Brief Comedy Concerning the Temptation of Jesus Christ by Satan
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Logan West
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www.puritansearch.org
A brief Comedy or interlude concerning the temptation of our lord and saver Jesus Christ, by Satan in the desert. Compyled by Johan Bale, Anno M.D.XXXVIII.
[illustration]
Jesus was led from thens of the sprece into the wilderness, to be tempted of the devil. And whan he had fasted forty days and forty nyghtes, he was at last an hungered.
Mathei iv.
Interlocutores,
- Jesus Christus.
- Angelus primus.
- Satan tentator:
- Angelus alter.
Praefatio.
Balcus Prolocutor.
A
Fter his baptyme▪ Christ was God's son declared.
By the fathers voice, as ye before have heard,
Whych sygnyfyeth to us, that we ones baptized
Are the sons of God, by his gift & reward▪
And because that we, should have Christ in regard,
He gave unto him, the mighty autoryte,
Of his heavenly word, our only teacher to be.
Now is he gone fourth, into the desert place,
With the holy Ghost, his office to begin.
Where Satan the devil, with his assaults apace,
With colors of craft, and many a subtle gynne,
Wyll vndermynde him, yet nothing shall he wynne,
But shame and rebuke, in the conclusyon fynall,
Thys tokenneth our raise, and his vnrecurable fall.
Lerne first in this act, that we whom Christ doth call.
Ought not to follow, the fantasyes of Man,
But the holy Ghost, as our gyde specyall,
Whych to defend us, is he that will and can,
To persecucyon, lete us prepare us than,
For that will follow, in them that seek the truth.
Mark in this process, what troubles to Christ ensuth.
Satan assaulteth him, with many a subtle dryft,
So will he do us, if we take Christ's part.
And whan that helpeth not, he seeketh another shyft,
The rulers among, to put Christ unto smart,
With so many else, as bear him their good heart.
Be ye sure of this, as ye are of daily meat▪
If ye follow Christ, with him ye must be beat.
For assaults of Satan, learn here the remedy▪
Take the word of God, lete that be your defense.
So will Christ teache yow, in our next Comedye,
Ernestly prent it, in your quyck intellygence.
Resyst not the world, but with meek pacyence,
If ye be of Christ. Of this hereafter ye shall,
Perceyue more at large, by the story as it fall.
Incipit Comoedia.
Jesus Christus.
I
N to this desert, the holy Ghost hath brought me,
After my baptyme, of Satan to be tempted▪
Therby to instruct, of Man the imbecyllyte,
That after he hath, God's holy spirit received,
Dyuer
•
ely he must, of Satan be impugncd,
Least he for God's gift, should fall into a pride.
And that in parell, he take me for his gyde.
Thynke not me to fast, because I would yow to fast,
For than ye think wrong, and have vain judgment▪
But of my fasting, think rather this my cast,
Satan to provoke, to work his cursed intent,
And to teache yow ways, his myschefes to prevent,
By the word of God, which must be your defense,
Rather than fastynges, to withstand his violence.
I have fasted here, the space of forty days,
Perfourmynge that fast, which Moses had in figure,
To stop their mouths with, which bable & prate always
Thus ded our fathers, My name and fame to dysuygure.
Therfor now I taste, of fasting here the rygure,
And am right hungrye, after longe abstynence.
Thys mortal body, complaineth of indygence.
Satan tentator.
No where I fourther, but everywhere I noye,
For I am Satan, the common adversary,
An enemy to Man, him seeking to destroy
And to bring to naught, by my assaults most crafty.
I watch everywhere, wantynge no polycye,
To trappe him in snare, and make him the child of hell.
What number I wynne, it were very longe to tell.
I heard a great noise, in Jordan now of late,
Upon one Jesus, soundynge from heaven above.
Thys is mine own son, which hath withdrawn all hate,
And he that doth stand, most highly in my love.
My wyttes the same sound, doth not a little move.
He cometh to redeem, the kind of Man I fear,
Hygh time is it than, for me the cools to steare.
I will not leave him▪ till I know what he ys,
And what he intendeth, in this same border hear.
Subtyltie must help, else all will be amys,
A godly pretence, outwardly must I bear,
Semynge relygyouse, devout and sad in my gear.
If he be come now, for the redempcyon of Man,
As I fear he is, I will stop him if I can.
Hic simulata religione Christum aggreditur.
It is a grat joy, by my holydome to se,
So virtuous a life, in a young man as yow be.
As here thus to wander, in godly contemplacyon.
And to live alone, in the desert solytarye.
Jesus Christus,
Your pleasure is it, to utter your fantasye.
Satan tentator.
A brother am I, of this desert wyldernesse,
And full glad would be, to talk with yow of goodness▪
If ye would accept, my simple cumpanye.
Jesus Christus.
I dysdayne nothing, which is of God truly.
Satan tentator.
Than will I be bold, a little with yow to walk.
Jesus Christus.
Do so if ye liest, and your mind freely talk.
Satan tentator.
Now forsooth and God, it is joy of your life,
That ye take sech pains, and are in vertu so ryfe.
Where so small joys are, to recreate the heart.
Jesus Christus.
Here are for pastyme, the wild beasts of the desert,
With whom much better, it is to be conversant,
Than with sech people, as are to God repugnaunt.
Satan tentator.
Ye speak it full well, it is even as ye say,
But tell me how longe, ye have been here, I yow pray.
Jesus Christus.
Fourty days and nyghtes, without any sustenance.
Satan tentator.
So much I judged, by your pale countenance.
Then is it no marvel, I trow, though ye hungrye.
Jesus Christus.
My stomach declareth, the weakness of my body.
Satan tentator.
Well, to be pleyne with yow, abroad the rumour doth rōne
Amonge the people, that ye should be God's son.
If ye be God's son, as it hath great lykelyhode,
Make of these stones bread, and give your body his food.
Jesus Christus.
No offense is it, to eat whan men be hungrye,
But to make stones bread, it is vnnecessarye.
He which in this fast, hath been my specyall gyde,
Fode for my body, is able to provide.
I thank my lord God, I am at no such need,
As to make stones bread, my body so to feed.
Whā I come in place, where God hath appointed meat,
Geuynge him high thanks, I shall not spare to eat,
Satan tentator.
Not only for that, this symylytude I bring,
But my purpose is▪ to conclude another thing.
At the fathers voice, ye toke this life in hand,
Myndynge now to preach, as I do understand.
In case ye do so, ye shall find the office hard.
My mind is in this, ye should your body regard,
And not vndyscretelye, to cast yourself away.
Rather take some ease, than ye should so decay.
I put case ye be, God's son, what can that further?
Preache ye ones the truth, the bishops will ye murder.
Therfor believe not, the voice that ye ded hear,
Though it came from God, for it is unsavory gear.
Beyonde your cumpas, rather than ye so run,
Forsake the office, and deny yourself God's son.
Jesus Christus.
Ye speak in that point, very vnaduysedlye,
For it is written, in the eyt of Deutronomye,
Man liveth not by bread, or corporal fedynge only,
But by God's promise, and by his scriptures heavenly.
Here ye persuade me, to recreate my body,
And neglected God's word, which is great blasphemy.
Thys caused Adam, from innocencye to fall,
And all his ofsprynge, made miserable and mortal.
Whereas is God's word, there is both spirit and life,
And where that is not, death and dampnacyon is ryfe.
The strength of God's word, myghtyly sustained Moses,
For forty days space, thereof such is the goodness.
It fortyfyed Helias, it preserved Daniel,
And helped in the desert, the children of Israel.
Sore plages do follow, where God's word is reject,
For no persuasyon, will I therefore neglect,
That office to do, which God hath me commanded,
But in all mekenesse, it shall be accomplyshed.
Satan tentator.
I had rather nay, considering your feblenesse,
For ye are but tuly, ye are no strong person doughtlesse.
Jesus Christus.
Well, it is not the bread, that doth a man uphold,
But the lord of heaven, with his graees manifold.
He that Man create, is able him to norysh,
And after weakness, cause him again to florysh.
God's word is a rule, for all that man should do,
And out of that rule, no creature ought to go.
He that it followeth, cannot out of the way,
In meat no
•
in drink, in sadness nor in play.
Satan tentator.
Ie are styfnecked, ye will follow no good counsel.
Jesus Christus,
Yes, whan it is such, as the holy scripture tell.
Satan tentator.
Scriptures I know non, for I am but an hermyte I▪
I may say to yow, it is no part of our stody.
We relygyouse men, live all in contemplacyon,
Scriptures to stodye, is not our occupacyon.
It longeth to doctors. Howbeyt I may say to yow,
As blind are they as we, in the understanding now.
Well shall it please ye, any farther, with me to walk,
Though I little profyght, yet doth it me good to talk.
Jesus Christus.
To tarry or go, it is all one to me.
Satan tentator.
Lete us than wander, into the holy city,
Of Jerusalem, to se what is there a do.
Jesus Christus.
I shall not say nay, but am agreeable thereto.
Satan tentator.
My purpose is this, A voice in your ear ded rynge,
That ye were God's sone, and well-beloved darlynge,
And yow believe it, but ye are the more unwise,
For to deceive yow, it was some subtle practice.
Well, upon that voice, ye are given to persyghtnesse
Not else regardynge, but to live in ghostlynesse.
Ye watch, fast and pray, ye shine in contemplacyon,
Leadynge here a life, beyond all estymacyon,
No meat will ye eat, but live by God's word only▪
So good are ye w
••
t, so perfect and so holy.
I will bring ye (I trow) to the welle of ghostlynesse,
Where I shall fill ye, and glutt ye with holiness.
What, holy, quoth he? Nay, ye were never so holy,
As I will make ye, if ye follow hansomlye.
Here is all holy, here is the holy city,
The holy temple, and the holy priests here be.
Ye will be holy? well, ye shall be above them all,
Bycause ye are God's son, it doth ye so befall.
Come here, on the pynnacle, we will be by and by.
Jesus Christus.
What mean ye by that? show fourth your fantasy,
Satan tentator.
Whan ye were hungrye, I ded ye first persuade,
Of stones to make bread, but ye would non of that trade.
Ye laid for yourself, that scripture would not serve it,
That was your bucklar, but now I am for ye fit.
For the suggestyon, that I now shall to ye lay,
I have scripture at hand, ye shall it not denaye.
Jesus Christus
Kepe it not secrete, but lete it than be hod.
Satan tentator.
If ye do believe, that ye are the son of God,
Beleue this also, if ye leap down here in scoff,
From this high pynnacle, ye can take no harm thereof.
And therefore be bold, this enterprise to ieoparde·
If ye be God's son, cast down yourself here backwarde.
Jesus Christus.
Truly that need not, here is other remedy,
To the ground to go, than to fall down folyshlye.
Here are gresynges made, to go up and down thereby,
What need I than leap, to the earth presumptuously.
Satan tentator.
Saye that ye ded it, upon a good intent.
Jesus Christus
That were neither good, nor yet conuenyent.
Daungers are doubtful, where such presumpcyon is.
Satan tentator.
Tush, scripture is with it, ye cannot fare amys.
For it is written, how God hath given a charge,
Unto his Angels, that if ye leap at large,
They shall receive ye, in their hands tenderly,
Least ye dalhe your foot, against a stone thereby.
If ye do take scath, believe God is not true,
Nor just of his word, And than bid him adewe.
Jesus Christus.
In no wise ye ought, the scriptures to de praue,
But as they lie whole, so ought ye them to have.
Nomore take ye here, than serve for your vain purpose
Leauynge out the best, as ye should tryfle or gloss
Ye mind not by this, towards God to edyfye,
But of sincere faith, to corrupt the innocencye.
Satan tentator.
Whye, is it not true, that such a text there is?
Jesus Christus.
Yes, there is such a text, but ye wrast it all amys.
As the Psalm doth say, God hath commanded Angels,
To preserve the just, from daungerouse plages and parels.
Satan tentator.
Well, than I said true, and as it lieth in the text.
Jesus Christus.
Yea, but ye omytted, four words which followeth next,
As (in all thy ways) which if ye put out of sight,
Ye shall never take, that place of scripture a right.
Their ways are such rules, as God hath them commanded,
By his living woe
•
de, justly to be observed.
If they pass those rules, the Angels are not bound,
To be their safeguard, but rather them to confound.
To fall down backwarde, of a wanton penyshnes,
Is non of those ways, that God ever taught doughtles.
Then if I ded it, I should tempt God very sore,
And deserve to have, his anger evermore.
I will not so do, for their fathers in the desert,
Ded so tempt him ones, and had the hate of his heart▪
The clause that ye had, maketh for nō outward working,
If ye mark the Psalm, thoroughly from his beginning.
But what is the cause, ye went not fourth with the next verse
•
Satan tentator.
It made not for me, if ye will, ye may it rehearse.
Jesus Christus.
Thu shalt (saith the Psalm) subdue the cruel serpent,
And tread under foot, the lyon and dragon pestylent.
Satan tentator.
No nyghar (I say) for there ye touche free hold.
Jesus Christus.
Some love in no wise, to have their rudeness told.
To walk in God's ways, it becometh a mortal man,
And therefore I will, obey them if I can.
For it is written, in the sext of Deutronomy,
Thu shalt in no wise, tempt God presumptuousely.
Satan tentator.
What is it to tempt God? after your judgment.
Jesus Christus.
To take of his woe
•
de, an outward experyment,
Of an idle brain, which God neither thought not meant.
Satan tentator.
What persons do so? Make that more euydent.
Jesus Christus.
All such as forsake, any grace or remedy,
Appoynted of God, for their own polycye.
As they that do think, that God should fill their belly,
Without their labors, whan his laws are contrary.
And they that will say, the scripture of God doth slee,
They never serchynge, thereof the verity.
Those also tempt God, that vow presumptuouslye,
Not having his gift, to keep their contynencye.
With so many else, as follow their good intents.
Not grounded on God, nor yet on his commandments.
These throw themselves down, into most depe dāpnacyon.
Satan tentator.
Lyttle good get I, by this communication.
Wyll ye walk farther, and lete this pratlynge be?
A mountain here is, which I would yow to se,
Trust me and ye will, it is a commodyouse thing.
Jesus Christus.
If it be so good, lete us by thydre going.
Satan tentator.
Lo, how say ye now, is not here a pleasant sight?
If ye will ye may, have here all the worlds delight.
Here is to be seen, the kingdom of Arabye,
With all the regyons, of Affryck, Europe; and Asye,
And their whole delyghtes, their pomp, their magnyfycēce▪
Their riches▪ their honor, their wealth, their concupyscēce.
Here is gold and silver, in wonderful habundaunce,
Sylkes, veluetes, tyssues, with wynes & spyces of plesaunce.
Here are fair women, of countenance ameable,
With all kinds of meats, to the body dylectable.
Here are camels, stout horses, & mules that never will tire,
With so many pleasures, as your heart can desire.
Jesus Christus.
Well, he be praised, which is of them the giver.
Satan tentator.
Alas it greueth me, that ye are such a beleuer.
Nothynge can I lay, but ever ye avoid me,
By the word of God. Leave that point ones I pray ye▪
If I bid ye make, of stones bread for your body,
Ye say man liveth not, in temporal feadynge only.
As I bid ye leap, down from the pynnacle above,
Ye will not tempt God, otherwise than yow behoove.
Thus are ye still poor, thus are ye still weak and nedye,
Jesus Christus.
And what suppose ye, will that need remedy?
Satan tentator.
Forsake the believe, that ye have in God's word,
That ye are his son, for it is not worth a torde,
Is he a father, that se his son thus famysh?
If ye believe it, I say ye are to folysh.
Ye se these pleasures. If yow be ruled by me,
I shall make ye a man. To my words therefore agre.
Loke on these kyngedomes, and incomparable treasure,
I the lord of them, may give them at my pleasure.
Forsake that father, which leaveth the without confort,
In this desolacyon, and hens fourth to me resort.
Knowledge me for head, of this world universal.
And I will make the, possessor of them all.
Thu shalt no longer, be desolate and hungrye,
But have all the world, to do the obsequye.
Therfor knele down here, and worshypp me this hour,
And thu shalt have all, with their whole strenth and pour.
Jesus Christus.
Auoyde thu Satan, Thu devil, thu adversary,
For now thu persuadest, most damnable blasphemy.
As thu art wicked, so is thy promise wicked,
Not thine is the world, but his that it created.
Thu cannyst not give it, for it is not thine to give,
Thus dedyst thu corrupt, the faith of Adam and Eve.
Thus dedyst thu deceive, both Moses and Aaron,
Causynge them to doubt, at the lake of contradyccyon.
Get the hens thu fyende, and cruel adversary,
For it is written, in the tenth of Deutronomye.
God thu shalt worshypp, and magnyfye alone,
Hold him for thy lord, and make to him thy mone.
He is the true God, he is the lord of all,
Not only of this, but the world celestyall.
Thy perswasyon is, I should not his word regard,
O venemouse serpent, dampnacyon is thy reward.
Prouyde will I so, that thy kyngedom shall decay,
God's word shall be heard, of the world though thu say nay.
Satan tentator.
Well, than it helpeth not, to tarry here any longer,
Aduauntage to have, I se I must go farther.
So longe as thu lyuest, I am like to have no profyght,
If all come to pass, I ma ye sit as much in your light,
If ye preach God's word, as me think ye do intend,
Ere four years be past▪ I shall yow to your father send,
If pharysees and scrybes, can do any thing thereto,
False priests and bishops, with my other servants mo.
Though I have hynderaunce, it will be but for a season,
I dought not, thine own, hereafter will work some treason
Thy vycar at Rome, I think will be my frynde,
I defye the therefore, and take thy words but as wind.
He shall me worshypp, and have the world to reward,
That thu here forsakest, he will most hyghlye regard.
God's word will he tread, vnderneth his foot forever,
And the hearts of men, from the truth thereof dyssener,
Thy faith will he hate, and slee thy flock in conclusyon.
All this will I work, to do the utter confusyon.
Jesus Christus,
Thy cruel assaults, shall hurt neither me nor mine,
Though we suffer both, by the prouydence dyuyne.
Soch strength is ours, that we will have vyctorye,
Of sin death and hell, and of the in thy most fury.
For God hath promised, that his shall tread the dragon,
Vnderneth their fete, with the fierce roarynge lyon.
Hic angeli accedunt, solacium administraturi.
Angelus primus.
The father of confort, and heavenly consolacyon,
Hath sent us hither, to do our admynystracyon.
We come not to help, but to do our obsequye,
As servants becometh, to their lord and mastre mekelye.
If our office be, to wait on creatures mortal,
Why should we not serve, the mastre and lord of all?
Angelus alter.
It is our confort, it is our whole felycyte,
To do our service, and in your presence to be.
We have brought ye food, to confort your weak body,
After your great fast, and notable vyctorye.
Unto all the world, your birth we first declared,
And now these vytayles, we have for yow prepared.
Jesus Christus.
Come nyghar to me. Swete father thanks to the,
For these gracyouse gifts, of thy lyberalyte.
Hic coram angelis ex appositis comedet.
Angelus primus.
How meek art thu lord, to take that nature on the?
Whych is so tendre, and full of infyrmyte.
As Mannys nature is, both feeble faint and werye,
Weak after labor, and after fasting hungrye.
Forsoth heaven and earth, yea, hell may be astoyned,
The Godhede to se, to so frail nature joined,
Angelus alter.
In his own he is, for he the world first create,
Yet seemeth the world, to have him in great hate.
Aboute thirty years, hath he been here among them,
Some time in Iewrye, and some time in Jerusalem.
But few to this day, have done him reverence,
Or as to their lord, shown their obedience.
Jesus Christus,
My coming hither, is for to seek no glory,
But the high pleasure, and will of my father heavenly.
He will require it, at a certain day, no dought,
And shall revenge it, loke they not well abought.
Angelus primus.
Plebem alloquitur.
The lord here for yow, was borne and circumcysed,
For yow here also, he was latelye baptized.
In the wyldernesse, this lord for yow hath fasted,
And hath ouerremen, for yow the devil that tempted.
For yow friends for yow, this heavenly lord doth all,
Only for your sake, he is become man mortal.
Angelus alter.
Take the shy elde of faith, and learn to resyst the devil▪
After his teachynges, that he do yow non evil,
Full sure shall ye be, to have us on your side,
If ye be faithful, and hold him for your gyde.
Jesus Christus
If they follow me, they shall not walk in darkness,
But in the clear light, and have felycyte endless,
For I am the way, the life and the verity,
No man may attain, to the father but by me.
Angelus primus.
In man's frail nature, ye have conquerred the enmye.
That man over him, should always have vyctorye.
Angelus alter▪
Our manner is it, most hyghlye to rejoice,
Whan Man hath confort, which we now declare in voice.
Hic dulce canticum coram Christo depromunt.
Balcus Prolocutor.
Lete it not grieve yow, in this world to be tempted,
Consyderynge your lord, and your high byshopp Jesus,
Was here without sin, in every purpose proved,
In all our weakness, to help and socour us,
Farthermore to bear, with our fragylyte thus.
He is unworthy, of him to be a member,
That will not with him, some persecucyon suffer.
The life of Man is, a proof or hard temptation,
As Job doth report, and Paul confirmeth the same.
Busye is the devil, and laboreth his dampnatyon,
Yet have no dyspayre, for Christ hath gote the game.
Now is it easy, his cruelnesse to tame▪
For Christ's vyctorye, is theirs that do believe.
Where saith take rotynge, the devil can never grieve.
Resyst (saith Peter) resyst that roarynge lyon,
Not with your fastynges, Christ never taught ye so.
But with a strong faith, withstand his false suggestyon,
And with the scriptures, upon him over go,
Then shall he no harm, be able yow to do.
Now may ye be bold, ye have Christ on your side,
So longe as ye have, his verity for your gyde.
What enemies are they, that from the people will have,
The scriptures of God, which are the mighty weapon,
That Christ left them here, their souls from hell to save.
And throw them headlondes, into the devils domynyon.
If they be no devils, I say there are devils non,
They bring in fasting, but they leave out, Scriptum est,
Chalke they give for gold, such friends are they to the Beest.
Lete non report us, that here we condemn fasting.
For it is not true, we are of no such mind.
But this we couere, that ye do take the thing,
For a fruit of faith, as it is done in kind,
And only God's word, to subdue the cruel find.
Folowe Christ alone, for he is the true sheparde,
The voice of strangers, do never more regard.
Thus endeth this brief Comedy concerning the temptation of Jesus Christ in the wilderness. Compyled by Johan Bale,
Anno M.D.XXXVIII.