Against the Scribes and Pharisees he defendeth first his power to remit sinnes in earth, 13. and
his eating with sinners (as being the Physicion of soules, signified in those his miraculous cures
vpon bodies): 18. then also he defendeth his Disciples, not hauing as yet any fastes by him
prescribed vnto them, and plucking eares of corne vpon the Sabboth: signifying withal that he wil
change their ceremonies.
1.
*
Mat. 9,1.
Luke 5,18.
AND againe he entred into Capharnaum after some daies, and it was heard that he was in
the house,
2. and many came together, so that there was no place; no not at the doore; & he
spake to them the Word.
3. And they came to him bringing one sick of the palsey, who was caried of foure.
4. And when they could not offer him vnto him for the multitude, they
Vncouered.
Such diligence ought to be vsed to bring sinners to Christ in his Sacraments,
as was vsed to procure this man and others, by Christ, the health of their bodies.
vncouered the
roofe where he was: and opening it they did let downe the couch wherin the sick of the palsey lay.
5. And when Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ had seene
✟
Our Lord is moued to be merciful to sinners by other mens faith and desires,
and not only by the parties owne meanes alway.
their faith, he saith to the
Sick of the palsey.
Particular confession.
Such as this man was in body by dissolution of his limmes, such also was he in soule,
by the noisome desires of the world occupying his hart, and withdrawing him from al
good works. Aug. de Pastor. c. 6. to. 9.
sick of the palsey: Sonne,
Thy sinnes.
The Sacraments to be called for in sicknes..
Hereby it appeareth that Christ healed this sick man first in his soule, before
he tooke away his bodily infirmity: which may be an instruction for al men in
bodily disease, first to cal for the Sacraments, which be medicines of the soule.
As hereby also may be gathered that many diseases come for sinne, and therfore
can not be healed til the sinnes be remitted.
thy
sinnes are forgiuen thee.
6. And there were certaine of the Scribes sitting there and thinking in their harts:
7. Why doth he speake so? he blasphemeth.
*
Iob. 14,4.
Isa. 43,25.
Who can forgiue sinnes but only God?
8. Which by and by Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ knowing in his Spirit, that they so thought within them selues,
saith to them: Why thinke you these things in your harts?
9. Whether is easier, to say to the sick of the palsey: Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee;
or to say: Arise, take vp thy couch, and walke?
10. But that you may know that
The Sonne of man.
Man hath power to remit sinnes..
As Christ proueth vnto them, that himself as man, and not as God only, hath power
to remit sinnes, by that in al their sights he was able to doe miracles, and make
the sick man sodenly arise: so the Apostles hauing power granted them to doe
miracles, though they be not God, may in like manner haue authority from God to
remit sinnes, not as God, but as Gods ministers.
the Sonne of man hath power
In earth.
Christ remitteth sinnes by the Priests ministerie.
This power that the Sonne of man hath to remit sinnes in earth, was neuer taken
from him, but dureth stil in his Sacraments, and ministers, by whom he remitteth
sinnes in the Church, and not in Heauen only. For concerning sinne, there is one
court of conscience in earth, and an other in Heauen, and the iudgement in Heauen
foloweth and approueth this on earth, as is plaine by the wordes of our Sauiour to
Peter first, and then to al the Apostles: a Whatsoeuer you shal bind vpon earth,
shal be bound in Heauen: whatsoeuer you shal loose vpon earth, shal be loosed in
Heauen: Wherevpon S. Hierom saith: b That Priests hauing the keyes of the
Kingdom of Heauen iudge after a sort before the day of iudgement. And S.
Chrysost. li. 3 de Sacerd. paulo post princip. more at large.
a Mt. 16,16.
b ad Heliod. ep. 1.
in earth to forgiue sinnes
(he saith to the sick of the palsey)
11. I say to thee, arise, take vp thy couch, and goe into thy house.
12. And forthwith he arose; and taking vp his couch, went his way in the sight of al,
so that al marueled, and glorified God, saying: That we we neuer saw the like.
13. And went forth againe to the sea; and al the multitude came to him, and he taught
them.
14. And when he passed by,
*
Mat. 9,9.
Luke 5,27.
he saw Leui of Alphæus sitting at the custome place; and he
saith to him: Folow me. And rising vp he folowed him.
15. And it came to passe, as he sate at meate in his house, many Publicans and sinners
did sit downe together with Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ and his Disciples. For they were many, who also folowed him.
16. And the Scribes & the Pharisees seeing that he did eate with Publicans and Sinners,
said to his Disciples: Why doth your Maister eate & drinke with Publicans and sinners?
17. Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ hearing this, saith to them: The whole haue not need of a Physicion, but
they that are il at ease. For I came not to cal the iust, but sinners.
18. And
*
Mat. 9,13.
Luke 5,33.
the Disciples of Iohn and the Pharisees did vse to fast: and they come, and
say to him: Why doe the Disciples of Iohn and of the Pharisees fast; but thy Disciples doe not fast?
19. And Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ said to them: Why, can the children of the mariage fast, as long as the
bridgrome is with them? So long time as they haue the bridegrome with them, they can not fast.
20. But the daies wil come when the bridegrome shal be taken away from them; and then
they shal
✟
He foretelleth that fasting shal be vsed in his Church, no lesse then in the old law,
or in the time of Iohn the Baptist. See Mat. c. 9,15.
fast in those daies.
21. No body soweth a peece of raw cloth to an old garment: otherwise he taketh away
the new peecing from the old, and there is made a greater rent.
22. And no body putteth new wine into old bottels: otherwise the wine bursteth the bottels,
and the wine wil he shed, and the bottels wil be lost. But new wine must be put into new bottels.
23. And
*
Mat. 12,1.
Luke 6,1.
it came to passe againe when he walked through the corne on the Sabboths, and
his Disciples began to goe forward and to pluck the eares.
24. And the Pharisees said to him: Behold, why do they on the Sabboths that which is
not lawful?
25. And he said to them: Did you neuer read what Dauid did, when he was
In necessity.
In necessity many things be done without sinne, which els might not be done, and so c
the very chalices and consecrated iewels and vessels of the Church, in cases of
necessity, are by lawful authority turned to profane uses, which otherwise to alienate
to a mans priuate commoditie is sacrilege.
c Amb. l. 2. off. c. 28.
in necessitie,
and himself was an hungred and they that were with him?
26. how
*
1. King. 21,6.
he entred into the house of God vnder Abiathar the high Priest, and did eate
the loaues of Proposition, which it was not lawful to eate
*
Leu. 24,9.
but for the Priests, and did giue vnto
them which were with him?
27. And he said to them: The Sabboth was made for man, and not man for the Sabboth.
28. Therfore the Sonne of man is
✟
The maker of the law may abrogate or dispense when and where for iust cause
it seemeth good to him.
Lord of the Sabboth also.