The Gentils come vnto Christ with their offerings, and that so openly, that
the Iewes can not pretend ignorance. 3. The Iewes with Herod conspire against him. 13. He thereupon
fleeth from them into Ægypt. 16. They afterward, seing their subtelite preuailed not, imagined
to oppresse him by open persecution. 19. But they at length dyed, and he returneth to the land of
Israel: al according to the Scriptures.
1.
⋮
The holy feast of the Epiphanie caled Twelfth day the 6 of Ianuarie vpon
which day this is the Ghospel.
WHEN Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ therefore was
*
Luke 2,7.
borne in Bethlehem of Iuda in the dayes of Herod the King,
Behold.
Our Lords apparition or Epiphanie to these Sages, being Gentils, their Pilgrimage to
him, and in them the first homage of Gentilitie done vnto him the twelfth day after
his Natiuitie, and therfore is Twelfth-day highly celebrated in the Catholike
Church for ioy of the calling of vs Gentils. His baptisme also and first miracle are
celebrated on the same day.
behold there came Sages from the East to Hierufalem,
2. Saying, where is he that is borne King of the Iewes? For we haue seen his
Starre.
Christs Natiuitie depended not vpon this starre, as the Priscillianists falsely surmised; but
the starre vpon his natiuitie, for the seruice whereof it was created. Grego. Ho. 10.
starre
in the East, and are
Come to adore.
Pilgrimage.
This coming so farre of deuotion to visit and adore Christ in the place of his birth, was
properly a Pilgrimage to his Person; & warranteth the Faithful in the like kind of
external worship done to holy Persons, places, and things.
come to adore him.
3. And Herod the King Hearing this, was troubled, & al Hierufalem with him.
4. And assembling together al the high Priestes and the Scribes of the people,
he
Inquired of them.
The high Priests were rightly consulted in question of their law and religion; and by they neuer
so il, are often forced to say the truths by priuiledge of their vnctions; as here, and after,
they did concerning the true Messias.
inquired of them where Christ should be borne.
5. But they sayd to him: In Bethlehem of Iuda. For so it is written by the Prophet:
6.
*
Mich. 5,2.
And thou Bethlehem the land of Iuda art not the least among the Princes
of Iuda: for out of thee shal come forth the Capitaine that shal rule my people of Israel.
7. Then Herod secretly caling the Sages, learned diligently of them the time
of the starre which appeared to them;
8. and sending them into Bethlehem, said: Goe, & inquire diligently of the childe;
and when you shal finde him, make reporte to me, that I also may come and adore him.
9. Who hauing heard the king, went their way; and behold the starre which they
had seen in the East, went before them, vntil it came and flood ouer, where the childe was.
10. And seeing the starre they reioyced with exceeding great ioy.
11. And entring into the house, they found the childe with Mᴀʀɪᴇ his mother, &
faling downe
Adored him.
Adoration of the B. Sacrament.
This body (saith S. Chrysostom.) the Sages adored in the crib. Let vs at the least
imitate them; thou seest him not now in the crib, but on the Altar; not a woman holding him,
but the Priest present, and the Holy Ghost powred out aboundantly vpon the Sacrifice. Ho.
24 in 1 Cor. Ho. 7 in Mr. Ho. de sancto Philogonio.
adored him; and opening their
Treasures.
The three kings.
These treasures are as it were the first fruits of those riches, and guifts, which
(according to the Prophecies of Dauid {Psal. 71.} and Esay {Isai. 60.})
Gentilitie should offer to Christ and
his Church, and now haue offered, specially from the time of Constantine the Great. As
also these three Sages, being principal men of their Countrie, represent the whole state
of Princes, Kings, and Emperours, that were (according to the said Prophecies) to beleeue
in Christ, to humble themselues to his crosse, to foster, enrich, adorne and defend his
Church. Whereupon it is also a very conuenient, * not lacking testimonies of ancient writers,
and much for the honour of our Sauiour, that these three also were kings: to wit, either
according to the state of those Countries, ** where the Princes were Magi; and
Magi the greatest about the Princes; or as we read in the Scriptures, of
Melchisedech King of Salem, & many other Kings that dwelt within a smal compasse: or as
* Iobes three friends are called Kings. These are commonly called the three kings of Colen,
because their bodies are there, translated thither from the East Countrie; their names are
said to haue been Gaspar, Melchior, Baltasar.
*Chrys. homil. 27 in Mat. ho. 1. Theophyl. Cic. de Diuinat. Plin. li. 20.
**Esther 1,1 3,14. Tob. 2. Amb. 1. Off. c. 12.
treasures, they offered to him
*
Psal. 71,10.
guiftes;
Guifts.
The Sages were three, and their guifts three, and each one offered euerie of the three,
to expresse our Faith of the Trinitie. The Gold, to signifie that he was a King, the
frankincense, that he was God, the myrrh, that he was to be buried as man. Aug.
ser. 1. de Epiph.
gold,
frankincense, and myrrhe.
12.
⋮
The Ghospel of childermas day.
And hauing receiued an answer in sleepe that they should not returne to Herod,
they went backe an other way into their contrey.
13. And after they were departed, Behold an Angel of our Lord appeared in sleepe to
Ioseph, saying: Arise, & take the childe and his mother, and fly into Ægypt; and be there vntil I
shal tel thee. For it will come to passe that Herod wil seeke the childe to destroy him.
14. Who arose, & tooke the childe and his mother by night, and retired into Ægypt: and
he was there vntil the death of Herod:
15. that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of our Lord by the Prophet, saying:
*
Osee 11,1.
Out of Ægypt
Out of Ægypt.
This place of the Prophet (and the like in the new Testament) here applied to Christ, wheras
in the letter it might seeme otherwise; teacheth vs how to interprete the old Testament,
and that the principal sence is of Christ, and his Church.
haue I called my Sonne.
16.
⋮
The Martyrdom of the holy Innocents whose holy-day, is kept the 28 of
December.
Then Herod perceauing that he was deluded by the Sages, was exceeding angrie; and
sending
Murdered.
Canonizing of Saints.
By this example we learne how great credit we owe to the Church in Canonizing Saints, and
celebrating their holy-daies: by whose only warrant, without any word of Scripture, these
holy Innoucents haue been honoured for Martyrs, and their holy-day kept euer since the
Apostles time, although they died not voluntarily, nor al perhaps circumcised, and some
the children of Pagans. Aug. ep. 28. Orig. ho. 3. in diuersos.
murdered al the men children that were in Bethlehem, & in al the borders therof, from two
yeare old and vnder, according to the time which he had diligently sought out of the Sages.
17. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Iereminie the Prophet saying:
18.
*
Iere. 31,15.
A voice in Rama was heard, crying out & much wayling: Rachel bewayling her
children, & would not be comforted, because they are not.
19.
⋮
The Ghospel on Twelfth-Eue.
But when Herod was dead, behold an Angel of our Lord appeared in sleep to Ioseph
in Ægypt.
20. saying: Arise, and take the child & his mother, and goe into the land of Israel.
For they are dead that sought the life of the child.
21. Who arose, & took the child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.
22. But hearing that Archelaus raigned in Iewrie for Herod his father, he feared to
goethither: and being warned in sleep retyred into the quarters of Galilee.
23. And coming he dwelt in a citie called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which
was sayd by the Prophets: That he shal be called a Nazarite.