Brief Comedy Concerning the Temptation of Jesus Christ by Satan, Title page – Preface
A brefe Comedy or enterlude concernynge the temptacyon of our lorde and ſauer Ieſus Chriſt, by Sathan in the deſart. Compyled by Iohan Bale, Anno M.D.XXXVIII.
Ieſus was led from thens of the ſprece into the wyldernes, to be tempted of the deuyll. And whan he had faſted fourty dayes and fourty nyghtes, he was at laſt an hungered.
Mathei iiij.
Interlocutores,
Ieſus Chriſtus.
Angelus primus.
Satan tentator:
Angelus alter.
Balcus Prolocutor.
Praefatio.
Balcus Prolocutor.
AFter hys baptyme▪ Chriſt was Gods ſonne declared.
By the fathers voyce, as ye before hauehave hearde,
Whych ſygnyfyeth to vsus, that we ones baptyſed
Are the ſonnes of God, by hys gift & rewarde▪
And bycauſe that we, ſhuld hauehave Chriſt in regarde,
He gaue vntounto hym, the myghtye autoryte,
Of hys heauenlye worde, our only teacher to be.
Now is he gone fourth, into the deſart place,
With the holy Ghoſt, hys offyce to begynne.
Where Sathan the deuyll, with hys aſſaultes apace,
With colours of craft, and manye a ſubtyle gynne,
Wyll vndermynde hym, yet nothynge ſhall he wynne,
But ſhame and rebuke, in the concluſyon fynall,
Thys tokenneth our rayſe, and hys vnrecurable fall.
Lerne firſt in thys acte, that we whom Chriſt doth call.
Ought not to folowe, the fantaſyes of Man,
But the holy Ghoſt, as our gyde ſpecyall,
Whych to defende vsus, is he that wyll and can,
To perſecucyon, lete vsus prepare vsus than,
For that wyll folowe, in them that ſeke the truth.
Marke in thys proceſſe, what troubles to Chriſt enſuth.
Sathan aſſaulteth hym, with many a ſubtyle dryft,
So wyll he do vsus, if we take Chriſtes part.
And whan that helpeth not, he ſeketh an other ſhyft,
The rulers amonge, to put Chriſt vntounto ſmart,
With ſo manye els, as beare hym their good hart.
Be ye ſure of thys, as ye are of dayly meate▪
If ye folowe Chriſt, with hym ye muſt be beate.
For aſſaultes of Sathan, lerne here the remedye▪
Take the worde of God, lete that be your defence.
So wyll Chriſt teache yow, in our next Comedye,
Erneſtly prent it, in your quyck intellygence.
Reſyſt not the worlde, but with meke pacyence,
If ye be of Chriſt. Of thys herafter ye ſhall,
Perceyue more at large, by the ſtory as it fall.