To the Gerasens (and in them to al men) Christ manifesteth how the Diuel of his malice would
vse them, if he would permit: 17. and yet they like not their Sauiours presence. 21. A woman
Gentil, that began her sicknes when the Iewes daughter began her life (signifying Abrahams time)
he cureth by the way as he was comming to heale the Iewes: And euen then the Iewes doe die; but yet
them also wil reuiue, as here the Iewes daughter.
1.
*
Mat. 8,28.
Luke 8,16.
AND they came beyond the strait of the sea into the countrie of the Gerasens.
2. And as he went out of the boat, immediatly there met him out of the sepulchres a
man in an vncleane Spirit,
3. that had his dwelling in the sepulchres, and neither with chaines
Could bind him.
Profane and natural men.
We see here that mad men which have extraordinary strength are many times possessed
of the Diuel: as there is also a deafe and a dumme Diuel, and vncleane spirits,
which worke these effects in men, possessing their bodies. Al which things infidels
& carnal men, folowing only nature and reason, attribute to natural causes: and the
lesse faith a man hath, the lesse he beleeueth that the Diuel worketh such things.
could any man now
bind him:
4. For being often bound with fetters and chaines, he had burst the chaines, and broken
the fetters, and no body could tame him.
5. And he was alwaies day and night in the sepulchres and in the mountaines, crying and
cutting him self with stones.
6. And seeing Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ a farre off, he ranne and adored him:
7. And crying with a great voice, said: What to me and thee Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ, the Sonne of God
most high: I adiure thee by God that thou tormnent me not.
8. For he said vnto him: Goe out of the man thou vncleane Spirit.
9. And he asked him, what is thy name? And he saith to him: My name is Legion; because
we are many.
10. And he besought him much, that he would not expel him out of the countrie.
11. And there was there about the mountaine a great heard of swine, feeding.
12. And the Spirits besought him, saying: Send vs
✟
It is not without mysterie that the Diuels desired, and Christ suffered
them to enter into the swine; signifying that filthy liuers be meet
dwelling places for Diuels. Aug. tract. 6 in ep. 10.
into the swine, that we may enter into
them.
13. And Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ immediatly granted vnto them. And the vncleane Spirits going out, entred
into the swine: and the heard with great violence was caried headlong into the sea, about two
thousand, and were stifled in the sea.
14. And they that fed them, fled, and caried newes into the citie and into the fields.
And they went forth to see what was done:
15. And they come to Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ, and they see him that was vexed of the Diuel, sitting,
clothed, and wel in his wits: & they were afraid.
16. And they that had seen it, told them, in what manner he had been dealt withal that
had the Diuel; & of the swine.
17. And they began to desire him, that he would depart from their coasts.
18. And when he went vp into the boat, he that had been vexed of the Diuel, began to
beseech him that he might be with him:
19. And he admitted him not, but saith to him: Goe into thy house to thine, and tel them
how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had mercie vpon thee.
20. And he went his way, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ had
done to him: and al marueled.
21.
*
Mat. 9,18.
Luke 8,42.
And when Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ had passed in boat againe ouer the strait, a great multitude assembled
together vnto him, and he was about the sea.
22. And there commeth one of the
✟
Archsynagogue, cheefe gouerner of a Synagogue.
Arch-synagogues, named Iairus: and seeing him, he falleth
downe at his feet.
23. And besought him much, saying: That my daughter is at the point of death, come,
impose thy hands vpon her, that she may be safe and liue.
24. And he went with him, and a great multitude folowed him, and they thronged him.
25. And a woman which was in an issue of bloud twelue yeares,
26. and had suffred many things of many Physicions, and had bestowed al that she had,
neither was any thing the better, but was rather worse:
27. when she had heard of Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ, she came in the preasse behind him, and touched his
garment.
28. For she said: That
If I shal touch.
The touche of Relikes.
So the good Catholike saith: If I might but touch one of his Apostles, yea
one of his Apostles napkins, yea but the shade of one of his Saints, I should
be better for it. Act. 5. and 19. See S. Chrys. to. 5 cont. Gent. in
principio. in vit. Babylæ. Yea S. Basil saith: *He that toucheth the
bone of a Martyr, receaueth in some degree holinesse of the grace or vertue that
is therein.
*Basil. in Ps. 115.
if I shal touch but his garment, I shal be safe.
29. And forthwith the fountaine of her bloud was dried; and she felt in her body
that she was healed of the maladie.
30. And immediatly Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ knowing in him self the
Vertue.
Vertue to heale this womans maladie, proceeded from Christ, though she touched
but his coate: so when the Saints by their Relikes or garments doe miracles,
the grace and force therof commeth from our Sauiour, they being but the meanes
or instruments of the same.
vertue that had proceeded from him,
turning to the multitude, said: Who hath touched my garments?
31. And his Disciples said to him: Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, & sayest
thou, who hath touched me?
32. And he looked about to see her that had done this.
33. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fel downe
before him, and told him al the truth.
34. And he said to her: Daughter, thy faith hath made thee safe, goe in peace, and be
whole of thy maladie.
35. As he was yet speaking, they come
✟
'from'
to the Archsynagogue, saying: That thy daughter
is dead: why doest thou trouble the Maister any further?
36. But Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ hauing heard the word that was spoken, saith to the
Archsynagogue: Feare not,
Only beleeue.
It is our common speach, when we require one thing specially, though other things
also be as necessarie, and more necessarie. As the Physition to his patient,
Only haue a good hart: when he must also keep a diet and take potions,
things more requisit. So Christ in this great infidelity of the Iewes, required only
that they would beleeue he was able to doe such a cure, such a miracle, & then he
did it: otherwise it foloweth in the next Chapter: He could not do miracles there
because of their incredulity. Againe, for this faith he gaue them here and in al
like places health of body, which they desired. And therfore he saith not: Thy faith
hath iustified thee: but, hath made thee safe or whole. Againe this was the fathers
faith, which could not iustifie the daughter.
Scripture fondly applied to proue only faith.
Wherby it is most euident, that this Scripture, and the like, are foolishly abused
of the Heretikes to proue that only faith iustifieth.
only beleeue.
37. And he admitted not any man to follow him, but Peter & Iames and Iohn the brother
of Iames.
38. And they come to the Archsynagogues house, and he seeth a tumult, and folke weeping
and wailing much.
39. And going in, he saith to them: Why make you this adoe and weep? the wench is not
dead, but
✟
To Christ, that can more easily raise a dead man then we can do one that is
but asleep, death is but sleepe. Aug. de verb. Do. Ser. 44.
sleepeth.
40. And they derided him. But he hauing put forth al, taketh the father and the mother of
the wench, and them that were with him, and they goe in where the wench was lying.
41. And holding the wenches hand, he saith to her: Talitha cumi, which is being
interpreted,
Wench arise.
By three dead, are signified three kinds of sinners.
Christs miracles, besides that they be wonders & wayes to shew his power, be
also significatiue: as these which he corporally raised from death, put vs in
mind of his raising our soules from sinne. *The Scripture maketh special mention
only of three raised by our Sauiour, of which three, this wench is one, within
the house: an other, the widowes sonne in Naim, now caried out toward the graue;
the third, Lazarus hauing been in the graue foure daies, and therfore stinking.
Which diuersity of dead bodies, signifie diuersity of dead soules, some more
desperate then other, some past al mans hope, and yet by the grace of Christ to
be reuiued and reclaimed.
*Aug. de verb. Do. ser. 44.
wench (I say to thee) arise.
42. And forthwith the wench rose vp, and walked, and she was twelue yeares old: and they
were astonished with great astonishment.
43. And he commanded them earnestly that no body should know it: and he bad that some
thing should be giuen her to eate.