He prepareth his Disciples against persecutions to come vpon them at their publishing of his
Doctrine. 13. with deuiding the brethrens inheritance he wil not meddle, but exhorteth them
against auarice, 22. and his Disciples (by this occasion) against solicitude so much as of
necessaries, 32. yea counseling them to giue al in almes. 35. and to be ready at a knocke. 41. namely
admonishing Peter and other Prelates to see to their charge: 49. and al, not to looke but for
persecution. 54. The Iewes he reprehendeth for that they wil not see this time of grace, 58. whereas
it is so horrible to die without reconciliation.
1. AND when great multitudes stood about him, so that they trode one another, he began
to say to his Disciples: Take good heed of the leauen of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisie.
2.
⋮
The Ghospel vpon SS. Iohn & Pauls day, Iunij 26. And for manie other martyrs.
*
Mat. 10,26.
Mark 4,22.
For nothing is hid, that shal not be reuealed: nor secret, that shal not be
knowen.
3. For the things that you haue said in darknesse, shal be said in the light: and
that which you haue spoken into the eare in the chambers, shal be preached in the house-tops.
4. And I say to you my freinds, Be not afraid of them that kil the body, and after
this haue no more to doe.
5. But I wil shew you whom ye shal feare:
✟
The feare of Hel also is profitable: contrarie to the protestants, teaching
securitie of saluation, and that feare of Hel maketh men hypocrites.
feare him who after he hath killed, hath
power to cast into Hel. Yea I say to you, feare him.
6. Are not fiue sparowes sold fo two farthings, and one of them is not forgotten before
God?
7. Yea the haires also of your head are al numbred. Feare not therfore: you are more
worth then many sparowes.
8.
*
Mat. 10,32.
Mark 8,38.
And I say to you,
Euery one that confesseth.
Open confession of our faith.
A Catholike man is bound to confesse his faith, being called to account or examined
by Iew, Heathen, or Heretike, concerning the same. Neither is it enough to keepe
Christ in his hart, but he must also acknowledge him in his wordes and deedes. And
to deny Christ, or any Article of the Catholike faith, for shame or feare of any
worldly creature, hath no lesse punishment, then to be denied, refused, and forsaken
by Christ at the houre of his death before al his Angels: Which is an other manner
of presence and Consistorie, then any Court or Session that men can be called to for
their faith, in this world.
Euery one that confesseth me before men, the Sonne of man also
wil confesse him before the Angels of God.
9. But he that denieth me before men, shal be denied before the Angels of God.
10.
*
Mat. 12,33.
Mark 3,28.
And
✟
See Annot. Mt. 12, 32.
euery one that speaketh a word against the Sonne of man it shal be forgiuen
him: but he that shal blaspheme against the Holy Ghost, to him it shal not be forgiuen.
11.
*
Mat. 10,19.
Mark 13,11.
And when they shal bring you into the Synagogues and to Magistrates and
Potestates,
Be not careful.
The Holy Ghost teacheth euery vnlearned Catholike to giue sufficient reason
of his faith.
That the poore vnlearned Catholike should not be discouraged, or make his excuse
that he is a simple man, not able to answer cunning Heretikes, nor to giue a reason
of his beleefe, and therfore must suffer or say any thing rather then come
before them: our Maister giueth them comfort promising that the Holy Ghost shal
euer put into their hartes at time of their appearance, that which shal be
sufficient for the purpose: not that euery one which is conuented before the
Aduersaries of faith, should alwayes be indowed with extraordinary knowledge to
dispute and confute, as the Apostles and others in the primitiue Church were: but
that God wil euer giue to the simple that trusteth in him, sufficient courage and
wordes to confesse his beleefe. For such an one called before the Commissioners,
saith enough and defendeth himself sufficiently, when he answereth that he is a
Catholike man, and that he wil liue and die in that faith which the Catholike Church
through-out al Christian countries hath and doth teach, and that this Church can
giue them a reason of al the things which they demand of him. &c.
be not careful in what manner, or what you shal answer, or what you shal say.
12. For the Holy Ghost shal teach you in the very houre what you must say.
13. And one the multitude said to him: Maister, speake to my brother that he deuide
the inheritance with me.
14. But he said to him: Man,
Who hath appointed?
The dealing of Clergie men in worldly affaires.
Christ refused to medle in this temporal matter, partly because the demand
proceeded of couetousnes and il intention, partly to giue an example to Clergie
men, that they should not be withdrawen by secular affaires and controuersies
from their principal function of praying, preaching, and spiritual regiment: but
not wholy to forbid them al actions pertaining to worldly busines, specially where
and when the honour of God, the increase of religion, the peace of the people, and
the spiritual benefit of the parties doe require. In which cases S. Augustin *(as
Passidonius writeth) was occupied often whole daies in ending worldly controuersies:
and so he writeth of himself also, not doubting but to haue reward therfore in
Heauen.
*In vita c. 19, Li. de op. Monac. c. 29.
who hath appointed me iudge or deuider ouer you?
15. And he said to them: See and beware of al auarice: for not in any mans aboundance
doth his life consist, of those things which he possesseth.
16. And he spake a similitude to them, saying: A certaine rich mans field yealded
plentie of fruits.
17. And he thought within himself, saying,
✟
Giue it to the poore, that shouldst thou doe, saith S. Basil.
What shal I doe, because I haue not whither
to gather my fruits?
18. And he said: This wil I doe, I wil destroy my barnes, and wil make greater, and
thither wil I gather al things that are growen to me, and my goods.
19. And I wil say to my soule; Soule, thou hast much goods laid vp for many yeares,
take thy rest, eate drinke, make good cheere.
20. But God said to him,
✟
A goodly warning for al rich men.
Thou foole, this night they require thy soule of thee; and the
things that thou hast prouided, whose shal they be?
21. So is he that laieth vp treasure to himself, and is not
Rich to God-ward.
Meritorious workes.
He is rich towards God, that by his goods bestowed vpon the poore, hath store of
merits, and many almes-mens prayers procuring mercie for him at the day of his
death and iudgement, which is here therfore called treasure laid vp in Heauen,
where the barnes be large enough. The necessitie of which almes is by Christ
himself here shewed to be so great, and so acceptable to God, that rather then they
should lacke the fruit thereof, they should sel al they haue and giue to the poore.
rich to God-ward.
22. And he said to his Disciples:
*
Mat. 6,25.
Therfore I say to you,
✟
He forbiddeth not competent prouidence, but too much carefulnes. See Annot.
vpon S. Matth. c. 6, 25.
Be not careful for your life,
what you shal eate; nor for your body, what you shal doe on.
23. The life is more then the meate, and the body is more then the raiment.
24. Consider the rauens, for they saw not, neither doe they reape, which neither haue
storehouse nor barne, and God feedeth them. How much more are you of greater price then they?
25. And which of you by caring can adde to his stature one cubite?
26. If then you be not able to doe so much as the least thing, for the rest why are
you careful?
27. Consider the lillies how they grow: they labour not, neither doe they spinne. But
I say to you, Neither Salomon in al his glorie was araied as one of these.
28. And if the grasse that to day is in the field, and to morow is cast into the ouen,
God so clotheth; how much more you, O ye of litle faith?
29. And you, doe not seeke what you shal eate, or what you shal drinke: and
✟
μὴ μετεωρίζεσθε.
be not
lifted vp on high.
30. For al these things the Nations of the world doe seeke. But your Father knoweth
that you haue need of these things.
31. But seeke first the Kingdom of God, and al these things shal be giuen you besides.
32.
⋮
The Ghospel for S. Francis de Paula, April 2. S. Paulinus, Iun. 22. S.
Nicolas Tolentinas, Sept. 10. And for some other Confessours not Bishops.
Feare not
✟
It was litle at the beginning, and is stil in comparison of al the
reprobate: but in itself very great, as in the parable of the great
tree that grew of the litle mustard-seed. Mat. 13.
litle flocke, for it hath pleased your Father to giue you a Kingdom.
33. Sel the things that you possesse, and giue almes.
*
Mat. 6,20.
Make to you purses that weare not,
treasure that wasteth not, in Heauen: whither the theefe approcheth not, neither doth the mothe
corrupt.
34. For
Where your treasure is.
Almes.
If the rich man withdrawen by his worldly treasure, can not set his hart vpon
Heauen, let him send his money thither before him, by giuing it in almes vpon
such as wil pray for him, and his hart wil follow his purse thither.
where your treasure is, there wil your hart be also.
35.
⋮
The Ghospel vpon S. Siluesters day, Decemb. 31. S. Antonie, Ian. 17. S.
Antonie of Padua, Iun. 13. S. Dominick, Augusti. 4. And for some other
Confessours not Bishops.
Let your
✟
To girde our loines, is to keepe chastitie and continencie.
Grego. ho. 13.
loynes be girded, and candles burning in your handes,
36. and you like to men expecting their Lord, when he shal returne from the marriage:
that when he dothe come and knocke, forthwith they may open vnto him.
37. Blessed are those seruants, whom when the Lord commeth, he shal find watching. Amen
I say to you, that he wil gird himself, and make them sit downe, and passing wil minister vnto them.
38. And if he come in the second watch, and if in the third watch he come, and so find,
blessed are those seruants.
39.
*
Mat. 24,34.
And this know ye, that if the housholder did not what houre the theefe would come,
he would watch verily, and would not suffer his house to be broken vp.
40. Be you also ready: for at what houre you thinke not, the Sonne of man wil come.
41. And Peter said to him: Lord, doest thou spake this parable to vs, or likewise
to al?
42. And our Lord said: Who (thinkest thou) is a faithful steward and wise, whom the
Lord appointeth ouer his familie, to giue them in season their measure of wheate?
43. Blessed is that seruant, whom when the Lord commth, he shal find so doing.
44. Verily I say to you, that ouer al things which he possesseth, he shal appoint
hom.
45. But if that seruant say in his hart, My Lord is long a comming; and shal begin
to strike the seruants and handmaides, and eate and drinke, and be drunke:
46. the Lord of that seruant shal come in a day that he hopeth not, and at an houre
that he knoweth not, and shal deuide him, and shal appoint his portion with the infidels.
47. And that seruant that knew the wil of his Lord, and prepared not himself, & did
not according to his wil, shal be beaten with many stripes.
48. But he that knew not, and did things worthie of stripes, shal be beaten with few.
And euery one to whom such was giuen, much shal be required of him: and to whom they committed much,
more wil they demand of him.
49. I came to cast fire on the eath; & what wil I but that it be kindled?
50. But I haue to be baptized with a Baptisme: and how am I straitned vntil it be
dispatched.
51.
*
Mat. 10,34.
Thinke you that I came to giue
✟
He meaneth the naughtie peace that is one betweene worldlings and sinnes,
the agreement that is in Infidelity, in Heresie, or in any other wickednes.
He came to breake this peace. See Annot. Matth. c. 10,14.
peace on the earth? No, I tel you, but separation.
52. For there shal be from this time fiue in one house deuided: three against two, and
two against three.
53. There shal be deuided, the father against the sonne, and the sonne against his
father, the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother, the mother in law
against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
54. And he said also to the multitudes, when you see a cloud rising from the west,
by and by you say, A shoure commeth, and so it commeth to passe:
55. and when the south wind blowing, you say, That there wil be heate: & it commeth
to passe.
56. Hypocrites, the face of the Heauen and of the earth you haue skil to discerne:
but this time how doe you not discerne?
57. And why of your selues also iudge you not that which is iust?
58.
*
Mat. 5,25.
And
✟
See Annot. Mat. 5,25.
when thou goest with thy aduersarie to the Prince, in the way endeauour to be
deliuered from him: lest perhaps he draw thee to the iudge, and the iudge deliuer thee to the
exactour, and the exactour cast thee into prison.
59. I say to thee, thou shalt not goe out thence, vntil thou pay the very last mite.