Hauing taught the people out of Peters ship, 4. he sheweth in a miraculous taking of fishes
how he wil make him the fisher of men. 12. He cureth a leper by touching him, and sendeth him to
the Priest in witnesse that he is not against Moyses. 15. The people flocking vnto him, he retireth
into the wildernesse. 17. To the Pharisees in a solemne assembly he proueth by a miracle his power
to remit sinnes in earth. 27. He defendeth his eating with sinners, as being the Physicion of soules.
33. and his not prescribing at yet of any fastes to his Disciples.
1.
⋮
The Ghospel vpon the 4. Sunday after Pentecost.
AND it came to passe, when the multitudes pressed vpon him to heare the word of God,
and him self stood beside the lake of Genesareth.
2.
*
Mat. 4,18.
Mark 1,16.
And he saw two ships standing by the lake: and the fishers were gone downe, and
washed their nets.
3. And he going vp into
One ship Simons.
Peters ship.
It is purposely expressed that there were two ships, and that one of them was Peters,
and that Christ went into that one, and sate downe in it, and that sitting he taught
out of that ship: no doubt to signifie the Church resembled by Peters ship, and that
in it is the chaire of Christ, and only true preaching.
one ship that was Simons, desired him to bring it back a
litle from the land. And sitting, he taught the multitudes out of the ship.
4. And as he ceased to speake, he said to Simon: Launch forth into the deep, and let
loose your nets to make a draught.
5. And Simon answering, said to him: Maister, labouring al the night, we haue taken
nothing; but in thy word I wil let loose the net.
6. And when they had done this, they inclosed a very
A great multitude of fishes.
Peters fishing.
Likewise by this significatiue miracle wrought about Peters fishing, is euidently
forshewed what wonderful successe Peter should haue in conuerting men to Christ,
both Iewes and Gentiles: as when at one draught, that is to say, *at one Sermon
he drew into his ship, which is Christes Church, a great number of men, as he did
now fishes: and so continually by himself and his Successors vnto the worlds end.
**Act. 2,41. 4,4.
great multitude of fishes, and
their net was broken.
7. And they
Beckened to their fellowes.
Peters coadiutours.
Peter had so much worke that he called for helpe and ioyned vnto him the other ship
representing to vs his Copartners in the preaching of the Ghospel, and the
coniunction of the Synagogue and the people of Gentilitie vnto Peters ship, that is,
to the Church of Christ. Ambro. li. 4. in Luc. c. ult.
beckned to their fellowes that were in the other ship, that they should
come and help them. And they came and filled both ships, so that they did sinke.
8. Which when Simon Peter did see, he fel downe at Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ knees, saying: Goe
forth from me, because I am a sinful man, O Lord.
9. For he was wholy astonished and al that were with him, at the draught of fishes
which they had taken.
10. In like manner also Iames and Iohn the sonnes of Zebedee, who were Simons fellowes.
And Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ said to Simon: Feare not; from this time now,
Thou shalt be taking men.
Peters preeminence in fishing for mens soules.
That al this aforesaid did properly meane Peters trauailles to come, in the conuersion
of the world to Christ, and his prerogatiue before al men therein, it is euident by
Christs special promise made to him seuerally and apart in this place, that he should
be made the taker of men, though to other he giueth also, as to Peters cooperatours
and coadiutours, the like office. Mat. 4,19.
thou shalt be taking men.
11. And hauing brought their ships to land, leauing al things they folowed him.
12.
*
Mat. 8,2.
Mark 1,40.
And it came to passe, when he was in one of the cities, & behold a man ful of
leprosie, and seeing Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ, and falling on his face, besought him saying: Lord, if thou
wilt, thou canst make me cleane.
13. And stretching forth the hand he
✟
Our Sauiour often healeth by touching.
touched him, saying: I wil. Be thou made cleane.
And immediatly the leprosie departed from him.
14. And he commanded him that he should tel no body, but, Goe,
✟
See S. Mat. Annot. c. 8,4.
shew thy self to the
Priest, and offer for thy cleansing
*
Leu. 14,2.
as Moyses commanded, for a testimonie to them.
15. But the bruit of him went abrode the more, and great multitudes came togeather to
heare, and to be cured of their infirmities.
16. And he retired into the desert, and praied.
17.
⋮
The Ghospel vpon Imber Friday in Whitsonweek.
*
Mat. 9,2.
Mark 2,3.
And it came to passe one day, and he sate teaching. And there were Pharisees sitting
and Doctours of Law that were come out of euery towne of Galilee and Iewrie and Hierusalem; and
the vertue of our Lord was to heale them.
18. And behold men carying in a bed a man that had the palsey: and they sought to
bring him in, and to lay him before him.
19. And not finding on which side they might bring him in for the multitude, they
Went vp vpon the roofe.
Zeale of soules.
A strange diligence in procuring corporal health of and by Christ: and an example for
vs of the like or greater, to obtaine saluation of him either for our selues or our
freinds, and to seeke to his Church and Sacraments with what extraordinarie paine
soeuer.
went vp vpon the roofe, and through the tiles let him downe with the bed into the middes, before
Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ.
20.
Whose faith.
The intercession of others.
Great is God (saith S. Ambrose) and pardoneth one sort through the merites of others.
Therfore if thou doubt to obtaine forgiuenesse of thy great offenses, ioyne vnto thy
self intercessours, vse the Churches help, which may pray for thee and obtaine for
thee that which our Lord might denie to thy self. Amb. li. 5 in Luc.
Whose faith when he saw, he said: Man, thy sinnes are foriguen thee.
21. And the Scribes and Pharisees began to thinke, saying: Who is this that speaketh
blasphemies? Who can foriue sinnes, but only God?
22. And when Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ knew their cogitations, answering he said to them: What doe
you thinke in your hartes?
23. Which is easier to say, Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee, or to say, Arise, and walke?
24. But that you may know that
The sonne of man in earth.
Priests do remit sinnes.
By which act (*saith S. Cyril) it is cleere that the Sonne of man hath power in
earth to remit sinnes; which he said both for himself and vs. For he, as God being
made man and Lord of the Law, forgiueth sinnes. And we also haue obtained by him
that wonderful grace. For it is said to his Disciples: **Whose sinnes you shal
remit, they are remitted to them. And how should not he be able to remit sinnes,
who gaue others power to doe the same?
*In catena S. Thomas.
**Iohn 20,23.
the Sonne of man hath power in earth to forgiue sinnes
(he said to the sick of the palsey) I say to thee, Arise, take vp thy bed, and goe into thy house.
25. And forthwith rising vp before them, he tooke that wherein he lay; and he went
into his house, magnifying God.
26. And al were astonished: and they magnified God. And they were replenished with
feare, saying: That we haue seen maruelous things to day.
27.
⋮
The Ghospel vpon S. Matthewes eue. Septemb. 20.
*
Mat. 9,9.
Mark 2,14.
And after these things he went forth, and saw a Publican called Leui, sitting
at the Custome-house, and he said to him: Follow me.
28. And
Leaving al followed him.
Forsaking al, and following Christ.
The *profane Iulian charged Matthew of too much lightnes, to leaue al and follow a
stranger, at one word. But indeed hereby is seen the maruelous efficacie of Christes
Word and internal working, that in a moment can alter the hart of a man, and cause
him nothing to esteeme the things most deere vnto him. Which he did not onely then
in presence, but also daily doth in the Church. **For so S. Antonie, S. Francis, and
others, by hearing only the Word of our Sauiour read in the Church, forsooke al and
folowed him.
*Hiero. in Mat. 9.
**Athan. in vit. S. Antony.
August. confes. li. 8 c. 12.
Bonav. in vit. S. Francisci.
leauing al things, he rose and followed him.
29. And Leui made him a great feast in his house; and there was a great multitude of
Publicans; and of others that were sitting at the table with them.
30. And their Pharisees and Scribes murmured, saying to his disciples: Why doe you
eate and drinke with Publicans and sinners?
31. And Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ answering said to them: They that are whole, need not the
Physicion: but they that are il at ease.
32.
✟
Christ came not to cal those, who presume of their owne iustice, and
that count themselues to haue no need of Christ.
I came not the cal the iust, but sinners to pennance.
33. But they said to him:
*
Mat. 9,14.
Mark 2,18.
Luke 11,1.
Why doe the Disciples of Iohn
✟
See S. Mat. Annot. c. 9,14.
fast often, and make
obsecrations, and of the Pharisees in like manner; but thine doe eate and drinke?
34. To whom he said: Why, can you make the children of the bridegrome fast whiles
the bridegrome is with them?
35. But the daies wil come; and when the bridegrome shal be taken away from them,
then they shal fast in those daies.
36. And he said a similitude also vnto them: That no man putteth a peece from a new
garment into an old garment; otherwise both he breaketh the new, and the peece from the new agreeth
not with the old.
37. And no bodie putteth new wine into old bottels; otherwise the new wine wil breake
the bottels, and it self wi be shed, and the bottels wil be lost.
38. But new wine is to be put into new bottels: and both are preserued togeather.
39. And no man drinking old, wil new by and by, for he saith, The old is better.