Ierusalē the feast of the dedicacion and it was winter And Iesus walked in the temple euen in Salomons porche Than came the Iewes rounde about him and sayde vnto him How long doest thou make vs doubt If thou be Christ tell vs playnly When Iesus had tolde a long tale of these thinges that were straunge vnhearde of and far aboue the common capacitie of most men there fel a newe iar in opinions among the people for some sayde that whiche they had already many tymes sayed whensoeuer he disclosed theyr secrete conspiracies or if he spake or did any thyng aboue the power of manne he hath the deuyll saye they and is madde For the wordes whiche he speaketh lacke common sence What pleasure is it to heare this felowe Againe some folke els sayde these be no suche mans wordes as is in the deuils daunger For his woordes smelleth of the power of God specially for as muche as his deedes be agreable to his wordes As his wordes be suche be his dedes He speaketh thinges farre passing mans wit but the same doth thinges which far excede mans power Can a mad man and he that is possessed with a deuil open blinde mens iyes It is the propertie of deuils to put out ones iyes that seeth but to geue fyght to him that is borne blind cummeth of the power of God Forasmuche than as it is euident that that thyng is doen by hym hys talke cannot procede of a noysome deuil whose dedes appereth playne to come from a beneficiall God The Lorde Iesus maketh no aunswere to thys altercacyon teachyng vs by the way that the wieked are not alway to be striuen with in wordes and that by dedes it is rather to bee declared what we can dooe than by woordes and sumtimes place is to bee geuen to the furie of the eiuil sorte nor the moderate temperaunce of the ghospell is at any tyme to bee forgotten After all thys the feastful daye ministred newe matter to sette in hande and dispute with hym agayne That solemne feaste was than whiche they call the dedicacyon of the temple for because the temple was reedefyed and repayred after the exile that was made at Hierusalem by the Persians Neyther was Iesus absent at this feasteful daye a newe maker of the law and of a new temple that is to say the churche chefe deuyser and maister of the woorkes And it was winter A full very mere tyme for theyr myndes whiche throughe loue of the colde lawe dyd not burne in the loue of the ghospell Therfore Iesus was not nowe in the inner parte of the temple but walked in the porche which ioyneth to the temple that is called Salomons temple to the intent that the very place shoulde declare that peacemaker to be presente whiche shoulde reconcyle all thynges in heauen and earth There walked truely the aucthor of the lawe of the ghospel Moses lawe being nowe at a poynte to cease The Iewes therefore leste he should escape theyr handes came rounde about him whyle he was walkyng there sore moued with many of his sayinges and dooynges neyther dyd they well agree among themselues some maliciously fynding faulte with al thing some gathering of hys dedes and wordes a certain thing to be honored in him aboue mannes power And they set vpon hym with these woordes Howe long wilt thou kepe vs in a doubtful mynde and therewith sette the people on a rore If thou bee that verye Messias whome we looke for tell it vs openly without all colour Iesus aunswered them I tolde you and ye beleue not The workes that I doe in my fathers name they beare witnes of me But ye beleue not because ye are not of my shepe as I sayd vnto you My shepe heare my voyce and I know them and they folow me and I geue vnto them eternal life and they shal neuer perishe neyther shal any man plucke them out of my hande My father whiche gaue them me is greatter than all and no man is able to take them out of my fathers hande I and my father are one But although Iesus was not ignoraunt that they dyd demaunde of a peruerse mynde this thing whiche they had both oftentymes hearde and myght also haue perceiued the same by his doinges yet he maketh them a gentle aunswere more desyrous to enstruct them then to angre them What nedeth it me sayth he so often to speake of my selfe and tell who I am namely forasmuch as if I doe openly testifie the trueth ye call the recorde therof arrogancie I haue already tolde you if ye woulde beleue me who I am Yea though ye dooe not credite my woordes yet ye cannot be ignoraunt of the thyng whiche ye desyre knowe of me There is no surer profe than dedes Ye see my doynges which your selues doe witnesse I doe at my fathers will and not the deuilles as some doe misreporte If my actes be worthie to bee imputed to God beleue that I am sente of God But ye dooe neyther beleue my dedes nor my woordes whereof I am not the cause but your owne corrupte and suspiciouse mynde They that meane well and playnelye and bee not polluted with the naughtynesse of thys worlde beeleue my woordes and lyke good shepe knowe the voyce of a good shepeherd and semblably I knowlage them for my shepe though after the worlde they be poore sely thinges But ye therfore doe not knowledge my voyce because ye are not of the number of my shepe whose simplicitie is lightely taughte when as youre myndes be swollen with ambicion leuened with malice with enuie corrupted infected with couetousnes and with sundrie affeccions of this worlde defyled from whiche vices if ye would purge your minde verely euen you also should heare my voice neither should you so doe without benefit For first of al ye should therby auoide death which hangeth ouer all rebels agaynst the sonne of God moreouer ye shall obteyne therby euerlasting life For of trueth those my shepe how simple and vnlerned soeuer they be after the iudgement of the worlde as long as they doe knowleage me the shepeherde and all the while they folow me as gyde dooe through my liberalitie get euerlasting life when as other that are taken in the worlde for men of great felicitie goe to euerlastyng death They be symple shepe harmelesse weake lacking all worldely succour The world riseth against these with all engiens and force But the aduersarye shall not haue so greate power that he shall be hable to take them out of my handes The world hath auctoritie of phariseis dignitie of priestes it hath armed kynges hye magistrates iudges places of iudgement prisones cheines roddes axes broddes to pricke with exile deathes whatsoeuer is wont to bring feare yea euen to stedfast myndes On the other syde it hath riches pleasures dignities honours and what soeuer is wont to corrupt most vncorrupt myndes The world vseth all these engines to plucke my shepe out of my handes but I beeyng theyr
with them diuerse sicke and diseased and he healed them there And the Phariseis came vnto him and tempted him and said vnto him Is it lawful for a man to make a diuorcement with his wyfe for any maner of cause He answered and said vnto them haue ye not red how that he whiche made man at the beginnyng made them maÌ„ and woman and sayde For this cause shall a man leaue father and mother and shall cleaue vnto his wife and they twayne shal be one fleshe Wherfore now they are not twayne but one flesh Let no man therfore separate that god hath coupled together They saied vnto him why dyd Moses then commaund to geue a testimoniall of diuorcement and to put her away He sayed vnto them Moses because of the hardnes of your hertes suffered you to put away your wiues but from the beginnyng it was not so I saye vnto you whosoeuer putteth away his wife except it â—e for fornicacioÌ„ maryeth another he coÌ„mitteth aduoutrie And who so marieth hee whiche is diuorced doeth committe aduoutrye And agayne the Phariseis seyng so many wonders and the loue of the multitude towarde Iesus beganne to renewe theyr enuye agayne Who craftilye and subtillye came vnto hym takyng occasion of the communicacion wherewith he taughte before that the wyfe ought not to bee repudiate and cast of Therfore they propose a question with two pykes whether it wer lawful for a maÌ„ to cast of his wife for euery cause And if he had answered It is lawefull he should seme contrary to hymselfe wheras he taught that diuorce is not lawfull yf he had denyed it he should seme to haue bene agaynst Moses lawe whiche doeth permitte for euery cause to geue a boke of diuorce and to sende her away But Iesus so doeth tempre and ordre the answere that he hurteth not the authoritie of Moses nor recanteth not his doctrine and stoppeth the mouthe of the Phariseis whiche were skilful in the law by the authoritie of the lawe Haue ye not red ê™ he that whan god made mankynde he ordered the fyrste matrimonie so that one was coupled vnto one with a knot that could not be broken For he made bothe man and woman of one piece that by the imbracyng of these mankind should spryng further and by and by expressyng the indissoluble knotte of the man and of the wyfe not Moses but God himself the maker of the mariage said For this mutuall charitie man shall forsake father and mother and bee fastened and coupled vnto his wyfe And this couplyng shal be so strayt and fast that of two in maner shal be made one person which before wer two Therfore once ioyned in matrimonie they be not now two but one bodie in so muche that it is as farre agaynst nature to separate the wife from the manne as to cut awaye a membre from the bodye Therfore that whiche God hath knyt once together with so strayte a bonde let no man separate Here the Phariseis thinkyng that they had caughte nowe an occasion to catche Iesus yf god ê™ they meant this that thou doest say why than dyd Moses geue husbandes leaue to caste of theyr wyfe for euery cause so that they geue her a boke of diuorce how durst he permit that which god would not to be doen Iesus answered He dyd not permit you this because it was ryght and good of nature but knowyng the hardnes of your hart he suffered the lesser ill that ye shoulde not commit the greater For he doeth not allow diuorce whiche had rather suffer that than murdre And the boke of diuorce doeth not make that the diuorce is right good but it witnesseth thy hardnes whiche wilâ—e cast of thy wyfe for euery light cause and prouydeth her of a new husband takyng away libertie from the that thou shalt not cal her agayn once cast of But from the beginnyng whereas the malice of man was not yet increaced nor the nature of manne was not yet infected with so many vices because there was not so cruell hatred that poysonyng or murdre should be feared there was no lycence of diuorce and the same law shall not nowe be loced and set at libertie after that the doctrine of the Ghospell doeth renewe and make perfecte the synceritie of nature Moses wisshed the same that I doe teache but your maners bent ouer muche vnto murdre put hym in feare that he durste not require this of you I who doe not abolishe the lawe but make it more perfecte playnely saye vnto you that it is vnlawfull and agaynste the mynde of God and agaynste the wyll of Moses whiche ye doe commonlye refusyng your wyues for euery cause And it is not therefore ryghte that ye doe because ye doe it withoute punyshemente There be many myscheuous thynges before God whiche be not punyshed by mannes lawes Therefore ye shall vnderstande that whosoeuer casteth of his wyfe for euery cause and maryeth an other both committeth aduoutrye hym selfe and geueth also a cause of aduoutrye to his wyfe vnlesse she whom he doeth leaue of hath deserued diuorcemente by aduoutrye For she that hath geuen an other manne lybertie ouer her ceasseth nowe to be wife and hath taken awaye from her selfe the ryghte of matrimonye the fleshe beyng deuided whiche God woulde haue to be one and vndeuided But he that for suche causes leaueth his wyfe for whiche ye oftentymes doe caste her of yf he couple hymselfe to an other it is not matrimonie but aduoutrye And who so maryeth her so caste of he maryeth not his owne wyfe but an other mannes and therfore he doeth not marye but committeth aduoutrye But the whole of all these mischiefes doeth redounde to hym that is the refuser and caster of For first he is stubburne and cruell whiche neyther could beare his wyues faulte nor would goe about to amend it Furthermore he geueth her that is driuen out of his house whiche cannot lyue without a husband an occasion to commit aduoutrye His disciples said vnto him if the matter be so betwene man and wife than it is not good to mary He said vnto them All men cannot comprehende this saiyng saue they to whom it is geuen For there are sum chaste which are so borne out of their mothers wombe And there are sum chaste whiche be made chaste of men And there be chaste whiche hath made themselfes chaste for the kyngdome of heauens sake He that can take it let hym take it The disciples hearyng these thynges say vnto Iesus If maryed menne be in this case that they cannot be dispatched from theyr wyfe yf she dysplease them it is better to forbeare matrimonie For it is an harde bondage to suffer at home a waywarde a brawlyng and a dronken woman or elles paynfulâ— and greuous with sum other lyke fault Iesus did not reproue the answer of his disciples whom he desired to be free from the bondage of matrimonie because of preachyng of the ghospell but he doeth
But as soone as Paul perceyued the vyper styng him he cast her of into the fier and had no hurte at all But the people that looked on him supposed it would cum to passe that the poison would get through yâ— vaines and that his body would strayght waye burne and swell or that he woulde sodaynly fall downe dead the strength of the poyson percyng furthwyth to the hearte And whan they had marked a greate whyle to see what woulde becum of Paule and sawe that he had no hurte by the stynging of the vyper with like lyghtnesse they eftfones chaunged their mynde and saied that he was a God For the inhabitours of Melite had not yet hearde the fame of Iesus whiche gaue this to al them that professed his name that no strength of poyson wer it neuer so extreme or deadly myght hurt them In the same quarters wer landes of the chief man of yâ— Yle whose name was Publius which receyued vs lodged vs thre dayes courteously And it fortuned that yâ— father of this Publius lay sycke of a feuer a blouddye â—â—ix To whoÌ„ Paul entred in prayed laye his handes on him healed him So whan this was doen others also whiche had diseases in the Yle came wer healed which also did vs great honour And whaÌ„ we departed they laded vs with suche thynges as were necessary And nere besydes the shore where we arryued laye a lordshippe belonging to the chief man of the Yle named Publius who receyued vs into his house and for the space of thre dayes entertayned vs very gentilly The same tyme Publius father was sicke of an agewe and of a blouddye flixe so sore that he kepte his bedde This Paule hauyng in mynde the commaundement of his mayster â–ª came in to the dyseased person and whan he had made hys prayers to God he layed his handes on hym and healed hym Whiche thyng after it was bruted abrode ouer all the land others lykewyse that wer sycke came vnto Paule and were healed Wherefore they as long as we continued there shewed vs muche gentilnes and whan we made readye our selues to departe they brought into our shyppe all maner necessaries After three monethes we departed in a shyp of AlexaÌ„dria which had wintred in the yle whose badge was Castor Pollur And whaÌ„ we came to Syracusa we taried there thre daies And froÌ„ thence we fette a coumpace came to Rhegium And one daye after the south wind blew we came the nexte day to Puteoli where we founde brethren were desired to cary with theÌ„ seuen dayes so came we to Rome And froÌ„ thence whaÌ„ the brethreÌ„ heard of vs thei came to mete vs at Appii forum at the three rauernes WhaÌ„ Paul saw theÌ„ he thanked God wexed bolde And whaÌ„ we came to Rome yâ— vnder capitayne delyuered the priesoners to the chiefe capitayne of the host but Paul was suffered to dwell by hym selfe with a souldier that kept hym And so whaÌ„ we had continued three monethes in the Ylande we gotte an other shyp of Alexandria that al the winter had harboured in Melite The baner of it had paynted on it Castor and Pollux for theyr badge whome the Grecians doe call Dioscuros and suppose that they prosper those the sayle on the sea whan they appeare sitting ioyntlye together the one by the other on the crosse pyece whereunto the sayle is fastened Whan we had entred into the shippe we leused from Melite And after that we arriued at Syracusa a citie of Sicilie harde vpon the sea we taryed there three dayes Than leused we from Syracusa shoring about by the coastes of Sicilie we came to Rhegium a citie in the borders of Italy situate and liyng wythin the territory that belongeth to the Brutians From thence is but a smale iourney to Sicilie For on that syde bothe Sicilie and Italy sumtime ioyned together vntyll suche tyme that the vyolence of the sea dyuyded the one countrey from the other breakyng in betwyxte them no more but a myle an halfe for which cause the GreciaÌ„s called it Rhegium From thence a day after it chaunced vs to haue a good wynde that is to saye a sowthwinde so we sailed to a toune called Puteoli Where we mette with christen men which desired vs to tary there with them for a certain space Wherfore we satisfyed their request and remayned there seuen dayes thence we wente streyght to Rome And forasmuch as the brethren that wer at Rome had heard that we wer cummyng thyther for the name of Paul was very wel knowen among al the christen men that were than at Rome by reason that he had wrytten afore the time an epistle vnto them certayne of them came forth of the citie to a place that is there called Appii forum and to a certain place called the three rauernes to mete vs. And whan Paul sawe theÌ„ he was muche coumforted perceiuyng that there also were sum that hertily fauoured the gospel and geuyng god thankes he toke a bolde hert with him and hoped wel And whan we were cum to Rome the vnder captaine deliuered the others that wer in boÌ„des vnto the chiefe captayne of the army there But Paul had libertie to abid and remayne at his libertie sauyng onely that he had one souldier to kepe him And after three dayes Paul called yâ— chiefe of the Iewes together And whan they were come he sayd vnto theÌ„ Men brethren though I haue coÌ„mitted nothing agaynst yâ— people or lawes of the Elders yet was I delyuered prisoner froÌ„ IerusaleÌ„ into the handes of the Romaynes Which wheÌ„ they had examined me would haue let me goe because there was no cause of death in me But whaÌ„ the Iewes spake contrarye I was constrained to appeale vnto Cesar not because I haue ought to accuse my people of For this cause haue I called for you eueÌ„ to see you to speke with you because that for the hope of Israell I am bounde with this theyne And forasmuche as he was brought to Rome in bandes wyth others lest anyâ— of the Iewes shoulde suppose that he was thus serued for sum trespace after the thyrde day he called together all the heades of the Iewes the were abydyng at Rome and spake vnto them in this wyse Brethren sayeth he whereas I haue commytted nothyng agaynste my countreymen or els against the tradicions of our forefathers beyng cast in bandes at Hierusalem I was deliuered into the handes of the Romaines who brought me into Cesarea before the president Felix afterwardes before Festus Which after they had examyned my matter would haue quitte me for asmuche as eueÌ„ as they themselues graunted they founde nothyng in me worthy death But whan the Iewes maliciously renouÌ„ced and cried agaynste me I was compelled to appeale to Cesar not because that I am offended wyth my countreymen for this matter or that I intende in lyke maner to accuse them of anye thynge before