was come to a straunge Nation But they which so say do not well vnderstande the Prophesie of Iacob Ge. 49.10 where the commynge of the Messias is not simpely promysed when the Iewes should be depriued of the Scepter but wheÌ„ the same was taken away from the Tribe of Iuda Howbeit this was not the meanings of the holy Patriarke that the Trybe of Iuda should be spoyled of his Scepter before Chryste came but that the regiment of the People should bee stable in the same vntill Chryste that in hys person the coÌ„tinuance of the same should at the last be permaneÌ„t And although at what time the Machabeis floryshed the Trybe of Iuda had no prehemineÌ„ce amonge the rest and shortely after the last Captayne Iohn of the same Nation or Trybe was slayne Yet notwithstanding the Regiment and Rule was not quyte extinguished because there remayned as yet a chosen Counsayle of the Family and Posterity of Dauid to whome belonged the chiefe authority and it continued vntil the comming of Herode who by the wycked slaughter of the Iudges reuenged the punishment layed vppon him because hee being condempned of Murther was constrayned to choose exile and banishmeÌ„t then to suffer Death Therefore the Raigne of Herode dyd not breake the Scepter of the Tribe of Iuda because hee was a straunger but because by his Robbery and cruelty all the dignity which remayned in that Tribe was abolished And although the Kyngly dignity was decayed longe before and the Regiment by litle and litle almost quight gone yet notwithstanding that decay is not repugnant with the Prophesie of Iacob For God had promysed two things which might seeme coÌ„trary one to the other namely that the seate of Dauid should be euerlasting and that after it was decayed he would repayre the same agayne that the power of the kingdome should be euerlastinge and yet notwtstanding a braunch should come out of the deade stocke of Isay Both which must needes be fulfilled Therefore GOD suffered the Rule which he had erected in the Tribe of Iuda to decay for a time to the ende the people mighte the more earnestly hope and looke for the Kyngdome of Christe And when as by the losse of a Counsayler the hope of the faythfull was as it were cleane cut of the Lord sodaynely shyned And nowe this appertayneth to the order of the Hystory when the tyme of the thinge done is noted but not without cause the myserable condition of that time was therewithall noted vnder the name of the King to the ende that Iewes might know that they must now haue respect vnto the Messias if so bee they woulde faithfully imbrace Gods couenante Iohn 1.15.3.18 A certayne Priest named Zacharias R. Luke going about to describe the Natiuity of Christe because Iohn the Baptist his forerunner was to bee sente before him to testefie to Israell that hee was the promysed Messias therefore firste of all hee describeth the conception and Byrthe of Iohn And because a witnesse hath no credit specially in matters of greate waight except hee bee very honest of good Fame Therefore first of all Iohn is described by the honesty of his Stocke and Parents and by the myracles by which not so much his natitiuity was adorned as the authority of his testimony whych hee should gieue concerninge Christe was commended Of the course of Abia C. It is euident by the sacred Scriptures 1. Cor. 24 that the Kinreds of the Priestes were described of Dauid by certayne degreese In that which matter Dauid did nothing against the commaundement of the law God had geuen the Priesthoode to Aaron and to his sonnes the rest of the Leuites hee had appoynted to lesser offices In this thinge Dauid made no alteration but his purpose was partly to prouide that there mighte bee no tumult amonge the multitude and partly also to cut of Ambition withall to bringe to passe that a fewe might not drawe vnto them the whole office and the greater parte sit Idell at home And in that distribution Abia the sonne of Eliazar had the eight place Zacharias therefore was of the Priestly stocke of the Posterity of Eleazar who succeded his Father in the Office of the high Prieste And his Wyfe was of the Daughters of Aaron R. Luke seemeth to make mencion hereof to shew that Zachary tooke not a Wyfe of any other Trybe as many other did which was against the lawe of God C. Moreouer for honors sake Luke maketh mencion of the stocke of Elyzabeth For it was lawful for Zacharias to marry the Daughter of any coÌ„mon Leuite It appeareth therefore by hys Parentes one eyther side that hee was in his order no coÌ„temned person But how Elizabeth being of the daughters of Aaron coulde be the Cosine of Mary we will shew in the 36. verse of this Chapter And her name was Elizabeth That is to say The rest of my God This signification did very well belong and agree to this Woman seeing that of her hee was borne which preached the euerlastinge and blessed Rest whych was to come by Christe And Zacharias is asmuch to say as mindefull of God 6. They were both righteous before God and walked in all the lawes and ordinances of the Lord that no man coulde finde fault with them They vvere both righteous before God C. Luke geueth notable testimony to the Father mother of Iohn not onely that they lyued holy and vnblameable before men but iustly also before God And briefly he sheweth what righteousnes this was when he sayth that they walked in the precepts of the Lord. Both are diligently to be noted For although Zachary Elyzabeth are praised to this ende that we might knowe that the Candell which shyned before the sonne of God came not oute of an obscure house but rather out of a noble and holy stocke notwithstandinge vnder their example the rule of Godly and vpright lyuinge is withall set forth vnto vs. â—e firiste 〈◊〉 to a â—â—ly lyfe This therefore is the first thinge which wee must obserue in orderinge of our lyfe namely that we endeuour our selues to make our selues acceptable before God â—d reâ—reth a â—e Conâ—nce For we know that hee specicially requyreth a pure heart and sincere Conscience Therefore hee shall begin at the wronge ende which omitting the integrity of the heart followeth onely an outwarde shewe of lyfe to fulfill the Lawe Workes vvithout a sincere heart are not acceptable to God For we must remeÌ„ber that God to whom we are coÌ„mauÌ„ded to haue respecte doth not beholde the outward shew of workes but specially the hearte Secondly wee must imbrace obedience that is to say The secoÌ„d step to godlines no man must frame to himselfe a newe forme of obedience at his owne pleasure without the worde of God but they must suffer them selues to be gouerned by him For this definition is not to be neglected that they are iust which frame their Lyfe accordinge to
abstayning also from all outward apparance of euell 7. And they had no Chylde because that Elizabeth vvas barren and they both vvere nowe vvell strooken in Age. And they hadde no Chylde BV. The Euangelist prosecuteth his narration vntill hee come to the conception of Iohn the Baptist C. And it came to passe by the singuler purpose of God that Iohn was begotten not after the common and vsual order of Nature The same also came to passe in Isaac in whom God had determined to shewe forth a rare and notable example of his Grace Elizabeth was barreine all the florishinge tyme of her youth the which tyme being past Ge. 17.10 and 21.2 Age maketh fruitefull Women barrayne Therefore in two lettes there appeareth a double myracle of the power of God and that to this ende that the Lorde as it were by his stretched out Arme from Heauen myghte declare that the Prophet was sente from him Hee was Borne a Mortall man of earthly Parents but a supernaturall meane doth no lesse cōmende him than if hee were fallen from Heauen Because that Elizabeth was barren E. Barrennesse was very reprochfull amonge the Iewes as Elizabeth her selfe testifieth when shee sayth Luke 1.25 Thus hath the Lord delt wyth me in the dayes vvherein hee looked on me to take from me my rebuke from amonge men So Moises speaketh of Abraham and Sara sayinge Ge. 18.11 Nowe Abraham and Sarah vvere olde and striken in age 8. And it came to passe vvhen Zacharie executed the Priests office before God as his course came And it came to passe A. Now he beginneth to shewe how Iohn was promised to Zacharias himselfe namely when hee was executinge the office of the Priest Before God That is to saye when hee entered into that parte of the Temple which is called Holy the which was rightouer against the Sanctum Sanctorum in the which was the Arke of the Lord vpon the which hee appeared Leui. 16.18 for the which cause the Arke sometime beareth the name of God him selfe as in this place and oftentimes also in the olde Testament These thinges hee declareth in the verse followinge saying 9. Accordinge to the custome of the Priests office his lot was to burne Incence when hee went into the Temple of the Lord. Accordinge to the Custome of the Priestes offyce C. The Lawe commaunded to burne Perfume twyse a day that is to say in the Morninge in the Eueninge And whereas the Priestes did serue by turne that was so appoynted by Dauid as we shewed before Therefore that which is spoken here of burning Incence the Law of God expresly cōmaunded For thus it is wrytten in the Lawe Thou shalte make an Aulter for sweete Perfume of Shittim Woode thou shalt make it Exo. 3.1.7 And in the seuenth verse following it is sayd And Aaron shall burne thereon sweete Incence euery morning Exo. 40.26 whē hee dresseth the Lampes thereof shal he burne it C. But whatsoeuer was more it was added by Dauid Howbeit that which he appoynted was not disagreing from the Lawe For he only shewed the way howe euery one might disdischarge that office which was inioyned him When hee wente into the Temple of the Lorde C. By this worde Temple is ment the holy place The which is therefore to be noted because sometime this woorde Temple comprehendeth the Churchyarde But Zacharie is sayd to go into the Temple whether it was lawfull for none to goe but the Priests only Therefore Luke saith that the People stoode a farre of betwene whom and the Aulter vppon which they burnte Incence there was a great distaunce because in the midest there was an Aulvpon which they offered burnte sacrifice And it is to bee noated that Luke sayth Before God For so often as the Prieste entered into the holy place The priest a mediator betvvene God and the People hee came as it were into the presence of God that he might bee a Mediator betwene God and the people For God woulde haue this knowne vnto his People that no man had accesse vnto Heauen but by the mediation of the Prieste yea and that so longe as men liue vpon the Earth they come not vnto the heauenly Throane but in the person of a Mediator Therefore seeing there were many Priestes it was not cōuenient that two of them at once should execute the office of Intercession for the people but they were therefore appointed tournes that one alone might enter into the sanctuary and that so there mighte bee but one Prieste at once Insence the vse thereof in the lavve And to this ende pertayned the burninge of Incence that the faythfull mighte bee admonished that smell of their prayers did not asscende into Heauen but by the sacrifice of Mediator But how these Fygures are applyed to vs reade the nynthe Chapter of the Epistell to the Hebrues 10. And the whole multitude of the people were without in praier while the Incence was burning And the whole multitude C. The multitude was not in the holy place when the high Priest entered into the same at that time when Insence was burnte euen as Moses wryteth Leui. 16.17 There shall bee no man in the Tabernacle of the Congregation when the highe Prieste goeth in to make an attonement for him selfe and for the People But the multitude aboade without in the Courte or Yarde the expresse forme whereof and of the holy place with the Aulters for Incence burnt Sacrifices is to be seene in those bybles which Robert Stephanus hath prynted in the sixt Chapter of the thirde Booke of Kinges 11. And there appeared vnto him an Angell of the Lorde standing on the right side of the aulter of Incence 12. And when Zacharias sawe him he was troubled and feare came vpon him And when Zacharias sawe him C. Although GOD doth not therefore appeare vnto his seruauntes to terrefie them Feare is very necessary yet notwithstandinge it is profitable and very necessary that they should be made a fearde that they being confounded in them selues may learne to geue the due honor vnto God And Luke doth not only shew that Zacharias was a fearde but also addeth And feare came vpon him Where by hee gieueth vs to vnderstande that hee was so afearde that hee was ouercome therewith And the feare which commeth vpon men at the presence of God doth not onely bringe them to reuerence but also humbleth the pride of the fleshe which is so peruerse that men will neuer submitte themselues vnto God except they be violently constrayned thereunto Whereby also we gather the mē neuer flatter thēselues wax proude but when God is absent that is to saye when they wythdrawe themselues from his presence sighte For if so bee they did beholde God as a Iudge they could not but presently be a fearde And if this happened to Zacharias at the sight of the Angell to whom the prayse of ryghteousnesse is geuen the which Angell is
was consecrated by the voice of the Father and by the aparition of the spirite into his office of teachinge and Redeeminge of all those which belieue in him Concerning the originall of Ihon and his appointment to this Worke that hee mighte manifest Christe vnto Israell and prepare the People for him by preachinge Repentaunce wee haue spoken in the first Chapter S. And now to the ende he might shew further that the time of the Messias is fulfilled hee dilligently noteth the Emperour in whose raigne the Gospel began to bee preached Pontius Pilate beinge Liefetenante C. It is very likely that this was the seconde yeare of Pilates gouernemente as may appeare by that which Iosephus reporteth in his 18. booke of the Antiquities of the Iewes at which time the Gospell began to be preached by Ihon. Herod beinge Tetrarch of Galile C. This Herod was the second Heire of Herod the great which succeeded his father by his will and Testament For the Trarche of Iudea was geuen to Archelaus But when hee was sent into Vienna by Augustus that parte fell as a Pray to the Romaines Where fore Luke maketh mēcion here of two Sonnes of Herod namely of Herod Antipas who beinge made Tetrarch of Galile possessed Samaria Perea and of Philip who being tetrarch of the Region of the trachonites and of Iturea raygned from the Sea of Tiberias or Genezareth vnto the foote of Libanus from whence springeth the Riuer of Iordane And Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene C. Some haue falsly supposed Lysanias to be the sonne of Ptolomaeus Mennaeus which was King of Chalsis who was killed of Cleopatra 30. yeares before Christe was borne As Iosephus writteth in his fiftenth booke of Antiquities He coulde also scarsly bee his Nephewe whom Iosephus reporteth to be the author and stirrer vp of the war of Parthia for hee shoulde haue bene then aboue threescore yeares olde Futhermore seeing hee prouoked the Parthians to warre vnder the raigne of Antigonus it must needes be that he was at that time come to mans state And Ptolomaeus Mennaeus dyed long after that Iulius Caesar was stayne being entered into the order of the Triumuiri betwene Lepidus Antonius and Octauius as testefieth Iosephus in the 23. Chap. of his 14. Booke But seeing that this Nephew of Ptolomaeus was called as was his father also Lysanias hee might leaue his son so sirnamed also Howbeit without all controuersie their error is to be reiected which Immagine that Lysanias which was killed of Cleopatra lyued threescore yeares after his death This name of Tetrarche is here improperly taken as thoughe the whole Coūtrey were deuided into 4. partes But seeinge in the beginning Countreys were deuided into foure partes and other alterations followed afterwarde againe for honoures sake this name was the farther stretcht In the which sence Plini reckeneth vp seuentene Tetrarches in one Region or Countrey Reade our Comentary vpon the 14. Chapter of Math. verse 1. When Annas and Caiphas C. It is certaine that there were neuer two high Priests in the priesthoode at one time Iosephus testifieth that Cayphas was appoynted high Prieste by Valerius Gratus a litle before hee departed out of the Countrey At what time that Pilate was Liefetenaunt of Iury wee reade not in Iosephus that any alteration was made by him Yea when hee was put from the Gouernement and place and was commaunded to goe to Rome to answere his cause then Vitellius Liefetenaunt of Syria depriuinge Caiphas aduaunced Ionathas the sonne of Anani to the Priesthoode And whereas Luke nameth two high Priestes wee may not so vnderstand him as though hee gaue vnto them both all one tytell but hee nameth two bycause one halfe of the dignity of the Priestehoode remained to Annas the high Priestes Father in Lawe Wherefore Luke geueth vs to vnderstand that the state was so confounded disordered that there were was at that time no one true high Prieste but that the holy priesthood was rent and torne by ambition and tyrannical power Concerning Caiphas reade the 26. Chap. of Mathew and the thirde verse The worde of the Lord came to Ihon This Hebrewe Phrase of speache is very common in the Scriptures The woorde of the Lord came to Osee to Zachary and to others that is to say The Lorde spake vnto them and appointed them by his cōmaundement to their office bycause no man ought to vsurpe an office to himselfe for that were great rashnesse Such did nothinge of them selues but by Gods appointment C. Therefore Luke before hee shew that Ihon tooke his office in hande declareth that hee was called vnto the same by God that his ministery mighte sufficiently bee warranted vnto vs by authority Hereby wee gather that none are true Teachers but they which are called vnto their office by God For it is not sufficient to haue the worde of God except there bee Ioyned vnto the same a speciall callinge If therefore the most exellent Prophets taried vntill they were called of GOD what are they which at this day intrude them selues without such deuine callinge 3. And hee came into all the Coastes about Iordane preaching the baptisme of Repentaunce for the remission of sinnes And hee came into all the Coastes A. Mathew and Marke make mencion only of the Wildernesse but Luke sayth here that Iohn preached in all the Coastes round about Iordane But we haue reconciled these places in ou◠exposition vpon the thirde Chap. of Mathew the 1. verse Preachinge the baptisme of Repentance Marke also vseth the same kinde of speach Mark ◠4 Acts 19 4. And the Apostell Paule also in the Actes C. This forne of speach doth first of all generally shew which is the right vse of the sacraments Secondly wherefore Baptisme is instituted and what it contayneth A Sacrament therefore is not a dumbe Ceremony which sheweth forth some goodly shew without doctrine but it hath the Word of God annexed thereunto which quickeneth the externall Ceremony it selfe When wee speake of the Worde wee meane not that Word which some exorciste by magicall whisperings muttereth but which is pronounced with a loude and distincte voice to the Edification of Faith For Iohn is not sayd simply to baptize into repentaunce as though the Grace of God were included in a visible Signe but to preache what the profit of baptisme was that of the worde preached there might be an effectuall signe And this is proper vnto baptisme that it is sayd to bee a signe of repentance for the remission of sinnes S. Here therefore wee see that Baptisme is a signe of Renouation For men were inuited to repentance that they might bee new Creatures Wherefore this Sacrament is called the Baptisme of Repentaunce of his ende not that the externall signe is sufficient to repentance for Hypocrits do sufficiently shew how farre a sunder the truth and the figure are but here first of all the Institution of GOD is respected then the power of the holy ghost vpon the which dependeth the
spake here concerning the Office of the messias as the same was described by the Prophetes leaste the death of the Crosse might be an offeÌ„ce vnto them And in the way as they wente the space of three or fower howers was inough to declare the matter at large Therefore he did not bryefly shew the Chryste ought to suffer but plentifully declared that he was therefore sent that by the sacrifice of his Death hee myght make satisfactions for the sinns of the World that he might be the peace offering to take away the cursse Therefore Luke hath put don thys sentence interrogatiuely for the greater vehemency Whereby we gather that the necessity of his death was shewed by reasons The summe is that the dysciples were troubled amisse wyth the death of Chryst without the whych he could not doe the office of Chryste and open the gates of the kingdom of heauen because the pryncipall part of the redemption was the sacrifice of his body The which ought dilligently to be noted For seeing Chryst wanteth hys honor except he bee taken for the offering and Sacrifice for sins the abasing of himselfe is the onely enterance into his Glory Phi. 2.7 by which he became a redemer 27. And he began at Moyses and all the Prophets and interpreted vnto them in all Scriptures vvhych were written of him C. Hee putteth them in minde of that which was spoken of him in the Prophets It is an easy matter to boast of the word of the lord but we must shew what is contained in the lawe and the Prophets The which Chryst doth For he doth not onely name the Prophets but doth also shew what is contayned in them Also this place techeth how Chryst is reuealed vnto vs by the Gospell Namely when the knowledge of his is set forth in the Law and the Prophets For there was neuer at any time a more excellent teacher of the gospell then the Lorde himselfe who fetcheth as wee see the profe of his doctrine from the Lawe and the Prophets Wherefore to the end that Christ may shine vnto vs at this day throughe the Gospell we must needes haue Moises and the Prophets before vs as foreruÌ„ners Of the which thing the Readers are therefore to be put in mynde least they geue eare vnto phanaticall Spyrites who suppressing the Lawe and the Gospell do wickedly cut and mangle the Gospell As though GOD would haue al that which hee hath testefied concerning his sonne to be voide seruing for no vse But how those things which are red in Moises and in the prophets concerning Chryst are to be aâ—plyed vnto him we cannot presently declare It shall bee sufficiente briefely to know that Chryst is not in vayn called the end of the Law RoÌ„ 1. For how obscurely and darkely soeuer Moyses rather shadoweth Chryste then expresseth hym this is without all controuersie that except there be one excelling the rest in the â—locke of Abraham vnder whom the whole people may growe together in one body the couenaunt which GOD made with the Holy Fathers shall bee voyde and of none effect Furthermore seeing God commaunded a Tabernacle and Ceremonies to be ordained according to the heauenly paterne it followeth that the Sacrifices and all the rites of the Temple shall bee but a a vaine and friuolous scorne excepte their truth rest vpon another And this Argumente the Apostle persecuteth at large in his Epystle to the Hebrewes Hel For there he teacheth that the visible ceremonies of the Law are shadowes of spyritual things and that we must seeke Chryste in the whole legall Priesthoode in the sacrifices and in the forme of the sanctuarie Therefore Chryst shall bee rightly drawen from the Law if so be we way and consider that the Couenant whych God made with the fathers was held vp by the mediator that the sanctuary by which God declared the presence of his grace was consecrated with bloud that the lawe it selfe with the promises thereof was ratified and establyshed with the sprynkeling of Bloude that there was one priest chosen froÌ„ among the rest of the people to presente hymself before GOD in the name of men not as a mortall man but vnder a holy forme that men had no hope geeuen there vnto them of theyr reconcilliatioÌ„ with God but by the offeringe vp of Sacrifice Moreouer there is a very notable prophesie concerning the perpetuitie of the Kingdome in the Tribe of Iuda But the Prophets them selues haue more plainly set forth the mediator who notwithstanding had theyr first knowlege of him from Moises because theyr office consisted onely in this to renewe the memory of the Couenaunte more plainely to shew the Spyrituall worship of God to builde the trust of Saluation vppon the mediator and also more euydently to shew the manner of reconcilliation But because it pleased God to deferre the full ReuelatioÌ„ vntill the comming of his Son this was no superfluous Interpretation And it were to be wished that this speach and Interpretation of Chryst were extant then should we not take so gret paynes in the Interpretation of the Scriptures because those thinges contayned in them concerning Christ are very obscure But let vs know that the Lorde would haue so much extante as was needefull for he would haue our dilligence sharpened Howbeit the Apostles haue sufficiently declared how the Prophesies oughte to bee vnderstoode they doe not explicate all Places but doe geeue vnto vs the key leaste wee shoulde complayne that they are lockt and hidden from vs. 28. And they drue nigh vnto the town whych they went vnto And hee made as thoughe hee woulde haue gone further A. There is no doubte but that these two Disciples all the way as they weÌ„t heard these woordes of Chryste wyth great desyre as afterwarde they themselues confesse C. Other Interpreters immagyne an other Place beside EMAVS saying that this towne of the which mention is made heere was more nere vnto the City Hierusalem then vnto Emaus because it is sayde in the thyrtye three Verse that the disciples roase vp the same Hower and returned agayne to Hierusalem but why they should so fayne there is no reason For the iourney was not so longe that they neded to take vp theyr Lodginge in the nearest place Wee know that a man may goe seuen myles in fower Howers thoughe he goe but a softe pace VVherefore there is no doubte but that our Sauyour Chryst went to Emaus And hee made as though he would C. Heere some demaunde whether CHRISTE doe excuse dyssemblynge by his owne Example Question or whether there bee any Dissimulation in hym whych is the Externall truth of GOD. Aunsvver To whome wee aunswere that the Sonne of GOD was not so tyed that hee shoulde reueale all his Counsayles Notwythstandyng because dissemblyng is a certayne kynde of Lyinge the Knot is not yet dissolued specially seeynge many draw this Example into a liberty of lyinge Wee aunswere that CHRIST dyd fayne thys which is heere