The.xi. chapiter

The author shewyth that a myracle is not to be mystrustyd thogh yt be done in a small mater and semith vppon a sleyght occasyon.

NOw though ye wold paraduenture as ye seme to do / reken thys cause very sleyght for god to shew sych an hygh myracle / syth there myght haue bene wtout myracle a lenger pece of tymber gotten / & so ye wold happely mystrust yt for the slender occasion / resemblyng yt to the myscastynge of some good huswyuys kays / god hath I wene so much wyt of hym selfe / yt he nedyth not our aduyce to ēforme hym what thyng were suffycyent occasyon to worke hys wonders for. But & if ye rede in ye bokys of Cassyan / saynte Gregory / saynt Austyne / saynt Hyerom / & many other holy vertuous men / ye shall (excepte ye beleue thē not) lerne & know that god hath for hys saruantys don many a gret myracle in very small maters. And so mych ye more ar we boundē to hys goodnes in yt he vouchesauyth so famylyerly in smal thīgꝭ to shew vs so gret a tokē of his mighty godhed. & no resō wer it to wtdraw his thāk & honor because of his famylyer goodnes. And yf ye parauē ture wold not beleue theyr wrytyngꝭ / go to Crystꝭ gospell & loke on hys fyrst myracle whether he myght not haue ꝓuydyd for wine without miracle. But such was his pleasure in a small mater to do a greate myracle for sum shew of hys godhed amōg them whō he vouch saufyd / where on the tother syde afore Herode that wold fayn haue sene sum myracle where yt stode vppon his lyfe & myght haue delyueryd hym from the iewes / yet wolde he not vouchsafe eyther to shew the proud curyouse kyng one myracle / or speke one word. So yt tymys placys & occasyons / reason is yt we suffer to rest in hys arbyterment. & not loke to prescrybe & appoynt at our pleasure / and ellys blaspheme theym & say we wyll not beleue them.