Chapter 2

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

¶ When Ionas had bene in te fishes bely a space & the rage of his conscience was somewhat quieted ād swaged and he come to him selfe agayne and had receaued a lytle hope/ the qualmes & panges of desperaciō which went ouer hys hert/ halfe ouercome/ he prayed/ as he maketh menciō in the texte sayēge: Ionas prayed vn to the lord his god out of the bely of the fishe. But the wordes of that prayer are not here sett. The prayer [that] here stondeth in the texte/ is the prayer of prayse & thākesgeuēge which he prayed and wrote when he was escaped and past all ieopardie.

¶ In the end of which prayer he sayth/ I will sacrifice with the voyce of thankesgeuenge and paye that I haue vowed/ that sauinge cometh of the lorde. For verely to cōfesse out of the herte/ that all benefites come of God/ euen out of the goodnesse of his mercie and not deseruinge of oure dedes/ is the only sacrifice that pleaseth God. And to beleue that god only is the sauer/ is the thynge that all the Iewes vowed in theyr circumcision/ as we in oure baptim. Which vowe Ionas now tawght with experiēce/ 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 be a seruice vn to god/ but vn to the people/ to put thē in remembraunce of this inwarde sacrifice of thankes & of faith to trust and beleue in God the only sauer. Which significacion when was awaye/ they were abhominable and deuellysh ydolatrye and imageseruice: as oure ceremonies and sacramentes are become now to all that trust & beleue in the werke of them and ar not taught the significacions/ to edifye theyr soules with knowlege and the doctrine of God.

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

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

¶ And that Ionas wēt a dayes iourney in the citie/ I suppose he did it not in one daye: but wēt fayre & easyly preachīge here a sermon & there a nother & rebuked the synne of the people for which they must perishe.

¶ And when thou art come vn to the repētaunce of the Niniuites/ there hast thou sure ernest/ that how soeuer angre god be/ yet he remembreth mercie vn to all that truly repent and beleue in mercie. Which ensample oure sauioure Christ also casteth in the teeth of the indurat Iewes sayenge: the Niniuites shall rise in iudgemēt with this nation and condemne them/ for they repented at the preachynge of Ionas/ and beholde a greater thē Ionas here/ meanynge of hym selfe. At whose preachinge yet/ though it were neuer so mightie to perce the herte/ & for all his miracles therto/ the hard herted Iewes coude not repent: when the heathen Niniuites repented at the bare preachynge of Ionas rebukinge theyr synnes with out any miracle at all.

¶ Why? for [the] Iewes had leuēded the spirituall law of God and with theyr gloses had made it all to gether erthie ād fleshly/ and so had sett a vayle or coueringe on Moses face/ to shodowe and darken [the] glorious brightnesse of his contenaunce. It was synne to stele: but to robbe wedowes howses vnder a coloure of longe prayēge/ & to polle in the name of offeringes/ and to snare [the] people with intollerable cōstitucions 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 at theyr nede/ for blynde zele of offeringe/ vn to the profytt of the holy phareses/ was then as meritorious as it is now to let all thy kynne chose wheter they will synke or sweme/ while thou byldest and makest goodly fundatiōs for holy people which thou hast chosen to be thy christe/ for to sowple thy soule with the oyle of theyr swete blessynges/ & to be thy Iesus for to saue thy soule from [the] purgatory of the bloud that only purgeth synne/ with theyr watchīge/ fastīge/ wolward goinge & rysynge at mydnyght etc. where wyth yet they purge not them selues from theyr couetousnesse/ pryde/ lechury or any vyce that thou seyst amonge the laye people.

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

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

¶ It was exceadynge meritorious to make many dyscyples: But to teach them 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 the people with the curse of God & terreble paynes of hell/ that no man durst leaue the vilest herke in hys gardeyne vntythed. And the offerynge and thynges dedycat vn to God for the profitt of hys holy vycars where in soch estymacion and reuerēce/ that it was moch greater synne to sweare truly by them/ thē to forswere thy selfe by God: what vengeaunce then of God/ and how terreble and cruell damnacion thynke ye preached they to fall on thē that had stolen soch holy thīges? And yet sayth Christ/ that ryghtwesnesse ād faith in kepynge promise/ mercie and indyfferent iudgement were vtturly troden vnder fote and cleane dispysed of those blessed fathers/ whych so mightely mayntened Arons patrimony ād had mad it so prosperous ād enuironed it and walled it aboute on euery syde with [the] feare of god/ that noman durst twech it.

¶ It was greate holynesse to garnysh [the] sepulchres of [the] prophetes & to cōdemne their awne fathers for sleynge of them: and yet were they thē selues for blinde zele of their awne cōstituciōs/ as ready as their fathers to sle whosoeuer testified vn to them/ the same trueth which the prophetes testified vn to theyr fathers. So that Christ cōpareth all the rightwesnesse of those holy patriarkes vn to the outwarde bewtye of a paynted sepulchre full of stench and all vn clennesse wythyn.

¶ And finally to begyld a mans neyboure in sotle bargeninge and to wrappe and cōpase him in with cauteles of the law/ was then as it is now in the kingdome of [the] Pope. By the reason where of they excluded the law of loue out of theyr hertes/ ād cōsequētly all true repentaunce: for how coude they repēt of [that] they coude not se to be sinne?

¶ And on the other syde they had sett vpp a rightwesnesse of holy workes/ to clense theyr soules with all: as the Pope sanctifieth vs with holy oyle/ holy bred/ holy salt/ holy candels/ holy dome ceremonies ād holy dome blessynges/ and with what soever holynesse thou wilt saue with the holynes of Gods worde which only speaketh vn to the herte and sheweth the soule hir filthynesse and vnclennesse of synne/ and leadeth hir by [the] waye of repentaunce vn to [the] fountayne of Christes bloude to washe it awaye thorow faith. By the reason of which false rightwesnesse they were dysobedient vn to the rightwesnesse of God/ which is the forgeuenesse of synne in Christes bloude and coude not beleue it. And so thorow fleshly interpretynge the law ād false imagined rightwesnesse/ their hertes were hardened ād made as stony as clay in an hote furnace of fire/ that they coude receaue nether repentaunce ner faith or any moyster of grace at all.

¶ But the hethen Niniuites/ though they were blynded with lustes a good/ yet were in thofe .ii. poyntes vncorrupte and vnhardened/ & therfore with the only preachinge of Ionas came vn to the knowlege of their synnes and confessed them & repented truly & turned euery man from his euell dedes & declared theyr sorow of hert & true repentaunce/ with theyr dedes which they dyd out of faith & hope of forgeuenesse/ chastysinge their bodies with prayer & fastinge & with takinge all pleasures from the flesh: trustynge/ as god was angre for their wekedness/ 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 of lernynge/ to se how erthye Ionas is styll for all hys tryenge in the whales bely. He was so sore displeased because the Niniuites perished not/ that he was wery of hys lyfe and wished after the deeth for very sorow & payne/ that he had loost the glorie of his prophesienge/ in that his prophesie come not to passe. But god rebuked him with a likenesse sayenge: it greueth thyne hert for the losse of a vile shrobbe or spraye/ wheron thou bestoweddest no loboure or cost/ nether was it thyne handwerke. How moch moare then shuld greue myne herte/ the losse of so greate a multitude of innocētes as are in Niniue/ which are all myne handes werke. Nay Ionas/ I am God ouer all/ and father as well vn to the hethen 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 yf they repent ād ax mercie: nether on the other syde/ what soeuer I promyse/ wyll I fulfyll it/ saue for theyr sakes only whych trust in me and submitte them selues to kepe my lawes of very loue/ as naturall chyldern.

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On thys maner to read [the] scripture is [the] right vse therof & why [the] holy gost caused it to be writtē. That is [that] thou first seke out [the] law/ what god will haue the to doo/ interpretinge it spiritually with out glose or coueringe the brightnesse of Moses face/ so [that] thou fele in thyne hert/ how that it is damnable synne before god/ not to loue they neyboure that is thyne enimie/ as puerly as Christ loued the/ and [that] not to loue thy neyboure in thyne herte/ is to haue cōmitted all ready all synne agenst him. And therfore vn tyll that loue become/ thou must knowlege vnfaynedly that there is synne in the best dede thou doest. And it must ernestly greue thyne hert and thou must washe all thy good dedes in christes bloude/ yer they can be pure and an acceptable sacrifice vn to God/ and must desire god [the] father for his sake/ to take thi dedes aworth & to pardō [the] imperfectenesse of them/ & to geue the power to doo thē better and with moare feruent loue.

¶ And on the other syde thou must serch diligently for the promises of mercie which God hath promised the agayne. Which .ii. poyntes/ that is to wete/ [the] lawe spiritually interpreted/ how that all is dānable synne that is not vnfayned loue out of the grownde and botom of the herte after the ensample of Christes loue to vs/ because we be all equally created ād formed of one god oure father/ and indifferently bought & redemed with one bloud of oure sauioure Iesus Christe: ād that the promises be geuen vn to a repentynge soule that thursteth and longeth after them/ of the pure and fatherly mercie of god thorow oure faith onely with oute al deseruinge of oure dedes or merites of oure werkes/ but for Christes sake alone and for the merites ād deseruinges of 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 in thine 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 and out/ and finde pasture and fode euery where. And yf these lesons be not writtten in thyne herte/ then is all the scripture shutt vpp/ as a cornell in the shale/ so that thou mayst read it and comen of it and reherse all the stories of it and dispute sotilly and be a profounde sophister/ and yet vnderstond not one Iot therof.

¶ And thridly that thou take the stories & liues which are cōteyned in the bible/ for sure ād vndowted ensamples/ [that] God so will deale with vs vn to the worldes ende.

¶ Here with Reader farewell and be commended vn to God/ and vn to the grace of hys spryte. And first se that thou stoppe not thyne eares vn to the callynge of god/ and that thou harden not thine herte begyled with fleshly interpretinge of the law & false imagined and ypocritish rightwesnesse/ and so the Niniuites ryse with the at [the] day of iudgement & condemne the.

¶ And secōdarily if thou finde ought amisse/ when thou seyst thy selfe in the glasse of Gods worde/ thynke it cōpendious wisdome/ to amende [the] 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 [the] wild lustes of thy flesh shall blynd the and carie the cleane awaye with them for a tyme: yet at the later ende/ when [the] god of all mercie shall haue compased the in on euery syde with tēptaciōs/ tribulacions/ aduersities & cōbraunce/ to bringe [the] home agayne vn to thyne awne herte/ & to set thy sinnes wich thou woldest so fayne couer & put out of mynd with delectaciō of voluptuous pastymes/ before [the] eyes of thy cōscience: then call [the] faithfull ensample of Ionas & all lyke stories vn to thy remēbraunce/ ād with Ionas turne vn to thi father that smote [the]: not to cast [the] awaye/ but to laye a corosie ād a freatīge playster vn to [the] pocke that laye hid & fret inwarde/ to draw [the] disease out & to make it appere/ [that] thou mightest feale thy seckenes & [the] daunger therof & come & receaue the healynge playster of mercie.

¶ And forget not [that] what soeuer ensample of mercie god hath shewed sens [the] beginninge of [the] world/ the same is promised the/ yf thou wilt in like maner turne agayne and receaued it as they dyd. And with Ionas be aknowen of thy synne & cōfesse it & knowlege it vn to thy father.

¶ And as [the] law which freteth thy cōscience/ is in thyne herte & is none outwarde thīge/ evē so seke within in thine herte/ [the] playster of 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 [the] testamēt of god in thyne hert. For in thyne hert is the worde of [the] law/ & in thyne hert is [the] worde of fayth in the promises of mercie in Iesus Christe. So that yf thou cōfesse with a repentynge herte & knowlege ād surely beleue [that] Iesus is lorde ouer all synne/ thou art saffe.

¶ And finally when the rage of thy cōscience is ceased and quieted with fast faith in the promises of mercie/ then offer with Ionas the offeringe of prayse and thankesgeuinge/ & paye the vowe of thy baptim/ that God only saueth/ of his ōly mercie & goodnesse: that is/ beleue stedfastly & preach cōstantly/ that it is God only that smyteth/ and God only that healeth: ascribynge [the] cause of thy tribulation vn to thyne awne synne/ and [the] cause of thy deliueraunce vn to the mercie of God.

¶ And be ware of the leuē [that] saith we haue power in oure fre will before [the] preachinge of [the] Gospell/ to deserue grace/ to kepe [the] law/ of cōgruite/ or god to be vnrightwesse. And saie with Ihon in the first/ [that] as [the] law was geuē by Moses/ euē so grace to fulfill it/ is geuē by christe. And whē they saye oure dedes with grace deserue heuen/ saye thou [with] Paule Ro. vj. [that] euerlastīge life is the gifte of god thorow Iesus Christ oure lorde/ & [that] we be made sonnes by faith Ihon. j. & therfore heyres of god with christ Ro. viij. And saye that we receaue al of god thorow faith that foloweth repentaunce/ & [that] we doo not oure werkes vn to god/ but ether vn to oure selues/ to sley [the] sinne that remayneth in [the] flesh & to waxe perfecte/ ether vn to oure neyboures which doo as moch for vs agayne in some other thīges. And whē a mā exceadeth in giftes of grace/ let hī vnderstōde that they be geuē him/ as wel for his weake brethern/ as for him selfe: as though all the bred be cōmitted vn to the panter/ yet for his felowes with hym/ which geue the thankes vn to theyr lorde/ and recompence the panter agayne with other kynde seruice in theyr offices. And when they saye that Christ hath made no satisfaccion for the synne we doo after oure baptym: saye thou wyth the doctrine of Paule/ that in oure baptym we receaue the merytes of Christes deeth thorow repentaunce and fayth of which two/ baptim is the sygne. And though when we synne of frailtie after oure baptym we receaue the sygne no moare/ yet we be renewed agayne thorow repentaunce and faith in Christes bloude/ whych twayne/ the sygne of baptym ever contynved amonge vs in baptisynge oure younge childern doeth euer kepe in mynde and call vs backe agayne vn to oure profession if we be gonne astraye/ & promiseth vs forgeuenesse. Nether can actuall synne be washed awaye with oure werkes/ but with Christes bloude: nether can there be any other sacrifice or satisfaccion to Godward for them/ saue Christes bloude. For as moch as we can doo no werkes vnto God/ but receaue only of his mercie with oure repentynge fayth/ thorow Iesus Christe oure lorde and only sauer: vnto whom & vn to God oure father thorow him/ and vn to hys holy spirite/ that only purgeth/ sanctifieth & washeth vs in the innocēt bloude of oure redemption/ 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 [the] sonne of Amithai sayenge: ryse & gett the to Niniue that greate citie & preach vn to thē/ how that theyr wekednesse is come vpp before me.

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

¶ But [the] lorde hurled a greate winde in to [the] se/ so that there was a myghtie tēpest in the se: in so moch [that] the shepp was lyke to goo in peces. And the mariners were afrayed & cried euery man vn to his god/ & cast out [the] goodes [that] were in [the] sheppe in to [the] se/ to lighten it of thē. But Ionas gatt him vnder the hatches & layed him downe and slombrede. And [the] master of the sheppe came to him & sayd vn to hī/ why slomberest thou? vpp! & call vn to thy god/ that God maye thinke on vs/ that we perish not.

¶ And they sayde one to a nother/ come & lett vs cast lottes/ to know for whose cause we are thus troublede. And they cast lottes. And [the] lott 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 made both 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 from the presens of the lorde/ because he had told them.

¶ Then they sayd vn to hym/ what shall we doo vnto the/ that the se maye cease frō trowblinge vs? For the se wrought & was trowblous. And he answered them/ take me and cast me in to the se/ & so shall it lett you be in reste: for I wotte/ is is for my sake/ that this greate tempest is come oppon you. Neuerthelesse the men assayed wyth rowenge to bringe the sheppe to lande: but it wold not be/ because the se so wrought & was so trowblous agenst them. Wherefore they cried vn to the lorde & sayd: O lorde latt vs not perih for this mans deeth/ nether laye innocēt bloud vn to oure charge: for thou lorde even as thy pleasure was/ so thou hast done.

¶ And thē they toke Ionas/ & cast hī in to [the] se/ & the se left ragynge. And [the] men feared the lorde excedingly: & sacrificed sacrififice vn to the lorde: and vowed vowes.

¶ The seconde Chapter.

But [the] lorde prepared a greate fyshe/ to swalow vp Ionas. And so was Ionas in [the] bowels of [the] fish .iij. dayes & .iij. nightes. And Ionas prayed vnto [the] lord his god out of [the] bowels of the fish.

¶ And he sayde: in my tribulacion I called vn to the lorde/ and he answered 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 floud cōpased me aboute: and all thy waues & rowles of water wēt ouer me: & I thought [that] I had bene cast awaye out of thy sight. But I will yet agayne loke towarde thy holy temple. The water cōpased me euē vn to the very soule of me: the depe laye aboute me: ād the wedes were wrappte aboude myne heed. And I wēt downe vn to the botome of the hylles/ and was barredin with erth on euery syde for euer. And yet thou lorde my God broughest vp my life agayne out of corrupcion. When my soule faynted in me/ I thought on the lorde: & my prayer came in vn to the/ even in to thy holy temple. They [that] obserue vayne vanities/ haue forsakē him that was mercifull vn to them. But I wil sacrifice vn to the with the voce of thankesgeuinge/ & will paye that I have vowed/ that sauinge cometh of the lorde.

¶ And the lorde spake vn to the fish: and it cast out Ionas agayne vppon [the] drie lande.

¶ The .iij. Chapter.

Then came the worde of the lorde vn to Ionas agayne sayenge: vpp/ ād gett [the] to Niniue that greate citie/ & preache vn to thē the preachynge which I bade [the]. And he arose & wēt to Niniue at [the] lordes cōmaundmēt. Niniue was a greate citie vn to god/ cōteynīge .iij. dayes iourney.

¶ And Ionas went to & entred in to [the] citie euen a dayes iourney/ and cried sayenge: There shall not passe .xl. dayes but Niniue shalbe ouerthrowen.

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

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

¶ And they put on sackcloth both man ād beest/ & cried vn to God mightily/ ād turned euery man from his weked waye/ and frō doenge wrōge in which they were acustomed/ sayenge: who can tell whether god will turne & repent/ & cease from his fearce wrathe/ that we perish not? And when god saw theyr workes/ how they turned from theyr weked wayes/ he repented on [the] euell which he sayd he wold doo vn to them/ ād dyd it not.

¶ The .iiij. Chapter.

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