The Maisters of the Iewes he confuseth both with reasons and miracles: defending his
remitting of sinnes, 9. his eating with sinners, 14. and his condescending to his weake Disciples,
vntil he haue made them stronger. 18. shewing also in two miracles, the order of his prouidence, about
the Iewes and Gentils, leauing the one, when he called the other. 27. he cureth two blind men, and one
possessed. 35. And hauing with so many miracles togeather, confuted his enemies, and yet they worse and
worse, vpon pitie toward the people, he thinketh of sending true pastours vnto them.
1.
⋮
The Ghospel vpon the 18 Sunday after Pentecost.
AND entring into a boat, he passed ouer the water, and came into his owne citie.
2. And
*
Mark 2,3.
Luke 5,18
behold they brought to him one sick of the palsey lying in bed. And Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ
✟
We see that the faith of one helpeth to obtaine for an other.
seeing their faith, said to the sick of the palsey: Haue a good hart Sonne, thy sinnes are
forgiuen thee.
3. And behold certaine of the Scribes said withing them selues:
He blasphemeth.
4. And Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ seeing their thoughtes, said: Wherfore think you euil in your harts.
5. Whether is easier, to say, thy sinnes are forgiuen thee: or to say, arise and
walk.
6. But that you may know that the Sonne of man hath power in earth to forgiue sinnes,
(then said he to the sick of palsey) Arise, take vp thy bed, and goe into thy house.
7. And he arose, and went into his house.
8. And the multitudes seeing it, were afrayd, and glorified God that gaue such power
to men.
9.
⋮
The Ghospel vpon S. Matthewes day. Sept. 21.
And
*
Mark 2,14.
Luke 5,27.
when Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ passed forth from thence, he saw a man sitting in the custome-house,
named Matthew; And he saith to him: Folow me. And he arose vp, and folowed him.
10. And it came to passe as he was sitting at meate in the house, behold many
Publicans and sinners came, and sate downe with Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ and his Disciples.
11. And the Parisees seeing it, said to his Disciples: why doth your Master eate with
Publicans and sinners?
12. But Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ hearing it, said: They that are in health, need not a physicion, but
they that are il at ease.
13. But go your wayes & learne what it is,
*
Ose. 6,6.
I wil mercie, & not
not sacrifice. For I am not come to cal the iust, but sinners.
14. Then
*
Mark 2,18.
Luke 5,33.
came to him the Disciples of Iohn, saying: Why do we and the Pharisees fast
often, but thy Disciples do not fast?
15. And Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ said to them: Can the children of the Bridegroome mourne, as long as the
Bridegroome is the them? But the dayes wil come when the Bridegroome shal be taken away from them,
✟
Christ signifieth that the Church shal vse fasting-daies after his Ascension.
Epiph. in Comp. fid. Cath. Aug. ep. 80.
and then they shal fast.
16. And no body putteth a peece of raw cloth to an old garment. For he taketh away the
peecing therof from the garment, and there is made a greater rent.
17. Neither do they out new wine into old bottels. Otherwise the bottels breake, and
the wine runneth out, and the bottels perish. But new wine they put into new bottels: and both are
preserued togeather.
18.
⋮
The Ghospel vpon the 23 Sunday after Pentecost.
*
Mark 5,22.
Luke 8,41.
As he was speaking vnto them, behold a certaine Gouernour approched, and adored
him, saying: Lord, my daughter is euen now dead; but come, lay thy hand vpon her, and she shal liue.
19. And Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ rysing vp folowed him, and his Disciples.
20. And behold a woman which was troubled with and issue of bloud
twelue yeares, came
behind him, and touched the hemme of his garment.
21. For she said withing herself: If I shal touch only his garment, I shal be safe.
22. But Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ turning and seeing her, said: Haue a good hart
✟
Loe, her denotion to the hemme of his garment, was not superstition, but a token of
greater faith; so is the deuout touching of holy relikes.
daughter, thy faith hath made
thee safe. And the woman became whole from the houre.
23. And when Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ was come into the house of the Gouernour, saw minstrels and the
multitude keeping a sturre,
24. he said: Depart, for the wench is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to
skorne.
25. And when the multitude was put forth, he entred in, and held her hand. And the maid
arose.
26. And this bruit went forth into al that countrie.
27. Ans as Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ passed forth from thence, there folowed him two blind men crying and
saying: Haue mercie on vs, O Sonne of Dauid.
28. And when he was come to the house, the blind came to him. And Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ saith to them:
Do you beleeue, that I can doe this vnto you? They say to him: Yea Lord.
29. Then he touched their eyes, saying: According to your faith, be it donne to you.
30. And their eyes were opened, and Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ threatned them, saying: See that no man know it.
31. But they went forth, and bruited him in al that countrie.
32. And when they were gone forth,
*
Mat. 12,22.
behold they brought him a dumme man, possessed with a
Diuel.
33. And after the Diuel was cast out, the dumme man spake, and the multitudes marueled
saying: Never was the like seene in Israel.
34. But
*
Mat. 12,24.
the Pharisees said:
✟
In like manner say the Heretikes, calling al miracles done in the Catholike Church, the
lying signes of Antichrist.
In the Prince of Diuels he casteth out Diuels.
35. And Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ went about al the cities, and townes, teaching in their Synagogues, and
preaching the Ghospel of the Kingdom, and curing euery disease, and euery infirmitie.
36. And seing the multitudes, he pitied them; because they were vexed, and lay like sheep
that haue not a shepeard.
37. Then he saith to his Disciples: The haruest surely is great, but the workmen are few.
38. Pray therfore the Lord of the haruest, that he send forth workmen into his haruest.
ANNOTATIONS.
Cʜᴀᴘ. IX.
3. He blasphemeth.]
When the Iewes heard Christ remit sinnes, they charged him with blasphemie, as Heretikes
now charge his Priests of the new Testament, for that they remit sinnes; to whom he
said, Whose sinnes you shal forgiue, they are forgiuen &c. Jo. 20.
5. Whether is easier.)
Men haue power to forgiue sinnes.
The faithlesse Iewes thought (as Heretikes now a daies) that to forgiue sinnes was so proper
to God, that it could not be communicated vnto man; but Christ sheweth, that as to worke
miracles is otherwise proper to God only, and yet this power is communicated to men,
so also to forgiue sinnes.
6. The Sonne of man in earth.]
Christ had power to remit sinnes, and often executed the same, not only as he was God,
but also as he was a man, because he was head of the Church, and our cheefe Bishop
& Priest according to his manhood, in respect wherof al power was giuen him in Heauen
and earth. Mat. 28 v. 18.
8. Glorified.)
The faithful people did glorifie God, that gaue such power to men, for to remit sinnes, &
to doe miracles, knowing that that which God committeth to men, is not to his derogation,
but to his glorie, himself only being stil the principal worker of that effect, men being
only his ministers, substitutes, and working vnder him, and by his commission and authoritie.
8. To men.)
Not only Christ as he was man, had this power to forgiue sinnes, but by him and from him the
Apostles, and consequently Priests, Mat. 28. Al power is geuen me. Mat. 18.
Whatsoever you shal loose in earth, shal be loosed in Heaven. John. 20.
Whose sinnes you shal forgiue, they are forgiuen.
13. Not Sacrifice.]
External Sacrifice.
These are the wordes of the Prophet, who spake them euen then when sacrifices where
offered by Gods commandment; so that it maketh not against sacrifice. But he saith
that sacrifice only without mercie, and charitie, and generally with mortal sinne,
is not acceptable. The Jewes offered their sacrifices dewly, but in the meane time
they had no pitie nor mercie on their brethren; that is it, which God misliketh.
14. Fast often.)
Fasting.
By the often fasting of S. Johns Disciples, we may gather that he appointed them a
prescript manner of fasting: as it is certaine he taught them a forme of prayer.
Luke 5 & 11.
17. New wine.)
By this new wine, he doth plainly here signifie fasting, and the strait kind of life: by
the old bottels, them that can not away therewith.
19. Twelue yeares.)
This woman a Gentil, had her disease twelue yeares, and the Gouerners daughter a Jewe
(which is here raysed to life) was twelue yeares old, Luke 8. Mark then the Allegorie
hereof in the Jewes & Gentils. As that woman fel sick when the wench was borne, so
the Gentils went their owne wayes into idolatrie, when the Jewes in Abraham beleeued.
Againe, as Christ here went to raise the wench, and by the way the woman was first
healed, and then the wenche reuiued: so Christ came to the Jewes, but the Gentils
beleeued first, and were saued; and in the end the Iewes shal beleeue also.
Hiero. in Mat.
21. Touch only.]
Relikes and Images.
Not only Christes wordes, but his garment and touch thereof, or any thing to him belonging,
might doe, & did miracles, force proceeding from his holy Person to them. Yea this woman
returning home *set vp an Image of Christ, for memorie of this benefit, and the hemme of
the same Image did also miracles. This Image Iulian the Apostate threw downe, and set vp
his owne in steed thereof, which was immediatly destroyed by fire from Heauen. But the
image of Christ broken in peeces by the Heathen, the Christians afterward gathering the
peeces togeather placed it in the Church: where it was, as Sozomenus writeth, vnto his
time.
*Euseb. li. 7 c. 14 hist. Li. 5 c. 20.
28. Do you beleeue that I can?]
We see here that to the corporal healing of these men he requireth only this faith, that
he is able; which faith is not sufficient to iustifie them. How then doe the Heretikes
by this and the like places plead for their only iustifying faith?
See the Annot. Mark 5,36.
38. Pray therfore.)
Therfore doth the Church pray and fast in the Ember dayes, when holy Orders are giuen,
that is, when workmen are prepared to be sent into the haruest. See Act. 13,2.