in all Italy meet with Bellarmines works or any of the like nature to be sold Verse 20. Thou hast a devil This he passeth by as a frontlesse slander not worth refuting but proceeds to maintain the lawfulnesse of that he had done on the Sabbath-day Sincerity throwes off slanders as Paul did the Viper yea in an holy scorn it laughs at them as the wilde asse doth at the horse and his rider Wicelius and Cochleus say that we betraied the Rhodes saith Melancthon and some other such foul businesses they lay to our charge Dicant ipsi talia quoad velint These are such grosse lyes that we need not disprove them let them tell as many such lyes of us as they will c. our names are oyled they will not stick Verse 22. Ye on the Sabbath-day circumcise q. d. If you may wound a man on the Sabbath-day may not I heal one If you may heal on the Sabbath one member of the circumcised may not I make a man whole every whit If you may be at pains to cure such a one with your hand may not I without pains cure a man with my word only What if circumcision be a Sacrament Arbitror nonnal os opinaturos me sensisse quod non sensi a â—t non sensisse quod sensi Aug. de Trin lib. 1. cap. 3. so was this that I have done a speciall means of bringing much glory to God Verse 24. Indge not according to the appearance Nothing is more ordinary with many then to precipitate a censure to exercise their criticks and to reprehend that which they do not comprehend I suppose saith Augustine that divers in reading some places in my books will think that I thought Annal tom 6. ad An. 450. n. 17. that which never came into my minde to think and the contrary This was his fear and this befell him as Baronius witnesseth Erasm epist ad Cardinal Moguntin Compertum est saith Erasmus It is well known that many points are condemned as hereticall in Luthers books which in Austins and Bernards books are read and received for good and orthodox Hill in his quartem of reasons saith The Catholikes follow the Bible but the Protestants force the Bible to follow them Reas 8. pag. 41. And the Authour of the Gagge for the new Gospel assures his Catholikes that our condemnation is so expresly set down in our own Bibles Pref. to the Cathol Reader and is so cleer to all the world that nothing more needs hereto then that they know to read and to have their eyes in their heads at the opening of our Bible Qui totam li. em Dâ—â—â—nicam vacat ten ulentiae scor t is alcae an dit bellus ho. mo c. Erns Schol. in Epist ad Episc Basil de delectu ciborum Isal 119. This is their judgment of us But what among themselves He that tastes an egge saith Erasmus at an undue time is cast in prison and made to answer for his heresie but he that spends all the Lords-day in drinking drabbing dicing is called a good fellow and passeth unpunished Verse 27. No man knoweth whence he is This errour might arise out of some Texts of Scripture misunderstood as Isa 53.8 Psal 110.4 We should whenever we open the Bible pray Lord open mine eyes that I may see the wondrous things of thy Law Verse 28. Ye both know me Either this is an Ironie or else a heavy aggravation of their sin a proofe that they sinned that sin unto death 1 Ioh. 5.16 for which there remains no more sacrifice Heb. 10.26 Two sorts of men in our times are in danger of this sin 1. Hypocriticall professours 2. Those they call the Wits of the world your most knowing men Verse 33. Yet a little while am I with you Christ is but a while with men in the opportunities of grace There is a prime of mans life yea a prime of every mans ministery Christ stands not sits at the door and knocks Now while one is standing he is going Verse 34. Ye shall seek me c. Because ye shall dye in your sins which is worse then to dye in a ditch Verse 35. Teach the Gentiles Which the Jews could not endure to think on They professe at this day that rather then the Heathen-bastards should have benefit by their Messias they would crucifie him over and over Goi Mamzer Luk. 4.25 The rusticks of Nazareth understood our Saviour of preaching to the Gentiles which put them into an anger and him into a danger Verse 36. What manner of saying is this He would not tell the Jews what he meant by this dark saying His Disciples he told afterwards Psal 25. chap. 13. and 16. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him when the wicked shall be neither of his Court nor Councell Verse 37 38. In the last day In this eighth day which the Jews called Hosanna Rabbah they read the last section of the Law Tremel ex Talmud and likewise began the first lest they might otherwise seem more joyfull in ending their sections then willing to begin them Upon this day also by the institution say they of Haggai and Zechary but more likely by their own superstition they did with great solemnity and joy Godw. Antiq. Heb. bring great store of water from the River Shiloah to the Temple where it being delivered unto the Priests it was poured upon the Altar together with wine and all the people sang that of the Prophet Isa 12.3 with joy shall ye draw water out of the Wels of salvation Hereunto our Saviour is thought to allude Vers 38. Out of his belly shall flow Rivers of water provided that he beleeve in me so as the Scripture saith he should For so after Chrysostome Heinsius De-dieu and others expound it Verse 41. Shall Christ come out of Galilee Satan that subtle Sophister though he confessed Christ to be the Holy One of God Mark 1.24 Yet he calleth him Jesus of Nazareth to nourish the errour of the multitude that thought he was born there and so not the Messias Neither did his cunning deceive him as here appeareth Satan etsi semel videatur verax millies est mendax Bucholcerus semper fallax saith one Diabolus capite blanditur ventre oblectat Rupertus caudâ ligat saith another Verse 46. Never man spake like this man It is good to come to the Word though with ill intent they that come to see fashions only as Moses came to the Bush may be called as he was They that come but to sleep may be taken napping as Father Latimer saith They that come to catch may be caught as these in the Text. The serpent that comes forth to sting may be charmed ere he go back When Henry Zutphen was preacher at Breme the holy Catholikes could not be idle but sent their Chaplains to every Sermon to trap him in his words But God whose
and agitated by the devil Si videris aliquandò persecutorem tuum nimis saevientem scito quia ab ascensore suo daemone perurgetur saith Bernard Mr Barr. his Moses choice pag. 34. These Pharisees had sinned that sin to death which made another in the same case wish that his wife and children and all the world might be damned together with him Hacket at the gallows cryed out O heavenly God shew some miracle out of the cloud to convert these Infidels and deliver me from mine enemies But if not Camdens Eli. sabeth 403. I will set the heaven on fire and with these hands pluck thee out of thy throne and other speeches he used more unspeakable Verse 11. Because that by reason of him This was it that imbittered the Pharisees as it doth now their successours the Papists Ab eo tempore quo per vos Papa Antichristus esse caepit non modo non crevit ejus imperium c. De Papa Rom. l. 3. c. 21. Bellarmine bewrayes his grief and tells us That ever since we proclaimed the Pope to be that Antichrist his Kingdom hath not only not increased but daily more and more decreased And Erasmus being asked by the Electour of Saxony why Luther was so hated by the Popish Clergy For two great faults that he hath committed said he For medling with the Popes triple Crown and the Monkes fat paunches Scultet Annal. pag. 25. Verse 12. On the next day much people The envious Pharisees feeding the while upon their own hearts Israel never increased so fast as when Pharaoh most oppressed them Plures efficimur quoties metimur saith Tertullian Verse 13. Took branches of palm-trees Plutarch writeth that the Babylonians make 360 benefits of the Palm-tree and therefore do highly honour it Pintus upon Daniel telleth us that the Palm-tree will not grow in a fat ground but in a light and sandy And if the soyl be strong and fertile they must cast salt and ashes at the root to qualifie the strength of the ground Sure it is that if prosperity be not seasoned with the salt of grace it will be unfruitfull and unprofitable Hosanna Blessed is the King c. This shews they were well seen in Davids Psalms which are saith Chrysostom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chry. Iost a rich store-house of all good doctrines And they are so penned saith Athanasius that every man may think they speak de se in re sua of himself and for his particular purpose which of other parts of Scripture cannot be affirmed Verse 24. When he had found a young asse To make religion dance attendance upon policie Spec. belli sacri p. 240. Sapientia mundi quae vult omnia redigere in ordinem c. Melch. Adam in Luch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hinc Heraclidae Sophistae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ptolom Sophista Wolph Mem. Lect. saith one is to set the asse upon Christ and not Christ upon the asse These three things said Luther will be the ruin of religion Unthankfullnesse Security and Carnall Policie Verse 15. Sitting upon an asse Not upon a stately palfrey as an earthly Potentate but upon a silly asse without pomp to comfort the poorest and to teach us humility tolerance patience An asse is a beast profitable whence he hath his name in the Originall but borne to bear burdens Oneramus asinum saith Bernard non curat quia asinus est But what notorious asses are those superstitious Papists that shew the asses tayl at Genua in Italy whereon our Saviour rode for a relique and give it divine worship Are not these given up to the very efficacie of errour Verse 16. These things understood not c. They only beheld it as a pretty Pageant They had read it often in the Prophet and now saw it acted yet were never the wiser for present Reader hear though thou understandest not God may drop in divine light when thou least lookest for it Verse 17. When he called Lazarus c. This notable miracle the Evangelist as he had punctually described it chap. 11. so he cannot but again and again recite it We should set forth Gods noble acts and not be sated David never linns talking of what God had done for his soul Those in heaven have no rest and yet no unrest neither crying Rev. 4.8 Holy holy holy c. Verse 18. For this cause also the people met him To the Pharisees extreme grief and regret to shew that there is neither wisdome nor understanding nor counsell against the Lord Prov. 21.30 Verse 19. Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing Thus they stir up one another to more madnesse as if hitherto they had been overmilde Act. and Mon. fol. 1461. and used too much gentlenesse So Steven Gardiner being charged of cruelty by Bradford answered I for my part have been challenged for being too gentle oftentimes Which thing Bonner confirmed and so did almost all the audience that he had been ever too milde and moderate So Bonner in open Court to the Lord Major They report me said he to seek blood and call me bloody Bonner Ibid. 1537. whereas God knows I never sought any mans blood in all my life But a certain unknown good woman in a letter to Bonner told him his own in these words Indeed you are called the common cut-throat and generall slaughter-slave to all the Bishops of England And therefore it is wisedom for me and all other simple sheep of the Lord Act. and Mon. fol. 167◠to keep us out of your butcherly stall as long as we can especially since you have such store already that you are not able to drinke all their blood lest you should break your belly and therefore ye let them lye still and die for hunger c. Thus she to Bonner As for D. Story who was hang'd drawn and quartered for his treason in Q. Elizabeths raign I see said he in open Parliament nothing to be ashamed of though he had been a furious persecutour under Q Mary so lesse I see to be sorry for but rather because I have done no more Ibid. 1925. wherein he said there was no default in him but in them whom he oft and earnestly had exhorted to the same being not a little grieved therefore with them for that they laboured only about the young and little sprigs and twigs while they should have stricken at the root the Lady Elizabeth he meant and clean rooted it out The Lord Paget in a certain consultation said that King Philip should never have any quiet common-wealth in England Ibid. 1899. unlesse Lady Elizabeths head were stricken from her shoulders Whereunto the Spaniards answered God forbid that their King and Master should have such a minde to consent to such a mischief A Writ came down whiles she was in the Tower subscribed with certain hands of the Councell for her execution Engl Elisah pag. 109. Steven Gardiner being the engineer Mr
if conscience might be judge many a hearer would be found to have an Herods heart toward his Minister Verse 38. Goroaning in himself To consider belike Mihi experto credite quòd apertis sepulcbris in capitibus invenietis busones saltantes generates excerebâ—o c. Serm 48. ad fratres in eremo the wofull effects of sin that brought death into the world even on the best and makes them a ghastly and lothsome spectacle so that Abraham desires to bury his beloved Sarah out of his sight Beleeve me who have made triall of it saith Sr Augustine Open a grave and in the head of the dead man ye shall finde toads leaping that are begotten of his brain serpents craw Ang on his loins that are bred out of his kidneyes wormes creeping in his belly that grow out of his bowels Ecce quid sumus quid jam erimus Ecce in quod resolvimur En peccati originem faeditatem saith that Father Verse 39. By this time he stinketh By the better for that Christs power will be the more manifested As St Austin said of one that hit him in the teeth with the sins of his youth The more desperate was the disease the greater honour redounded to the Physician that cured me Beza's answer to one that did the like to him was Hic homo invidet mihi gratiam Christi Verse 40. Said I not unto thee c. A foul fault in her to be so incredulous and enough without the greater mercy of Christ to have marr'd all For unbelief is so vile and venemous an evil as that it transfuseth a kinde of dead palsey into the hands of omnipotency Mark 6.5 Christ that can do all things by his absolute power can do little or nothing by his actuall power for unbeleevers He cannot because he will not Verse 41. Father I thanke thee that c. Beginning to pray he brings his thanks in his hand as sure to speed So must we Phil. 4 6. And therefore in the Law whatever request they had to God they must be sure to come with their peace-offerings in token of thankfullnesse Psal 65.1 that they might sing with the Psalmist Praise Waiteth for thee O God in Sion It is said of Tiberius the Emperour that he never denied his favourite Sejanus any thing Tâ—cit and oftentimes prevented his request so that he needed only to aske and give thanks All Gods people are his favourites and may have any thing that heart can wish or need require Verse 43. Lazarus come forth if this voice of Christ had been directed to all the dead they had presently risen as sure as they shall rise when the Lord himself shall descend with a shout with the voice of an Archangel crying Surgite mortui venite in judicium Pliny reports of the Lionesse that she brings forth her whelps dead and so they remain for the space of three dayes untill the Lion coming near to the place where they lye lifts up his voice and roars so fiercely that presently they are raised from death to life The Prophet Jeremy tells us the like of this Lion of the Tribe of Judah Jer. 25.30 31. See the place Verse 44. And he that was dead But where was his soul therewhile In manu Dei not in Purgatory as Papists say for that 's against their own principles They send none to Purgatory but men of a middle-make bewixt just and unjust Now Lazarus was surely a very good man else had he not been so dear to Christ But that Purgatory is the Popes invention as Tindall hath it Aug de chriet hear St Angustine Nemo se decipiat fratres duo enim loca sunt tertius non est visus Qui cum Christo regnare non meruit cum diabolo absque dubitatione peribit Verse 45. Beleeved on him And so God had this honour and Christ his end in this according to vers 4. Verse 46. But some of them c. Loe reprobates will not beleeve though one rose from the dead to them Verse 47. Then gathered the chief Priests Like unto this was the Councell of Trent gathered on purpose to supptesse Christ in his true worshippers and carried by Antichrist with such infinite guil and craft without any sincerity apright dealing and truth as that themselves will even smile in the triumphs of their own wits when they hear it but mentioned as at a master-stratagem Verse 48. The Romans shall come c. And so they did the thing that they feared came upon them for their inexpiable guilt in killing the Lord Jesus Demades when the Emperour sent to his countryment of Athens to give him divine honour and they were loth to yeeld unto it but consulted about it Take heed sayes he you be not so busie about heavenly matters as to lose your earthly possessions These refractory Jews lost both Verse 49. Ye know nothing at all Why no you know all Caiaphas all the Assessours are but Asses to you Hoc est superbire quasi super alios ire Hoyl Geog. pag. 343. Irenaeus Penes nos est imperium lite rarum Eudae â— This fellow would have made a fine Duke of Russia by whom it is cautionated that there be no schools lest there should be any scholars but himself So the Gnosticks bragged that they were the only knowing men And the Jesuites at this day tell us that the Empire of learning is confined to their territories Verse 50. That one man should die for the people A brutish and bloody sentence as if evil might be done that good may come thereof So when Farellus that worthy Reformer came first to Geneva and was convented there by the Bishop as a disturber of the publike peace one of the Popish Assessors cried out Away with this pestilent Lutheran better he perish then the town be disquieted To whom Farellus answered Noli Caiaphae voces sed Dei verba proferre Speak not in the language of Caiaphas Soultet Annal. Tom. 2. p. 504. but in the word of God c. Verse 51. This he spake not of himself God spake thorow him as thorow a trunk or as the Angel spake in Balaams asse Wholesome sugar may be found in a poisoned cane a precious stone in a roads head a flaming torch in ablinde mans hand Verse 52. Gather together in one In one spirituall body though in place never so distant one from another Ephes 4.4 My dove is but one the daughters saw her and blessed her Cant. 6.9 No such onenesse entirenesse any where else Other societies may cleave together as the toes of clay in Nebuchadnezzars image but not incorporate Verse 55. Before the Passeover to purifie themselves They had their parasceve and proparasceve their preparation and fore-preparation 2 Cor. 7.1 We must also purifie our selves before the Sacrament from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit cast all the baggage into the brook Kidron that is the town-ditch and then kill the
times Verse 5. Thirty and eight years A long while to be in misery but what is this to eternity of extremity Wee need have some thing to minde us of God to bring us to Christ King Alvered pray'd God to send him alwaies some sicknesse whereby his body might be tamed and he the better disposed and affectioned to God-ward Verse 6. Lam. 3. And knew that he had been c. Christs eye affected his heart he could not but sympathize and succour this poor creeple out of his meer Philanthropy which moveth him still 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shew mercy according to the measure of our misery whereof he bears a part Heb. 5.2 Verse 7. I have no man c. He looked that Christ should have done him that good office and could not think of any other way of cure How easie is it with us to measure God by our â—â—odell to cast him into our mould to think that he must needâ— go our way to work Verse 8. Rise take up thy bed c. A servile work upon the Sabbath-day This our Saviour here commands not as a servile work but for confirmation of the truth of a miracle greatly tending to Gods glory like as another time he bad them give meat to the Damosell he had raised not for any necessity but to ensure the cure Verse 9. Dei dicere est efficere Andimmediately the man Christs words are operative together with his commands there goes forth a power as Luk. 5.17 So they were in the Creation Gen. 1. So they are still in regeneration Isa 59.21 Verse 10. It is the Sabbath it is not lawfull c. Verè sed non sincerè It more troubled them that Christ had healed him then that the Sabbath had been broken by him The poorer Swedes alwaies break the Sabbath saying that its only for Gentlemen to keep that day Verse 11. He that made me whole c. So it seems Christ had healed him in part on the inside also and given him a ready heart to obey though it were contra gentes as they say Verse 12. What man is he Not that made thee whole but that bad thee take up thy bed c. They dissembled the former and insisted only upon the later which shews the naughtinesse of their hearts Verse 13. Had convey'd himself away Lest by his present that work should be hinder'd True goodnesse is publike spirited though to private disadvantage and works for most part unobserved as the engine that doth all in great businesses is oft inward hidden not taken notice of Verse 14. Findeth him in the Temple Praising God likely for his unexpected recovery So Hezekiah the first work he did when off his sick-bed Isa 38.22 Behold thou art made whole c. Hence is 1. Magdeburgens praef ad cent 5. Commemoratio beneficij 2. Commonitio offâ—eij 3. Comminatio supplicij Ingentia beneficia ingentia flagitia ingentia supplicia Verse 15. Told the Jews Of a good intent surely to honour Christ however it were taken by the spitefull Jews Probi ex suà naturâ caeteros fingunt The Disciples could not imagine so ill of Judas as it proved Mary Magdalen thought the Gardener who ever he were should have known as much and loved Jesus as well as she did Verse 16. Therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus This he foreknew would follow and yet he forbare not In the discharge of our consciences rightly informed and regulated we must not stand to cast perils but doe our duties zealously what ever come of it This courage in Christians Heathens counted obstinacy but they knew not the power of â—he Spirit 〈◊〉 the privie armour of prooff that Saints have about their 〈◊〉 Verse 17. My Father worketh Yet 〈◊〉 labour or lassitude in conserving the whole creature This he doth every day and yet breaketh not the Sabbath Erge nec ego Verse 18. The Jews sought the more Persecution is as Calvin wrote to the French King Evangelij genius the bad genius the devil that dogs the Gospel Ecclesia harts crucis saith Luther Veritas odiurn parit Ter. Truth breeds hatred saith the Heathen as the fair Nymphes did the ill-favoured Fauns and Satyrs Verse 19. The Sonne can doe nothing c. He denies not himself to be the Son though they quarrell'd him but sweetly sets forth the doctrine of his Deity which they so much stomacked and stumbled at Verse 20. For the Father loveth the Son This noteth that eternall power of doing miracles that is in Christ As that which follows He will shew him greater works c. is to be referred to the declaration of that his power That ye may wonder Though ye beleeve not for such was the hardnesse of their hearts grown as neither ministery misery miracle nor mercy could possibly mollifie Behold ye despisers and wonder and perish Acts 13.41 Verse 21. Raiseth up the dead Bringing them from the jawes of death to the joyes of eternall life which none can do but God alone Verse 22. The Father judgeth no man viz. The Father alone but by the Son to whom all judicatory power is committed Verse 23. He that honoureth not the Son As Jews and Turks do not Nor Papists that upon the matter despoile him of his threefold office and so deny the Lord that bought them Verse 24. He that heareth my Word As death came into the world by the door of the ear so doth life eternall Isa 55.3 God was in the still voice and the Oracle bad Hear ye 〈◊〉 Mat. 17. Verse 25. The dead shall hear the voice The 〈…〉 shall beleeve the promises and shall live the life of 〈…〉 and of glory in Heaven Verse 26. So hath he given to the Son What wonder then if faith apprehending the infinite fountain of life derive thence some rivelet of 〈◊〉 and apply the same to us for spirituall quickning Verse 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beza Because he is the Son of man Or as he is the Son of man By vertue of the hypâ—st arâ—â—â—ll union his manhood came as neer to God as could be He had the best naturall parts both of minde Isa 11.2 3. and body Psal 45.2 and the best supernaturall whereby he found favour also with God Luk. 2.52 for he had more neer familiarity with the Godhead then ever had any creature together with a partner-agency with his Godhead in the works of mediation 1 Tim. 2.5 In the state of exaltation the Manhood hath 1. excesse of glory 2 the grace of adoration together with the Godhead 3. Judiciary power as here and Act. 17.30 Verse 28. Marvell not at this And yet who can but marvell at this great mystery of godlinesse whereat Angels stand amazed yea whereat he himselfe wonders and therefore calls his own Name Wonderfull Isa 9.6 It is truly affirmed of Christ Mirari decet non rimari that he is created and uncreated without beginning and yet