In his owne countrey (signifying the reprobate Iewes) he is contemned and therfore worketh
litle in repect. 7. His Apostles preach euery where and worke miracles, so that King Herod
(who shamefully killed Iohn Baptist) and others are striken with great admiration. 30. After Iohns
death he goeth into the Desert, where great concurse being vnto him, he feedeth 5000 with fiue
loaues. 46. And after he hath praied long in the mountaine he walketh vpon the sea. 53. And with the
very touch of his garments hemme he healeth innumerable.
1.
*
Mat. 13,54.
Luke 4,16.
AND going out from thence, he went into his countrie; and his Disciples folowed him.
2. And when the Sabboth was come, he began to teach in the Synagogue: and many hearing
him were in admiration at his doctrine, saying: How came this felow by al these things? & what
wisedom is this that is giuen to him, and such vertues as are wrought by his hands?
3. Is not this the Carpenter, the Sonne of Mᴀʀɪᴇ, the brother of Iames, and Ioseph, and
Iude, and Simon? why, are not also his sisters here with vs? And they were scandalized in him.
4. And Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ said to them: That there is not a Prophet without honour, but in his owne
countrie, and in his owne house, and in his owne kinred.
5. And he could not doe any miracle there, but only cured a few that were sick, imposing
his hands.
6. And he marueled because of their incredulity, and he went about the townes in circuit
teaching.
7.
*
Mat. 10,1.
Luke 9,1.
And he called the Twelue; and began to send them two and two, and gaue them power
ouer vncleane Spirits.
8. And he commanded them that they should take nothing for the way, but a rod only: not
skrip, not bread, nor money in their purse,
9. but shod with sandals, and that they should not put on two coats.
10. And he said to them: Withersoeuer you shal enter into an house, there tarie til you
depart thence.
11. And whosoeuer shal not receaue you, nor heare you; going forth from thence shake
of the dust from your feet for a testimonie to them.
12. And going forth they preached that they should doe pennance:
13. And they cast out many Diuels, and
*
Iames. 5,14.
anointed with
✟
A preparatiue to the Sacrament of extreme vnction. Iac. 5.
oile many sick, and healed them.
14. And
*
Mat. 14,1.
Luke 9,7.
King Herod heard (for his name was made manifest) and he said: That Iohn the
Baptist is risen againe from the dead, and therfore vertues worke in him.
15. And others said: That it is Elias. But others said: That it is a Prophet, as one
of the Prophets.
16. Which Herod hearing, said: Iohn whom I beheaded, he is risen againe from the dead.
17.
⋮
The Ghospel vpon the decollation of S. Iohn Baptist, Aug. 29.
For the said Herod sent and apprehended Iohn, and bound him in prison for Herodias
the wife of
✟
He might & should by Moyses law haue maried his brothers wife if he had been dead without
issue: but this Philip was yet aliue, and had also this daughter that danced.
Philippe his brother, because he had maried her.
18. For Iohn said to Herod:
*
Leu. 18,16,20,21.
It is not lawful for thee to haue thy brothers wife,
19. And Herodias lay in waite for him: and was desirous to kil him, and could not.
20. For Herod feared Iohn, knowing him to be a iust and holy man: and he kept him, and
by hearing him did many things: and he heard him gladly.
21. And when a conuenient day was fallen, Herod made the supper of his birth-day to the
Princes, and the Tribunes, and the cheefe of Galilee.
22. And when the daughter of the same Herodias came in, and had danced, and pleased
Herod, and them that sate with him at the table, the King said to the damsel: Aske of me what
thou wilt, and I wil giue it thee.
23. And he sware to her: That whatsoeuer thou shalt aske I wil giue thee, though the
halfe of my Kingdom.
24. Who when she was gone forth, said to her mother, what shal I aske? But she said:
The head of Iohn the Baptist.
25. And when she was gone in by and by with hast to the King, she asketh saying: I wil
that forthwith thou giue me in a platter the head of Iohn the Baptist.
26. And the King was stroken sad. Because of his othe and for them that sate together
at table he would not displease her:
27. but sending the hangman, commanded that his head should be brought in a platter.
28. And he beheaded him in the prison, and brought his head in a platter: and gaue it
to the damsel, and the damsel gaue it to her mother.
29. Which his Disciples hearing came, and tooke his body; and they put it in a
monument.
30. And
*
Luke 9,10.
the Apostles gathering together vnto Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ, made relation to him of al things
that they had done and taught.
31. And he said to them: Come apart into the desert place, and rest a litle. For there
were that came and went, many: and they had not so much as space to eate.
32. And
*
Mat. 14,13.
going vp into the boat, they went into a desert place apart.
33. And they saw them going away, and many knew: and they ranne flocking thither on
foot from al cities, and preuented them.
34. And going forth, Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ saw a great multitude; and he had compassion on them,
because they were as sheep not hauing a shepheard, and he began to teach them many things.
35. And
*
Mat. 14,15.
Luke 9,12.
Iohn 6,5.
when the day was now farre spent, his Disciples came to him, saying: This is
a desert place, and the houre is now past:
36. dimisse them, that going out into the next villages and townes, they may buy them
selues meats to eate.
37. And he answering said: Giue ye them to eate. And they said to him: Let vs goe and
buy bread for two hundred pence, and we wil giue them to eate.
38. And he saith to them: How many loaues haue you? goe and see. And when they knew,
they say: Fiue. and two fishes.
39. And he commanded them that they should make al sit downe, by companies vpon the greene
grasse.
40. And they sate downe in rankes by hundreds and fifties.
41. And when he had taken the fiue loaues, and the two fishes: looking vp vnto Heauen,
he blessed, and brake the loaues, and gaue to his Disciples to set before them: and the two fishes
he deuided to al.
42. And al did eate, and had their fill.
43. And they tooke vp the leauings, twelue ful baskets of fragments, and of the fishes.
44. And they that did eate, were fiue thousand men.
45. And immediatly he compelled his Disciples to goe vp into the boat, that they might goe
before him beyond the
✟
The narrow sea, or water
strait to Bethsaida: whiles himself did dimisse the people.
46.
⋮
The Ghospel on Saturday after Ashwensday.
And
*
Mat. 14,23.
Iohn 6,16.
when he had dimissed them, he went into the mountaine to pray.
47. And when it was late, the boat was in the middes of the sea, and himself alone on
the land.
48. And seeing them labouring in rowing (for the wind was against them) and about the
fourth watch of the night he commeth to them walking vpon the sea, and he would haue passed by them.
49. But they seeing him walking vpon the sea, thought it was a ghost, and cried out.
50. For al saw him, and were troubled. And immediatly he talked with them, and said to them:
Haue confidence, it is I, feare ye not.
51. And he went vp to them into the ship, and the wind ceased: and they were farre more
astonished within them selues:
52. for they vnderstood not concerning the loaues; for their hart was blinded.
53. And
*
Mat. 14,34.
when they had passed ouer, they came into the land of Genezareth, and set to
the shore.
54. And when they were gone out of the boat, incontinent they knew him:
55. and running through that whole countrie they began to carie about in couches those
that were il at ease, where they heard he was.
56. And whithersoeuer he entred into townes or into villages or cities, they laid the
sicke in the streets, and besought him that they might touch but the hemme of his garment: and as
many as touched him, were made whole.
ANNOTATIONS.
Cʜᴀᴘ. VI.
3. The Carpenter.]
As his countrie-folkes seeing him not only to be a poore man, but also knowing
(as they thought) his whole parentage to be but vulgar, not reaching to his
Godhead and Diuine generation, did take offence or scandal of him: so doe the
Heretikes take like offence at his Person in the B. Sacrament, saying: Why, this
is not God; for it is bread made of corne by such a baker, of the same mould that
such a lofe is: not marking that it was not made Christ by baking, but by
Consecration, and the vertue of Christs words.
3. They were scandalized.]
*This scandal rose partly of enuy of his equals by birth, who reputing them selues
as good as he, tooke skorne to be taught of him. Wherevpon Christ saith:
**A Prophet is not without honour but in his owne countrie; signifying (as
it is plaine in Luke) the malice and enuy of the Iewes his countrie men in refusing
him (Io. 1.) and that the Gentils would more esteeme of him.
*Chrys. ho. 49, in Mt.
**Luke. 4,24.
5. He could not.)
It is said that he could not worke miracles there, not meaning that he was not able,
but that on their part there wanted apt disposition to receaue them. And therfore he
would not of congruity worke there, where their incredulity was so great, that it
would not have profited them. And for this cause he saith *els where to them, that
wil see and enioy his miracles, Only beleeue.
*Mark 5,36. Mat. 10.
8. Not two coates.)
He forbiddeth superfluities, and too careful prouision of bodily things, when
they are about Gods seruice in gaining soules. And for the contrariety that
seemeth here and in S. Matthew, vnderstand that there he forbiddeth them to
carie rod or staffe to defend them selues, here he permitteth a walking rod
or staffe to leane and stay vpon: there he forbiddeth shooes to couer al the
foote, such as we weare: here he permitteth sandals, that is such as had soles
only, which the poore commonly ware in Iewry, & now some religious men. See S.
Augustins opinion li. 2 c. 30 de consensu Euang. to. 4.
13. With oile.)
By this it is cleere that not only the Apostles or other may haue power to worke
miracles, by their only word and inuocation of Christs name, but also by
application of creatures: which creatures also haue a miraculous medicinal vertue
to heale diseases.
23. With oile.)
In the words of the commission oile is not mentioned, and yet it is certaine
by this their vsing of oile, that either Christ did then appoint them to vse
it, or they might take it vp of them selues, by vertue of the general commission.