His Twelue also now preaching euery where and working miracles. 6. Herod and al doe wonder
much. 10. After which, he taketh them and goeth into the wildernesse: where he cureth and teacheth,
fedding 5000 with fiue loaues. 18. Peter confessing him to be Christ, 21. he on the other side
foretelleth his Passion, and that al must in time of persecution follow him therein. 27. whereunto
to encourage vs the more, 27. he giueth in his Transfiguration a sight of the glorie, which is the
reward of suffering. 17. The next day he casteth out a Diuel which his Disciples could not. 43. whom
amiddes these wonders he forewarneth againe of his scandalous Passion. 49. And to cure their ambition,
he telleth them, that the most humble he esteemeth most: 49. bidding them also not to prohibit any that
is not against them. 51. Yea and toward such as be against them Schismatically, to shew midlnes for al
that. 57. Of following him, three examples.
1.
⋮
The Ghospel vpon Thursday in whithsunweek.
*
Mat. 10,1.
Mark 3,13. 6,8.
AND calling together the twelue Apostles, he gaue them
✟
To command Diuels and diseases either of body or soule, is by nature proper to
God only: but by Gods guift, men also may haue the same: even so to forgiue
sinnes.
vertue and power ouer al Diuels,
and to cure maladies.
2. And he sent them to preach the Kingdom of God; and to heale the sicke.
3. And he said to them: Take nothing for the way, neither rod, nor skrip, nor bread,
nor money, neither haue two coates.
4. And into whatsoeuer house you enter, tarie there, and thence doe not depart.
5. And whosoeuer shal not receiue you, going forth out of that citie, shake off the dust
also of your feet
✟
A great fault to reiect the true Preachers, or not to admit them into house
for needful harbour and sustenance.
for a testimonie vpon them.
6. And goind forth they went a circuit from towne to towne euangelizing and curing euery
where.
7. And
*
Mat. 14,1.
Mark 6,14.
Herod the Tetrach heard al things that were done by him; and he staggered because
it was said of some, That Iohn was risen from the dead.
8. But of other some, That Elias hath appeared; and of others, that a Prophet one
of the old ones was risen.
9. And Herod said: Iohn I haue beheaded; but who is this of whom I heare such things?
And he sought for to see him.
10. And
*
Mat. 14,13.
Mark 6,31.
Iohn 6,5.
the Apostles being returned, reported to him whatsoeuer they did: and taking
them he retired apart into a desert place, which belongeth to Beth-saida.
11. Which the multitudes vnderstanding, followed him & he receiued them, and spake to
them of the Kingdom of God, and them that had need of coure he healed.
12. And the day began to draw towards an end. And the Twelue comming neere, said to
him: Dimisse the multitudes, that going into townes and villages here about, they may haue lodging,
and find meates; because here we are in a desert place.
13. And he said to them: Giue you them to eate. But they said: We haue no more but fiue
loaues and two fishes; vnles perhaps we should goe & buie meates for al this multitude.
14. And there were men almost fiue thousand. And he said to his Disciples: Make them
sit downe by companies fiftie and fiftie.
15. And so they did. And they made al sit downe.
16. And taking the fiue loaues and the two fishes, he looked vp vnto Heauen, and
✟
εὐλόγησεν αὐτȣς.
εὐλόγησεν αὐτοὺς.
blessed
✟
Here you see that he blessed the things, and not only gaue thanks to God.
See Annot. Marci. c. 8,7.
them; and he brake, and distributed to his Disciples, for to set before the multitudes.
17. And
✟
The miraculous prouidence of God toward such as follow Christ into deserts,
prisone, banishment, or withersoeuer.
did al eate, and had their fil. And there was taken vp that which remained to
them, twelue baskets of fragments.
18.
*
Mat. 16,13.
Mark 8,27.
And it came to passe; when he was alone praying, his Disciples also were with him;
and he asked them saying: Whom doe the multitudes say that I am?
19. But they answered, and said: Iohn the Baptist; and some, Elias; but some, that one
of the Prophets before time is risen.
20. And he said to them: But whom say ye that I am? Simon Peter answering, said: The
Christ of God.
21. But he rebuking them, commanded that they should tel this to no man,
22. saying: That the Sonne of man must suffer many things, and be reiected of the
Ancients and cheefe Priests and Scribes, and be killed, and the third day rise againe.
23. And he said to al: If any man wil come after me, let him denie himself, and take
vp his crosse daily, and follow me.
24. For he that wil saue his life, shal lose it; for he that shal lose his life for my
sake, shal saue it.
25. For what profit hath a man if he gaine the whole world, and lose himself, and
cast away himself?
26. For he that shal be ashamed of me and of my wordes, him the Sonne of man shal be
ashamed of, when he shal come in his maiestie, and his Fathers, and of the holy Angels.
27. And I say to you assuredly: There be some standing here that shal not tast death,
Til they see.
The Transfiguration.
To the Apostles, that had to preach the Kingdom of God and to suffer so much miserie
for the same in this world, he would shew his glorie, and giue them a tast of his
owne ioyful state and of his Saints in Heauen, calling thither Moyses and Elias, that
the Law and Prophets might be witnesses of the same. See the annotation vpon S.
Matthew c. 17,2.
til they see the Kingdom of God.
28.
⋮
The TRANSFIGVRATION.
*
Mat. 17,1.
Mark 9,1.
And it came to passe after these wordes almost eight daies, and he tooke Peter and
Iames and Iohn, and went into a mountaine to pray.
29. And whiles he prayed, the shape of his countenance was altered: and his raiment
white and glistering.
30. And behold two men talked with him. And they were Moyses and Elias,
31. appearing in maiestie. And they told his decease that he should accomplish in
Hierusalem.
32. But Peter and they that were with him, were heauie with sleepe. And awaing, they
saw his maiestie, and the two men that stood with him.
33. And it came to passe, when they departed from him, Peter said to Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ:
Maister, it is good for vs to be here; and let vs make three tabernacles, one for thee, and one for
Moyses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said.
34. And as he spake these things, there came a cloud, and ouershadowed them: and they
feared, when they entered into the cloud.
35.
*
2. Peter 1,17.
And a voice was made out of the cloud, saying: This is my beloued Sonne, heare him.
36. And whiles the voice was made, Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ was found alone. And they held their peace,
and told no man in tose daies any of these things which they had seen.
37.
*
Mat. 17,14.
Mark 9,17.
And it came to passe the day folowing, when they came downe from the mountaine,
there met him a great multitude.
38. And behold a man of the multitude cried out, saying: Maister, I beseech thee, looke
vpon my sonne because he is mine only one.
39. And loe, the spirit taketh him, and he sodenly crieth, and he dasheth him, and
teareth him that he fometh, and with much adoe departeth renting him.
40. And I desired thy Disciples to cast him out, and they could not.
41. And Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ answering said:
✟
Incredulitie hindereth the effect of Exorcismes, and other miraculous power
giuen to the Church.
O faithles and peruerse Generation, how long shal
I be with you and suffer you? bring hither thy sonne.
42. And when he came to him, the Diuel dashed, and tore him. And Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ rebuked
the vncleance Spirit, and healed the boy, and rendred him to his father.
43. And al were astonished at the might of God; and al merueling at al things that he
did, he said to his Disciples:
44. Lay you in your hartes these wordes, for it shal come to passe that the Sonne of
man shal be deliuered into the hands of men.
45. But they did not know this word, and it was couered before them, they they perceiued
it not. And they were afraid to aske him of this word.
46.
*
Mat. 18,1.
Mark 9,34.
And there entred
✟
Desire of preeminence is an humane infirmitie often euen among the good. Against
which Christ teacheth humility, but forbiddeth not Superiority.
a cogitation into them, which of them should be greater.
47. But Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ seeing the cogitations of their hart, tooke a child and set him
by him,
48. and said to them, whosoeuer receiueth this childe in my name, receiueth me, and
whosoeuer receiueth me, receiueth him that sent me. Foe he that is the lesser among you al, he is
the greater.
49.
*
Mark 9,39.
And Iohn answering said: Maister, we saw a certaine man casting out Diuels in thy
name, and we prohibited him, because he followeth not with vs.
50. And Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ said to him:
✟
There be some that follow not Christ precisely in life and doctrine, of whom we
may make our aduantage to the propagation of Christes honour and religion, when
they doe any thing for the aduancement thereof, of what intention soeuer they
doe it. Philip 1,15.
Prohibit not. For he that is not against you, is for
you.
51. And it came to passe, whiles the daies of his assumption were accomplishing, and
he fixed his face to goe into Hierusalem.
52. And he sent messengers before his face; and going they entred into a citie of the
Samaritans to prepare for him.
53. And they receiued him not, because of his
Face to goe to Hierusalem.
Schismatikes.
The Samaritans were Schismatikes from the Iewes, and had a Schismatical temple
in mount Garizim, of purpose to draw men thither from Gods temple in Hierusalem,
where only was the true and as it were the Catholike seruice and Sacrifice vnto
God. Therfore they did not gladly receiue our Sauiour, because they perceiued he
was going to Hierusalem.
Iohn. 4,9. 3. King. 12,17. Tob. 1.
face was to goe to Hierusalem.
54. And when his Disciples Iames and Iohn had seen it, they said: Lord wilt thou we
say that fire come downe from Heauen and consume them?
55. And turning, he
He rebuked them.
Desire of reuenge.
Not iustice nor al rigorous punishment of sinners is here forbidden, nor Elias
fact reprehended, nor the Church or Christian Princes blamed for putting Heretikes
to death:
The Churches seueritie.
but that none of these should be done for desire of our particular reuenge, or
without discretion, and regard of their amendement, and example to others.
*Therfore S. Peter vsed his power vpon Ananias and Sapphira, when he stroke them
both down to death for defrauding the Church.
*Act. 5.
rebuked
✟
them as Elias also did?
them, saying: You know not of what spirit you are.
56. The Sonne of man came not to destroy soules, but to saue. And they went into
another towne.
57. And it came to passe as they walked in the way, a certaine man said to him:
*
Mark 8,19.
I wil
follow thee whithersoeuer thou goest.
58. Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ said to him:
✟
This man would haue followed him for temporal commodities, and therfore was
not suffered.
The foxes haue holes, and the soules of the aire nestes;
but the Sonnes of man hath not where to repose his head.
59. But he said to another: Follow me. And he said: Lord, permit me first to goe, and
to burie my father.
60. And Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ said to him: Let the dead burie their dead; but goe thou, set
forth the Kingdom of God.
61. And another said: I wil follow thee Lord, but permit me first to take my leaue of
them that are at home.
62. Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ said to him: No man putting his hand to the plough, and
No man looking backe.
Looking backe.
It is a dangerous temptation for a man that hath lost or left his goods for Christ,
to looke much backe at them, and to remember with delight the pleasures and eases of
this world. For it breedeth in him discontentment of the troubles and crosses that
are incident to the state of such as fully follow Christ. In which case a man should
euer looke forward towards Heauen, and neuer backward to the world.
looking backe,
is apt for the Kingdom of God.