all mercie which careth for hiselecte childern & turneth all vn to good to them & smiteth thē to healethem agayne & killeth thē to make thē aliue agayne / & playeth with thē(as a father doth some tyme with his yoūge ignoraunt childern) &tempteth them & proueth them to make them se theyr awne hertes / prouidedfor Ionas / how all thinge shuld be.

¶ When Ionas was entered in to the sheppe / he layed him downe to slepeād to take his rest: that is / his cōscience was tossed betwene thecōmaudemētof God which sent him to Niniue / & his fleshly wisdome that  dissuaded & counseled hym y^e cōtrary & at y^e last preualed agēsty^e cōmaundemēt & caried hym a nother waye / as a sheppe caught betwene.ii. streames / & as poetes faine the mother of Meliager to be betwenediuers affectiōs / while to aduēge hir brothers deeth / she sought to slehir awne sonne. Where vppon for very payne & tediousnesse / he laye downeto slepe / for to put y^e cōmaundement which so gnew & freate hiscōscience / out of minde / as y^e nature of all weked is / whē they hauesinned a good / to seke al meanes with riot / reuell & pastyme / to driuey^e remenbraunce of synne out of their thoughtes or as Adā did / tocouer their nakednesse with aporns of pope holy workes. But God awokehym out of his dreame / and sett his synnes before his face.

¶ For when y^e Lott had caught Ionas / thē be sure y^t his synnescame to remēbraunce agayne & that his conscience raged no lesse thēy^e waues of the se. And thē he thought that he only was a sinner &y^e hethen that ware in y^e shepp none in respecte of him /adthought also / as veryly as he was fled frō god / that as verily god hadcast hī awaye: for y^e sight of y^e rod maketh y^e natural childnot ōly to se & to knowlege his faulte / but also to forgett all hisfathers olde mercie & kindnesse. And then he cōfessed his synne openly &had yet leuer perish alone thē y^t y^e other shuld haue perishedwith him for his sake: and so of very desperacion to haue liued anylenger / bad cast him in to y^e see betymes / excepte they wold be lostalso.

¶ To speake of lottes / how ferforth they are lawfull / is a lightquestiō. First to vse thē for the breakinge of strife / as whenpartenars / their goodes as equally diuided as they cā / take euery mā hisparte by lott / to auoyde all suspiciō of disceytfulnesse: & as y^eappostles in y^e first of y^e Actes / whē they sought a nother tosuccede Iudas the traytoure / & .ii. persones were presentes / thē tobreake strife & to satisfie al parties / did castlotttes /wheter shuldbe admitted / desirynge god toteperthē & to take whō he knew most mete /seynge they wist not wheter to preferre / or haply coude not all agre onether / is lawfulladin all like cases. But to  abuse them vn to y^etemptinge of God & to cōpell him therwith to vtter thinges wherof westōd in doute / when we haue no commaundemēt of him so to do / as thesehethē here dyd / though God turned it vn to his glorie / can not be buteuell.

¶ The hethen scepmē asstonied at y^e sight of y^e miracle / fearedGod / prayed to him / offered sacrifice & vowed vowes. And I doute not /but that some of thē or haply all came therby vn to the true knowlege &true worshepinge of God & ware wōne to God in theyr soules. And y^sGod which is infinite mercifull in all his wayes / wrought their souleshealth out of y^e infirmite of Ionas / euen of his good will & purpose& loue wherewith he loued them before the world was made / & not ofchaunce / as it appereth vn to the eyes of the ignoraunt.

¶ And that Ionas was .iii. dayes & .iii. nightes in the bely of hisfish: we cā not therby proue vn toteIewes & īfideles or vn to any man /y^t Christ must therfore dye ād be buried & rise agayne. But we vsey^e ensample ād likenesse to strength the faith of the weake. For hethat beleaueth the one can not doute in y^e other: in as moch as thehād of God was no lesse mightie in preseruīge Ionas aliue agenst allnaturall possibilite & in deliuerynge hī safe out of his fish / thē inreysynge vpp Christe agayne out of his sepulchre. And we maye describey^e power & vertue of y^e resurrecciō therby / as Christ hī selfeboroweth y^e similitude therto Mat. xij. sayēge vn to y^e Iewes thatcame aboute him & desyred a signe or a wōder frō heuen to certifye thēthat he was christ: this euell & wedlockebreakīge naciō (which breakey^e wedlocke of faith wherwith they be maried vn to God / ād beleue intheir false workes) seke a signe / but there shal no signe be geuen thēsaue y^e signe of the Prophete Ionas. For as Ionas was .iij. dayes ādiij. nightes in the bely of the whale / euē so shall the sonne of man be.iij. dayes & .iij. nyghtes in the herte of the erth. Which was a watchword / as we saye / & a sharpe threateninge vn to y^e Iewes & as moch tosaye as thus / ye harde herted Iewes seke a signe: loo / thys shalbe youresygne / as Ionas  was reysed out of the sepulchre of his fishe & thensent vn to the Niniuites to preach y^t they shuld perish / euen soshall I ryse agayne out of my sepulchre & come & preach repentaunce vnto you. Se therfore when ye se y^e signe that ye repēt or else ye shalsuerly perish & not escape. For though the infirmities which ye now se īmy flesh be a lett vn to youre faythes / ye shall yet then be with outexcuse / when ye se so greate a miracle & so greate power of god shed outvppō you. And so Christe came agayne after y^e resurrecciō / in hisspirite & preached repētaunce vn to them / by the mouth of his appostles& disciples / & with miracles of y^e holy gost. And all that repentednot perished shortly after ād were for y^e most parte slayne withswerde ād y^e rest caried awaye captiue in to all quarters of theworld for an ensample / as ye se vn to this daye.

¶ And in lyke maner sens the world beganne / where soeuer repentaunce wasoffered and not receaued / there God toke cruell vengeaunce immediatly:as ye se in y^e floud of Noe / in the ouerthrowēge of Sodō & Gomor &all the contre aboute: & as ye se of Egipte / of the Amorites / Cananites& afterwarde of the very Israelites / & then at the last of the Iewes to /ād of the Assyriens and Babyloniens and so thorout all the imperes ofthe world.

¶ Gyldas preached repētaunce vn to y^e olde Britaynes that inhabitedenglōd: they repented not / & therfore God sent in theyr enimies vppō thēon euery side & destroyed thē vpp & gaue the lōd vn to other naciōs. Andgreate vengeaunce hath bene takē in that lande for synne sens that tyme.

¶ Wicleffe preached repētaunce vn to oure fathers not longe sens: theyrepēted not for their hertes were indurat & theyr eyes blinded withtheir awne Pope holy rightwesnesse wherwith they had made theyr soulesgaye agenst the receauinge agayne of y^e weked spirite that bringeth.vii. worse then hym selfe with him & maketh y^e later ende worse thenthe beginninge: for in open sinnes there is hope of repentaunce / but inholy ypocrisie none at all. But what folowed? they slew their true &right kinge ād  sett vpp .iii. wrōge kīges arow / vnder which all thenoble bloud was slayne vpp ād halfe the comēs therto / what in fraunce &what with their awne swerde / in fightīge amonge thē selues for y^ecrowne / & y^e cities and townes decayed and the land brought halfe into a wyldernesse in respecte of that it was before.

¶ And now Christ to preach repētaunce / is resen yet ōce agayne out ofhis sepulchre in which the pope had buried him and kepte him downe withhis pilars and polaxes and all disgysinges of ypocrisie / with gyle /wiles and falshed / ād with the swerd of al princes which he had blyndedwith his false marchaundice. And as I dowte not of y^e ensamples thatare past / so am I sure that greate wrath will folow / excepte repētaunceturne it backe agayne and cease it.

¶ When Ionas had bene intefishes bely a space & the rage of hisconscience was somewhat quieted ād swaged and he come to him selfeagayne and had receaued a lytle hope / the qualmes & panges of desperaciōwhich went ouer hys hert / halfe ouercome / he prayed / as he makethmenciō in the texte sayēge: Ionas prayed vn to the lord his god out ofthe bely of the fishe. But the wordes of that prayer are not here sett.The prayer y^t here stondeth in the texte / is the prayer of prayse &thākesgeuēge which he prayed and wrote when he was escaped and past allieopardie.

¶ In the end of which prayer he sayth / I will sacrifice with the voyceof thankesgeuenge and paye that I haue vowed / that sauinge cometh of thelorde. For verely to cōfesse out of the herte / that all benefites comeof God / euen out of the goodnesse of his mercie and not deseruinge ofoure dedes / is the only sacrifice that pleaseth God. And to beleue thatgod only is the sauer / is the thynge that all the Iewes vowed in theyrcircumcision / as we in oure baptim. Which vowe Ionas now tawght withexperiēce / promiseth to paye. For those outwarde sacrifices of bestes /vn to which Ionas had haply asscribed to moch before / were but feble &childish thinges & not ordeyned / that the workes of thē selues shuld bea seruice  vn to god / but vn to the people / to put thē in remembraunceof this inwarde sacrifice of thankes & of faith to trust and beleue inGod the only sauer. Which significacion when was awaye / they wereabhominable and deuellysh ydolatrye and imageseruice: as oure ceremoniesand sacramentes are become now to all that trust & beleue in the werkeof them and ar not taught the significacions / to edifye theyr souleswith knowlege and the doctrine of God.

¶ When Ionas was cast vppō lond agayne / then his will was fre ād hadpower to goo whother God sent him & to doo what God bade / his awneimaginacions layed a parte. For he had bene at a new scole / ye ād in afornace where he was purged of moch refuse & droshe of fleshly wisdome /which resisted y^e wisdome of god & led Ionases wil cōtrary vn toy^e will of god. For as ferre as we be blynd in Adam / we can not butseke & will oure awne profitt / pleasure & glorie. And as ferre as we betaughte in the sprite / we can not but seke & wyll the pleasure andglorie of God only.

 ¶ And as for the .iij. dayes iourney of Niniue / whether it were inlength or to goo rounde aboute it or thorow all the stretes / I cōmittevn to the discreciō of other men. But I thinke that it was then thegreatest citie of the world.

¶ And that Ionas wēt a dayes iourney in the citie / I suppose he did itnot in one daye: but wēt fayre & easyly preachīge here a sermon & therea nother & rebuked the synne of the people for which they must perishe.

¶ And when thou art come vn to the repētaunce of the Niniuites / therehast thou sure ernest / that how soeuer angre god be / yet he remembrethmercie vn to all that truly repent and beleue in mercie. Which ensampleoure sauioure Christ also casteth in the teeth of the indurat Iewessayenge: the Niniuites shall rise in iudgemēt with this nation andcondemne them / for they repented at the preachynge of Ionas / and beholdea greater thē Ionas here / meanynge of hym selfe. At whose preachingeyet / though it were neuer so mightie to perce the herte / & for all hismiracles therto / the hard herted Iewes coude not repent: when theheathen Niniuites repented at the bare preachynge of Ionas rebukingetheyr synnes with out any miracle at all.

¶ Why? for y^e Iewes hadleuēdedthe spirituall law of God and withtheyr gloses had made it all to gether erthie ād fleshly / and so hadsett a vayle or coueringe on Moses face / to shodowe and darken y^eglorious brightnesse of his contenaunce. It was synne to stele: but torobbe wedowes howses vnder a coloure of longe prayēge / & to polle in thename of offeringes / and to snare y^e people with intollerablecōstitucions agēst all loue / to ketch theyr money out of theyr purses /was no synne at all.

¶ To smyte father ād mother was synn: But to withdraw helpe frō them attheyr nede / for blynde zele of offeringe / vn to the profytt of the holyphareses / was then as meritorious as it is now to let all thy kynnechose wheter they will synke or sweme / while thou byldest and makestgoodly fundatiōs for holy people which thou hast chosen to be thychriste / for to sowple thy soule with the oyle of theyr sweteblessynges / & to be thy Iesus for to saue thy soule from y^e purgatoryof the bloud that only purgeth synne / with theyr watchīge / fastīge /wolward goinge & rysynge at mydnyght etc. where wyth yet they purge notthem selues from theyr couetousnesse / pryde / lechury or any vyce thatthou seyst amonge the laye people.

¶ It was greate synne for Christ to heale the people on the sabboth dayevn to the glorie of God hys father / but none at all for them to helpetheyr catell vnto theyr awne profett.

¶ It was synne to eate wyth vnwashen handes or on an vnwashen table / orout of an vnwashen dish: but to eate out of that purifyed dysh thatwhich came of brybery / theft & extorsion / was no synne at all.

¶ It was exceadynge meritorious to make many dyscyples: But to teachthem to feare God in hys ordynaunces / had they no care at all.

¶ The hye prelates so defended the ryght of holy church ād so feared thepeople with the curse of God & terreble paynes of hell / that no mandurst leaue the vilestherkein hys gardeyne vntythed. And the offeryngeand thynges dedycat vn to God for the profitt of hys holy vycars wherein soch estymacion and reuerēce / that it was moch greater synne tosweare truly by them / thē to forswere thy selfe by God: what vengeauncethen of God / and how terreble and cruell damnacion thynke ye preachedthey to fall on thē that had stolen soch holy thīges? And yet saythChrist / that ryghtwesnesse ād faith in kepynge promise / mercie andindyfferent iudgement were vtturly troden vnder fote and cleane dispysedof those blessed fathers / whych so mightely mayntened Arons patrimony ādhad mad it so prosperous ād enuironed it and walled it aboute on euerysyde with y^e feare of god / that noman durst twech it.

¶ It was greate holynesse to garnysh y^e sepulchres of y^e prophetes& to cōdemne their awne fathers for sleynge of them: and yet were theythē selues for blinde zele of their awne cōstituciōs / as ready as theirfathers to sle whosoeuer testified vn to them / the same trueth whichthe prophetes testified vn to theyr fathers. So that Christ cōpareth allthe rightwesnesse of those holy patriarkes vn to the outwarde bewtye ofa paynted sepulchre full of stench and all vn clennesse wythyn.

¶ And finally to begyld a mans neyboure in sotle bargeninge and towrappe and cōpase him in with cauteles of the law / was then as it is nowin the kingdome of y^e Pope. By the reason where of they excluded thelaw of loue out of theyr hertes / ād cōsequētly all true repentaunce: forhow coude they repēt of y^t they coude not se to be sinne?

¶ And on the other syde they had sett vpp a rightwesnesse of holyworkes / to clense theyr soules with all: as the Pope sanctifieth vs withholy oyle / holy bred / holy salt / holy candels / holy dome ceremonies ādholy dome blessynges / and with what soever holynesse thou wilt saue withthe holynes of Gods worde which only speaketh vn to the herte andsheweth the soule hir filthynesse and vnclennesse of synne / and leadeth hir by y^e waye of repentaunce vn to y^e fountayne of Christesbloude to washe it awaye thorow faith. By the reason of which falserightwesnesse they were dysobedient vn to the rightwesnesse of God /which is the forgeuenesse of synne in Christes bloude and coude notbeleue it. And so thorow fleshly interpretynge the law ād false imaginedrightwesnesse / their hertes were hardened ād made as stony as clay in anhote furnace of fire / that they coude receaue nether repentaunce nerfaith or any moyster of grace at all.

¶ But the hethen Niniuites / though they were blynded with lustes a good /yet were inthofe.ii. poyntes vncorrupte and vnhardened / & therforewith the only preachinge of Ionas came vn to the knowlege of theirsynnes and confessed them & repented truly & turned euery man from hiseuell dedes & declared theyr sorow of hert & true repentaunce / withtheyr dedes which they dyd out of faith & hope of forgeuenesse /chastysinge their bodies with prayer & fastinge & with takinge allpleasures from the flesh: trustynge / as god was angre for theirwekedness / even so shuld he forgeue them of hys mercye / yf they repēted& forsoke their mysse lyuinge.

¶ And in the last ende of all / thou hast yet a goodly ensample oflernynge / to se how erthye Ionas is styll for all hys tryenge in thewhales bely. He was so sore displeased because the Niniuites perishednot / that he was wery of hys lyfe and wished after the deeth for verysorow & payne / that he had loost the glorie of his prophesienge / in thathis prophesie come not to passe. But god rebuked him with a likenessesayenge: it greueth thyne hert for the losse of a vile shrobbe orspraye / wheron thou bestoweddest no loboure or cost / nether was it thynehandwerke. How moch moare then shuld greue myne herte / the losse of sogreate a multitude of innocētes as are in Niniue / which are all mynehandes werke. Nay Ionas / I am God ouer all / and father as well vn to thehethen as vn to the Iewes ād mercifull to all and warne yer I smyte:nether threte I so cruelly by any prophete / but that I wyll  forgeue yfthey repent ād ax mercie: nether on the other syde / what soeuer Ipromyse / wyll I fulfyll it / saue for theyr sakes only whych trust in meand submitte them selues to kepe my lawes of very loue / as naturallchyldern.

On thys maner to read y^e scripture is y^e right vse therof & whyy^e holy gost caused it to be writtē. That is y^t thou first sekeout y^e law / what god will haue the to doo / interpretinge itspiritually with out glose or coueringe the brightnesse of Moses face /so y^t thou fele in thyne hert / how that it is damnable synne beforegod / not to louetheyneyboure that is thyne enimie / as puerly as Christloued the / and y^t not to loue thy neyboure in thyne herte / is tohaue cōmitted all ready all synne agenst him. And therfore vn tyll thatloue become / thou must knowlege vnfaynedly that there is synne in thebest dede thou doest. And it must ernestly greue thyne hert and thoumust washe all thy good dedes in christes bloude / yer they can be pureand an acceptable sacrifice vn to God / and must desire god y^e fatherfor his sake / to take thi dedes aworth & to pardō y^e imperfectenesseof them / & to geue the power to doo thē better and with moare feruentloue.

¶ And on the other syde thou must serch diligently for the promises ofmercie which God hath promised the agayne. Which .ii. poyntes / that isto wete / y^e lawe spiritually interpreted / how that all is dānablesynne that is not vnfayned loue out of the grownde and botom of theherte after the ensample of Christes loue to vs / because we be allequally created ād formed of one god oure father / and indifferentlybought & redemed with one bloud of oure sauioure Iesus Christe: ād thatthe promises be geuen vn to a repentynge soule that thursteth andlongeth after them / of the pure and fatherly mercie of god thorow ourefaith onely with oute al deseruinge of oure dedes or merites of ourewerkes / but for Christes sake alone and for the merites ād deseruingesof his werkes / deth and passions that he sofered all to gether for vs &not for him selfe: whych .ii. poyntes I saye / if they be  written inthine herte / are the keyes which so open all the scripture vn to the /that no creature can locke the out / and with which thou shalt goo in andout / and finde pasture and fode euery where. And yf these lesons be notwritttenin thyne herte / then is all the scripture shutt vpp / as acornell in the shale / so that thou mayst read it and comen of it andreherse all the stories of it and dispute sotilly and be a profoundesophister / and yet vnderstond not one Iot therof.

¶ And thridly that thou take the stories & liues which are cōteyned inthe bible / for sure ād vndowted ensamples / y^t God so will deale withvs vn to the worldes ende.

¶ Here with Reader farewell and be commended vn to God / and vn to thegrace of hys spryte. And first se that thou stoppe not thyne eares vn tothe callynge of god / and that thou harden not thine herte begyled withfleshly interpretinge of the law & false imagined and ypocritishrightwesnesse / and so the Niniuites ryse with the at y^e day ofiudgement & condemne the.

 ¶ And secōdarily if thou finde ought amisse / when thou seyst thy selfein the glasse of Gods worde / thynke it cōpendious wisdome / to amendey^e same betymes / moneshed & warned by the ensample of other men /rather thē to tary vntill thou be beten also.

¶ And thridly if it shall so chaunce / that y^e wild lustes of thyflesh shall blynd the and carie the cleane awaye with them for a tyme:yet at the later ende / when y^e god of all mercie shall haue compasedthe in on euery syde with tēptaciōs / tribulacions / aduersities &cōbraunce / to bringe y^e home agayne vn to thyne awne herte / & to setthy sinnes wich thou woldest so fayne couer & put out of mynd withdelectaciō of voluptuous pastymes / before y^e eyes of thy cōscience:then call y^e faithfull ensample of Ionas & all lyke stories vn to thyremēbraunce / ād with Ionas turne vn to thi father that smote y^e: notto cast y^e awaye / but to laye a corosie ād a freatīge playster vn toy^e pocke that laye hid & fret inwarde / to draw y^e disease out & tomake it appere / y^t thou mightest feale thy seckenes & y^e daungertherof & come & receaue  the healynge playster of mercie.

¶ And forget not y^t what soeuer ensample of mercie god hath shewedsens y^e beginninge of y^e world / the same is promised the / yf thouwilt in like maner turne agayne and receaued it as they dyd. And withIonas be aknowen of thy synne & cōfesse it & knowlege it vn to thyfather.

¶ And as y^e law which freteth thy cōscience / is in thyne herte & isnone outwarde thīge / evē so seke within in thine herte / y^e playsterof mercie / the promyses of forgeuenesse in oure sauioure Iesus Christe /accordinge vn to all the ensamples of mercie that are gonne before.

¶ And with Ionas let thē that wayte on vanities & seke god here & there& in euery tēple saue in their hertes goo / & seke thou y^e testamēt ofgod in thyne hert. For in thyne hert is the worde of y^e law / & inthyne hert is y^e worde of fayth in the promises of mercie in IesusChriste. So that yf thou cōfesse with a repentynge herte & knowlege ādsurely beleue y^t Iesus is lorde ouer all synne / thou art saffe.

 ¶ And finally when the rage of thy cōscience is ceased and quieted withfast faith in the promises of mercie / then offer with Ionas theofferinge of prayse and thankesgeuinge / & paye the vowe of thy baptim /that God only saueth / of his ōly mercie & goodnesse: that is / beleuestedfastly & preach cōstantly / that it is God only that smyteth / and Godonly that healeth: ascribynge y^e cause of thy tribulation vn to thyneawne synne / and y^e cause of thy deliueraunce vn to the mercie of God.

¶ And be ware of the leuē y^t saith we haue power in oure fre willbefore y^e preachinge of y^e Gospell / to deserue grace / to kepey^e law / of cōgruite / or god to be vnrightwesse. And saie with Ihon inthe first / y^t as y^e law was geuē by Moses / euē so grace tofulfill it / is geuē by christe. And whē they saye oure dedes with gracedeserue heuen / saye thou w^t Paule Ro. vj. y^t euerlastīge life isthe gifte of god thorow Iesus Christ oure lorde / & y^t we be madesonnes by faith Ihon. j. & therfore heyres of god with christ Ro. viij.And saye that we receaue al of god thorow faith  that folowethrepentaunce / & y^t we doo not oure werkes vn to god / but ether vn tooure selues / to sley y^e sinne that remayneth in y^e flesh & to waxeperfecte / ether vn to oure neyboures which doo as moch for vs agayne insome other thīges. And whē a mā exceadeth in giftes of grace / let hīvnderstōde that they be geuē him / as wel for his weake brethern / as forhim selfe: as though all the bred be cōmitted vn to the panter / yet forhis felowes with hym / which geue the thankes vn to theyr lorde / andrecompence the panter agayne with other kynde seruice in theyr offices.And when they saye that Christ hath made no satisfaccion for the synnewe doo after oure baptym: saye thou wyth the doctrine of Paule / that inoure baptym we receaue the merytes of Christes deeth thorow repentaunceand fayth of which two / baptim is the sygne. And though when we synne offrailtie after oure baptym we receaue the sygne no moare / yet we berenewed agayne thorow repentaunce and faith in Christes bloude / whychtwayne / the sygne of baptym ever contynvedamonge vs in baptisynge oureyounge childern doeth euer kepe in mynde and call vs backe agayne vn tooure profession if we be gonne astraye / & promiseth vs forgeuenesse.Nether can actuall synne be washed awaye with oure werkes / but withChristes bloude: nether can there be any other sacrifice or satisfaccionto Godward for them / saue Christes bloude. For as moch as we can doo nowerkes vnto God / but receaue only of his mercie with oure repentyngefayth / thorow Iesus Christe oure lorde and only sauer: vnto whom & vn toGod oure father thorow him / and vn to hys holy spirite / that onlypurgeth / sanctifieth & washeth vs in the innocēt bloude of oureredemption / be prayse for ever AMEN.

  ¶ The Storie of the prophete Ionas.

The first Chapter.

The worde of the lorde came vn to the prophete Ionas y^e sonne ofAmithai sayenge: ryse & gett the to Niniue that greate citie & preach vnto thē / how that theyr wekednesse is come vpp before me.

¶ And Ionas made hī ready to fle to Tharsis frō the presens of y^elorde / & gatt hym downe to Ioppe / and founde there a sheppe ready to gooto Tharsis / & payed his fare / & wēt aborde / to goo with them to Tharsisfrō the presens of the lorde.

¶ But y^e lorde hurled a greate winde in to y^e se / so that therewas a myghtie tēpest in the se: in so moch y^t the shepp was lyke togoo in peces. And the mariners were afrayed & cried euery man vn to hisgod / & cast out y^e goodes y^t were in y^e sheppe in to y^e se /to lighten it of thē. But Ionas gatt him vnder the hatches & layed himdowne and slombrede. And y^e master of the sheppe came to him & saydvn to hī / why slomberest thou? vpp! & call vn to thy god / that God mayethinke on vs / that we perish not.

 ¶ And they sayde one to a nother / come & lett vs cast lottes / to knowfor whose cause we are thus troublede. And they cast lottes. And y^elott fell vppon Ionas.

¶ Thē they said vnto hī / tel vs for whose cause we are thus trowbled:what is thine occupaciō / whence comest thou / how is thy cōtre called / &of what nacion art thou?

¶ And he answered thē / I am an Ebrue: & the lord God of heuen which madeboth se and drie land / I feare. Then were the men exceadingly afrayd &sayd vn to him / why diddest thou so? For they knew that he was fled fromthe presens of the lorde / because he had told them.

¶ Then they sayd vn to hym / what shall we doo vnto the / that the se mayecease frō trowblinge vs? For the se wrought & was trowblous. And heanswered them / take me and cast me in to the se / & so shall it lett yoube in reste: for I wotte / is is for my sake / that this greate tempest iscome oppon you. Neuerthelesse the men assayed wyth rowenge to bringe thesheppe to lande: but it wold not be / because the se so wrought & was sotrowblous agenst them. Wherefore they cried vn to the lorde & sayd: Olorde latt vs notperihfor this mans deeth / nether laye innocēt bloudvn to oure charge: for thou lorde even as thy pleasure was / so thou hastdone.

¶ And thē they toke Ionas / & cast hī in to y^e se / & the se leftragynge. And y^e men feared the lorde excedingly: & sacrificedsacrifificevn to the lorde: and vowed vowes.

¶ The seconde Chapter.

But y^e lorde prepared a greate fyshe / to swalow vp Ionas. And so wasIonas in y^e bowels of y^e fish .iij. dayes & .iij. nightes. AndIonas prayed vnto y^e lord his god out of y^e bowels of the fish.

¶ And he sayde: in my tribulacion I called vn to the lorde / and heanswered me: out of the bely of hell I cried / ād thou herdest my voyce.For thou hadest cast me downe depe in the middes of the se: & the floudcōpased me aboute: and all thy waues & rowles of water wēt ouer me: & Ithought y^t I had bene cast awaye out of thy sight. But I will yetagayne loke towarde thy holy temple. The water cōpased me euē vn to thevery soule of me: the depe laye aboute me: ād the wedes were wrappteaboude myne heed. And I wēt downe vn to the botome of the hylles / andwasbarredinwith erth on euery syde for euer. And yet thou lorde my Godbroughest vp my life agayne out of corrupcion. When my soule faynted inme / I thought on the lorde: & my prayer came in vn to the / even in tothy holy temple. They y^t obserue vayne vanities / haue forsakē himthat was mercifull vn to them. But I wil sacrifice vn to the with thevoce of thankesgeuinge / & will paye that I have vowed / that sauingecometh of the lorde.

¶ And the lorde spake vn to the fish: and it cast out Ionas agayne vppony^e drie lande.

¶ The .iij. Chapter.

Then came the worde of the lorde vn to Ionas agayne sayenge: vpp / ādgett y^e to Niniue that greate citie / & preache vn to thē thepreachynge which I bade y^e. And he arose & wēt to Niniue at y^elordes cōmaundmēt. Niniue was a greate citie vn to god / cōteynīge .iij.dayes iourney.

 ¶ And Ionas went to & entred in to y^e citie euen a dayes iourney /and cried sayenge: There shall not passe .xl. dayes but Niniue shalbeouerthrowen.

¶ And the people of Niniue beleued God / and proclaymed fastynge / ādarayed them selues in sackcloth / as well the greate as the small ofthem.

¶ And y^e tydinges came vn to the kinge of Niniue / which arose out ofhis sete / and did his apparell of & put on sackcloth / & sate hī downe inasshes. And it was cried ād commaunded in Niniue by y^e auctorite ofy^e kinge ād of his lordes sayenge: se that nether mā or beest / oxe orshepe tast ought at al / & that they nether fede or drinke water.

¶ And they put on sackcloth both man ād beest / & cried vn to Godmightily / ād turned euery man from his weked waye / and frō doenge wrōgein which they were acustomed / sayenge: who can tell whether god willturne & repent / & cease from his fearce wrathe / that we perish not? Andwhen god saw theyr workes / how they turned from theyr weked wayes / herepented on y^e euell which he sayd he wold doo vn to them / ād dyd itnot.

¶ The .iiij. Chapter.

Wherfore Ionas was sore discontent ād angre. And he prayed vn to thelorde ād sayd: O lord / was not this my sayenge when I was yet in mycontre? And therfore I hasted rather to fle to Tharsis: for I knew wellynough that thou wast a mercifull god / ful of cōpassion / long yer thoube angre and of great mercie and repentest when thou art come to takepunishment. Now therfore take my life from me / for I had leuer dye thenliue. And the lorde said vn to Ionas / art thou so angrie?

¶ And Ionas gate him out of the citie and sate him downe on the est sydetheroffe / ād made him there a bothe ād sate thervnder in the shadowe /till he might se what shuld chaunce vn to the citie.

¶ And y^e lorde prepared as it were a wild vine which sprāge vp ouerIonas / that he might haue shadowe ouer his heed / to deliuer him out ofhis payne. And Ionas was exceadynge glad of the wild vine.

 ¶ And the lorde ordeyned a worme agenst the springe of y^e morowmornīge which smote the wild vine / that it wethered awaye. And assone asthe sonne was vpp / God prepared a feruent eest winde: so that y^esonne bete ouer the heed of Ionas / that he fainted agayne ād wished vnto hys soule that he might dye / and sayd / it is better for me to dyethen to liue.

¶ And god sayd vn to Ionas / art thou so angre for thy wild vine? And hesayde / I am angrie a goode / even on to the deeth. And the lorde sayde /thou hast compassion on a wild vine / wheron thou bestoweddest no labourener madest it growe / which sprange vp in one night and perished in another: and shuld not I haue compassion on Niniue that greate citie /wherin there is a multitude of people / euen aboue an hundred thousandethat know not theyr right hand from the lyfte / besydes moch catell?