The Gospel hauing shevved, hovv the Ievves most impiously reiected Christ (as also Moyses and the Prophets had foretold of them:) and therefore deserued to be reiected themselues also of him: novv folovveth this booke of the Actes of the Apostles ( ^note vvritten by S. Luke in Rome the fourth yere of Nero, An. Dom. 61) and shevverh, hovv notvvithstanding their desertes, Christ of his mercy (as the Prophets also had foretold of him) offered him selfe vnto that vnvvorthy people, yea after that they had Crucified him, sending vnto them his tvvelue Apostles to moue them to penance, and so by Baptisme to make them of his Church: and vvhiles al the Tvvelue vvere so occupied about the Ievves: hovv of a persecuting Ievve he made an extraordinarie Apostle (vvho vvas S. Paul) and to auoide the sc&abar;dal of the Ievves (to vvhom onely him selfe likevvise for the same cause had preached) sent him, and not any of his Twelue by and by, who were his knovven Apostles, vnto the Gentiles, vvho neuer afore had heard of Christ, and vvere vvorshippers of many Gods, to moue them also (for, that likevvise the Prophets had foretold) to faith and penance, and so by Baptisme to make them of his Church: and hovv the incredulous Ievves euery vvhere resisted the same Apostle and his preaching to the Gentiles, persecuting him and seeking his death, and neuer ceasing vntil he fel into the handes of the Gentils: that so (as not onely he euery vvhere, but also the Prophets afore him, and Christ had foretold) the Gospel might be taken avvay from them, and giuen to the Gentiles: euen from Hierusalem (vvhose reprobation also by name had been often foretold) the headcitie of the Iewes, vvhere it began, translated to Rome the headcitie of the Gentiles. ^note Al this vvil be euident by the partes of the booke: vvhich may be these sixe.

First, hovv Christ Ascending in the sight of his Disciples, promised vnto them the Holy ghost, fortelling that of him they should receiue strength, and so begin his Church in Hierusalem: and from thence dilate it into al that Countrie, that is into al Iurie: yea and into Samaria also, yea into al Nations of the Gentiles, be they neuer so far of. You shal receiue (saith he) the vertue of the Holy ghost c&obar;ming vpon you: and you shal be witnesses vnto me in Hierusalem, & in al Iurie, and Samaria, and euen to the vtmost of the earth. Chap. 1.

Secondly, the beginning of the Church in Hierusalem, accordingly. Chap. 2.

Thirdly, the propagation of it consequently into al Iurie, and also to Samaria. Chap. 8.

Fourthly, the propagation of it to the Gentiles also. Chap. 10.

Fifthly, the taking of it avvay from the obstinate Ievves, and geuing of it to the

Gentiles, by the ministerie of S. Paul and S. Barnabee. Chap. 13.

Sixthly, of taking it avvay from Hierusalem it selfe, the headcitie of the Ievves, and sending it (as it vvere) to Rome the headcitie of the Gentiles, and that, in their persecuting of Paul so far, ^note that he appealed to Cæsar, and so deliuering him after a sort vnto the Romanes: as they had ^note before deliuered to them also Christ him selfe. vvhere as S. Peters first coming thither, vvas vpon an other occasion, as shalbe said anone. Of vvhich Romanes and Gentiles therfore, the same S. Paul being novv come to Rome (the last Chap. of the Actes) foretelleth the obstinat Ievves there, saying: Et ipsi audient. ^note You vvil not heare, but, they vvil heare. that so the prediction of Christ aboue rehearsed might be fulfilled: And euen to the vtmost of the earth. And there doth S. Luke end the booke, not caring to tel so much as the fulfilling of that vvhich our Lord had foretold (Act. 27, 24) to S. Paul, Thou must appeare before Cæsar. because his purpose vvas no more but to shevv the nevv Hierusalem of the Christians, vvhere Christ vvould place the cheefe seate of his Church, as also in deede the Fathers and al other Catholikes haue in al ages looked thither, vvhen they vvere in any great doubt: no lesse then the Ievves to Hierusalem, as they vvere appointed in the old Testament. Deut. 17, 8.

And so this Booke doth shevv the true Church, as plainely, as the Gospel doth shevv the true Christ, vnto al that do not vvilfully shut their ovvne eies. to vvit, this to be the true Church, vvhich beginning visibly at Hierusalem, vvas taken from the Ievves, and translated to the Gentils (and namely to Rome) continuing visibly, and visibly to continue hereafter also, Vntil the fulnes of the Gentiles shal be come in: that then also Al Israël may be saued. and then is come the end of the vvorld. ^{note note} For so did Christ most plainely foretel vs: This Gospel of the Kingdom shalbe preached in the vvhole world, for a testimonie to al Nations. and then shal come the consummation. For the conuersion of vvhich Nations and accomplishing the fulnes of al Gentiles, the foresaid Church Catholike, being mindful of her office, to be Christes witnes euen to the vtmost of the earth, doth at this present (as alvvaies) send preachers to conuert and make them also Christians: vvhere as the protestants and ^note al other Heretikes do nothing els but subuert such as before vvere Christians.

And this being the Summe and scope of this Booke, thus to giue vs historically a iust sight of the fulfilling of the Prophets & Christes prediction about the Church: it is not to be marueiled at, vvhy it telleth not of S. Peters c&obar;ming to Rome: considering that his first c&obar;ming thither, vvas not, as S. Paules vvas, by the Ievves deliuerie of him, working so to their ovvne reprobati&obar;, but vp&obar; another occasion, to vvit, to confound Simon Magus. Eus. Hist. li. 2. c. 12. 13. For vvho also seeth not, that it maketh no mention of his préaching to any Gentiles at al, those fevv onely Act. 10 excepted, vvho vvere the first, and therefore (lest the Gentiles should seeme lesse cared for of God, then the Ievves) Peter being the Head of al, vvas elected of God, to incorporate them into the church, as before he had done the Ievves. ^note God (saith he) among vs chose, that by my mouth the Gentiles should heare the vvord of the Gospel, and beleeue and S. Iames therevpon: Simon hath told how God first visited to take of the Gentiles a people to his name. ^note But othervvise (I say) here is no mention of Peters preaching to any Gentiles: no nor of the other eleuen Apostles. Vvil any man therfore inferre, that neither Peter, nor the other Eleuen preached to any Nation or citie of the Gentiles? No. the meaning of the Holy ghost vvas not to vvrite al the Actes of al the Apostles, no nor the preaching of Peter and his, to the Gentiles, but onely to the Ievves: thereby to set out vnto the vvorld, the great mercy of Christ tovvard those vnvvorthy

Ievves, and consequently their most vvorthy reprobation for c&obar;temning such grace and mercy. as also on the other side to shevv, hovv readily the Gentiles in so many Nations, vvere conuerted by one Apostle onely, vvho From Hierusalem euen to Illyricum replenished the Gospel of Christ. ^note And this parting of the vvorke so made by S. Peter vvith the rest, doth S. Paul him selfe touche: That vve vnto the Gentiles, and they vnto the Circuncision. ^note Neuerthelesse before his c&obar;ming to Rome, not onely vvas the Church come to Rome (as it is euident Act. the last chap.) there pl&abar;ted by S. Peter and others (as likevvise by S. Peter it vvas planted in the first Gentils, before that S. Paul began the taking of it avvay from the multitude of the Ievves, and the translating of it to the multitude of the Gentils) but also so notable vvas the same Church of Rome, that S. Paul vvriting his Epistle to the Romanes, before he came thither, saith: Your faith is renovvmed in the vvhole vvorld. and therefore they vvith the rest of the Gentiles, be that Nation vvhereof Christ told the Ievves, saying: The Kingdom of God shal be taken avvay from you, & shal be giu&ebar; to a Nation yelding the fruites thereof. ^{note note}

As before vve noted the Gospels, as they are read both at Mattins and Masse, through out the yere, in their conuenient time and place: so the bookes folovving (as also the bookes of the old Testament) are read in the said Seruice of the Church, for Epistles and Lessons, in their time & place, as hereafter shal be noted in euery of them. See the very same order and custome of the primitiue Church, in S. Ambrose ep. 33. S. Augustine Serm. de Tempore 139, 140, 141, 144. S. Leo Ser. 2 & 4 de Quadrag. & Ser. 13 & 19 de Pa&esset;. Domini. S. Gregorie in his 40 homilies vpon the Gospels.

THE ACTES OF THE APOSTLES. ^note

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