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Tract in Jo. 11.The B. Sacrament is not to be given to novices or younglings, in faith.24. JESUS committed not himself.) S. Augustine applieth this their first faith and beleefe in Christ, sodenly raised upon the admiration of his wonders, but yet not fully formed or established in them, unto the faith of Novices or Catechumens in the Church and Christ not committing his Person to them as yet, to the Churches like warinesse and wisedom, in not opening nor giving to them our Lord in the B. Sacrament, because al were not to be trusted with that high point without ful trial of their faith.

 

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Chap. III.

 

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 understanding, 11. he sheweth that they must beleeve him, and what good cause there is for them so to doe. 23. After this he also baptized, and John likewise at the same time. 25. Wherupon a question being moved, whether Baptisme is better, 27. John answereth it by saying, that he is so far inferiour to Christ, as a mere man to God most high.

 

The Ghospel upon Holie Roode day, or Invention of the holy Crosse. Maij 3.AND there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a prince of the Jewes. ²This man came to Jesus 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, unles God be with him. ³Jesus answered, and said to him: Amen, Amen I say to thee, unles a man be borne againe, he can not see the Kingdom of God. ⁴Nicodemus said to him: How can a man be borne, when he is old? can he enter into his mothers wombe againe and be borne? ⁵Jesus answered: Amen, Amen I say to thee, unles a man be ″ borne againe of water and the Spirit, he can not enter into the Kingdom of God. ⁶That which is borne of the flesh, is flesh; and that which is borne of the Spirit, is spirit. ⁷Marvel not, that I said to thee, You must be borne againe. ⁸The Spirit breatheth where ^[1] he wil; and thou hearest his voice, but thou knowest not whence he commeth and whither he goeth; so is every one that is borne of the Spirit. ⁹Nicodemus answered, and said to him: How can these things be done? ¹⁰Jesus answered, and said to him: Thou art a Maister in Israel, and art thou ignorant of these things? ¹¹Amen, Amen I say to thee, that we speeke that which we know, and that which we have seen we testifie, and our testimonie you receive not. ¹²If I have spoken to you earthly things, and you beleeve not; how if I shal speake to you heavenly things, wil you beleeve? ¹³And no man hath ascended into Heaven, but he that descended from Heaven, the Sonne of man which is in Heaven. ¹⁴And as Nu. 21, 9.* Moyses exalted the serpent in the desert, so must the Sonne of man be exalted; ¹⁵that every one which beleeveth in him, perish not, but may have life everlasting. The Ghospel upon Munday in the whitson-weeke.¹⁶For so God loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Sonne; that every one that beleeveth in him, perish not, but may have life everlasting.✠ ¹⁷For God sent not his Sonne into the world, to judge the world, but that the world may be saved by him. ¹⁸He that beleeveth in him, is not judged. But he that doth not beleeve, ″ is already judged; because he hath not beleeved in the name of the only-begotten Sonne of

1. We follow rather S. Aug. and those ancient Fathers, which most commonly understand this place of the Holy Ghost, and not of the winde: although both senses be good.