HOLY weeke.
Tʜᴇ ꜰɪꜰᴛʜ part of this Ghospel. Of the Holy week of his Passion in Hierusalem.
Being now come to the place of his Passion, he entreth with humilitie and triumph togeather:
12. Sheweth his zeale for the house of God ioyned with great maruels. 15. And to the Rulers he
boldly defendeth the acclamations of the children. 18. He curseth also that fruitles leafie tree:
23. auoucheth his power by the witnes of Iohn: 28. and foretelleth in two parables their reprobation
(with the Gentils vocation) for their wicked deserts, 42 and consequently their irreparable damnation
that shal ensue therof.
1.
⋮
The Ghospel on Palme Sunday before the benediction of the Palmes.
PALME SVNDAY.
*
Mark 11,1.
Luke 19,20.
Iohn 12,15.
AND when they drew nigh to Hierusalem, and were come to Beth-phagee vnto Mount-oliuet,
then Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ sent two Disciples,
2. saying to them: Goe ye into the towne that is against you, and immediatly
you shal
find an asse tied and a colt with her: loose them & being them to me:
3. And if any man shal say ought vnto you, say ye, that our Lord hath need of them:
and forthwith he wil let them goe.
4. And this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet, saying:
5.
*
Isai. 62,11.
Zach. 9,9.
Say ye to the daughter of Sion: Behold thy King commeth to thee, meeke, &
sitting vpon an asse and a colt the fole of her that is vsed to the yoke.
6. And the Disciples going, did as Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ commanded them.
7. And they brought the asse and the colt: and laid their garments vpon them, and made
him to sit theron.
8. And a very great multitude spred their garments in the way: and others did cut boughs
from the trees, and strawed them in the way:
9. and the multitudes that went before and that folowed, cried, saying:
*
Psa. 117,26.
Hosanna to the Sonne of Dauid: Blessed is he that commeth in the name
of our Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
10.
⋮
The Ghospel vpon Tuesday the first weeke in Lent.
And when he was entred Hierusalem the whole citie was moued, saying: Who is this?
11. And the People said: This is Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ the Prophet, of Nazareth in Galilee.
12. And
*
Mark 11,15.
Luke 19,45.
Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ, entred in the temple of God, and cast out al that
✟
How much the abuse of Churches by merchandising, walking, or other profane occupying of
them, displeaseth God, here we may see.
sold and bought in the
temple, and the tables of the bankers, & the chaires of them that sold pigeons he ouerthrew:
13. and he saith to them: It is written,
*
Isai. 56,7.
Ier. 7,11.
My house shal be called the house
of prayer: but you haue made it a denne of theeues.
14. And there came to him the blind, and the lame in the temple; and he healed them.
15. And the cheefe Priestes & Scribes seeing the maruelous things that he did, and the
children crying in the temple, & saying, Hosanna to the Sonne of Dauid; they had
indigination,
16. and said to him: Hearest thou what these say? And Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ said to them: Very wel,
haue you neuer read:
*
Psa. 8,1.
That out of the mouth of infants and sucklings thou hast perfited
praise?
17. And leauing them, he went forth out of the citie into Bethania, and remained there.
18.
*
MVNDAY.
And in the marning returning into the citie, he was an hungred.
19.
*
Mark 11,13.
And seeing a certaine
✟
The Iewes hauing the wordes of the law, and not the deedes, were the fig tree ful of
leaues, and void of fruit. Aug. de verb. Do. Serm. 44.
figtree by the way side, he came to it, and found nothing on it
but leaues only, and he saith to it: Neuer grow there fruit of thee for euer. And incontinent the
figtree was withered.
20. And the Disciples seeing it marueled saying: How is it withered incontinent?
21.
*
TVESDAY.
And Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ answering said to them: Amen I say to you,
*
Mark 17,20.
if you shal haue faith, and
stagger not, not only that of the figtree shal you doe, but and if you shal say to this mountaine,
Take vp and throw thyself into the sea, it shal be done.
22. And al things whatsoeuer you shal aske in prayer beleeuing, you shal receaue.
23. And when he was come into the temple, there came to him as he was teaching, the
cheefe Priests and Ancients of the People, saying:
*
Mark 11,28.
Luke 20,2.
In what power doest thou these things? and who
hath giuen thee this power?
24. Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ answering said to them: I also wil aske you one word, which if you shal tel
me, I also wil tel you in what power I doe these things.
25. The Baptisme of Iohn whence was it? from Heauen, or from men? But they thought
within themselues, saying:
26. If we shal say from Heauen, he wil say to vs, why then did you not beleeue him?
But if we shal say from men, we feare the multitude, for al hold Iohn as a Prophet.
27. And answering to Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ they said: We knot not. He also said to them: Neither do
I tel you in what power I doe these things.
28. But what is your opinion? A certaine man had two sonnes, and comming to the
first,
he said: Sonne, goe worke to day in my vineyard.
29. And he answering, said: I wil not. But afterward moued with repentance he went.
30. And comming to the other, he said lifewise. And he answering, said: I goe Lord, and
he went not:
31. Which of the two did the fathers wil? They say to him: The first. Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ saith to
them: Amen I say to you, that the Publicans and whoores goe before you into the Kingdom of God.
32. For Iohn came to you in the way of iustice, and you did not beleeue him. But the
Publicans and whoores did beleeue him: but you seeing it, neither haue ye had repentance afterward,
to beleeue him.
33.
⋮
The Ghospel vpon friday the 2. weeke in Lent.
An other parable heare ye: A man there was an housholder who
*
Isai. 5,1.
Mark 12,1.
Luke 20,9.
planted a vineyard,
and he made a hedge round about it, and digged in it a pressem and builded a towre, and let it out
to husbandmen: and went forth into a strange countrie.
34. And when the time of fruits drew nigh, he sent his seruants to the husbandmen,
to receaue the fruits therof.
35. And the husbandmen apprehending his seruants, one they beat, an other they killed,
and an other they stoned.
36. Againe he sent other seruants more then the former: and they did to them likewise.
37. And last of al he sent to them his sonne, saying: They wil reuerence me sonne.
38. But the husbandmen seeing the sonne, said within themselues This is the Heire, come,
let vs kil him, and we shal haue his inheritance.
39. And apprehending him they cast him forth out of the vineyard, & killed him.
40. When therfore the Lord of the vineyard shal come, what wil he doe to those
husbandmen?
41. They say to him: The naughtie men he wil bring to naught: and his vineyard he
wil let out to other husbandmen, that shal render him the fruit in their seasons.
42. Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ saith to them: Haue you neuer read in the Scriptures:
*
Psa. 117,21.
The stone
which the builders reiected, the same is made into the head of the corner? By our Lord was
this done, and it is maruelous in our eyes.
43. Therfore I say to you, that the Kingdom of God shal be taken away from you, and
shal be giuen to a Nation yealding the fruits therof.
44. And
*
Isai. 8,14.
he that falleth vpon this ston, shal be broken: and on whom it falleth, it
shal al to bruise him.
45. And when the cheefe Priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they knew that
he spake of them.
46. And seeking to lay hands vpon him, they feared the multitudes: because they held
him as a Prophet.
ANNOTATIONS.
Cʜᴀᴘ. XXI.
2. You shal find.)
Christ by diuine power both knew where these beasts were, being absent, and commanded
them for his vse, being an other mans, and suddenly made the colt fit to be ridden on,
neuer broken before.
7. The asse and the colt.)
This asse vnder yoke signifieth the Iewes vnder the Law and vnder God their Lord, as it
were his old and ancient People: the yong colt now first ridden on by Christ, signifieth
the Gentils, wild hitherto and not broken, now to be called to the faith and to receaue
our Sauiours yoke. And therfore the three last Euangelists writing specially to the
Gentils, make mention of the colt only.
Hiero. in Mat.
Aug. li. 12 cont. Faust. c. 42.
8. Garments in the way.)
Procession on Palme-sunday with the B. Sacrament.
These offices of honour done to our Sauiour extraordinarily, were very acceptable: and
for a memorie hereof the holy Church maketh a solemne Procession euery yeare vpon this
day, specially in our Countrie when it was Catholike, with the B. Sacrament reuerently
caried, as it were Christ vpon the asse, and strawing of rushes and floures, bearing of
Palmes, setting up boughes, spreading and hanging vp the richest clothes, the quire and
queristers singing as here the children and the People; al done in a very goodly
ceremonie to the honour of Christ, and the memorie of his triumph vpon this day.
Al deuout offices in that kinde, exceeding grateful.
The like seruice and the like duties done to him in al other solemne Processions of the
B. Sacrament, and otherwise, be vndoubtedly no lesse grateful.
9. Hosanna.)
HOSANNA.
These very wordes of ioyful crie and triumphant voice of gratulation to our Sauiour,
holy Church vseth alwayes in the Preface of the Masse, as it were the voice of the
Priest and al the people (who then specially are attent and deuout) immediatly before
the Consecration & Eleuation, as it were expecting, & reioycing at his comming.
13. House of prayer.)
Note here that he calleth external Sacrifice (out of the Prophet Esay) prayer. For he
speaketh of the Temple, which was builded properly and principally for Sacrifice.
16. Mouth of infants.)
Yong childrens prayers proceeding from the instinct of Gods spirit, be acceptable: and
so the voices of the like, or of other simple folke now in the Church, though them
selues vnderstand not particularly what they say, be maruelous grateful to Christ.
22. Beleeuing.)
Prayers not vnderstood of the partie, are acceptable.
In respect of our own unworthinesse, and of the thing not alwayes expedient for vs,
we may wel doubt when we pray, whether we shal obtaine or no: but on Gods part we
must beleeve, that is, we must have no diffidence or mistrust either of his power or
of his wil, if we be worthie, and the thing expedient. And therfore S. Marke hath thus,
Have ye faith of God.
*Mark. 11, 22.
23. In what power?)
Heretikes runne, not sent.
The Heretikes presumptuously thinke themselves in this point like to Christ, because
they are asked, in what power they come, and who sent them: but when they have answered
this question as fully as Christ did here, by that which he insinuateth of Iohns
testimonie for his authority, they shal be heard, and til then they shal be stil taken
for those of whom God speaketh by the Prophet: *They ranne, and I sent them not.
Ier. 23.
28. The first.)
The first sonne here is the People of the Gentils, because Gentilitie was before there was
a peculiar and chosen people of the Iewes, and therfore the Iewes here as the later, are
signified by the other sonne.