The blindnes of the Pharisees about the Sabboth he reproueth by Scriptures, by reason, and by
a miracle. 14. and his death being thefore sought by them, he meekely goeth out of the way,
according as Esay had Prophecied of him. 22. His casting out of Diuels also he defendeth against
them. 31. and setteth forth the danger they stand in for their horrible blasphemie. 38. And because
they aske yet for a signe, he sheweth how worthily they shal be damned. 43. foretelling how the Diuel
shal possesse their Nation, 66. and testifying that although he be of their bloud, yet not they for
this, but such as keepe his commandements, are deare vnto him.
1. AT that time
*
Mark 2,23.
Luke 6,1.
Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ went through the corne on the Sabboth: and his Disciples being hungrie,
began to pluck the eares, and to eate.
2. And the Parisees seeing them, said to him: Loe, thy Disciples doe that which is not
lawful for them to doe on the Sabboth-dayes.
3. But he said to them: Haue you not read what
*
1 King. 21,4.
Dauid did when he was an hungred,
and they that were with him:
4. how he entred into the house of God, and did eate the loaues of proposition,
which is was not lawful for him to eate, nor dor them that were with him,
*
Leu. 24,9.
Num. 28,9.
but for Priestes only?
5. Or haue ye not read in the Law, that on Sabboth-dayes the Priestes in the temple
do breake the Sabboth, & are without blame?
6. But I tel you that there is here a greater then the temple
7. And if you did know what it is,
*
Ose. 6,6.
I wil mercie, and not
✟
See the annotation chap. 9,13.
Sacrifice:
you would neuer haue condemned the innocentes.
8. For the Sonne of man is Lord of the Sabboth also.
9. And when he had passed from thence, he came into their Synagogue.
10. And
*
Mark 3,1
Luke 6,6.
behold there was a man which has a withered hand, and they asked him
saying: Whether is it lawful to cure on the Sabboths? that they might accuse him.
11. But he said to them: What man shal there be of you, that shal haue one sheep:
and if the same fal into a ditch on the Sabboths, wil he not take hold and lift it vp?
12. How much better is a man more then a sheep? Therfore it is lawful on the Sabboths
to doe a good deed.
13. Then he saith to the man: Stretch forth thy hand, and he stretched it forth, and
it was restored to health euen as the other.
14. And the Parisees going forth made a consultation against him, how they might
destroy him.
15. But Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ knowing it, retired from thence: and many folowed him, and he cured
them al.
16. and he charged them that they should not disclose him.
17. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esay the Prophet, saying:
18.
*
Isai. 42,1.
Behold my seruant whom I haue chosen, my beloued in whom my soul hath
wel liked. I wil put my spirit vpon him, and iudgement to the Gentiles shal he shew.
19. He shal not contend, nor crie out, neither shal any man heare in the
streetes his voyce.
20. The reede bruised he shal not breake, & smoking flaxe he shal not
extinguish: til he cast forth iudgement vnto victorie.
21. And in his name the Gentiles shal hope.
22. Then
*
Luke 11,14.
Mark 3,2.
was offered to him one possessed with a Diuel, blind and dumme: and he
cured him, so that he spake and saw.
23. And al the multitudes were amased, and said: Whether this be the Sonne of Dauid?
24. But the Pharisees hearing it, sayd: This fellow casteth not out Diuels but in
In Beelzebub.
The like blasphemie against the Holy Ghost is, to attribute the miracles done by Saints
either dead or aliue, to the Diuel.
Beelzebub the Prince of the Diuels.
25. And Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ knowing their cogitations, said to them:
Euery Kingdom
✟
Therfore the Kingdom of Heretikes can not possibly stand, because it is alwayes ful
of diuision and dissension.
deuided against
itself shal be made desolate: and euery citie or house deuided against itself, shal not stand.
26. And if Satan cast out Satan, he is deuided against himself: how then shal his
Kingdom stand?
27. And if I in Beelzebub cast out Diuels, your children in whom do they cast out?
Therfore they shal be your iudges.
28. But if I in the Spirit of God do cast out Diuels, then is the Kingdom of God
come vpon you.
29. Or how can a man enter into the house of the strong, and rifle his vessel, vnles
he first binde the strong? and then he wil rifle his house.
30. He that is
Not with me.
Neuters in religion.
They that are indifferent to al religions, commonly and fitly caled Neuters, ioyning
them selues to neither part, let them marke these words wel, and they shal see, that
Christ accounted al them to be against him & his Church, that are not planly and
flatly with him and it.
not with me, is against me: and he that
Gathereth not with me.
He speaketh not only of his owne Person, but of al to whom he hath committed the gouernment
of his Church, and specially of the chiefe pastours succeeding Peter in the gouernment of the
whole; as S. Hierome writing to Damasus Pope of Rome, applieth these words vnto him, saying
of al Heretikes: *He that gathereth not with thee, scattereth: that is to say, He that is
not with Christ, is with Antichrist.
Ep. 58.
gathereth not with me,
scattereth.
31. Therfore I say to you: Euery sinne and blasphemie shal be forgiuen men, but
The blasphemie of the Spirit.
He meaneth not that there is any sinne so great, which God wil not forgiue, or whereof a
man may not repent in this life, as some Heretikes at this day affirme: but that some
heinous sinnes (as namely this blasphemie of the Iewes against the euident workes of the
Holy Ghost, and likewise Archeheretikes who wilfully resist the known truth & workes of
the Holy Ghost in Gods Church) are hardly forgiuen, & seldom haue such men grace to repent.
Final impenitence.
Otherwise among al the sinnes against the Holy Ghost (which are commonly reckned six) one
only shal neuer be forgiuen, that is, dying without repentance wilfully, called Final
impenitence; which sinne he committeth that dieth with contempt of the Sacrament of Penance,
obstinatly refusing absolution, by the Churches ministerie: as S. Augustine plainly
declareth in these wordes:
Remission of sinnes in the Church.
Whosoeuer he be that beleeueth not mans sinnes to be
remitted in Gods Church, and therfore despiseth the bountifulnes of God in so mighty a
work, if he in that obstinat mind continue til his liues end, he is guilty of sinne
against the Holy Ghost, in which Holy Ghost Christ remitteth sinnes. Enchir.
83 Ep. 50 in fine.
the blasphemie of the Spirit shal not be forgiuen.
32. And whosoeuer shal speake a word against the
Sonne of man.
The Iewes in their wordes sinned against the Sonne of man, when they reprehended
those things which he did as a man, to wit, caling him a glutton, a great drinker
of wine, a frend of the Publicans, a Samaritane, and taking offense because he kept
company with sinnes, brake the Sabboth, and such like: and this sinne might more
easely be forgiuen them, because they iudged of him as they would haue done, of any other
man: but they sinned and blasphemed against the Holy Ghost (called here the finger of
God whereby he wrought miracles) when of malice they attributed the euident workes of
God in casting out Diuels, to the Diuel himself: & this sinne shal not be remitted,
because it shal hardly be remitted, as we see by the plague of their posteritie vntil
this day.
Sonne of man, it shal be
forgiuen him: but he that shal speake against the Holie-Ghost, it shal not be
forgiuen him neither in this world,
Nor in the world to come.
Purgatorie.
S. Augustine & other Holy Doctours gather herevpon, that some sinnes may be remitted in
the next life, & consequently proue Purgatorie thereby. De Civit. Dei li. 21, c. 13
D. Gregor. Dial. li. 4 c. 39.
nor in the world to come.
33. Either
✟
It is a mans owne free wil & election, to be a good tree or an il tree: to bring forth
good fruits or bad. S. Augustine vpon this place. li. 2 c. 4 de actis cum Felic.
Manichæo.
make the tree good, and his fruit good: or make the tree euil, and his
fruit euil. For of the fruit the tree is knowen.
34. You vipers broods, how can you speake good things, whereas you are euil? for
of the aboundance of the hart the mouth speaketh.
35. A good man out of a good treasure bringeth forth good things: and an euil man
out of an euil treaure bringeth forth euil things.
36. But I say vnto you, that euery
Idle world.
If of euery idle word we must make account before God in iudgement, and yet shal not for
euery such word be damned euerlastingly: then there must needs be some temporal punishment
in the next life.
idle word that men shal speake, they shal render
an account for it in the day of iudgement.
37. For of thy wordes thou shalt be iustified, and of thy wordes thou shalt be
condemned.
38.
⋮
The Ghospel vpon Imber wenesday, the first weeke of Lent.
Then answered him certaine of the Scribes and Pharisees, saying: Maister, we would
see a signe from thee.
39. Who answered, and said to them:
The wicked and aduouterous Generation seeketh
a signe: and a signe shal not be giuen it, but the signe of Ionas the Prophet.
40. For as
*
Ion. 2,2.
Ionas was in the whales belly three dayes and three nightes; so shal
the Sonne of man be in the hart of the earth three dayes and three nightes.
41. The men of Niniuee shal rise in the iudgement with this Generation, and shal
condemne it: because
*
Ion. 3,5.
they did pennance at the preaching of Ionas. And behold more then Ionas here.
42.
*
3 King. 10,1.
The Queen of the South shal rise in the iudgement with this Generation, and shal
condemne it: because she came from the ends of the earth to heare the wisedom of Salomon, and
behold more then Salomon here.
43. And
*
Luke 11,24.
when an vncleane Spirit shal goe out of a man, he walketh through dry
places, seeking rest, and findeth not.
44. Then he saith: I wil returne into my house whence I came out. And coming he
findeth it vacant, swept with besoms, and trimmed.
45. Then goeth he, and taketh with him seauen other Spirits more wicked then himself,
and they enter in and dwel there: and
*
2 Pet. 2,20.
the last of that man be made worse then the first. So
shal it be also to this wicked Generation.
46.
⋮
The Ghospel vpon the day of the Seauen Brethren, &c. Iulij 10.
As he was yet speaking to the multitudes,
*
Mark 3,31.
Luke 8,20.
behold his mother and his brethren
stood without, seeking to speake to him.
47. And one said vnto him: Behold thy mother and thy brethren stand without, seeking
thee.
48. But he answering him that told him, said: Who is my mother, and who are my
brethren?
49. And stretching forth his hand vpon his Disciples, he said: Behold my mother
and my brethren.
50. For whosoeuer shal doe the wil of my Father, that is in Heauen: he is my brother,
and sister, and mother.