beginning of the Evangelium which is good Tydings is the Baptism of Christ as blessed Mark saith and inasmuch as he saith The Beginning of the Gospel he sheweth that he was the first that gave the name of Evangelium to a Book Moreover forasmuch as Evangelium or Gospel is by interpretation good Tydings and Christ before his Baptism did neither Preach nor Evangelize but after he was Baptized and Tempted he immediately Preached Repent the Kingdom is at hand as Matthew and Mark have written Moreover from his Birth to his Baptism he was governed by the Law and from his Baptism by such a new Administration as comported with the New Testament Again before his Baptism he performed no Miracle nor delivered any Doctrine otherwise than by Question and Answer in the Temple when he was Twelve years old as Luke sayes Moreover those things which were from his Birth to his Baptism are not to be reputed as of the Gospel though they have relation thereunto and are compiled therewith that we might be taught after what manner were his Conception and Birth Nor were it possible that we should be capable of receiving the Doctrine of the Gospel if we had not first learned where and how he was born whereas in those Years from his Birth to his being Thirty Years of Age he satisfied the Obligation of the Law of Nature and the written Law then he applied himself to frame a Module of a new World in his Baptism and to Preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God And forasmuch as Mark knew that Baptism was the Beginning of the Gospel and that our Lord thence took his Commencement in the new Administration he wrote in the beginning of his Book thus The Beginning of the Gospel And if it shall be Objected Wherefore did the other Evangelists begin higher than his Baptism It is plain that Matthew wrote so that he might make it appear unto the Hebrews to whom he wrote That as the Prophets had before written that Christ should spring from the Lineage of David so he did then spring thence and Luke that he might bring them into Contempt who unskilfully undertook to write the Histories of deeds and John that he might write concerning the Divinity of Christ for that the other three omitted it lest it should be concealed and Christ be reputed but a meer man for these three causes they took their rise so high and not for that his Conception his Birth his Circumcision c. were of the Gospel The Son of God He calls Jesus Christ the Son of God and not the Son of Grace as say the Nestorians for we are the sons of grace and that Mark doth not here call Jesus Christ the Son of Grace but the Natural Son of God is evident from that which the Apostle said to the Philippians in an Epistle Let this mind be in your selves which was also in Christ Jesus who being the likeness thought it not robbery to be equal with God but evacuated himself of reputation and assumed the likeness of a servant and was made in the likeness of the sons of men and in fashion was found as man and humbled himself and became obedient even to death even the death of the Cross wherefore God hath exceedingly exalted him and given him a Name more excellent than all names That at the Name of Jesus every knee should how c. Let the Nestorians and Calcedonians be demanded Who is he who so evacuated himself and assumed the likeness of a servant Man or the word God Divine Nature or Nature Humane for Man and Humane Nature were already evacuated and servants wherefore this is the sense of the words that the word God evacuated himself and observe that the word God who evacuated himself and assumed the likeness of a servant doth he call Jesus Christ and to him is attributed Subjection Obedience and Death and the Cross and to him is attributed Exaltation and the giving of the Name of God which is more excellent than all Names And forasmuch as the Apostle said concerning the word God that he evacuated himself these are evident Demonstrations First That he being God by Nature was incarnate and made Man of his own will without being changed from being God Secondly That being equal in Nature with the Holy Ghost and Giver thereof and having a natural Holiness he took upon him to be anointed and sanctified by the Holy Ghost as he was Man for being made Man he suffered natural and animal Passions but not culpable Hunger and Thirst Sleep and Death did he taste for us And Thirdly That being called by eminent and exalted Names to wit Lord and God and Omnipotent and other the like so that whatsoever he had did as naturally belong unto him as to the Father and the Holy Ghost as having life of his own nature having power over all things and having glory due unto him from all things yet it is said That it was given him of the Father and that he received it from the Father And this moreover for that he was evacuated and made man And these were Demonstrations of his Exinanition that he vouchsafed to be called by humble and inferiour names as of Man Son of Man and a Stone Moreover it is certain That the word God who was the natural Son of God the Father is called Christ and not the Son of man who was of Mary for David saith That thy Throne O God is for ever and ever a right Scepter is the Scepter of thy Kingdom thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity wherefore God thy God hath anointed thee with the oyle of gladness above thy fellows It is therefore clearly understood that he whom he calls God and of whom he saith Thy Throne O God for ever is the same whom God the Father anointed and not the Son of Man who was of Mary Furthermore forasmuch as he saith That he anointed him above his fellows that is to say more than all they who were anointed by the Holy Ghost because they stood in need of anointing and were anointed by the Holy Ghost but the word God was anointed and sanctified by the Holy Ghost not being in want thereof because he was equal with the Holy Ghost and had a natural Holiness and was full as St. John saith of his fulness have we all received but because he was made man he received the Spirit and his anointing and his holiness that by his Mediation he might give us the Spirit to anoint and sanctifie us for that this word was anointed and sanctified by the Spirit because he was sent into the World and was made man is manifest from that which he saith of himself Say ye of him whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world thou blasphemest because I said unto you that I am the Son of God for it is certain that he who was sent from God the Father into the world was God the word and he who was sent was
took and would not put him to death for that he was a wise man and did foretell many things as afterwards they came to pass and as it seems unto me he was for this reason called Caiphas viz. because the Arabians calls him who subtilâ—y declares a thing Kaiph A Town called Ephraim This was a City on the East of Bethel and they say that he there wrought a miracle that there comes not there any evil creeping thing CHAP. XII YE also all of ye are clean These words All of ye are not congruous nor are they in the Greek but were added by the Writer it being clear that it ought to be read Ye also are clean but not all of ye CHAP. XIII VVHO leaned on his bosome This was John for he sate behind between him and Simon not in order being a youth CHAP. XIV My Father is greater than me That is to say in Majesty Moreover he is greater than this bodily appearance and by reason of the imbecillity of their minds he said this to comfort them CHAP. XVII THat they might know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Theodorus expounds Thee thee onely c. of the Three persons And whom thou hast sent concerning the Son of man assumed but he erred for Christ is not the name of the Son of man but of God-man And for their sakes I sanctifie my self That is to say I offer to thee my self a sacrifice to wit a separation and sanctification for them CHAP. XVIII AND they themselves entred into the Judgment Hall lest they should be defiled when they were to eat the Passeover This sheweth That the Jewes had not yet eaten the Passeover on the morning of the Friday and therefore they did not eat it on Friday Eve as our Lord did eat CHAP. XIX FOR that Sabbath was an high day For therein was the celebration of the Passeover and therein was accomplished the Week of Fifty years for the setting free of servants and the reversion of Inheritances CHAP. XX. ENtred not in Either he was afraid or gave a difference of honour to Simeon My Father and your Father my God and your God That is to say my Father by nature and your Father by grace and my God by grace and your God by nature He breathed on them and said Receive the Holy Ghost That is to say he ordained them Priests and only gave them authority of remission of sins until they should be compleated in the upper room and it is likely that he disposed them to receive the Spirit afterwards in the upper room plenarily And they saw burning coals laid and fish laid thereon and bread These he created of nothing and not as before when he fed the multitudes Neither the world it self as I suppose would be sufficient for the Books which should be written That is to say Man who is a little World would not have been sufficient to comprehend his Wonders and to know the power of his Divinity And men say That these words are not the words of the Evangelist but are as this The Angel at certrin seasons moved the water FINIS The Syriack Scholiast his Reconciliation of Saint Paul and James touching JUSTIFICATION Translated by D. L. J. U. D. JAMES II. Ver. 26. Faith without Works is dead THis is not contrary to that of St. Paul who saith That a man is justified by the Law of Faith and not by the Law of Works For St. James speaks of Faith subsequent unto Baptisin and Paul of Faith precedent to Baptism as St. Severus makes it appear for he who believeth and is to be baptized although he hath not good Works is justified but after he is baptized of necessity good Works are required of him and both of them refer the matter unto Abraham St. James after he was Circumcised and offered up Isaac upon the Altar And Paul before he was Circumcised when he believed in God and it was imputed unto him for righteousness in Circumcision which is a Type of Baptism The Genealogy OF MELCHIZEDECK Translated by D. L. J.U.D. THis Melchizedeck was King of Salem whose Father and Mother were not written in the Genealogies because they were not first born and he was of the seed of Shem Shem begate Arphaxad and Arphaxad begate Melchizedeck And when Noah dyed he gave Commandment unto Shem concerning the bones of our Father Adam for they had them with them in a Chest when they departed from the Land of Eden to this spiritual Land and Shem went to the Chest and took out the bones of our Father Adam and sealed the Chest with the signature of his Father and said unto his Brethren My Father commrnded me to go and observe the original of Seas and Rivers and he said unto the Father of Melchizedeck and to his Mother Jozvet Give me your blessing to accompany me in this Journey The Position of the Syriack Scholiast dogmatically declaring That the Sin of a High Priest is greater than a sin of the same kind committed either by Prince or people by him expressed in the Fourth Chapter of Levit. ver 3. Translated out of the Syriack Language by D.L. J.U.D. IF the Priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people In the Greek If the High Priest he who is anointed shall sin so as to make the people to sin i. e. they imitating him and offending in the same kind the whole Congregation shall offer an Oblation a young Bullock for his sin i. e. All the people when they offend offer the same Oblation onely which the Priest did when he offended and therefore it is said That the transgression of him who standeth in an high place ought to be reputed as if it were the sin of all those who stand under him And if a Ruler shall sin i. e. a Prince he shall bring his offering a Kid of the Goats i. e. his Oblation is less than that of the Priest or that of the Congregation altogether nor was he sprinkled with blood seven times by reason of his Prerogative of Honour And although in some respects the Prince himself be less than the Priest and the people do far exceed him in number yet he is greater than any one of the Congregation and therefore every one of them offending offereth a Female but he a Male kid The Opinion of Gregorius Syrus concerning the Suns going retrogade ten degrees Translated out of the Syriack Language by D.L. J.U.D. BY reason of the Suns return from the West to the East retrogade the shadow return'd from the East to the West And if these degrees be computed according to the number of the degrees in the Zodiack viz. 360. every fifteen degrees make up one hour of the 24. of the natural day so that it is clear that the addition was an hour and â…“ of an hour viz. 20 degrees for whereas the Sun went ten degrees toward the East it must of necessity return ten degrees
a Samaritan a Transgressor of the Law and have said That I am not come from God These things shall be forgiven unto ye but forasmuch as ye have blasphemed against the Holy Spirit by whom I have cast out Devils and Cured the Sick and have said That I did so by the help of Beelzebub and have attributed Divine miracles unto Devils This Blasphemy shall not be remitted unto ye neither in this World nor in that which is to come Object If Blasphemy against him shall be forgiven and Blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven therefore the Son is less than the Spirit and how is Blasphemy against the Spirit irremissible for behold the Jewes who blasphemed against him as also the Macedonians who called him a thing made when they believed and repented obtained forgiveness Resp We Answer That he doth not say that universally all Blasphemies against the Holy Ghost are irremissible but unless they repent they shall not be remitted unto them and many who blasphemed against the Son and did not repent did not obtain pardon and many who did blaspheme against the Spirit and afterwards repented have obtained pardon Moreover He sheweth that Blasphemy against himself is of a lower degree but Blasphemy against the Spirit is great and difficult There might be some excuse for Blasphemy against him because they saw him vested with a body and he appeared to be a man but the proof of the Spirit they took from the Scriptures and the Prophets who spoke concerning him and therefore they were inexcusable and according to what I said ye are offended with me because I am cloathed with flesh but forasmuch as ye have not seen the Spirit so cloathed but working miracles wherefore do ye blaspheme against him Neither in this World nor in that which is to come For some men are Tormented here and there as the Sodomites and the Jewes who were Tormented here in the Captivity and in the other World because they did not believe and there are others who are neither Tormented here nor there as the Apostles the Martyrs and Job for although they suffered afflictions yet whatsoever they endured was not a punishment but a colluctation with evil and a tryal of integrity for there is a difference between a punishment which proceeds from sin and tryals which are permitted for proof of the Elect and Vertuous for the one hardly receives remission of the sins which he committed by the tribulation he endures but the other obtains a Crown of Righteousness And there are some who are Tormented here as Beggars and Lazarus and he who toâ—k the Wife of his Father and some there as the Rich man and it being certain that some are Tormented here and some there our Lord said Neither in this World nor in that which is to come Moreover He calls his body the son of man that is to say Whosoever shall blaspheme against my body saying I came not from a Virgin or that I did not descend from Heaven or that my body hath not suffered truly but in fancy I shall forgive him upon Repentance but he who shall blaspheme against the Divinity working miracles shall not be forgiven for this is a sin accompanied with contempt and is not made of poverty and delight and although this sin may be remitted as we said before by Repentance yet it is the worst of all sins DIONYSIVS SYRVS CONCERNING FREE-VVILL IN HIS Exposition on the Eighteenth Chapter of MATTHEW Ver. 7. Translated by D. L. J. U. D. FOR it is necessary that offences should come By the word necessary he doth not take away the liberty and power which they have in themselves but hath regard to the Scandals which by their own liberty and will they were to bring necessarily upon themselves by reason of which they were to be condemn'd Again He did not cast them under a constraint of fact but foresaw that they were incurably sick and of their own will were to produce Scandals and therefore he said It is necessary forasmuch as they were to be the cause thereof for if they had been unwilling they would not have come But if it were necessary that Scandals should come why doth he denounce a Woe unto the World We say That as he abstain'd from the doing of some things as he was God so being Man he suffered passions and did whatsoever became him but because they were not the better he denounces a Woe unto them They were honoured and were not the better but when they were scourged they were amended And as a Physitian taking care of his sick Patient who will not obey his commands saith Woe to such a man by reason of his sickness which he increaseth by his own disobedience If it be necessary that Scandals should come how is it possible that we should escape them We say It is necessary that Scandals should come but it is not necessary that we should perish thereby even as a Physitian saith it is of necessity that such a man should be sick yet it is not necessary that he should be destroyed thereby who is forewarned thereof and it is certainly known from hence that there have been vertuous men who have escaped from evils and scandals therefore that a man is destroy'd proceedeth from his neglect If every man were upright and no man should bring Scandals this saying would be false It is necessary that they should come We say That if they were to be upright he had not said It is necessary but because he knew that they were not to be upright he said It is necessary i. e. absolutely * Omâ—imodâ— venient scandala And wherefore did not he grant unto them that they should not be troubled with Scandals We say That of neglect they were scandalized if destruction proceeded from the cause of Scandal every man must necessarily have been destroyed but if some escape he who doth not escape may repute himself the cause thereof Otherwise thus It is necessary Scandals should come Some men say That these words are founded upon the passion and death of our Lord for his death was necessary this is clear from hence That he said A grain of wheat unless it fall into the ground and dye beareth no fruit And Paul that by his death we vanquish him who had power and if the vanquishing of death is necessary so also is the death of our Lord and Regeneration necessary And we ought to know That although the Passion of our Lord were necessary yet the Actors and Authors thereof were not of necessity nor did they unvoluntarily attempt the same otherwise he had not pronounc'd a Woe against him by whom Scandals should come and if according to their madness the Treachery of Judas was of necessity who was the cause of his bursting and hanging himself Dionysius Syrus concerning the woman that had six husbands John 4. Translated by D. L. J. U. D. GO call thy husband i. e. That he might partake of these
Ten senses He applies himself after Prayer to root out of the mind anger and wrath which if it be not done Prayer is not accepted The Form of PRAYER which our Saviour made after his Baptism when the Heavens were opened as it is delivered by Dionysius Syrus according to the Testimony of St. Philoxenus and Translated by D. L. O Father according to the good pleasure of thy Will I am made Man and from the time in which I was born of a Virgin unto this day I have finished those things which are agreeing to the nature of Man and with due observance have perform'd all thy Commandments the Mysteries and Types of the Law And now I am baptized and so I have ordain'd Baptism that from thence as from the place of spiritual Eirth the Regeneration of Men may be accomplish'd and as John was the last of the Legal Priests so am I the first of the Evangelical Thou therefore O Father by the mediation of my Prayer open the Heavens and from thence send thy Holy Spirit upon this womb of Baptism that as he did untye the womb of the Virgin and thence form me so also he would loose this Baptismal womb and so sanctifie it unto men that from thence now men may be begotten who may become thy Sons and my Brethren and Heirs of thy Kingdom And what the Priests under the Law until John could not do grant unto the Priests of the New Testament whose chief I am in the oblation of this Prayer that whensoever they shall celebrate Baptism or pour forth Prayers unto thee as the Holy Spirit is seen with me in open Vision so also it may be made manifest that the same Spirit will adjoyn himself in their society a more secret way and will by them perform the ministeries of the New Testament for which I am made Man and as the High Priest I do offer these Prayers in thy sight Dionysius Syrus his Question and Answer concerning the Prayer which JOHN the Baptist taught his DISCIPLES Translated by D.L. Quest VVHat was the Prayer which John taught his Disciples Answ Some recite it thus O Lord fit us for thy Kingdom and that we may enjoy the happiness thereof with thy Son Others thus O Father shew me the day of the Baptism of thy Son But what if one should say What need was there of this Prayer after he had baptized the Son had seen the Spirit and had heard the Father Others say That he prayed thus Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Others thus O Father let me hear thy Voyce O Son shew me thy Person O Spirit shew me thy Descent and raise up thy Power But neither is this approved the first Exposition carries with it the greater verisimilitude Gregorius the SYRIACK SCHOLIAST called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on the Four Gospels Translated by DUDLEY LOFTUS J.U.D. MATTHEW the First The Son of David the Son of Abraham HE mentioneth David for that they hoped Christ would arise from him according to that Was not Christ to rise from the seed of David and from Bethlehem He mentions Abraham also for that it hath been said In his seed shall all Nations be blessed And Luke because that he wrote unto the Gentiles mounted up unto Adam the common Father and from him to God the Creator of all things Jacob begate Judah and his Brethren He did not mention the Brethren of Isaac and Jacob for that the Nation of the Hebrews were not to derive their Genealogy from them as from the Brethren of Judah for these were Hebrews the other were Edomites the sons of Ishmael and Esau Judah begate Pharez and Zarah of Thamar Pharez was a Type of the New Testament whose resemblance he was made in regard he first put out his hand which was afterwards withdrawn And after Zarah who was a Type of the Old Testament came out and therefore he expresses both their names and the Evangelist abstains from making mention of Zarah Rebecca and other vertuous Women but mentioneth Rahab Ruth and Beersheba to reprove the Jews who upbraided the Lineage of the Gentiles with the peculiarity of the people of God and thought that the meritorious cause of becoming the servants of God was Lineage or Wisdom whereas he shews That David the Great descended from Thamar the Ammonite who committed Fornication with her Father-in-law and from Rahab the Harlot who received the Spies in Jericho and from Ruth the Moabite though against the Moabites and Ammonites it was decreed That they should not enter into the House of the Lord for ever and King Solomon the wise was begotten of Beersheba the Hittite who at first had unlawful Communication with David Joram begate Hosiah Joram did not beget Hosiah but Ahaziah and Ahaziah begate Joash and Joash begate Amoziah and Amoziah begate Hosiah In the Catena he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Africanus of Emaus and St. Severus say That the Evangelists omitted these three for that they descended from Attaliah the Sister of Ahab she who for her wickedness was also called the sister of Jezabel but if it were so How cometh he to make mention of Ahaziah and Manaasse who were more wicked Georgius de Gentilibus saith Concerning this the Authour of the Catena after the citation of many Opinions rests upon none but saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id est quam voluerit sententian sequatur lector That the first Scribe failed by reason of the similitude of letters and instead of Ahaziah wrote Hosiah but neither doth this Opinion prevail with me because that if these three be brought into computation with the others they make up Seventeen Generations and if they were not omitted by the Evangelist How did he set down Seventeen and reckon but Fourteen It is therefore known that the computation of Origen ought rather to take place and to be credited who saith That the Evangelist omitted those persons to accommodate the computation to the pleasure of the believing Hebrews who much respected the number Fourteen Josia begate Jocania and his Brethren in the Captivity of Babylon Jocania who was the Grandson of Josia he calls his son for Josia begate Jehoiachim who was Aliakim and Jehoiachim begate Jocania and the Uncles of Jocania on the Fathers side Jehu Achaz and Zedekia are called his brothers children according to the custom of Scripture as Abraham said unto Lot the son of his brother We are Brethren And because the Prophet Daniel reckoneth the seventy years of Captivity in the Transmigration from the Prophesie of Jeremiah which began the 13th of Josia Matthew saith That he begate Josiah although it was Achaziah Jocania begate Shelathiel Jeremiah the Prophet said concerning Jocaniah That his Throne shall perish without children and that no man of his seed shall sit upon the Throne of David How therefore can Christ of whom it is said The Lord will give him the Throne of his Father David derive his Genealogy from him for one of the
two must necessarily be false either the Prophesie or the Genealogy Saint Severus answereth That the Throne from whence the seed of Jocaniah was to fail was not the heavenly one which appertained to our Lord but an earthly one My Kingdom is not of the world And Shelathiel the son of Jocaniah here mentioned was the son of Neri named in St. Luke the son of Neri and Jocaniah were Brethren as from the Mother and when Neri dyed without sons Jocaniah married his Wife and of her begate Shelathiel it being clear that Matthew did set down the Natural Genealogy and Luke the Legal Zurubabel begate Abiud Luke maketh Resa to be son of Zurubabel and Saint Severus saith That both of them were his sons and that Matthew reckoned upon the one and Luke upon the other Jacob begate Joseph Luke sets down Joseph to be the son of Heli and it is said that Jacob and Heli were Brethren on the Mothers side and when Heli dyed without children Jacob took his Wife and of her begate Joseph who according to the Law was the son of Heli and naturally the son of Jacob. Moreover Luke sheweth That although Joseph be reduced to Heli yet so the Genealogy of Christ may be brought to David by Nathan and he doth not fix the Genealogy upon Mary for that the Families were not to be deduced from Women yet by the mention of the Genealogy of Joseph that of the Virgin is made known because their Ancestors were Brethren one to another the Father of the Virgin was called by many names Joiakim Jonchir Tsadock Josedack and her Mother was called Hana and Dina. Of whom was born Jesus who is called the Greek who is said to be Christ that is to say Jesus which is interpreted a Redeemer it is a name of his Humanity but Son the Word and Splendor are names of his Divinity but Christ and Emanuel are both of them names of Association and from the unction of the Humanity with the Godhead cometh the name Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nondum when as they had not come together The Greek hath it before they came together she was found with child Some say that she was a Votress and that Joseph espoused her for Tuition and not for marital Conversation but St. Severus saith That he espoused her as it were for marital converse or else it had not been said When as yet they did not come together but forasmuch as a miracle preceded their coming together he was prohibited from carnal commerce For he that is born in her That is to say the word born is to be taken for conceived and for this reason it is said in her and not of her And thou shalt call his Name Jesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is to say Thou Joseph but Luke saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is to say Thou Mary shalt call And knew her not until she brought forth her first-born son That is to say Neither did he know her after she brought him forth according to that The Raven went forth and returned not until the waters were dryed up and it is clear that he did not return after the waters were dryed up The like is said of Malchil the daughter of Saul she brought not forth until she dyed And he is called her first-born son not that she brought forth another after him but for that before him she brought forth no other and Jose and James were called his Brethren as in respect of Joseph but not in regard of Mary CHAP. II. THere came wise men from the East Some say That there came three Princes with a Thousand men And holy James saith That there were Twelve Princes who left Seven thousand at Euphrates and came to Jerusalem with a Thousand St. Junnais and Cyrillus say That they came when he was an Infant and wrap't in swadling cloaths for the Star conducted them before he was born And Eusebius and Epiphanius and Prince Ephraim and Prince James say That those wise men came two years afterwards when they had carried him to Jerusalem and were in Bethlehem and therefore the Evangelist saith That they entred into a House and not into a Cave and in the same night the Angel appeared unto Joseph and he fled from thence into Egypt And it is very manifest That when he was born he went from Bethlehem to Nazareth as Luke saith and after Two years when the wise men came he fled from Bethlehem to Egypt as Matthew saith We have seen his star in the East Some say That an Angel appeared unto them in the likeness of a star and according to the relation of others They saw in the star a young maid bearing a man child in her arms having a crown on his head Others say That they saw in the star letters declarative of his birth Others say That Balaam their Father or Zardushti their Prophet foretold the same And would not be comforted because they were not That is to say They could not revive He shall be called a Nazaren Matthew knew this either from an unknown Prophet or from Tradition or from the Holy Ghost And Prince Ephraim saith That a Branch or a Bough is in the Hebrew called Nozor it being apparent that this is the Prophesie That a branch shall proceed from the root of Jesse And hence it is That the words he shall be called a Nazaren import That he shall be called a Branch CHAP. III. IN those dayes came John the Baptist That is to say He doth not speak of those dayes when Jesus returned from Egypt for he was then Five years of age being Two years old when he went thither and remaining there Three years but he calls the whole space of Twenty and five years that he dwelt in Nazareth after his coming from Egypt those dayes for when he was Thirty years of age he was baptized by John Repent the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand That is to say the Gospel of Christ which leadeth to Heaven And John was the first who used this expression of the Kingdom of Heaven And his meat was Locusts and wilde Honey Some say That he calls sweet Roots and Sprouts by the name of Locusts and in the Diateseron it is written Milk and Honey Sadduces They were Samaritans To flie from the wrath to come That is to say From the destruction of Jerusalem which was to come to pass by Vespasian From these stones That is to say From the steril Gentiles And he saw the Spirit of God Matthew and Mark and John say only of John the Baptist that he saw the Spirit And Luke saith That the Heavens were opened and the Spirit descended after he was baptized whil'st he prayed But whether he saw or they saw he doth not mention And St. Junnis saith That the whole multitude saw the Spirit because that when they could not by the voyce which they heard know who it was the Testimony concern'd The Spirit rested upon him and shewed him unto them
of the Kings there were Forty and four to wit Ahazia and Joash and Amotsia and Eliakim who was Jehoiakim being added CHAP. IV. HE departed from him for a season That is to say until the time of the Passion when he incited the Jewes to apprehend him The acceptable year of the Lord. That is to say The year wherein Repentance for sin was to be accepted by the Lord. Naaman the Oromojan That is to say the Syrian The Nestorian reads the Syriack word with Pathocho over Olaph and a quiescent R. That is to say the Gentile but that reading is not to be approved of because the Greek reads it o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Syrian CHAP. VII OR expect we another Some say That this disjunctive particle beareth in this place the sense of a negative and that John did not say thus interrogatively but positively as if he would have said Thou art he and we do not expect another but this is not the meaning of the words CHAP. IX AND a returning spirit That is to say on certain dayes it left him and then Tormented him as an ague CHAP. X. THen to this City That is to say and not to this City Peradventure they had repented in sackeloth and ashes The Nestorians read the word repented in the masculine plural but not rightly because the Greek reads it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And behold a certain Scribe arose to tempt him The Commentators of Cineria are of Opinion That this was the same who is mentioned in Matthew and Mark to have said to our Lord Good Master What shall I do to inherit eternal life And that this was not he is certain from this consideration that there is mention made of him by Luke hereafter in the paragraphy of the tenth Sabbath Thou art sollicitous about many things That is to say more than are necessary But one thing is requisite That is to say The exigency of the day CHAP. XI TEach us to pray The prayer Our Father which art in Heaven Matthew and Luke onely mention it and Luke doth not add For thine is the Kingdom c. The Queen of the South The Sarakians say That the name of this Queen was Balkis CHAP. XII COmmand my brother to divide inhèritance with me This man was covetous and because his brother followed our Lord he hoped that our Lord would have said unto him Leave whatsoever thou hast unto thy brother and come after me But when he discovered the evil intention of his Covetousness which made him forsake the secular Judges to come unto him he did not vouchsafe to answer his request The Baptism wherewith I shall be baptized That is to say I am to dye a voluntary death wherein I am to rise from the Earth as out of the Water CHAP. XIII TO day and to morrow That is to say This year and the next Out of Jerusalem That is to say it was necessary that the Jewes the sons of Jerusalem should partake in the murther of the Prophets for though Jeremy was slain in Egypt yet was he stoned by those Jewes of Jerusalem who fled from the Chaldeans and Daniel dyed a natural death in Babilon CHAP. XVI AND taketh another committeth adultery That is to say he who without a lawful cause puts away the first There was a certain rich man Because he was wicked his name is not mentioned according to that I will not remember their name with my lips And moreover That he might shew that he was to blot the names of the wicked out of the Book of Life and many of the Doctors say That this rich man was not in any real subsistency neither Lazarus the Beggar but that it was onely a Parable and it is certain That as yet the wicked have not received Torment nor the Righteous Bliss as Paul saith They received not the promise that they might not be perfected without us Saint Cyril saith That this Rich man was in very deed and that his name was Naphtali of the Tribe of Dan and that Lazarus was descended from the Gibeonites and behold his Water-pot is preserved hitherunto and whosoever is ulcerous or lame in his Feet is Cured thereby And was cloathed with fine linen That is to say pure white Cotten which by reason of the exceeding fineness thereof is like to the air CHAP. XVII MIght say unto this Sycamore tree be thou plucked up by the roots and be planted in the sea He brought this Tree for an instance by reason it hath more Roots than other Trees CHAP. XVIII AND was not restrained by shame of men Who adored the fire which is insensible But I fast twice in the Week That is to say The Pharisees fasted the second and fifth day of the Week CHAP. XXII HE who is greatest amongst you It is likely that they did not remember what was said unto Peter That thou art Cephas and on thee will I build my Church and I will give thee the Keyes of Heaven Here are two Swords St. Junnis saith That they were Knives for the Passeover which were prepared there CHAP. XXIII AND they gave him vineger That he might drink thereof and dye the sooner CHAP. XXIV AND from Jerusalem sixty furlongs In some of the Greek copies it is an Hundred and sixty Peace be with ye amen The word amen is not found in all copies And he took and did eat before them He did eat that he might remove from them the Opinion of a Phantasm and not that he stood in need of meat And he lifted up his hands and blessed them That is to say he made them Bishops and when he sent them two and two he made them Deacons to wit purifiers from evil spirits and when he breathed on them and gave them power to forgive sins he ordained them Priests JOHN wrote his Gospel in the Greek Tongue at the Request of those of Asia And Eusebius saith That Peter and Paul came unto him to Ephesus and did perswade him to write JOHANNIS CHAP. I. The Word was made flesh and dwelt in us HE here declares his natural union and personality with humane nature and not the change of his nature And of his fulness have we all received This is the saying of the Evangelist and not of the Baptist And grace That is to say new for grace that is to say old Truth and grace was by Jesus Christ He doth not say That the Law of Moses was false but that it was the shadow of this body These things were done in Bethany beyond Joâ—dan In ancient Copies it is written These things were done in the passage of Jordan And this is to be approved for Bethany was not in the Wilderness where John baptized for it was about Twelve miles from Jordan One of those who heard That is to say Andrew and John himself was the other but he would not express his name being restrained by humility Can any good thing come out of Nazareth He saith this as having read that