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
fathers house bee in anye mansionâ—s c. I am the waye of trueth and life No manne cummeth to the father but by me c. He that hath seen me hath seen the father whatsoeuer ye aske in my name Peace I leaue vâ—tâ— you The prince of this worlde cummeth hath nothing in me Arise let vs go hence Yf ye byde in me c aske what ye â—yl and it shall bee geuen you CoÌ„tinue 〈◊〉 in my loue c. But nowe haue they nothing to cloke theyr sinne withall It is expedient for you that I goe awaye For if I goe not away the coÌ„forter wil not cum vnto you and of righteousnesse c. Of iudâ—emeÌ„t because the prince of this world is iudgâ—d already What is this that he sayeth vnto vs after a while Whatsoeuer ye shall aske my father in my name he shall geue it you Now ye beleue c I desâ—eâ— not that thou shouldest take them c. The glorye which thou gauest me I haue geuen them Peter stode at the doore without I euer taught in the Synagogue My kyngdome is not of this worlde c. For this cause was I borne c Hayle king of the Iewes Whoso maketh hymselfe a kyng is against Ceasar It was the preparyng daye of Easter aboute the siâ—te houre The wrytyng was Iesus of Nazareth c. One of the souldiers thrust him into the syde and furth â—â— came there out watâ—r and bloude They haue takeÌ„ awaye the lord c. Iesus than came and toke breade c. Folow 〈◊〉 me To whome also he shewed hym selfe alyue after hys passon And commaunded them that they shoulde not departe from Ierusalem c. For Iohn truly baptised with water Whan they therefore were cuÌ„ together they asked of hiÌ„ sayinge Lorde c. And he sayed vnto theÌ„ It is not for you c. And while they looked stedfastiye vp towarde heauen beholde c. They went vp into a parlour And whan he was hanged he burst a sunder c. And no man dwellyng therin c. And whan they praied they sayed c. And they gaue foorth theyr lottes Whan the fiftie daies wer cum to an ende And there appared vnto theÌ„ cloueÌ„ touÌ„ges c. And they wet filled all with the holy gost c Whan thys was noysed about the multitude came together They wordred at and maruailed They were all amased woâ—dred c. But Peter stepped forth With the eleuen With youre eares beare ye my wordes For these men are not as ye suppose c. Whome God hath reysed vp and loosed the sorowes of death For Dauyd speaketh of him Afore hande I saw god all wayes beefore me For he is both dead buried c. Therfore seyng he was a prophete He knowiÌ„g this before spake of the resurreccioÌ„ of Christ. Wherof all we are witnesses For Dauid is not asceÌ„ded into heauen God hathe made the same Iesus whâ—me ye haue crucifyed Lord and Christ. For the promyse â–ª was made to you and to your childreÌ„ And with many other woordes bare he witnesse c. And exâ—orted tâ—em saying Saue your selues from this vntoward generacion Then they that gladly receyued his preaching c. In breaking of bread c. And in prayers And feare came ouer euery soule And solde their possessioÌ„s and goodes And brake bread from house to house c. Whan he sawe Peter Iohn c. In the name of Iesus Christe of Nazareth arise and walke Of that which we are witnesses Whan the tyme of refreshing coÌ„meth And preached in Iesus the resurrection froÌ„ death And whan they had set them before them they asked by what power or in what name haue ye doen this Let vs threaten charge them c. So threatned they theÌ„ and let theÌ„ go c. And whan they heardâ— that they lift vp their voyces to God with one accord And assone as they had made theyr prayer the place moued where they were c. And they were fylled with the holy ghoste they spake the wordes of God boldly And distribucion was made vnto euery man accordyng as he had nede A certyne man named Ananias c Ananias howe is it that SathaÌ„ hath fylled thyne herte that thou shouldest lie vnto the holy ghost c. Whan Ananias hearde these woordes he fell downe and gaue vp the ghoste c. Than Peter sayed vnto her why haue ye agreed together to tempte the spirite of the lorde c. And of the others durst no maÌ„ ioyne himselfe to theÌ„ Neuertheles the people magnifyed theym And they laied handes on the Apostles put them in the 〈◊〉 pryson And they brought theÌ„ without violence For they feared the people c. Beholde ye haue fylled Hierusalem with youre doctrine The God of our fathers reised vp Iesus whome ye slew and haue hanged on tree For before those dayes rose vp one Theudas And they departed from the couÌ„sell reioysyng that they were couÌ„ted worthy to suffer rebuke for his name It is not meete that we shoulde leaue the woorde of god serue tables Wherefore brethren loke ye out among you seuen of honest reporte c. And they chose SteueÌ„ a man ful of faith and of the holy ghost c. And theâ— moued the people the elders and the Scribes For we hearde hym saye this Iesus of Nazareth shal destroye this place Get the 〈◊〉 of the countrey â–ª 〈◊〉 thy 〈◊〉 And promised that â—â— would geâ—â— it to hym to possesse And he gaue him the couenaunt of circuÌ„cision Who made the a ruler and iudge ouer vs This man receiued the worde of life to geue vnto vs c. And they made a calfe in those dayes and offered sacrifices And ye toke vnto you the tabernacle of Moloch Which of â— Prophetes haue not your fathers persecuted And the witnesses laied downe their clothes at a younge mans feete whose name was Saule Lorde laye not this sinne to their charge And at that time there was a great persecucion against the coÌ„gregacion whiche was at IerusaleÌ„ As for Saul he made hauocke of the congregacyon c. But as sone as they gaue credit to Philippes c. They were baptised bothe men women c. The herte â— is not right in the sight of god RepeÌ„t therfore of this thy wickednes c. Praye ye to the lorde for me that none of these thiÌ„ges c. And behold a man of Ethiopia And as they went on their waye And assone as they wâ—â— cum oute of the water And there was a certayne discyple They watched the gates day and nyght to kyll hym And turned hym to the body said Tabitha aryse A deuouâ—e maÌ„ and one that feared God Beholde I am he whoÌ„e ye seke what is the cause wherfore ye are cumme Than called he theÌ„ 〈◊〉 lodged theÌ„ It is an vnlawful thiÌ„g for a man yâ— is a Iew to company or cum vnto an alien For what enteÌ„t haue ye sent for me Howe