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a t t It a
\t r t a.

CO IVIl\f E N TAR Y

O
THE

J?OUR

G 0 S PEL S,

COLLECTED OUT OF THE

WORKS OF THE FATHERS

BY

s. THO MAS A QUI :N A S.

VOL. I.

:ST. :MATTHEW. PART III.

OXFORD,
JOHN HENRY PARKER;
J. G. F. AND J. RIVINGTON, 1.ONDO
.
MDCCCXUI.

,

BAXTER,PRINTFR,OXFORD.

.AD'TERTISEl\IE
T.

THE follo,,,ing Compilation not being admissible into the
Library of the Fathers froln the date of SOlne few of the
authors introduced into it, the Editors of the latter work
have been led to publish it in a separate fonn, being assured
that those who have subscribed to their Translations of the
entire Treatises of the ancient Catholic divines, ,,?ill not feel
less interest, or find less benefit, in the use of so very
judicious and beautiful a selection from them. The Editors
refer to the Preface for SOine account of the natural and
characteristic excellences of the ,york, which ,,?ill be found
as useful in the private study of the Gospels, as it is ,yen
adapted for family loeading, and full of thought for those who
are engaged in religious instruction.

O,1,ford, May 6, 1841.

a t t n a a \1 t: t 4.

COMMENTARY

ON THE

l
0 U R

G 0 S PEL S,

COLLECTED OUT OF THP

"TORKS OF THE FATHERS

BY

s. THO 1\1 A S A QUI N A S.

VOL. 1.

ST.
IATTHE'Y-.

OXFOltD,

JOHN HENRY PARKER;
J. G. F. AND J. RIVrNGTO
, LONDO
.

I DCCCXLI I.

CO:\Il\IENT ARY

ON THE

GOSPEL ACCÒRDI
G TO ST. l\I
-\.TTHE"T.

VOL. I. PART III.

VOT,. I.

3M

Cll

P. XXII.

1. And Jesus ans\vered and spake unto them again
by parables, and saiù,
2. The kingdoHI of heaven is like unto a certain
king, \vhich made a marriage for his son,
3. And sent forth his servants to ca1l them that
were bidden to the "redding: and they would not
COlne.
4. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying,
Tell them \vhich are bidden, Behold, I have prepared
my dinner: nlY oxen and IllY fatlings are killed, and
a1] things are ready: come unto the rnarriage.
5. But they Hiade light of it, and \vent their ,vays,
one to his farIn, another to his nlerchandise :
6. And the remnant took his servants, and en-
treated theln spiteful1y, and slew thern.
7. But when the king heard thereof, he ,vas wroth:
and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those
murderers, and burned up their city.
8. Then saith he to his serv'ants, 1'he \vedding is
ready, but they \vhich "'ere bidden \vere not \vorthy.
9. Go ye therefore into the high\vays, and as many
as ye sha1l find, hid to the ll1arriage.
10. So those servants \vent out into the high\vays,
and gathered together all as many as they found,
both bad and good: and the \yedding \vas furnished
,vith guests.

VER. 1- 1.:1.

ST. r.fATTHE'V.

i39

11. And \vhen the king came in to see the guests,
he sa,v there a lTIan \vhich had not on a ,vedding
garnlen t :
12. And he saith unto hinl, Friend, how earnest
thou in hither not having a \vedding garn1ent? ...
nd
he ,vas speechless.
13. Then said the king to the servants, Bind hin1
band and foot, and take hilTI a\yay, and cast hin1
into outer darkness; there shall be \veeping and
gnashing of teeth.
14. For many are called, but fe\v are chosen.

CHRYS. ForaSll1uch as lIe had said, And it .
/lall be giren Chrys.
to a nation brill.qing fortlt tlte fruils iI/ereoj', l-Ie no\V pro- ?;f:'
ceeds to shew \vhat nation that is. GLOSS. Ansu:ered, that Glos
.
. . 1 . . 1 h h f . H . d h A interline
IS, 111eetlng t leu eVI t oug ts 0 puttIng 11n to eat. eG. Aug. de
This parable is related only by 1\latthe\v. Luke gives one Con.
.....
l ' k . b .. t h h d 1 G Ev.n., ].
I
e It, ut It IS no t e same, as t e or er Slews. REG. Greg.
Here, by the wedding-feast is denoted the present Church;

.m. in
there, by the supper, the last and eternal feast. For into xxxviii.
this enter SOlne \vho shall perish; into that whosoe'
er has 2.
once entered in shall never be put forth. But if any
should maintain that these are the saIne lessons, \ve nlay
perhaps explain that that part concerning the guest "Tho had
COll1e in without a \vedding garIl1cnt, which Luke has not
mentioned, 1\1 atthe\y has related. That the one calls it
supper, the other dinner, Dlakes no difference; for with the
ancients the dinner "yas at the ninth hour, and \\Tas therefore
often called supper. ORIGEX; The kingdom of heayen, in
respect of I-Ihll who reigns there, is like a king; in respect
of Hilll ,vho shares the kingdom, it is like a king-'s son; in
respect of those things which are in the kingdoll1, it is like
selTants and guests, and alnong theln the king's annies. It
is specified, A Ulan that is a king, that what is spoken may
be as by a man to men, and that a luan may regulate nlen
un\yilling to be regulated by God. But the kingdoln uf
heaven w'ill then cease to be like a nlan, when zeal and con-
tention and all other passion
and sins ha,-illg ceased, we
3u2

74.0

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

CHAP. XXII.

shall cease to \valk after Inen, and shall see Him as fIe is.
For now \ve see Him not as He is, hut as He has been made
Greg. for us in our dispensation. GREG. God the Father lnade a
ubi sup. a nlarriage feast for G-od the Son, \vhen He joined Hhll to
llunlan nature in the \VOlIlb of the 'Tirgin. But far be it
from us to conclude, that because marriage talies place
between two separate persons, that therefore the person of
our Redeetner was Blade up of hvo separate persons. 'Ve say
indeNl that He exists of two natures, and in t\VO natures, but
woe hold it unlawful to believe that He was cOl1lpounded of
two persons. It is safer therefore to say, that the uIan'Ïage feast
was Inade by the King the Father for the I{ing the Son \vhen
I-Ie joined to HiIn the IIoly Church in the lllystery of His
incarnation. The wOlnb of the .V'irgin 1\fother was the bride-
chalnl)er of this llridegroom. PSEUDO-CHRYS. Other\vise;
When the reslli'Tection of the saints shall be, then the life,
which is Christ, shall revive nlan, swallo\ving up his Dloltality
in its o\vn illlllloltality. For no\v \ve receive the IIoly Spirit
as a pledge of the future union, but tben we shall ha\Te Christ
HiInself lnore fully in us. ORIGEN; Or, by the 111aniage of
Bridegroom \vith Bride, that is, of Christ with the soul,
understand the Assumption of the Word, the produce whereof
is good works. IIILARY; Rightly has the Father already
1llade this wedding, because this etenlal union and espousal
of the new body is already pelfect in Christ. PSEUDO-CHRYS.
'Vhen the servants \vere sent to call then1, they must have
been inyited before. 1\len have been invited fl"Onl the tinle
of Abrahaln, to \vhonl was promised Chlist's inca111ation.
JEROME; He sent his SeJTant, without doubt 1\108es, by
whom [Ie gave the Law, to those \vho had been invited.
But if you read servants as Ill0st copies have, it lnust be
refen"ed to the Prophets, by \vhom they \vere invited, but
neglected to come. By the servants who were sent the
second tilue, ,ve may better understand the Prophets than
the Apostles; that is to say, if servant is read in the first
place; but if' servants,' then by the second servants are to
be understood the Apostles; PSEUDO-CHRYS. WhOlll He
1\1 at. 10, sent "Then He said unto then1, Go not into tile u"ayof tIle
5. Gentiles, bitt rather go to tlte lost sheep of the hOllse of
IS'l.ael. ORIGEN; Or; The servants who were first sent to

VER. 1-14.

ST. l\1ATTIIE\V.

741

call them that were bidden to the wedding, are to be taken
as the Prophets converting the people by their prophecy to
the festival of the restoration of the Church to Christ. They
,vho would not come at the first message are they who refused
to hear the \vords of the Prophets. The others who were
sent a second time were another assenlLly of Prophets.
HILARY; Or; The servants who were first sent to call thenl
that were bidden, are the Apostles; they '\\-ho, being before
bidden, are now invited to con1e in, are the people of Israel,
\v ho had before been bidden through the Law to the glories
of eten1ity. To the Apostles therefore it belonged to ren1ind
those whom the Prophets had inyited. 'I'hose sent with the
second injunction are the Apostolic men their successors.
GREG. But because these ,vho were first invited would G
eg.
ubJ sup.
not come to the feast, the second SUffiInons says, Behold, I
ltave prepared my diuner. JEROME; The dinner tbat is
prepared, the oxen and the fatlings that are kiHed, is either
a description of regal magnificence by the \vay of metaphor,
that by carnal things spiritual Inay be understood; or the
greatness of the doctrines, and the manifold teaching of God
in His la,v, n1ay be understood. PSEUDO-CHRYS. "....hen
therefore the Lord bade the Apostles, Go ye and preach,
saying, The kingdolll qf helH'en is at hand, it "ras the same
lllessage as is here gi,-en, I have prepared 1ny dinner; i. e.
I have set out the table of Scripture out of the Law and the
Prophets. GREG. By the o::vell are signified the Fathers G
eg.
of the Old Testament; who by sufferance of the Law gored ubi sup.
their enemies \yith the horn of bodily strength. By fatlings
are Ineal1t fatted anilnals, for from ' alere', COInes ' altilia,' as
it ,vere 'alitilia' or 'alita.' By the failings are intended
the Fathers of the New Testament; \vho while L.1:tey receive
sweet grace of in\vard fattening, are raised by the "ring of
contelnplation fi.Olll earthly desires to things aboye. He
says therefore, 111y o.t'en and 1ny Lfatlings are Ã'il/ed; as Inuch
as to say, Look to the deaths of the Fathers who have
been before you, and desire SOllIe aillendment of your Ih
es.
PSEUDO-CHRYS. Otherwise; He says o:!'elt and .failings,
not as though t]10 oxen wore not fatted, but because all
the oxcn were 110t fat. Therefore the fading:.; dellote the.
Prophets who \vcre fillcd with the IIoly Spirit; the oxen

742

GOSI)EL ACCORDING TO

CHAP. XX.II..

those who were both Ptiests and Prophets, as Jerelniah and
Ezekiel; for as the oxen arc the leaders of the herd, so also
the Priests are leaders of the people. HILARY; Or other-
,yise; The oxen are the glorious army of
lartJrs, offered,
like choice yictilns, for d1e confession of G"od; the fatlings
are spiritual men, as birds fed for flight upon l1eavenly food,
that they lilay fill others with the abundance of the food they
Greg. ha,ye eaten. GREG. It is to be obser\Ted, that in the first
ubi sup. inyitation nothing was said of the oxen or fatlings, but in
the second it is announced that they are already killed,
because Almighty God ,vhen \ve \vill not hear l-lis ,yords
gives exalTIples, that what we suppose itnpossible Inay become
easy to us to surmount, ,,,hen we hear that others have passed
through it before us. ORIGEN; Or; The dinner which is
prepared is the oracle of God; and so the Inore mighty of
the oracles of God are the oxen; the s\veet and pleasant are
the fatlings. For if anyone bring forward feeble words,
without power, and not having strong force of reason, these
are the lean things; the fatIings are when to the establish-
Inent of each proposition lnany examples are brought for-
,,"a.rd backed by reasonable proofs. For example, supposing
one holding discourse of chastity, it Inight ,yell be repre-
sented by the turtle-do\re; but should he bring forward the
saIne holy discourse full of reasonable proof out of Scripture,
so as to delight and strengthen the lnind of his hearer, then
he brings the do'''e fatted. PSEUDO-CHRYS. That He says,
And all things are now 'ready, means, that all that is l'e-
quired to salvation is already tilled up in the Scriptures;
there the ignorant Inay find instruction; the self-willed may
read of terrors; he who is in difficulty mar there find pro-
Gloss, lnises to rouse hiIn to activity. GLOSS. Or, All tllings are
inte"lin I . Th . h ki d h o h h d
. . nO'lÐ 'reaG y, 10 e. e entrance Into t c ng om,"
IC a
been hitherto closed, is now ready through faith in 1\1 y incar-
Pseudo. nation. PSEUDO-CHRYS. Or I-Ie says, All tltiugs are nou'
Chrys. 1'ead y which belong to the m y stery of the Lord's Passion,
non occ.
sed vide and our redelnption. lIe says, Conle to the ,}llarriage, not

ss. with your feet, but ,vith faith, and good conduct. But tlley
nlade light of it; why they did so lIe shews 'v hen lIe
adds, Aud they u'ent their U'llY, 011e to his farl11, another
to Ids ulerc!tandize. CHRY8. These occupations seeID to be

YER. 1-14.

ST. :\IATTHE'V.

743

entirely reasonable; but we lean1 hence, that ho\veyer ne-
cessary the things that take up our time, ,ve ought to prefer
spiritual things to every thing beside. But it seenlS to Ine
that they only pretended these engagements as a cloak for
thcir disregard of the invitation. IIILARY; For men are
taken up with worldly aillbition as \"ith a farm; and many
through covetousness are engrossed ,vith trafficking. PSEUDO-
CHRYS. Or otherwise; 'Vhen we \york \vith the labour of
our hands, for example, cu1tÍ\ T ating our field or our yineyard,
or any Inanufacture of \yood or iron, "Te seem to be occupied
\vith ourja1"ll't; any other 1110de of getting money unattended
\viih manual labour is here called 1ne}"chandize. 0 DI0st
n1Íserable \vorld! and lnisel'able ye that follo"T it! The
pursuits of this ,,'orld ha,-e eyer shut lnen out of life. GREG.
\Vhosoc\'er then intent upon earthly business, or devoted
to the actions of this world, feigns to be meditating upon the
lnystery of the Lord's Passion, and to be living accordingly,
is he that refuses to come to the King's "Tedding on pretext
of going to his farllI or his InerchandizEj. Nay often, \vhich
is \vorse, some ,vho are called not only reject the grace, but
become persecutors, And the re1nnant took ltis se1'vants, and
entreated thell
despitefully, and slelD tlteln. PSEUDO-CHUYS.
Or, by the business of a fann, lIe denotes the Jewish popu-
lace, "Thorn the delights of this "Torld separated froln Christ;
by the excuse of lllerchandize, the Priests and other lninisters
of the Telnple, who, c0111ing to the senTice of the Law and
thE' Telnple through greediness of gain, ha\Te been shut out
of the faith by covetousness. Of these lIe said not, , They
""cre filled \vith envy,' but They 1Jlade light of ,it. For they
who through hate and spite crucified Christ, are they who
were fined with envy; but they who being entangled in busi-
ne
s did not believe on IIiIn, are not said to have been filled
with envy, but to have 111ade light of it. The Lord is silent
respecting His own death, because He had spoken of it in
the foregoing parable, but lIe she"Ts forth the death of His
disciples, "Tholn after IIis ascension the Jews put to death,
stoning Stephen and executing J alTIeS the son of Alphæus,
for which things Jerusalem was destroyed by the ROlnans.
.L\l1d it is to he observed, that anger is attributed to God figu-
rativelv anc1110t P ro p erly , . lIe is then said to be auurv \Vhell
.."' b .

744

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

CHAP. XXII.

lIe punishes. JEROME; \Vhen He was doing works of mercy,
homini and bidding to I-lis Inan"iage-feast, He was called a man;
regi.
no\y when He comes to vengeance, the man is dropped, and
II e is called only a King. ORIGEN; Let those who sin
against the God of the Law, and the Prophets, and the whole
creation, declare whether He who is here called man, and
is said to be angry, is indeed the Father Himself. If they
allow this, they will be forced to own that many things are
said of Him applicable to the passible nature of man; not
for that lIe has passions, but because He is represented to
us after the manner of passible human nature. In this way
we take God's anger, repentance, and the other things of tbe
like sort in the Prophets. JEROME; By His armies we
understand the Romans under Vespasian and Titus, who
having slauglItered the inhabitants of Judæa, laid in ashes
the faithless city. PSEUDO-CHRYS. The Roman army is
Ps. 24, called God's army; because Tile eærtlt is tlte Lord's, and
10
the fulness tltereof; nor would the Romans have come to
Greg. Jerusalem, had not the Lord stirred thenl thither. GREG.
ubi sup. Or, The armies of our King are the legions of His Angels.
He is said therefore to have sent His armies, and to have
destroyed those murderers, because all judgment is executed
upon men by the Angels. He destro,ys those murderers,
\vhen He cuts off persecutors; and burns up their city,
because not only their souls, but the body of flesh they had
tenanted, is tormented in the everlasting fire of hell. ORIGEN;
Or, the city of those wicked men is in each doctrine the
assembly of those \vho meet in the wisdom of the rulers
of this world; which the King sets fire to and destroys, as
consisting of evil buildings.
Greg. GREG. But when He sees that His invitation is spurned at,
ubi sup. 1-Ie will not have His Son's maniage-feast elnpty; the word of
God will find \vhcre it may stay itself. ORIGEN; He saith to His
servanl.(], that is, to the Apostles; or to the Angels, who were
set over the calling of the Gentiles, The wedding is ready.
IlEl\IIG. That is, the whole sacrament of the hUlnan dispens-
ation is cOlnpleted and closed. But they which were bidden,
Rom.lO, that is, the Jews, were '/lot It'orthy, because, 'ignorant oj'" tIle
3. righteousness of God, and going about to establish theÙ" own
'righteousness, tliey have not subllzitted tlzelnscl1..es to the

VEU. 1-14.

ST. l\IATTHEW.

745

'righteousness of God. The Jewish nation then being rejected,
the Gentile people were taken in to the marriage-feast;
"'hence it follows, Go ye out into the crossings of the streets,
and a.f) many as ye shall.find, bid to the wedding. J ERO:l\IE;
For the Gentile nation was not in the streets, but in the cross-
ings of the streets. REl\UG. These are the errors of the
Gentiles. PSEUDO-CHRYS. Or; The streets are all the pro-
fessions of this world, as philosophy, soldiery, and the like.
And therefore He says, Go out into the crossings of the
Sf1"eei.f), that they may call to the faith men of every con-
dition. l\Ioreover, as chastity is the way that leads to God,
so fornication is the way that leads to the Devil; and so it
is in the other virtues and ,.ices. Thus He bids them invite
to the faith men of every profession or condition. HILARY;
By the street also is to be understood the time of this \yorld,
and they are therefore bid to go to the crossings of the streets,
because the past is remitted to all. GREG. Or otherwise; Greg.
In holy Scripture, way is taken to mean actions; so that ubi sop.
the crossings of the ways we understand as failure in action,
for they usually come to God readily, who have had little
prosperity in worldly actions. ORIGEN; Or otherwise; I
suppose this first bidding to the wedding to have been a
bidding of some of the nlore noble minds. For God \vould
ha,Te those befol'e all come to the feast of the divine oracles
who are of the more ready wit to understand them; and
forasmuch as they who are such are loth to come to that
kind of summons, other servants are sent to move them to
come, and to prolllise that they shall find the dinner pre-
pared. For as in the things of the body, one is the bride,
others the inviters to the feast, and they that are bidden are
others again; so God knows the various ranks of souls, and
their pow"ers, and the I'easons ,vhy these are taken into the
condition of the Bride, others in the rank of the servants
that can, and others among the number of those that are
bidden as guests. But they who had been thus especially
invited contelnned the first inviters as poor in understanding,
and \vent their \yay, following their O\Vn devices, as more
delighting in them than in those things \vhich the King by
his servants prolnised. Yet are these more venial than they
\vho in-treat and put to death the servants sent unto them;

746

GOSP
L ACCORDING TO

CHAl). XXII.

those, that is, ,vho daringly assail \vith \veapons of conten-
tious ,yords the servants sent, ".ho are unequal to solve their
subtle difficulties, and those are illtreated or put to death by
them. The ser'-ants going forth are either Christ's Apostles
going froln J udæa and Jerusalem, or the Holy Angels froln
the inner ,vorlds, anù going to the various \vays of various
Inanners, gathered together \VhOIUSoever they found, not
caring ,,,hether before their calling they had been good or
bad. By the good here ".e may understand simply the nlore
humble and upright of those \\'ho COllIe to the worship of
Rom. 2, God, to w'holn agreed ,,-hat the Apostle says, TT7len the
14. GeJtlile8 'll"lliclt ha
'e not the Law do by nature the things
contained in the Lazc, they aTe a law
tnio ihe1J1Sel
'e8.
JEROl\IE; For there is an infinite difference alnong the
Gentiles thelllSeh.es; some are more prone to vice, others
are endo\ved with 11l0re incon"upt and virtuous manners.
Greg. GREG. Or; He 11leanS that in this present Church there
ubi snp. cannot be bad without good, nor good lvithout bad. He is
not good \yho refuses to endure the bad. ORIGE
; The
Inarriage-feast of Christ and the Church is filled, ,vhen they
,vho were found by the Apostles, being restored to God, sat
do\vl1 to the feast. But since it beho'Ted that both bad and good
should be called, not that the bad should continue bad, but that
they should put off the gannents unlueet for the "redding, and
should put on the lnarriage garnlents, to \vit, bowels of lnercy
and kindness, for this cause the J{ing goes out, that He may
see them set do\vl1 before the supper is set before theIn, that
they Inay be detained ,vho ha,'e the \vedding gannent in which
He is delighted, and that he 111ay condeu1l1 the opposite.
PSEUDO-CHRYS. The King Ca1Jle in to see the guests; not as
though there was any place where HOe is not; but ,,,here
lle ,,,ill look to gi,'e judgnlent, there lIe is said to be present;
where He \vill not, there He seeins to be absent. 'rhe day
of IIis cOIning to behold is the day of judglnent, "Then HOe
,,,ill yisit Christians seated at the board of the Scriptures.
ORIGEN; But when He ,vas conle in, He fonnd there one
,,,ho had not put off his old behaviour; He sauJ there a Juan
'If"lliclt had not on a 'lcedding garnlent. lIe speaks of one
only, because all, ,,'ho after faith continue to spn'c that
\"ickedness which they had before the faith, are but of one

VER. 1-14.

ST. 1\1..\ TTHE\V.

747

kind. GUEG. 'Vhat ought we to understand by the ,,'cdding G
eg.
gannent, but charity? For this the LOl"d had upon Him, ubI sup.
,vllen He caIne to espouse the Church to HÍlnself. lIe then
enters in to the wedding feast, but without thé "redding
garment, who has faith in the Church, but not charity. A"CG. Aug.
I h i'.' h h k . cont.
Or, le goes to t e least \"It out a garment, '" 0 goes see ?lllg Faust.
his own, and not the Bridegroom's honour. HILARY; Or; xxii. 19.
The wedding gannent is t11C grace of the Ho]y Spirit, and the
purity of that hea\'enly temper, ,,'hich taken up on the confes-
sion of a good enquiry is to be preserved pure and unspotted
for the cOlnpany of the kingdolll of heaven. JEROME; Or;
The Inarriage garment is the cOlnnlandlllents of the Lord, and
the WOrliS \vbich are done under the La,v and the Gospel, and
form the clothing of the nc\v man. "Thoso anIong the
Christian body shall be found in the day of judglnent 110t to
ha\?e these, is straight\vay condemned. He sail/" unto liÙn,
Friend, /tow CalJle,')t thou in hither, not ha'viufj a 'Il:edding
gar'11lent? He calls hhnjl"ieJld, because he was invited to the
"
edding as being a friend by faith; but He charges hÏ1n
,,'ith want of Inanners in polluting by his filthy dress the
elegance of the wedding entertainment.
ORIGE
; And foraslnuch as he who is in sin, and puts not on
the Lord .Jesus Christ, has no excuse, it follo\vs, Bitt lie was
speechless. JEROME; For in that day there ,,,ill be no room for
blustering Jnanner l , nor power of denial, when all the Angels and 1 al. pæ-
the world itself are witnesses against the sinner. ORIGEN; He nitentiæ.
\vho has thus insulted the marriage feast is not only cast out
therefrom, but besides by the J{ing's officers, \vho are set
over his p1"Ïsons, is chained up froln that po,ve r of \valking
which he eUlployed not to walk to any good thing, and
that power of reaching forth his hand, w here,vith he had
fulfilled 110 "
Ol'k for any good; and is sentenced to a place
'whence all light is banished, which is called OUle1" darkness.
GREG. The hands and feet are then bound by a severe sen- Greg.
tence of judglnent, \yhich before refused to he bound from ubi sup.
,,,icked actions by anIendlnent of lite. Or punishluent binds
them, \\?hOln sin had before bound fronl good ,vOl"ks. AUG. Aug. de
The bonds of wicked and depraxed desires are the chains Trin. xi.
\vhich bind hiln who deser'"es to be cast out into outer 6.
darkness. GREG. By in\varcl darkness \\'e express blindness, Greg.
ubi sup.

748

GOSl)EL ACCORDING TO

CHAP. XXII.

of heart; outer darkness signifies the everlasting night of
damnation. PSEUDO-CHRYS. Or, it points to the difference
of punishment inflicted on sinners. Outer darkness being
the deepest, inward darkness the lesser, as it \vere the out-
skirts of the place. JEROME; By a metaphor taken from the
body, there shall be weeping and gnashing if leeth, is shewn
the greatness of the tornlents. The binding of the hands and
feet also, and the weeping of eyes, and the gnashing of teeth,
understand as proving the truth of the resurrection of the
G
eg. body. GREG. There shan gnash those teeth \yhich here
UbI sup. delighted in gluttony; there shall weep those eyes \vhich
here roanled in illicit desire; every member shall there have
its peculiar punishment, which here was a slave to its peculiar
vice. JEROME; And because in the lnarriage and supper the
chief thing is the end and not the beginning, therefore He
adds, For 17lany are called, but feu' chosen. HILARY; For
to invite all without exception is a courtesy of public bene-
volence; but out of the invited or called, the election \yill be
G
eg. of \vorth, by distinction of lllerit. GREG. For some never
UbI sup. b . d d . . h d
egln a goo course, an sonle never contInue In t at goo
com.se which they have begun. Let each one's care about
himself be in proportion to his ignorance of \vhat is yet to
come. PSEUDO-CHRYS. Or otherwise; 'Vhene\yer God will
try His Church, He enters into it that He may see the guests;
and if He finds anyone not ha\?ing on the wedding garnlent,
He enquires of him, How then were )70U Inade a Christian, if
you neglect these \yorks? Such a one Christ gives over to
His ministers, that is, to seducing leaders, \"ho bind his
hands, that is, his \vorks, and his feet, that is, the motions of
his nlind, and cast hill1 into darkness, that is, into the errors
of the Gentiles or the Jews, or into heresy. The nigher
darkness is that of the Gentiles, for they have never heard the
truth ,vhich they despise; the outer darkness is that of the
J e\vs, who have heard but do not believ'e; the outennost is
that of the heretics, who have heard and have learned.

15. Then ,vent the Pharisees, and took counsel
how they might entangle him in his talk.
1 ö. And they sent out unto him their disciples with
the Herodians, saying, 1\laster, we know that thou

VER. 15-22.

ST. MATl'HE\V.

749

art true, and teachest the \vay of God in truth,
neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest
not the person of men.
17. Tell us therefore, 'Vhat thinkest thou? Is
it lawful to give tribute unto Cresar, or not?
18. But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and
said, 'Vhy tenlpt ye rne, ye hypocrites?
19. She\v Ine the tribute money. And they brought
unto hien a penny.
20. And he saith unto them, 'Vhose is this image
and superscription?
21. They say unto him, Cæsar's. Then saith he
unto them, Render therefore unto Cresar the things
which are Cresar's; and unto God the things that
are God's.
22. 'Vhen they had heard these words, they mar-
vel1ed, and left him, and went their way.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. As when one seeks to dam a stream of
rlmning water, as soon as one outlet is stopped up it Inakes
another channel for itself; so the malevolence of the Jews,
foiled on one hand, seeks itself out another course. Theil
went tlte Pltarisees; u.enl to the I-Ierodians. Such as the
plan ,,-as, such were the planners; They send 'Unto HÙn
their disciples with the HerodiaJls. GLOSS. 'Vho as nll- Gloss.
kno\vn to HiIn, were more likely to ensnare Him, and so ord.
through theln they might take Him, which they feared to do
of thelnselves because of the populace. J EROl\IE; Lately
under Cæsar Augustus, Judæa, which was subject to the
Romans, had been lnade tributary vhen the census \vas held
of the whole world; and there \vas a great division alnong
the people, some saying that tribute ought to be paid to the
ROInans in return for the security and quiet \vhich their arms
maintained for all. The Pharisees on the other hand, self-
satisfied in their own righteousness, contended that the people
of God \vho paid tithes and gave first-fruits, and did all the
other things which are written in the Law, ought not to be
subject to hUlnan laws. But Augustus had given the Jews

750

GOSPEL ACCORDIXG TO

CHAP. XXII.

as king, Herod, son of Antipater, a foreigner and proselyte;
he ,vas to exact the tribute, yet to be su
ject to the ROlllan
dOlninion. The Pharisees therefore send their disciples ,,'ith
the IIerodians, that is, \vith IIerod's soldiers, or those WhOlll
the Pharisees in 1llockery called IIerodians, because they
paid tribute to the ROlllans, and ,vere not devoted to the
Chrys. worship of God. CHRYS. They send their disciples and
Hom. IIerod's soldiers together, that \vhatever opinion lIe n1Ïght
lxx.
gi\Tc Inight be found fault with. Yet would they rather have
had Hill] say some\vhat against the Herodians; for being
thetllselves afraid to lay hands on Hilll because of the popu-
lace, they sought to bring Him into danger through I-lis
liability to pay tribute. PSEUDO-CHRYS. This i8 the conl-
Ino,nest act of hypocrites, to cOlnnlend those they would ruin.
Thus, these break out into praises of Him, saying, JJIaster,
u'e know that Thou art true. They call Him 1JIaster, that,
deceived by this shew of honour and respect, He might in
Silllplicity open all His heart to tholn, as seeking to gain the111
Gloss. for disciples. GLOSS. There are three ways in \vhich it is
non occ. possible for one not to teach the truth. First, 'on the side of
the teacher, who nlay either not kno\v, or not love the truth;
guarding against this, they say, J:Ve know that Tholl art true.
Secondly, on the side of God, there are some w.ho, putting
aside all fear of IIiIn, do not utter honestly the b'uth which
they kno\v respecting Him; to exclude this they say, And
teachest the way Q/ God in truth. Thirdly, 011 the side of
our neighbour, when through fear or affection anyone with-
holds the truth; to exclude this they say, And carest for no
1nan, for 'rhou regardest not the person of lnan. CHRYS.
This was a covert allusion to Herod and Cæsar. J EROl\IE ;
This smooth and treacherous enquiry ""'as a kind of challenge
to the answerer to fear God rather than Cæsar, and imule-
diate]y they say, Tell us therif01 4 e, what th'inkest Tl
ou? Is
it lawful to give tribute to Oæsar or not? Should He say
tribute should not be paid, the IIerodians would ilnlnediately
accuse HÏ1n as a person disaffected to the Emperor. CHRYS.
They knew that certain had before suffered death for this
very thing, as plotting a rebellion against the Ronlans, there-
fore they sought by such discourse to bring Him into the
san1e suspicion. PSEUDO-CHRYS. 1-Ie Jnakes an answer not

YEn. 15-
2.

ST. :\1 A TTHE\V.

751

corresponding to the 811100th tone of their address, but harsh,
suitable to their cruel thoughts; for God answers nlen's
hearts, and not their ,,"ords. JERO:\IE; This is the first
exceHence of the answerer, that TIe discerns the thoughts of
His exarnine1's, and calls theln not disciples hut tempters.
A hypocrite is he who is one thing, and feigns hilnself another.
PSEUDO-CHRYS. lIe therefore calls thel11 hypocrites, that
seeing I-Jilll to be a discerner of human hearts, they Inight
not be hardy enough to carry through their design. Observe
thus ho\v the Pharisees spoke fair that they lnight destroy
Hiln, Lut Jesus put them to shalne that He n1ight save then1;
for Goel's \vrath is Inore profitable to Ulan, than lnan's favour.
J EltO)IE; 'Yisdom does ever wisely, and so the te.npters are
best confuted out of their own \\'ords; therefore it follows,
Shell' 'lne tI,e tribute 'JJlOJle.1J; and they brought unto Hillt II
den a ri'lls. This ,vas a coin reckoned equi \"alent to ten ses-
terces, and bore the image of Cæsar. Let those who think
that the Sa\'iour asks because lIe is ignorant, learn fi'om the
present place that it is not so, for at all e'
ents Jesus must
have knO\Yl1 whose ilnage was on the coin. They sa.'} unto
Ilhn, Cæsar's; not _\ugustus, but Tiberius, under \",horn also
the Lord suffered. _\ll the ROlllan EUlperors were called
Cæsar, frol11 Calus Cæsar Wll0 first seized the chief po,ver.
l
eJlder fhe1"
fore unto Cæsar lite thingslcltich are Cæsar's;
Í. e. the coin, tribute, or Inoney. HILARY; For if there
relnain with llS nothing t1lat is Cæsar's, we shall not be bound
by the condition of rendering to him the things that are his;
but if we lean upon ,,
hat is his, if we a,-ail ou1'seh-es of the
la\\'ful protection of his po\Yer, \ve cannot cOlnplaill of it as any
wrong if "
e are required to rel1der to Cæsar the things of Cæsar.
CHRYS. But when you hear this cOlnlnalld to render to
Cæsar the things of Cæsar, kno"
that such things only are
intended w.hich in nothing are opposed to re1igion; if such
tbere be, it is no longer Cæsar's but the Dc\"il's tribute.
.And InOreO\"er, that they might not say that He was subject-
ing thel11 to nIan, I-Ie adds, And unfo God tI,e things fl,at
{Ire God's. JERO)IE; That is, tithes, first-fruits, oblation 7
and \-ictilns; as the I
ord HÍ1nself rendered to Cæsar tribute,
both for Hilnself and for Peter; and also rendered unto God
the things that arc God's in doing the will of His Father.

I Tim.
4, 3.

752

GOSI>EI. ACCORDING TO

CHAP. XXII.

HILARY; It behoves us also to rendpr unto God the things
that are Ifis, nanlely, body, soul, and 'will. For Cresar's coin
is in the gold, in which I-lis in1age ,vas pourtrayed, that is,
God's coin, on which the Divine image is stamped; give there-
fore your Inoney to Cresar, but preserve a conscience void of
offence for God.
ORIGEN; Fron1 this place ,ve learn by the Saviour's
exalllple 110t to be allured by those things ,vhich have
Inany voices for them, and thence seen1 famous, but to
incline rather to those things 'which are spoken according to
SOlne method of reason. But "re may also understand this
place morally, that \ve ought to give some things to the
body as a tribute to Cæsar, that is to say, necessaries. And
such things as are congenial to our souls' nature, that is, such
things as lead to virtue, those we ought to offer to God. They
then who ,vithout any moderation inculcate the law of God,
and cOl1unand us to have no care for the things required by
the body, are the Pharisees, ,vho forbad to give tribute to
Cæsar, fo'rbidding to '{narry, and cOl1l1llanding to abstain
fj'olJl 1neals, 'lL"hiclt God hath created. They, on the othpr
hand, who allow too lnnch indulgence to the body are the
Herodians. But our Saviour would neither that ,"irtue
should be enfeebled by ilnllloderate devotedness to the
flesh; nor that our fleshly nature should be oppressed by
our unren1itting efforts after ,'irtue. Or the prince of this
,yorld, that is, the Devil, is called Cæsar; and "pe cannot
render to God the things that are God's, unless ,ve have first
rendered to this prince all that is his, that i
, haye cast off an
,vickedness. This lllOreOYCr let us learn froln this place, that
to those \\9ho telupt us ,ve should neither be totally silent, nor
yet ans,ver openly, but with caution, to cut off all occasion
froln those ,,,ho seek occasion in us, and tcach without blarne
tIle things which Inay saye those 'VllO are willing to be sa,'ed.
J ERO::\IE; They who ought to have believf>d did but
,,'onder at llis great wisdoln, that their craft had found no
lneans fOl' ellsnatÏng l-lilll: whence it follows, JJ 7 hen they had
heard these '{oords, the!1 'Jnarrelled, and !<f/
HÙn, and lcent
their 1LY1Y, carrying away theil' unbelief and ,yonder together.

23. The
a HIC da y came to hiln tbe Sadd ucees,

VER. 2:3-33.

ST. l\IA TTHEW.

753

,,,hich say that there is no resurrection, and asked
him,
24. Saying, l\Iaster, l\Ioses said, If a n1an die,
having no children, his brother shaH marry his ,,,ife,
and raise up seed unto his brother.
25. N O\V there \Vel"e \vith us seven brethren: and
the first, ,vhen he had married a \vife, deceased, and,
having no issue, left his ,,,ife unto his brother:
26. Like\\'ise the second also, and the third, unto
the seventh.
27. And last of all the ,,'oman died also.
28. Therefore in the resurrection 'v hose \vife shaH
she be of the seven? for they all had her.
29. Jesus ans,vered and said unto them, Ye do err,
not kno\ving the Scriptures, nor the po\\'er of God.
30. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor
are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God
in heaven.
31. But as touching the resurrection of the dead,
have ye not read that which ,vas spoken unto you by
God, saying,
32. I am the God of Abraham, and the God of
Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of
the dead, but of the living.
33. And when the multitude heard this, they were
astonished at his doctrine.

CHRYS. The disciples of the Pharisees \"ith the Herodians
being thus confuted, the Sadducees next offer thelnsehres,
,vhereas the o\yerthro\v of those before them ought to have
kept them back. But presumption is Sball1eless, stubbon1,
and ready to attenlpt things in1possible. So the Eyange1ist,
wondering at their folly, expresses this, saying, TILe sarne day
came to hi1n the Sadducees. PSEUDO-CHRYS. ...\.s soon as the
Pharisees ,,",ere gone, caIne the Sadducees; perhaps with like
intent, for there was a strife among then1 ,,,ho should be tl1e
VOL. I. 3 c

754

GOSPEL ACCORDJ
G TO

CHAP. XXII.

first to seize HÍ1n. Or if by argument they should 110t bc
able to ovcrCOIl1C I-litn, they nlight at least ùy perseverance
\veal' out His understanding. J EROl\IF.; There \Vere t\VO
sects aillong the J e\vs, the Pharisees and the Sadducees; the
Pharisees pretended to the righteousness of traditions and
obser\Tances, whence they were called by the people' separate.'
The Sadducees (the ,vord is interpreted 'righteous') also
passed thClTISelves for 'v hat they ,vere not; and ,vhereas the
first believed the resurrection of body and soul, and confessed
both ...-\ngel and spirit, these, according to the Acts of the
Acts 23, Apostles, denied then1 an, as it is here also said, TTT/tO say
B. that there is no 1'esurrectiol1. ORIGEN; They not only
denied the resurreetion of the body, but took away the
imlnortality of the soul. PSECDO-CHRYS, For the Devil
finding hiln
elf unable to c)'ush utterly the religion of God,
brough t in the sect of the Sadducees denying- the resurrection
of the dead, thus breaking do\vn all purpose of a righteous life,
for \vho is there ,vould endlue a daily struggle against hiuI-
Greg. self, unless he looked to the hope of the resurrection? GREG.
:f

'55. But there are who observing that the spirit is loosed frolll the
body, that the flesh is turned to corruption, that the con'up-
tion is reduced to dust, and that the dust again is resolved into
the elelnents, so as to be unseen by hU111an eyes, despair of
the possibility of a resurrection, and while they look upon
the dry bones, doubt that they can be clothed with flesh, and
Aug.. be quickened anew to life. ALG. But that earthy matter

('hlr. of \yhich the flesh of )l1cn is nlade perishes not before God;
but into ,vhatsoe\.er dust or ashes reduced, into \vhatsoever
gases 01' ,.apours dispersed, into whatsoever other bodies
incorporated, though resolved into the eleUlents, though
beC0111C the food or part of the flesh of anÍ1nals or 111en, yet is
it in a InOlnent of tÏ1ne restored to that hlunan soul, ,vhich at
the first quic1i:ened it that it became Inau, lived and gre"T.
PSEUDO-CHRYS. But the Sadducees thought they had no\v
discovered a 1110st convincing argument in favour of their
Chrys. error. CHRYS. For because death to the Jews, \vho did all
non occ. t] . r. 1 1 . e d . 1 . 1 1\1
lIngs lor t Ie present lie, seelHe an Ul1Ullxec C\.l, 1: oses
ordered that the "rife of one \vho died \vithout sons should be
gh en to his brother, that a son might be born to the dead
Inan by his brother, and his nallle should not perish, \vhich

\ ER. 23-33.

ST. l\L\.TT IJ E"'.

735

'was sonle alle,'iation of death. And none other but a brother
or relation was cOl1llnanded to take the wifc of the dead;
other\vise the child horn would not ha
çe been considered the
son of the dead; and also because a stranger could ha\"c no
concern in cstaLlishillg the house of hinl that ""as dead, a
a
brother ,,-hose kindred obliged hilll thereto. J EROl\n
; A.s
they disbelie,"ed the resurrection of the body, and supposed
that the soul perished ,,"ith the body, they accordingly in,"ent
a fable to display the fondness of the belief of a restuTection.
Thus they put forward a base fiction to o,-erthro\y the \"erity
of the resurrection, and conclude with asking, in tlie 're8urrec-
lion wl10se sl,all sl,e be? 'Though it 111Ïght be that such an
instance 1l1ight really occur in their nation.
Al'"G.l\Iystically; by these se\"en brethren are understood the Aug.
. k ..] h . 1" 1 1 fì . f . 1 . Quæst.
\VIC -ell, \Y 0 could not bnng 10rt 1 t le rlut 0 ng ltcousness In Ev. i.32.
the earth through all the se,"en agcs of the ,,"orId, during ,vhich
this earth has being, for aften\-ards this earth also shall pass
away, through which all those scvcn passed a\vay unfruitfu1.
PSEl'"DO-CHRYS. ""'isely does He first convict thein of
folly, in that they did not read; and aftenvards of ignorance,
in that they did not l\:no\v God. FOl' of diligence in reading
springs kno\\'ledge of God, but ignorance is the offspring
of neglect. J ERO)IE; They therefore err because they kno\v
not the Scriptures; and because they kno\v not the po""er
of God. ORIGEX; T,,'o things there are which He says
they kno,v not, the Scriptures and the power of God, by
which i
brought to pass the resurrection, and thp new life
iu it. Or by the po,ver of God, ,,-hich the Lord here con-
,-icts the Sadducees that they kne\\9 not, II e intcllds IIÏ1nself,
who \vas the power of God; aud RiBl they kne"9 not, as 1 Cor. I,
not knowing the Scriptures which spoke of I-lil11; and thence 24.
also they be1ie,"ed not the resurrection, which He should
effect. IJut it is asked when the Sa,"iour says, Y-e do err
not kllou:illg the Scriptul o es, if He 111eans that this text,
TIley neither 11larry, nor llre gÜ.en in '1Jlarriage, is in SOine
Scripture, though it is not read in the Old TestaInent? "
e
say that these 'gery ".ords are indeed not found, but that the
truth is in a Inystery iUlplied in the l110ral sense of Scripture;
the Law', ,,-hieh is a shadow çf go.od things to COlne, WhCl1eyer
it speaks of husbands and wh"cs, speaks chiefly of spiritual
3c2

756

GOSPEL ACCOnDIl\"G TO

CHAP. XXII.

,yedlock. But neither this do I find any \v}lere spoken in
Scripture that the Saints shall be after their departure as the
Angels of God, nn]e
;s one will understand this also to be

en.15, inferred 111 orally ; as ,",."here it is said, And thou s/talt go to
1;)" L
Gen.25, illY "falliers, and He u"{(s gathered 10 "is people. Or one
8. 111ay say; lIe blallled thenl that they read not the other
Scriptures whie h are besides the La.,v, and therefore they
erred. Another says, 'rhat they knc\v not the Scriptures
of the
losaic La'v, for this reason, that they did not sift
their di\.ine sense. PSEUDO-CHRYS. Or, ,,-hen lIe says, In
tI,e l"esurrection t!Ley l1titlter 'Jnarry 110r are .qÙ'ell Ùl '(na r-
triage, He l'eferred to what lIe had said, J7"e l"nOID not the
pOlrer
f Goel; but when He proceeded, I (l1n the God if
Abralta171,
-'c. to that Ye l"now not tile SC'J" ip tll res. And
thus ought we to do; to cavillers first to set forth Scripture
authority on any question, and then to she\v the grounds of
reason; but to those who ask out of ignorance to she,,' first
the reason, and then the authority. For ca\rillers ought
to be refuted, enquirers taught. To these then who put
their question in ignorance, He first shews the reason, saying,
In tlte resurrectioN they neither 1narry nor a1'e gÙ'en -in
'Jlla1"riage. J ERO::-,IZ; In these ,yords the Latin language
cannot follow the Gïeek idiuln. For the Latin ,yord 'l1uLere'
is correctly said only of the \VOlnan. Dnt 've 111Ust take it
so as to understand 'Jnarr.1J of Inen, io he gÜ'en in 17Ul1TÙl.qe
of "
on1en. PSEVDO-CHR\S. In this life that \ve 11lay die,
therefore are we born; and ,,-e nla1'r)'" to the end that that
which death conSUlnes, birth ll1ay replenish; therefore where
the law of death is tal\:en a\\'ay, the cause of birth is taken
a\\'ay likc\yise. fIILARY; It had been enough to haye cut
off this opinion of the Sadducees of sensual enjoyment, that
where the function ceased, the elnpty pleasure of the body
accoll1panying it ceased also; but He adds, Jill! are as tlte
Angels if God in heal'en. CHTIYS. 'Vhich is an apt }"eply
to their question. For their reason for judging that there
".ould be no resurrection, \\'as that they supposed that their
condition when risen would be the saIne; this reason then
lIe 1"enl0\'eS by shewing that their condition ,vonId be altered.
PSEUDO-CHRYS. It should be noted, that \vhen lIe spoke of
fasting, ahns, and other spiritual yi1'tues, 1-1 e did not bring

VER. 23-33.

ST. )L\.TTHE'V.

757

in the conlparison of _
ngels, hut only here where He speaks
of the ceasing uf Inarriage. For as all acts of the flesh arc
allilnal acts, but this of lust especially so; so aU the yirtues
are ano-elic acts , but es p ecially chastity , bv \\T}Üch our nature
o 0/ &'.,
is bound to the other ,-irtues. J ERO:\IE; This that is added,
But are as the Auyels if God ill ltearen, is an assnrance
that our con,.ersation in heaven shall be spiritual. DIO
YS. Dio
y
.
h 1 . '1 I 1 . I 1 deDnTm.
For then when ,ve s al be 111COrruptlo e anc lmlnorta, JY Nom. i.
the yisible presence of God EJ iInself we shall be filled with
IUOst chaste conten1plations, and shall share the gift of light
to the ullder8tanding in our iUlpassible and ilnlnaterial soul
after the fashion of the exalted souls in heaven; on which
account it is
aid that we shall be equal to the _\ngels.
HIL\RY; The saIne cavil that the Sadducees here offer
respecting mnrriage is renewed by many ,vho ask in ,,,hat
fonn the feulale sex shall rise again. But what the authority
of Scripture leads us to think concerning the .L.\ngels, so
nUlst we suppose that it ,viII be ,vith W01l1en in the resur-
rection of our specie
. ArG. To IHe they seen1 to think Aug. de
Inost justly, ,,-ho doubt not that both sexes shall rise Ci,:,:D 1 e!,
., XXII. I.
again. For there shall be no desire which is the cause of
confusion, for ùefore they had sinned they \vere naked; and
that nature ".hich they then had shall be presen'ed, which
,vas quit both of conception and of child-birth.
>\ Iso the
IllCUl bel's of tlle WOluan shall not be adapted to their former
use, but fralned for a new beauty, one br which the beholder
is not allured to lust, which shall not then be, but God's
wisdom and lllercy shall be praised, ". hich lllade that to
be which was not, and delh-ered froln corruption that which
,vas 111ade. J ER01IE; For none could say of a stone and
a tree or inanimate things, that the r shall not man.y nor
be gi,-en in Inarriage, but of such things only as ha,"ing
capacity for Inarriage, shall yet in a sort not nlarry. RABAX.
These things which are spoken concerning the conditions of
t11e resurrection He spol{e in ans,ver to their enquÎ1"y, but of
the resuITection itself lIe replies aptly against their unbelief.
CHRYS. And becanse they had put forward )Ioses in their
question, lIe confutes then1 by l\Ioses, adding, But concern-
iug the resurrection o.llhe dead, hare ye not rend. JERO)IE;
In proof of the resurrectiun there ,"ere luallY plainer passages

...
5 8

GOSPEL ACCORDI
G TO

CHAP. XXiI..

Is.
6, \v hich lIe might have cited; anlong others that of Isaiah,
29. jux- The dead shall be raised; tbey tbat are ill tlte tVIJlb.., shall rise

a

x. ll.'lnÙl: and in another place, JIany q( t!tent that sleep in llle
1:1,2. dust of the eartlt ,f}ltall lllvake. It is enquired therefore why
th0 Lord should ha,'e chosen this testilnony which SCClllS
anlbiguous, anlI not snfficiently belonging to the truth of the
resurrection; and as if by tlÜs He had proyed the l}oint adds,
He is not I lie COLI of tlie dead, bllt oj' the lil'illg. "r c haye
said above that the
:l(Iducees confessed neith
r

ngel, nor
spirit, nor resun'ection of thc body, and t:lnght also the deatb
of the sou1. But they also recci\'cd only the fh-e hooks of
l\Ioses, rejecting the Prophets. It would ha,-e been foolish
t]lereforc to haye bl'ought forward testinJonies ,,,hose authority
they did not adnlit. To pro'"e the inl1nortality of ßouls there-
fore, lIe brings forward an instance out of 1\loses, I (Ull lite
God of
1 brllhn J]1,
.c. and then straight snbj oins, He is 110t t!te
God of the dead, but 0/ tlte liciJlg; so that ha,-ing established
that souls abide after death, (foraslnuch as God could not be
the God of those ".ho had no existence any \vhere,) there
luight fitly COU1C in the resurrection of bodies ,,-hich had toge-
ther ,,'ith thcir souls done good or evil. CHRYS. flow then
Rom. is it said in another place, If/hellter 'lce lire or die, iDe are tlte
l-1, 8. Lord's. This which is said here differs froln that. 1.
he dead
are the Lord's, those, that is, who are to li,Te again, not
those ,,,ho hayc dif'appearcd for ever, and shall not rise again.
I-IIL.\RY; It should be furthcl" considered, that this ,vas said
to 1\loses at a tilne when those holy Patriarchs had gone to
t11eir rest. They therefore of WhOlTI I-Ie was the God "'"ere in
being; for they could ha,-e had nothing, if they had not been
in being; for in the nature of things that, of which sOlnewhat else
is, ll1USt ha,'"e it
elf a being; so they who have a God must
themselves be alive, since God is eternal, and it is not possible
that that which is dead should ha,-e that which is eternal. How
then shall it be affinned that those do not, and shall not here-
after, exist, of who In Etemityitselfhas said that He is? ORIGE
;
Ex. 3, God 1110rCOyer is lIe who says, I ant t!tat I a17l; so that it is
14. ill1possible that lIe s110uld be called the God of those who
are not. And spe that He said not, 1 anI the God of Abraluun,
Isaac, and Jacob, but The God '!l.dbrllltaJU, lhe God C!l Isaac,
and lite God f!/ Jacob. But in another place [-Ie said thus,

VER. t3-33.

T. MATTIJli\V.

759

1ì,e God of tI,e l-lebrews !tallL senl lite unto thee. F'or tIler Exod.
.. l' r. G I 7, 16.
\\'ho in cOInparison of other Dlen are nlost penect belore OC,
ha"e God elltirclJT in theIn, wherefore lIe is not said to be
their God in COlIlluon, but of each in particular. oL.\..S when
,ve :say, That farm is theirs, we she\v that each of theln does
not own the whole of it; but when we say, That farm is his,
we Inean that he is o\vner of the whole of it. "7"hen then it
is said, The God 0..( i lie Hebreu's, this she"9s their Ï1nperfec-
tion, that each of then1 has S0111e sIuall portion in God. TIut
it is said, Tile God qf .AúrahaJJl, tlie God of Isaac, aJld O,e
God of Jacob, becau
e each one of these possessed God en-
tirely. And it is to the no small honotu' of the Patri"uchs
that they li,'cd to God. oL\.UG. Seasonably may \ve confute Aug.
the l\Iallichæans by this sal11e passage by which the Sadducees
::;t.
were thcn confuted, forthey too though in another lnanner deny xvi. 24.
the resurrection. rD. God is therefore called in particular Aug, in
Tile God qf AbrallluJl, tlte God of Isaac, and 'lie God if

i.8.
Jacob, because in these three are expressed all the Inodes of
begetting the sons of God. For God begets nlost tiulcs of a
good preacher a good son, and of a bad preacher a bad son.
This is signified in Abrahaln, \"ho of a free WOlnan had a
belie,-ing son, and of a bondslave an unbelieving son. S01l1e-
tilnes indeed of a good preacher He begets both good and
bad sons, which is signified in Isaac, who of the saIne free
w'onlan begot one good and the other bad. And SOllletÏ1nes
lIe begets good sons both of good and bad preachers; ,yhich
is signified in Jacob, \"ho begot good sons both of free WOHlen
and of bondmaids. PSELDO-CHRYS. _\nd see how the assault
of the Jews against Christ becomes more faint. Their first
challenge ,vas in a threatening tone, By 1Dhat authority doest
t!tOIi t!lese things, to oppose which finnness of spirit was
needed. Their second \\
as with guile, to Ineet which was
needed wisdolll. This last "'as with ignorant presUlllption
which is casier to cope \vith than the others. For he that
thinks he knows sOlnewhat, when he knows nothing, is an easy
conquest for one who has understanding. Thus the attacks
of an eneIny are ,'ehenlent at first, but if one endure the111
with a courageous spirit, he win find thell1 more feeble.
And lL"lten t lie 'lllllll illldes hea rd i his, i hey 'lcere astonished at
his doctrine. RE:\IIG. X ot the Sadducees but the nnlltitudes

7UÜ

GuSPEL
\.CCORDI
(j TO

CHAP. ÀXII.

were astonished. This is daily done in the Church; \vhcn by
Diyine inspiration the adversaries of the Church are o,"er-
COllie, the lllultitude of the faithfìll rejoice.
34. But\vhen the Pharisees had heard that he had put
the Sadducees to silence, they \vere gathered together.
35. Then one of them, \vhich was a La\vyer, asked
binl a question, telnpting hilI), and saying,
36. Master, ,,,hieh is the great cOll1mandment in
the Law?
37. Jesus said unto hÏ1TI, Thou shalt love the Lord
thy God \vith an thy heart, and ,vith all thy 80ul, and
\vith all thy mind.
38. This is the first and great commandlnent.
39. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love
thy neighbour as thyse]f.
40. On these tlVO commandlnents hang all the La\v
and the Prophets.
JERO)IE, The Pharisees ha\Ving been thell1Seh T es already
confilted (in the n1atter of thedenarius), and no\y seeing their
achTersaries also o\Terthro\vn, ShOlÙd ha\7e taken warning to
atten1pt no further deceit against HÍ1n; but hate and jealousy
arc the parents of ÏIllPudence. ORIGE
; Jesus had put the
Sadducees to silence, to she\\
that the tongue of falsehood is
::;ilenced by the brightness of truth. For as it belongs to the
:righteous man to be silent "Then it is good to be silent, and
to
peak when it is good to speak, and not to hold his peace;
so it belongs to eyery teacher of a lie not indeed to be silent,
hut to be silent as far as any good purpose is concerned.
J ERO:\IE; The Pharisees and Sadducees, thus foes to one an-
other, unite in one conllnon purpose to telnpt Jesus. PSEUDO-
CIIRYS. Or the Pharisees Incet together, that their nUlnbers
nuty silence HiIn who}ll their }Oeasonings could not confute;
thus, while they array nun1be:rs against Hiln, she,ving that
truth failed thel11; they said anlong themselves, Let one
speak for an, and all speak, through one, so if fIe prevail, the
yictory lnay seen1 to belong to all; if lle be o\Verthrown, the
defeat lnay rest \vith IIilll alolle; so it follows, Then oue of

VElte 34-40.

ST.
IATTHE\V.

761

tlieul, a. teacher of tit e Ulli", asked hilll a question, tenlpling
ltiUl. ORIGEX; All ,,,,ho thus ask questions of any teacher to
try hiIn, and not to learn of hiIn, ,ve must regard as brethren of
this Pharisee according to what is said below, Illas1Jzllclt l\Iatt.
, . if I if . 1 d 25, 40.
as ye Ita'fe done 1,t unto one 0 tlte east 0 1June, ye ,late one
it UJlto lne. .ArG. Let no one find a difficulty in this, that Aug. de
l\latthe\\7 speaks of this man as putting his question to tClnpt i

i.
the Lord, whereas l\Iark does not Inention this, but concludes 73.
\"ith what the Lord said to hÍIll upon his ans,vering wisely,
TllOlt art not .far ..frol1l tlte kingdol1l of God. For it is pos- :Ma
k
sible that, though he caIne to telnpt, yet the Lord's ans\ver 12, 34.
may ha'
e wrought correction within him. Or, the tempting
here meant need not be that of one designing to decei,"e an
enenlY, but rather the cautious approach of one luaking
proof of a stranger. And that is not \"ritten in vain,
TVhoso belierellt lightly, he l'S 0/' a vain !teart. ORIGE
; Ecc1us.
lIe said 11laster teIllpting HiIll, for none but a disciple ,yould 19,4.
thus address Christ. 'Vhoe\"er then does not learn of the
"
ord, nor Jields hilnself ,,'holly up to it, yet calls it
Iaster,
he is brother to this Pharisee thus ten1pting Christ. Perhaps
\,.hile they read the Lan" before the Sa,-iour's cOIning, it ,vas
a q uesti0n among thell1 \" hieh ,vas th
great connuauchllent
in it; nor would the Pharisee haye asked this, if it had not
been long tÏIne enquired an10ng thelnsclves, but ne'''er found
till J esns caIne and declared it. PSEUDO-CHRYS. He who
now' enquires for the greatest comnlandment had 110t obsenTed
the least. He only ought to seek for a higher righteousness
who has fulfilled the lower. J ERO)IE; Or he enquires not
for the sal
e of the comIl1ands, but which is the first and great
con1n1auchnent, that seeing all that God cOlllmands is b'1.'eat,
he lllay have occasion to cavil \"hate,Ter the ans\ver be.
PSEUDO-CHRYS. But the Lord so answers hhn, as at once to
lay bare the dissÍ1uulation of his enquiry, Jeslls saitlt uuto
hÙn, Thou slialt lot.e lite Lord thy God u.itlt all thy heart,
1riilt all '",'1 soul, and 'u-itlt alilhy nllJld. Tholl slul/t 101:e,
not ' fear,' for to loye is more than to fear; to fear belongs to
slaves, to lo,-e to sons; fear is in cOlnpulsion, love in freedom.
'\"11080 ser"es God in fcar escapes punisllluellt, but has not
the re\\'ard of righteousness because he did well unwiningly
through fear. God doe:-, not desire to be sen-ed sen-ileIy ùy

762

GOSPEL ACCOnDI
G TO

CHAP. XXII.

men as a Inaster, but to be loved as a father, for that lIe has
given the spirit of adoption to Inen. But to love God \vith
the whole heart, is to have the heart inclined to the love of
no one thing more than of God. To love God again with
the ,,'hole soul is to have the tnind stayed upon the truth,
and to be firnl in the faith. For the love of the heart and
the 10\Te of the soul are different. The first is in a sort
carnal, that ,"\Te should lo\'e God e\'en \"ith onr flesl1, which
"re cannot do unless \\Te first depart frOlll the 10\Te of the
things of this world. The love of the heart is felt in the
heart, but the 10\Te of the soul is not felt, but is percei \Tcd
hecause it consists in a judgment of the soul. For he \\Tho
believes that all good is in C)-od, and that without I-liln is no
good, he 10\'es God with his \vhole soul. But to love God
,,,ith the \vhole mind, is to ha\Te all the faculties open and
unoccupied for HÏ1n. lIe only 10\Tes God with his \vhole
lnind, ,vhose intellect n1inisters to God, whose wisdom is em-
ployed about G-od, whose thoughts tra\Tail in the things of
God, and \vhose Jnemory holds the things \\Thich are good.
Aug. AUG. Or otherwise ; You are commanded to lo\Te God
rillJ

i

r. all thy hearl, that your ,vhole thoughts-u'illt allllty soul,
i. 22. that Jour \vhole life-witlt all t".,/ Jllind, that your ,,,hole
understanding-Inay be gi\Ten to IIiln froln \yhOln you have
that you gi\Te. Thus lie has left 110 part of our life which
may justly be unfilled of IIiIn, or gi \'e place to the desire after
I alia re any other final good 1; but if aught else present itself for the
fmi. soul's lo\'c, it should he absorbed into that channel in which the
"Thole current of lo\'e runs. For luan is then the Inost perfect
2 al. bo- when his \\'hole life tends towards the life 2 unchangeable, and

:
. clings to it with the whole purpose of his soul. GLOSS. Or, 1{:ill"
interlin. all thy heart,i.e. understanding; ll"ifll all Illy soul, i.e. thy will;
u,illt all thy llzind,i. e. InelTIOry; so you shall think, ,yill,reUlclu-
ber nothing contrary to Hilll. OIUGEN; Or otherwise; 1T T il".
all tlly lIea'J.l, that is, in all recollection, act, thought; 'lrillt
all thy soul, to be ready, that is, to lay it do\vn for God's
religion; ?vitli nUlh y 1}lÙul, bringing forth nothing but \,"hat
is of God. And consider \vhether you cannot thus take the
hea 1'1 of the understanding, by n'hich we contcnlp]ate things
intellectual, and the 1nind of that by \yhich \ve uttcr thoughts,
walking as it were with the n1Ïnd through cach exprcssion,

VER. gJ-40.

ST. :\IA TTHE

.

763

and uttering it. If the Lord bad gi\pcn no ans\yer to the
Pharisee who thus teillpted IIhn, ,,'e 8hould ha'"e judged
that there was no cODlmaD(bnent greater than the rest. But
"'hen the Lord adds, This Ù; tlte }irstllnd great C0111Jllllnd-
meni, \\ye learn how \ve ought to think of the cOllllllal1ehnents,
that there is a great one, and that there are less down to the
least. And the Lord says Dot only that it is a great, but that
it is the first cOlllUlan(hnent, not in order of Scripture, but
in snprcluacy of \'alue. They only take upon them the
greatness and supreluacy of this precept, who not only love the
Lord their God, but add these three conditions. Nor did He
only teach the first and great connnan(hnent, but added that
there ,,-as a second like unto the first, Tholl shalt lOl'e thy
neighbollr as thyself. But if JVltoso lo".etlt iniquity hatlt P
.1l,5.
!laled his oU.Jl soul, it is manifest that he does not lo,-e his
neighbour as himsel
when he does not love himself. A eG. Aug. de
I . 1 1 . b d 1 . hb Doctr.
t IS C ear t 1at e'"ery Juan IS to e regal' ec as a neJg our, Christ.
because e\-il is to be done to no man. Further, if everyone i..30.
1 b 1 1 . f h . VIde
to W 10n1 \ve are oune to slew serVIce 0 mercy, or w 0 IS Rom.13,
bound to shew it to us, be rightly called our neighbour, it is 10.
lnanifest that in this precept are comprehended the holy
Angels \\'ho perfonn for us those sen'ices of \yhich ,ye 1l1ay
read in Scripture. 'Vhence also our Lord IIinlse If would
be caned our neighbour; for it \yas Hiulself \"hOlll lie repre-
sents as the good Saillaritan, ,,"ho ga\-e succour to the
lllan who ".as left half-dead by the way. ID. He that Aug. de
10yes men ought to ]o\.e them eitl1er because they are

n;,
V1l1. ".
righteous, or that they may be righteous; and so also ought
he to love hinlself either for that he is, or that he may be
righteous. And thus without peril he nlay love his neighbour
as himself. ID. But if e\"en your
elf you ought not to Io\.e Aug: de
for your own sal
e, but because of Him in WhOlll is the D Ch oc,tr t . 1 .
n
. .
rightful end of your love, let not another Juau be di
pleased 22.
that you 10\Te even hÎ111 for God's sake. "
hoso then rightly
lo'"es his neighbour, ought to endeavour widl hÏ111 that he al
o
with l1Ïs whole heart lo\ye God. PSEUDO-CHRYS. But \\'ho
10\yes l11aD is as who lo\"cs God; for 111a11 is God's Í1nage,
"'herein God is loved, as a I\..ing is honoured in his statuc.
For this cause this C0l1111lan(hncnt is said to be like the first.
IIIL\.RY; Or otherwise; That the second cOll11uand is like

7U-l

GOSPEL ACCORDI
G TO

CHAP. XXII.

the first signifies that the obligation andluerit of both are alike;
for no 10\'e of God without Christ, or of Christ without God,
can profit to salvation.
It follows, Oil these tlro c01JlnzandJJlents hang all the La"w
Aug. and the Prop!tets. "A..lTG. 1IaJl9, that is, refer thither as their

3. end. RA.BA
. For to these t\VO cOllllllandlnents belongs the
,vhole decalogue; the cOlnlllandn1ents of the first table to
the love of God, those of the s8cond to the lo"e of our
neighbonr. ORIGE
; Or, because he that has fulfilled the
things that are written concerning the 10\Te of God aud our
neighbour, is worthy to rccei,Te fronl God the great re"Tard,
that he should be enabled to understand the Law and the
Au
. Prophets. AUG. Since there are t\\TO conlman(hnents, the

fii

7i.n.love of God and the 10\Te of our neighbour, on which hang
the Law" and the Prophets, not \vithout reason does Scripture
put one for both; SOlnetÍ1ues the love of God; as in that,
Rom. 8, TVe knouJ t!tat alll!tings 'lco'rk 10gether.foT .qood to t/tent t!tat
28. lore God; and sOluetÏ1nes the lo,'e of our neighbour; as in
Gal. 5, that, All the lau' is fulfilled in one 'lcord, eren in this, 171011
14.
shalt lo
'e illy neighbour as tllyself. A_nd that because if a
Iuan 10\Te his neighbour, it follows th2refronl that he lo\-es
God also; for it is the self.,;a111e affection by \,'hich ".e love
God, and by \vhich we lo,-e our neighbour, sa\Te that we 10\-e
God for IIÍ111self, but ourselres and our neighbour for God's
Aug. De sal
e. ] D. But since the Di \'i118 substance is nlore excellent

:t. i. and higher than our nature, the C0111nlancl to 10\Te God is
30.et26. distinct from that to 10\Te our neighbour. nut if by yourself,
yon understand your \vhole self, that is both your soul and
your body, and in like Inanner of your neighbour, there is no
sort of things to be 10,Tecl olnitted in these cOlluuands. The
10\Te of God goes first, and the rule thereof is so set out to us
as to Inake all ot
1er loyes center in that, so that nothing seenlS
said of lo\'ing yourself. But then follo\ys, Thou shalt love
thy '1Ie(qhbou1" as thyself, so that lo\-e of yourself is not
oll1Ïtted.

41. 'Vhile the l)harisees \\Tere gathered together,
Jesus asked theITI,
42. Saying, \Vhat think ye of Christ? \vhose son
is he? They say unto hiln, 'fhe Son of David.

'"ER. 41-4ß.

ST. :\L\TTHE'V.

765

43. lIe saith unto thcIn, Ho,v then doth David in
spirit call hinl Lord, saying,
44. rfhe Lord saith unto my Lord, Sit thou on IllY
right hand, till J make thine enenlies thy footstool?
45. If David then can him Lord., how is he his
son?
46. And no lllan ,vas able to ans,ver hill1 a ,,"ord.,
neither durst any nlan from that day forth ask him
any more questions.

PSErDO-CHRYS. The Jews tenlpteel Christ, supposing I-liIll
to be lueloe lnan; had they belie'
ed HiIn to be the Son of
Goel, they would not haye telnpted IIiIn. Christ therefore,
willing to she,y that He knew the treachery of their hearts,
and that He ,vas God, yet would not declare this truth to 111eln
plainly, that theyn1ight not take occasion thence to charge HÏ1n
\vith blasphelny, and yet would not totally conceal this truth;
because to that end had He COlne that He should preach
the truth; He therefore puts a question to theIn, such as
should declare to theln ,,"ho I-Ie \vas; Jf/bat think ye oj'
Christ? 'lL
lt08P SOli is He? CHRYS. He first asked His Chrys.
disciples ,,,hat others sDid of Christ, and then ,vhat the y I Ho
.
XXI.
themseh-es said; but not so to these. For they \youlel ha,-e
said that lIe was a deceiver, and wicked. They thought that
Christ was to be lnere n1an, and therefore t!ley say unto
o Hi1n, Tile SOil oj' Da tOid. To reproye this, He brings for""ard
the Prophet, witnessing His dOlninion, proper Sonship, and
IIis joint honour with His Father. JERO)IE; ï'his passage
is out of the 109th Psahn. Christ is therefore called Ðayid's
Lord, not in respect of IIis descent fronl hitll, but in respect
of IIis eternal generation froIH the Father, ,vherein He was
before IIis Hesllly Father. And he cans IIiIn Lord, not by
a nlere chance, nor of his own thought, but hy the I-Ioly
Spirit. REl\IIG. That He says, Sit fholl on 1ny Tight hand,
is not to be taken as though God had a body, and eitller a
right hand or a left hand; but to sit on the right hand of G oel
is to abide in the honour and equality of the Father's Inajesty.
PSErDO-CHRYS. I suppose that He fonned this question, not
only against the Pharisees, but also against the heretics; for

766

GOSI)EL ACCORDING TO ST. NfATTHElL

CHAP. XXIl.

according to the flesh lIe was truly David's Son, but his
LOI"d according to IIis Godhead. . CHRYS. But lIe rests
not \vith this, but that they may fear, He adds, Till I 1nalce
thine eneln'ies thy .footstool; that at least by terror lIe lnight
gain theIne ORIGEN; For God puts Christ's eneluies as a
footstool beneath IIis feet, for their salvation as well as thcir
destruction. !lEl\IIG. But till is used for indefinite tiIn
,
that the lneaning be, Sit Thon for cver, and for ever hold
Gloss. thine cnenlies beneath thy feet. GLOSS. That it is hy the
a p ] . .An- Father that the eneluies are put under Ùle Son, denotes not
se ID.
the Son's \veakness, but the union of IIis nature with His
F'ather. For the Son also puts under IIiIn the Father's
encn1Ïes, when lIe glorifies IIis nalne upon earth. lIe
concludes froln this authol"ity, {f na
'Ùl then call HÙn Lord,
how is He !tis son? J EROl\IE; This question is still a\Tailable
for us against the Jews; for these \\"ho believe that Christ is
yet to COlne, assert that He is a n1ere luan, though a holy one,
of the race of Da\'id. Let us then thus taught by the Lord
ask theIn, If He be lucre man, and only the Son of David,
how does David call Hilll his Lord? To evade the truth
of this question, the Jews invent lnany frivolous answers.
They allege Abrahanl's steward, he whose son \vas Eliezer
of Damascus, and say that this Psahn \vas conlposed in his
person, when after the overthro\v of the fi\re kings, the Lord
God said to his lord AbrahaIn, Sit tlloU Oil 111Y riglli hand,
till I make thine enel111es illY foolstool. Let us ask ho\v
Abraham could sa}" the things that follow., and cOll1pel thcln
to tell us ho\v Abraham ,vas born before Lucifer, and ho\v he
was a Priest after the order of l\Ielchisedech, for whoin l\iel-
chisedech brought bread and \vine, and of 'wholn he receÏ\red
tithes of the spoil? CHRYS. This conclusion lIe put to their
questionings, as final, and sufficient to stop their mouth.
Henceforward accordingly they held their peace, not by their
own good-\vill, but froin not having aught to say. ORIGEN;
For had their question sprung of desire to know, lIe would
never have proposed to them such things as should have
deterred them froln asking further. RABAN. lIence \ye learn
that the poison of jealousy luay be overCOlne, but can hardly
of itself rest at peace.

CHA.P. XXIII.

1. Then spake Jesus to the Inultitude, and to his
disciples

2. Saying, The Scribes and the Pharisees sit in
l\1oses' sea t :
3. All therefore ,vhatsoever they bid you observe,
that observe and do; but do not ye after their ,,"orks :
for they say, and do not.
4. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be
borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they
themselves will not n10ve theln \vith one of their
fingers.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. "lien the Lord had overthro,,'n the
Priests by II is answer, and she\vn their condition to be
irrf\Blediable, forasnulch as clergy, ,vhen they do \vickedly,
cannot be anlended, but laYlnen \vho have gone \vrong are
easily set right, He turns His discourse to His Apostles
and the people. For that is an unprofitable word ,,'hich
silences one, without conveying Ì1npro"elnent to another.
ORIGEN; The disciples of Christ are better than the COlll-
mon herd; and you may find in the Church such as \vith
nlore ardent affection conle to the \vord of God; these
are Christ's disciples, the rest are only IJis people. And
SOllletinles lIe speaks to IIis disciples alone, sOlnetilnes to
the multitudes and His disciples together, as here. The
Scribes and Pharisees sit ill JJIo8e.".' seat, as professing his
Law, and boasting that they can interpret it. Those that do
not depart from the letter of the La\v are the Scribes; those
who n1akp high professions, and separate thelnsel\'es from the
vulgar as better than they, are called Pharisees, which SlgUl-

768

GOSPEL A('COH])I
G TO

CHA P. XXIII,

fies 'separate.' Those ,,
ho understand and expound I\Ioses
according to his spirituallneaning, these sit inrleed on 1\loses'
seat, but are neither Scribes nor Pharisees, but better than
either, Christ's beloved discl.p10s. Since Ilis conling these
have sat upon the seat of the Church, \vhich is tho seat of
Christ. PSEUDO-CHRYS. nut regard Inust be had to this,
after \vhat sort each lHan fins his seat; for not the seat nlakes
the Priest, but the Priest the seat; the place doe
not conse-
{
rate the Inan, but the 111an the place. A \vicked Priest
Chrys. derives guilt and not honour frolll his Priesthood, CHRYS.

: But that none should say, For this cause all1 I slack to
practise, because Iny instructor is evil, lIe ren10V3S every
such plea, saying, All tltere..foïe 'j.Dllalsoet'er they say 'Unto
you, fliat obserre and do, for they speak not their o".n, but
God's, which things He taught through l\Ioses in the La\v.
And look ".ith ho\v great honour He speaks of l\Ioses, she".-
ing again what hannony there is 'with the Old Testalnent.
ORIG EN; But if the Scribes and PhaI'isees \\"ho sit in lVloses'
seat are the teachers of the Jews, teaching the c0111manchnents
of the La\v according to the letter, how is this that the Lord
bids us do after all things which they say; but the A.pastles
Acts 15, in the Acts forbid the believers to do according to the letter
19. of the Law. These indeed taught after the letter, not under-
standing the Law spiritually. \Vhats08ver they say to us out
of the La'\v, \vith understanding of its sense, that ,ve do and
keep, not doing after their works, for they do 110t "rhat the
la,v enjoins, nor perceive the \reil that is upon the letter of
the Law'. Or by all ,ve are not to understand every thing in
the La\v, Inany things for exal11ple relating to the sacrifices,
and the like, but such as concern our conduct. But \vhy
did He coulmand this not of the Lan r of grace, but of the
doctrine of l\Ioses ? Because truly it ,vas not the tinle to
publish the cOl11lnandulcnts of the N e\v La\v before the sea-
son of His passion. I think also that He had herein 80111e-
thing further in view. He was about to bring n1any things
against the Scribes and Pharisees in His discourse following,
w11erefore that vain ll1en Illight not think that lIe coveted
their place of authority, or spoke thus out of enIllity to theIn,
he first puts a\vay from HÍ1nself this suspicion, and then
beg
ns to reprove theIn, that the people Illight not fall into their

VER. 1-4.

T. l\fATTHE"'.

769

faults; and that, because they ought to hear theIn, they
should not think that therefore they ought to in1Ïtate them in
their works, fIe adds, But do ye not a..fter their u'ork.r;;. 'Vhat
can be Illore pitiable than such a teacher, \vhose lite to in1Ítate
is ruin, to refuse to follo'v is salvation for his disciples?
PSEUDO-CHRYS. But as gold is picked out of the dross, and
the dross is left, so hearers lnay take doctrine and leave prac-
tice, for good doctrine oft COlnes froin an evil man. But as
Priests judge it better to teach the bad for the sake of the
good, rather than to neglect the good for the sake of the
bad; so also let those ,vho are set under them pay respect to
the bad Priests for the sake of the good, that the good Inay
not be despised because of the bad; for it is better to give
the bad ,vhat is not their due, rather than to defraud the
good of what is justly theirs. CHRYS. Look ,vith ,,,hat lie
begins His reproof of theIn, F01' they say, and do not. Evel'Y
one who transgresses the La,v is deserving of blame, but
especially he \vho ha
the post of instruction. And this for a
threefold cause; first, because he is a transgressor; secondly,
because \vhen he ought to set others right, he himself halts;
thirdly, because, being in the rank of a teacher, his influence
is more cornlpting. ...t\gain, He brings a further charge
against them, that they oppress those that are put under
them; They bind heavy bu')'dens,. in this He she\ys a double
evil in the1n; that they exacted without any allowance the
utmost rigour of life from those that were put under theIn,
w'hile they allowed themsehres large licence herein. nut a
good ruler should do the contrary of this, to be to himself a
severe judge, to others a merciful one. Obsen.e In ,,,hat
forcible ,vords He utters His reproof; lIe says not they
cannot, but they 'will not; and not, lift theIn, but [lJuell tllent
f17ith one qf theÙ' .fingers. PSEUDO-CHRYS. ...\nd to the
Scribes and Pharisees of whom He is no\v speaking,llear:l/
burdens not to be borne are the COllllnandulents of the Law;
as St. Peter speaks in the Acts, TVlIy seek ye to put It !Ioke Acts 15,

tpOIl t lie neck qf the disciples, u'hiclt neil Iter u:e nor Oll r 10.
fathers were able to bear? For cOInmending the burdens of
the La\v by fabulous proof.
, they bound as it ,vere the shoul-
ders of the heart of their hearers ,vith bands, that thus tied as
though with proof of reason to theIn, they might not fling
VOL. J. 3 D

770

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

CRAl). XXIII

thC1l1 off; but thenlsch'cs did not in the least Ineasurc fulfil
then1, that is, not only did not wholly, but did not so lunch

lo3s 1 : as attelnpt to. GLOSS. Or, bind blllJ'deJl.
, that is, gather
mter Ill. . . .
tradItIons fron} aU sIdes, not to aid, but to burden the con-
science. J EROl\1E; But all these things, the shoulders, the
finger, the burdens, and the bands ,,\"ith which they hind the
burdens, have a spiritual Jucaning. Herein also the Lord
speaks generally against aU Illasters who enjoin high things,
but do not even litt1e things. I>sErDo-CHRYs. Such also are
they who lay a heavy burden upon those \vho come to peni-
tence, so that while 111en would a\'oid present punishnlcnt,
they o\"erlook that which is to COlne. For if you lay upon a
boy's shoulders a burden 11101'e than he can bear, he 11lust
needs either cast it off; or be broken dO\Yl1 by it; so the Ina11
on \y hOll1 you lay too grievous a burden of penance 111USt
either wholly refuse it, or if he submit himself to it will find
hitnself unable to bear it, and so be offended, and sin \vorse.
Also, if ,yc should be wTong in iInposing too light a penance,
is it not better to have to anS\Ver for 111ercy than for severity?
\Vhere the Inaster of the household is liberal, the steward
should not be oppressive. If God be kind, should IIis Priest
be harsh? Do you seek thereby the character of sanctity?
Be strict in ordering your own life, in that of others lenient;
let 10en hear of you as cnjoining little, and perfonning llluch.
The J>riest \\'ho gives licence to himself, and exacts the
uttnost frOll} others, is like a corrupt tax-gatherer in the state,
who to ease hinlself taxes othcrs heavily.

5. But aU their \vorks they do for to be seen of
men: they Inake broad their phylacteries, and enlarge
the borders of their garments,
6. And Jove the uppermost rOOlns at feasts, and
the chief seats in the synagogues,
7. And greetings in the markets, and to be called
of men, R.abbi, Rabbi.
8. But be not ye calIed Rabbi: for one is your
l\Iaster, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
9. And call no lTIan your father upon the earth:
for one is your Father, which is in heaven.

YETI. 5-12.

ST.1\IATTHE'V.

771

10. Neither be yo called Inasters: for one IS your
ì\laster., even Christ.
II. But he that is greatest aUlong you shall be
your servant.
12. And ,vhosoever shaH exalt himself shaH be
abased; and he that sha1l humble himself shall be
exalted.

CHRYS. The Lord had charged the Scribes and Pha-
risees ,vith harshness and neglect; fIe now brings for-
ward their yain-glor.r, which Inade then1 depart frOBI God.
PSEUDO-CHRYS. Every substance breeds in itself that ,vhich
destroys it, as wood the worn1, and gannents the lnoth;
so the De,
il strives to corrupt the ministrr of th e Priests,
\\'ho are ordained for the edification of holiness, endea-
vouring that this good, \vhile it is done to be seen of
111 en, should be turned into evil. Take a\vay this fault
frolll the clergy, and JOU "'ill have no further labour in thcir
refonn, for of this it comes that a clergY111an who has sinned
can hardly perfon11 penance. Also the Lord here points out
the cause \v hy they could not Lelieyc in ChIist, because
nearly all they did was in order to be seen of men; for he
\\'hosc desire is for earthly glory froln Inell, cannot believe on
Christ who preaches things heayenly. I ha,re read one ,,,ho
interprets this place thus. In lJIoses' seat, that is, in the
rank and degree instituted by l\loses, the Scrihes and Phari-
sees are seated un\\-orthily, forasmuch as they preached to
others the Law which foretold Christ's cOIning, but thel11-
seh-es did not recei"e lIbn when COllIe. For this cause lIe
exhorts the people to hear the La\v which they preached,
that is, to belie,"e in Christ who "ras preached by the Law,
but not to follow the Scribes and Pharisees in their disbelief
of Riu1. And lIe shews the reason why they preached the
c01l1ing of Christ out of the La"., yet did not hclie,'e on IIiu1;
nanlely, because they did not preach that Christ should COlllC
through any desire of His coming, but that they lnight be
seen by Illen to be doctors of the La\\
. ORIGEX; And their
"yorks likewise they do to be seen of Inen, using outward
circll1llcisi.on, taking away actual lea,-en out of tl1eir houseL's,
3D2

772

GO
PEL .-\C(,OHDI
tt 1'U

CHAP. XXIII.

and doing such like things. But Christ's disciples fulfil the
Rom. 2, J
a'v in things secret, being Jews inwardly, as the Apostle
29. speaks. CHRYS. Note the intensi\re force of the ,yords of
lIis rcproof.
. He sa
ys not merely that they do their works
to be seen of men, but added, all theÏ1' 'lÐorks. And not only
in great things but in some tI1Ïngs tri \rial they ,vere vainglo-
rious, They 1Jlalt"e bt"oad their J}hylacte'ries alld enlarge the
borders qf llleir garnlenls. J EROl\IE; For the Lord, ,vhen
lIe had given the cOl11mandnlents of the Law through l\Ioses,
Dent. 6, added at the end, A1ld thou shall bind thent for a sign upon

. thine hand, and they shall be ever before thine eyes; the
meaning of which is, Let my pl'ecepts be in thine hand so as
to be fulfilled in thy works; let them be before thine eyes so
as that thou shalt uleditate upon then1 day and night. This
the Pharisees Inisinterpreting, ,vrote on parchments the
Decalogue of 1\108es, that is, the Ten COllllnandments, and
folding them up, tied thel11 on their forehead, so making
then1 a crown for tJleir head, that they should be always before
their eyes.. 1\Ioses had in another place given command that
N umo. they should n1ake fringes of blue in the borders of th
ir
15, 39. gannents, to distinguish the people of Israel; that as in their
bodies circumcision, so in their garments the fringe, Inight
discrin1inate the Jewish nation. But these superstitious
teachers, catching at popular fa\your, and making gain of silly
n Y on1en, made broad hel11s, and fastened them with sharp pins,
that as they walked or sat they might be pricked, and by
such Il1onitors be recalled to the duties of God's ministry.
This embroidery then of the Decalogue they called phylac-
teries, that is, conservatories, because thosp who wore then1,
"yore them for their o\vn protection and security. So little
aid the Pharisees unrlerstand that they were to be wonl on
the heart and not 011 the body; for in equal degree Ina:r cases
and chests be said to have hooks, ,,-hich assuredly ha\ye not
the knowledge of God. PSEeDO-CHRYS. But after their
exalnple do many invent Hebre,v naines of Angels, and "Tite
theIu, and bind then1 on themselves, and they seeln dreadfUl
to such as are without understanding. Others again "'''ear
round their neck a portion of the Gospel \vritten out. But
is not the Gospel read every day in the Church, and heard by
aU? Tho
e therefore \vho receive no profit fro)\) the Gospel

VEH. 5-12.

ST. )IATTHE,\r.

7i:}

sounded in their ears, how
han the haying thelu hung
about their neck save thelll? Further, wherein is the vinlle
of the Go
pel? in the shape of its letters, or in the under-
standing its meaning? If in the characters, yon do \vell to
hang thenl round your neck; if in their lneaning, they are of
more profit when laid up in the heart, than hung round the
neck. But others explain this place thus, That they made
broad their teachings concerning special obsen-allces, as
phylacteries, or presen
atives of salvation, preaching thenl
contiuually to the people. And the broad fringes of their
gannents ther explain of the saUle undue stress upon such
cOlnnlandnlcllts. J ERO:\fE ; Seeing they thus lnake broad
their phylacteries l and make thenl broad fringes, desiring to
have glory of men, they are convicted also in other things;
For tlte.1f lore the uppernzost '1"001718 at feasts, and tlte chief
seats ill file 8Yllflgogues. RAB
-\
. It should be noted, that He
does not forbid those to whom this belongs by right of rank
to be saluted in the forum, or to sit or recline in the highest
;rOOI11; but those \vho unduly desire these things, whether
they obtain thenl or not, these He enjoins the believers to
shun as wicked. PSEUDO-CHRYS. For He rebukes not those
who recline in the highest place, but those \vho love such
places, blanÜng the \vill not the deed. For to no purpose
does he Iltl1nhle hilllself in place who exalts hÏ1nself in heart.
For SOlne \
ain lllen bearing tbat it was a cOIllInendable thing
to seat hiulself in the lowest place, chooses so to do; and
thus not only does not put away the yanity of his heart, but
adds this additional vain ostentation of his humility, as one
who \yould be thought righteous and humble. For Inal1Y
proud luen take the lowest place in their bodies, but in
haughtiness of heart think thenlsel \yes to be seated among
the highest; and there are lllany humble nlen who, placed
<llllong the highest, are Ï1l\vardly in their own esteem al110ng
the lowest. CHRYS. Observe \vhere vain glory governed
them, to wit, in the synagogues, whither they entered to
guide others. It had been tolerable to ha\Te felt thus at
feasts, notwithstanding that a doctor ought to be had in
honour in all places alike, and not in the Churches only.
But if it be bhuncworthy to love such things, ho\v wrong is it
to seek to attain theln? PSECDO-CHRYS. They lo,ye the first

774

GOSPEL ACCORDI
G TO

CIL\P. XxUI.

salutations, first, that is, not in time only, before others; but
in tone, that we should say with a loud \;oice, IIail, Raùbi;
and in body that we should bow lo\v our head; and in plac
,
that the salutation should be in public. RAE.-\.:\'. And herein
they are not without fault, that the sanle 111cn should be
concerned in the litigations of the forum, who in the syna-
gogue in 1\10ses' scat, seek to be called Rabbi by 111en.
PSEUDO-CHRYS. r.rhat is, they wish to be called, not to be such;
they desire the name, anfl neglect the duties. OUIGEN; And
in the Church of Christ are founel some who take to theln-
selyes the upperJJz,ost places, that is, becolne deacons; next
they aspire to the clt ief seats of those t11at are called pres-
by tel's; and SOllle intrigue to be styled alnong lIlen Bishop,
that is, to be called Rabbi. But Christ's disciple loves the
uppernlost place indeed, but at the spiritual banquet, \vhere
he lnay feed on the choicer n10rs8ls of spiritual food, for,
\vith the Apostles who sit upon twe1\-e thrones, he loyes the
chief seats, and hastes by his good works to render hiInself
,vorthy of such seats; and he also loves salutations Blade in
the hea'
enl y 1l1arket-place, that is, in the heavenly congrega-
tions of the prÏ1niti\
e. But the righteous mJn ,vonld be
caned Rabbi, neither by lnan, nor by any other, because
there is One
laster of all U1en. CHRYS. Or otherwise; Of
the foregoing things with which lIe had charged the
Pharisees, lIe now passes over lnany as of no weight,
and such as IIis disciples needed not to be instructed in;
but that which \vas the cause of an eyil
, l1aluely, alubition
of the lnaster's seat, that lie insists upon to instruct His
disciples. PSEUDO-CHRYS. Be not ye called Rabbi, that
ye take not to yourselves what belongs to God. And call
not others Rabbi, that ye pay not to 111en a di\'ine honour.
For One is the l\Iaster of all, \vho instructs all nlel1 by
nature. For if man \vere taught by nlan, all 111en would
learn that have teachers; but seeing it is not man that teaches,
but God, 111aBY are taught, but fen" learn. 1\lal1 canBot by
teaching Ï111part an understanding to luan, but that under-
standing which is gi,"en by God nlan calls forth by schooling.
. I-IILARY; And that the disciples lnay e'-er ren1ember that they
Hle t ron. are the children of one parent, and that b y their ne"r birth
con.
Helvid. they have passed the IÏ1nits of their earthh" ori g in. J EROl\l E , .
15. ..

VEH. :)-12.

ST. )1.-\ TTHE"..

775

All n1Cll may be called brethren in affection, \\Thich is of 1\\"0
Idnds, general and particular. Particular, by \yhich all
Christians are brethren; general, by \yhich all nlen being
born of one Father are bound together by like tie of kindred.
P8El;DO-CHRYS. .Jl1d call 110 Ulan your Fatlter upon ear/It ,.
bc'cause in this world though Inan begets n1an, yet there is
oue Father who cl'eated alllnen. For \ye have not beginning
of life fro1n our parcnts, but we have our life transn1Ítted
through them s. ORIGEX; But who calls no nlan father upon
earth? lIe who in c,yery action done as before God, says,
(Jill" Fallic/", u'hiclt art in Hell
'ei1. GLOSS. Because it ,,
as GIo
s.
clear \"ho ,vas the Father of all, by this ,,-hich ,,'as said, non occ.
lr7liclt art ÍJl Hellt"(:n, He ,,,ould teach them ,rho was the
.:\Iaster of all, and therefore repeats the
anle cOlllllland con-
cerning a Blaster, 1,r e itltcr be ye calle(l uu/slers; ..ti)}' one is
YOllr lIIaster, el:ell C 1 ltrist. CHRYS. X ot that \\
hen Christis here
said tu be our l\laster, the Father is excluded, as neither when
God is said to be our Father, is Christ excluded, ""rho is the
Father of Inen. J EItO)IE; It is a difficulty that the Apostle
again
t this cOllllnand calls hÍ1n
elf the teacher of the Gentiles;
and that in lllonasteries in their comn10n conversation,
they call one another, Father. It is to be cleared thus. It
is one thing to be father or Dlaster by nature, another by
sufferance. Thus when \YC call any Ulan our father, we do it
to shew respect to his age, not as regarding 11Ïn1 as the author
of our being. "T e also call 111cn ' l\Iaster,' froln reselnblance
to a real Blaster; and, not to use tedious repetition, as the
One God and One Son, who are by nature, do not preclude
ns fron1 calling others gods and sons by adoption, so the One
Father and One l\Iaster, do not preclude us froln speaking of

S The Catholic doctrine is, that tile of the Catholic faith consistently and
wan. is born from his parents, by propa- truly, preaching that the souls of men,
gation, but that the soul is immediately before they were breathed into their
ereated by God, the human agency bodie
, were not, nor are incorporated
being but a certain disposition of mat- by any other but by God the Franìer,
tcr-such that according to God's good \Vho is Creator of them as well as
pleasure, b) a 1 au" which He h:l
ap- the bodies. Ep. 15, ad Turrib. 10.
pointed, the gift of a soul is accorded A nil so St. Hilary, " Every soul is the
to it. And thus, though a m:lll's 80ul work of God, but the g-eneration of the
cannot be c'\l1ed the son of his parents, flesh is come from the fle
h." De Trin.
yet that compound nature of whieh the x. 20. Vide also Greg. ..x n
:,;. ùe Anim.
l'iol11 forms part, is such. That the soul p. 93-1. Al1lbro
. de '
oe: 4. Hicron.
is immediately from God bv creation is in Eccles. xii. 7.
the Catholic doctrine. St." Leo F1peak

776

GOSPEL ACCOUDINU TO

CHAP. XXIII.

other fathers and masters by an abuse of the terms. CHRYS.
Not only does the Lord forbid us to seek suprenlacy, but
would lead His heat'er to the very opposite; He tltat is
greatest a11101lg yon shall be YOll r serrant. ORIGEN; Or
otherwise; And if one Ininister the divine word, knowing that
it is Christ that makes it to be fruitful, such a one professes
hiInself a minister and not a master; whence it follo\\"s, He
that is greatest al1long YOlt, let ltÍ1n be your servant. As
Christ Hhnself, who ,vas in truth our l\'Iaster, professed Hiul-
Luke self a minister, saying, I am in tlte 1nidst qf you, as oue tltal
22, 27. 1ninl:siers. And wel] does He conclude this prohibition of all
vain-glory \vith the \vords, And wltosoerer shall exalt ltÏ1n-
selfsltall be abased; and Ite tltat shall lut1nble hiulse{lsliall
be e.t'alted. RE1\IIG. 'Vhich Dleans that everyone \vho
thinks highly of his own deserts, shall be hUlnbled before
God; and everyone who hUIllLles hilllself concerning his
good deeds, shall be exalted with God.

13. But ,voe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven
against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, nei-
ther suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

ORIGEN; Christ is truly the Son of that God 'Vho gave the
La\\"; after the exalnple of the blessings pronounced in the
La\v, did HÍ1nself pronounce the blessings of thenl that are
saved; and also after the cursings of the Law, lIe now sets
forth a \Voe against sinners; TVoe 'Unto you, Scribes and Pha-
risees, hypocrites. They,vho allo\v that it is cODlpatible with
goodness to utter these denunciations against sinners, should
understand that the purpose of God is the sanlC in the cursings
of the La\v. Both the cursing there and the \voe here fall upon
the sinner not from Him \vho denounces, but from thelnselves
,vho cOl1llnit the sins \vhich are denounced, and worthily
bring upon thelnselves the inflictions of God's discipline,
appointed for the turning of men to good. So a father
rebuking a
on utters \vords of cursing, but does not desire
that he
hould becollle desen
ing of those curses, but rather
that he should turn hilnself frolH thC1U. lIe adds the cause

VER. 14.

T. l\JATTH E\,".

777

of this \voe, Ye sltut up the /âllgdoJll qf Tleaven against me'll ;
Jor ye neit Iter go in YOll rselces, 'Jlor suffer tlleut that aloe
entering lo go ill. These two cOffilllandments are by nature
inseparable; because not to suffer others to enter in, is of
itself enough to keep the hinderer out. PSE?DO-CHRYS. By
tlte kingdol1l if lteln'en is meant the Scriptures, because in
theln the kingdom of heaven is lodged; the understanding of
these is the door. Or the kingdollz of heaven is the blessed-
ness of heaycn, and the door thereof Christ, by 'Vhonl men
enter in. The door-keepers are the Priests, to \VhOlll is com-
lllitted the word of teaching or interpreting Scripture, by
,vhich tIle door of truth is opened to luen. The opening of
this door is right interpretation. And observe that He said
not, rVoe unto you, for ye open, but, for ye STUll 'llP; the
Scriptures then are not shut up, though they are obscure.
ORIGE
; The Pharisees and the Scribes then would neither
enter in, nor hear HÍ1n \vho said, By 'Jue if any luan enler in John
lie sltall be saved; nor would they suffer those to enter in, 10, 9.
\vho \vere able to have believed through the things which
had been spoken before by tIle Law and the Prophets COll-
cerning Christ, but shut up the door with every kind of
device to deter nlen frolll entel"ing. Also they detracted from
IIis teaching, denied all prophecy concerning Him, and
blaspheilled every n1Ïracle as deceitful, or \vrought by the
De\.il. All \vho in their evil conversation set an example of
sinning to the people, and who cOlnn1Ït injustice, offending
the weak, seelll to shut up the kil1gdonl of heaven before men.
And this sin is found anlong the people, and chiefly among
the doctors, when they teach Illen \vhat the Gospel righteous-
ness requires of them, but do not what they teach. But
those who both teach and live \vell open to men the kingdom
of heaven, and hoth enter in theillselves, and invite others to
enter in. l\Iany also \vill not suffer those \vho are ,villing to
enter into the kingdom of heaven, \vhen they ,vithout reason
excollllllunicate out of jealousy others who are better than
thell1selves; thus they refuse thelTI entrance, but these of
sober spirit, o\Tercoming by their patience this tyranny, al-
though forbidden, yet enter in and inherit the kingdom.
Also they \vho with llluch rashness have set thelllseives to
the profession of teaching before they have learned, and fol-

778

GOSPEL ACCOHDING TO

CHAP. XXIII.

Jowing J e\vish fables, dctract fronl those \"ho search out the
higher things of Scripture; these do, as far as in thcnl lic
,
shut out men froln the kingd()Jn of heavcn.

] 4. \V oe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypo-
crites! for ye devour \vido\vs' houses, and for a pre-
tence Inake long prayer: therefore ye shall receive
the greater damnation.

Chrys. CHRYS. Next the Lord rebukes theln for their gluttony,
Hom.
Ixxiii. and \vhat \\"as the ,vorst, that not fronl the rich but fronl
\vido".s they took \"herewith to fill their bellies, thus burden-
ing thc poverty of those \\.holn they should have relicvcd.

Ioss: GLOSS. Det'Olll" trÙlOlVS' !lollses, that is, your superstitions
mterhn. 1 h . 1 . 1 1 . f h 1
lave t IS on y alnl, nan1e y, to Ina ie a gall1 0 t e peop e
that is put undcr you. PSKC"DO-CHRYS. The female sex is
in1prudent, as 110t contemplating with reason all that it sees
or hears; and weak, as being casily turned eithcr from bad to
good, or frOln good to bad. The male sex is more prudent
and hardy. .A.nd therefore pretenders to 110liness practise
I1)Ost upon \VOlnen, \vho are unable to see their hypocrisy, and
arC' easily inclined to 10\.e then1 on the ground of religion.
l)ut ,,,idows they chiefly choose to attclnpt; first, because a
,YOlnan who has her husband to ad\rise her is not so readily
deceived; aud secondly, she has not the llleans of gi\ring,
being ill the power of her husband. The Lord then, whilst
lIe confounds the Jewish Priests, instructs the Christian th3.t
they should Hot frequent ,,'idows rather than others, for
thougb their purpose Inay not be bad, it gi\"es occasion to
suspicions. CHRYS. The nlanner of this plundering IS griey-
ous, for they 1Jlake long pra.lJers. Everyone who does eyil
deserl'es pllnishlnent; but he who takes occasion for his
offence fronl religion, desclTes 1110re scvere pUllislllnent;
Tlterl{fol'e ye slzall'receice tlte greater dalJlUlllioJl. PSEUDO-
CHRYS. First, for that ye are \vicked, and then because ye
put on the cloak of sauctity. \
our co'
etousness you dre:ss
np in the colour of religion, and use God's arnlS in the Ðe,'il's
service, that iniquity lnay be 10\red while it is thought to he
piety. IIILARY; Or, becaube their obserrance of tIJC Jdng-

VEil. 15.

ST. )IATTHE'V.

770

<lOID of heaycn proceeds hence, that they luay keep up their
practice of going about to widows' houses, they shall there-
fore receiye the heavier judglnent, as }Ja\'ing their own sin
and the ignorance of others to answer for. GLOSS. Or, Gloss.
because the sert"ant that h..new kis Lord's 'lDill and did it i L nte k rlin.
u
e
'/lot, shall úe beaten 'lcitlt 111a/1 y stripes. 12, 47.

15. \V oe unto yon, Scribes and Pharisees, hypo-
crites! for ye compass sea and land to Inake one
proselyte, and \vhen he is made, you nlake hilll t"YO-
fold more the child of hell than yourselves.

CHRYS. This the next charge against thenl i
, that they
are unequal to the sah.ation of many, seeing they need
so Hluch labour to bring one to sahration; and not only
are they slack in con\
ersion, but destroy even those wholn
they do con\'ert, by corrupting then1 by exall1ple of c\Til
life. HILARY; That they cOlnpass sea and land signi-
fies that throughout the "Thole \vorId they shaH be
enelnies of Christ's Gospel, and shaH bring Inen under the
YO]ie of the Law against the justification of faith. There
,vere proselytes made into the Synagogue froln alnollg the
Gentiles, the sHuùl number of ,,,,holn is here denoted by ,vhat
is said one proselyte. For after the preaching of Chriðt there
was 110 faith left in their doctrine, but w hocycr was gained to
the faith of the Jews becalne a child of hell. ORIGEN; For

aU ".ho Judaize since the con1ing of the Saviour, are taught to
follow the telnper of those ,vho cried at that tÏ1ne, Crucify,
crucify 'tÙll. HILARY; And he becomes the child of a
twofold punishll1ent, because he has not obtained remission of
his Gentile sins, and because he lIas joined the society of those
,vho persecuted Christ. J ERO:l\IE; Or otherwise; The Scribes
and Pharisees cOlnpassecl the whole world to lllake proselytes of
the G elltiles, that is, to 111ÎX the uncircunlcised stranger with
the people of God. PSE"CDO-CHRYS. And that not of COlll-
passion fronl desire to sa,.e hinl ,,"hOl11 they taught, but
either frolll COyctousness, that the greater nunlbcr of 'wor-
shippers might increase the Durn bel' of offerings 1l1ade in
sacrifice, or out of vain glory. For he \vho sinks hiulself in
a slough of sins, how should he be desirous to rescue aU0ther

780

GOSPEL ACCORDI
G TO

CHAP. XXIII.

out of thCIll? 'Vill a luan be 1110re Inercifill to another than to
hill1self? By a luan's actions therefore it may be known
,vhethcr he seeks another's conversion for God's sake, or out
Greg. of ,yain glory. G REG. But forasmuch as h,ypocrites though

;o;i. 9. they do ever crooked things, yet cease not to speak right
things, and thus by their good instructions beget sons, but
are not able to bring them up by good life, but the more
they give thelnselves up to worldly works, the more willingly
do they sufrer those whom they have begotten to ,york the
same. And because their hearts are hardened, these very
sons \vhom they have begotten they do not o\\'n by any sign
of the affection due. 'Vherefore it is here said of the
hypocrites, And when lie is 1/lade, ye J/lake Itint tli"ofold Ulore
Aug. tlte child of hell than !Joll1"seI1 1 es. ACG. This lIe said not
;:

t. because proselytes were circluncised, but because they iu1Ï-
xvi. 290 tated the Ii ,'es of those froln follo\\Ting wholn He had prohi-
et cf. b . d 11 0 d . . ] . D / 0 l' k T
cont. A- lte ,IS ISClp es, saYIng, 0 ye not l! ler l,lell" '11"01" "S. 'VO
dimant. things are observable in this con1n1and; first, the honour

tt. shewn to l\{oses' teaching, that e'''en wicked men when sitting
23,3. in his seat are compelled to teach good things; and that the
proselyte is 11lade a child of hell, not by hearing the words
of the Law, but by following their doings. .A.nd twq{old '1nore
than they for this reason, that he neglects to fulfil \vhat he
had undertaken of his own choice, haying been not born a
J e,v, but of free will bccollle a Jew. J EROl\IE; Or, because
before ,vhile he was a Gentile he erred in ignorance, and
was only a child of hell; but seeing the vices of his
Inasters, and understanding that they destroyed in their
actions what they taught in
"ords, he returns to his YOlnit,
and becolning a Gentile, he is \vo1'thy of greater pUllisllluent
as one that has deserted his cause. PSEUDO-CHRYS. Or,
because while he ,vas a worshippel' of idols, he observed
righteousness even because of lnen; but \"hen he becanle
a Je\v, prompted by the exal11ple of evil teachers, he hecalne
worse than his teachers. CHRYS. For a disciple in1Ïtates
a virtuous master, but goes beyond a ,ricious one. J ERO.:\IE ;
He is called a child of hell in the saIne ,,'ay as one is
aid
to be a child of perdition, and a child of this "'orld; e"ery
Inan is called the son of hint whose \vorks }le does. ORIGEN;
From this place we learn that there will be a difli'rence of

VE R. ] ß-:2:l.

T. "ATTII E\V.

ibl

tonncnt in hell, seeing une is here said to be singly a child
of hell, another hvofold. .L\nd \ve ought to consider here
,vhether it is possible that a Inan should be general1y a
child of hell, as a J e\Y,
uppose, or a Gentile, or ,,,hethel"
specially so in consequence of SOlne particular sins; that as
a righteou
man is increased in glory by the abundance of
hi
righteousnesse
, so a sinner's punisillnent is increased
manifold by the number of his sins.

16. 'V oe unto you, ye blind guides, \vhich say,
'Vhosoever shaH s\vear by the temple, it is nothing;
but ,vhosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple,
he is a debtor!
17. Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater,
the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold ?
18. And, "Thosoever shall s\vear by the altar, it is
notlling; but \vhosoever s\veareth by the gift that is
upon it, he is guilty.
19. Ye fools and blind: for ,vhether is greater, the
gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
20. 'Vhoso therefore shall swear by the altar,
s\veareth by it, and by all things thereon.

l. And \vhoso shan s,vear by the telnple, s\veareth
by it, and by him that d\velleth therein.
22. And he that shaH s,vear by heaven, sweareth
by the throne of God" and by him that sitteth
thereon.

.TERO:\IE; As by Inakil1g broad phylacteries and fringes
they sought after the reputation of sanctity, and Blade this
again a llleallS of gain, 80 now He charges theln ,,
ith
being teachers of ,vickedness by their fraudulent pretence
of tradition. For \"hen in any dispute or quarrel, or am-
biguous cause, one swore by the temple, and was after-
wards convicted of L'llsehood, he ,vas not held guilty.
This is \vhat is lneant by that, IF'/tosoet'er s/lall Slrear by tlle
tC17lple, if is nothing, that is, he o\ves nothing, But ifhe had

782

GOSPEL ACCOIlDING TO

CHAP. XXVI.

sworn by the gold, or by the Inoney \vhich was offered to the
Priests in the tClnple, he was innnediately cOlllpelled to pay
down that by which he had sworn. PSEUDO-CHRYS. The
t2n1ple pertains to God's glory, and to luan's spiritual sal-
,.ation, but the gold of the telnple though it pertains to the
glory of God, yet does it 11101'e so to the delight of Inan, and
the profit of the Priests. The Jews then pronounced the gold
,vhich delighted thein, and the gifts ,vhich fed theIn, to Le
luore holy than the tCll1plc, that they 111ight Inake 111en In01'e
disposed to offer gifts, than to pour out prayers in the teInple.
'Vheuce the IJord suitably repro'.es them in these words.
)7 et ha,.e SOlnc Christians at prescnt an equally foolish notion.
See, thcy say, in any suit if one s\vear by God, it SCel11S nought;
but if one sw'ear by the Gospel, he seeins to haye donc S01l1C
great thing. To \Vh0I11 we shaH say in like manuer, Ye fúob:
and blind! the Scriptures ,vere written because of God, God
is not because of the Scriptures. Greater therefore is God,
tllan ,vhat is hallowed hy lIiIll. J EROl\IE; Again, if OIlC S\YOl'e
by the altar, none held hilll guilty of peljury; but if he swore
by the gift or the yictillls or the other things \vhich are offered
to God upon the altar, this they exacted Inost rigorously.
And all this they did not out of fear of God, but out of coyet-
ousness. Thus the Lord charges thcln ,vith both fony and
fraud, inaslnnch as the altar is lnnch greater than the victiu1s
Gloss. \vhich are sanctified by the altar. GLOSS. And lest thcir in-
non occ..

fatuatIon should go so lar, that they should affinn that the
gold was more }}oly than the tell1ple, and the gift than the
altar, He argues on another ground, that in the oath which is
S\YOI1J. ùy the teinple and the altar is contained the oath by
the gold or by the gift. ORIGEX; In like Inanner the CUStOlll
which the J e\vs had of s,vearing by the lIeaven lIe reprobates.
For they did not, as they supposed, a,-oid the danger of taking
an oath by G-od, because, JVhoso swearelh by heaven, su'eaJ"-
etlt by the throne qf God, and by hint that silteth thereon.
Gloss. GLOSS. For whoso s\vears by the creature that is subject,
ord. S\\Tears by the Dh.inity that rules over the creation.
ORIGEX; K ow an oath is in confinnation of sOluewhat that
has been spoken. 'rhe oath here then filar signifY testill10ny of
Scripture which we produce in confirl11ation of that ".ord which
,ve speal\:, So that Di,;ne Scripture is the teu11)lc of God,

VER. 23, 2-1.

ST. :\IA TTIIE\V.

78;3

th
gold is the Ineaning which it contains. .A.s the gold ,vhic h
is outside the Teulplc is not sanctified, so an thoughts which
are without dh-ine Scripture, ho,,"e'
er adn1Ïrable they luay
seeUl, are not hallowed. "r e ought not therefore to bring any
speculations of our own for th(' confinnation of doctrine, un-
less such as \\?e can shew an
hallowed by being contained
in divine Scripture. The altar is the hlunan heart, which i

the chief thing in man. 1'he offerings and gifts that arc
hid upon the altar, are c'"ery thing \vhich are done in the
heart, as to pray, to sing, to do ahns, to fast. Every offering
of a lnan then is sanctified by his heart, by which the offering
is Inade. There cannot therefore be a Inore honourable offf
r-
ing than the heart of Ulan, out of \\?hich the offering proceeds.
If then one's conscience docs not smite hiln, he has confi-
dence to\vards God, not by reason of his gifts, but so to speak
because he has rightly ordered the altar of his heart. Thirdly,
we lna)' say that o\
er the teulple, that is o,-er e\?el'Y Scripture,
and o,"er the altar, that is over e\?ery heart, there is a certain
I11f'aning ,yhich is called the 1) eaxen, the throne of God HÌ1n-
self, in ,yhich we shall be able to see the things that are re-
vealed face to face, when that which is perfect is COllIe.
JIlL_illY; For since Christ is come, reliance upon the Law is
yain; for not Christ by the La\v, but the Law by Christ, is
sanctified, in ,,-h01l1 it rests as on a scat or throne; so arc they
fools and blind, who, oyerlooking the sanctifier, par honour to
the things sanctified. ...lrG. The temple and altar we Inay Aug.
also understand of Christ IIiulself; the gold and the gifts, of

4.
the praise and sacrifice of prayer which we offer in IIiln and
through IIinl. For not He by theIn, but they by I-lilll, arc
sanctified.

23. lV oe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypo-
crites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cum-
min, and have olnitted the ,veighter matters of the
la\v, judgn1ent, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to
have done, and not to leave the other undone.
24. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and
s\vallo\v a cèunel.

784

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

CHAP. XXIII.

CHUYS. The Lord had said abov'e that they bound heavy
burdens upon others, \v hich they theillseives \,"ould not touch;
He no\\r again shew's how they ain1ed at being correct in little
things, but neglected weighty luatters. J EROl\IE; The Lord
had commauded, that for the nlaintenance of the Priests and
Levites, whose portion was the Lord, tithes of every thing
should be offered in the temple. Accordingly, the Pharisees
(to dislniss Inystical expositions) concerned thell1selves about
this alone, that these trifling things should be pair} in, but
lightly esteemed other things which ,vere weighty. He
charges thelll then ,,,ith covetousness in exacting carefully
the tithes of worthless herbs, while they neglected justice in
theil" transactions of business, lnercy to the poor, and faith
to\vard God, which are \veighty things. PSEUDO-CHRYS.
Or, because these covetous Priests, "'hen ány one dirl not
bring his tithes of the smallest thing, nlade it a n1atter of
gra,ye reprehension; but \vhen one injured his neighbour or
sinned against God, they were at no pains to reprove him,
careful only of their own profit, neglecting the glory of God,
and the sah-ation of 111en. For to observe righteousness,
to do 111ercy, and to have faith, these things God cOllllnanded
for His own glory; but the paYlllent of tithes II e established
for the support of the Priests, so that the Priests should
Ininister to the people in spiritual things, and the people
supply the Priests \vith carnal things. Thus is it at this
tilue, \vhen all are careful of their o\vn honour, none of God's
honour; they jealously protect their O\Y11 rights, hut win not
besto\v any pains in the sen-ice of the Church. If the people
pay not their tithes duly, they nlurn1ur; but if they see thp
people in sin, they utter not a \\yord against thel11. But
because SOlne of the ScriLes and Pharisees, to WhOlll He is
now speaking, \vere of the people, it is not unsuitable to
make a different inteq)retation; and 'to tithe' Inay be used
as wen of hiln who pays, as of hill1 who receives, lÍthes. The
Scribes then and Pharisees offered tithes of the ,'cry best
things for thp purpose of displaying their righteousness; but
in their judgll1cnts they were unjust, without 11lcrcy for their
brethren, without faith for the truth.
ORIGEN; But because' it was possihle that SOlne, hearing
the Lord speak thus, 111ight thereupon negJect paying tithes

VER. 25, 26.

ST. :\IATTHE'V.

785

of slnall things, He prudently adds, These tllings oug/If ye
1-0 /tare done, (i. e. justice, Inercy, and faith,) and not to leave
tlle others undone, i. e. the tithing of IIlint, anise, and cun1-
lnin. RE:\IIG. In these words the Lord shews that all the
con1mandmel1ts of the Law, greatest and least, arc to be fuJ-
filled. They also are refuted who giye ahIls of the fruits of
the earth, supposing that thus they cannot sin, whereas their
ahIls profit them nothing unless they are careful to keep
themsehycs fronl sin. HILA.RY; And because it was n1uch le
s
guilt to omit the tithing of herbs than a duty of bene,-olence,
the Lord derides then1, JTe blind guides, 'If}/tic/t strain out a
gnat, and slrallowa call1el. JERO:\lEj The cCl/nel I suppose to
mean the weighty precepts, judglnent, lTIercy, and faith; the
gllat, the tithing of lTIint, anise, and cumlnin, and other ,.alue-
less herbs. The greater of God's cOllnnands \ve Sit'aU01l7 and
overlook, but shew our carelessness by a religious scru-
pulousness in little things which bring profit \"ith then1.
ORIGE
; Or, straining out a gnat, that is, putting frollI thenl
small sins; su'allowing a calnel, that is, comnlitting great
sins, which lIe calls canlels, from the size and distorted
shape of that animal.
Iorally, The Scribes are those who
think nothing else contained in Scripture than the bare letter
exhibits; the Pharisees are all those who esteen1 thelnselves
l'ighteous, and separate themseh"es from others, saying, , Come
not nigh IIle, for I an1 clean.' il1int, anÙ;e, and Clllll1l1in, are
the seasoning, not the substantial part of food; as in our life
and conyersation there are some things necessary to justifi-
cation, as judgment, mercy, and faith; and others \vhich are
like the seasoning of our actions, gh"ing theIll a flavour and
s\veetness, as abstinence from laughter, fasting, bending the
:knee, and such like. How shall they not be judged blind
\vho see not that it is of little avail to be a careful dispenser
in the least things, if things of chief 11101TIent are neglecterl ?
These His present discourse overthrows; not forbidding to
obser,.e the little things, but bidding to keep l110re carefillly
the chief things. GREG. Or otherwise; The gnat stings Greg.
h ' l . I 1 1 b . b k .. l\Ior i
\Y I e It lUms; t le Can1e O\VS Its ac - to reCeIve Its load. 15. . .
The Jews then strained o..ff the gnat, 'when they prayed to
have the seditious robber released to thenl; and they swal-
VOL. I. 3 E

786

GOSPEJ
ACCORDING TO

CHAP. XXII.

lowed the calnel, when they sought with shouts the death of
Him \\'110 IUH1 voluntarily taken on IIiul the burden of our
Inortalit:y .

25. Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypo-
crites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and
of the platter, but within they are full of extortion
and excess.
26. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which
is within the cup and platter, that the outside of
them may be clean also.

J ER01\lE; 111 different ".ords, but to the saIne purport as
before, He reproves the hypocrisy and dissilllulation of the
Pharisees, that they shewed one face to men abroad, but
wore another at hOlne. lIe lneans not here, tl)at t11eir
scrupulousness respecting the cup and the platter ,vas of any
importance, but that they affected it to pass off their sanctity
upon lIlen; ,vhich is clear fron} IIis adding, but inu"llrdl:1J
ye are ..full of 1'al;ening and uncleanness. PSEUDO-CURYS.
Or, He lIleans that the Jews \vhenever they were to enter th('
telnple or to offer sacrifice, or on any festivals, used to ,,'ash
tht'lllselves, their clothes, and their vessels, but none cleansed
hilnself from his sins; but God neither cOIDnlends 10dily
cleanliness, nor conde111ns the contrary. But suppose foul-
ness of person or of ,'essels "'ere offensive to God, \vhich
must become foul by being used, how much lIlore does He
not abhor foulness of conscience, lvhich \ve Inay, if 'we will,
keep e"er pure? HILARY; He therefore is reproving those
who, pursuing an ostentation of useless scrupulosity, neglected
the discharge of useful morality. For it is the inside of the
cup that is used; if that be foul, ",'hat profit is it to cleanse
the outside? And therefore what is needed is purity of Ùle
inner conscience, that those things ,vhich are of the body
may be clean \vithout. PSEUDO-CHRYS. This He speaks not
of the cup and platter of sense, hut of that of the understand-
ing, \vhich lnay be pure before God, though it ha"e neyer

VER. 27,
R.

ST. :\L\TTIlE\Y,

787

touched watcr; hut if it have sinned, thcn though the water
of the whole ocean and of an ri,-ers ha,pe washed it, it is foul
and guilty before God. CHRí
. Note, that speaking of
tithes lIe said, 17,ese fIlings ought ye to lta
'e dOlle, and not
to leare file oilier undone: for tithes are a kind of alnls, and
\vhat \"rong is it to gi'"e ahlls ? Yet said He it not to enforce
a legal superstition. But here, discoursing of things clcan
and unclean, lIe does not add this, but distinguishes and
she".s that external purity of necessity follows internal; the
outside qf tlte Clip and platter signifying the body, the inside
the soul. ORIGE
; This discourse instructs us that "-e
should hasten to beconle righteous, not to seen1 so. For
\\'hoso seeks to he thought so, cleans
s the outside, and has
care of the things that are seen, but neglects the heart and
conscience. But he \vho seeks to cleanse that \'" hich is
within, that is, the thoughts, Inakes by that 11leanS the things
\vithout clean also. .All professors of false doctrine are cups
cleansed on the outside, because of that show of religlon
\vhich they affect, but ,,"ithin they are full of extortion and
guile, hurrying 111en into error. The CllP is a ,pessel for
liquids, the platter for meat. Every discourse then of \"hich
'we spiritually drink, and an speeell by \vhieh we are fèd, are
,-essels for Ineat and drink. They \vho study to set forth
,veIl \\Tought discourse rather than such as is full of healthful
Ineaning, are cups cleansed ,,-ithout; but ,,,ithin full of the
defilement of ,-anity. Also the letter of the Law and the
Prophets is a cup of spiritual drink, and a platter of necessary
food. The Scribes and Pharisees seek to Inake plain the
outward sense; Christ's disciples labour to exhibit thp
spiritual sense.

27. "roe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypo-
crites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, \vhich
indeed appear beautiful out\vard, but are within full
of dead Jnen's bones, and of an uncleanness.
28. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous
unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and
iniqui ty.

:3 F: 2

Ps. 82,
6.
Greg.
.Mor.
xxvi.
32.

788

GOSPEL ACCORDI
G TO

CHAP. XXII!.

ORIGEN; As above they are said to be full of extortion
and excess, so here they are jltll o.l hypocrisy and iniquity,
and are likened to dead 1nen's bones, and all uncleanness.
PSEUDO-CHRYS. Justly are the bodies of the righteous said
to be temples, because in the body of the righteous the soul
has dOlninion, as God in His temple; or because God Him-
self dwells in righteous bodies. But the hodies of sinners
are called sepulchres of the dead, because the sinner's soul is
dead in his body; for that cannot be deelned to be alive,
which does no spiritual or living act. J EROl\IE; Sepulchres
are ,,-hitened with lilne without, and decorated .with lnarble
painted in gold and various colours, but within are full of
dead men's bones. Thus crooked teachers who teach one
thing and do another, affect purity in their dress, and Inunihty
in their speech, but \vithin are full of aU uncleanness, covet-
ousness, and lust. ORIGE
; For all feigned righteousness is
dead, forasmuch as it is not done for God's sake; yea, rather
it is no righteousness at an, any more than a dead n1an is a
man, or an actor \vho represents any character is the lnan
'VhOlll he represents. There is therefore within thenl so
much of bones and uncleanness as are the good things that
they wickedly pretend to. And they SeeIl1 righteous out-
\vardly, not in the eyes of f;uch as the Scripture calls Gods, but
of such only as d,:e like 1nen. GUEG. But before their strict
Judge they cannot have the plea of ignorance, for by assuming
in the eyes of 111en every form of sanctity, they \vitness
against themselves that they are not ignorant ho\v to li\'e
,yell. PSEUDO-CHRYS. But say, hypocrite, if it be good to
be ,vicked, \vhy do you not desire to SeelTI that which you
desire to be? For what it is shalTIefnl to SeelTI, that it is
more shameful to be; and what to seem is fair, that it is
fairer to be. Either therefore be \vhat you seem, or seen1
\vhat you are.

29. Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypo-
crites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets,
and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
30. And say, If ,ve had been in the days of our

VER.29-31.

ST. l\I\TTHE'V.

789

fathers, we would not have been partakers with them'
in the blood of the prophets.
31. 'Vherefore ye be ,vitnesses unto yourselves,
that ye are the children of them ,vhich killed the
prophets.

JEROME; By a most subtle syllogisnl He proves thelll to
be the sons of 11lluderers, \yhile to gain good character and
reputation ,,-ith the people, they build the sepulchres of the
Prophets wholn their fathers put to death. ORIGE
; '.Vith-
out just cause lIe
eelns to utter denunciations against those
\"ho build the sepulchres of the Prophets; for so far \vhat
they did \vas praiseworthy; hO\\T then do they deserye this
'll'oe? CHRYS. I-Ie does not blanle then1 for building the Chrys.
sepulchres, but discoyers the design with \vhich they built ;;
r::
then1; \vhich \vas not to honour the slain, but to erect to
theln
ehTes a tritullphal InonUlnellt of the nuuder, as fearing
that in process of tilne the n1en1ory of this their audacious
wickedness should perish. PSEUDO-CHRYS. Or, they said
\\Tithin themselves, If \ve do good to the poor not lllany see it,
and then but for a lTI0111ent; "Tere it not better to raise
buildings \vhich alllnay see, not only now, but in aU tillle to
cOllIe? 0 foolish luau, what boots this posthU1l10US nlelllory,
if, where you are, you are tortured, and wl1ere you are not
there you are praised? 'Vhile He corrects the Jews, lIe
instructs the Christians; for had these things been spoken to
the former only, they would have been spoken, but not
\vritten; but no\v thûy \\Tere spoken on their account, and
written on ours. 'Vhen one, besides other good deeds, raises
sacred buildings, it is an addition to his good \vorks; but if
\vithout any other good works, it is a passion for worldly
reno\vn. The martyrs joy not to be honoured with money
which has caused the poor to weep. The Jews, 1110reOVer,
have ever been adorers of saints of fonner tinles, and
contelnners, yea persecutors, of the living. Because they
could not endure the reproaches of their own Prophets, they
persecuted and killed then1; but aftcrw"ards the succeeding
generation percei\"ed the error of tbeir fathers, and thus
in grief at the death of innocent Prophets, they built up

790

GOSPEL ACCOnDI
G TO

CHAP. XXIII.

InonUlnents of thell1. But they thelnselvcs In like l11allner
persecuted and put to death the Prophets of their OW11 tilne,
when they rebuked then1 for their sins. This is what is Ineant,
And Je say, if
re had been in the days if our .fathers, lee
'ii'ould not ltare been partake1's 'lcitll tll(!)}
in tlie blood l!l tI,e
l J ro}Jhets. JERO::\IE; Though they speak not this in ,,"ords,
they proclaÏ1n it by their actions, in alnbitious and 111agnifi-
cent structures to their Inen1ory. PðEUDO-CHRYS. 'Vhat they
thought in their heart
, that they spoke by their deeds. Christ
lays bare here the natural habit of all wicked tnen; each rea-
dily apprehends the other's fault, but nOlle his own; for in
another's case each lnan has an unprejudiced heart, but in
his own case it is distorted. Therefol'e in the cause of othel"S
,ve can aU easi1y be righteous judges. Ht:' only is the truly
l"ighteous and ,vise \\"ho is able to judge hilnself. It follows,
IT T her(:fore ye be lÐilnes<çes 'Uuto yourselre.J;, that YOll are fIle
children 0/" thenl 'ic/liclt killed lite Prophets. CHHYS. "
hat
kind of accusation is t11is, to can one the son of a lnurderer, ,,,ho
partakes not in his father's disposition? Clearly there is no
guilt in being so; ,,
herefore this lnnst be said in proof of their
reselnblance in ,,
ickedncsso PSEuDO-CHRYS. The character
of the parents is a "Titness to tI1e sons; if the father be good
and the Inother bad, or the reverse, the children ll1ay follo"r
sOlnetilnes one, sOlnetilnes the other. But w]lel1 both are
the saIne, it yery rarely happens that bad sons spring of good
parents, or the re\
er
e, though it be so son1etilnes. This is
as a nlan is sOlnetinlCs born out of the rule of natnre, haying
six fingers or no eyes.
ORIGE
; .A.nel in the prophetic ,yritings, the histolical
sen
e is the body, the spiritual lllcaning is the soul; the
sepulchres are the letter and bool{s thelnsehTes of Scripture.
They then who attend only to the historical lnealling,
honour the bodies of the Prophets, and set in the letter
as in a sepulclu o e; and are cancd Pharisees, i. c. 'cut
off,' as it were cutting off the soul of the Prophets frOll} their
body.
32. Fill ye up then the Ineasure of your fathers.
33. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can
ye e
cape the dall1nation of hell ?

VJ':U. 32-:3ü.

ST. :\lATTHE\Y.

791

34. 'Vherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets,
and wise men, and Scribes; and some of them ye
shan kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye
scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them
from city to city:
35. That upon you may come all the righteous
blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righ-
teous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Bara-
chias, whom ye slew bet\veen the temple and the
altar.
36. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall
come upon this generation.

CHRYS. lIe had said against the Scribes and Pharisee:::;,
that they were the children of those who killed the Prophets;
now therefore He she\vs that they ,vere like thenl in wicked-
ness, and that that was false that they said, If u"e had been ilt
lhe days of Oll rfatlters, lee u"ould not "are been partakers with,
tlieuz in tlte blood of tIle Prophets. "Therefore He no\V says,
Fill ye up tIle lneasure of your fàthers. This is not a com-
uland, but a prophecy of \vhat is to be. PSEC"DO-CHRYS. He
foretels, that as their fathers killed the Prophets, so the}T also
should kill Christ, and the Apostles, and other holy Inen.
As snppose you had a quarrel with SOUle one, you Inight say
to your ad \Tersary, Do to Dle \y hat you are about to do; but
yon do not therein bid him do it, but she\v hinl that you are
aware of his nlanæuvre:::;. And in fact they went beyond the
Ineasure of their fathers; for they put to death only men,
these crucified God. But becausp lIe stooped to death of
IIis own free choice, He does not lay on theul the sin
of IIis death, but only the death of the Apostles and other
holy men. ""'hence also He said, Fill up, and not Fill o
"e1";
for a just and n1erciflll Judge o,.erlooks his 0".11 \vrongs, and
only punishes those done to others. ORIGE
; They fill up the
111eaSUre of their fathers' sins by their not believing in Christ.
And tlle cause of their unbelief \vas, that they looked only to
the letter and the body, and \vOldd understand nothing spiri-
tual in thelll. 1-1 IL\.RY; Because then they will fill up the

7U2

GOSPEL ACCORDIN& TO

CHAP. XJ....III.

I Cor.
l
.

measure of their fathers' purposes, therefore are they serpents,
all(l an offspring of vipers. JEROl\IE; The same had been said
by John the Baptist. \Vherefore as of vipers are born vipers,
so of your fathers who \vere murderers are you bonl lTIurderers.
PSEUDO-CHRYS. He calls them offspring 0..1 vipers, because
the nature of ripel's is such that the young burst the \vomb
of their daln, and 80 come forth; and in like manner the Jews
condemned their fathers, finding fault with their deeds. He
says, How sllall ye escape tlte dflJìlllation of !tell? By build-
ing the tombs of the saints? But the first step of piety is to
love holiness, the next, to love the saints; for it is not rea-
sonable in him to honour the righteous, who despises righteous-
ness. The saints cannot be friends to those to \vhonl God
is an enelTIY. Shall ye be sa\red by a Inere natne, because ye
SeelTI to be alnong God's people! FOraSlTIUch as an open enemy
is better than a false friend, so is he more hateflù to God, who
calls hilTIself the servant of God, and does the commands of the
Devil. Indeed, before Goel he ,vho has resolved to kill a ,vonn
is a Inurderer before the deed is done, for it is the ,,,ill that is
re"rarded for good, or punished for evil. Deeds are evidence of
the \"ill. God then does not require deeds on His own ac-
count that He Inay kno\v ho\v to judge, but for the sake of
other lnen, that ther Inay perceÏ\re that God is righteous.
And God affords the opportunity of sin to the ,vicked, not
to lnake thelll sin, but to manifest the sinner; and also to the
good lIe gives opportunity to she"v the purpose of their \vill.
In this ,yay then He gave the Scribes and Pharisees oppor-
tunity of she\villg their purposes, Behold, I send unto you
Prophets, and trise 'Jnen, and Scriúes. I-IILARY; That is, the
.Apostles, who, as foretelling things to come, are Prop/lets; as
having kllo\vledge of Christ, are u'ise 'Inert; as understanding
the La\v, are Scribes. JEROi\IE; Or, as the Apostle \vrites
to the Corinthians that there are various gifts aUJong Christ's
diseiples; SOlne Prophets, \\"ho forctel things to come; some
,,-ise IneH, \vho know ,,-hen they ought to speak; others
Scribes taught in the La,,-; of \\-hom Stephen \yas stoned,
Paul killed, Peter crucified, and the disciples of the Apostles
beaten, in the
\.cts; and they persecuted thcln fi-oni city to
city, driying them out of .J udæa, that they might go to the
Gentiles. ORIGEX; Or the Scribes \"lIo are sent by Christ,

"EH. 32-36.

T. 1\1A TTHEW.

793

are Scribes according to the Gospel, ,,-hOl11 the spirit quickens
and the letter does not kill, as did the letter of the Law,
,,-hich whoso fullowed ran into \?ain superstitions. The
Sill1ple words of the Gospel are sufficient for sahration. But
the Scribes of the Law do }-et scourge the Scribes of the
N e\y Testalnent, by detracting frOln them in their syna-
gogues; and the heretics also, who are spiritual Pharisees,
,,'ith their tongues Intuder the Christians, and persecute
them from city to citr, sometimes in the bodr, sOluetimes
al
o in the spirit, seeking to dri\-e thelu from their own
city of the Law', the Prophets, and the Gosppl, into an-
other Gospel. CHRYS. Then to shew them that they should
not do tIlls without punishlnent, lIe holds out an un-
speakable ten"or over thenl, Tlzat upon YOll 11lay corne all
tlie righteous blood. RAB_\
. That is, all the vengeance due
for the shedding of the hlood of the righteous. JEROJIE;
Concen1Ïng the ALel here spoken of, there is no doubt that
it is he \"hOlll his brother Cain murdered. He is proved
to have been righteous, 110t only by this judglnent of the
Lord, but by the passage in Genesis, \vhich sars that his
offerings \yere accepted by God. But \ye Inust enquire who
is this Zacharias, son of Barachias, because we read of many
Zachariases; and that we nlight not mistake, here it is addcd,
'1rliOJJl ye slew bet'ween tlte teuzple and tlie allar. SOlne
say that it is that Zacharias ,,-ho is the eleventh among the
tweh-e Prophets, and his [ather's name agrees to this, but
,,,hcn he \\yas slain bet"yeen the telnple and the altar, Scripture
does not nlCntiOl1; but above an, in his time there were scarce
e\?eu the ruins of the telnple. Others will ha\ e it to be
Zacharias the father of John. ORIGEX; A tradition has
conle dO\\'ll to us, that there was onv place in the te111ple in
which yirgins \\'el"c allo\\-ed to worship God, lllarried WOlnen
being forbiJden to stand there.
-\nd
Iary, after the Saviour's
birth, going into the teulple, stood to pray in this place of
the virgins. And when Ùler who kl1e\\r that she had borne
a Son were hindering her, Zacharias said, that forasllluch as

he \yas
till a yirgin, she \vas worthy of the place of the
virgins. "
her('upon, as though he 111anifestlr were con-
tra\'cning the Law, he ,,'as
lain there bet"reen the telnp]e
and the altar by the n1en of that generation; and thus tllls

794

GOSPEL ACCOUDI.XG TO

CHAP. XXIII..

,vord of Christ is true which He spake to those \\rho were
standing there, '1rli01Jl ye slezo B . JERO
IE; But as this has no
Scripture authority, it is as readily despised as offered. Others
2 Chron. will have it to be that Zacharias who \yas killed by J oas,
24, 21. king of Judah, behveell the temple and the altar, that is, in
the court of the tenlple. But that Zacharias ,vas not the
son of Barachias, but of J ehoiada the Priest. But Barachias
in our language is interpreted' Blessed of the Lord,' so that
the righteousness of J oiada the Priest is expressed by this
Hebre\v word. But in the G-ospel \vhich the Nazarenes use,
"re find \vritten ' son of J oiada' instead of son of Barach ias.
RE:\HG. It should be enquired too how He says, 10 the blood
o..f Zacharias, since the blood of Inany lllore saiuts ,vas
after\\.ards shed. This is thus explained. Aùel a keeper
of sheep \vas killed in the field, Zacharias a priest ,vas
slain in the court of the telnple. The Lord therefore
nalnes these t\YO, because by these all holy Inart}TS are
denoted, both of lay and priestly order. CHRYS. l\tlore-
over, He nalnes Abel, to shew that it would be out of envy
that they ,vould kill Christ and His disciples. lIe nalnes
Zacharias, because there ",.as a hvofold resemblance in
his case, the sacred placp., as well as the sacred person.
ORIGEN; Zacharias is interpreted' The melnory of God.'
'Vhosoever then hastes to obliterate the melllory of God,
seems to those to wholn he gives offence to shed the blood
of Zacharias the son of Barachias. For it is by the blessing
of God that \ve retain the nleu10ry of God. Also the Inemory
of God is slain by the wicked, when the Telnple of God is
polluted by the lustful, and His altar defiled by the careless-
ness of prayers. Abel is interpreted' lnourning.' lIe then
who does not receÏ\ye that, Blessed are they that 'lIlOllrn,
sheds the blood of Abcl, that is, puts away the truth of whole-
SOlne mourning. SOlne also shed, as it ".ere, the blood of
the Scriptures by putting aside their truth, for all Scripture,
if it is not understood according to its truth, is dead. CHRYS.

a Thi!:! tradition is mentioned also by phal books, but sets it aside and adopts
Cyril A.? adv. Anthrop. 27. and Pseudo- the interpretation given in the text.
Basil, Horn. de Sanct. Christ. Gen. 5. The murder of Zacharias, father of John
Theopbylact (in loc.) and Euthymius the Baptist, is related in the apocryphal
who mention it, probably derived it from Protevangelium of S. .T ames, c.23. but
Origen. Jerome (in loc.) gives another ascribed to a different cause.
of the same character from some apocry-

YEn. 37-3H.

ST. :\IATTHElr.

i95

And to take a".ay aU excuse from thenl that they might not
gay, Because you sent theI11 to the Gentiles thereat \vere we
offended, lIe foretels that His disciples should be sent to
theIn, and it is of their punishll1ent that He adds, JTerily 1
say unto you, all these things sliall cOlne upon thÙ,. generation.
GLOSS. He Ineans not only those there present, but the ,yhole Glos
.
generation before and after, for all were one city and one ord.
body of the Devil. JERO)IE; The rule of the Scriptures is
only to kno"
two generations, one of good the other of bad.
Of the generation of the good it is said, Ti,e general ion lif Ps. 112,
the 'righteous sliall be blessed. And of the bad it is said in 2.
the present passage, Generation of vipers. These then,
because they did against the Apostles like things as Cain
and Joas, are described as of one generation. CHRYS. Other-
,yise; Because He delayed the punishnlent of hell which
lIe had threatened thel11 with, lIe pronounces against them
threats of Pl'esent e\'il, saying, ...111 these things shall COlne
upon this generation. PSEUDO-CHRYS. .A.s all the good things
w'hich had been l11erited by all the saints in each generation
since the foundation of the ".orld were besto\ved upon that
last generation which received Christ; so all the evil that
aU the \vicked in every generation fl'om the foundation of
the world had deserved to suffer, came upon that last genera-
tion of the Je\ys ,vhich rejected Christ. Or thus; As all the
righteous of former saints, yea, of all the saints, could not Inerit
that so great grace as ,vas given to nlen in Christ; so the
sins of all the \vicked could not deserve so much evil as came
upon the J e".s, that they should suffer such things as these
suffered fro111 the ROlnans, and tl]at in after time every gene-
ration of them to the end of the 'world should be cast ofr frolD
God, and be made a n10ck by an the Gentiles. For \vhat
is there worse than to reject aud in such sort to put to death
the Son coming in mercy and lo\vliness! Or thus; Nations
and states when they sin are not thereupon iInmediately
punished by God, hut He \yaits for many generations; but
\vhen lIe sees fit to destroy that state or nation, lIe then
!'eems to yisit upon them the sin
of all former generations)
and one generation suffers the aCCllmtùation of all that
fonner generations have deserved. 'rhus this generation of
the Jews seelns to have been punished for theil' fathers; hut

796

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

CHAP. XXIII.

in truth they suffered not for others, but on their 0\\'11 account.
CHRYS. For he who having seen Inany sinning yet remains
uncorrected, but rather does the same or \vorse, is obnoxious
to heavier punishll1cnt.

37. 0 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that kill est the
prophets, and stonest them \vhich are sent unto thee,
ho\v often "voldd I have gathered thy children toge-
ther, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her
\vings, and ye ,,'ouId not!
38. Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
39. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see Ine hence-
forth, till ye sha1l say, Blessed is he that cometh in
the name of the Lord.

CHRYS. The Lord next turns to address the city, desiring
to instruct I-lis hearers thereby. 0 ..Terllsaleul, Jerusale17l :
this repetition of the nallle is a n1ark of cOlnpassion and
intense love. J ERO:\IE; ßy Jerllsaleln lIe l11eans not the
stones and buildings, but the dwellers there, O\'el" WhOll1 lIe
laments with the feeling of a Father. PSEUDO-CHRYS. Fore-
seeing the destruction of the city, and the blow it \vould
receive froln the ROlnans, lIe called to ulind the blood of the
saints \yhich had been, and should yet be, shed in it. Thou
killedst Esaias \vho was sent unto thee, and stonedst nlY
servant Jeremias; thou dashedst out the brains of Ezechiel
by dragging hiIn over 8tones; how shalt thou be saved,
"rhich \vilt not suffer a physician to COlne nigh thee? And
lIe said not, Didst kill and stone; but, Killest, and Stonest ;
that is, This is a COnll110n and natural practice \yith thee
to kill and stone the saints. She did to the Apostles the
same things which she had once done to the Prophets.
CHRYS. IIaving thus addressed her, and spoken of her
cruel lnurders, He said, as justifying Hin1self; lIoll' qften
'lL"ould I harp gathered thy cllildl'elt together? as lnuch
as to say, NOt\vithstancling, these thy murders have not
alienated l\le fro 111 thee, but J ,yould ha\Te taken thee
tn l\Ie, not once or twice, but lnany times. l"'he strength

VER. 37-39.

ST. MATTHE\V.

791

of His affection He shews by the comparison of a hen. AUG. Aug.
This species has the greatest affection for its brood, insomuch

6.
that \vhen they are sick the mothel" sickens also; and \vhat
you win hardly find in any other anill1al, it \viII fight against
the kite, protecting its young with its wings. In like man-
ner our mother, the "Tisdoll of G od,
ickened as it ,,-ere in
the putting on the flesh, according to that of the Apostle,
The 'weakness of God is stronger than 'Jllen, protects our I Cor.
weakness, and resists the Devil that he should not nlake us 1, 25.
his prey. ORIGEN; He calls them children of Jerusalelu,
just as we call each generation of citizens the sons of the
preceding generation. And lIe says, How of tell, though
it is \vell known that once only did lIe teach the J e\vs in
the body, because Christ \vas ever present in ì\Ioses, and
in the Prophets, and in the Angels, Ininisteril1g to human
salvation in every generation. 'Vhosoever shall not have
been gathered in by Him shan be judged, as though he had
refused to be gathered in. RABAN. Let heretics then cease Raban.
to assign to Christ a beginning from the Virgin; let them non oee.
leave off to preach one God of the Law and another of the
Prophets. .AUG. "There is that olnnipotcnce, by the \vhich Aug.
He did \vhatsoever pleased HÌ1u both in heaven and in earth, :7
eh.
if He \vollld have gathered the children of J erusalelU and did
not? 'Vas it not that she would not that her children should
be gathered by Hiln, and yet fIe did, notwithstanding, gather
those of her children WhOIll He would? CHRYS. Then lIe
threatens the punishment of which they were ever in fear,
to \vit, the overthrow of the city and telnple, saying, Behold,
your hOllse is left unto YOlt desolate. PSEUDO-CHRYS. As
the body, when the spirit departs, first becomes cold, and
then decays and decomposes; so
lso your teulplc, \vhen
God's Spirit shall have withdra\vn, shall be first filled with
strife and anaJ."chy, and after shall COlne to ruin.
ORIGE
; In like manner to all such as would not be gathered
under His wings Christ speaks this threat; Bellold, your house
is left unto YOlt desolate j i. e. your soul and your body. nut
if anyone of you will not be gathered under the \vings of
Christ, froln the yery tÎ1ne when he shall have refused to be
so gathered, (by a lnentall"ather than a bodily act,) he shall
no lTIOre see the beauty of the word, till repenting of his evil

7HS GOSPEL ACCOUDING TO ST. !\L\TTHE\Y. CHAP. XXIII.

purpose he shall say, Blt:ssed is He t!tat contetll. in lite
luune qf the Lord. And the \vord of the Lord then comes
"rith a blessing upon a 111an's heart, when one is turned to
God. JEROME; I say 'll1tio you, Ye shall not see JIe,
.c.
That is to say, Unless ye shall do penitence, and shall con-
fess that I atn He of \vhom the Prophets ha\Te spoken, the
Son of the Ahnighty Father, ye shall not see ::\Iy face. Thus
the J ew
have a tÏ1ne allowed for their repcntance. Let thenl
confess IIiIn blessed \\Tho cometh in the nalne of the Lord,
and they shall then behold Christ's face. CHHYS. Otherwise;
In this lIe covertly alludes to I-lis second con1Ïng, when
surely they shall worship HiIn. Hencr:.fortlt, lneans froln
the tilne of His crucifixion.

CHAP. XXIV.

1. AND Jesus \vent out, and departed from the
temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew
hin1 the buildings of the temple.
2. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all
these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not
be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be
thro\vn do\vn.

ORIGE
; Christ, ,,-hen He had foretold an that should
COlne upon J erl1salem, u'eni forth out if tlte teJJzple, He, ,vho
while lIe was in it, had upheld the telnple that it should not
fall. ..A,nd so each luan, being the temple of God by reason
of the Spirit of God d"'
el1ing in hiIn, is himself the cause of
his being deserted, that Christ should depart fron1 him. It
is \vorthy of note how they shew Him tlle buildings qf tlte tenl-
pie, as though lie had never seen theln. "Te reply, that when
Christ had foretold the destruction that should come upon the
temple, His disciples "
ere anlazecl at the thought that so
magnificent buildings should be utterly nlÌned, and therefore
they shew then1 to Hin1 to move HÌ1n to pity, that He would
not do what He had threatened. And because the constitu-
tion of Inll11an natlu'e is ,,'"onderful, being made the temple
of God, the disciples and the re
t of the saints confessing
the wondelful working of God in respect of the fonning of
men, intercede before the face of Christ, that He ,yollld 110t
forsake the luunan race for their sins. RAHAN. The historical
sense is clear, that in the fOlty-second year after the Lord's
passion, tbe city and telnple were oyerthro\\'n under the R01l1an
Elnperors '
espasian and Titus. REi\IIG. So it was ordained
of God, that as soon as the light of grace was reyealed, the
tenlple with its ceren10nies should be taken out of the \''"ay,
lest any \veakling in the faith, beholding all the things

Chrpc.
Horn.
Ixxv.

800

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

CHAP. XXIV.

instituted of the Lord and hallo\vcd by the Prophets yet
abiding, n1ight be gradually drawn away froln the purity
of the faith to a carnal Judaisln. CHRYS. How n1eans lie
this, that one stone sllallllot be Ill!t upon another? Either
as conveying the notion of its utter overthro\y; or with re-
spect to the place in which it stood, for its parts \vere broken
up to its very foundations. But I \vollld add, that, after
the fate it underwent, the Inost captious n1ight be satisfied
that its very fragments have pCl'Ìshcd.
J ERO:L\IE ; Figuratively; "\Vhen the Lord departed froll1
the temple, all the buildings of the Law and the structure
of the Comlnandn1ents ,vere so overthrown, that none of the}n
could be fulfilled by the J e,,'s, but, the Head being taken
away, all the parts \vere at war alllong themselves. OIUGE
;
Every man also, \vho, by taking into hiIn the \vord of God,
is become a tenlple, if after sinning he yet retains in part
the traces of faith and religion, his temple is in part destroyed,
and in part standirig. But he who after sin has no regard
for hilnself is gradually alienated, until he has altogether
forsaken the living God, and so one slone is not Ze.lt upon
another of God"s con11nandn1ent
, \vhich he has not thrown
tlOU"ll.

3. And as he sat upon the ll10unt of Olives, the
disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us,
when shall these things be? and what shall be the
sign of thy con1ing, and of the end of the world?
4. A nd Jesus ans\vered and said unto them, 1'ake
heed that no man deceive you.
5. For many shall come in my nalne, saying, I am
Christ; and shall deceive many.

REMIG. The Lord continuing His walk arrives at l\Iount
Olivet, having by the \vay foretold the destruction of the
ten1ple to those disciples \\Tho had shewn and comlnended
the buildings. 'V'hen they had reached the l\Iount they
caIne to Hiln, asking Him further of this. CHRYS. They
asked Hin1 in private, because they were great things about
which they \vere going to ask Him. They wished to know the

"En. 3-5.

T. :\L\TTIIE'C

ðOl

day of IIis cOIning, for the vehelnent desire thc)" had to SC0
IIis glory. .JEno::\IE; They ask Tliu1 three things. First,
1'he tÏ1nc of the destruction of Jerusalelll,
aying, Tell liS
'll"hen s/iall !/lcse fhil1.'l
bel Secondly, 111C titHe of Christ's
cOll1Ïng, saying, ...1nd 'le/utl shall be the si.lJ JI C!.f Thy co/uill!l?
Thirdly, The tÏ1ne of the consumInation of this world, saying,
And oj' the end C!l the lCorld I CURYS. Lulie speaks of one
enquiry, that coneerning JerusaleIn, a
though the disciples
supposed t
Hl.t Christ's cOIning' should be then, aud the end
of the world should be when .J el1.1
aleln should be destroyed.
""'hereas )1 ark does not state then1 all to haye asked con-
cernillg the destruction of Jerusalem, but Peter, .Jan1es, John,
and Andrew', as having lllore bold and free speech ,,,ith Christ.
ORIGE
; I think l\Iount Oli'-et to be a Inystery of the Church
out of the Gentiles. REl\IIG. For l\Iount Oli,-et has no UTI-
fl1.Iitful trees, but oli,-es, which supply light to dispel darkness,
'which gÏ\Te rest to the Weal)
, health to the sick. And sitting
on )Iount OIÏ\-et o'-er against the tClnple, the Lord discourses
of its destruction, and the destruction of the Jewish nation,
that e\
en by His choice of a situation He Iuight shew', that
abiding still in the Church He condelnns the pride of the
,,,icked. ORIGE
; For the husbanchnan d\\-elling on )Iount
Oli ,ret is the word of God confinncd in the Church, that is,
Christ, who è'-cr grafts the branches of the wild oli'"e on the
good olive tree of the Fathers. They who ha,.e confidence
before Christ, seek to learn the sign of the coming of Christ,
and of the consullunation of this ,,"orId. Anel the cOll1Íng
of the ,yo ord into the soul is of t\vo sorts. The fir
t is that
f()olish preaching concerning Christ, when ""e preach that
Christ \\"as bon1 and crucified; the second its cOIning
in perfect Inen, concerning which it is said, lITe speak I Cor. 2,
'll"isdom a1JZong Ille111 t!tat {lre pe1
fect; and to this seconcl 6 .
cOIning is added the end of the ,yorld in the perfect
lua11 to WbOIl1 the ".orlel is crucified. I-IIL\RY; .And
b
cause the questions of the disciples are threefold, they
are separated by different times and lueal1ings. That con-
cerning the destruction of the city is first anS\\rercd, and is
then confinned by truth of doctrine, that no seducer Inight
pre,-ail ,,-ith the ignorant. CHRYS. I-lis first answer is neither
concenung the dest.ruction of .r erusalel11, nor concerning
YOLo I. 3 F

802

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

CHAP. xxn r .

Ilis second cOIning, but cOllcf\rning the e,ri1s wl1Ïch were.
to be inl1uediatcly encountered. J ERO)IE; ()nt> of then) of
WhOl11 lIe speaks was Sinlon of Salnaria, of \\
holn we read
in the Acts of the ....\postles, that he ga"e hÍ1nse1f out to be
the great Power, leaving these things \v..itten in his works B
an10ng others, I an1 the "r ord of God, I am the Ahnight.r,
I alll aU things of God. The Apostle John also in his
] John Epistle, Ye hare her-lI'd that Aniic/irist shall C017ze; even
2,18. now there are Jl1flny AnfichTists. I suppose all heresiarchs
to be .Antichrists, and under the name of Christ to teach
tho
e things which ar
contral"y to Christ. No wonder if
\\re see SOUle led away by such teachel's, ,,,hen the LOI'd has
said, And sf/all deceÙ.e 11111ny. ORIGEN; They that are
J\'Iat.7, deceÌ\-ed are n1allY, because ?i'ide is tlte gate that leadeth to
]3. destruction, ({nd '1nllny t/iere be u.hiclt go in thereat. This
one thing is enough to detect the Antichrists and seducers
that they shall say, I anl Ch,l'ist, "rhich Christ !-lilllself is
no where read to have said: for the works of God, and the
word ,vhich lIe taught, and IIis po\ver, were enough to pro-
duce bclief that He is Clllist. For every discoillse which
professes to expound Scripture faithfully, and ha
not the
trutl], is Antichrist. For the truth is Clllist, that which feigns
itself to be the truth is Antichrist. So also all ,rirtues are
Christ, all that feigns itself to be virtue is Antichrist; for
Christ has in Himself in truth all lnanner of good for the
edification of Inen, but the devil has forged reselnblances
of the same for the deceiving of the saints. 'Ve have need
therefore of God to help us, that none deceive us, neithel.
word nor pO\\Ter. It is a bad thing to find anyone eiTing
in his course of life; but I esteelTI it much \yorse not to
think according to the IlI0st true rule of Scripture.

6. And ye shall hear of ".ars and rUlllours of \vars :
see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must
come to pass, but the end is not yet.

a H The followers of Simon and Cleo- Const. The author of the Treatise
bius compo
e books in the name of De Divinis Nomin. also mentions" Si-
Christ and His disciples, which they mon's Controversial Discourses." Val-
circulate, and so deceive men." Apostol. larsi.

VEIL 6-8.

T. :\1.\ 1'1'I1E'''.

80:3

7. For nation shall rise against nation, and king-
donl against kingdoln: and. there shall be falllines,
and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8. All these are the beginning of sorro\vs.

ArG. To this enquiry of the disciples the Lord Inakes Aug.
ans\ver, declaring all things which \vere to COlne to pass froln ;/.199.
that tinle forwards, \vhether r
lating to the destruction of
JerusalcIn, which had gi\
en occasion to their enquiry; or
to IIis cOIning through the Church, in which l-Ie ceases
not to conle to the end of tÏ1ne; for He is acknowledged as
coming alnong IIi
own, while ne\v Inenlbers are daily born
to HiIn; or relating to thp end itself when He shall appear
to judge the quick and the dead. \Vhen then lIe describes
the
igns which shall attend these three e\yents, ,,-e nlust
careÍlùly consider which signs belong to wl1Ìch events, lest
perchance \ve refer to one that \\"hich belongs to another.
CHRYS. Here He speaks of the battles \"hich should be
fought at Jerusalem; when lIe says, Ye sllall !tear 1cars,
and J"llrnOllJ"S of wars. ORIGE"X; To hear tIle shouts raised
in the battles, is to Ileal" U'(l1"8; to hear rUlIlOlirS Qf
l"ars, is
to hear accounts of ,vars waged afar ofl: CHRYS. And because
this lnight alarm the disciples, He continues, S1ee fIla! ye be
'/lot troubled. And because they supposed that the end of
the world would foHow imlnediately after the \rar in which
Jerusalen1 should he destroyed, lIe corrects their suspi-
cions concerning this, Thcse thiugs 'Jill/sf conze 10 pass, but
the end is not yet. J ERO:ME; 1.'hat is, Think not that the
day of judgInent is at hand, but that it is reserved against
another tiu1e; the sign of which is plair..ly put in what follo,,"s,
For nation shall rise against nation, and kiJlgdoJ'n against
kingdol/l. RABA
.h Or, this is a warning to the Apostles not
to flee from Jerusalem and Judæa in terror of these things,
when they should begin to come upon thenl; because the
end \vas not inl1nediately, but the desolation of the pro\-ince,
and the destruction of the city and telnple shonld not con1e
till the fortieth year. And we ]inO\\
that nlost grie,.ous "yoes,

b From this to v. 36. the commentary t'dition. See Prer.
of Rahanus i
wanting" in the printed
3F

804

GOSPEL ACOORDING TO

CHAP. XXIV.

\vhich spread o\.er the \vhole pro\Tince, fell out to the very
letter. CHRiS. And to she\v that lIe also should fight
against the J e\vs, lIe tells thel11 not only of \vars, but of
calalnities inflicted by Providence, A lid iI/ere shall be pesti-
lences, andfanlÎnes, and ea'rlhqllakes in dicelOs places. RAHAN.
Nation shall rise against nation, shews the disquieturle of
men's minds; pestilences, the affliction of their bodies;
.{anlÏlles, the barrenness of the soil; earl/iqllal.:es ill dh'ers
places, wrath from heaven aboye. CHRYS. And these things
shall not happen according to the order of nature before
established alnong men, but shall come of \vrath froln hea \7en,
and therefore He said not that they should COine only, or
come suddenly, but adds significantly, These all are i lie
beginnings oftrollbles, that is, of the Je\vish troubles. ORIGE
;
Or otherwise; As the body sickens before the death of the
l11an, so it l11ust needs be that before the consulll1llation of
this \vorld the earth should be shaken, as though it were
palsied, ,vith frequent earthquakes, the air should gather a
deadly quality and becol11e pestilential, and that the vital
energy of the soil should fail, and its fruits \vither. .A nd by
consequence of this scarcity, l11en are stirred up to robbery
and \yar. But because war and strife arise sOInetiInes froln
covetousness, and sOlnetilues from desire of power and elnpty
glory, of these "9hich shan happen before the end of the
world a yet deeper cause shall be assignable. For as Christ's
cOIning brought through His divine power peace to div'ers
nations, so it shall be on the other hand, that l.rlieJl iniquity
sliall abound, tlie love o.l1nany sllall u'a.1: cold, and God
and IJis Christ shall desert thel11; ,val'S shall ùe again when
actions which beget ,val'S are not hindered by holiness; and
hostile powers when they are not restrained by the Saints
and by Christ shall ,vork unchecked in the hearts of l11en,
stirring up nation against nation, and kingdolll against king-
dOl11. But if, as SOllIe will have it, famine and pestilence
are frolll the Angels of Satan, these shaH then gather Iuight
froll1 opposite powers, \vhen the salt of the earth, and the
lights of the ,vorIel, Christ's disciples, shall be no longer,
I Kings destroying those things \vhich the lnalice of dæuIons hatches.
}

.li4. Ofttiu1es in Israel fanlines and pestilences were caused by
J 7 ames5, sin, and reu1ov{\d by the prayers of the Saints. "r en is that
] . 18.

VEna 9-14.

81'. 1.1.-\ T1'HE'Y.

805

said, In dit"ers places, for God will not destroy the \vhole
race of Iuen at once, but judging then1 in portions, lIe gi'
es
opportunity of repentance. But if SOlne stop be not put to
these e\-ils in their cOlnlnencelncnt, they will progress to
worse, as it follows, 77iese all are the beginnings of sorrou's,
that is, sorrows COnll110n to the whole world, and those which
are to COlne upon the \vicked who shall be tormented in n10st
sharp pains.
J E ROl\! E; Figuratively; l{ingdoIll rising against kingdoIll
and pe
tilence of that discourse which bpreadeth as a
plague-spot, and hunger of hearing the ,yord of Goel, and
COllul1otion throughout the earth, and separation fronl the
true faith, llllY be rather understood of the heretics, \yho
fighting aUlong thelnseh
es give the yictory to the Church.
ORIGEX; l'his nUlst COlne to pass before we can see the
perfection of that "Tisdolll \\"hich is in Chri:st; but not yet
shall be that end which we seek, for a peaceful end is far
froIH those nIcn. J EROl\IE; Tllese all are tlte beginnings
of SOlrOu.'S, is better understood of pains of labour, as it \vere
the conception of the conling of
\.ntichrist, and not of the
birth.

D. Then shaH they deliver you up to be afflicted,
and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations
for my name's sake.
10. And then shall lnany be offended, and shall
betray one another, and shall hate one another.
11. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall
deceive many.
12. And because iniquity shall abound, the love
of lTIé1ny shall ,vax cold.
13. But he that shaH endure unto the end., the
san1e shall be saved.
] 4. And this Gospel of the kingdolll shall be
preached in all the world for a ,vitness unto all
nations; and then shaH the end come.

RAll.-\.
. For what desert so Inany e,
ils are to be brought

2 Cor.
7,5.
2 Cor.
11, 26.
v. 13.

800

GO
PEL ACCORDI
O TO

CHAf'. xxn r .

upon Jernsaleul, and the whole Jewish province the Lord
she\vs, when He adds, Then shall they deliver ?JOll up,
'c.
CHRYS. Or other\vise; 'rhe disciples when they heard these
things "rhich were spoken of J erusaleln Illight suppose that
they should be beyond reach of hann, as though what they
no,v heard was the sufferings of others, while they themselves
should Illeet with nothing but prosperous tÏ1nes, He there-
fore announces the grievous things which should befal theIn,
putting them in ft
ar for themselves. First He had bid theln
be on their guan} against the arts of false teachers, He no\v
foretels to thenl the \-iolence of tyrants. In good season lIe
thus introduces their own \voes, as here they will receive
consolation fronl the COlnmon calamities; and He held out
to theln not this cOlllfort only, but also that of the cause
for \vhich they should suffer, shewing that it was for His
nalne's sake, And ye .
"all be hated
lllIl1J1eJl f01" 'Jny na1Jte's
sake. ORIGE1S"; But how should the people of Christ be
hated by the nations \vho dwelt in the uttermost parts of the
earth? But one Illay perhaps say, that in this place all is
put hyperbolically for 111any. But this that He says, Then
shall they delÙ;er YOll, presents SOlne difficulty; for before
these things the Christians were deli\rered to tribulation.
To this it lllay be ans\vered, that at that tÏlne the Christians
shall be lllore delivel"ed to tribulation than ever. And per-
sons in any nlÏsfortune love to examine into the origin of
theIn, and to ta.1k about them. Hence when the worship
of the Gods shall be ahnost deserted by reason of the Inulti-
tude of Christians, it will be said that that is the cause of the
,vars, and faulines, and pestilences; and of the earthqua]{es
also they will say that the Christians are the cause, \\?hence
the persecution of the Churches. CHRYS. Haying nalned
t\vo sources of opposition, that froln seducers, and that fronl
enemies, lIe adds a third, that froln false brethren; And
Illen shall uUlny be offended, and shall betray one another,
and sltallltale one another. See Paul he".ailing these same
things, rrTithout 'U'e,re jighliugs, u,itliill 'lce,,.e .fears; and
in another place; In perils ll}}ZOJ1g j'rtlse brethren, of wholn
he says, Such are .false ..Jpostles, deceitful lÐorkers. RE:MIG.
As the capture of J erusaleul approached, Inauy rose up,
calling thcn)selv('
CluistiallS, and decci\"cd 1nany; such

\TEn.9-1-1.

T. l\IATTHE\V.

807

Paul callsfalse bretltren, John Autich1'ists. IIILAny; Such
\vas Kicolaus, one of the seven deacons, who led astray
many by his pretences. And Simon l\Iagus who, armed
with diabolic \vorks and \vords, pen'erted many by false
u1Îracles. CHRYS. And He adds, \vhat is still more crnel,
that such false Prophets shaH ha\ye no alleviation in
chtuity; Becallse iniquity shall abound, the IO't'e of 'litany
s/tall lDa.'J; cold. RE:\IIG. That is, true love towards God
and our neighbour, in proportion as each surrend
rs hilnself
to iniquity, in that proportion \vill the flaine of charity in
his heart be extinguished. JEROME; Obsenre, lIe says,
tIle love 0/" lnany, not' of all,' for in the ..A..postles, and those
like theIn, love would continue, as Paul speaks, JJ7ho shall Rom. 8
separate us ji'onl tlte love 0./ Christ? RE:\lIG. TVhoso sltaU 35 .
.endure It/ltO tlte end, i. e. to the end of his life; for \vhoso
to the end of his life shall perse\Tere in the confession of the
nanle of Christ, and in love, he shall be saved. CHRYS.
Then that they shouln not say, Ho\v then shall nTe live aUlong
so Inany evils? He pron1Íses not only that they should li\-e,
but that they should teach every "'here. And tit is Gospel
of tlte kingdorn shall be preached in all the world. REMIG.
For the Lord kl1e\v that the hearts of the disciples \vollld
be Inade sad by the destruction of J erusalelll, and o\Terthrow
of their nation, and He therefore COlnforts thenl \vith a
proulÍse that lllore of the Gentiles should belie\.e than of
the Jews should perish. CHRYS. That before the taking of
J erusaleul the Gospel was preached every \"here, hear \vhat
Paul says, Their sOllnd i.
gone out into all lite eartli; anù Rom.
see hhuself tra'Telling from Jerusaleul into Spain. And if 10 ,18.
one had so large a province, think how luue1) all lllust ha\.e
done. 'Vhence \\Titing to certain, he says of the Gospel,
If bears .lru if, a lid illcrea.(jes in eL"eT.1J creat it re It uller hearen. Col.} ,6.
And this is the strongest proof of Christ's power, that in
thirty years or a little more, the word of the Go
pel filled
the ends of the ,vorld. Though the Gospel was preached
every ,vhere, yet all did not believe, ,,-hence He adds, For
It 1.L.itness unto all Ilai iOlls, in accusation, that is, of such
as belie\Te not, they who have belie\Ted bearing witness against
thCll1 that belic\'cd not, and condeluning then}. Aud in fit
season did .T erusalelll fall, nalllely, after the Gospel had been
preached throughout the \vodel; as it follows, A lid tlten

808

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

CH.\P. XXIV.

,\'hall lite conSlllnlJlatiOIl conle, i. e. the end of Jerusalelu.
For they \vho have seen Christ's po\ver shining forth c\"ery
where, and in bl"ief space spread O\Ter the whole ,,'orld, what
tnercy did they descrye ,,-hen thcy continucd still in ingrati-
tude? RE:\IlG. But the \vhole passage might be referred
to the end of the world. For then sltall 1Jlall.'J be offended,
and depart froln the faith, when they see the lllunhers and
,vca1th of the ,vicked, and the luiracles of Antichrist, and
thcy shan persecute thcir brethren; and Anticbrist shall
send.f(dse Prophets, 'iclto ,s.ltaU deceit'te 1naJl.'IJ; iniquity shall
abouud, because the nlunber of the \vicked shall be increased;
and lore shall 'lCa"l; cold, because the nUlllbel" of the good
shall di1ninish. J EHOl\IE; And the sign of the Lord's second
con1Ïng is, that I he Gospel ,f.;ltall be preached in all the
world, so that all may be ,vithout excuse. OHIGE
; And
that, Ye shall be llated l!.f alllJlen .for 1I1J llfUJlC'S sake, Iuight
be then applied thus; That indeed at this tims all nations
are conspired tog
th
r against the Christians, but that when
the things foretold by Christ shall havc come to pass, then
there shall be persecutions, not as before in places, but every
A ug. where against the people of God. ALG. But that this prcach-
;l.199, ing tlte Gospel qllhe kingdu1Jl ill all the !corld was aCCOlll-
plished by the Apostles, ,ve ha\Te not any ccrtain e\Tidence,
to pro\Tc. There are l1l11nber1ess barbarous nations in
\frica,
alnong \vholn the Gospel is not even yet preached, as it is easy
to learn from the prisoners ,vho are brought froln thence.
But it cannot be said that these have no part in the promise
of God. For God pron1Ïsed with an oath not tbe ROlnans
only, ùut all nations to the seed of Abraham. But in what-
e\"er nation there is yet no Church established, it must needs
be that there should be one, not that all the people should
belie\Te; for how then should that bs fulfilled, Ye shall be
/taled oj' all nations for }/lY ua171e's sake, unless there be in
all nations those \vho hate and th083 who ar0 hl,ted? That
preaching therefore \\"as not accol11plished by the Apostles,
while as yet there \vere nations aInong wholn it had 110t
b
gun to he fulfilled. The ,vords of the Apostle also, Their
S:JII nd hath gone out into all tile u;orld, though expressed
as of tiule past, are Ineallt to apply to so!npthing- future, not
Ps. 19, yet cOlnpleted; as the Prophet, whose \n,)fds he qnotc
,
4. said that the Gospel bore fruit aud grc\v in the wh01c ,,'orld,

VER. 9-1-1.

ST. 31ATTHE'Y.

809

to shew thereby to what extent its growth should COllle.
If then we kno\v not when it shall be that the whole \"or]d
shall be filled \"jth the GOf'pel, undoubtedly ,ve know not
,,'hen the end shall be; but it shall not be before such tÏ1ne.
ORIG EX; "Vhen every nation shall ha\
e heard the preaching
of the Gospe], then shall come the end of the ,,'orId. For
at this tÏ1ne there are Inany nations, not of barbarians on]y,
but of our own, ,,,ho have not yet heard the word of Chris-
tianity. GLOSS. C But it is possible to tnaintain both appli- Gloss.
. . f . 11 k I . l ' fl " f non oec.
catIons of the passage, I on1y we WI ta
e t lIS (I USlon 0
Gospel preaching in a double sense. If ".e understand it
of fruit produced by the preaching, and the f
undation in
eyery nation of a Church of bclieyers in Christ, as Augustine
(in the passage above quoted) expounds it, then it is a sign
which ought to precede the end of the ,vorId, and ,vhich did
110t precede the destruction of J erusaleul. But if we under-
stand it of the faIlle of their preaching, then it was accolllplished
before the destruction of J erusaleln, when Christ's disciples
had been dispersed o\.er the four quarters of the earth. "Thence
J erOlne says, I do not suppose that there renlained any nation Hieron.
,vhich kne\y not the name of Christ.; for where preacher had in loco
never been, SOlne notion of the faith 111ust haTe been C01l1mu-
nicated by neighbouring nations.
ORIGE
; ::\Iora11y; He ,vho shall see that glorious
second cOIning of the word of God into his soul, must needs
suffer in propoliion to the Ineasure of his proficiency assaults
of oppo
ing influences, and Christ in hÍ1n Inust be hated by
a11, not only by the nations literally understood, but by the
nations of spiritual yices. And in such enquiries there ,,-ill
be few who shall reach the truth with any fulness, the more
part shall be offended and fall therefroIn, betraying and
accusing one another because of their disagreclnent l'especting
doctrines, which shall give rise to a lllutual hatred. Also
there shall be many setting forth unsound ,,'ords concerning
things to COIl1e, and interpreting the Prophets in a manner
in \vhich they ought not; these arc the false Prophets who
slulll deceiye Inany, and who shall cause to wax cold that
fen-our of 10,-e \vhich was before in the sinlplicity of the
e This Glos
appears to be a note of this to the taking of Jerusalem. cf. lren
S. Thomas, in confirmation of the Hæres. i. 2 and 3.
yiew of S. Chrysostom, which refers

810

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

CHAP. JL'XIV.

faith. But he who can abide firmly in the Apostolic tradition,
he shall be saved; and the Gospel being preached to the
lllinds of all shall be for a testÍ1nony to all nations, that is,
to all the unbelieving thoughts of the soul.

15. When ye therefore shall see the abomination
of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand
in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
16. Then let them \vhich be in Judæa flee into the
mountains:
17. Let him which is on the housetop not come
do\vn to take any thing out of his house.
18. Neither let him which is in the field return
back to take his clothes.
] 9. And woe unto them that are with child, and
t
thelTI that give suck in those days!
20. But pray ye that your flight be not in the
winter, neither on the sabbath day:
21. For then shall be great tribulation, such as
was not since the beginning of the \vorld to this time,
no, nor ever shall be.
22. ...t\.nd except those days should be shortened,
there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake
those days shall be shortened.

CHRYS. As above He had obscurely intimated the end of
Jerusalem; He now proceeds to a lllore plain announcement
of it, citing a prophecy which shomel lllake theln believe it.
J EROl\IE; That, Let llÙn that 'readetlt uuderstand, is said to
call us to the lllystic understanding of the place. ""'hat we
Dan. 9, read in Daniel is this; And in tile 'Jnidst qf the 'iveek tlie
ris

. sacrifice and the oblation shall be taken alElll/, and in the
tel1zple shall be the abonlÏlIation of desolations uniil tIle COll-
SlUn1Jlation fit the tÙne, {(nd COlls111Junali'Oll shall be .qirelt
Aug. upon tlte desolate. AUG. Luke, in order to shew that the

.199. abomination of desolation foretold by Daniel had reference
to the time of the siege of J erusalen), repeats these words

VElte 15-t2.

ST. ;'\1:\ TTHE\,".

811

of our Lord, Tf 7 1tell ye slulll see Je1'1l8ltlell
ellcornpassed by Luke21,
ar1nies, tlte/
lazow ye that its desolation drawelll nigh,. 20.
PSEUDO-CHRYS. 'Vhence I think that by tlte abomination of
desolation, He means the army by which the city of the holy
J erllsalem \vas desolated. J ERO:\IE; Or it may be understood
of the statue of Cresar, which Pilate set up in the telnple;
or of the equestrian statue of Adrian, which stood to the
present tÏ1ne in the very Holy of Holies. For, according to
the Olel Scripture, au idol is called' abomination ;' of desola-
tion is added, because the idol was set up in the desolated
and deserted telnple. CHRYS. Or because he who desolated
the city and the tenlple placed his statue there. He says,
rVltelt ye sltalt see, because these things were to happen
while SOln3 of them \vere yet alive. 'Vherein adlnire Christ's
po\ver, and the courage of the disciples, who preached through
those times in which all things Je\vish were the object of
attack. The A.postles, being Jews, introduced new laws in
opposition to the ROlnall authority. The ROlllans conquered
countless thousands of Je\vs, but could not overcome twelve
unarmed unprotected luen. But because it had often hap- Chrys.
pened to the Jews to be recovered in very desperate circlun-

i..
stances, as in the tÏ1nes of Sennacherib and Antiochus, that
no luan 111ight look for any such event no\v, lIe gaye COlll-
mand to His disciples to fly, saying, Theil let tltelJt lcltic/t
are in Judæa .flee to tlte 7/l011/ltai/ls. RE:\I1G. And this
we know was so done when the fall of Jerusalem drew near;
for on the approach of the Roman anny, all the Christians
in the province, nyarned, as ecclesiastical history tells us, Euseb.
Iniraculously :trom heaven, withdrew', and P assing the J ordal1,
1 ...
.
1 1. u.
took refuge in the city of Pella; and under the protection of
that King ...\.grippa, of whonl we read in the Acts of the
Apostles, they continued SOlne time; but Agrippa himself,
\vith the Jews \VhOlll he goyerned, was subjected to the
dOlninion of the ROlllans. CHRYS. Then to
he\v how inevi-
table the evils that should come upon the Jews, and how
infinite their ca]an1Ïty, He adds, ..Iud let ltÙn 'it.lticlt is on
/ lie holtsetop, 1101 conze dOlcn to take allY I h iug out of Ids
hOllse, for it "'as better to be saved, and to lose his clothes,
than to put on a garnlent and perish; and of him who is
in the field lIe says the saIne. For if those \vho are in the

812

OOSPEL ACCORDI
G TO

CHAP. XXIV.

city fly from it, little need is there for those who are abroad
to return to the city. nut it is easy to despise lnoney, and
110t hard to provide other railnent; but how can one avoid
natural circul11stances? How can a \VOlnan w"ith child be
made acti\re for flight, or how can she that gives suck desert
the child she has brought forth? JVoe, therefore, to tltellz tllat
are llJitlt cllild, and to tllent that gi'l'e slick in lliose days i
to the one, because they are encun1 bered, and cannot easily
fly, bearing about the burden of the \volub; to the other,
because they are held by cOlnpassion for their children, and
cannot save with then} those Wh01l1 they are suckling. OnIGE
;
Or because that will not be a tillle of shewing pity, neither
upon thelll who arc \vith child, nor upon theln \vho are
suckling, nor upon th2ir infants. .A.nd as speaking to Jews
who thought they luight tn1\.el no 1110re npon the sabbath
than a sabbath-clay's journey, He adds, But pray ye that
YOU1" .flight be not in the u'illter, neither on the sabbath.
J ERO:
IE ; Because in the one the severity of the cold pre-
vents your flight to the deserts, and your lurking in nloun-
tains and \vilds; in the other, you Hlust either transgress the
Law, if you \\?ill fly, or encounter instant death if you ,,,ill
stay. CHRYS. Note ho\y this speech is directed against
the Jews; for ,,"hen these things "'ere done by V espasian,
the Apo
tles could neither observe the Sabbath nor fly,
seeing l110st of thelll were already dead, and those who
sur\"ived \vere living in distant countries. ..A.nd ,vhy they
should pray for this lIe adds a reason, For I !ten shall be
grea)t tribulation, such a.
'lcas not since the beginning qf
Aug. tile lrorld to Illis tiuze, no, nor shall be. AUG. In Luke it
Ep.199. . h d rn b d . h d
30. IS t us rea , .L
tere sltall e great u;t'ress upon the eart, an

3
ke21, wratll upon tltis peo}Jle, ltnd tlley sllall afall by tile edge qf
tlte su;ord, and sltall be led au'a.l} caplire into all 'nalions.
B. J.vii. And so Josephus, who "Tote the Jewish History, r
lates evils
so great happening to this people as to seenl hardly crediLle.
'Vhence it ,vas not unreasonably said, that such tribulation
had ne\"cr been fi'Olll the beginning of creation, nor
hould
be; for though in the time of Antichrist shall be such, or
perhaps greater; yet to the Je\\.s, of ".hOl11 ,ve 111ust under-
stand thi
, such shall ne\-er lTIOre bcfa!. For if they shall be
the first and the chiC'f to rccei\"e .Antichrist, they will then

VETI. 15-22.

ST. )T _\. TTHE" .

81:3

rather inflict than suffer tribulation. CHRYS. I ask the .J en"s,
whence came upon thelTI so grieyons wrath froln hea\"en more
"
oful than all that had conle upon then] before? Plainly it was
because of the desperate crilue 1 and the denial of the Cross. l'TtJ}../-Ln-
But He she\ys that they desen"ed still heayier punishlnent than f'ø.
they recei\"ed, when lIe acIùs, .dud e
t"cept i},ose days should be
sllorlened, there should no flesh be sa
'ed; that is, If the siege
hy the ROlnans should be continued longer, all the J C\\"8
w"Quld perish; for by all flesll, He nlcans aU the Jcwish
l1atioll, those within and tho,,
without; for the Ronlans
were at ,var not only \vith those in J uclæa, but with the
,vhole race where\rer dispersed. AUG. Indeed sOlne persons
seelll to lue 110t unfitly to understand by these days the evils
thenlselves, as in other places of divine Scripture evil days
are spoken of; 110t that the days themselves are evil, but the
things that are done on theln. A.nd they are said to be
shortened, because they are less felt, God gi\Ting us endur-
ance; so that even though grievous, they are felt as short.
CHRYS. But that the J e\\.s should not say that these e\"ils
callle because of the preaching and the disciples of Christ,
He shews theln that had it not been for His disciples, they
\yonId have totally perished, but .lor tllp elect's sake t!lose
days shall be shortened. .AUG. For we ought not to doubt
that when J erusaleln was o\.erthro\\rn, there were alnong that
people elect of God who had believed out of the circl11ll-
cision, or \vould ha\.e belicyed, elect before the foundation
of the world, for whose sake those days should be shortened,
and their e\'ils Blade endurable. SOlne there are who sup-
pose that the days will be shortened by a more rapid n10tion
of the sun, as the day was luade longer on the prayer of Jesus
K aue. J ERO:
IE ; Not rel11elnbering that \"hich is \vritten.
Tile day continue8 according to tlly ordiJlfl /lees. "\Ve lnust Ps. 119,
understand it of their being shortened not in Ineasnre, but in 9l.
nlunber, lest the faith of be]ie\"ers should be shaken by
lengihened affliction.
\.UG. For let us not suppose that the Aug.
cOluputation of Daniel's \veeks \vas interfered with by this ubi sup.
shortening of those days, or that they were not already at
that tillle cOlllplete, but had to be completed afterwards in
the end of all things, for Luke 1110st plainly testifies that the
prophecy of Dëu1Ìcl ,vas accolnplished at the thuc when

814

GOSPEL ACCOHDING TO

CHA!'. XXIV.

J erusaleln was overthrown. CHRYS. Observe this eCOn0111Y
of the Holy Spirit in this, that John wrote nothing of all this,
that he Inight not seem to be \vriting a history after the event;
for he survived sOluetill1e the taking of J erusaleln. But these
,vho died before it, and saw nothing of it, these write it, that
the power of prophecy 111ay shine lllanifestly forth. IIILARY;
Or otherwise; It is a sign of His future corning that the Lord
gives, when He says, WIlen ye shall see tile abonÛuatioll.
For the Prophet spoke this of the tilnes of Antichl'ist; and
he calls abolninatioll that which cOIning against God claÍIns
to itself the honour of God. It is tlte abOnllllaLioll o.l deso-
lation, because it will desolate the earth \yith ,vars and
slaughter; and it is adluitted by the Jews, and set up in
the holy place, that \\
here God had been invokecl by the
prayers of the saints, into that saIne place achuitted by the
unbelievers it lllight be adored with the \\
orship of God.
And because this error \viII be peculiar to the Jews, that
having rejected the truth they should adopt a lie, lIe warns
thelll to leave J udæa, and flee to the lllountains, that no
pollution or infection Inight be gathered by adlnixture with
a people who should believe on .Antichrist. That lIe says,
Let liiul, u)lticlt is on the housetop '/tot couze down to take
ang thillg OMi of Ids house, is thus understood. The roof
is the highest part of the house, the sUl1unit and perfection
of the \vhole building. He then who stands on the top of
his house, i. e. in the perfection of his heart, aloft in the
regeneration of a new spirit, ought not to COlne down to the
lower desire of things of the "rorld. Neither let ltÙn 'If)lticlt
is in tlte field 'return back to lake ltis coat; i. e. He that
has attained to obedience to the conll11and, let hill1 not return
back to his fonner cares, to take on hin1 again the coat of
Aug. his former sins in which he once \vas clothed. AUG. For
ubi sup.. . b I . b f . d fi h
In tn u atlollS \ve IllUSt e\'
are 0 comIng o\vn '0111 t e
spiritual heights, and yielding ourselves to the carnal life;
or of failing and looking behind us, after having n1ade some
progress forwards. HILARY; That which is said, JJ 7 0e unto
tlte'/1l tltat a're 'lvitlt cllild, and to tlielll that give. suck, is not
to be taken literally as an admonition to ,vornen pregnant,
but as a description of souls burdened with the ,,'eight of sin,
that neither in the house, nor in the field, Inay escape the

\-ER. 15-22.

ST. 1\I.ATTHE'V.

15

stonn of the wrath that is in store for thenl. ".,. oe also to
those that are being suckled; the \veak souls, that is, who
al.e being brought to the kno\vledge of God as by milk, to
whonl it shaH be "'OC, because they are too laden to fly, and
too inexperienced to resist Antichrist, having neither escaped
sin, nor partaken of the food of true bread. PSEC"DO-.A.J:G. Or, Aug.
Tiley '!tat are 'll"itlt child, are they \vho covet what belongs to
;;75.
others; tlleylhat gÜ.e slick, are they who have already forcibly 2.
taken that which they coveted; to theln shaH be leoe in the
day of judgn1ent. Pray ye tltat your fligld be 110t in tile
u'inter, or Oil tlte sabbatlt day; that is,
'\TG. 1'hat no one Aug.
be found in that day in either joy or sorrow for telnporal

.
things. HILARY; Or; That \ve be not taken in the frost 37.
of sin::;, or in discontinuance of good works, because of the
soreness of the affliction; notwithstanding that for the sake
of God's elect, those days shall be shortened, that the abridg-
Inent of the tilue Inay disann the force of the calalnities.
ORIGEX; l\lystically; In the holy place of the Scriptures,
both Old and X en- Testaulent, Antichrist, that is, false \-yord,
has often stood; let those who see this flee from the Judæa
of the letter to tIle high mountains of truth. And \vhoso
has been found to have gone up to the house-top of the word,
and to be standing upon its suuunit, let hin1 not come do\vl1
thence as though he would fetch any thing out of his house.
And if he be in the field in \vhich the treasure is hid, and
retU111 thence to his house, he will run into the telnptation of
a false ,\rord; but especially if he ha\re stripped off his old
gannent, that is, the old luau, and should have returned again
to take it up. TIlen the soul, as it \vere \vith child by the
nrord, not having yet brought forth, is liable to a woe; for it
casts that "rhich it had conceh.cd, and loses that hope which
is in the acts of truth; and the Së:une also if the word has
been brought forth perfect aud entire, but not having yet
attained sufficient growth. Let them that flee to the
11l0untail1s pray that their flight be not in the \\'inter or on
the sabbath-day, because in the serenity of a settled spirit
they may l'each the \vay of salvation, but if the winter over-
take them they fall aU10ngst those "rhom they would fly
from. And there be son1e \v ho rest from evil works, but do
not good \vorks; be your flight then not on such sabbath

816

GOSI'EL ACCORDING TO

CHAP. XXIV.

1 Tim.
6, 20.

when a Ulan rests from good works, for no man is easily
overcome in times of peril from false doctrines, except he is
unprovided ""ith good works. But ""hat sorer affliction is
there than to see our brethren deceived, and to feel one's self
shaken and terrified? Those days' mean the precepts and
dogmas of truth; and all interpretations coming of science
falsely so called are so lllany additions to those days, which
God shortens by those Wh01l1 lIe \yills.

23. Then if any 111an shall say unto you, Lo, here
is Christ, or there; believe it not.
24. For there shall arise false Christs, and false
prophets, and shall she,v great signs and ,vonders;
insomuch that, if it \vere possible, they shall deceive
the very elect.
25. Behold, I have told you before.
26. 'Vherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold,
he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the
secret chambers; believe it not.
27. For as the lightning cometh out of the east,
and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the
c0111ing of the Son of 111an be.
28. For wheresoever the carcase is, there ,viII the
eagles be gathered together.

CHRYS. \Vhen the Lord had finished all that related to
Jerusaleln, He caIne in the rest to IIis o"vn c01l1ing, and
gives then1 signs thereof, useful not for then1 only, but for us
and for all "yho shall be after us. As above, the Evangelist
Mat. 3, said, In those days came Joluz tlte Bap/ist, not implying iU1-
I. mediately after what had gone before, but thirty years after;
so here, when He says Then, lIe passes over the \\?hole
interval of time between the taking of J erusaleu1 and the
beginnings of the conSlUlllnation of the ,,"orId. Alnong the
signs "vhich lIe gives of His second con1ing lIe certifies
theu1 concerning the place, and the deceivers. For it shall
not be then as at IIis fOrIner coming, ,vhen lIe appeared ill
Bethlehem, in a corner of the world, nnknown of any; hut

v En. 28-28.

1'. :\IA TTHE"
.

8]7

TIe shall COl}}(\ opcnly so as not to need any to announce His
approach, \\'herefore, 1.( allY 7llflJl sluJIl say unto you, Lo, here
'is CkrÙd, or t"ere, beliere 110t. JERO
IE; "Therein He shews
that I-lis second cOll1ing shall be not in lowliness as His first,
but in glory; alld therefore it is folly to seek in places little
and obscure for IIiul ,,'ho is the Light of the \,,"hole world. John 8,
HILARY;
otwithstanding, hy reason of the great trihulation in 12.
,,'hich Inen shall be cast, false prophets promising to she\v aid
present frolll Christ, ,,-ill Üllsely affinn that Christ is j)resent
in di'-ers places, that they n1ar dra\\r into thc service of
Antichrist Inen discouraged and distracted. CHRYS. He
speaks here of Antichrist, and of certain his lllinisters,
,,,hon1 He calls false Christs and false prophets, such as ,vere
111any in the tÏ1ne of the
\postles; but before Christ's second cf.
con1Ìng there shan COll)
others lnore hitter than the former, .And
:

es.
they sllall s/tew .great s(qlls and 1.rouders. ACG. Here the Aug.
Lord forewarns us that even wicked 111en shall do sonle Lib. 83
1 . I I . I 1 Quæst.
Iniracles W HC 1 t le saInts cannot (0, yet are t ley not there- q. 79.
fore to be thought to have a higher place in the sight of
God. For the Egyptian 1l1agi "
ere not n10re acceptab1e
to God than the people of Israel, because they could do
,vhat the Israelites could not;
'et did
Ioses, by the power
of God, ,,-ork greater things. 1'his gift is not bestowed on
all the saints, lest the weak should be led astray by a most
destructive en"or, supposing such powers to he higher gifts
than those works of righteousness by ,,-hich eternal life is
secured. A.nd though magi do the saine 111iracles that the
saints do, yet are they done with a different end, and through
a different authority; for the one do thelll seeking the glory
of God, the others seeking their own glory; thesf' do thelu
by SOllle special C0111pact or pri\-ilegp 1 granted tt) the Po,v
rs, I al. ye-
,vithin their sphere, those by the public dispensation and neficia.
the cOlllllland of I-lill1 to wholn all creation is subject f. For
it is one thing for the owner of a horse to he c01l1pelled to
gi\ye it up to a soldier, another for hilll to hand it o\-er to
a purchaser, or to give or lend it to a fiieud; and as those
e,
il soldiers, who are condenlned by th
ilnperial discipline,
employ the imperial ensigns to telTify the owners of any
property, and to extort fron) then) \vhat is not required hy
f See above on chap. vii. 22.
:3G

VOL. I.

81

GOSPEL ACCORDJ NG Tu

CHAP. XXIV.

the public service; so SOUIC evil Christians, by nleallS of the
nalne of Christ, or by words or sacraments Christian,
compel sOlnewhat from the Powers; yet these, ,vhen thus
at the bidding of evil n1en, they depart fronl their purpose,
they depart in order to deceive men in "'hose wandelings
they rejoice. It is one \vay then in which Inagi, another
in \vhich good Christians, another in "rhich bad Christians,
work miracles; the lnagi by a private COll1pact, good Chris...
tians by the public righteousness, evil Christians by the
Ino no cc. signs of public righteousness. I And we ought not to \vonder
at this when we believe 110t unreasonably that all that "
e
see happen is "Tought by the agency of the inferior powers
Aug. de of this air. AUG. Yet are we not therefore to think that
irin.iii. this visible Iuaterial \,Todd attends the nod of the disobedient
angels, but rather the po\ver is given theln of God. Nor
are ,ve to suppose that such evil angels have creative po\ver,
but by their spirituality they know the seeds of things which
are hidden frOln us, and these they secretly scatter by suitable
adaptations of the elements, and so they give occasion both
to the ",yhole being, and the more rapid increase of sub-
stances. For so there are Inany men who know what sort
of creatures use to be generated out of certain herbs, meats,
juices and humours, bruised and mingled together in a certain
fashion; save only that it is harder for men to do these
things, inasmuch as they lack that subtlety of sense, and
penetrativeness of body in their linlbs dull and of earthly
Greg. mould. GUEG. \Vhen then Antichrist shaH have wrought
:f
r.xv. \vonderful prodigies before the eyes of the carnal, he shall
draw men after him, all such as delight in present goods,
sun'endering themseh
es irrevocably to his s\vay, 111so1nuel"
i hat if it were po.r;síble tlie 'very t'leet should be led astray.
ORIG. That, I.l it u'el'e possible, is spoken hyperbolically;
not that the elect can be led astray, but He \vishes to she\v
that the discourse of heretics is often so persuasive, as to
2 al. au- have force to prevail even with those ,,-ho act t wisely. GREG.

:;: Or, because the heart of the elect is assailed ,vith fearful
MOT:.. thoughts, yet their faithfulness is not shaken, the Lord com-
XXXlll. h d b } 1 h r'
36. pre en S ot 1 Ul1( er t e saIne sentence, lor to waver III
thought is to err. He adds, I}. it were possible, because
it is not pOf.;sibl
t.hat the elect shonld be taken in error

VER. 23-2'3.

ST. l\IATTHE'V.

819

RABA....
. lie says not this because it is possible for the divine
election to be defeated, but because they, ,,,ho to men's
judgnlent seelned eleet, shall be led into error. GREG. Greg.
And as darts, when foreseen, are less likely to hit, He adds, i
o.;
.
Lo, I bare told you. Our Lord announces the \voes \vhich xxxv. i.
are to precede the destruction of the world, t11at when they
COlne they lnay alarm the less from ha\'ing been foreknown.
HILARY; The false prophets, of wholn He had spoken
abo\Te, shall say of Christ one while, La, He is ill tile
desert, in order that they may cause Inen to wander
astray; another \vhile, Lo, He is in tlte secret chalnbe1"s,
that they may enthral Inen under the don1Ïnion of Anti-
christ. But the Lord declares IIÎ1nself to be neither
lurking in a reu10te corner, nor shut up to be visited
ingly,
but that He shall be exhibited to the \Tie\\" of an, and in
every place,
ls tIle liglttning c01Jzetlt out o.l tlte east, and
sltinetli el"en unto the 'West, su l;l1all tIle cOIning qf II Ie SOli
of

Ian be
CHRYS. As lIe had above described in what
guise Antichrist should come, so here He describes ho\v He
HÍ1nself shall come. For as the lightning neededl none to
herald or announce it, but is in an instant of time visible
throughout the \\Thole world, even tú those that are sitting in
their chaulbers, so the cOIning of Christ shall be seen every
where at once, because of the brightness of His glory.
Another sign He adds of His cODling, Tf7,eresoel'er tlte body
is, thither 'It"ill tI,e eagle.9 be gathered togetller. The eagles
denote the company of the Angels,
lartyrs, ånd Saints.
JEROl\fE; By an instance froln nature, which we daily see,
,ve are instructed in a sacrament of Christ. Eagles and
vultures are said to scent dead bodies e\Ten beyond sea,
and to flock to feed upon the1u. If then birds, not
having the gift of reason, by instinct alone find out ,,"here
lays a dead body, separated by so great space of country,
ho\v luuch luore ought the whole Iuultitude of believers to
hasten to Christ, ,,,hose lightning goeth forth out of the east,
and shines even to the ,vest? 'Ve may understand by
tbe carcase here, or corpse \ \vhich in the Latin is lnore t fI'<r;fl-1t.
expressÏ\'ely , cadaver,' aD allugion to the passion of Christ's
death. HILARY; 'I'hat "'e might not be igI)orant of the
place in which He should CODle, He adds this, Jf/here.
oel'PI.
3G2

82u

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

CHAP. XXIV.

the carcase,
c. ] Ie calls the
ajnts enrJles, fì'om the
spiritual flight of their bodies, and she"
s that their gathering
shall be to the place of His passion, the Angels guiding
them thither; and rightly should we look for His coming
in glory there, ,,
here He wrought for us eternal glory by
the suffering of His bodily humiliation. ORIGE
; .A.nd
observe, He says not vultures or cro\\s, but eagles, she\ving
the lordliness and royalty of an \vho haye believed in the
Ps.I03, Lord's passion. J EROl\IE; They are called eagles whose

i
S.4O, youth is renewed as the eagle's, and ,vho take to thelnselves
Gr
g. wings that they may come to Christ's passion. GREG.

;
i. 'Ve may understand this, TVlzeresoel'pJ" tlte carca.se is, as
õ3. meaning, I who incarnate sit on the throne of heaven, as
soon as I shall have loosed the souls of the elect ii'om the
flesh, ,viII exalt thel11 to heavenly places. J EROðIE; Or
other\vise; This may be understood of the false prophets.
At the time of the Jewish captivity, there were many leaders
Joseph. \vho declared thell1selves to be Christs, so that while the
B.J.v.l. Romans were actually besieging them, there \vere three
factions within. But it is better taken as we expounded it
abo\
e, of the end of the world. Thirdly, it Inay be under-
stood of the war-fare of the heretics against the Church, and
of those Antichrists, who under pretext of false science, fight
against Christ. ORIGEN; The genus of .A.ntichrist is one,
the species many, just as all lies are of one sort. As all
the holy Prophets were Prophets of the true Christ, su
understand that each false Christ shall have his own fàlse
Prophets, \vho shall preach as true the false teachings of
some Antichrist. When then one shall say, Lo, here is
Cfh'J"ist, 0'1. 10, there, we need not look abroad out of the
Scriptures, for out of the Law, the Prophets, and the Apostles,
they bring the things \vhich SeCll1 to favour their lie. Or
by this, Lo, here is Christ, or 10, there, they she\v that it was
not Christ, but some impostor under the san1e title, such
for example as l\larcion, or ,r alentinus, or Basilides taught.
J EROl\IE; If then anyone assert to you that Christ tarries
in the desert of the Gentiles, or in the teaching of the
Philosophers, or in tlte seC'1'et clza1nbers of the heretics, who
promise the hidden things of God, believe Hiln not, but
-helie.ve that the Catholic Faith shines frolD east to u'est in

'.Ell. 23-28.

ST. :\IATTHE\\.

821

the Churches. AUG. I3y the efU;! and 'U'esl, He signifies Aug.
. Quæst.
the whole world, throughout whIch the Church should be. Ev.i.38.
In the saine 'yay as lIe said below, Here{
rler shall ye see }lat.26,
the Son f!l JIfUl contlJlg in tlte ClOlld.
qf Ilearen, so llO\Y 64.
He likens His corning to lightning, ,,-hieh uses to flash out
of thp clouds. 'Vhen then the authority of the Chill'ch is
set up clear and lnanifest throughout the ,vhole world, lIe
suitably warns IIis disciples that they should not believe
schisn1atics and heretics. Each schisllI and heresy holds
its own place, either occupying sOlne important position in
the earth, or ensnaring luen's curiosity in obscure and re-
Inote conyenticles. Lo, here is (fltrist, 01" lo, tlle're, refers
to SOlne district or province of the ealih; tile secret clla17zbers,
or the desert, signify the obscure and lurking conventicles
of heretics. JER01IE; Or by this, in tlte desert, or in tI,e
secret cha171bprs, He lueans that in tÏ1nes of persecution and
distress, the false Prophets always find place for deceiving.
ORIGEX; Or, when they allege secret and before unpublished
Scriptures, in proof of their lie, they seem to say, Lo, the
,,"ord of truth is in the desert. But when they produce ca-
nonical Scripture in which all Christians agree, they seem
to say, Lo, the word of truth is in the chalnbers. Or ,vishing
to point out such discourses as are altogether without Scrip-
ture, He said, 1..( they shall say to you, Lo, he is in the secret
Cllll1/lbe-1"s, beliere it not. Truth is like the lightning that
c0'171eth out of tIle east, and sllÍneth even 'Unto the u'est.
Or this Inay n]ean, that truth can be supported out of e\Tery
passage of Scripture. The lightning of truth COines out of
tIle east, that is, froin the first beginnings of Christ, and shines
throughout cyen to Ilis passion, ,vhich is His setting; or
fron1 the very beginning of creation, to the last Scripture of
the _-\.postles. Or, the e(ud is the La,,", the 'west is the end
of the Law, and of John's. prophecy. The Church alone
neither takes away word or nleaning fronl this lightning, nor
adds aught to its prophecy. Or He means that we should
give no heed to those who say, Lo, liel"e is Cltri,r;t, but she\v
Hiin not in the Church, in which alone is the conÜng 01
the Son of
Ian, who said, Lo, I aln u'illt you: alu'ays,
lat.28J
el.en tv the end qf the lL'orld. J ERO
IE; "T e are in\Tited 20.
to flock to Christ's pas!"ion ,vheresocvcr in Scripture it is

Gloss.
non oec.

822

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

CHAP. XXIV.

read of, that through it \ve Inay be able to COlne to God's
\V ord.

29. 111lmediately after the tribulation of those
days shaH the sun be darkened, and the 1110011 shall
not give her light, and the stars shall faU frolD heaven,
and the powers of the heavens shaH be shaken:
30. And then shall appear the sign of the Son
of 111an in heaven: and then shan aU the tribes of
the earth 1110Urn.

(;LO

. A.s S0011 a
the Lord has fortified the believers
against the arts of Antichrist and his ministers, by she\ving
that His c011ling \vould be public, He proceeds to shew the
order and method of IIis cOllling. CHRYS. By the trihu-
laNon, lIe means the tÌ1nes of Antichrist and the false
Prophets; for ,yhen there are so many deceh"ers, the tribu-
lation will be great. But it shall not extend through any
great length of time. For if for the elect's sake the Jewish
"Yal' is shortened, lllnch Illore shall this tribulation be shortened
for their sakes; for \vhich reason He said not Aftel", but
Im1nediafel.ll qfler, for He shall come iU11nediately after.
IIILARY; The darkening of the sun, the failing of the moon,
and the fan of the stars, indicate the glories of flis COIning.
ORIGEN; One ,,,'ill say, ...\s at the breaking out of great con-
flagrations, great darkness is at the first caused by the smoke,
so ,vhen the world shall be consumed by fire, which shall
be kindled, e\"en the great luminaries shall be darkened;
and when the light of the stars is decayed, the rest of their
substance, incapable of exaltation, shall fall froln heaven into
\vhat it ,vas, \vhen it was first raised aloft by tl1f
light.
'Vhen this shall haye taken place, it fol1o\vs that the rational
hea,pel1l)Y powers shall suffer disn1ay and derangelnent, and
shall be suspended from their functions. And illell shall
appear tlte sigll of the SOli oj
;}lau in heaven, that sign by
whicl1 the hea\"cnly things "-ere lllade, that is, the power
whie h the Son wrought ","hen lIe hung upon the cross.
And the sign shall appear in hea \-en, that IneH of all tribes

VER. 29, 30.

T. )IATTHE\V.

823

who before had not believed Christianity \\'hen preached,
then by that sign, acl{no\\.ledging it as lnade plain, shall
grieve and n10urn for their ignorance and sins. Others will
think otherwise, that as the light of a lamp dies a\vay by
degrees, so ,vhen the supply of the heavenly lun1Ïnaries shall
fail, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon and the light
of the stars shall grow din), and that which in their com-
position is earthy shall fall from heaven. But how can
it be said of the sun that its light shall be darkened, when
Esaias the Prophet declares, that in the end of the world, Is. 30,
there shall be light proceeding forth from the sun? .And 26.
of the 11100n he declares that it shall be as the sun. But
concerning the stars, there are some that endeavour to con-
vince us that all, or many of theIn, are larger than the whole
earth. 1-10". then shall they fall from heaven, when this
earth would not be large enough to contain theln ? J EROl\IE;
These things, therefore, shall not come to pass by any dimi-
nution of light, for in another place \ve read that the light
of the sun shan be sevenfold; but by comparison with real
1ight, all things shall seem dim. RABAX. But nothing
hinders our supposing that the sun and n100n with the
other stars shall for a tiIne lose their light, as \ve know did
the SUll at the tilne of the Lord's passion; as Joel also says, Joel 2,
Tile sun shall he turned into darkness, and tlie 17loon into 31.
blood, bllfore tile great aud '1l1anifest day of the Lord C01ne.
But \vhen the day of judglnent is passed, and the life of
future glory shall dawn, and there shall be a new heaven
and a new earth, then shall that come to pass of which Isaiah b. 30,
speaks, The light of tlte 7110011 sllall be as the light oj. tlze 26 .
Slln, and tlte light of tIle SUll shall be sevenfold. The stars
shall fall front liea
'ell, is expressed in l\lark; Tltel o e shall Mark
be stars .falling froJIl Itearen, that is, lacking their proper 13,25.
light. JERO
IE; By tlie pou"ers 0./ Ileaven, we understand
the bands of the Angels. CHRYS. Very fitly shaH they
be shaken and dislnayed, seeing so mighty a change being
wrought, their fellow-sen-ants punished, and the uniyerse
standing before a terrible tribunal. ORIGE
; But as, at the
dispensation of the Cross, the sun was eclipsed, and darkness
was spread over the earth; so when the sign of the Son of

lan appears in hea,.en, the light of the sun, moon, and

82.1

GOSPEL ACCOHDI
G To

CHAP. XXIV.

stars, shan fail, as though \\Taning before the n1Ïght of that
sign. This \ye undel'stand to be the sign of the cross, that
Ze('h. the J e"'.s l11ay see, as Zacharias and John speak, Hhn
l'hom

h

9 they lzave pierced, and the sign of yictory. CHRYS. But
,
37. because the sun ,,,ill be darkened, the cross would not be
seen, if it \Yere not far brighter than the rays of the sun.
That the disciples }night not be ashamed, and grieve o\'er
the cross, lIe speaks of it as a sign, \vith a kind of distinction.
The sign of the cross win appear to oyel.throw the shame-
lessness of the Je\vs, when Christ shall appear in the judg-
Inent, shewing not ouly l-lis \\Tounds, but His IllOSt ignon1Ïnious
death, And ilien all the tribes 0/ /lie eartlt shall 1JlOUrJ1.
For ".hen they shall see the cross, they shall bethink thel11
how. they ha\Te gained nought by His death, and that they
have crucified IIim \VhOIl1 they ought to have worshipped.
JEUO::\IE; Rightly does fIe say, tile tribes of the earth, for
they shall U10urn who ha,'e no citizenship in hea,"en, but
Jer. 17, are written in earth. ORIGE
; l\loraHy, one may say that
13. the sun, \vhich shall be darkened, is the De,.il, who shall
be convicted in the end of the \vorld, that whereas he is
darkness, he has feigned hiu1self to be the sun; the 111oon,
,,-hich seenlS to receive its light from this sun, is the Church
of the \vicked, which professes to have and to give light,
but then convicted with its sinful dogluas, shan lose its
brightness; and an those 'who, either by false teaching, or
false \"irtues, promised truth to men, but led theJn astray
by lies, these are fitly caned stars falling froln, so to sa)',
their own hea\?en, \yhere they \vere raised on hig11, exalting
theIl1seh-es against the kno\yledge of God. For illustration
of this discourse, \Ye Inay apply that place in Proyerbs, which
P
OY. 4, says, The light ql the just is unquenchable, but the light of
] H. tile u'Ù:ked 8hall be quenched. l'hen the brightness of God
shan appear in everyone \\- ho has borne the in1age of the
hea\-enl.r; and they of hea,-en shall rejoice, but they of earth
Aug. shall lanlent. ,ArG. Or, the Church is the sun, I11oon, and

. Hm, stars, to which it is said, Fair as the J1l00n, brig" t as lite
Song of SUII. Then shall tI,e Sit /l be darkened, and the 'lJloon sllltll
Solomon . 1 Z . 1 b . I I fì f . k d
6, 10. not 9 lre Ilerlgu /, ecause In t 1at ungoyerne( ury 0 \VIc-e
persecutors, the Church shall not be seen. Thcn shall the
slar", jåll Ji'OIIl !leal'en, and the pou'ers l!.llieat"eJl sllall be

VER. :30.

ST. !\L\TTHE\L

8t

shaken, because luany, who
eelned to be bhining in God'::;
grace, shall give way to their persecutors, and shall fall, and
cyen the stoutest believers shall be shaken. And these things
:shall be aj1pr tltp tribulatiun oj' those days, not because they
shall happen ,,,hen the whole persecution is o'"erpast, but
because the tribulation shall be first, that the falling away
111ay conle after. And because it shall be so throughout all
t])ose days, it shall be aj
er the tribulation oj. those days,
yet on those ,-ery days.

And tbey shall see the Son of Ulan coming in the
clouds of heaven ,vith po\ver and great glory.

CHRYS. lIe adds this, that ha,'ing heard of the cross, they
should not no\v ilnagine a similar degradation. .A..UG. The Aug.
first and most apparent meaning of this is of that tiule when it. 199,
llc shall COlne to judge the quick and the dead in Ilis body
-that body in which He sits at the right hand of the Father,
in ,vhich He died and rose again and ascended into heaven.
As ""c read in the Acts of the Apostles; lIe u.a,r; taken lip, Actsl,9.
and a cloud receired I-l iJlZ out oj' tlleir sight, upon which
it ,,-as
aid by the ....\ngels, He shall so C077ze (l.r; ye lIare seen
HilJt go into Ileal'en, ',"e lIlay reasonably belie,"e that He
,,"ill COllIC again, not only in the sanle body, but also in
a cloud. ORIGE
; Therefore shall they see ,,-ith the bodily
eyes the Son of )lan, c0111ing in lnunan shape, ill file clouds
qf IleareJl, that is, on high. As at the transfiguration, a
yoice l:aIne out of the cloud, so when He s]lall conle again
transforuled into His glorious appearance, it shall be not
on one cloud, but upon Inany, which shall be Ilis chariot.
And if ,vhen the Son of God ,yent up to Jerusalenl, they
who lo'"ed Hiln spread their gannents in the ,,"ay, not wining
that e"en the ass that carried Hinl should tread upon the earth;
what wonder, if the Father and Goel of aU should spr2ad
the clouds of heaven under the body of tbe Son, ,,?hen He
cOlnes to the work of the consuInnlation? And one may say,
that as in the crcation of nIan, God took clay fronl the earth
and lllade luau; so to lnanifest the glory of Christ, the Lord
taking of the heaven, and of its substance, gave it a body

826

GOSPJ;
L ACCORDING TO

CHAP. XXIV.

of a bright c]oud in the Transfiguration, and of bright clouds
at the Consumlnation; wherefore it is here said, in the clouds
Gen. 2, oj }leaven, as it was there said, qf' the clay ql tlte ground.
7. And it behoves the Father to give all such adulirable gifts
to the Son, because He humbled Himself; and lIe has also
exalted Ililn, not only spiritually, but bodily, that He should
COlne upon such clouds; and perhaps upon rational clouds,
that e\"en the chariot of the glorified S011 of Man should
not be irrational. At the first, Jesus caIne with that power
\vith which He wrought signs and w'onders in the people;
yet \vas that po\ver little in comparison of that great power
\vith which He shall come in the end; for that was the
power of one elnptying Himself of po\ver. And also, it
is fitting that He should be transformed into greater glory
than at the transfiguration on the lllount; for then fIe
was transfigured for the sake of three only, but in the con-
sunlmation of the \vhole world, He shall appear in great
glory, that all 111ay see IIinl in glory.
Aug. .Lt\.UG. But because the Scriptures are to be searched, and
ubi sup. we are not to content ourselves with the surface of them, let
us look closely at what follows, When ye see all f hese tkings
come 10 pass, knoll) that lie is near even at the door. 'Ve
know then that He is near, when we see come to pass not any
of the foregoing things, but all of them, anlong which is this
that the Son of NIan shall be seen coming. Alld lte sllall
send ltis Allgel.
, \vho froln the four quarters of the world
shall gather together His elect. An these things He does at
1 John the last Itoltr coming in His menlbers as in the clouds, or in
2, 18. the whole Church as in one great cloud, as nO\\7 He ceases not
to C01l1e. And 'lDitlt .great pOUJer and glory, because IIis power
and glory \\
ill seem greater in the Saintg to whom He \\7ill
give great po,ver, that they may 110t be oyercome of perse-
cution. ORIGEN; Or He COlnes eyery day u;ith great power
to the mind of the believer in the clouds of prophecy, that is,
in the Scriptures of the Prophets and the Apostles, who utter
the ""ord of God with a lneaning above hU111an nature. Also
\ve say that to those who understand He COlnes \vith great
glo-ry, and that this is the lnore seen in the second con1Íng
Inonocc. of the 'V ord which is to the perfect. 1 And so it may be, that
all \vhich the three Evangelists have said concerning Christ's

VER. 31.

ST. l\IATTHE\V.

827

cOluiug, if carefnlly cOlupared together and thoroughly exa-
mined, \vonid be found to apply to His continual dailr coming
in His body, which is the Church, of \yhich cOIning He said
in another place, Hereaj1e1' shall ye see I he SOil qf jJf all sit- Mat.
G 1 I . . 26, 6.
tillg 011 tile 'r(qlli hand qf the pOlrer qf OC!, llUf< cO'7111ng 'in
tIle clouds of ltearen, excepting those places in ,vhich lIe pro-
mises that l-lis last cOB1ing in His o\vn person.

31. And he shall send his angels with a great sound
of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect
frolll the four \vinds, from one end of heaven to the other..

ORIGEX; Because lIe had spoken of l11ourning, \\'hich shall
be only that they 111ay bear \vitness against themselves and
condelnn thel11Seh?es, that none should suppose that that mourn-
ing \vill end their woes, lIe now adds, And lie shall senclltis
Angels ,/pitlt a l'l'll1np and a loud vuice. REMIG. Here "
e
are not to think of a real trumpet, but of the voice of the
archaugel, \vhich shall be so loud that at its sound an the dead
shall rise out of the dust of the earth. CHRYS. The sound
of the trlnnp refers to the J'esurrectioll, and the rejoicing, and t.o
represent the astonis}nnent which shall be then, and the woe of
those that shaH be left, and shall not be snatched np into the
clouds. ORIGEN; It is written in Numbers, that the Priests Numb.
shall sumlnon by the sonnd of the truinpet {roln the four winds 10,3.
those \"ho are of the calnp of Israel, and it is in allusion to
this that Christ speaks here of the Angels, And tlley s/uill ga-
Ihe]" fO,gel/if!']" lite elect from tlte four u:Ùllls. REl\IIG. That
is, from the four quarters of the \vorlcl, north, south, east, and
west. ORIGE
; Some of little discernment think, that only
those \vho shan then be found in the body shan be gathered
together, but it is better to say that the Augels of Christ shall
then gather together not only all who from the coming of
Christ to the end of the world ha\'e been caned and chosen,
but an from the foundation of the "'orId, who like _\.brahanl John B,
ha\'e seen the day of Christ and rejoiced therein. And that 56.
He here 111eanS not only those that shan be found in the body,
but those also who have quitted the body, the following words
shcw,frOiIl one eutlq/lle1(1)en to tlte 01 her, which cannot be
me
nt of anyone upon earth. Or, the heaycns are the di,'ine

828

GOSPEL ACCORDI
G TO

CHAP. XXIV.

I a!. au- Scriptures and their author
1 in ,,'hich God dwells. One end
tori tates / " 1 . I b .. f 1 S " d .
q IleaCen IS t Ie eglnulng 0 tIe. cnptures, the other en IS
their conclusion. The saints there are gathered togetherjl'ollt
one end if heat"ell, that is, fronl those that li'-e in the beginning
of the Scriptures to those ,,-ho live in the ends of thenl. They
shall be gathered together lci!h a tJ"zlJnp and {t loud 'voice,
that they who hear and attend 1l1ay prepare t11emseh-es
for that "yay of perfection \\rhich leads to the Son of God.
REI\1IG. Or other\vise; Lest anyone should suppose that they
should be gathered only frolll the four quarters of the world,
and not froIn the Iniddle regions, lie adds this" And.frol1l one
end l!l heaz"ell to the of her. By the heights of heaven meaning
the central regions of the earth, ,vhich are under the heights
of heaven; and by the ends of hea\ren, lneaniug the extrelne
parts of the earth, where the land seems to join a very wide
and distant horizon. CHUYS. That the Lord cans His elect
by IIis Angels pertains to the honour of the elect; and Paul
1 Thes. also says that Ihey shall be caught into lite clulld.
; that is,
4 l

, /. the Angels shall gather together those that have risen, and
,,-hcuthey are gathered together, the clouds shall receh'e theIne

32. N O\V learn a parable of the fig tree; 'Vhen his
branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye
kno\v that SUlllmer is nigh:
33. So 1ike\vise ye, when ye shall see aU these
thino-s, kno\v that it is near, even at the doors.

34. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall
not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
35. Heaven and earth shall pass a\vay, but my
words shall not pass a\vay.

Chrys.
Horn.
Ixxv-ii.

CHRYS. Because lIe had said that these tl1Ïngs should
COlne to pass iJJl1nediafely ({Ifer the lribulal ion ql'hose days,
they n1Ïght ask, IIow 1011g tiule hence? He therefore gives
then} an instance in the fig J EnO:\IE; As much as to
say, '\11CI1 the tender shoots first shew t}1eulsel \7es in the stem
of the fig tree, and the bud bursts into flo\ver, and the bark
puts forth leaves, ye perceive the approach of Slllnmer and
the season of spring and growth; so ,,,hen yc shall see all

YER. 32-35.

ST. )IA TTHE"p.

82H

these things that are \\yritten, do not suppose that the end of
the \\yorld is inllllediate, but that certain Inonitory signs and
precursors are shewing its approach. CHRYS. He shew.s
that the interval of time shall not be great, but that the
coming of Christ \yill be presently. By the cOlnparison of
the tree lIe signifies the spiritual snlnlner and peace that the
just shall enjoy after their \\yinter, while sinners on the other
hand shall have a \yinter after SUlluner. ORIGEX; .As the fig
has its vital po\\pers torpid within it through the season of
,vinter, but when that is past its branches become tender by
those ".ery powers and put forth leaves; so the \vorId and all
those \"ho are saved had before Christ'
con1Íng their vital
energies d()nnant within thenl as in a season of winter. Christ's
Spirit breathing upon thenl Iuakes the branches of their hearts
soft and tender, and that which \yas dormant \vithin burgeons
into leaf, and luakes she\y of fruit. To such the Slunmer and
the coming of the glory of the "r ord of God is nigh at hand.
CHRYS. This analogy also adds credit to His foregoing dis-
course; for ,,"here\"er He speaks of what nlllst by all lueans
cOlne to pass, Christ ever brings forward parallel physical
laws. ArG. That now froln the E,"angelic and Prophetic Aug.
signs that we see conle to pass, we ought to look that ;l.199,
the Lord's coming should be nigh, who is there that
denies? For daily it draws ever more and 1110re near, but of
the exact tilue it is said, It is nol.lor YOll to knoll' tlie tiJ1l
S Actsl,7.
or tile seasons. See ho\y long ago the Apostle said, }{ow is Rom.
our salration nearer tllan when u'e belie
'ed. 'Yhat he spoke 13, 11.
\vas not false, and yet how Inany years }la\'C elapsed, how
much Blore nlay \ve not say that the Lord's con1Íng is at
hand non r , that so great an accession of tinle has heen luade?
HILARY;
IY8tically; The Synagogue is likened to the fig
tree g ; its branch is Antichrist, the son of the Devil, the
portion of sin, the luaintainer of the la\v; when this shall
begin to sweH and to put forth lea\res, then 8Ulnl11er is nigh,
i. e. the approach of the day of judgu1ent shaH be percei,ped.
IlEl\J IG. Or, when this fig shall again bud, that is, \yhen the
synagogue shall receive the word of holy preaching, as the
preaching of Enoch and Elias, then ,,'e ought to understand
that the day of the consUffiInation is at hand. A T:"G. Or, by Aug.
the fig tree understand the hlullan race, by reason of the

9.
<< See above on chap. xxi. 19.

830

GOSPEL ACCORDIXG TO

CHAP. X.
IV.

telnptations of the flesh. JVhen its branch is tender, i. e. \\yhen
the sons of Inen through faith in Christ haye progre
sed
towards spiritual fruits, and the honour oftbeir adoption to be
the sons of God has shone forth in then1.
HILARY; To give sure credit to the things \\yhich should come
to pass He adds, TTe1.';ly I say unto you, this generation shall
110t pass lll.ray until all these things be jitljilled. By saying
Verily, lIe gives asse,'"eration to the truth. ORIGEN; The un-
instructed refer the words to the destruction of J erusaleIn, and
suppose them to ha,'e been said of that generation which saw
Christ's death, that it should not pass away before the city should
be destroyed. But I doubt that they would succeed in thus
expounding every word frolD that, one slone shall nol be left
upon anotlte1., to that, it is et'ell at tlte door; in SOlne perhaps
they would succeed, in others 110t altogether. CHRYS. All
these things therefore lnean what was said of the end of
J erusalenl, of the false prophets, and the false Christs,
and all the rest \vhich shaH happen down to the time of
Christ's coming. That He said, This gene1.ation, He meant
not of the lnen then living, but of the generation of the
fai thful; for so Scripture uses to speak of generations, not of
time only, but of place, life, and conversation; as it is said,
Ps.24,6. This is the generation of the1n that seek the Lord. IIerein
He teaches that J erusalen1 shall perish, and the greater part
of the Jews be destroyed, but that no trial shall over-
throw the generation of the faithful. ORIGEN ; Yet shall the
generation of the Church survive the whole of this \yorlel, that
it may inherit the world to come, yet it shall not pass a\\yay
until all these things have COlne to pass. But when all these
shall have been fulfilled, then not the earth only but the
heavens also shaH pass away; that is, not only the Jnen
whose life is earthy, and who are therefore called the earth,
but also they \yhose conversation is in heaven, and who are
therefore called the heaven; these sllall pa.
s alDay to things
to come, that they lnay COine to better things. But the words
spoken by the Saviour shall not pass away, because they effect
and shall ever effect their purpose; but the perfect and they
that adlnit no further improvement, passing through what they
are, come to that 'which they are not; and this is that, lJfy wO'1"ds
shall not pass af/Jay. And perhaps the words of 1\loses and the
Prophets have passed a\yay, because all that they prophesied has

VER. 36-41.

8T. MA TTHE'V.

831

been fulfilled; but the \vords ofChristareahvays conlplete,daily
fulfilling and to be fulfilled in the saints. Or perhaps we
ought not to say that the \vords of Moses and the Prophets
are once for all fulfilled; seeing they also are the words of
the Son of God, and are fulfilled continually. J EHOME; Or,
by .qenel'ation here lIe means the \vhole hlUl1an race, and the
Jews in particular. .A.nd He adds, Hea
'en and earth shall pass
au"ay, but 'Iny words shall not pass au:ay, to confirm their
faith in what has gone before; as though lIe had said, it is
easier to destroy things solid and inl1110vable, than that
aught should fail of my words. HILARY; For heaven and
earth ha\
e in their constitution no necessity of existence, but
Christ's words derÍ\"ed fronl eternity ha\Te in them such virtue
that they must needs abide. J ERO
IE; The heaven and the
earth shall pass away by a change, not by annihilation; for
how should the Slln be da1"I.."ened, and tile rnoon not give her
light, if - earth and hea\ren in \vhich these are should be no
more? RABAN. The heaven \\yhich shall pass away is not the
1 starry but the 2 atmospheric heaven which of old \yas destroyed Isid6_
b .
m
y the deluge. CHRYS. He bnngs forward the elements of the 2aereum
earth to shew that the Church is of more \Talue than either ;.Pet. 3,
hea\Ten or earth, and tbat He is l\Iaker of all things.
36. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no,
not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
37. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the
cOJ.TIing of the Son of man be.
38. For as in the days that were before the flood
they were eating and drinking, Inarrying and giving in
marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39. And knew not until the flood came, and took
them all a,vay; so sha.ll also the coming of the Son of
man be.
40. Then shaH two be in t he field; the one shall be
taken, and the other left.
41. T,vo women shall be grinding at the mill; the
one shall be taken, and the other left.
CHRYS. The Lord having described all the tokens that
shall precede His cOIning, and brought His discourse t.o the

8:J2

GOSPEL ACCORDIXG TO

CHAP. XXI\'".

very doors, yet \yollld not naIne the day; Ql tliat da.1/ and
110111' 'tl1ou'ctlt 110 "lnn1l, 110 not tlte Angels oj' heaven, but 1111/
Father only. J EHO)IE; In SOllIe Latin copies is added here,
"neither the Son:" but in the Greek copies, and particularly
those of .,ldanlantius and Pierius, it is not found c. But ùecause
it is read in SOllle, it seeins to require our notice. REMIG.
Mark And l\:1ark has the addition. J ER011E; 'Vhereat Arius and
13,32. Eunonlius rejoice great1y; for say they, lIe who knows and
He \\
ho is ignorant cannot be both equal. Against these "re
ans\ver shortly; Seeing that Jesus, that is, l'he 'V ord of God,
Jobn 1, made all titnes, (for By hi)}/, all !hin!p
1.L"ere nzade, llnd 1.("it1l-
3. out ItÙn '1ras not any thing 1Jzade that lras 1Jlade,) and that
the day of judglnent nlust be in all tÍ1lle, by \\
hat reasoning
can He \\"ho kno\vs the whole be shewn to be ignorant of a
part? This ,ve \\
ill fillther say; "Yhich is the greater, the
kno\\Tledge of the Father, or the kno\yledge of the j udgluellt?
If He kno\vs the greater, ho"r can lIe be ignorant of the less?
HILARY; And has indeed God the Father denied the kno\\Tledge
LukelO, of that day to the Son, when He has declared, All thin.qs are
22. cOJ}unitted to l1le Qf 1ny Fatlier.2 but if any thing has been
denied, all things are not c01l1mitted to Hilll. JER01IE; IIaving
then shewn that the Son of God cannot be ignol'ant of the day
ofthc ('onsumnlation, we BUIst now shew a cause ,vhy He should
be said to be ignorant. 'Vhen after the resurrection He is de-
Inanded concerning this day by the A post]es, lIe answers nlore
Acts 1, openly; It is 11o(for ,ljou to knoll; the tÙnes or the season.
,rhiclt
7. tbe Father lias put in his OlCll pOloer. 'Vhcrein He shews that
Hill1selfkno\:vs, but that it \yas not expedient for the Apostles to
kno\\T, that being in uncertainty of the c01l1Ìng of their Judge,
they should liyeeyery day as though they were to be judged that
A
g.?e day. AUG. ""'hen He says here, I(noll's 1I0t, He 111eanS,' Blakes
Trm. 1. ] ' . .. 1 H .
12. others not to {now; I. e. He kne\y not then, 80 as to tc 1 IS
?9
n. 22, disciples; as it 'vas said to Abrahaln, 1.\'Ó1I' I k nOli" t Itat thou
Aug. fearest God; i. e. 'No\vhave I caused that thou shouldest know,'

;:
:
because by tl)e tell1ptation he caIne to know hiInse1f: ID. That

h The addition is found in a very few into the text of the G. T. by any editors.
Greek 1\188., and ancient versions, in It probably crept in from tbe parallel
Chrys, and Theophylac
. It is in the pa
sage in 8. J\lark. Adamantius is a
Old Italic version, and is acknowledged surname of Origen. Pierius was a.
by Hilary ,Ambrose,and Pseudo-Chrys.; pi esbyter öf Alexandria in the third
but the preponderance of evidence is century, whose learning occasioned him
greatly 3gain
t it, and it is not admitted to he styled' Origen the younger.'

YElL 3H-4 J .

ST. M -\TTIIE\\ .

b33

IT e
avs that the }'alher kllolrel II, iInplies that in the Father the
Son al
"o 1\:no,,"8. For what can there bc in tilne which was
not 11lade by the 'Vord, S
('illg that t1nle itself ,,,as Illade by
the W onl! ID. That the Father alone I
no\"s Inay he wen Aug.
understood in the aboye-lnentioned Inanner of knowing, that Q Lib. S t 3
uæ
.
lIe lllakes the Son to kno\\"; but the Son is said not to know, q. 60.
because he does not Iuake luen to know. ORIGEX; Otherwise;
So long as the Church which is Christ's body knows not that
day and hour, so long the Son Himself i
said not to kno\\p
that day and hour. 1.'he word It'nou; is used according to its
proper usual Iueaning in Scripture. The _\.postle speaks of
Christ, as lti}}t 'who '...lIeu' /10 sin, i. e. sinned not. r-rhe kno\y- 2 Cor.
ledge of that day and hour the Son reserves in store for 5, 2l.
the fellow-heirs of the prolnise, that all Illay kno,," at once, i. e.
in the day ,,,hen it shall C0111C upon theI}), 1.rhat tkings 1 Cor. .
God hatlt prepared for tlient that lore ltÙJl. RABA
. I haye 2, 9.
read also in SOlne one's hook, that t lie Son here is not to be
taken of the Only-begotten, but of the adopted, for that f-Ie
".oulclllOt have put the \ngels before the Only-begotten Son,
saying, ....\Tot lhe Angels qf ltearen, neil/leI" the SOli i.
Al'"G. The Gospel then says, Ojthat day and hOllr I...nou'eth no Aug.
Th . 1 h I } . Ep 199
1llflll; but you say, at nelt ler t e nlont 1 nor t Ie year of HIS 16: '
cOIning can be kno,vn. This exactness of yours up to this point
seeIns as if yon 11leant that the year could not be known, but
that the week or the decade of years might be known, as
though it ,vas possible to fix or assign it to SOlne seyen, ten,
or a hundred, or SOlne nunlber of years nJore or less. If you
w .
a1low that you cannot so liluit it, you think with nle. CHRYS.
That you may perceive that it is not o\ying to ignorance that
He is silent of the day and hour of the juc1gnlent, He brings --
forward another token, As it
{"as ill the days qf .J..\Toe, so shal
the c01ning 0./ lhe SOil oj' llIan be. By this He Ineans that
lIe shall COlne sudden and unlooked for, and \yhile Inen are
taking their pleasure; of which Paul also speaks, 1T 7 1len they 1 The
s.
shall say, Peace and sajèly, tll(
ll suddell destruction conletk õ, 3.
'Upon tlteln. RABAN. :i\Ian'iage and nleats in theinseh
es are
not here condeInned, as the error of l\larcion and )Ianichæus
teaches; for in the one the continuation of the species, in the

8 t. \... J
o '
" i. LIBRARY
;. .+ .-t

i See further on this passage, Hil. on ,Mark xiii. 32. and Basil adv
de Trin. ix. 58, cited in the Catena Eunom. Ï\..
:3 II

834

HUSIJEL ACCOnDI
n TO

CHAP. xxn .

other that of life, depends; but wllat is reproved is an unre-
strained use of things la,vfuL
JEROME; It is asked here, how it was said above, Nation
shall -rise against /la! iOIl, and kiuge/oln against lân.qdo1Jz,
ð, 9 c. \vhen here only tokens of peace are spoken of as what
shall be then? 'Ve must suppose, that aftL'r the wars and
the other llliseries which shan waste the hunlan race, shall
follow a short peace, offering rest and quiet to approve the
faith of the believers. CHRYS. Or, To such as are thought-
lessly disposed, it shaH be a tillle of peace and enjoyment;
as the Apostle said not, "V"hen there shaH be peace,' but
When i hey sllall say, Peace and sqlety, shewing their in-
sensibility to be such as was theirs in the days of N oe, when
the ",'icked, and not the good, indulged thelnseh.es, but
their end was SOlTO\V and tribulation. This she\vs also, that
when Antichrist shall COIne, those ,,,ho are wicked, and
despair of their salvation, shall run into illicit pleasures;
therefore I-Ie chooses an instance suitable. For while the
ark was building, N oe preached alTIOng theIn, foretelling the
evils that should come; but those 'wicked gi ,'ing no heed
to him, ".antolled as though no evil should e\'er COlne; so
now, because many w'onld not believe things future, He
Inakes cl'edible \"hat He says frolll what has happened.
Another token lIe gives to she\v ho\v unexpectedly that day
shall COlue, and that He is not ignorant of the day, Then
tu:o shall be iu tile .field, one shall he taken and tI,e oillej.
lej't. These \vords shew that Inasters and servants, they
that work, and they that work not, shall be taken or left alike.
HILARY; Or, the two in the field, are the t\yO people of
believers and unbelievers, wholn the day of the Lord
shall overtake, as it \vere in the labours of this life. ...L\nd
they shall be separated, one being taken and the other left;
this she\vs the separation that shall be betw'een belieyers and
unbelievers; 'when God's \\'rath is kindled, the saints shall
be gathered into His garner, and the unbelieyers shall be
left as fuel for the fire from heaven. The salHe is the account
to be gi'Ten of that, Tu'o shall be 9'rilldillg at tIle 111 ill.
Tile 'I1till is the \\.ork of the La\y, but as SOUle of the Jews
believed through tlle Apostles, so SOlne shall belie\"e through
Elias, and be justified through faith; and one part
hall

VEl{. J
-4.L

:-\ r. )f:\ TTHE" .

:J .')

be taken through thi
sanH
faith of good works, the other
part shall be left unfruitful in the work of the lola\\", grinding
in ,-ain, and ne\rer to produce the bread of hea,-euly food.
J ERO:\fE; Or, Tu'o fnell ill one field sha11 be found pcrfonning
the saIne labour, sowing corn together, but not reaping the
same fruit of their labour. Thp two grindin!J tOlle/her "'C
Inay understand either of the
ynagogne and the Church.
which seem to grind together in the I.Ja "', and to ulake of
the saIne Scriptures Ineal of the cOllunandlnel1ts of God;
or of other heresies, which out of both or one Testaluent,
speln to grind Illeal of their o,yn doctrines. IIIL..-\.RY; The
tu'o ill onp, bed are those who preach alike the Lord's rest
after His passion, about \vhich heretics and catholics have
the san1e confession; but because the Catholic Faith preaches
the unity of the Godhead of the Father and the Son, and
the false creed of the heretics itnpugns that, therefore shaH
the Di,-ine judgll1ent decide bet\,"een the confession of these
t\VO by taking one and lea,-ing the other. RE:\IIG. Or, these
,vords denote three orders in the Church. Tlte i1l"O men
Ùl tlte field denote the order of preachers, to ",holn is COln- prædica-
Initted the field of the Churc.h; by the two grindill.q at the tores.
1nill, the order of the married priests, who while with a di,-ided con
iu-
heart they are called first to one side, then to the other, gati.
do, as it. ""ere, eyer turn round a 1l1Îll; by the tli"O ill one
bed, the order of the continent, whose repose is signified by conti-
the bed. But in all these orders are good and bad, righteous nentes.
and unrighteous, 80 that SOlue shall be taken, and SOlne left.
ORIGE
; Or otherwise; The body is laid as si
k on the
bed of carnal passions, the soul grinds in the n1Ïll of this world,
and the bodily senses labour in the field of th
wodd.

42. ", atch therefore: for ye kno\v not \vhat hour
your Lord doth con1e.
43. But know this, that if the goodnlan of the
house had kno\vn in \vhat ,vatch the thief ,vould
come, he 'vould have \vatched, and ,vould not have
suffered his house to be broken up.
44. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an
110ur as ye think not the Son of
Ian cometh.
:3 I 2

8:3 G',

GOSPEL ACCOHDIXG TO

CHAL
XIV.

J ERO:\IE; llaving declared that of f /tal /tullr knoire/ Ii 110
'Iuan, but tlte Fat/ter only, lIe shews that it \vas not expedient
for the Apostles to kno\v, that being ignorant they might
live in perpetuaJ expectation of His con1Ïng, and thus con-
cluding the \\'llole, He says, JVàtch therejore,
'c. And
lIe does 110t say, , Because we kno\y not,' but Because ye
ÅïlOlC not, shewing that I-fe Ifilllself is not ignorant of the
day of judgn1ent. CHRYS. He \vould have thelu e\"er ready,
Greg. and therefore He says, fVatch. GREG. To \vatch is to keep
Horn. 1 d
in E,. t Ie eyes open, an looking out for the true light, to do and
ii. 3. tu oLserve that which one believes, to cast away the darkness
of sloth and negligence. ORIGEX; Those of more plain
understanding say, that He spoke this of His second conting ;
but others would say that it applies to an intellectual con1Ïng
of the word into the understanding of the disciples, for as
yet lIe was not in their understanding as He was to be.
Aug. AUG. He said this 1V'atcl1, not to those only \vho heard
Ep.199, I r' k 1 . .c
3. :Inn spea? at t Ie tune, but to those who came alter them,
and to us, and to all who shall be after us, until IIis second
cOIning, for it touches all in a luanner. That day COllles
tu each one of us, \vhen it cOlnes to hinl to go out of the
".orId, such as he shall be judged, and therefore ought
e\"ery Christian to \vatch that the Lord's con1Ïng Il1ay not
find hill1 unprepared; and he will be unprepared for the
day of Ilis cOll1Ïng, \vhon1 the last day of his life shall find
.Aug. unprepared. AUG. Foolish are all they, who either profess
non occ. to kno\v the day of the end of the world, \\Then it is to COIne,
or e'"en the end of their own life, \vhich 110 one can kno\v
unless he is illun1Ïnated by the IIoly Spirit.
J EROl\1E; And by tlle instance of the luaster of the
household, He teaches 1110re plainJy "Thy He keeps secret
the day of the consumlnation. OIUGE
; The 1Jlasler of the
household is the understanding, the house is the soul, the
thief is the Devil. The thief is also e\'ery contrary doctrine
which enters the soul of the unwary by other than the
natural entrance, breaking int.o the house, and pulling
down the soul's natural fences, that is, the natural po\vers
of understanding, it enters the breach, and spoils the
soul. SOlnetillles one takes the thief in the act of
breaking ill, and seizing hÏ111, stabs him ,yith a \\'ord,

VEIL 15-51.

ST. )TATTHE'V.

B;37

and slays hÏ1n. And the thief comes not in the day-tiIne,
when the soul of the thoughtful man is illtnninated ,,'ith
the Sun
f righteousness, but in the night, that is, in the
tin1e ofpre\'ailing wickedness; in which, ,vhen one is plunged,
it is possible, though he have not the power of the sun,
that hp Inay be ilhuninatecl by SOUle rays Croin the "r ord,
as fronl a lan}}J; continuing still in evil, yet having a better
purpose, and watchfulness, that this his purpose should
not be broken througll. Or in titue of tenlptation, or of
any calan1ities, is the tilne when the thief is Inost found
to COIne, seeking to break through the house of the soul.
GnEG. Or, the thief breaks into the honse through the Greg.
neglect of the Inaster of the house, when the spirit has slept !iû E m.
III v.
upon its post of guard, and death has COlne in unawares xiii. 5.
into the dwelling house of our flesh, and finding the lord
ùf the house sleeping, slays hinI; that is, the spirit, little
pro' icling for conlÏng evils, is taken off unprepared, to punish-
Dlent, by death. But if he had watched he would ha""c been
secure fronl the tlÜef; that is, looking forward to the cOIning
of the Judge, who takes our lives unawares, he \vould meet
IIiul with penitence, and not perish itnpenitent. "And the
Lord 'would therefore ha\ye the last hour unkno\vn, that it
llIight always be in suspense, and that being unable to foresee
it, we 1l1ight nen:r be unprepared for it. CHRYS. Tn this
lIe rebukes
uch as ha,.e less care for their souls, than they
haye of guarding their Illoney against an expected thief.

45. \Vho then is a faithful and \vise servant, ,vhom
his lord hat h Inade ruler over his houshold, to give
them meat in due season?
46. Blessed is that servant, \\1hom his lord \yhen he
con1cth shall finò so doing.
47. ,;-- erily I say unto you, That he shalllnake him
ruler over all his goods.
48. But and if that evil servant shaH say in his
heart, l\Iy lord delaycth his coming;
49. ..\nd shaH begin to slnlte his felIo\yscrvants, and
to cat and drink \vith the drunken;

838

GOSl'EL ..\VCOUDI
G TO

CHAP. XXI\"o

50. 1'he lord of that servant shan COlue in a day
,v hen he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he
is not a\vare of,
51. And shall cut hirD asunder, and appoint him
his portion \vith the hypocrites: there sha.ll be weep-
ing and gnashing of teeth.

IIII..
\UY; Though the Lord had given abo,"e a general ex-
hortation to all in COlnlnon to unl,.ealied vigilance, yet He
adds a special charge to the rulers of the people, that is, the
Bishops, of ,vatchfulness in looking for His coming. Such
He cal1s a faithful servant, and wise lnaster of the household,
careful for the needs and interests of the people entrusted
to Him. CHRYS. That He says, Jf 7 11011l thiuk ye 'is that
.(aithjltl and u"ise serral1t, does not imply ignorance, for e'
en
Gen. 3, the Father ".e find asking a question, as that, Adanl, u;!tere
9. art t!lOli '!' REMIG. Nor yet does it in1ply the ÏInpossibilityof
Glos
. attaining perfect virtue, b.ut only the difficulty. GLOSS. For rare
ord. indeed is such.faitltful servant serving his Alaster for his Alas-
ter's sake, feeding Chrisfs sheep not for lucre but for love of
Christ, 8killerl to discern the abilities, the life, and the Inan-
nel" of those put under hill}, \VhOll1 tile Lord sets ore,., that is,
,,,ho is called of (;od, and has not thrust hÍ1nself in. CHRYS.
II e requires two things of such servant, fidelity and prudence;
lle cans hinlfaitl!/i.tl, because he appropriates to hilnselfllone
of his Lord's goods, and \yastes nought idly and unprofitably.
lIe calls hiln prudent, as knowing on what he ought to lay
out the things cOlnn1itted to hin1. ORIGEN; Or, lIe that makes
progress in the faith, though he is not yet perfect in it, is ordi..
narily called ..faitltful, and he \vho has natural quickness of
intellect is called prudent. ...\nd \"hoever ohserves will
find nlany faithful, and zealous in their belief, but not at the
1 Cor. same time prudent; fot. God hatlt. chosen tlte .foolish ih lU!Js if
1, 27. the If"orld. Others again he ,,
in see ,vho are quick and prudent
but of "Teak faith; for the union of faith and prudence in t.he
same Inan is most rare. To give food in due season calls for
prudence in a Inan; not to take a\vay the food of the nee(ly re...
quires faithfulness. A nd this the literal sense obliges us to, that
,çe be faithful in dispersing the re,-eJ1l1CS of the Church, that we

VER. -1.3-51.

ST. :\IATTnE\Y.

839

clc\rour not that \"hich belongs to the ,vido\ys, that we remem-
ber the poor, and that \ve do not take occasion {ronl ,,-hat is
\vritten, The Lord Itaflt o1'dained, tlUll l!iey ll"ltich p,'eaclt Ille 1 Cor.
Go.
pel S/IOltld live o.l lite Gospel, to seek more than plain food 9, 14.
and necessary clothing, or to keep more for ourseh'es than \ve
gi,,'e to those who suffer ".ant. And that \ve be prudent, to
understand the cases of thenl that are in need, 'whence they
come to he so, what has been the education and "'hat are the
necessities of each. It needs much prudence to distribute
fairly the revenues of the Church. Also let the servant be
faithful and prudent) that he lavish not the intellectual and
spiritual food upon those whonl he ought not, but dispense
according as each has need; to one is more behoveful that
,,"ord which shall edify his behaviour, and guide his practice,
than that \vhich sheds a ray of science; bu
to others \vho
can pierce more deeply let hin} not fail to expound the deeper
things, lest if he set before theln conlnlon things only, he be
despised by such as ha'.e naturally keener understandings, or
ha,.c been sharpened by the discipline of ,vorldly learning,
C HRYS. This parable may be also fitted to the case of se-
cular rulers; for each ought to employ the things he has to
the con1U10n benefit, and not to the hurt of his feHow-servants,
nor to his own ruin; whether it be wisdom 01" dominion, or
whatever else he has. RABA
. The l01"d is Christ, the llollse-
/told over ,,,hich He appoints is the Church Catholic. It is
hard then to find one ilIaD ".bo is bothfail}rful and u'i.se, but
not Í1npossible; for lIe would not pronounce a blessing on a
character that could never be, as when He adds, Blessed is
tllat Ser1YIJ11 'lCllOl1Z !tis lorll u'llen he cornel It sllall find
so doing. I.IILARY; That is, obedient to hi
Lord
s command,
by the seasonableness of his teaching dispensing the word of
life to a household which is to be nourished for the food of
eternity. H,E)IIG. It sholùd be observed, that as there is
great difference of desert between good preachers and good
hearers, so is there great difference between their re\vards.
The good hearers, if He .finds them watching I-Ie will make
to sit down to Ineat, as Luke speaks; but the good preachers
He 'lEill sef Ol'er all His goods. ORIGE
; That he Inay reign
with Christ, to whom the Father has committed all that is His.
And as the son of a good father set over aU that is his,

8-10

Gn
PEL \.CCOIU>C\(i TO

CH AI). XÀl\
'.

J-! c shall connnuuicatc of IIis dignity anrl glory to IIis faithful
anrl ,yi
e stewards, that they also Inay be abo\'e thc whole
l'rpation. IlAn
\N.
ot that they only, but that they before
others, shall be rewarded as wen f01" their own 1i,'es as for their
superintendence of the flock. HILARY; Or, sholl set hinl
ore'l' all his goods, that is, shall place hiln in the glory of God,
hecause beyond t11Ìs is nothing better. CHRYS. And lIe in-
structs IIis hearer not only by the honour \,"hich awaits t.he
good, ùut by the punishlnent which threatens the wicked,
Aug. adding, lfthat evil servllnt shall say in !tis !tearl,
.c. .é\CG.
Ep. 199. 'T' l L f I . . . I . 1 I . 1 . I .
I.
1C tCll1pCr 0 t lIS seryant IS shewn III 1lS )e la"lour, W lIC lIS
thus expressed by his good
Iaster; his tyranny, aJld shall
begin to beat !tis j'ellollJ SeJTants, his sensuality, and 10 eal
and drink u.itlt lite drunken. So that \\Then he said, J..
ly
Lord delaye!II .His c017z-ing, he is not to be f'upposed to speak
fi'OUl desire to see the Lord, such as was that of hin} "rho
Ps.!2 j 2. said, JJIy SOliZ is atltirs(for the firing God; Whl:N shalt I
cOJJte? l'his shews that he \,-as grie\"cd <1.t the delay, seeing
that what wa
hastC'lling to\yards hinl seelneel to his longing-
llef-'ires to he cOlllÍllg slowly. OHIG E
;
-\.ncl c,-ery Bishop,
who n1Ïllistcrs not as a fellow. selTilut, but rules by Inight as
a Ulaster, and often an harsh one, sin::; agaill
t G uel; al::;o if he
does not cherish the needy, but feasts with the drunken, and
is continually shunbcring because his Lord COIDcth not till
after long tilne. RABAX . Typically, ""C Inay under
talld
his beating his fello"T servants, of oflending the consciences
of thc we
k Ly word, or by e,-il exanlple. .J I
nO)IE ; TIle
Lord q/ i/tat serraut shall cOlne in fl day lclten he looke/It
not ..(01. l1Ù11, is to rouse the stewards to "
atchfulness an(l
carefulness. lIe shall cui It ÏJn in Sll Jlder, is not to he ulldcr-
:;tood of cxecution by the sword, but that he shall sc\'cr hilu
fi'oln the cOlnpallY of the :;aints. ORIGEX; Or, He ð/utll cut
hint in sunder, ,,,hen hi
spirit, that is, his spiritual gift, shall
return to God who ga'-e it; but his soul shall go with hi

body into hell. But the righteou
11lan is not <:ut. in sunder, but
his soul, ,,'ith his
pÏ1"it, that is, with his gift, spiritual enters
into the lángdo111 of heayen. They that are cut in sunder
IHl\'e in then1 thenceforth no part of that spiritual gift ,,-hich
was frolH (;ot1, hut there rClllaills to tlll'Ill that part which wa

1la'ir 0\\"11, that i
, their
oul, whi{'h
hall be punish('(l with

\ ER. t:
-Jl.

ST. :\L\.TTHE'Y.

811

their body. JEUO)lE; Aud shall appú l1Z I hill/, his por/ioll leitlt
the hypocrites, with those, nalnely, that were in the field, and
grinding at the IniU, and "
ere neyertheless left. For as \ve
often say that the hypocrite is one \\'ho is one thing, and
pa
ses himself for another; so in the field and at the n1Íll he
scelned to be doing the saIne as other
, but the eyent proycd
that his purpose was different. RABAN. Or, a]J]Joints /liJn his
portio}l 1cith the hypocrites, that is, a twofold share of punish-
lncnt, that of fire and frost; to the fire belongs the weeping,
to the frost the gnas/âng f.!l teeth k. ORIGEN; Or, there shall
be 'U'e(JJJlug for such as have laughed amiss in this world,
guas/zing qf teeth for those \vho have enjoyed an irrational
peace. For being unwilling to suffer bodily pain, now the
torture forces their teeth to chatter, with which they ba ve
catcn the bitterness of \vickedness. }i'roln this we nlay learn
that the Lord sets o,-er His household not the faithful and
,,'i8e only, but the ,vicked also; and that it will not Sê.t'\-e theln
to have been bct o\.cr His household, but only if they have gi\ren
theu) their food in due season, and haye abstained froln beat-
ing and drunkenness. .ArG. Putting aside this wicked Aug.
sCITant, "ho, there is no doubt, hates his
Iaster's con1Ïng, let
P fi ' 199
In n.
us :;ct before our eyes these good selTants, ,,-ho anxiously
expect their Lorrl's cOIning. One looks for IIis coming
sooner, another later, the third confesses his ignorance of the
Inattcr. Let u
see which is lUOst agreeable to the Gospel.
One says, Let us watch and pray, becau
e the Lord will quickly
COlne; another, Let us watch and pray, because this life is
short and uncertain, though the Lord's cOIning lnay be distant;
and the third, Let us watch, because this life is short and un-
certain, and \y(' know not the tÍ1ne when the Lord win COlne.
\Vhat élse does this nlan say than 'yhat we hear the Gospel
say, lVatch, because ye know not the flour in 'll"hic/l the Lord
shall come l
-\1l illrleed, through longing for the killgdoln,
desire that that should be true which the first thinks, and
if it should so COlne to pass, the second and third would
rejoice with hinl; but if it should not COlne to pa:;s, it ".ere to
he feared that the belief of its supporters n1ight be shaken by
tll,-' dclay, and they lllight begin to think that the Lord's

'"
ee ahove on ehap. viii. j 2.

842 GOSPEL ACCORDI
G TO ST. l\IA.TTHE"". CIlAI I . XXIV.

cOIning shall be, not remote, but never. lIe \\"ho believes with
the second that the Lord's c01l1ing is distant win not be shaken
in faith, but will receive an unlooked for joy. He who con-
fesses his ignorance which of these is true, \vishes for the one,
is resigned to the other, but en
s in neither, because he neither
affinns or denies either.

CHAP. XXV.

1. 1'hen shall the kingdom of heayen be likened
unto ten virgins
,vhich took their lamps
and \vent
fort h to nleet the bridegroom.
2. And five of thenl ,vere ,vise, and five were foolish.
3. 'They that ,,,ere foolish took their lamps, and
took no oil ,vith them:
4. But the ,vise took oil in their vessels ,vith their
laulps.
5. "Thile the bridegroolll tarried, they all slulnbered
and slept.
6. ...\nd at Inidnight there ,vas a cry lnade, Behold,
the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
7. Then all those virgins arose, and trilnmed their
lanlps.
8. And the foolish said unto the ,vise" Give us of
your oil; for our lamps arc gone out.
9. But the ,vi
e ans\\Tered saying, Not so; lest
there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather
to them that sclI, and buy for yourselves.
10. And ,vhile they ,,-ent to buy
the bridegroom
Cê:une; and they that ,vere ready ,rent in \vith him
to the 11larriage: and the door ,vas shut.
11.

fter\vard caIne also the other virgins, saying,
Lord, Lord, open to us.
12. But he ans,vered Hnd said, Verily I say unto
you
I kno"T you not.
13. "r atch therefore, for ye kno,v neither the day
nor the hour \vherein the Son of 111an cometh.

CURYs. In the foregoing parable the Lord set forth the CbrJ
.
. '. b 1 Horn.
IHlnls}llnenl ot the nlan ,,"ho cat
aut wa
(h-nnk, aud wasted lxxviii.

84.1

GOSPEL ACCOIUHNG TO

CH.\P. XXV.

his Lord's goods; in this lIe declares his punislnuent ,vho
profits not, and does not prepare for }JÍmself abundantly
the things of which he has need; for the foolish ,'irgins had
oil, but not enough. 1-1 I LAItY ; Then, because all this dis-
course is concerning the great day of the Lord, concerning
Greg. which He had been speaking before. GREG. By tltel:ingd01Jl

om..
n oj' hearen is Ulcant the l )re
ent Church, as in that, The SOil of
J'
V. xu.
I. JIflll shall send ..fori It his angels, llnd they shaUl/ather Ollt

:t1'1. q(lzis lâu.r;d01Il allllân.qR '!tat offend. J EHO:\lE; This parable
of the ten foolish aud the ten wise ,'irgins, sOlne interpret
literally of ,'irgins, of WhOlll there are according to the
I Cor. Apostle S0111e \,Tho are virgins both in body and in thought,
7. others ,yho ha\'e preserved indeed theil' bodips virgin, hut
have not the other deeds of ,'irgins, or have ouly heen
prcsE'l"yed by the guardianship of parents, but have ,,,eddell
in their hearts. But fronl what has gone before, [ think the
111Callillg to he different, and that the parable has reference
Greg. not to ,'irgills only, but to the "Thole luunan race. GREG.
ubi HUp. For in each of the fi,Te senses of the boely there is a double
instruulcnt, and the DUluber fi,Te doubled Blakes ten. _-\uc1
because the conlpany of the faithful is gathered out of both
sexes, the Holy Church is described as bei ng like to ten
yirgins, where as bad are n1Ïxed ,,,ith good, and reprobate
"Tith elect, it is like a Hlixtnre of \Yi
e and foolish ,-irgins.
CHRY
. A.n<1 lIe elnp]oys the character ,'irgins in this parable
to shew, that though yirginity bp a great thing, yet if it be
not accolnpanied by works of Illercy, it shall be cast out \yith
the adulterers. ORIGE
; Or, The understandings of aU who
ha,'c received the \Yord of God are ,-irgins. For such is the
,vord of God, that of its purity it iUlparts to all, ,yho by its
teaching ha,'e departed frolll the ,,'orship of idols, and have
through Christ drawn near to the worship of God; lT7,Ù:lt
tool" tlteir 11lJ7lpS, and u'ellt .fortll to JJieef the bridegrooJ71 and
the bride a . They take flzeir IOlnps, i. e, their natural faculties,
anel go forth ont of the ,,'odd and its errors, and go to tueet
the Sa,'iour, ,,'ho is o"er ready to COllle to enter with thelu
that ar
\\'ortllY to His blcssed bride the Church. l1ILARY;
Or, 'lï,e brid
[IrOolJ1 (lud the bride represent our LOl'd God in
the body, tor the tlesh is the hride of the spirit. Tlie /roups arc
the light of hright soul
which shinc forth in thc sacranleilt Qf

a , Et
l)om:æ' Y111
.
nò :-:0 a few Greek 1\lSS.

VEl{. 1-13.

:-\1'. :\IAT !'HE" .

8-15

Laptisnl h. ALG. Or, Tlte [tUlipS ,,'hich the\" carry in their hands Aug.
1 . k f h . h . ' d b & L / 1. Lib. 83
are t leu \Vur ys, 0 W IC It was sal a Oye,Æ YOIl r 1['01"/\'S Quæst.
shiup /.;ej'ore 1uen. ORIGE"X; They that belie,'c rigl1tly, and q. 59. _
I . . I 1 ] ' k 1 h { . . h I .Mat. 0,
1\'p ng Iteous y, are I yen(-'( to t e l\-C wise; t ey t lat pro- 16.
1es
tl1(' faith of Jesus, but prepare thenlselyes not by good
wurks to :"ah'ation, are liliened to the fi "e foolish. J ERO
IE ;
For there an' fL\'e senses which hasten towards hea,'enly
things, and seek after things aboye. Of sight, hearing, and
touch, it is specially said, That u.ltic/i u'e /nu'e heard, u'hic/t 1 John
1l'e hare seen /rilll our eyes, and Oilr hands luu'e handled. 1, 1.
Of taste, Taste and see that tlte Lord is good. Of sillell, P
.34,8.
Because of tlte Sllt'Ollr f!f flt.1} !Jood oint/1lents. There are

g, 1,
also other fÌ,'c senses which gape after earthly husks. _-\LG.3.
fi .. . ] d fi .{' 11 . Aug.
Or, by the "e YUglllS, IS (enote a ,'e-lo l contInence ubi sup.
ii'onl the alluren1ents of the flesh; for our appetite nlust
be held froin gratification of the eyes, ears, :;;Inell, taste, and
touch. And as this continence Inay be done before God,
to plea:-\e Ilinl in inward joy of the conscience, or before
Incn only to gain applause of nlen, fi,'e are called ,vise, and
fi,'e foo1ish. Both are ,-irgins, because both these Inen ex-
ercise continence, though ii'oln different l1lotiyes. OIUGEX;
4\nd because the virtues are so linked together, that he who
has one has all, so all the s:enses so follo,,
one another, that
all must be wise, or all foolish. I-IILARY; Or, The fixc wise
and fi,'c foolish are an absolute distinction bet\,-een bclie'Ters
and unbelie,'ers. GREG. It is to be obsenTed, that all ha,re Greg.
Ialnps, but all haye not oil. HILARY; The oil is the fruit ubi sup.
of good works, the ves8e18 are the lllunall bodies in whose
inward parts the treasure of a good conscience is to be laid
up. JERO:\IE; 1.'he virgins that ha"e oil are thcy "ho,
besides their faith, have the ornalnent of good works; they
that ha\Te not oil, are they that seenl to confe
s with like
faith, but neglect the ,,'orks of virtue. ArG. Or, 'I'he oil Aug.
denotes jor, according to that, God hath anointed thee

i.:
Pi.
'iviflt 'he oil f!f gladne8s. lIe then whose joy springs not '
fi'oln this that he is inwardly pleasing to God, has no oil
with hinl; for they ha,
e no gladne
s in their continent lives,

b Alluding to the term
tpfAltz'ldP.ØS and designated. S. Cyr. Cat. Oxf. Tr.
i1bmlinafio, h)' which Haptl:'lU \\ as p. 1.

A4li

GOSJtEI.. A('(,OH1)}
G To

CHAP. XXV.

save in the praises of 1nen. Rul tlie 'Irise fnúk oil 'Iritlt their
la1np.
, that is, the gladness of good \\"orks, ill their -t'essels,
that is, they stored it in their heart and conscience, as the
Ga1.6,4. Apostle spea1.s, Let et'er?/1J1an JJ1.o,,'e lzÙllse!f, alld illell .
'Itall
lie hare rejoicing ill lIÎnzse[f, and not ilt another. CHRYS.
Or, The oil denotes charity, ahus, and eycry aid rendered to the
needy; the lan1ps denote the gifts of yirgillity; and I I e calls
then1.foolish, because after having gone through the greater toil,
they lost an for the sake of a less; for it is greater labour
to o\-erCOlne the desires of the flesh than of InOnCr. ORIGE
;
Or, The oil is the \"ord of teaching, ,vith which the vessels
of souls are filled; for what gives so great content as 1110ral
discourse, \\Thich is called the oil of light. Tlte zl"ise took \\"ith
them of this oil, as much as would suffice, though the 'V ord
should tarry long, and be slack to COlne to their consum-
111ation. The "foolish took lanlps, alight indeed at the first,
but not supplied with so 111uch oil as should suffice e\"en
to the end, being careless respecting the provision of doctrine
",'hich cOlnforts faith, and enlightens the laInp of good deeds.
Aug. A UG. For there die of both kinds of lnen in this interval of
ubi sup. tilne before the resurrection of thp dead, and the. Lord's
Greg. cOIning shall be. GREG" To sleep ið to die, to slulnber
ubi sup. before sleep is to faint froin sah-ation before death, because,
by the burden of sickness ".e come to the sleep of death.
JERO:\IE; Or, They slunzbeTed, Í. e. they \vere dead. And
then follows, Aud slept, because they \\'ere to be aftern-ards
wakened. rVlIile tlte brideg1'ooln tarried, she\ys that no
little tiule intervened between the Lord's first and second
cOIning. ORIGEN; Or, ,,-rhilst the bridegroo1l1 tarried, and
the Word comes not speedil.,. to the consu1l1mation of this
life, the senses suffer, shunbering and Illo,-ing in the nigbt
of the world; and sleep, as energizing feebly, and with no
quick sense. Yet did those wise virgins not quit their lanlps,
nor despair of hoarding their oil. J:ERO
IE; rrhe Jews ha\Te
a tradition that Christ will come at Inidnight, in like lnanner
as in that visitation of Egypt, when the Paschal feast is
celebrated, and the destroyer COines, and the Lord passes
o\"cr our dwellings, and the door posts of each luan's counte-
nance al"e hallowed by the blood of the Lainb. II ence, I
suppose, has continued among l1S that apostolic tradition,

\"J;R. 1-13.

:-iT. )-L\TTHE"..

!7

t.hat on tbe vigil of Easter c the people shoulù not be disn1Ïssed
before midnight, in expectation of Christ's coming; but
,vhen that hour has past over, they Inay celebrate the feast
in security; ,,"'hence also the P:.;ahnist says, At JnidJlight Ps. 119,
did I 1"ise to praise thee. _\UG. Or, At 1I1idni!Jhl, that is,

g.
when none knew or looked for it. J ERO){E; Su(ldenly thus, ubi sup.
as on a stormy night, and when all think thenlsel,"es spcure,
at the hour when sleep is the deepest, the cOIning of Christ
shall be proclailned by the shout of Angels, and the trumpets
of the Powers that go before IIÍ1n. This is meant when it
says, Lo, lite bridegroom cometh, go ye out to '1neet him.
HILARY; At the trumpet signal they go forth to 111eet the
bridegrooru alone, for then shall the t\\"o be one, that is, the
flesh and God, \\"hen the lowliness of the flesh shall be trans-
formed into spiritual glory. ..AuG. Or, that the yirgins go A
g.
forth to meet the bridegroom alone, I think is to be under- ubi sup.
stood that the virgins then1selves constitute her \yho is called
the bride; as we speak of the Christians flocking to the Church
as children running to their mother, and yet this same n10ther
consists only of the children ,vho are gathered together. For
now the Church is betrothed, and is to be led forth as a ,'irgin to
the marriage, \vhich takes place then when an her lllortal part
ha,"ing past awaJ',she Inaybe held in an eternal union. ORIGE
;
Or, At '1llidnigltl, that is, at the time of their Inost abandoned
carelessness, there 'llYl.f} a great cry, of the .\ngels, I suppose,
desiring to arouse all men, those Ininistering spirits crying
'within in the senses of all that sleep, Bel/old, tile bridegro01n
cOlnetll, go ye out to l/leet hÙn. All heard this SUl1llnons,
and arose, but all \vere not ahle to tntH their lan1ps fitly.
The lalnps of the senses are triInlned by evangelical and
right use of them; and they that use their senses aroiss
have their lalups untrÏ111med. GREG. Or, All the virgins arose, Greg.
ubi sup.

c " This day was kept an universal obsen-ed it on a double account. Lac-
fast oyer the whole Church. And they tantius, (,-iL 19.) says, ' This is the
continued it not only till evening, but night which we observe, with a per-
till cockcrowing in the morning. The noctation for the Aùvent of our King
night was spent in a Vigil, or Pernoc- and God; of which there is a two-
tation, when they assembled together fold reason to be given; because in
to perform all parts of Divine sE'n-ice. this night our Lord was raisE'd to life
There is frequent mf>ntion made of this again '"'after His Passion; and in the
in ancient writers, Chrysostom, (Horn. same He is expected to return to re-
30. in Gen.) Epiphanius, (Exp. fide n. ceive the kingdom of the world.'"
22.) and many others. Particularly Bingham's Antiquities, xxi. 1. 32.
Lactantius and S. Jerome tell us the)r

H4R

UOSPEI
ACCOHl)[:\(; TO

CI-L\P. XXV.

that is, both elect and reprobate are roused irOn1 the sleep
of death; they I riulJJlcd their lflJJlpS, that is, they reckon up
to thell1selves their works for \vhich they lool\: to receive
Aug. eternal blessedness. AeG. They iJ'lul1/1cd their !toups, that
ubi sup. . 1 . f 1 . 1 1 II
IS, preparcc to gIve an account 0 t 1ell' c eec s. ILARY ;
Or, the trinuning their laInps is the return of their souls into
their bodies, and their light is the consciousness of good
works that shines forth, \vhich is contained in the ,'essels
Greg. of the body. G REG. The lalnps of the foolish ,'irgins go
ubi sup. b I k I . h 1 dl
out, ecause t 1e \vor -s W lIC appearec out\var y to men
to bp bright, are diullned within at the coming of the Judge.
That they then beg oil of the ,vise virgins, ,,'hat is it but
that at the con1Ïng of the Judge, when they find thelnseh'es
cnlpty \vithiu, they seek. for witness froBl \\'ithout? As
though decei,'ed by their own self-confidence, they say to
their neighbours, \\'hcreas ye see us rejected as li,'ing with-
out works, do ye witness to our works that ye have seen.
Aug. ACG. From habit, the n1Ìud seeks that \"hich uses to gi\'e
ubi sup. it pleasure. And these now seek froIH Inen, who see not
the heart, witness to God, who sees the heart. But their
lan1ps go out, because those, whose good \yorl{s rest upon
the testÏ1nony of others, \vhen that is withdra\vn, sink into
nothing. J ERO:ME; Or, l.'hese \'irgins \"ho coulplain that their
lan1ps are gone out, shew that they are partially alight, yet
ha"e they not an unfailing light, nor enduring ,,'orks. 'Vhoso
then has a virgin soul, and is a loyer of chastity, ought not
to rest content with such virtues as quickly f
lde, and are
\vithered a"'ay when the heat conlCS upon theIn, but should
follo\v after perfect \'irtues, that he Inay ha"e an enduring
light. CHRYS. Or othen,'is0; These \'irgins were foolish,
not only because they departed hence, lacking store of mercy,
but because they deml1cd to receive it froln those of \VhOlll
they iU1portunately begged it. For though nothing could
be Inore Inerciful than those \-vise virgins, who for this very
Inerciful11ess were approved, yet \yould they not grant the
prayer of the foolish \'irgins. But the wise answered,
aying,
Not so, lest there be not enough JOI" liS (l.ud you,. hence
\ve learn that none of us shall be able in that day to stand
I 9feðD''Tn- forth as patron 1 of those who are betrayed hy their own ,Yor1
s,
Ill() 110t because he will not, but because he cannot. J EnO
IE ;
For these wise virginR do not answer thu
ont of co"etou
n(-'s
,

VER. 1-13.

T. :\L\TTIIE\V.

84H

hut out of fcar. ""'herefore, each ßlall shall rccei\"e the
recolUpenSf' of his own \\"ork
, and the virtues of one cal1-
not atone for the ,"ices of another in the day of judglnent.
The ,,"ise admonish thenl not to go to l11eet the bridcgroonl
,,"ithout oil, Go ye ratlter to i ltelll that sell, and buy.for YOll r-
selt'es. IIIL.\.RY; They tltat sell are the poor, ,,-ho, needing
the ahns ?f the faithful, I11ade thel11 that recolnpense which
they desire, selling in return for the relief afforded to their
""ants, a consciousness of good works. This is the abundant
fuel of an undying light which may be bought anrl stored
up for the fruits of InerCr. CHRYS. ì P ou see then ho\v
great mere hants the poor are to us; but thf' poor arc not
there, but here, and therefore ,,;'e nUlst store up oil here, that
we 111ay ha\re it to use there when occasion shall require'.
J EROl\IE; .And this oil is sold, and at a high cost, nor is it
to be got without Inuch toil; so that we understand it not
of ahns only, but of all \-irtues and counsels of the teachers.
ORIGE
; Otherwise; Kotwithstanding they were foolish,
they yet understood that they Inust ha'"e light to go and
111eet the bridegroOll1, that all the lights of their senses Inight
be burning. This also they discerned, that because ther had
little of the spiritual oil, their lall1pS would burn diln as
darkness dre,,," on. But the ,vise send the foolish to thos

that 8e11, seeing that they had not stored up so llluch oi],
that is, word of doctrine, as would suffice both for thcnlSeh"es
to live by, and to teach others, Go ye rat Iter to tl,eul that
sell, i. e. to the doctors, and buy, i. e. take of theIll; the price
is perseverance, the love of learning, industry, ani! toil of
all ,vho are wining to learn. .AL'"G. Or \ve ma) suppose it Aug.
not nleant a
advice what they should do, but as an indirect ubi sup.
allusion to their fault. For flatterer:s :"\ell oil, \\"ho by praising
things false, and things unknown, lead souls astray, reconl-
mending to theIn, as foolish, empty joys, and receiving in
return son1e ten1poral benefit. Go ye rather to tlielJl tluif
sell, and buy for YOllrseh'es, i. e. Let us 1l0\V see what they
can profit you who have used to sell you their praise. Lest
there be not enough for us and Y01(, because no IHan is profited
in God's sight by the testilllony of others) because God sees
the heart, and each Inan is scarce able to o'i,pe testinl011'.
o .
concerning his own conscience. JEROME; But because the
VOL. I. 3 I

8;}( J

(;....
lJEL _\C(,OHl)I
(-i To

CIIAP. )\.X'.

8eason for buying ,,,as now past, and the day of judgl11cnt
,vas cOIning on, so that there 'Yas no rOUll1 for penitence,
they nlust not no\v lay up new works, but giye an account
of the old. HILARY; Tile 1Jlarr iage is the putting on of
ilnlnortality, and the joining together corruption and incor-
ruption in a new union. CH RYS. That, lVliile they
{jellt to
buy, SbC\\TS that even, if we should becolne luercifnl after
death, it will avail us nothing to escape punishlnent, as it
was no profit to the rich Ulan, that he became merciful and
careful about those who belonged to hinl. ORIGF.
; Or,
He says, Ji'ltile they lDf!1l1 to buy, because there are ll1en
to be found who have neglected to learn any thing useful,
till when, in the very end of their life, "Then they set t11eln-
Aug. selv'es to learn, they aTe overtaken by death. ...\.UG. Or
ubi sup. otherwise; IV/life they 'lvent to buy, that is, \vhile they
turned theulselves to things without, and sought to find
p1easure in t11ings they had been accustolned to, because
they l{ne
' not inward joys, came He that judges; and they
thai u"ere ready, i. e. they \-vhose conscience bore l\'itness
to them before God, '!rent in u'ith hÙn. to the u:edding, i. e.
to \vhere the pure soul is united prolific to the pnre and
perfect ,yord of G-od. J ER01\IE; After the day of judgll1ent,
there is no n10re opportunity for good \yorks, or for righ-
teousness, and therefore it follow
, Anll the door 1["08 sh lit.
Aug. AUG. 'Vhen they have been taken in who ha \"e been changed
ub C i sup. into angelic being, all entrance into the kil1gdolll of heaven
I Of.
15, 51. is closed; after the judgment, there is no lllore place for
prayers or luerit. IIILAltY; y
et though the season of re-
pentance is now past, the foolish \yirgins conle and beg that
entrance: lllay be granted to theln. JERO)IE; Their worthy
confession calling JliIn, Lord, Lord, is a lnark of faith. But
,yhat a\yails it to confess \vith the 1110uth Hiln whom you
Gloss. deny with your works? GLOSS. Gripf at their exclusion
A ap . 1 extorts fronl them a repetition of this title of Lord; they
Dse m.
can not Hiul Father, whose nlcrcy they despised in their
Aug. lifetilne. AUG. It is not said that they bought any oil, and
ubi !=\up. therefore ,YC nlust suppose that all their delight in the praise
of Inen being gone, they return in distress and affliction to
inlPlore God. But I-lis severity, after judgment, is as great
a
Jli
rnercy was un
peakahlp before. But Hp 01l.'?lf"P1"Pt!

'YEn. 1-1-:30.

:-\T.
r.\TTIIE\V.

851

lIlId said, rerily I say UI/to you, I knuN" you nol; Ly that
rule, umnely, that the art of God, that i
, 11 is wisdoIll, does
not adluit that those should enter into [lis joy who have
songht to do in any thing according to I-lis cOl1unauchnenbs,
not as before God, but that they Inay please tHen. J ERO::\[E ;
For lite Lord knou'eilt tlie1Jl that are his, and he that l
noweth 2 Tim.
I II Ù k I } 1 , b . .. . 2 19.
not S la not e ynown, auc t IOUg 1 tuey e '.UglllS In punty ,
of body, or in confession of the true faith, yet fOraSl1HICh as
they have no oil, they are unkno\vn by the bridegroom. 'Vhen
He adds, Tf 7 aich therefore, because ye know not the day 1101'
the !tour, He Jneans that aU that has been said points to
this, nanlely, that seeing we know' not the day of judglnent,
,ve should be careful in providing the light of good \\.orks.
AUG. For indeed we know the day and the hour neither of Aug.
that future tilne when the BridegrooIl1 will conle, nor of our ubi sup.
own falling asleep each of us; if then we be prepared for
this latter, we shall also be prepared when that voice shall
sonnd, which shaH arouse us all. ID. There ha'"e not been Aug.
. h h ld .i". } .. } Ep.199
wantlng t ose W 0 'YOU re1er t lPse ten vIrgIns to t lat 45. '
con1ing of Christ, which takes place now in the Church;
but this is not to be hastily held out, lest any thing should
occur contradictory of it.

14. For the kingdo111 of heaven is as a 111an travelling
into a far country, \vho caUed his o\vn servants, and
delivered unto them his goods.
15. And unto one he gave five talents, to another
t\VO, and to another one; to every lTIan according to
his seyeral ability; and straight\vay took his journey.
16. Then he that had rece 1 ved the five talents
\vent and traded ,vith the
alne, and made them
other five talents.
17. .And like\vise he that had received t\'"o, he
also gained other t\""O.
18. But he that had received one ,vent and digged
in the eart}l, and hid his lord's money.
19. After a long time the lord of those servants
cOlneth, and reckoneth \vith theln.
;3 I t

852

GOSPEL A.CCOUDIl';G TO

CHAP. XXV.

20. And so he that had received five talents came
and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou
deliveredst unto 111e five talents: behold, I have
gained beside them five talents more.
21. His lord said unto hiln, 'Veil done, thou
good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful
over a few things, I ,viII make thee ruler over lnany
things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
22. He also that had received t\yO talents CRlne
and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me t\VO t.alents :
behold, I have gained tw.o other talents beside theln. .
23. His lord said unto him, 'V ell done, good and
faithful servant; t.hou hast been faithful over a fe,,,
things, I ,,,ill make thee ruler over many things:
enter thou int.o the joy of thy Jord.
24. Then he which had received the one talent
caIne and said, Lord, I kne,v thee that thou art
an hard man, reaping ,vhere thou hast not sown, and
gathering- where thou hast not st.rawed :
25. And I "Tas afraid, and ,vent and hid thy talent
in the earth: 10, there thou hast that is thine.
26. His lord ans\vercd and said unt.o hiln, Thou
wicked and slothful servant, thou kne\vest that I
reap where I sowed not, and gather \vhere I have
not strawed :
27. Thou oughtest therefore to have put nlY money
to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should
have received my own ,vith usury.
28. Take therefore the talent from him, and give
it unto him \vhich hath ten talents.
29. For unto everyone that hath shall be given,
and he shall have abundance: but from him t.hat hat.h
not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
30. And cast ye the unprofit.able servant into outer
darkness: there shall be \veeping and gnashing of teeth.

VE R. 1.1-30.

:-\T.
L\.TTHE'C

953

GLOSS. In the foregoing parable is set forth the conùellHl- Glo
:-:.
. . ] h 1 fl " t . 1 i" . t1 I . non ocC'.
atIon of suc 1 as a\
e not preparec su JClen 01 101 lenlse \ es,
wht'thcr by oil is lllcant the brightness of good \yorks, or
ill,,
ard jor of con
cience, or ahns paid in llloncy. CHRYS.
".fhis parable is deli\'ercd against those ,,-ho ,,-ill not assist
their neighbonrs either with nloney, or words, or in any
other way bu
hide all that they have. GREG. The lnan Greg. .
, Hom.m
travelling into a far country is our Redeenler, \\'ho ascended Ev. ix,l.
into hea,'en in that flesh which lIe had taken upon Hiu).
For thc proper hOl1le of the flesh is the earth, and it, as it
,vere, travels into a foreign country, when it is placed by
the Redeelner in he
l\-en. ORIGEX; lIe tra\-els, not according
to His divine nature, but according to the dispensation of
thp flesh which He took upon Hiln. For He who sars to
IIis disciples, Lo, I ant leillt you alway.,;, eren unto llie l\lat.28,
end Q/ tlte 1t'o1'Ül, is the Only-Begotten God, who is not 20.
circlnn
cribed by bodily forn). By saying this, \\'e do not
disunite Jesus, but attribute its proper qualities to each con-
stituent substance. "r e Inay also explain thus, that the Lord
tra'"el
in a far country with all those who \valk by ÜtÏth and
not by 8ight. _\nd when \\Te are absent frotn the body with
the Lord, then \yill He also be \vith us. Obsenre that the
turn of expression is not thus, I anI like, or '"The Son of :\lan
i
like, it Juan lrarelling into a .far couulry, because He is
represented in the parable as tray elling, not as the Son of
God, but as Ulan. J ERO)IE; Calling together the Apostles,
lIe gaye then} the Go
pel doctrine, to one nlore, to another
less, not as of IIis own bounty or scanting, but as Ineetil1g the
capacity of tll(
receÍ\'er
, as the Apostle says, that he fed 1 Cor.
with nÜlk those that "
ere unahle to take solid food. 3, 2.
In the fh'e, two, and one taleut, we recognise the dÏ\.er
ity
of gifts wherewith we have becH entrusted. OlUGEN;
'\
henev('r you see of those \vho ha\
e recei\
ed fi'onl Christ
a dispensation of the oracles uf God that SOBle haye 11101'0
and SOlne less; that SOIHe haxe not in cOlnparison of the
better sort half an understanding of things; that others ha,-e
still less ; you will percei,-e the difference of those ,,"ho ha\Te
all of thenl }'ecei ,red fronl Christ oracles of God. 'fhey to
WhOlll fj,-e talents were giyen, and they to WhOl11 two,alld they to
whonl one, have di,'crs degrees of capacity, and onc could not
hold the Inea
ure of another; he who received but onr

854

GOSPEL ACCOl{DI
G TO

CHAP. XXY.

having received no 111ean endOW1l1cnt, fOI" one talent of such
a 111aster is a great thing. His proper servants are three,
as there are three sorts of those that bear fruit. II e that
recei\Ted five talents, is he that is able to raise all the Inean-
ing
of the Scriptures to their lnore divine significations; he
that has t \,TO is he that has been taught carnal doctrine, (for
two seenlS to be a carnal nUlnber,) and to the less strong the
. Greg. l\Iastf'r of the housellold has givcn one talent. r.iREG. Other-
ubi sup. wise; The fi \Te talents denote the gift of the five senses, that
is, the knovdcdge of things \yithout; the two signify nnder-
Gloss. standing and action, the one talent understanding only. GI.OSS.
ord. l 1 l'
.Au( straigldlcay tOOI\' his journey, not changing his })lace,
but leaying theul to their o,,'n frcewill and choice of action.
JERO:\fE; He that !lad J'eceil,'ed,live talents, that is, having
recei\red his hodi]y sanses, he douhled his knowledge of
}H
a'.ellly things, fro111 the creature understanding the Creator,
(+
eg. Ü'on1 earthly unearthly, fronl teInporal the eternal. GREG.
ubI sup. 1.'here are also SOl1le ,yho though they cannot pierce to things
inward and lnystical, yet for their Ineasure of ,-ie\v of their hea-
yenly country they teach rightly such things as they can, \vhat
1hey ha,re gathered fronl things \vithout, and while they keep
theulS2h r es ii'ou1 \vantonness of thJ flesh, and froln aln1)ition
of earthly things, and froln the delights of the things that are
seen, they restrain oth('rs also fi'ou1 the saIne hy their achno-
nitiolls. UUlGEX; Or, r-rhe.v that have tIlf'Ïr senses exercised
by healthy con\.er
ation, hoth raising thelnselvcs to higher
kllOw]cflge and zealous ill teaching others, these lIa \re gained
other li\'e; because no one can easily ha\Te increase of any
virtues that are not his own, and \vithollt he teaches others
what he hill1sclf knows, and no Inore. IIILARY; Or, That
sernlnt who received fi \re talents is the people of be-
lie\'ers under the La\\T, who beginning \vith that, doubled their
Greg. 1l1erit by the right oberlience of an e\'angelic faith. GREG.
ubI I5Up. Again, there are some who by their understanding and their
actions preaclJ to others, and thence gain as it \Yere a t\vofo]d
profit in such ln
rchanrlize. This their preaching bestowed
upon both sexes is thus a talent doubled. ORIGEN; Or,
gained other fiCO, that is, carnal instruction, and another yet
a little hjgher. If ILA TIT; Or, the sernll1Ì to whon1 1"'0 talents
\vere comn1Ïtted is the people of the Gentiles justifi('d h.v the
faith and coufessitlll of the Ron and of the Father, confessing'

V.ER. Il-;30.

ST.
L\TTIlE\".

55

our Lord Jesus Chri:-ìt, to be both God and 1\Ian, both SpÏ1it
and Flesh. These are the t\VO talents comlnitted to this servant.
But as the Jew"ish people doubled by its belief in the Gospel
every Sacralnent which it had learned in the Law, (i. e. its
fixe talents,) so this people by its use of its two talents Inerited
ull<lerstanding and working. GREG. To hide one's talent in G
eg.
the earth is to de,'ote the ability we have recei\Tcd to worldly ubi sup.
business. OlUGEX; Or otherwise; "
hen rou see one who
has the power of teaching, and of benefitting souls, hiding this
power, though he Inay ha,'e a certain religiousness of life,
doubt not of sue h an one that he has received one talent and
hides it in the earth. HIL\RY; Or, This scrvant who bas
recei'Ted onB talent and hid it in the ca11h is the people that
continue in the Law, \yho through jealousy of the sal\ration of
the GèntHes hidf' the tal
nt they ha,'e received in the earth.
:For to hide a talent in the earth is to hide the glory of the
ne\\" preaching through oÍlence at the Passion of His Body.
I-lis con1Ïng to reckon with thel}} is the assize of the day of
judgment. 0 RIG EX; And note here that the sen"ants do not
COllJe to the Lord to be judged, but the Lord shall CUllle to
thenl when the tilne shall be accolnplished. After it long
ti1Jle, that is, when lIe has sent forth such as are fitted to
bring about the salyation of souls, and perhaps for this reason
it is not easy to find one who is quite fit to pass forthwith out
of this life, as is 111anifest from this, that e,-en the Apostles
li,'ed to old age; for exaInple, it was said to Peter, TT71en tholt John
.
ltalt be old, thou shall stretcltfortlt. thy hand; and Paul says 21,18.
to PhileUlon, ...\r OlL " as Paul the lIged. CHRYS. Observe also
that the Lord does not require the l"eckoning iuuuediately,
that you IHay learn IIis long suffering. To me He seelns to
say this co\-ertly, alluding to the resurrection. JERO
IE; After
a long [line, because there is a long iuten-al between the
Saviour's ascension and His second conling. GREG. This Greg.
lesson fi-OUl this Gospel warns us to consider \\.hether those, ubi sup.
who seelU to ha\-e recei,.cd more in this \yorId than others,
shall llOt be 1110re severely judged by t1H
A utho}" of the world;
the greater th8 gifts, the greater the reckoning for them.
Therefore should cvery one be hunlble concerning his talents
in proportion as he sees hilnself tied up with a greater respon-
sibility. ()RIGES; lIe who had received fi\'e talents con)c

J6

c;OSPEL ,;\('('on DI
G TO

CHAP. XX,".

Greg. first \vith boldness before his Lord. GREG. And bringing his

n talents doubled, he is COll11llf'uded by his Lord, and is sent
2. into eternal happiness. It.-\.BAN. Ir'ell done is an inteljection
of joy ; the Lord shewing us therein the joy with \vhich I-Ie
in,'ites the senTant \vho labours wen to eternal bliss; of,vhich
Ps. 16, the Prophet speaks, Iu lhy presence is fuIn ess of joy. CHRYS.
11. Tllou .qood servant, this he 111eans of that goodness ,vhich is
Gloss. she"'n towards ourneiO'hbour. GLOSS. Faith/it!, because he
non oee. 0 'J
appropriated to hilllself none of those things which \vere his
lurd's. J EROl\l E; lIe
ays, Tllou 1l,'astjrLit l
flll ill ajèll" thing8,
because aU that we have at present though they seem great
and nlan)", yet in cOlnparison of thp things to cutne are little
G l
eg. and few. GREG. 'rhe faithful servant is set over lnan y thin g s,
U )J sup.
when ha,'ing overcome the afflictions of curruption, he joys
with eternal joy in that 11eavenly seat. lIe is then fully ad-
n1itted to the joy of his IJord, when taken in to that abiding
country, and nlunhered a1110ng the cOlnpanies of Angels, he
has such inward joy for this gift, that there is no room for out-
,yard sorrow at his corruption. J EUOl\IE; "That greater thing
can be given to a faithful servant than to be with his lAOI'd,
and to see his Lord's joy? CHRYS. By this 'YOI'd joy He ex-
d Au T g .. presses cOl11plete blessedness.
-\UG. This \vill be our perfect
e nn.
i. 8. joy, than \vhich is none greater, to have fruition of that Di-
vine Trinity in \vhose Ï1nage ,ve were n1ade. JEROME; The
servant who of fi,re talents had lnade ten, and he who of t\\'.o
}1ad luadc four, are received with equal favour by the l\iaster
of the household, who looks not to the largeness of their profit,
but to the disposition of their \vilI. ORIGEN; That He says
of both Ù1ese ser\.ants that they ca1Jze, we luuSt understand of
their passing out of this ,,'orId to Hinl. ...ind obser\'e that
the same \vas said to theln both; he that had less capacity,
but that which he had, he exercised after such manner as he
ought, shall have no ,,,hit less with God than he who has a
greater capacity; for all that is required is that \vhate,'"er a
luan has fi'01l1 God, he should use it all to the glory of God.
Gleg. G REG. The servant who would not trade with his talent
Hom. in t I . L I . h d f . J F
E\". ix. re urns to us ore 'VIt \vor s 0 excuse. EROl\IE; or
:{. truly that which is \vrittcn, To offer e.1:CllSeS e
't'cusing sin.

i
' 1 u, happened to this servant, so that to slothfulness and idleness
was added also the sin of pride. For he who ought to have

VEH. 14-30.

ST. l\IATTHE\Y.

857

honestly acknowledged his fault, and to have entreated the
l\laster of the household, on the contrary CR\rils against hiIn,
and avers that he did it with provident design, lest \vhile he
sought to Inake profit he should hazard the capital. ORIGEN;
'l'his servant seems to me to have been one of those \vho
belie,'e; but do not act honestly, concealing their faith, and
doing e"ery thing that they Iuay not be known to be Chris-
tians. They who are such seelll to Iue to have a fear of God,
and to regard IIim as austere and itl1placable. 'Ve indeed
understand ho\v the Lord reaps where lIe so\vecl not, be-
cause the righteous Ulan SO\YS in the Spirit, "'hereof he shall
reap life eternal. Also lIe reaps where lie so\ved not, and
gathers where he scattered not, because He counts as bestowed
upon Himself all that is sown anlong the poor. JERO)IE;
...-\lso, by this which this servant dared to say, Tholll 'reapest
'lellere tholl sou.:edst /lot, we understand that the Lord accepts
the good life of the Gentiles and of the Philosophers. GREG. G
eg.
TIut there are luany within the Church of whom this servant ubi sup.
is a type, \vho fear "to set out on the path of a better life, and
yet are not afraid to continue in carnal indolence; they
esteelU thelnsel ,.es sinners, and therefore trelnble to take up
the paths of holiness, but fcarlessly rell1ain in their O\Vll
iniquities. HILARY; Or, By this servant is understood the
Jewish people \vhich continues in the Law, and says, I
(:as
(!fraid of t/tee, as through fear of the old cOlnmandments
abstaining from the exercise of evangelical liberty; and it
says, Lo, there is that is thine, as though it had continued in
those things which the Lord cOlnmanded, when yet it kne\v
that the fruits of righteousness should be reaped there, where
the LiHV had not been sown, and that there should be ga-
thered from anlong the Gentiles SOllie ,,
ho \\'ere not scattered
of the seed of _-\bl'aham. JERO:\IE; But ,,,hat he thought
would be his excuse is turned into his cOlldenlnation. He
caBs hilll ,cicked servant, because he cavilled against his
Lord; and slothful, because he would not double his talent;
condemning his pride in the one, and his idleness in the other.
If you lUle\V l11e to be hard and austere, and to seek after other
lnen's goods, you should also have kno\vn that I exact \vith
the l110re rigour that is luine own, and should have given 11lY
Hloney to the bankers; for the Greek \vord here (Òt
yúPIOY)

858

GOSPEL _\CCuIUH
G TO

CHAP. XXY.

Ps.12,6.1neaus Inouey. The Icords oj' tlte Lord are pit re u;onls, sil-
ver l1'ied ill the fire. The Inoney, or silver, then are the
preaching of the Gospel and the hea\'enly word; \vhich
ought to be gi\"Cl1 to the bank8rs, that is, either to the other
doctors, which the Apostles did \vhen they ordained Priests
and Bishops throughout the citie3; or to all the helie\'ers,
\\'ho can double the sun1 and restore it with usury hy fulfilling
Greg. in act \vhat they have learned in word. GREG. So then \ve

:n see as well the peril of the teachers if they \vithhold the Lord's
4. nIone.v, as that of the hearers frolll \VhOlll is exacted \vith
usury that they have heard, nalne1}", that frOln what they ha,-e
heard they should strive to understand that they haye not
heard. ORIGES; The Lord did not allo\v that lIe was (t
hard 1nall as the servant supposed, but He assented to all
11Ïs other words. But He is indeed hard to those \vho abuse
the luercy of God to suffer then1selves to becolne relniss, and
Greg. use it not to be converted. GREH. I-iet us hear naw the
ubi sun. b 1 . h h L 1 1 h 1 1 f ' 1
! sent
nce y W lIC t e OfC con( elnns t e S 01..1 u ser-
Yant, Tah
e away.froJJt hÙn tile talent, and give it fo hhn lltal
hath len talents. ORIGEN; The I..oril is able by the Inight
of l-lis divinity to take a\vay his ahility froln the man \\?ho is
slacl{ to use it, and to give it to hin1 who has ilnprO\yecl his
Greg. own. GREG. It Inight seem 1n01'e seasonable to have given

:n it rather to hinl \vho had two, than to hÏ1n who had five. But
5. as the fi\Te talents denote the kno\\?ledgB of things ,vithout,
the two understanding and action, he ,yho had the two had
11101'e than he who had the five talents; this Inan with his five
talents lnerited the adlnil1istration of things without, but was
yet ,vithont any understanding of things eternal.
rh0 one
talent therefore, \vl1Ïch we say signifies the intellect, ought to
be gi\Ten tu hilTI ,yho had adulÌniHtered well the things without
which he had receivcd; the saIne we see happ211 e\?cry clay
in the Holy Church, that they ,,"ho a(hninister faithfully things
without, are also Inighty in the in\\
ard understanding. .J EROl\IE;
Or, it is given to Ì1Î1n who had gained five talents, that we ll1ay
understand that thou
h the IJord's joy over the labour of each
be equal, of hiln who doubled the five as of him who doubled
the two, yet is a greater re\vard due to hiln \vho laboured
Greg.. In01'e in the Lord's Inoney. GREG. Then fono\\
s a

.

:n general scn!ence, For to el'ery one that "ailt shall be given,
6.

VEfl. 14.-30.

T.
L\TTHE'\".

85H

aud he sllall lllu
e abuudance, but t'roJJl ltiJJt tltat hath 1101,
et'ell thai uJhicÍl he 8ee171ellt to lia
'e shall be lal..'ell It'tcay.
For "rhosoever has charity rccei,-es the other gifts also; but
\vhosoc\'er has not charity loses e,'en the gifts which he
seelned to hnxe had. CHRYS. Also he ,,'ho has the graces of
- '-'
cloqncnc
and of teaching to profit withal, and uses it not,
loses that grace; but he who d08S his endeavour in putting it
to use acquires a larger share. J ERO:ME; l\Iany also who
are natnrally clever and ha"e sharp wit, if they becon1e neg-
lectfill, and hy disuse spoil that gOOd they have by nature,
these do, in cOinparison of hin1 \\"110 b8ing sorne\vhat dull hy
nature cOlllpcnsates by industry and pain
.taking his back-
wardness, lose their natural gift, and see the reward prol11is
cl
then. pass away to others. But it Inay also be understood
thus; To hiln who has faith, and a right will in the Lord,
c\"en if he conle in aught short in deed as being ulan, shan be
gi\"cn by tbe lnerciful Judge; but he \\'ho has not Üjth, shall
lose e'.en the other virtues which he seeIns to have naturally.
And lIe
aYR careful1y, FroJJ1 hÙn ilial hath not, shall be
taken ({!Ca.'1 ereu tlull 'lDltich he seeJllelh to hat'e, for wha!.-
soc,.er is without faith in Christ onght not to be iInputèd to
hinl ,-rho uses it an1is
, but to IJiln ,vho gi,'es the goods of
nature {'yen to a wicked SCITant. GI\EG. Or, "thoso has not Grt>g.
I . 1 h 1 . 1 . 1 1 1 ubi sup.
C ulnty, loses even t ose t nngs w 11C 1 Ie seenlS to It.l''e re-
ceived. II ILARY; ...\u<1 on those ,,,ho lwxe the pri,-ilege of the
(;os]Jcls, the honour of the Law is also conferred, but fi'oul
hill) who has not the faith of Christ is takc}) away e,-en th3.t
honour ".hich seelI1cd to be his through the Law. CHRYS.
'rhc wickeù SC'lTant is punished not only hy 10:;s of his talent,
but Ly intolerable infliction, and a denunciation in accusation
joined therewith. ORIGEN; Illio rJu/(!r darkJless, where is
no light, perh
ps not p'-en physical light ; and where C
od is
not secn, but those who are cOndenllll'd thereto are condelnncd
as unworthy the conteInplation of God. ",.. e han:' al
o read
SOIlIC aIle IH:'fore ns expounding this of the darkn('
s of that
ab yss which is ont
ide the \yorld, as though un\vorthy of the
world, they we're cast out into that abyss, where is darkness
\\'ith none to lighten it. (-ì-REG. And thus for punisllll1ent he Greg.
h III t . t t d k 1 1 f
h . f
... ubi sup.
s a )l' cas III 0 on er ar "ness W
10 nas 0 IS own ree WIll
fanCH into inward darkness. .J EnO
!.E; ""'hat i
v;-ccping and

suo

GOSPEL ACCOUDING TO

CHAP. XXV.

gnashing of teeth \ve ha\yc
aid above. CHRYS. Obsen-e that
not only he ,vho robs others, or \vho \vorks evil, is punished
\vith extreme pnnisll1nent, but he also who docs not good
Greg. ,yorks. GREG. Let hilll then \vho has understanding look
Ho
. in that he hold not his peace; let hiu} who has affiuence not be
Ev. IX. .
7. dead to Inercy; let hiln who has the art of gUIding life com-
lllunicate its use with his neighbour; and hilll \vho has t1le
faculty of eloquence intercede \vith the rich for the poor. For
the very least endoWlnent will 1,e reckoned as a talent entrusted
for use. ORIGEN; If you are offended at tIns \Ye havc
said, nalnely that a Ulan shall be judged if he does not teac It
I Cor. others, can to ulind the Apostle's words, 1Voe is unLo }}le if' I
9, 16. preach 1I0t the Gospel.

31. 'Vhen the Son of man shaH COlne in his glory,
and all the holy angels ,vith hinI, then shall he sit
npon the t.hrone of his glory:
32. And before hin} shall be gathered all nations:
and he shall separate then1 one froin another, as a
shepherd divideth his sheep fron1 the goats:
33. And he shall set the sheep on his right h
lnd,
but the goats on the left.
34. Then shall the King say unto thelll on his
right hand, Come, ye blessed of nlY Father, inherit
the kingdoIll prepared for you froln the foundation of
the ,vorld :
35. For I ,vas an hungred, and ye gave me lneat:
I \vas thirsty, and ye gave lne drink: I was a stranger,
and ye took me in :
36. Naked, and ye clothed nle: I ,vas
ick, and ye
visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto 11le.
;37. Then shall the righteous ans\ver hÏ1n, saying,
Lord, ,vhen sa\v \ve thee an hungred, and fed thee?
or thirsty, and gave thee drink '?
38. 'Vhcn sa \v ,ve thee a stranger, and touk thee
in? or naked, and clothed thee!

YEn. 31-.1.:).

ST. :\L\TTHE"-.

GI

39. Or \vhen Sa"
\ve thee sick, or In prison, and
canle unto thee?
40. And the I(ing shall answer and say unto thenl,
V eril y I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it
unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have
done it unto nle.
41. Then shall he say also unto them on the left
hand, Depart fronl me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire,
prepared for the devil and his angels:
42. For I ,vas an hungred, and ye gave me no
lneat: I "'as thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43. I ,vas a stranger, and ye took Ine not in:
naked, and ye clothed nle not: sick, and in prison,
and ye yisited lne not.
44. Then shall they also ans\ver him, saying, Lord,
\vhen sa,v \ve thee an hungred, or athirst, or a
stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not
Ininister unto thee?
45. Then shall he ans\ver thein, saying, Verily I
say unto you, Inaslnuch as ye did it not to one of the
least of these, ye did it not to Ine.

RABA
. After the parables concerning the end of the ,vorld
the Lord proceeds to describe the nlanner of the j udgnlcnt to
C0111e. CHTIYS. To this n10st sweet section ofScriptnre which Chry
.
we cease not continually to ponder, let us now listen ,vith alll

l
..
attention and c01upunction of f'pÏ1'it, for Christ does indeed
clothe this discourse with luore terrors and yividncss. lIe docs
not accordingly say of this as of the others, Tile kingdom nJ'
hearen is like, but shews ofIIÏ1nselfby directre\Telation, saying,
JT/hen tile Son oj.1nan shall C0171e in his 'Juajesty. JERO:\IE;
lIe \vho \vas \\-ithin two days to celebrate the passover, to ùe
deli\-ered to the cro
s, and nlocked by lnen, fitly no," holds
out the glory of Ilis trilunph, that lIe lllay overbalance the
offences that were to follow by the promise of reward. And
it is to be noted, that lIe ,vho shaH be seen in majesty is the
Son of
Ian. ACG. The wicked and they also who shall be Aug.
in Joan.
Tr.21.

G

(;OSPEJ. ACCORDING TO

('HAP. XXv.

set on IIis right hand shall see J lilH in lannan
hapc, for 1 Ie
shall appear in the judgn)cnt in that fOrIn \vhich He took on
Hinl fÌ'onl us; hut it shall be afterwards that II e shall ùe seen
in the fOrIn of God, for which all the believers long. REl\IIG.
'These words o\'erthrow the error of those \\rho said that dIP
Lord should not continue in the salHe fornl of a
l'rVallt. By
llis nU7jesty, He 1neans His di\-illity, in \yhich lIe i
equal to the
Father and the l-loly f'pirit. ORIGE
; Or, lIe shall come
again with glory, that His body Inay he such as when lIe wa:".
transfigured on the U10unt. His throne is either certain of
Ps. 122, the lllore perfect of the Saints, of whonl it is \vritten, For iI/ere
5. llre set thrones in judg171ellt; or certain ,Angelic Powers of
Co!. 1, Wh0111 it is said, Thrones or d01JzillioJ1s. A VG. He shall conle

g. do\vn with the Angels ,vhonl lIe shall cal] ii'onI heavenly
de
iv. places to holdjudg111ent. CHRYS. For all hi.,;
lngels shall be
Del, xx. . 1 1. b . h 1 . l . 1 1 I
24. lrtf " IU11l to ear wItness to t e t nngs \\r lere111 t 1ey la '"e ac-
Aug. Ininistered to n1en's salvation at His bidding. ACG. Or, by
Serm. Angels here He 1neans 111en \\7ho shall judge with Christ; for
351, 8.
Angels are Inessengers, and such we rightly understand aU
who ha\re brought tidings of heavenly sah 7 ation to ]11en.
REl\IIG. Aud allnafions shall be gathered before Hiuz. These
Aug. words prove that the resurrection of 1nen shall be real.
\.VG.

e

. This gathering shall be executed by the 111inistry of Angels,
24. as it is said in the Psahn, Gather to lthn !tis saints. ORIGEl\"";
Ps. 50, I d 1 1 . f I I . 1
5. Or, we neec not un erstanc t 11S 0 a ocal gat lenng toget 1er,
but that the nations shall be no l110re dispersed in di\7crs and
false doglnas concerning Hi111. For Christ's divinity shall be
Inanifested so that not even sinners shan any longer be ignorant
of lIinl. He shall not then she\v l-litnself as Son of God in one
place and not in another; as lIe sought to express to ns by
the cOlllparison of the lightning. So as long as the ,,'icked
kno\v neither theu1selves nor Christ, or the righteous see
1 Cor. through a glass darkly, so long the good are not se\'ered fronl
13, 12. the evil, but when by the 111anifestation of the Son of God all
shall COlne to the kno\vledge of Hiln, then shaH the Sa,-iour
seyer the goorl froin the e\-il; for then shall sinners see their
sins, and the righteous shan see clearly to \vhat end the seeds
of righteousness in the111 haye led. They that are saved arc
calleel sheep by reason of that Inildness which they ha\'e learnt
l\lat.l1, oflIin1 \\'ho
aid, Learn of 1Jle, for I tUU 17zeek aud low!.,/, and
.29. . .

VEIL
3 J--1;).

T. :\L\TTHE".

R6:3

hccansc they are ready to gü c-\'cn to death in in1Ïtation of
Christ, who u'as led as a sheeJ} to tile s!flughh:r. Thp wicked, I
a. 53,
ar
called goats, because they climb rough and rugged rocks,7.
aud \valk in dangerous p1:1CCS. CHRYS. 0.., He calls the one
sheep and the other goats, to denote the unprofitableness of
the one, and the fruitfulness of the other, for sheep arc greatly
producti,.e in fleece, uIilk, and lanlbs. G LOSS. l.
nder the figure Gloss.
of a sheep in Scripture is signified silnplicity and innocence. non occ.
Beautifully then in this place are the elect denotpd by sheep.
JERO
IE; Also the goat is a salacious anin]al, and was the
offering for sins in tbe La,v; and lIe says not' she goats'
\vhich can produce young, and C01fte up shorn.froln the was/t- Song of
. C Tl H 1 . 1 0 Solomon
'lug. HRYS. leu e separates t lelll In pace. RIGEX ; 4, 2.
For the 8aints who have wrought right works, shall receive in
recol11pense of their rigllt \"orks the King's right hand, at
\vhich is rest and glory; but thp ,vicked for their e,'il and
sinister deeds ha,ye fallen to the left hand, that is, into th

ll1isery of torments. Then shall the King say to those ,,'ho
are on his r(qlll hand, Conie, that in whatsoe,'"er they are be-
hind t11ey lnay nlake it up when they are mOTe perfectly united
to Christ. He adds, ye ble8
ed qf l'ny Father, to shew how
eminently blessed they were, being of old blessed qfthe Lord, Ps. 115,
'lcltich JJzade lieaÆen and earth. R.\.BA:\". Or, they are called 15.
blessed, to whonl an eternal blessing is due for their good de-
serts. He calls it thp kingdoll1 of His Father, ascribing the
dominion of the kingdoln to Bin1 by whom Hilnself the King
,vas begotten. For by His royal power, with which He shan
be exalted alone in that day, He shall pronounce the sentence
of judgment, Then shallllie King say. CHRYS. Obsen"e that
He says not' Receive,' but possess, or inherit, as due to you
from of old. J EROl\IE; This preparpcl.for YOllfrolJl the/ollnd-
alion qt'the u'orld, is to be understood as of the foreknowledge
of God, with WhOIH things to COlne are as already done. ArG. Aug.
Besides that kingdom of which He will sav in the end, In- d D e
iY.
01 el xx.
he1'ii lite kÙlgdoln prepared f01' YOlt, though in a very interior 9. '
111anner, thp present Church is al
o call'3d Flis killgdoln, in
the which ,ve are yet in conflict with the enemy until we come
to that Idngdoln of peace, wl1ere \Ve shall reign ,vithout an
ene1}})". ID. nut one win ::;ay, I desire not to reign, it is Aug.
enon
h tè)l" me that I be sa'"erl. ""'herein thev are deceÏ\.ed S
rm.
.. , 3al, 8.

8H4

HOSPEL ACCORDING TO

CHAP. XX,'.

first, because there is no salvation for those ,,,,hose iniquity
abounds; and, secondly, because if thel.e be any difference
bet\\Teen those that reign, and those that do not reign, Jct
must all be within the same kingdoln, lest they be esteemed
for foes or aliens, and perish while the others reign. Thus aU
the ROlllans inherit the kingdonl of Rome, though all do not
reign in it. CHRYS. For ,,,hat the Saints obtain the boon of
this hea\Tenly kingdoI11 lIe she\\Ts \\Then He adds, I u'as an
ltuJlg1"ed, and ye gal:e 'J1le to eat. REl\IIG. And it is to be
noted, that the .Lord here enUlnerates six works of lnerc)" ,vhich
\vhoso shall study to accolnplish shan be entitled to the
kingdom prepared fo:r the chosen frolll the foundation of the
world. RABA
. Mystically, He who with the bread of the
\vord and the drink of 'wisdonl refreshes the soul hungering
and thirsting after righteousness, 01" adtnits into the hOIlle of
our mother the Church hint who is wandering in heresy or
sin, or \vho strengthens the ,'Teak in faith, such an one dis-
Greg. charges the obligations of true love. GREG. 'rhese,

;

:27. to wholn as they stand on lIis right hand the Judge at IIis
coming shaH say, I 'leas an kung/red
.c. are they who are
judged on the side of the elect, and \vho reign; \vho \yash
aw'ay the stains of their life with tears; \\Tho l'edecln for-
Iner sins by good deeds following; who, \yhatever unlawful
thing they have at any titne done, have cO\Tered it froln the
Judge's eyes by a cloak of ahns. Others indeed there are who
aloe not judged, yet reign, \vho ba,'e gone even beyond the
precepts of the La\\T in the perfection of their virtue. ORIGEN;
It is froln lnnnility that they declare theu1selves unworthy of
any praise for their good deeds, not that they are forgetful of
what they ha\Te done, But He r-;hews then1 His close sym-
pathy with I-lis own. RABAN. Lord, u'hen saUl u.e t!tee
.c.
This they say not because they distrust the Lord's words, but
they are in amaze at so great exaltation, and at the greatness
of their O\Vl1 glory; or because the good which they have
done will seem to theln to be so slnall according to that of the
Rom. 8, Apostle, For the sufferings 0/ this present tÙne are not
18. u'orthy to be cOlJlpared to the glory thai shall be 'rel'caled in
'lIS. JEROl\IE; It \vere indeed free to us to understand tl)at it
is Christ in e\Tery poor luan 'VhOl11 we feed \vhen he is hungry,
or give drink to when he is thirsty, and so of other thillg
;

VEn. 31-43.

ST. )IATTHE'V.

S65

but \vhen fIe says, In that ye /un"e done it to one oft/Ie least qt.
t}lese'lny bretll'ren, lIe seelns to lne not to sI>eak of the poor gene-
rally, but of the poor in spirit, those to \\'holn He pointed
and said JVlto8oerer shall do the lvill of 1n g l Father lv/licit is Matt.
, ..
Ùt !leat'en, tI,e s(t1ne is my brother. CHRYS. But if they are II is 12, 50.
brethren, why does lIe call then1 the least.2 Because they are
lowly, poor, and outcast. By these lIe means not only the n10nks
who have retired to the mountains, but ev.ery believer though he
should be secular, though an hungred, or the like, yet He
,vould have him obtain Inerciful succours, for baptism and
conununication of the Divine mysteries makes him a brother.
ORIGEN; As lIe had said to the righteous, Conle ye, so
He says to the ,,-icked, Depart ye, for they who keep God's
cOlnlnandment are near to the 'V ord, and are called that they
may be Inade more near; but they are far froln it, thuugh
they may seenl to stand hard by, who do not His commands;
therefore it is said to them, Depart ye, that those who seemed
to be living before Him, might be no lllore seen. It should
be remarked, that though He had said to the Saints, Ye blessed
o.l1ny Father, He says not no\v, Ye cursed of'lllY Fat her,
because of all blessing the Father is the author, but each U1an
is the origin of his own curse \vhen he does the things that
deserve the curse. They who depart from Jesus fall into
eternal fire, which is of a very different kind froul that fire
\vhich we use. For no fire which ,ve have is eternal, nor even
of any long continuance. And note, that He does not say, 'the
kingdom prepared for the .Angels,' as He does say everlasting
fire prepúl'ed for tlte Devil and ki,s Angels; because lIe
did not, as far as in Him lay, create 1l1ell to pf'rdition, but
sinners yoke themselves to the Devil, so that as they that are
saved are made equal to the holy Angels, they that pe1'Ïsh are
made equal \vith the Devil's Angels. AUG. It is hence clear, Aug.
that the same fire will be appropriated to the punishment of d D e
iv..
el,XXJ.
men and of dænlons. If then it inflicts pain by corporeal 10.
touch, so as to produce bodily torment, how will there be in
it any punishment for the evil spirits, unless the dælnons have,
as some ha,Te thought, bodies cOlnposed of gross and fluid air.
But if any man asserts that the dælnons have no bodies, we
would not pugnaciously contend the point. For why may we
not say, that truly, though wonderfully, even incorporeal spirit
VOT I. 3 K

2 Cor.
4, 18.

1 Cor.
12, 27.

866

OOSPF;L ACCORDING TO

CHAP. XXV.

can feel pain of corporeal :fire? If the spirits of 1110n, thoug-II
themselves incorporeal, can be 1l0\V inclosed in bodily lin1bs,
they can then be inseparably attached to the bonds of body.
The dæmons then will be united to a bod)" of Inaterial fil"e,
though themselves immaterial, drawing punishment from theÏ1.
body, not giving life to it. And that fire being material will
torture such bodies as onrs ,,'ith their spirits; but the dæmons
are spirits ,vithout bodies. ORIGEN; Or it Inay be that fire
is of such nature that it can burn invisible substances, being
itself invisible, as the Apostle speaks, The things 'l(}/Ûc!t are
seelt fIre ie/upoirat, bztt lite things which are not seen a1"e
efernal. \Vonder not when you hear that there is a fire ,vhich
though unseen has power to torture, when you see that there
is an internal fever which comes upon lnen, and pains then}
grievously. I t follows, I was an ltuJlgred, and ye ga
'e me
no 'Jneat" It is written to the be1ievers, Ye a1'p the body of
Chrisi. As then the soul dwelling in the body, though it
hungers not in respect of its spiritual substance, yet hungers
for the food of the body, because it is yoked to the body; so
the Saviour suffers \vhatever His body the Church suffers,
though He HÏ1nself be in1passible. And observe how in
speaking to the righteous He reckons up their good deeds
under their se\
eral kinds, but to the unrighteous He cuts short
the description under the one head, I 'was sick and in p,"ison,
and ye visited 11le not, because it was the part of a merciful
Judge to enlarge and dwell upon men's good deeds, but to
pass lightly and cursorily over their evil deeds. CHRYS.
Observe ho\v they had failed in mercifulness, not in one or
two respects only, but in all; not only did they not feed Him
when He was hunglY, but they did not even visit HÍ1n \vhen
He was sick, \vhich was easie
.: And look how light things
He enjoins; He said not, I was in prison, and ye did not set
me free, but, and ye visited 11le not. Also His hunger required
no costly dainties, but necessary food. Each of these counts
then is enough for their punishment. First, the slightness of
His prayel", viz. for bread; secondly, the destitution of Him
\vho sought it, for He was poor; thirdly, the natural feelings
of compassion, for fIe was a man; fonrthly, the expectation of
1-1is promise, for He promised a kingdom; fifthly, the great-
ness of JIbn \vho received, for it is God who receives in the

\'ER. 31-45.

T.
L\ TTHE\".

8()i

poor lnan; sixthly, the preclninellt honour, in that He con.
descended to take of 111en; and, scventhly, the righteousness
of so bestowing it, for what lIe takes fronI us is our o\vn.
But avarice blinds men to all these considerations. GREG. Greg.
Th } 1 .. . 1 h . k d b 1 . h ubi
up.
ey to W lOin t lIS IS salC are t e WIC
c e le'"erS, W 0 are
judged and perish; others, being unbelievers, are not judged
and perish; for there is no exalnination of the condition of such
as appear before the face of an ilnpartial Judge already con-
delnned by their unbelief; but those who hold the profession
of the faith, but ha,"e not the works of their profession, are
convicted that they Inay be condenlned. These at least hear
the words of their Judge, because they ha\
e at least kept the
words of His faith. The others hear no \vords of their Judgp
pronouncing sentence of condelnnation, because they hav'e
not paid HÍ1n honour e\ren in n.ord. For a prince who governs
an earthly kingdolu punishes after a different Inanner the
rebellion of a subject and the hostile attempts of an enelny;
in the former case, he recnrs to his prerogative; against an
enelny he takes arnIS, and does not ask \vhat pena1ty the law
attaches to his crime. CHRYS. Thus convicted by the word:-,
of the Judge, they makc ans\ver sublnissively, Lord, u.lten .Will'
'Ire thee
.c. ORIGEN;
Iark how the righteous dwell upon
each \vord, while the unrighteous ans\ver sun1maIi.ly, and not
going through the particular instances; for so it becolne

the righteous out of hlunility to disclailll each indh'idual
generous action, when Ï1nputed to them publicly; ,vhereas
bad men excuse their sins, and endeavour to prove then} fc\v
and venial. And Christ's answer conveys this. And to the
righteous He says, In that Yl1 did it to lny brethren, to shew
the greatness of their good deeds; to the sinners He says
only, to one of tile least C!f these, not aggravating their sin.
For they are truly IIis brethren \\"ho are perfect; and a deed
of Inercy F:hewn to the 1110re holy is luore acceptable to God
than one shewn to the less holy; and the sin of overlooking
the less holy is less than of overlooking the more holy. AUG. Aug.
lIe is no\V treating of the last jlldgtnent, \vhen Chl:ist shall
e

.
come trOlll heaven to judge the quick aud dead. This 1.
day of the Divine judgment \\
e call the Last Day, that is,
the end of tÏ1ne; for we cannot tell through ho\\
many days
that judgment will be prolouged; but day, as is the use of
3
2

808

(iO
PEL A(,COHDI
G TO

('HAP. XXV.

holy Scril-'hue, is put for time. i\.nd ,-re thel.efore caB it th

last or latest judgn1ent, because He both now judges and has
judged frOlTI the beginning of the hll1l1an race, when He
thrust forth the first lnan fron1 the tree of life, and spared not
the Angels that sinned. But in that final judglnent both
Inen and .Angels shall be judged together, when the Divine
po\,"cr shall bring each luan's good and evil deeds in revie\\T
before his mCl110ry, and one intuitÏ\?e glance shaH present
th('H) to the perception, so that at once we shall be condenlued
or acquitted in our consciences.

46. And these shall go away into everlasting pu-
nishlnent: but the righteous into life eternaL

Aug'. .A..UG. S0111e deceive thelTIselv'es, saying, that the fire indeed
de Fid.
t't Op. is called e,"er]asting, but not the punisl11nent. This the Lord
15. foreseeing, sums up His sentence in these words. ORIGEN;
Observe that whereas lIe put first the invitation, COllle, ye
hlessed, and after that, Depart, ye cursed, because it is the
property of a n1erciful God to }"ecord the good deeds of the
good, before tlle bad deeds of the bad; He now reverses the
order, describing first the punishn1ent of the .wicked, and then
the life of the good, that the terrors of the one may deter us
from evil, and the h0110111" of the othel O incite us to good.
Greg. GREG. If he who has not given to others is visited with
Mor.xv. 1 . 1 h h 11 h I . . d f
19. so 1eavya PU11IS 1111ent, \v at s a e get W]O IS convlcte 0
Aug. having robbed others of their o\'?n. AUG. Eternal life is our
de
i
. chief good, and the end of the city of God, of \vhich the
Pl
l,XlX. A postle speaks, And lite end everlasting life. But because

m. 6, eternal life Inight be understood by those who are not well
versed in Holy Scripture, to mean also the life of the wicked,
because of the Í1nmortality of their souls, 01. because of the
endless tonnents of the wicked; therefore we must call the
end of this City in which the chief good shall be attained,
either peace in life eternal, or life eternal in peace, that it may
Au
. be intelligible to all. ID. That which the Lord spoke to His
de Trin. 1\1 I h I h . h 11 I
i. s. servant oses, ani t at am, t IS we s a cODtemp ate
] Exo(l. 3, when we shalJ live in eternity. For thus the Lord speaks,
4.
Jobn 17', ThÙ: is l!lè eternal, that they .m(qld knou) thee tlie only true
3.

VEU. 1-6.

ST. MATTIIE\V.

869

God. This cOlltelnplation is prolnised to us as the end of
all action, and the eternal perfection of our joys, of whieh
John
peaks, JVe shall .f;ee /lint as he is.
;ohl1
J ERO:\lE; Let the thoughtful reader observe that punis]ul1ellts ) .
are eternal, and that that continuing life l1as thenceforward no
fear of fall. GREG. They say that He held out enlpty terrors to Greg.
deter thel11 frOlll sill. "r e answer , if He threatened fal
el y
to :\lor:
xx Xl v.
check unl;ghteousness, then lIe promised falsely to prOInote 19.
good conduct. TIllts while they go out of the way to prove
God merciful, they are not afraid to charge fIÏ1n ,,'ith fraud.
But, they urge, finite sin ought not to be visited with infinite
punishlnent; we ans,,-er, that this argurnent would be just,
if the righteous Judge considered men's actions, and not
their lÏearts. Therefore it belongs to the righteousness of
an ilnpartial Judge, that those whose heart would never
be without sin in this life, should never be \vithout punish-
n1ent. AUG. A.url the justice of no law is conceilled to Aug.
pro\-ide that the duration of each man's punishlnent should
e

v
i.
be the satne with the sin \vhich dren- that punisl11nent tÌpon 11.
hiln. There ne,-er was any man, who held that t1le tonllent
of hitn, \vho cOlutnitted a murder or adultery, should be
compressed ,vi thin the sanle space of tÏ1ne as the cOllunission
of the act. And when for any enormous crime a luan is
punished with death, does the la\v estÍ111ate his punislul1ent
by the delay that takes place in putting him tó death, and
not rather hy this, that they remove hÍ1n for e\Ter from the
society of the living? And fines, disgrace, exile, slavery,
when they are inflicted without any hopes of mercy, do they
not seem like eternal punishnlents in proportion to the length
of this life? They are only therefore not eternal, because
the life which suffers theln is not itself eternal. But they
say, How' then is that true which Christ says, lT T illt 'lclial :\latt. ï,
'JlleOSlire ye IJzeie, it .
/iall be 'Illeaslired to YOIl again, if teI11- 2 .
poral sin is punished with eternal pain? They do not
observe that this is said with a ,ien
, not to the equality of
the period of titHe, but of the retribution of e,.il, i. e. that
he that has done evil should suffer e\.il. 1\lan waf' Inade
,,.orthy of e\gerlasting evil, because he destroYf\d in hilnself
that goud which Inight have eternal. GREG. But they say, Greg.
no jU!iòt Juan takes pleasure in crueIties, and the guilty ser\'ant ubi sUI}.

870

GOSl'EL ACCORDING TO

CHAP, XXV.

""as scourged to correct his fault. But \"hen the wicked
alae given over to hell fire, to what purpose shall they burn
there for ever? 'V c reply, that Aln1ighty God, seeing lIe is
good, does not delight in the tonnents of the wretched; but
foras1l1uch as He is righteous, lIe ceases not from taking
\yengeancc on the wicked; yet do the wicked burn Hot without
SOlne purpose, nalnely, that the righteous mayackno\vledge
ho\v they are debtors for eternity to Divine grace, ,,,hen they
see the ,vicl\:ed "Suffering for eternity ll1isery, which thell1selves
have escaped only by the assistance of that Divine grace.
Aug. AUG. But, they assert, nobody can be at once capable of
de Civ.
.Dei, suffel'ing pain, and incapable of death. It lnust be that one
xxi. 3. live in pain, but it need not be that pain kill him; for not
even these Illortal bodies die froD} every pain; but the "reason
that some pain causes their death is, that the connection
bet\\reen the soul and our present body is such that it gives
way to extreme pain. But then the soul shall be united
to such a body, and in such a \yay, that no pain shal] be
able to overCOIne the connection. There will not then be
no death, but an everlasting death, the soul being unable
to live, as being ,yithout God, and equally unable to rid itself
lb. J 7. of the pains of body by dying. Alnong these ilnpugners
of the eternity of punislunent, Origen is the most mel'ciful,
"who belie,-ed dlat the Dcvil hilllself and his Angels, after
sufferings proportioned to their deserts, and a long endurance,
s110uld be delivered from those torments, and associated with
the holy Angels. But for these and other things he was not
undescrn:
dlr rebuked by the Church, because even his
seelning mercy was thrown away, Inaking for the saints real
pains in \vhich their sins ,vere to be expiated, and fictitious
blessedness, if the joys of the good were not to be secure
and endless. In quite another way does the mercy of others
err through their humane sYlnpathies, ,,,ho think that the
sufferings of those men who are condemned by this sentence
\vill be temporal, but that the happiness of those \"bo are
set free sooner or later will be eternal. 'Vhy does their
charity extend to the whole race of man, bÙt dries up when
(
reg. they COlne to the angelic race? G REG. But they say, How
ubi sup. can they be called Saints, if they shall not pray for their
cileinies wholn they see then burning? TIley do not iudeed

VER.. 46.

T. 1\IATTHE'Y.

871

pray for their cncn1Ïes, so long as t]Jere is any possibility of
converting their hearts to a profitahle penitence, but hony
shaH they pray for thenl when any change froIn their ,vicked-
ness is no longer possiblc? AUG. S0 SOine there are \vho A
1g. de
hold out liberation froul punisllluent not to all lnen, but to

"
,
those onl" wl10 have been washed in Christ's Baptislll, and xxi. 19,
. f II " B d I 1 h 1 . d 20. &c.
have been partakers 0 IS 0 y, et t lelll aye l\Te as
they \vill; because of that \vhich the Lord speaks, {f any John H,
fllan eat 0/ this bread, lie shall '/lot die eternally. Abrain, .5l.
others pronlÎse this not to all who have Chri
t's sacralnent,
but to Catholics only, however ill their lives, who ha\.e eatcn
Christ's Body, not in sacrament only, but in verity, (inas-
lunch as they are set in the Church, which is IIis Bod}",) e'.en
though they should afterwards have fanen into }leresy or
idolatry of the Gentiles. And others again, because of what
is \\'rÏtten abo,re, He t!lat sltall endu1.e to tlte end, tIle saIne lUatt.
sllall be sa
'ed, promise this only to those \vho persevere in 24,13.
the Catholic Church, that by the worthiness of their founda-
tion, that is, of their faith, they shall be sa\ged b,y fire. All
these the Apostle opposcs when he says, Tlte u'orks of the Gal. 6,
.fleslt are 11lallifest, which are these, 'llnclealllless,fo1"uicatioll, 19.
and lite like; of which I tell you before, tllat tltey whiclt
do Sllclt things sllallnot illlwrit the killgdo,n of God. \Vho-
ever in his heart prefers telnporal things to Christ, Christ
is not his fOlmdatiou, though he seem to ha\re the faith of
Christ. How much more then is he, \vho has C0111nlitted
things unlawful, convicted of not preferring Christ, but
preferring other things to Him? I have also met 'with SOllle
\vho thought that only those would burn in eternal torments
who neglected to give ahn8 proportioned to their sins; and
for this reason they think that tbe Judge IIinlsclf here
mentions nothing else that He shall Inake enquiry of, but
of the gi,ring or not giving alms. But whoso gi\>es ahns
worthily for his sins, first begins with hiInself; for it \vere
nnn1eet that he should not do that to hÏ1nself which he does to
others ,vhen he has heard the words of God, Tholl shalt IOl'e ::\Iatt.
tlly neiglthour as thyself, and hears liken>ise, Be 'JJlercijitl 22 ,3D.
to illY soul ill pleasing God? lIe then who docs not to his
,c

.
o\vn soul this ahns of l)leasing God, how can he be said to
give alms l11CCt for his sins? 'Yhy we are to gi,-e ahns then

872

GOSPEL ACCOnDI
G TO ST. 1\IATTHE'Y.

('H AI>' XXV.

is only that \vhen \ve pray for Inercy for sins past, we nlay
be heard; not that we Inay purchase thereby license for
continuing in sin. Aud the Lord forewarns us that He
\vill put alms done on the right hand, and on the left alms
not done, to shew us how mighty are alms to do away
lormer sins, not to give impunity to a continuance in sin.
ORIGEN; Or, It is not one kind of righteousness only that
is re\varded, as many think. In whatsoever matters anyone
does Christ's con11nands, he gives ChI'ist meat and drink,
'Vho feeds ever upon the truth and righteousness of His
faithful people. So do we \veave raiment for Christ \\yhen cold,
when taking \yisdom's web, \ye inculcate upon others, and put
upon them bowels of mercy. Also when we make ready with
divers virtues our heart for receiving Him, or those who
are His, we take Hitn in a stranger into the home of our
boson1. Also when ,ye visit a brother sick either in faith
or in good works, with doctrine, reproof, or comfort, we visit
Christ Himself. l\Ioreover, all that is here, is the prison
of Christ, and of them that are His, ,,,ho live in this world,
as though chained in the prison of natural necessity. 'Vhen
we do a good ,york to these, we visit them in prison, and
Christ in theIne

CHAP. XXVI.

1. And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished
all these sayings, he said unto his disciples,
2. Ye know that after two days is the feast of the
Passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be
crucified.

HILARY; .After the discourse in which the Lord had
declared that He should return in splendour, He announces
to thenl His approaching Passion, that they might learn the
close connection bet\veen the sacralnent of the Cross, and tl}e
glory of eternity. RABAN. All these sayings, i. e. about the
consul1unation of the wOl"ld, and the day of judgment. Or,
finished, because He had fulfilled in doing and preaching all
things fronl the beginning of the Gospel tv His Passion.
ORIGE
; \
et it is not all barely, but all these; for there
were other sayings which He must speak before He should be
delivered up. AUG. We gather from John's account, that six Aug. de
Cons.
days before the Passoyer, Jesus came to Bethany, and thence Ev. ii.
entered Jerusalem sitting upon the ass, after which were done 78.
the things related to have been done at J erusalenl. 'V. e under-
stand therefore that four days elapsed from His coming to
Bethany, to make this two days before the Pa8-So\rer. The
difference bet'veen the Passover and the feast of unleavened v. 17.
bread is this; the name Passover is given to that one day on
which the lanlb was slain in the evening, that is, the fourteenth
llloon of the first month; and on the fifteenth moon, the day
that the people calne out of Egypt, follo\ved the festival of
unleavened bread. But the Evangelists seem to use the vide
. d ' ffi I J Th P . ActB 12,
ternlS In 1 erent y. ERO
lE; e assover, called In Hebre\\r B.

1 -rò
on'cít1'X

.,.,'111 ,,':U

Gloss.
non OCC.

871

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

CHAP. XXVI.

Phase, does not cOlne as Inost think from 7r{xCTXEï
' to sufler,' hut
fi'om the Hebrew word signifying' to pass over;' because the
destroyer passed over when he sa,v the blood on the doors of
the Israelites, and smote theln 110t; or the Lord IIitnselfwalked
on high, succouring IIis people. REl\IIG. Or, because by the
help of the Lord the Israelitish people, freed froln Egyptian
bondage, passed forth into liberty. ORIGEN; He said not, Allel'
1'11'0 days will be, or will com
, lite jèast oj lite Passover, but
not Ineaning the ordinary annual Passover, but that Passover
such as had never before been, tlte PasSOt'el' u'ill be offered I.
REl\HG. Mystically, that is called the Passover, because
on that day Christ passed out of the world to IIis Father,
from corruption to incon'uption, from life to death, or
because He redeemed the \vorId by causing it savingly
to pass from the slavery of the Devil. JEROME; After
the hvo days of the shining light of the Old and of the
New Testament, the true Passover is slain for the ,vorId.
Also our Passover is celebrated when we leave the things of
earth, and hasten to the things of hea \ren.
ORIGEN; He foretels His crucifixion to His disciples, add-
ing, And lite Son of .ßfan sltall be delit'eredto becrl.lcijìed; thus
fortifying them against that shock of surprise, which the sight
of their l\Iaster, led forth to crucifixion, "rould other\vise have
occasioned them. And He expresses it impersonally shall
he delive1'ed, because God delivered Him up in mercy to the
human race, Judas frOIll covetousness, the Priest for envy, the
])evil through fear that through His teaching the human race
would be plucked out of His hand, little aware how llluch
lllore that \\
ould be effected by His death, than either by His
teaching or Iniracles.

3. Then assembled together the Chief. Priests, and
the Scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the
palace of the High Priest, who was called Caiaphas,
4. And consulted that they might take Jesus by
subtilty, and kill him.
5. But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there
be an uproar alTIOng the people.

GLOSS. l'hen the Evangelist lays before us the hidden

YEn. =]-5.

T. "MAT'rHEW.

875

springs and luachinel'Y by \\'hich the Lord's Pa.ssion "pas
brought to pass. REl\llG. This, f hell, is to be referred to the
preceding ,,"ords, and lIleans before the Feast of the Passover.
o RIG EN; Not true Priests and elders, but Priests and elders
of what seelned the people of God, but was indeed the people
of GOlllorrah; these, not knowing God's IIigh Priest, laid a
plot against Him, not recognising tlie .fi1'siborn oj'tlle wllole Col. J,
. . h d I 15.
creation, yea, e,-en agaInst HIm t at ,vas el er than them a I,
did they take counsel. CHRYS. 'Vith such ill designs they
came to the chief Priest, seeking a sanction whence a prohi-
bition should have issued. There were at that tÍ1ne several
Chief Priests, while the Law allo\ved but of one, whence it
\-vas manifest that the dissolution of the Jewish state was having
its beginning. For Moses had comlnanded that there should be
one Chief Priest, whose office should be filled up at death; but
in process of time it grew to be annual. All those then who
had been Chief Priests 1, are here caned C/tiq Priests. REMIG. J".DÙf üo;r"
They are condemned both because they were gathered
e=tllé"'"
together, and because they ,vere the Chief Priests; for the
more the nunlbers, and the higher the rank and station of
those who band together for any villany, the greater the
enonnity of ,vhat they do, and the heavier the punishment
stored up for them. To shew the Lord's innocence and
openness, the Eyangelist adds, that lliey '/JlÎgld lake Jeslls by
subtilly, and kill Jtil1l. CHRYS. For what then did they
conspire, to seize Him secretly, or put Him to death? For
both; but they feared the people, and therefore waited tin
the feast was oyer, for they said, not on tlie
feast-day. For
the De,'il would not that Christ should suffer at the Passover,
that His Passion might not be notorious. The Chief Priests
had no fear in respect of God, namely, that their guilt might
be aggravated by the season, but took into account hUluan
things only, Lest there be an 'Up'l"oa'l" a1Jlong tlte people.
OIUGEN; By reason of the parties among the populace, those
who favoured and those \vho hated Christ, those \"ho believed
and those who believed not. LEO; This precaution of the Leo,
Chief Priests arose not froll1 re"erence for the festival, but
erm.
D8, 2.
frolll care Îor the success of their plot; they feared all insur-
rection at that season, 110t because of the guilt the populace
Inight thereby incur, but because they might rescue Christ.
CHRYS. ßut their fury set aside their caution, and finding a

87()

GOSPEL ACCOltDING TO

CHAP. XXVI.

betrayer, they put Christ to death in the Iniddle of the fca8t.

J:r
. LEO; \Ve recognise here a providential arrangement whereby
58, I. the chief men of the Jews, who had often sought occasion of
effecting their cruel purposes against Christ, could never
yet succeed till the days of the paschal celebration. For it
behoved that the things which had long been promised in
symbol and mystery should be accomplished in manifest
reality, that the typical lamb should be displaced by the true,
and one sacrifice embrace the whole catalogue of the varied
victims. That shado,vs should give way to substance, and
copies to the presence of the original; victitn is commuted. for
victim, blood is abolished by blood, and the festival of the
Law is at once fulfilled and changed.
6. Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house
of Simon the leper,
7. There came unto him a woman having an ala-
baster box of very precious ointment, and poured it
on his head, as he sat at meat.
S. But when his disciples saw it, they had indigna-
tion, saying, To \vhat purpose is this waste?
9. For this ointment might have been sold for much,
and given to the poor.
10. "\Vhen Jesus understood it, he said unto thenl,
'Vhy trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a
good work upon n1e.
11. For ye have the poor always with you; but ll1e
ye have not always.
12. For in that she hath poured this ointment on
my body, she did it for IllY burial.
13. Verily I say unto you, \Vheresoever this Gos-
pel shall be preached in the whole \vorld, there shall
also this, that this woman" hath done, be told for a
Inemorial of her.

GJoss. GLOSS. Having set before us the counsels of the chief of
non oee. the Jews concerning the death of Christ, the E\pangelist ,,,,'ould
proceed to follo,v out their execution, and to relate the bar-
gain of Judas with the Jews to deli\'cr IIim up, but he first

YER. 6-13.

T.
L\TTIlE'V.

ï7

shew"s the cause of this betrayal. lIe was grieved that th('
oinbnent whic]1 the woman poured upon Christ's head had
not been sold that he IHight haye can"ied off something out of
the price it brought, and to make up this loss he \vas willing
to betray his
Iaster. And therefore he proceeds, ...Vow û)!len
Jesus was in Bethany, in tlte house of Sin-Lon lite leper.
JERO)fE; Not that he was a leper- yet, but having been so,
and having been healed by the Saviour, he retained the ap-
pellation to she\v forth the po\ver of Him who healed hÎ1l1.
RABAN. Alabaster is a kind of marble, white but Inarked with
\"eins of different colours, \vhich was in use for vessels to hold
ointtnent, because it was said to preserve it frolll corruption.
J ERO)IE; Another Evangelist instead of 'alabastruln' has John
, nardlun pisticanl,' that is, genuine, unadulterated. R.ABA
. 12,3.
Fron1 the Greek 7rlo-TI), faith, whence' pisticus,' faithful. For
this ointment was pure, unadulterated.
ORIGE
; SOllIe one Inay perhaps think that there are four dif-
ferent women of whom the Evangelists have written, but I rather
agree with those who think that they are only three; one of\"holll

Iatthe",' and )Iark \\'rote, one of w110m Luke, another of whom
John. JEROME; For let no one think that she who anointed His
head and she \v ho anointed His feet were one and the saIne;
for the latter \vasbed His feet \vith her tears, and wiped them
,,"ith her hair, and is plainly said to have been a harlot. But
of this \VOlnan nothing of this kind is recorded, and indeed a
harlot could not hav"e at once been Inade deser\"ing of the Lord's
head. A)IBROSE; It is possible therefore that they "rere dif- Am-
ferent persons, and so all appearance of contradiction between t

:
n
the Evangelists is retnoved. Or it is possible that it was the 37. 7
same WOlnan at two different tÏ1nes and two different stages of
desert; first \vhile yet a sinner, aftenvards 1110re advanced.
CHRYS. .And in this \\'ay it Inay be the san1e in the three Chyrs.
Evangelists,
Iatthew, lVlark, and Luke. And not without

:
good reason does the E\rangelist lnention Sinlon's leprosy, to
shew what gave this \VOn1an confidence to come to Christ.
The leprosy was an unclean disease; \yhen then she sa\v that
Jesus had healed the man with \vhom He no\v lodged, she
tnu:.ted that He could also cleanse the uncleanness of her
soul; and so whereas other \vomen came to Christ to be healed
in theÌ1' bodies, she came only for the honour and the healing

878

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

CHAP. XXVI.

of her soul, having nothing diseased in her body; and for
this s11e is worthy (,ur highest a{hniration. But she in John
is a different woman, the wonderful sister of Lazarus.
ORIG EN; l\'latthe\v and l\lark relate that this was done in the
house of Sinlon the leper; but John says that Jpsus canle to
a house where Lazarus was; and that not Silnon, but l\Iary
and l\Iartha served. Further, according to John, six days
before the Passover, He came to Bethany \vhere l\'lary and
l\fartha made Hiln a supper. But here it is in the house of
Simon the leper, and two days before the Passover. And in
lVlatthew and l\Iark, it is the disciples that ha\Te indignation
with a good intent; in John, Judas alone \yith intent to steal;
Greg. in Luke, no one finds fault. GREG. Or, ,ve may think that
Hom. in h . . h h L k II . 1 J h
E\". t IS IS t e same \yornan w om u '"e ca s a .f;'lnner, aue 0 11
xxxiii. nanles l\fary. AUG. Though the action described in Luke

ug. is the sanle as that described here, and the naUlC of him ,,'ith
d E e C
DS. \vhom the Lord supped is the same, for Luke also nanlCS
v. II.
79. Simon; yet hecause it is not contral)'" to either nature or cus-
tom for two men to bear the same nanle, it is more probable'
that this ,vas another Silnon, not the leper, in whose house in
Bethany these things \vere done. I \Vould only suppose that
the WOlnan "rho on that occasion canle near to Jesus' feet, and
this woman, \vere not t\vo different persons, but that the saIne
l\fary did this twice. The first tÏ1ne is that narrated by Luke;
for John mentions it in praise of l\Iary before Christ's cOIning
.John to Bethany, It u'as that Jlarg 'lV!lO anointed tI,e Lord witl,
lJ,2. oint1ì'tenl, lIlld u;iped his feet lL"illt lier llair, 'lr/tose brother
Lazarus tca.Y sl'ck. Mary therefore had done this before.
That she did afterwards in Bethany is distinct froll1 Luke's
account, but is the same event that is recorded by all three,
.J ohn, l\Iatthew, and l\fark. That IVlatthe,," and l\Iark say it
,vas the Lord's head that she anointed, and John IIis feet, is
reconciled by supposing that she anointed both.
\gainst
this one might ra!se a cavil froln what l\fark says, that she
anointed His head by breaking the box o\"er it, so that
there could be none of the ointInent left with which to anoint
His feet also. Let such caviller understand, that IIis feet
were first anointed before the box \vas broken, and there re..
Inained in it, yet \vhole, enong11 \vhere,,-ith to anoint the head
by brealáng the box and shedding the contents.

VER. 6-13.

ST. l\IA TTHF.'V.

ðíH

ID. But let not any suppose tbat the Lord's feet were by this Aug. de
1 1 .. r. h h . h h I . Doctr.
woman ùat IC( In olnbnent alter t e Inanner W IC t e UXUrl- Christ.
ous and debauched use. In all things of tbis nature, it is not the iii. 12.
thing itself, but the mind of hitn who uses it, that is in fault.
'Yhoso uses things after such sort as to pass the bounds ob-
served by good men with \v horn he lives, either has some
lneaning] in what he does, or is vicious. 'Vhat then is vice in I aliquid
others, in a divine or prophetic person is a sign of some great S fi igU t i -
ca .
thing. The good odour is the good report which one has
gaincd by the works of a good life, and in following Christ's
footsteps sheds a most precious odour on His feet. ID. Still Aug. de
there luay seem to be SOUle discrepancy betw'een the narra- E Cou
:
V.1I.
tÏ\'e of )Iatthe,v and
Iark, who say, that after flCO clays is the 78.
feast of tI,e Pa.ysover, and then bring Jesus to Bethany; and
that of John, who, relating this history of the ointn1ent, says
Si.."t" days bl!fore tlte Passote1'. They ,vho urge this do not
understand that the events in Bethany are in l\Iatthcw and
l\Iarl
inserted out of their place, a little later than the tilne of
their occurrence. N either of them, it is to be observed, intro-
duce their account with' afterw'ards.' CHRYS. The disciples
had heard their ftlaster say, l'lf"ill llare 1ìle1.cy, and not sacl'i- 1 \Iatt. 9,
flce, wherefore they thought among themselves, If He accepts 13.
not burnt.offerings, n1uch less ,vin He the application of such
oinbnent as this. J EROl\lE; I kno'v that some raise a cavil
here, because John says that Judas alone ,vas grieved be-
cause he had the bag, and was a thief fronl the beginning; but
l\Iatthe,v, that an the disciples ,vere son'o\Yfu1. These kno,v
not the figure s}'Ilepsis, by ,vhich one name is put for many,
and many for one; as Paul in the Epistle to the Hebrew's Heb.) 1,
sa}'s, They 1lY:1"e sa'll.:n asunder, \yhen it is thought that one 37.
only, Esaias namely, was so. ArG. 'Ve l11ay ho,ve,.er under- Aug. de
stand that the other disciples thought or said the saIne, or C E on
:
v. 11.
that they assented to what Judas said, and thus l\Iatthew and 79.
l\Iark ha\Te described their COlnnlon consent. But Judas said
it because he was. a thief, the others out of their care for the
poor; and John desi,'ed to l11ention it only in the case of
him whose thievish })ropensity he thought ought to be re-
corded. CHRYS. The disciples then thought thus, but Jesus,
who saw the thoughts of the 'VOlnan, suffered it. For her
piety "'as great, and her ardour unspeakable, ,vherefore lIe

O

t
OSPEL ACCOHDIi\G Tù

eHAP. XXVI.

condescended to suffer h
r to pour the oinhnent on His head.
As the Father adlnitted the snloke and odour of the slain
\Tictim, so also Christ adnlitted this votive anointing of His
head, though the disciples, ,vho saw not her heart, Inunnured.
REMIG. He clearly shews that the Apostles had uttered some-
thing harsh against her, when lIe says, Jf/liy trouble ye tI,e
'lrOlnan? And beautiful1y He adds, Site !latlt W1.0Ugltt a good
'lvork in 1ne; as much as to say, It is not a ,vaste of ointll1ent,
as ye say, but a good u:orlt., that is, a service of piety and de-
votion. CHRYS. And He says not nlerely, S!lP !latll 'lli1"Ollgld
a good u'o'rk, but says first, 1Vlty trouble ye the u'olnan? to
teach us that every good act that is wrought by any, even
though it lack somewhat of exact propriety, yet we ought to
receh
e, cherish, and cultivate it, and not to require strict cor-
rectness in a beginner. If He had been asl{ed before this ""as
done Ly the woman, He ","ould not ha\"e directed its doing;
but when it \vas done, the }'ebnke of thp disciples had no
longer any place, and He H inlself to guard the \VOnlan
froln impoltunate attacks speaks these things for her comfort.
REl\IIG. F01' tI,e poor ye have e'l'er 'IBilk you. The Lord
she\vs in these ,vords as of set purpose, that they ,vere not to
be blalned who Ininistered of their substance to IIitn 'vhil

He dwelt in a mortal body; foraslnuch as the poor \vere ever in
the Church, to \\.hOlll the believers Inig-ht do good whensoever
they \yould, but He would abide in the body \"ith theln but
a very short tinle; ,yhence it fol1o\vs, But llle ye shall not
hare alu'ays. JERO
IE; Here a question arises how the I.Jord
Matt. should have said elsen-here to IIis disciples, Lo, I anz u'ilh YOlt
2
, 20. always, even to the end if tile u'01'Zd; but here, lYle ye shall
'/lot I,ave allf'ays. I suppose that in this place He speaks of
Jlis bodily presence, which shall not be with them after the
resunoection in daily intercourse and friendship, as it is now.
REMIG. Or, it is to be eXplained by supposing this spoken to
Judas only; and He said not, Ye haye not, but Ye shall 1101
hal"e, because this "ras spoken in the person of Judas to all
his follo\vers. And He says, l'Tol ahcays, th
ugh they ha,'e
it at no tilne, because the wicked seenl to haTe Christ in this
present 'world, while they mix alnong II is melnbers and ap-
proach His table, but they shaH not always so have Him when
1\latt. He
hall say to His -elect, COlne, ye blessed of 1ny Failler. It
25, 34.

\
ER. 6-13.

ST.
IATTH:E'V.

8f;1

"'as the custoln atnong this people to ell1bahn the bodies of .ðlatt.
. d h h . 1 b k 25, 34.
the dead with divers spIces, to the en t at t ey 1111g It e cpt
froin corruption as long as possible. And as this woman \vas
desirous of en1baln1Ïng the Lord)s dead Body, and would not
be able because she would be anticipated by His resurrectiun,
it \,.as therefore arranged by Di\.ine Providence that she
should anoint the Lord's living Body. This then is what He
says, In tllat she ',at't pO/lred, that is, By anointing l\Iy living
Body she shew's forth l\Iy death and burial. CHRYS. That
this Inention of J-lis death and burial might not cause her to
despond, He comforts her by what follows, TTerily l sa.y unto
!lOll, 1Vhe1'e,yoet'er
.c. RABAX. That is, To whatsoever place
throughout the whole ,yorld the Church shan be propagated,
there this also that she hath done shaH be told. That also that
is added signifies, that as Judas by his reproof of her h as earned
evil character of treachery, so has she also earned the glory
of pious devotedness. J ERO:ME; Note His kno\vledge of
things to come, how though about to suffer death within t "'0
days, He knows that His Gospel '\vill be preached throughout
the whole world. CHRYS. Behold the accomplishment of this
saying; to whatsoever part of the world you go, you will find
this woman famous, and this has been wrought by the power
of Him \vho spake this word. Ho\v many victories of kings
and captains have passed into obli\'ion; hon. many who built
cities and enslaved many nations are no\v known neither by
l'eport nor by name; but the deed of this WOlnan pouring
forth ointment in the house of a leper in the presence oft\yeh"e
tnen, this resounds througl10ut the \vorld, and though so much
time has elapsed, the memory of that which 'was done is not
effaced. But why promised He no spiritual gift to this
".oman, but e,'erlasting remelnbrance only? Because this He
did prolDise made her confident of receiving the other also;
whereas she wrought a good work, it is clear that she shan
receive an adequate reward.
JEROME; l\IysticaIly; The Lord, about to suffer for the
whole world, sojourns in Bethany, in the house of obedience,
which once was that of Simon the leper. Simon also is
interpreted' obedient,' or, according to another interpretation,
, the world,' in whose house the Church is healed. ORIGEN;
Oil is throughout Scripture put for the work of mercy, with
VOL. I. 3 L

882

GOSPEL ACCORDI
G TO

CHAP. XXVI.

\rhich the laulp of the word is fed; or for doctrine, the
beal"ing of which sustains the word offaith when once kindled.
An with which men anoint is comprehensively called oil;
and one kind of oil is unguent, and one kind of unguent
is precious. So all righteous acts are caned good ,"'orks;
and of good works there is one kind which we do for, or to,
111en; another \\Thich we do for, or to, God. And this like-
wise that \ve do for God, in part only advances the good
of men, in part, the glory of God. For example, one does
a kindn
ss to a man out of feelings of natural righteousness,
not for God's sake, as the Gentiles SOllletime did; such a
work is counnon oil of no fine savouI', JTet is it acceptable
to God, forasmuch, as Peter says in Clelnent, the good
works that the unbelievers do, profit them in this ,vorld,
but avail not to gain theu1 eternal life in another. They
\vho do the saIne for God's sake, profit thereby not in this
world only but in the next also, and that they do is ointment
of good savour. Another sort is that done for the good
of men, as ahns, and the like. He who does tl1Ïs to Chris-
tians, anoints the Lord's feet, for they are the Lord's feet;
and this penitents are most found to do for remission
of their sins. He who devotes himself to chastity, and
continues in fastings and prayers, and other things
\vhich conduce to God's glory only, this is the ointment
which anoints th
Lord's head, and \vith whose odour the
whole Church is filled; this is the \vork Ineet not for peni-
ients, but for the perfect, or the doctrine whic11 is necessary
for Inen; but the acknowleògu1ent of the faith \vhich belongs
to God alone, is the ointnlent 'with \vhich the head of
Rom. 6, Christ is anointed, with which 'ive are buried logethe1' U)/
flt
4.
Christ by baptism into deall,. HILARY; In this woman
is prefigured the people of the Gentiles, who gave glory to
God in Christ's passion; for she anointed His head, but the
head of Christ is God, and ointment is the fruit of good
works. But the disciples, anxious for the sahration of Israel,
say that this ought to have been sold for the use of the poor;
designating by a prophetic instinct the Je\\Ts, who lacked
faith, by the nalne of lite poor. The Lord ans\vers that there
is abundant tilne in '\""hich they luay shew their care for
the poor, but that salvation cannot be extended to the Gentiles

\TEn. 14-16.

ST. l\L\ TTItE'V.

8SS

but by obedience to His command, if, that is, by the pouring
out of tbis \VOnlan's ointInent they are buried together with
Him, because regeneration can only be giv"en to those who
are dead in the profession of baptisnl. _\.nd this her work
shall be told wherever this Gospel is preached, because when
Israel draws back, the glory of the Gospel is prear,hed by
the belief of the Gentiles.
14. Then one of the t\velve, called Judas Iscariot,
went unto the Chief Priests,
15. And said unto them, 'Vhat will ye give me,
and I will deliver him unto you 1 And they cove-
nanted ,vith him for thirty pieces of silver.
16. And from that thne he sought opportunity to
betray him.
GLOSS. Having described the occasion of his treachery, Gloss.
h E I " d h f . t C non oee.
t e vange 1st procee s to recount t e manner 0 1 . HRYS.
Then, when, that is, he heard that this Gospel should be
preached every where; for that made him afraid, as it was
indeed a mark of unspeakable power. AUG. The order of Aug

the narrative is this. The Lord says, Ye know tltat after
ev
fi
s.
two days 'lvill be the .least of tile Passover; . . . t!zen assel1lhled 78.
togetlter tIle Chief Pries/.f) a.nd SC1'ihes; ... then went one of
the twelve. Thus the narrative of\vhat took place at Bethany
is inserted by way of digression, respecting an earlier timp
between that, Lest there be all 'llp1'oafJ', and, Tllen one of the
twelt'e. ORIGEN; Went, against that one high priest, \vho
was made a Priest for ever, to ula.ny high priests, to sell
for a price HiIn \vho sought to redeem the "Thole \vorld.
RABAN. fÝen t, he says, because he was neither compelled,
nor inyited, but of his own free will formed the wicked design.
CHRYS. One 0./ the tu'elre, as much as to say, of that first
band who are elected for preeminent merit 1. GLOSS. He adds 1
e"'f'í-
his distinctive appellation, Scariotll" for there was another
". I;:'.
^''Yf/-UfAJ'
Judas. REl\HG. So called froln the village Scariotha, froIn Glos

which he came. LEO; He did not out of any fear forsake Christ,
oe
,occ.
but through lust of money cast Him off; for in cOlnparison Serm.
f h I f 1 . 60, 4.
o t e ove 0 money a 1 our affectIons are feeble; the soul
athirst for gain fears not to die for a ,'ery little; there is 110
3L2

884

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

CHAP. XXVI.

trace of righteousness in that heart in \\'hich covetousness
has once taken up its abode. The traitor Judas, intoxicated
with this bane, in his thirst for lucre was so foolishly hardened,
as to sen his Lord and Master. JEROME; The wretched
Judas \vould fain replace, by the sale of his
laster, that
loss \\Thich he supposed he had incurred by the ointment.
And he does not demand any fixed sum, lest his treachery
should seem a gainful thing, but as though delivering up a
worthless slave, he left it to those who bought, to determine
how much they would give. ORIGEN; The same do all
who take any material or worldly things to cast out of their
thoughts the Saviour and the w'ord of truth ,,,hich was in
them. And tltey co't'enanted lritlt llinl for illirty pieces of
sill
er, as many pieces as the Saviour had d\ve1t years in the
world 8. JEROME; Joseph was not sold as many, following
Gen.37, the LXX, think for hventy pieces of gold, but as the Hebrew
28. text has for twenty pieces of silver, for it could not be that
Aug. the servant should be more valuable than his Master. AUG.
Quæst.
Ev. i. 1.'hat the Lord was sold for thirty pieces of silver by Judas,
41 denotes the unrighteous Jews, who pursuing things carnal
and temporal, which belong to the five bodily senses, refuse
to have Christ; and forasmuch as they did this in the sixth
age of the world, their receiving five tÍ1nes six as the price
of the Lord is thus signified; and because the Lord's words
are silver, but they understood even the Law carnally, they
had, as it were, stamped on silver the image of that worldly
dominion which they held to when they renounced the Lord.
ORIGEN; The oppo1"I'lll1ity which Judas sought is further
Luke explained by Luke, how he rJu:ght bel1"ay hÙn in tile absence
22, 6. of the multitude; w'hen the populace ,,"as not ,vith Him,
but He was withdrawn ,,-ith His disciples. And this
he did, delivering Him up after supper, when He was
withdrawn to the garden of Gethselnane. And from that
time forward, such has been the season sought for by
those that would betray the word of God in time of per-

a i. e. Before He began His ministry, before tbiet commentary on S. Matt.
as what follows in Origen shews. For was written. In it he more than once
though Origen had at one time consi- mentions three years as the probable
dered the duration of Our Lord's ministry period. vide Comm. in Matt. Sere
not to have exceeded one year and a few
. 40.
months, be had changed that opinion

YEn. 17-19.

T. MATTHE\V.

885

t;ecution, \"hen the multitude of believers is not around the
word of truth.

] 7. Now the first day of the feast of unleavened
bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto hinl,
\Vhere wilt thou that \ve prepare for thee to eat the
Passover?
18. And he said, Go into the city to such a man,
and say unto hiIn, The 1\Iaster saith, l\Iy tinle is
at hand; I win keep the Passover at thy house with
my disciples.
19. And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed
them; and they made ready the Passover.

GLOSS. The Evangelist having gone through the events 1
1 " . h f . G oss.
pre nnlnary to the Passion, nalnely, t e announcement 0 It, non acc.
the counsel of the Chief Priests, and the covenant for His
betrayal, prosecutes the history in the order of events, saying,
On tlte first day ql ul1learened !J1"ead. JEROME; The first
day of unlea,-ened bread is the fourteenth day of the first
month, when the lalnb is killed, the lnoon is at full, and
lea'"en is put a\vay. REMIG. And obser\?e that with the Jews,
the Passover is celebrated on the first day, and the following
seven are called the days of unlea,"ened bread; but here
the first day of unleavened bread Ineans the day of the Pass-
over. CHRYS. Or, by tile .first day, he means the day before Ch
rys.
the days of unleavened bread. For the Je\vs al\\Ta)"s reckoned Horn.
their day fronl the evening; and this day of which he speaks lxxxi.
was that on the evening of which they \vere to kill the
Passover, namely, the fifth day of the week ß. REl\IIG. But
perhaps some one ,,"ill say, If that typical lamb bore a type
of this the true lalnb, how did not Christ suffer on the night
on which this was always killed? It is to be noted, that on
this night, He committed to IIis disciples the lnysteries of
His flesh and blood to be celebrated, and then also being
seized and bound by the Jews, He hallowed the COllllnence-
ment of His sacrifice, i. e. His Passion. The disciples carne

b This passage has been altered hy 'Vel bane IJrimam diem azymorum dicit
the text of S. Chrys. The Catena has, quia
eptt'm dies azymorum erant.

886

GOSPEL ACCORDING "1'0

CHAP. LXVI.

'llllto Il'tìJl; atnong these no doubt was the traitor Judas.
CHRYS. lIenee it is evident that lIe had neither house nor
lodging. Nor, I conclude, had the disciples any, for they
Aug. would surely have invited HiIn thither. AUG. Go -into tile

v

s. city to such. a 1nan, IIirn \\Thorn Mark and Luke call the
80. good-1nan if the ltouse, or the rnaste1" 0/ the house. And
when Matthew says, to silcl" a 1nan, he is to be understood
to say this as from himself for brevity's sake; for everyone
kno"ys that no man speaks thus, Go ye to sllcll a Jnan. And
Matthew adds these \vords, to SllClt a mall, not that the Lord
used the very expression, but to convey to us that the disciples
were not sent to anyone in the city, but to some certain
person. CHRYS. Or, we may say that this, to slicll a 1nall,
shews that He sent them to SOllIe person unknown to them,
teaching them thereby that lIe was able to avoid His Passion.
For He who prevailed with this luan to entertain Ililn, how
could lIe not have prevailed with those \vho crucified I-lim,
had lIe chosen not to suffer? Indeed, J marvel not only
that he entertained Him, being a stranger, but that he did
it in contempt of the hatred of the multitude. flILARY ;
Or, IVlatthew does not name the Ulan in whose house Christ
,yould celebrate the Passover, because the Christian name was
not yet held in honour by the believers. RABAN. Or, he omits
the name, that aU who would fain celebrate the true Passover,
and receive Christ within the dwelling place of their own
minds, should understand that the opportunity is afforded
thelll\ J EROl\1E; In this also the New Scripture observes
the practice of the Old, in \\rhich we frequently read, , He
said unto him,' and' In this or that place,' without any name
of person or place
CHRYS. jJly tÙne is at ltand, this He
said, both by so manifold announcements of His Passion,
fortify jng IIis disciples against the e'''ent, and at the same
tilne shewing that He undertook it voluntarily. I will keep
tlte Passol.:er at thy house, \vherein we see, that to the very
last day He was not disobedient to the Law. Jf 7 ifh 'JllY
disciples, lIe adds, that there n1Îght be sufficient preparation

nade, and that he to \vholn He sent lnight not think that lIe
e. g. desired to be concealed. ORIGE:N; Some one may argue,

fon- that because Jesus kept the Passover \vith J e\vish obser,"ances,
itp.s. ,ve ought to do the same as follo"yers of Christ, not remeln-
be ring that Jesus was nzade under the LaiD, though not that lIe

VER. 20-25.

ST. l\fATTHE"r.

887

should leave tlllde1. lite Law those \,"ho were under it, but Gal. 4,4.
shou]d lead tlle1n out of it; how' nluch less fitting then is it,
that those who before \vere without the Law', should after-
wards enter in ? "r e celebrate spiritually the things ,,'hich
,vere carnally celebrated in the Law, keeping the Passover
in tlte unleavened bread of sincerify llnd trulll, according 1 Cor.
to the will of the Lamb, \vho said, E
xcept ye eat 1JtY flesh 1o:
6
and drink 'l1lY hlood, ye sltall not ltave life in you. 53. '

20. Now \vhen the even \vas come, he sat down
with the twelve.
21. And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say
unto you, that one of you shall betray me.
22. And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began
everyone of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I ?
23. A nd he answered and said" He that dippeth
his hand \vith me in the dish, the same shall betray
me.
24. The Son of man goeth as it is written of him:
but \voe unto that man by \vhom the Son of man is
betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had
not been born.
25. Then Judas, \vhich betrayed him, answered
and said, l\Iaster, is it I? He said unto him, Thou
hast said.

JEROME; The Lord had above foretold His Passion,
He no\V foretels who is to be the traitor; thus giving
him place of repentance, when he should see that his
thoughts and the secret designs of his heart \vere known.
REMIG. lVi/it. tlte tu'ell'e, it is said, for Judas \vas per-
sonally alnong theIn, though he had ceased to be so in
lncrit. J ER01IE; Judas acts in every thing to relnove all
suspicion of his treachery. RE.
nG. And it is beautifully
said, IJThen et'en u.:as conte, because it was in the evening
tl1at the Laulb \vas \vont to be slain. RABAN.' For this

888

(;OSlJEL ACCO RDI
G TO

CHAP. XXVI.

reason also, because in Christ's Passion, wherein the true
sun hasted to his setting, eternal refreshment was made ready
for aU believers. CHRYS. The Evangelist relates how as they
sat at meat, J esns declares Judas' treachery, that the wicked-
ness of the betrayer Inay be more apparent from the season
Leo, and the circlunstances. LEO; II e she"'s that the conscience

8 erm. of His betra y er was known to Him, not meetin g his wickedness
..., , 3.
\vith a harsh and open rebulie, that penitence might find a
readier \yay to one who had not been disgraced by public
dis1l1Ïësal. ORIGEN; Or, lIe spoke generally, to proye the
nature of each of their hearts, and to evince the \vickedness
of Judas, \\"ho ,,'ould not belic\ye in One who knew his heart.
I suppose that at :first he supposed that the thing was hid from
JIhn, deeming Hin} man, \vhich was of unbelief; but \-yhen
he saw that his heart \vas kno\Yl1, he eInbraccd the conceal-
ment offered by this general way of speaking, \"Vhich \vas
shaIllclesness. This also shews th e goodness of the disciples,
that tlley believed Christ's \-yords more than tbeir own con-
sciences,fc1" they began eacli to say, Lord, is it I? For they
knew by \\'hat Jesus had taught then1 that human nature is
Epb.6, readily turned to e\'il, and is in continual struggle with tlie
12. 'I'uters oj"tlie darkness qf this 'loorld; whence they ask as in
fear, for by reason of our weakness the fÌ1ture is an object of
dread to us. 'Vhen the Lord saw the disciples thus alarnled
for themselves, lIe pointed out the traitor by the n1ark of the
Ps.41, prophetic declaration, He ll,at Ila/it eaten bread u;illt 1ne
9. hatli 1l'all!0111y overflirown lne. JEROME; 0 \vonderful
endurance of the Lord, lIe had said before, One if YOll shall
betray 111e. The traitor perse\"eres in his ,vickedness; He
designates hin1 rnore particularly, yet not bJ name. For
Judas, while the rest were sorrowful, and withdrew their hands,
and bid away the food froln their mouths, with the same
hardihood and recklessness ,,'hich led hÍ1n to betray Him,
reached forth his hand into the dish with his l\Iaster, passing
off his audacity
s a good conscience. CHRYS. I rather
tllink that Christ did this out of regard for hin1, and to bring
him to a better ]llind. RABAK. 'Vhat l\Iatthe\v eaUs
, paropsis,'
Iark calls' catinus.' The' paropsis' is a square
dish for n1eat, , catinu
,' au earthen "esse] for containing
fluids; thi
then Inigl1t be a square earthen ,'esse!. ORIGEN;

VER. 20-25.

ST. )L\.TTllE\V.

889

Such is the wont of U1en of exceeding wickedness, to plot
against those of ,vhosc bread and salt they have partaken,
aud especially those who ha\ye no enlnity against them.
TIut if \ve take it of the spiritual table, and the spiritual
food, \\"e shall see the more abundant and overflo\ving
measure of tl1Ís lnan's ,yickednes
, who caned to n1Ïnd
neitller his :àlaster's loye in providing carnal goods, nor
His teaching in things spiritual. Such are all in the
Church who lay snares for their brethren \vhon) they con-
tinually Ineet at the same table of Christ's Body. J EROl\IE;
Judas, not \vithheld by either the first or second ,,"arning,
perseveres in his treachery; the Lord's long-suffering nou-
rishes his audacity . Now then his punishlnent is foretold, that
denunciations of wrath lnay correct where good feeling has no
power. 11E:
IIG. It belongs to hUInan nature to COlne and go,
Divine nature rClnains ever the f'ìan1e. So bécause His
human nature could suffer and die, therefore of the Son of
l\Ian it is well said that he .qoetlz" He says plainly, As l
t is
'll"ritten of lIÙn, for all that He suffered had been foretold by
the Prophets. CH:tlyS. This He said to cOlufort His disciples,
that they 1l1ight not think that it was through \\yeakness that
He suffered; and at the san1e tilne for the con"cction of His
betrayer. Ãnd notwithstanding His Passion had been foretold,
Judas is still guilty; and not his betrayal "Tought our salva-
tion, but God's pro,-idence, which used the sins of others to
our profit. OIUGEN; fIe said not, By whom lite Son qf J.l:lan
is betrayed, but t!trough 11,""0111, pointing out another, to wit, John
the De\.il, as the authOl" of His betrayal, Judas as the luin- 13, 2.
ister. But ,,'oe also to all betrayers of Christ! and such is
eyery one \\'ho betrays a disciple of Christ. REJIIG. ,v
oe
also to aU who dra,"\" near to Christ's table with an evil and
dcfiled conscience! who though they do not deli\:"er Christ to
the Jews to be crucified, deliver H in1 to their own sinful
members to be taken. lIe adds, to gi,-e Ulore eUlphasis, Good
1lJere it for tllat luall if !te 1,f1,d llel'er been born. J EROJIE ;
'Ve are not to infer from this that man has a being before birth;
for it cannot be \yell \vith any lHan tiB he has a being; it sÏ1nply
Ï1nplies that it is better not to be, than to be in evil. ..A.I:G. And Aug.
ifit be contended that there is a life before this life, that will

.
prove that not only not for Judas, but for none other is it good to 40.

890

GOSPEL ACCORDI
G TO

CHAP. XXVI.

have been bonl. Can it mean, that it were better for hiIn
not to have been born to the De,ril, nanlely, for sin? Or does
it mean that it had been good for him not to have been
born to Christ at his calling, that he should no\\" beconle apostate?
ORIGEN; _\fter all the Apostles had asked, and after Christ
had spoken of him, Judas at length enquired of hÏ1nself, with
the crafty design of concealing his treacherous purpose by
asking the same question as the rest; for real sorro\v brooks
not suspense. JEROME; His question feigns either great re-
spect, or a hypocritical incredulousness. The rest who were
not to betray lIilIl, said only Lord; the actual traitor ad-
dresses Him as JIasler, as though it were sonle excuse that
he denied Hiln as Lord, and betrayed a l\Iaster only. ORIGEN;
Or, out of sycophancy he calls HÏ1Il l\laster, while he holds
Him un\vorthy of the title. CHRYS. Though the Lord could
have said, Ilast thou covenanted to receive silver, and darest
to ask 1.\1e this? But Jesus, 11l0st 111erciful, said nothing of
all this, therein laying down for us rules and landrnarks of
endurance of evil. He sait/t llnto ltin
, Than !last said.
REl\IIG. 'Vhich nlay be understood thus; Thou sayest it, and
thou sayest \vhat is true; or, Thou hast said this, not I;
leaving hinl rOOln for repentance so long as his ,-illainy \vas
not publicly exposed. RABAN. This lnight have been so said
by Judas, and answered by the Lord as not to be overheard
by the rest.

26. And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and
blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples,
and said, Take, eat.; this is my body.

JEROME; When the typical Passover ,vas concluded, and
He had partaken of the Lalnb with IIis Apostles, He comes
Gen.14, to the true paschal sacralnent; that, as l\Ielchisedech, Priest
18. of the most high God, had done in foreshadowing Christ,
offering bread and wine, lIe also should offer the present
Aug. verity of II is Borly and Blood c. AUG. And as tlte.If'were eating,
Ep. 54,
7.

C Many of the passages here quoted compilation. Whenever they can be
appear to have been taken by S. Thomas found, the originals are referred to in
from the Decretum of Gratian, though the margin, and the important differ-
the- Catena giveR no reference to this ences or additions are noticed in the note.

YEn. 26.

ST. MATTHE'V.

891

whereby it is clearly seen that at their first partaking of the
Lord's Body and Blood, the disciples did not partake fasting.
But are we therefore to except against the practice of the
\vhole Church, of recei,'ing fasting? It has seell1ed good to
the Holy Ghost, that for the better honour of so great a SacI'a-
ment, the Lord's Body should enter the Christian's mouth
before other food. For to COll1lnend more Inightily the depth of
this Inystery, the Saviour chose this as the last thing He
would ÏInprint 011 the hearts and 111elllory of H is disciples,
frotn whom He \yas to depart to His Passion. But He did
not direct in what order it should thenceforth be taken, that
lIe might reserve that for the Apostles by \vhom He would
regulate IIis Church. GLOSS. Christ deli\rered to us His Flesh Gloss.
and Blood under anothel" kind, and ordained them to be non occ.
thenceforth so received, that faith lnight ha\Te its lncrit, which
is of things that are not seen.
\MHROSE II; And that \ve might Ambr.
not be shocked by the sight of blood, while it at the same tinle

.

cr.
,vrought the price of our redell1ption. AUG. The Lord COln- Aug. in
mitted His Body and Blood to substances which are formed a

'6.
homogeneous cOlnpound out of Inany. Bread is 111ade ofluauy 17.cf.
. . . d d f b . II ' h Senne
graIns, WIne IS pro uce out 0 many erfles. erelU t e 227, l.
Lord Jesus Christ signified us, and hallowed in His own
table the lllystery of our peace and unity. REl\IIG. Fittingly
also did lIe offer fruit of the earth, to she\\T thereby that He
came to take away the curse wherewith the earth was cursed
for the sin of the first lnan. Also He bade be offered the
produce of the earth, and the things for which lnen chiefly
toil, that there might be no difficulty in procuring thein, and
tbat lllen might offer sacrifice to God of the \york of their
hands. AMBROSE; Hence learn that the Christian mysteries Ambr.
,,"ere before the J e\vish. :\IelchiseJcch offered bread and
e 8 3 acr.
IV. .
wine, being in aU things like the Son of God, to 'Vholn it is yo 110
.rs. ,
said, Tholt art a Priest .fo r eVer after tlte 01"der of lJlelchise- 4.
declt; and of 'Vhom it is here said, Jeslls took bread.

n 12,

The present passage from S. Jerome (in
loc.) is found in Gratian. de Cons. ii.
88; that which follows from S. A ugus-
tine, ibid, 53, The next passage headed
, Gloss.' cannot be found any where.
d S. Ambrose's name has been re-
tained at the head of the passages out
of the Treatise' De Sacramentis,' be-

cause it is placed in the Ben. ed. among
the genuine works of S. Ambrose, and
not in the Appendix. Bnt there seems
to be little doubt of its spudousness.

ee .J enkyns' note to Cranmer's' De-
fenc
, &c.' in Cranmer's Works, ii.
326.

892

GOSPEL ACf'OUDINU TO

CHAP. XXVI.

GlOBS. GLOSS. 1'hiS c u-e must under
tand to be \vheat bread, for the
non occ. L d d H . If . f h . E
or C01l1pare In1se to a graIn 0 \V eat, saYIng,
:t"cept a
corn.fall into the ground
;c. Such bread also is suitable for
the Sacralnent, because it is in common use; bread of other
kinds being only 1nade ,,-hen this fai1s. But foraslnuch as
Christ up to the very last day, to use the words of Chrysostom
p.886. as abo,-e, shewed that lIe did nothing contrary to the Law, and
the Law comlnanded that unleavened bread should be eaten in
the evening when the Passover was slain, and that allleavened
should be put away, it is manifest that the bread which the Lord
Greg. took and gave to His disciples ,vas unleavened. GREG. It has
non occ.
gÍ,-en trouble to dÌ\rers persons, that in the Church SODle offel'
unlea\-ened and others leavened bread. The ROlnan Church
offers unleavened, because the I.Jord took flesh \vithout any
I com- pollution I ; other! Churches offer leavened bread, because the
mixti-
one ,V ord of the Father took flesh upon Him, and is Very God,
2 Græcæ and Very l\Ian; and so the lea,.en is mingled ,vith the flour.
sc. But \vhether \ve re
eive leavened or unleavened, we are made
Ambr. one body of the Lord our Saviour. AMBROSE; This bread
de Sacr. i" 1 . I b d .
iv. 4. bClore the sacramentary wore s, IS t Ie rea In cOllllnon use;
after consecration it is made of bread Christ's flesh. .A,nd
\vhat al'e the "yords, or \vhose are the phrases of consecl.ation,
save those of the Lord Jesus? For if His ,,'ord had power to
make those things begin to be \vhich were not, how" Illuch
rather will it not be efficacious to cause them to relnain what they
are, \yhile they are at the saUle tilne changed into sOlncwhat else?
For if the hea\Tenly word has been effectual in other lnatters,
is it ineffectual in heavenly sacralncnts? Therefore of the
bread is luade the Body of Christ, and the wine is nlade blood
by the consecration of the heavenly word c. Dost thou
enquire after the 11lanner? Learn. The conrse of nature

f: This Gloss is partly from the Gloss which were not, how much rather is it
on Gratian de Cons. d. ii. c. 5. The not efficacious to make those things,"
next passage is hearled ' Gregorius in i. e. the bread, not begin, bll.t " continue
Registro' in the editions, and is so to be, \vhich were already, and are
quoted by S. Thomas, Summa 3. q - 74. but changed into something else p"
art. 4. but cannot be found in S. Greg. 2. Next he illustrates the ('hange by our
cap. Grat. ibid. 54. On this re- own change in regeneration. " Tu
markable passage it ma
r be observed, ip
e eras, sed eras vetus creatura;
first, S. Ambro
e is referring to the postea quam consecratus es, nova crea-
creation, and his meaning is, ,
If his tura esse cppisti." 3. There is no in-
word had power to make thpse thing:ö:," troduction of the word substance, i. e.
i. e. heaven and earth, "begin to be, no assertion of transubstd.ntiation.

YEn. 26.

:1ST. 1\L\TTHE'V.

89:J

is, that a luan is not born but of Ulan and "
Olnan, but by
God's will Christ was born of the Holy Spirit and a \Yirgin.
PASCHASILS; As then real flesh "ra
created by the Holy
Spirit without sexual union, so by the san1e IIoly Spirit
the substance of bread and wine are consecrated into the
Body and Blood of Christ. And because this consecration
is lnade by the Lord's \\Tord, it is added, He blessed g . RE:\IIG.
Hereby He shewed also that He together ,,
ith the Father
and the Holy Spirit has filled hU1l1an nature \vith the grace
of His divine power, and enriched it with the boon of
immortality. And to shew that 1-1 is Body \vas not subject
to passion but of His o\vn win, it is added, And bra'
e.
LANFRANC; 'Vhen the host is broken, ",hen the blood is
poured fronl the cup into the mouth of the faithful, ,,-hat else
is denoted but the offering of the Lord's Body on the cross,
and the shedding of His Blood out of IIis side h? DIO
YSIUS; Dionys.
In this is also shewn, that the one and uncompounded 'V ord E H
cl. !>
ler. oLJ.
of God caIne to us con1pounded and visible by taking hUInan in fin.
nature upon Him, and dra\ving to HÎ1nself our society,
made us partakers of the spiritual goods which If e distri.
buted, as it follows, And gare to his disciples. LEO ; Not Leo,
1 di h . fj h . h . . h Serm
exc u ng t e traItor even 1'0111 t IS Dlystery, t at It InIg t 58, 3:
be made manifest that Judas was provoked by no wrong, but
that he had been foreknown in \"oluntary in1piety. AGG. Peter Aug.
and Judas received of the saIne bread, but Peter to life, Juda8 i T nJoa 9 n.
r. 5 .
to death. CHRYS. And this John shews ,'vhen he says, After Chrys.
the sop, Satan entered into ltÙn. For his sin \vas aggravated Horn:.
. I h h .. lXXXll.
In t lat e came near to t ese Iuystenes \Ylth such a heart, John13,
and that haying come to theIn, he ,vas made better neither 27 .
by fear, kindness, nor honour. Christ hindered hiIn not,
though lIe knew all things, that yuu lllay learn that He
omits nothing which serves for cOITection. REl\IIG. In so
doing He left an example to the Church, that it should

g This passage is quoted in the
Bod!. 1\18. and early editions of tbe
Cat., as ' Augustinus in Verb. Dom.'
Gratian also (de Cons. d. ii. 72.) gives
it as Augustine's, but the earliest
author in whom it is found is Pas-
chasins Radbertus, Abbot of Cor-
bey, and a well-known writer of the

ninth century, 'De Corpore et San-
guine Dom.' 4.
h This is quoted in the early editioDs,
and in Gratian de Cons. ii. 37. 3.8
Augustinus ' in Libro Sent. Prosper.'
but does Dot occur in that collection of
Prosper as we have it. It is found in
Lanfranc cont. Bereng. 13.

894

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

CHAP. X.XVI.

ever no one frolll its fellowship, or frolH the cOlnmunion of
the Body and Blood of the Lord, but for SOlne notorious
and public crime. HILARY; Or, The Passover was con-
cluded by the taking the cup and breaking the bread without
Judas, for he \vas un\vorthy the communion of eternal sacra-
ments. And that he had left thenl ,ve learn from thence, that
he returns ,vith a multitude.
AUG. i And .said, Take, eat; The Lord invites His servants
to set before thcln Hilllself for food. But \vho would dare
to eat his Lord? This food when eaten refreshes, but fails
not; He Ii ves after being eaten, Who rose again after being
put to death. Neither when we eat Hilll do \ve divide His
substance; but thus it is in this Sacralnent. The faithful
know how they feed on Christ's flesh, each Ulan I'eceives a
part for himself. He is divided into parts in the Sacrament,
yet He remains whole; He is all in heaven, lIe is all in thy
heart. ".rhey are called Sacraments, because in them what is
seen is one thing, what is understood is another; what is
seen has a material tonn, what is understood has spiritual
Aug. fruit. ID. Let us not eat Christ"s flesh only in the Sacra-
in Joan. r h d . k d b I .. I
Tr.27, ment, lor t at 0 many WIC e nlen, ul et us eat to spIntua
11. participation, that we may abide as members in the Lord's
Ambr. body, that we Inay be quickened by His Spirit. AMBROSE;
de Sacr. B r .. . b d r. Ch " d '7"'1. .
iv.5. elore consecratIon, It IS rea ; alter nst s wor s, 1. IllS 'is
'1ny body, have been pronounced, it is Christ's Body.

27. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and
gave it to thenl, saying, Drink ye all of it ;
28. For this is my blood of the new testament,
which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
29. But I say unto you, I ,viII not drink hence-
forth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when
I drink it ne\v with you in my Father's kingdom.

REMIG. The Lord having gÍ\Ten His disciples His Body

J This passage, headed' Augustinus' to which Augustine's name is there
in the Bodl. MS., and' Allg de Verb. prefixed. It has not been found in S.
Dom.' in the earlier editions, is appa- Augustine's works. But it is found in
rently taken from two canons in the ßede on 1 Cor. x. who also quotes it
3d pt. of Gratian, viz. c. 70. and c. 58. from' Aug. de verb. Evang.'

VER.27-29.

ST. MATTHE\V.

895

under the elelnent of bread I, well gives the cup uf lIis I sub.
d h l " k ' I . h . H h . speCIe
TIloo to t em 1 -ewlsc; s lC\VlUg w at JOY e as In our panis.
salvation, seeing He e\Ten shed IIis Blood for us. CHRYS. He
ga\Oe thanks to instruct us after ,vhat manner "-e ought to
celebrate this 111ystery, and shewed also thereby that He
caIne not to His Passion agai.nst His will. ...\1so lIe taught
us to bear ""hatsoever we suffer ,,,,ith thanksgi,oing, and
infused into us good hopes. For if the type of this sacri-
fice, to wit, the offering of the paschal lan1b, becalne the
deliverance of the people frOin Egyptian bondage, much
more shall the reality thereof be the deliverance of the ,vorld.
And gat"e it to tltenz, saying, DrinÃ" ye all of it. That
they should not be distressed at hearing this, He first drank
His own blood to lead theln without fear to the communion
of these mysteries. JEROME; Thus then the Lord Jesus Hieron.
was at once guest and feast, the eater and the things eaten k.
IJ;
.
CHRYS. Tllis is '1ny blood of tlte new testament j that is, dib.
the new promise, covenant, lan r ; for this blood was promised
from of old, and this guarantees the new covenant; for as
the Old Testament had the blood of sheep and goats, so the
New' has the Lord's Blood. REl\IIG. For thus it is read,
Bellold tlte blood of the co
'enant u;llic/t tlte L01"d llatlt 1nade Exod.
wi/It you. CHRYS. And in calling it blood, He foreshews 24, 8.
His Passion, 11Iy blood. . . 'ielliclt sllall be slled for 'Jllany.
Also the purpose for which He died, adding, Fo'}' tlte renlission
qf sins; as much as to say, The blood of the lalnb was shed
in Egypt for the salvation of the first born of the Israelites,
this l\Iy Blood is shed for the remission of sins. REl\IIG.
And it is to be noted, that He says not, For a few, nor,
For all, but, For many; because He caIne not to redeem
a single nation, but Inany out of all nations. CHRYS. Thus
saying, He shews that His Passion is a mystery of the
salvation of men, by which also He comforts His disciples.
And as 1\ioses said, TllÍ8 sllall be an ordinance to tllee fl'" Ex. 12,
ever, so Christ speaks as Luke relates, This do in 1'e1ne1Jl- i
ke
brallce of 1ne. REMIG. And He taught us to offer not bread 22, 19.
only, but wine also, to shew that they who hungered and
thirsted after righteousness were to be refreshed by these
mysteries. GLOSS. As the refreshment of the body is wrought Glos
.
non occ.

k ap. Grat. do Conse(!r. ð. ii. 87.

896

GOSPEL ACCORDI
G TO

CHAP. XXVI.

by nleans of Ineat and drink, so under the form of nleat
and drink the Lord has provided for us spiritual refreshnlent.
A.nd it was suitable that for the shewing forth the Lord's
Passion this Sacralnent should be instituted under both kinds.
For in His Passion He shed His Blood, and so His Blood
v{as separated ii'oln IIis Body. It beho,red therefore, that
for representation of His Passion, bread and \vine should
be separately set forth, which are the Sacrament of the Body
and Blood. But it should be known, that under both kinds
the whole of Christ is contained; under the bread is contained
the Blood, together with the Body; under the wine, the Body
Ambr. together with the Blood. .A.l\fBHOSIAST. And for this reason also

:
6
r. do \\
e celebrate under both kinds, because that which we re-
Cyp.Ep. ceive avails for the preservation of both body and soul. CYPRIA
;

t The cup of the Lord is not water only, or \vine only, but the
t,,
o are Inixed; so the Lord's Body cannot be either flour
Ambr. only, or water only, but the two are conlbined 1. Al\IBROSE;

.acr. If IVlelchisedech offered bread and \,rine, \vhat Ineans this
mixing of ,,'ater ? Hear the reason. l\loses struck the rock, and
the rock gave forth abundance of water, but that rock \vas
Christ. Also one of the soldiers with his spear pierced
Christ's side, and out of His side flowed ,,"ater and blood,
the water to cleanse, the blood to redeeln m. RE)IIG. For
Rev. 17, it should be known, that as John speal
s, Tile )tlany 'u'ater.ç
15.. d
a'1"e lIatzol1S and people. An because we ought always to
abide in Christ and Christ in us, wine n1Ïxed \vith \vater is
offered, to shew that the head and the rnenlbers, that is,
Christ and the Church, are one body; or to shew that neither
did Christ suffer without a love for our redelnption, nor \ve
can be saved \vithout His Passion. CHRYS. And having
spoken of His Passion and Cross, lIe proceeds to speak of
His resurrection, I say unto you, I 'lrill not driJll.
liellce-
.fortlz, &c. By the killgdol1l He means His resurrection.
And He speaks this of II is resurrection, because He would
then drink \\Tith the Apostles, that none n1Ïght suppose Hi

1 To signify, as S. Cyprian proceeds people begin to be Witllout Christ."
to say, the union between Christ and ThiEl passage of Cyprian is quoted in
His faithful people; " For if one offer Gratian. de Cons. ii. 7.
wine only, the blood of Christ begins Pl ape Gratian. de Cons. d. ii. 83. cr.
to be without us; if wa.ter only, the Paschas. de Corp. et Sang. II.

VEn. 30-35.

ST. l\IATTIlE\V.

SH7

resurrection a phantasy. Thus \vhen they would convince
any of Ilis resmorection, they said, IVe did eat and drink witlt Acts 10)
hint a:.fter he rose frO}}l tlte dead. This tells them that 41-
they shaH see Hilll after lIe is risen, and that He will be
again with them. That He says, ...-,"'eu:, is vlainly to be
understood, after a new 11lanner, lIe no longer having a
passible body, or needing food. For after IIis resurrection
lIe did not eat as needing food, but to e\yidence the reality
of the resurrection. And foraslnuch as there are f'Onle
heretics who use w'ater instead of "rine in the sacred Inys-
teries D, He she\vs in these words, that \"hen lIe now ga\'e
them these holy lnysteries, He ga\ye theln nyine, and drank
the like after He was risen; for He says, Of this fruit of the
'l-'ine, but the vine produces wine, and not water. J ERO)IE ;
Or otherwise; FroIl1 carnal things the Lord passes to
spiritual. Holy Scripture speaks of the people of Israel as Ps.80,8.
of a vine brought up out of Egypt; of this \yine it is then Jer. 2,
I d . 21.
that the Lord says lIe wil rInk no more except in I-lis
Father's kingdom. His Father's kingdom I suppose to mean
the faith of the believers. 'Vhen then the Je','s shall recei\Oc
His Father's kingdom, then the Lord \vill drinl
of their vine.
Observe that He says, Of 'lny Father, not, Of God, for to
nalne the Father is to nalue the Son. As lunch as to say,
When they shall ha\
e belie,oed on God the Father, and
He has brought thelll to the Son. RE1IIG. Or othenyise;
I u,ill not drink of tlte afruit of tliis rine, L e. I will no
longer take pleasure in the carnal oùlations of the Synagogue,
alllong ,,
hich the ilnmolatioll of the Paschal lalub held an
eU1inent place. But the time of l\:Iy resurrection is at hand,
and the day in which exalted in the Father's kingdoll1,
that is, raised in iuullortal glory, I .
ltall drink it neUJ u'itl,
you, i. e. I shall rejoice as with a n8\V joy in the salvation of
that people then renewed by the water of baptism. ,A..UG. Or Aug.
otherwise; 'Vhen He says, I shall drink it nell' wil" YOIl, Q E u
st.
. VJ.43.
lIe gi\.es us to understand that tlns is old. Seeing then
that He took body of the race of Adau), who is called the
old man, and was to give up to death that Body in His
Pa:ssion, (whence also He gave us IIis Bluod in the sacra...

n P. g. The Encratites, followers of Century. See Can. A post. 43 and 15
Saturninus and Tatian in the
econd of John
on's Tran
lation.

YOLo I.

3 '1

SHS

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

CHAP. XXVI.

Inent of \vine,) \vhat else can we understand by the new
,vine than the innnortality of renew.ed bodies. In saying,
I 'lrill drink it witll YO'll, lIe prolnises to them likewise a
resuITection of their bodies for the putting on of illunortality.
1Vith you is not to be understood of tinIe, but of a like
rene\val, as the Apostle speaks, that we are risen with Christ,
the hope of the future bringing a present joy. That that which
lIe shall drink new shall also be of tltis fruit of tlte vine,
:-ïignifies that the very same bodies shall rise after the heavenly
l'enc\val, \vhich shall now die after the earthly decay. HILARY;
It seeUlS frollI this that Judas had not drunk with Him,
because He was not to drink hereafter in the kingdom; but
I-Ie prolnises to all \vho partook at this tÏ1ne of this fruit of
Gloss. the vine that they should drink \vith Him hereafter. GLOSS.
non occ. B . f h .. f h . h t J d
ut In support 0 t e opInIon 0 ot er saInts, tau as
did receive the sacranlents from Christ, it is to be said, that
the words 'lritll yon Inay t.efer to the greater part of them,
and not necessarily to the whole.

30. And when they had sung an hymn, they went
out into the mount of Olives.
31. Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be
offended because of me this night; for it is written,
I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock
shall be scattered abroad.
32. But after I am risen again, I will go before
you into Galilee.
33. Peter answered and said unto him, Though
all In en shall be offended because of thee, yet will I
never be offended.
34. Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee,
That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt
den y me thrice.
35. Peter said unto him., Though I should die
with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also
said all the disciples.

VER. 30-35.

ST. MATTHEW.

8HH

ORIGE
; When the disciples had eaten the brpad of bles
-
lng, and drunk of the cup of thallksgiying, the Lord instructs
thelll ill return for these things to
ing a hyn1n to the Father.
And they go to the :àl0Ullt of Olives, that they lllay pass frolll
height to heig"ht, because the be]ie\Ter can do nought in the
valley. 0 [BEDE; Beautifully after the disciples have been !3ede in
:filled "Tith the Sacranlents of Ilis Body and Blood, and

L3

'
COlllulcndcd to the Father ill a hyuln of pious iuterces
ion, ,
does I [e lead theln into the lllount of Olives; thus by type
teaching us how we ought, by the \vorking of His Sacra-
Inents, and the aid of IIi
intercession, lnoullt up to the
higher gifts of the virtues and the graces of t1lf' lIol
T Spirit,
,,,ith which we are anointed in our hearts. RABAN. This
hynul Inay be that thanksgiving which in John, Our Lord C'. 17.
offers up to the Father, ,,,hen lIe lifted up Iris eyes and
prayed for IIis disciples, and thof'e who should believe
through their word. This is that of which the Psahu speaks,
. The poor shall eat and be jilled, they shall praise the Lord.] Ps.22,
CHRYS. Let thelU hear this, who like swine ,vith no thought 26.
buJ, of eating rise from the table drunk, when they should
have given thanks, and closed with a hYlnn. Let then1 hear
who will not tarry for the final prayer in the sacred IUJsteries;
for the last prayer of the' lnysteries represents that hruln.
lIe gave thanks before lIe deli\Tered the holy Inysteries to
the disciples, that ,ve also lnight give thanks; U e sung a
hYlnn after He had delivered theul, that \"e also should do
the like. JERO
IE; .After this exaulple of the Sa\"iour, who-
soever is filled and is drunken upon the bread and cup of
Christ, Inay praise God and ascend the 1\lount tlf Oli\'e
,
where is refreshnlent after toil, solact' of grief, and knowledge
of the true light. E-IIL-\RY; II ert'by lIe shews that IneH COH-
:finued by the powers of the Divine luysteries, are exalteù
to hea,rel1ly glory in a COIllIllOU joy and gladnes
. ORIGI
N;
Suitably also was the 11lount of lnercy chosen \vheuce to
declare the offence of Ilis disciples' weakness, by One even
then prepared not to reject the disciples who forsook IIiln,
but to recei,Te theln \,Then they returned to Hiln. J EROl\lE i

o The passages between brackets are ,MS. They appear to have been inserted
not found in the earlier Editions of the by NiC'olai.
Catena, ill the ED. PRo nor the Bodl.
31\12

90u

GOSPEL ACCORDI
G TO

CHAP. XXVI.

lIe foretels what they should suffer, that they might not aftel.
it had bcfallen then1 despair of salvation; but doing penitence
lnight he set free. CHRYS. In this \ve see what the disciples
'"ere both before and after the cross. They who could not
stand \\.ith Christ whilst lIe \yas crucified, becalne after the
death of Christ harder than adamant. This flight and fear
of the disciples is a denlonstration of Christ's death against
those "'ho are infected \vith the heresy of l\farcion. If He
}lad been nei ther bound nor cl'ucified, whence arose the terror
of Peter and the rest? J EHOME; And He adds enlphatically
1 Thess. tllis night, because as tlley that (lre drunken are drunken
5, 7. by ll(qlti, so they that al.e scandalized are scandalized by
night, and in the dark. I-IILARY; The credit of this pre-
diction is supported by the authority of old prophecy; It Ù;
written, I u.ill sl1zi/e the shepherd, and ti,e sltl3ep if tlteflock
shall be scal/ered abroad. J EROi\IE; This is found in Zacharias
in \vords different; it is said to God in the person of the
Zech. Prophet, SUllte the shepherd, and lhe sheep u.ill he scattered
13, 7. abroad. The good Shepherd is slnitten, that lie may lay down
His life for lIis sheep, and that of many floc]\:s of divers errors
should be Inade one flock, and one Shepherd. CHRYS. lIe
produces this prophecy to teach thenl to attend to the things
that are written, and to shew that His crucifixion ,vas according
to the counsel of God, and (as lIe does throughout) that He
,vas not a stranger to the Old Testament, but that it prophesied
of Hinl. But lIe did not suffer them to continue in son.o\\
,
but announces glad tidings, saying, J1 7 11eJl I {till risen ogaill,
I 'icill go be..fore you into Galilee. .AJter His resurrection
He does not appear to theln Í1nlnediately from heaven, nor
depart into any far country, but in the very same nation in
"hich He 'vas crucified, ahnost in the very place, giving
theln thereby assurance, that He who ,vas crucified was the
sanIe as fIe ,,'ho rose again, thereby to cheer their cast-down
countenances. He fixes upon Galilee, that, being delivered
fronl fear of the Jews, they might believe ,vhat lIe spoke to
them. OnIGEX; Also lIe foretels this to theIn, that they
"7ho now' "rere sOlne,vhat dispersed in consequence of
the offence, should be after gathered together by Christ
rising again, and going before theln into Galilee of the
Gentiles. II ILARY; But Petpr was carried so far by his

VER. 30-=35.

ST. }\L\ TTH E" .

901

zeal and affection for Christ, that he regarded ncither the
weakness of his flesh nor the truth of the Lord's words; as
if ,vhat lie spake HIUst not COllIe to pass, ]Jel er llll8u:ered
alld said unto ltilll, Tllollglt all .should be offended beclluse
of illce, yet u,ill I 'lIet'er be offended. CHRYS. 'Vhat sayest
thou, Peter? The Prophet says, The sheep shall be scattered
abroad, and Christ has confinued it, yet thou sayest, K e\ycr.
'Vhen lIe said, One qf YOle shall betray 11le, thou fearedst
for thyself, although thou wert not conscious of such a
thought; now \\yhen He openly affirms, All ye shall be
o..tfended, you deny it. But because when he was relieved
of the anxiety he had concen1Ïng the betrayal, he gre\v con-
fident concerning the rest, he therefore says thus, I lrill
nerer be offended. J ERO:\IE; It is not wilfulness, not false-
hood, but the Apostle's faith, and ardent attachUlent to\vards
the Lord his Saviour. RJDIIG. ''"'"hat the One affinns by
His power of forekno\vledge, the other denies through love;
whence we may take a practical lesson, that in proportion as
,ve are confident of the wannth of our faith, "re should be
in fear of the weakness of our flesh. Peter seems culpable,
first, because he contradicted the Lord's ,yords; secondly,
because he set hÌ1nself before the rest; and thirdly, because
he attrihuted every thing to hiIllself as though he had po\ver
to persevere strenuously. His fall then ,,'as penl1itted to
heal this in hitll; not that he "'as dri\yen to deny, but left to
hllnself, and so convinced of the frailty of his hUlllan nature P .
ORIGEN; "Thence the other disciples were offended in Jesus,
but Peter ,vas 1l0t only offended, but \vhat is llluch In ore,
was suffered to deny IIiln thrice. AUG. Perplexity Inay Aug. de
be occasioned to sonle bv the great difference, not in words E Con
:.
. 01 v. 111.4.
only, but In substance, of the spee
hes in \vhich Peter is
fore\varned by Our Lord, and \\yhich occasion his pre-
sUlnptuous declaration of dying ,,,ith or for the Lord. SOlne
would oblige us to understand that he thrice expressed his
confidence, and the Lord thrice answered hinl that he \rouId
deny IIiln thrice before cock-crowing; as after His resur-
rection He thrice asl
ed hinl if he loyed Him, and as often
ga\"e him cOllunalld to feed Hi
sheep. For \\That in lan-
guage or Inatter has
Iatthe\v like the expressions of Peter
P Remigius bas borrowed this from S. Chr)"SQstom, in loco

l'tIark
14, 30.

902

GO
I)EL AC(,OHDI
U TO

CHAP. XXVI.

in either Luke or JolIn? l\fark indeed relates it in nearly the
saIne words as l\Iatthe\v, only lnarkillg more precisely in the
Lord's \vords the Inanner in \vhich it should fall in, Ve1"ily
I say unto thee, tliat tltis day, in / /te night, b
ro1"e tlte cock
C1'OlfJ tlvice, tholt shalt deny 1Jle t/trice. "Thence some
inattentive persons think that there is a discrepancy bet\veell
l\Iark and the rest. For the SUUl of Peter's denials is three;
if the first then had been after the first cock-cro\ving, the
other three Evangelists must be \vrong when tlley luakc
the Lord say that Peter should deny IIinl before the cock
cro\v. But, on the other hand, if he had made all three
denials before the cock began to crow, it \vould be super-
fluous in J\Iark to say, Before tlte coc/c crOll' tu;ice. Foras-
Inuch as this threefold denial \vas begun befol"e the first cocl.-
cro\v, the three E\"angelists have lllarked, not when it 'was to
be concluded, but ho\v often it was to happen, and \vhen to
begin, that is, before cock-cro\v. Though indeed if ,,"e
understand it of Peter's heart we may well say, that the whole
denial was complete before the first cock-cro\v, seeing that
before that his Inind was seized \vith that great fear \vhich
"Tought upon hin} to the third denial. l\Iuch less therefore
ought it to disquiet us, ho\v the tlll'efl-fold denial in three
distinct speeches was begun, but not finished before cock-
cro\v. Just as though one should say, Before cock-crow
you will \vrite 111e a letter, in which rou will revile n1e three
titnes; if the letter \vere begun hefore any cock-crow, but
not finished till after the first, we should not therefore say
that the prediction "yas false. OnIGEN; But you ,,,ill ask,
whether it were possible that Peter should not have been
offended, \"hen once the Raviour had said, All ye sllall he
offended in 1Jze. To \vhich one will answer, \vhat is foretold
by Jesus n1ust of necessity come to pass; and another will
say, that He who at the prayer of Ninevites turned away the
wrath He had dl'nounced by Jonas, Inight also ha\re averted
Peter's offence at his entreaty. But his presumptuous con-
fidence, prolnpted by zeal indeed but not a cautious zeal,
becalne the cause not only of offence but of a thrice repeated
dcnia1. And since He confirmed it \vith the sanction of an
oath, SOUle one win sa} that it \vas not possible that he
f\hould not ha\'c denied ]-J in!. For Christ would have

VER. 36-38.

ST.
IATTHE'V.

no

spoken falsely when he said, Verily I say unto t!tee, if
Peter's assertion, I 'loill not deny tltee, had been true. It
seems to Iue that the other disciples having in view not that
which \vas first said, All ye shall be offended, but that \yhich
""as said to Peter, TTerily I say unto thee, lJc. Inade a like
promise \vith Peter because they were not comprehended in
the prophecy of denial. Peter sllid 'Unto hhn, TI,olt!llt I
should die with thee, yet u'ill I not deny thee. Likewise
also said all tlte disciples. Here again Peter kno\vs not
what he says; he could not die with Him who was to die for all
Dlankind, ,vho \vere aU in sin, and had need of some one to
die for them, not that they should die for others. RABAN.
Peter understood the Lord to have foretold that he should
deny Hitn under terror of death, and therefore he declares
that though death were imminent, nothing could shake hint
froln his faith; and the other Apostles in like Inanner in the
warmth of their zeal, valued not the infliction of death, but
human preslunption is vain \vithont Divine aid. CHRYS.
[I suppose also that Peter fell into these ,,,ords through
ambition and boastfulness. _\.nd they had disputed at supper
which of them should be greatest, whence we see that the
love of elnpty glory disturbed thenl Hluch. And so to deliver
hhn frOln such passions, Christ withdrew His aid fl.-om hill1.

loreover observe hon" after the resun"ection, taught by his
fall he speaks to Christ lllore humbly, and does not any n10re
resist His \vords. All this his fall WI"ought for him; for
before he had attributed all to hilnself, when he ought
rather to have said, I will not deny Thee if Thou succour lne
"rith Thy aid. But after\vards he shews that every thing is
to be ascriLed to God; JVlty look ye so ea1.nestly upon 'liS, as Acts 3,
t/tough by our 01011 pOlDer and holiness 1re !tad '1/lade t!lis 12.
man to walk?] q Hence then \ve learn the great doctrine,
that luan's wish is not enough, unless he enjoys Divine
support.

36. Then cometh Jesus ,vith them unto a place
called Gethsema.ne, and saith unto the disciples, Sit
ye here, ,vhile I go and pra.y yonder.

q Here again Nicolai has inserted a passage.

Ð04

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

CHAP. XXY!.

37. And he took with him Peter and the t\VO
sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorro\vful and
very heavy.
38. Then saith he unto them, l\Iy soul is exceeding
sorro\vfuJ, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch
with me.

REl\IIG. The E\Tangelist had said a little abo\Te, that when
they Ilad sling an ltY1Jzn tlley lrent out to tile '1JlOllllt if
Olives; to point out the part of the 1110unt to \vhich they
took their \vay, he now adds, Then caIne Jesus 'l.l"ith the/It
Luke to a garden called Getltselnane. RABAN. Luke says, To tile

h
9. lnOllllt o.l Olives, and John, !(Tent forth Oi-eel" the brook
18, 1. C 1 edroll, 'U)ltere 'ii'as a garden, \vhich is the same as this
Gethselnane, and is a place \vhere lIe prayed at the foot of
Illount Olivet, where is a garden, and a Church no\\"" built r.
JEROME; Gethsemane is interpreted, 'The rich valley;'
and there lIe bade His disciples sit a little \vhile, and wait
His l'etnrn \vhilst He prayed alone fOl' all. ORIGEl\; For
it "ras not fitting that lIe should be seized in the place
,vhere He had sate and eaten the Passo\Ter with His dis-
ciples. Also He must first pray, and choose a place pure
Cbrys. for prayer. CHRYS. He says, Sit ye here, u;lâle I go and
I HOI
:. pray yonder, because the disciples adhered inseparably to
XXXlIl. Ch . . H .. 1
nst; but It \vas IS practIce to pray apart froln t 1em,
therein teaching us to study quiet and retirelnellt for our
Dam. de prayers. DA
L\SCENUS; But seeing that prayer is the sending
O Fid h . ... up the understanding to God, or the asking of God things
rt . 111.
24. fitting, how did the Lord pray? For l1is understanding
needed not to be Jifted up to God, having been once united
hypostatically to God the 'V ord. N either could lIe need to
ask of God things fitting, for the One Christ is both God and
l\Ian. But gi\7ing in Himse]f a pattern to us, He taught us
to ask of God, and to lift up our Ininds to IIiln. As lIe took
on Him our passions, that by triulnphing over thCIll HiInself;
lIe Inight give us also the \Tictory over them, so now He prays

r This is probably from Arculfui' tis, c. 23. (ap. Act. Benedict. iv. 502.)
account in Adamnanus de Locis Sanc- a
he quoted bim by name above, p. 95.

VETI. 36-38.

ST.
JATTHE'V.

905

to open to us the war to that lifting up to God, to fulfil fOf
us an righteouslle
s, to reconcile His Father to us, to pay
honour to IIirn as the First Cause, and to shew that lIe is
not against God. RABXX. 'Vhen the Lord prayed in the
llloulltain, lIe taught us to Blake supplication for heayenly
things; when He prays in the garden, l1e teaches us to study
hunlility in our prayer. And beautifully, as He dra\ys
near Ilis Passion, does lIe pray in the' valley of fatness,'
sbe\\rillg that through the \ralley of hunlÌlity, and the richness
of charity, He took upon Him death for our sakes. The
practical instruction \vhich \ve may also learn from this is,
tllat "pc should not suffer our heart to dry up froln the rich-
ness of charity. RE:\IIG. He had accepted the disciples' faith
anù the de\rotedness of their will, but He foresaw that they
",'ould be troub]ed and scattered abroad, and therefore bade
thenl
it still in their places; for to sit belongs to one at ease,
but they "roulù be grie\rously troubled that they should ha\re
denied IIÍ1n. In ,,,hat fashion He went fonvard it describes,
And taking willi hiJJt Peter and tile ileo SOllS of Zebedee, lte
began to be sorro,u:fitl and
'ery "eal
Y; the saIne to ,vhom He
had shewn l-lis glory in the Blount. HILARY; These words,
He began to be sorrouful and rery !leary, are inter}Jreted
by beretics that fear of death assailed the Son of God, being
(as they allege) neither begotten from eternity, nor existing
in the Father's infinite substance, but produced out of notbing
by Hiln who created aU things; and that hence He was
liable to anguish of grief, and fear of death. And He who
can fear death can also die; and lIe \vho can die, though He
shall exist after death, yet is not eternal through I-lill1 \vho
begot Him in past till1e. Had these faith to receive the
Gospels, they ,vould know that the 'V ord \yas in the begin-
ning God, and frolll the beginning with God, and that the
eternity of IIilll who begets and HÍ1n "rho is begotten is one
and the saIne. But if the assumption of flesh infected with
its natural infirn1ity the yirtue of tbat incon"uptiùle substance,
so that it becanlc subject to pain, and shrinláng fronl deatb,
it would also become thereby liable to corruption, and thus
its iUlly.orta1ity being changed into fear, that which is in it is
capable of at some time ceasing to be. Bnt God c"er is
without nleasur
' of tilHe, and slH.:h as lIe i:-;, He continues to

900

GOSPEL ACCOllnIXG TO

CHAP. XXVI.

be eternally. Nothing then in God can die, nor can God
Hieron. ha\'e any fear springing out of IliIllself: JEROME; But we
non.oCl".
say that passible man was so taken by God the Son, that IIis
Deity relnained impassible. Indeed the Son of God suffered,
not by ilnputation but actually, all that Scripture testifies, in
respect of that part of Him \vhich could suffer, viz. in respect
Hit. de of the substance tbat He had taken on Him. HILARY; I
r
.in. x. suppose that there are some '\vbo offer here no other cause of
IIis fear tban His passion and death. I ask those who
tbink thus, whether it stands with reason that He should
have feared to die, who banished froin the Apostles all fear
of death, and exborted them to the glory of martyrdom?
I r O\V can we suppose Him to have felt pain and grief in the
sacran1ent of death, who rewards with life those who die
for IIim? .A.nd what pangs of death could He fear, who
can1e to death of the free choice of His own po\ver? And
if His Passion was to do Him honour, how could the fear
Hi!. in of His Passion make Him sorrowful? ID. Since then \ve
loc. read that the Lord was sorron'ful, let us discover the causes
of H is agony. He had forewarned them an that they ""ould
be offended, and Peter that he would thrice deny his Lord;
and taking hilll and James and John, He began to be sorro\\
-
fuI. Therefore He was not sorrowful till He took them, but all
I-lis fear began after He had taken theIn; so that His agony
was not for Himself, but for them whom He had taken.
J EROl\IE; The Lord tberefore sorrowed not from fear of suf-
fering, for for this cause If e had come that He should suffer,
Matt. and had rebuked Peter for bis fearfulness; but for the wretched
14,40. Judas, for the offence of the rest of tbe Apostles, for the re-
jection and reprobation of the Jew'ish nation, and the over-
D
m. thro\v of unhappy Jerusalem. DAMAS. Or otherwise; All
Fld. h " h . h h b b h . .
Orth.iii. t lngs \V IC aye not yet een roug t Into eXIstence by
23. their l\laker have a natural desire of existence, and naturally
s}nln non-existence. God the 'V ord then, having been Inade
l\Ian, had this desire, through ,,-hich He desired food, drink,
and sleep, by wbich life is supported, and natnrally used
them, and contrariwise shunned the things that are destructive
of life. lience in the season of H is Passion which He
endured voluntarily, He had the natural fear and son'o\v for
death. For there is a natural fear \yhere\vith the soul shrinks

VEIL ;1()--38.

ST.
L\TTHE".

907

li"OIll separation frol11 the body, by reason of that close sym-
pathy llnplanted froln the first by tbe
Iaker of all things.
J EHO:\IE; Our Lord therefore sorrowed to prove the reality of
the l\lan ".hich He had taken upon IIim; but that passion
uIight bear no s\,{ay in His mind, He began to be sorrow.,fz,l
by pro-passion '; for it is one thing to be sorrowful, and
another to be very sorro\vful. REl\IIG. By this place are
o,rerthrown the
Ianichæans, \"ho said that He took an unreal
body; and those also who said that He had not a real soul,
but His Di,-inity in place of a soul 1 . AUG. 'Ve have the I e. g.
narrati\res of the Evangelists, by \vhich we know that Christ
!

i.
was both born of the Blessed Virgin
:1arv, was seized by A
b g.
d .. d . d . LI . 83.
the Jews, scourged, cnlcified, put to eath, an bune In a Quæst.
tOlnb, an which cannot be supposed to have taken place q. 80.
withuut a body, and not even the maddest "9ill say that these
things arc to be understood figuratively, ".hen they are told
by 111en who \vrote \vhat they relllenlbered to have happened.
These then are witnesses that lIe had a body, as those affec-
tions which cannot be without luind prove HiD1 to have had
a 11lind, and ,vhich \ve read in the accounts of the same
E\-angeli
ts, that Jesus wondered, was angry, was sorrowful.
ID. Since then these things are related in the Evangelists, A.ug. de
they are not surely false, but as when He 'willed He became

;:xiV.

Ian, so like,vise when He \vined He took into His human 9.
soul these passions for the sake of adding assurance to the
dispensation. 'Ve indeed ha ve these passions by reason of
the weakness of our hlunan nature; not so the Lord Jesus,
whose weakness ,,,,as of power. DA1IAS. "Therefore the pas- Dam.
sions of our nature were in Christ both by nature and beyond

h.
nature. By nature, because He left His flesh to suffer the iii. 20.
tbings incidental to it; beyond nature, because these natural
eU10tiol1S did not in IIin1 precede the \vin. For in Christ
nothing befe! of compulsion, but all was voluntary; \vith His
,,,ill He hungered, ,vith II is will He feared, or was sorrowful.
IIere His sorro\v is declared, Then saith he unto tlte'/n, JJIy
sOlll is sO,Tou'/itl even unto death. A'IBROSE; He is sorro\v- Amb. ill
fuI, yet not IÌilnsclt
but His soul; not lIis 'Yisdolll, not His
3
c. 22,
di\rine Substauce, but IIis soul, for He took upon Hiln

5 On this word see aboye, p. 185, note.

908

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

CHAP. XXV!.

Iny soul, and IllY body. JERO
IE; He IS sorro,,'ful not
because of death, but unto deaf", until He has set the

<\post]es free by His Passion. IJet those who imagine Jesus
to ha\'e taken an irrational soul, say how it is that lIe is
thus sorrowful, and kno\vs the season of His sorrow, for
though the brute aniluals have sorrow, yet they know neither
the causes of it, nor the time for \vhich it Inust endure.
ORIGEN; Or otherwise; ]JIy soul is sorroU!.fltl e
'e1t unto
deatlt; as much as to say, Son'ow is begun in ll1e, but not
10 endure for ever, but only till the hour of death; that when
I shall die for sin, I shall die also to all sorro\v, 'whose begin-
}1ings only are in n1e. Tarry ye llere, and lDatclt lcith me;
.as luuch as to say, The rest I bade sit yonder as weak,
removing them froin this struggle; but you I ha\ye brought
hither as being stronger, that ye lnay toil with lne in watching
and prayer. But abide you here, that every Inal1 may stay
in his own rank and station; since an grace, ho\\Ye\'er great,
has its superior. J ERO:\IE; Or the sleep \vhich lIe would
ha\pe thel11 forego is not bodily rest, for ,,'hich at this critical
time there was no room, but mental torpor, the sleep of
un belief.

39. And he went a little farther, and fell on his
face, and prayed, saying, 0 Iny Father, if it be pos-
sible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as
I wiII, but as thou \vilt.
40. And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth
them asleep, and saith unto Peter, 'Vhat, could ye
not watch \vith me one hour?
41. 'Vatch and pray, that ye enter not into telnpt-
ation: the spirit indeed is ,villing, but the flesh is
\ve ak.
42. He ,vent away again the second time, and
prayed, saying, 0 my Father, if this cup may not
pass away from me, except I drink it, thy \vill be
done.
43. And he came anò found them asleep again:
for their eyes were heavy.

VER. 39-44.

ST. :\IATTHE\\r.

909

44. And he left them, and ,vent a\vay again, and
prayed the third time, saying the same \vords.

ORIGEN; He took with IIbn the self-confident Peter, and
the others, tbat they n1Ïght see IIin1 falling on Ilis face and
vraying, and n1Îght leanl not to think great things, but 1ittlc
things of thelnselves, and not to be hasty in prolnising, but
careful in prayer. And therefore, He teen! joru"ard a little,
not to go far froln then1, but that lIe might be near thenl in
Ilis prayer. Also, He ,\"ho had said above, Learn if 11le,
for I am 1Jleek a1ld luu'ly in !tearl, no\V cOlnlllendably
humbling Hitnself, falls on His face. But lIe shews II is
dpvotion in IIis prayer, and as beloyed and wen-pleasing to
Ilis Father, He adds, J.\Tot a.fiJ I u"ill, but as tltOlllcilt, teaching
us that w"e should pray, not that our own ,viII, but that God's
,viII, should be done. And as He began to have fear and
sorro\\., He prays accordingly that the cup of His Passion
may pass frOln IIiln, yet not as He \vilIs, but as His
Father wins; \"ills, that is, not accol"ding to IIis Diyine
and impassible Substance, but according to His hUInan and
weak nature. For in taking upon Hitn the nature of hUlllan
flesh, He fulfilled all the properties thereof, that it might be
seen that lIe had flesh not in appearance only, but in reality.
The believer indeed lnust in the first instance be loth to
incur pain, seeing it leads to death, and he is a Inan of flesh;
but if it be God's \vill, he acquiesces because he is a belie,Yer.
For as we ought not to be too confident that \ve lnay not
seen1 to Inake a boast of our own strength; so neither ought
\ve to he distrustful, lest we should seem to charge God our
helper with weakness. It is to be observed that l\Iark and
Luke write the saIne, but John does not introduce this prayer
of Jesus', that this cup lnay pass from IIim, because the
first three are rather occupied about HiIll, according to IIis
lUl111an nature, John according to His divine. Otherwise;
Jesus Illakes this petition, because He sees \vhat the Jews
will suffer for requiring I-lis death. .JERO
IE; 'Vhence lIe
says ell1phatically, TItÙ; cup, that is, of this people of the
.Jews, \\yho, if they shall put
le to death, can have no excuse
for their ignorance, seeing they have the La\v and the Pro-

HIO

GOSPEL AC('OHDI
G TO

CHAP. XXVI.

phets, who speak of l\Ie. ORIGEN; Then again considering
the benefit that \vould accrue to the "rhole \vorld fron1 ] lis
Passion, He says, But not as I ?oill, but as tholl u'lll; i. e.
If it be possible for all these benefits which shall result froln
My Passion to be procured without it, let it pass from 1\ie,
and both the world be saved, and the Jews not be condeluned
in putting Me to death. But if the sal vation of lnany cannot
be procured \vithout the destruction of a few, saving Thy
justice, let it not pass away. Scripture, in rnany places,
speaks of passion as a cup that is drained; and it is drained
by hiIn, who in testimony suffers \vhatever is inflicted upon
him. He sheds it, on the contrary, who denies in order
Aug. de to avoid suffering. AUG. And that none might think that

i.4. He limited His Father's power, He said not, If t/tOIl cansl
do it, but If it 1nay be, or, If" it be possible; as n1uch as to
say, If tholt wilt. For whatever God \vills can be done,
as Luke expresses more plainly; for he says not, If it be
possible, but If t/tOlt wilt. HILARY; Otherwise; lIe says
not, Let this cup pass away froln l\le, for that would be the
speech of one who feared it; but lIe prays that it 111ay pass
not so as that He should be passed over, but that when it
has passed from Him, it may go to another. I-lis ",.hole fear
then is for those "rho were to suffer, and therefore He prays
for those who were to suffer after Him, saying, Let tlti.f; cup
pass froln me, i. e. as it is drunk by Me, so let it be drunk by
these, without mistrust, without sense of pain, without fear
of death. He says, If" 'it be possible, because Hesh and
blood shrink froin these things, and it is hard for human
bodies not to sink beneath their infliction. 1:'hat lIe says,
Not as I will, but as tllOlt wilt, He would fain indeed that
they should not suffer, lest their faith should fail in their
sufferings, if indeed we lnight attain to the glory of our joint
inheritance with
Í1n without the hardship of sharing in His
Passion. He says, Not as I'lfJill, but as t!tOll '1.l"lll, because
it is the Father's will that strength to drink of the cup should
pass from IIim to them, that the Devil Inight be vanquished
Aug. in not so much by Christ as by His disciples also. AUG. Christ
Ps. 32. h h t . . h " 11 ' h . h H
enar. 2. t us as man sews a cer aln prIvate un1an WI , In \V IC e
who is our head figures both His own \vin and ours wIlen
lIe says, Let it pass f1"0111, 1/le. For this ,vas His hunlan \vill

VER. 39-44.

ST. MATTBE\V.

911

choosing something as apart for IIin1self. But because as
luan lIe would be righteous and guide IIimself by God's
will, lle adds, Neve'rlheless not as I will, but as thou 'loill ;
as much as to say to us, l\fan, behold thyself in l\Ie, that thou
canst will sOluewhat apart of thyself, and though God's 'vi]] is
other, this is pern1Ïtted to human frailty. LEO; This speech l...eo,
of the Head is the health of the whole body, this saying is

:
instruction to the faithful, animates the confessor, cro\vns the
martyr. For who could vanquish the hatred of the world, or
the whirhvind of temptations, or the telTors of the persecutors,
if Christ did not in all and for all say to the Father, Thy
'will be done. Let all the sons of the Church then utter
this prayer, that when the pressure of some mighty tp-mpta-
tion lies upon them, they may embrace endurance of the
suffering, disregarding its terrors. ORIGEN; And though
Jesus went but a little forwa1'd, they could not watch
one hour in His absence; let us therefore pray that Jesus
Inay never depart even a little from us. CHRYS. He find.\;
tÎienz sleeping, both because it was a late hour of the night,
and their eyes ,yere heavy \vith sorro\v. HILARY; \Vhen
then He returned to lIis disciples and found them sleeping,
lIe rebukes Peter, Could ye not watch one hOll,]' with me?
He addresses Peter rather than the rest, because he had Inost
loudly boasted that he would not be offended. CHRYS. But
as they had all said the same, He charges theln all with
weakness; they had chosen to die \vith Christ, and yet could
not even watch with Him. ORIGEN; Finding them thus
sleeping, He rouses theln ",ith a word to hearken, and com-
mands them to \vatch; If/atel" and pray, that ye enter not
into ielJlptatioll j that first ,ye should watch, anù so watching
pray. lIe watches who does good works, and is careful that
He does not run into any dark doctrine, for so the prayer of
the watchful is heard. JEROME; It is impossible that the
}Hlll1an Inind should not be telnpted, therefore He says not
JVatclt and pray that ye be not tempted, but that ye enter
not into telJlpfalion, that is, that telnptation vanquish you
not. JIlL1\. RY;
\.nd why He thus encouraged them to pray
that they might not enter into temptation, He adds, For the
.
pi,.it i1ldeed is lL'iliing, but tlte flesh is weak; this He says
110t of lIimself, but addresses them. JEROME; This is

912

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

CIL\I>. XXVI.

against those rash persons who think that whatever they
believe they can pelfof111. The Blore confident we are of
our zeal, the n10re Illistrustful should ,ve be of the frailty of
the flesh. ORIGEN; IIerc it should be enquired, ,vhether as
aU In en's flesh is \veak, so aU Inen's spirit is willing, or
\\"hether only that of the saints; and \vhether in unbelievers
the spirit is not also duU, as the flesh is ,,,,eak. In another
sense the flesh of those only is weak whose spirit is willing:#
and who with their willing spirit do mortify the deeds of the
flesh. These then He would ha\Te ,vatch and pray that they
s110uld not enter into telnptation, for the 1110re spiritual any
one lnay be, the more careful should he be that his goodness
should not suffer a great faU. REl\HG. Otherwise; In these
words He she\vs that lIe took real flesh of the Yïrgill, and
had a real soul, saying that His spirit is \villing to suffer, but
His flesh weak in fearing the pain of Passion.
ORIGEN; There were, I conclude, two ,vays in \vhich this
cup of Passion might pass froin t1le Lord. If lIe should
drink it, it \\yould pass away frolll Hin1, and aftern?ards frOll1
the whole race of mankind also; if He should not òrink it,
it vtyould perhaps pass fro111 IIiln, but from 111en it would not
pass. He ,,'ould fain therefore that it should so pass froln
Him as that He should not at all taste its bitterness, yet only
if it were possible, saving the righteousness of God. If it
were not possible, II e \vas rather ,villing to drink it, that so
it might pass froll1 IIim, and froin the \vhole race of Inan-
kind rather than against His Father's will ShUll the drinking
thereof. CHRYS. That lIe prays for this a second and a
third tillIe, COines of the feelings belonging to hunlan frailtr,
t1lrough which also He feared death, thus giving assnrance
that lIe was truly Inade man. :For in Scripture when any
thing is repeated a second and t11ird tÏ1ne, that is the greatest
proof of its truth and reality; as, for eXtunple, \vhen Joseph
Gen. says to Pharaoh, And for that thou sa.u)edst 'it ill'ice, it ù;
41, 32. .. ( 1 7 . 7.: hi " 7 d b G 1
})1"00/ l! i tle tlung uetJlg esta ISlle .If -rOl. .J ERo
rE; Or
ot11er\\'ise; lIe prays a second titHe that if N"ine\?eh, or the
Gentile "yodd, cannot be sa'"ed unless the gourd, i. e. the
Jews, be withered, His Father's \"ill ll1ay be done, \\yhich is
not contrary to the Son's ,vin, who I [inlse1f spea1\:s by the

s. 40, l)rophct, I {JI]l content 10 do thy 'lrill, 0 God. IIILARY;

VER. -15, 46.

ST. :\I.\TTHE\V.

n l:

Otherwise, H
bare in His own body all the infirmities of
us His disciples ,,-ho should sufter, and nailed to Ilis cross
all \vherein "oe are distressed; and therefore that cup cannot
pass froln Hitn, unless lIe drink it, because \ve cannot suffer,
except by IIis passion. JERO)IE; Christ singly prays for an,
as He singly suffers for all. Tlleir eyes l.t.ere !leary, i. c. an
oppression and stupefaction caIne on as their denial drew
near. ORIGEN; And I suppose that the eyes of their body
were not so lnuch affected as the eyes of their n1illd, because
the Spirit ,,'as not yet given theIne "
herefore He does not
l.ebuke then1, but goes again and prays, teaching us that
we sholùd not faint but should persevere in prayer, until ,,'e
obtain what we have begun to ask. JERO::\IE; He prayed
the third time, that in the lllouth of t\vo or three witnesses
every w'ord Inight be established. RABAN. Or, The Lord
prayed thrice, to teach us to pray for pardon of sins past,
defence against present evil, and pro\'ision against future
perils, and that ,ve should address every prayer to Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit, and that our spirit, soul, and body
should be kept in safety. ArG. N or is that an absurd Aug.
interpretation which makes Our Lord pray thrice because

7.
of the threefold telnptatioll of His Passion. To the telnpta-
tion of curiosity is opposed the fear of death; for as the
one is a yearning for the knowledge of things, so the
other is the fear of losing such knowledge. To the
desire of honour or applause is opposed the dread of
disgrace and insult. To the desire of pleasure is opposed
the fear of pain. REl\lIG. Or, He prays thrice f02' the
Apostles, and for Peter in particular, \\"ho was to deny
I-lim thrice.

45. Then cOllleth he to his disciples, and saith
unto them, Sleep on no,v, and take your rest: behold,
the hour is at hand, and the Son of Ulan is betrayed
into the hands of sinners.
46. Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand
that cloth betray me.

HILARY; After Ilis persevenng prayer, after IIis de-
VOL.I 3 N

914

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

CHAP. XXVI.

partures and several returns, lIe takes aw'ay their fear,
restores their confidence, and exhorts thenl to sleep Oil, and
take their rest. CHRYS. Indeed it behoved them then to
watch, but He said this to shew that the prospect of coming
evils was Inore than tbey \vould bear, that He had no need
of their aid, and that it must needs be that [Ie should be
delivered up. HILARY; Or, He bids then1 sleep on, and
take their 1.est, because lIe no\v confidently awaited His
Father's will concerning the disciples, concerning which He
had said, TIIY will be done, and in obedience to \vhich He
drunk the cup that ",.as to pass from Him to us, diverting
upon Hinlself the \veakness of our body, the ten"ors of dismay,
and even the pains of death itself. ORIGEN; Or, the sleep
He now bids His disciples take is of a different sort from
that \vhich is related abo,.e to ha\re befallen thenl. Then
He found thelD sleeping, not taking repose, but because
their eyes ,vere heavy, but now they are not merely to sleep,
but to take their rest, that this order Inay be rightly ob-
served, namely, that \ve first \vatch with prayer that we enter
not into telnptation, and afterwards sleep and take our rest,
Ps. 132, when having found a place for tlte Lord, (l tabernacle for
3. the God of .Jacob, we may go up into 01(1' bed, and ,qire sleep
to our eyes. It may be also that the soul, unable to sustain
a continual energy by reason of its union with the flesh,
11lay blalnelessly adn1Ít SOlne relaxations, \vhich may be the
Inoral interpretation of slunlbers, and then again after due
time be quickened to new energy. HILARY; And whereas,
\vhen He returned and found thenl sleeping, lie rebukes
them the first time, the second time says nothing, the third
time bids them take their rest; the interpretation of this is,
that at the first after His resurrection, when He finds them
dispersed, distrustful, and tinlorous, He rebukes theln; the
second tilne, ,vhen their eyes were hea'
y to look upon the
liberty of the Gospel, lIe visited theIn, sending thC111 the
Spirit, the Paraclete; for, held back by attaclllnent to the
Law, they slun1bered in respect of faith; but the third time,
,,,hen lIe shaH COine in Jlis glory, He sball restore theln to
quietness and confidence. ORIGEN; 'Vhen He had roused
theu1 fi.oln bleep, seeing in the Spirit Judas drawing near to
betray Hitn, though the disciples could not yet see hÏ1n, lIe

VER. 41-50.

ST. MATTHEW.

91,

says, Beltold, the !tOll?' is at hand, and tlte Son f!f luau i.y
betrayed into tlte hands qf sinners. CHRYS. The \vords,
lite Itollr is at lland, point out that all that has been done
was by Divine interference; and that, into the hands of
sinners, shew that this was the \vork of their \vickeclness, not
that He was guilty of any crilne. ORIGEN; And e\?en no\V
Jesus is betrayed into lite llaud.f; l!f sinners, when those 'who
seem to believe in Jesus, continue to sin while they have
Him in their hands. Also ,vhenever a righteous man, who
]1as Jesus in Him, is put into the power of sinners, Jesus is
delivered into the hands of sinners. JERO:
IE; Having con-
cluded His third prayer, and having obtained that the
Apostles' terror should be corrected by subsequent penitence,
He goes forth undaunted by the prospect of His own Passion
to meet His pursuers, and offers Himself voluntarily to be
sacrificed. Arise, let us be going; as much as to say, Let
them not find you trelubling, let us go forth willingly to
death, that they Inay see us confident and rejoicing in suf-
fering; Lo,lte tltat sltall betray lne drawetlt Ilear. ORIGE
;
He says not, Draws near to thee, for indeed the traitor was
not near Ifim, but had removed hilnself far off throug'h his
sins. ...
UG. This speech as l\Iatthew has it seems self-con- Aug. de
tradictory. For ho\v could He say, Sleep on, and take your

i
i.4.
'rest, and Ïlnmediately continue, Rise, let llS be going. This
contradiction some ha\Te endea\?oured to reconcile by sup-
posing the words, Sleep on, and ta"-'e YOU?' rest, to be an
ironical rebuke, and not a pe1"1uission; it Inight be rightly
so taken if need wer
. But 3S l\Iark records it, when He
had said, Sleep on, and take your re,YI, lIe added, it is eJ1011{;Il,
and then continued, T!te !tollr is COllie, behold, tlie SOil of 'JJlan Mark
is betrayed into the hands qf sinners; we clearly understand 14, 41.
the Lord to have heen silent SOlne till1e after lIe had said,
Sleep on, to allo\v of their doing so, and then after SOlne
interval to have roused them with, Beltold, lite !tOlll' is at hand.
And as l\Iark fills up the sense wit11, it is enollgll, that IS,
ye have had rest enough.

47. And \vhile he yet spake, 10, Judas, one of the
t\velve, came, and with him a great multitude \vith
3N2

91ö

GOSPEL f\CCORDING TO

CHAP. XXVI.

swords and staves, from the Chief Priests and elders
of the people.
48. N ow he that betrayed him gave them a sign,
saying, Whomsoever I shaH kiss, that same is he:
hold him fast.
49. And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said,
Hail, lVIaster; and kissed him.
50. And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore
art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on
Jesus, and took him.

Gloss. GI..OSS. Having said above that the Lord offered Himself of
non occ.
His o\vn accord to His pursuers, the Evangelist proceeds
to relate how He was seized by them. REl\IIG. One Qf tILe
tu:elve, by association of name, not of desert. This she\vs
the monstrous \vickedness of the man who froln the dignity
of the Apostleship becalne the traitor. To shew that it ,vas
out of envy that they seized Him, it is added, A great nz'ulti-
tude sent by tile Cltiif P'riesls and elders of tile people.
ORIGEN; SOlne may say that a g'1'eat 1JZultilude cauze., because
of the great n1ultitude of those who already believed, \vho,
they feared, might rescue Hiu1 out of their hands; but I
think there is another reason for this, and that is, that they
who thought that He cast out dæn10ns through Beelzebub,
supposed that by some magic He n1Ïght escape the hands of
those who sought to hold Him. Even now do many fight
against Jesus with spiritual weapons, to wit, \vith divers and
shifting dogmas concerning God. It deser\Tes enquiry why,
'when He was known by face to all who d\velt in Judæa, he
should have given them a sign, as though they were unac-
quainted with His person. But a tradition to this effect has
come do\vn to us, that not only had lIe two different fOrIns,
one under wl1Ích He appeared to men, the other into which
He was transfigured before His disciples in the mount, but
also that fIe appeared to each Inan in such degree as the
beholder was \\Porthy; in like manner as we read of the
manna, that it had a flavour adapted to every variety of use,
and as the word of God shew's not alike to all. They re-

VER. 51-54.

ST. l\fATTHE\V.

917

quired therefore a sign by reason of this His transfiguration.
CHRYS. Or, because \vhenever they had hitherto attempted
to seize Him, He had escaped thel11 they knew not how; as
also He might then have done had II e been so Ininded.
RABAN. The Lord suffered the traitor's kiss, not to teach us
to dissemble, but that He Inight not seem to shrink froln
His betrayal. ORIGEN; If it be asked '"hy Judas betrayed
Jesus ,nth a kiss, according to some it was because He
desired to keep up the reverence due to his )Iaster, and did
not dare to nlake an open assault upon Him; according to
others, it was out of fear that if he came as an avowed enemy,
he might be the cause of His escape, \vhich he believed
Jesus had it in His pow'er to effect. But I think that all
betrayers of truth love to assume the guise of truth, and to
use the sign of a kiss. Like Judas also, an heretics call
Jesus Rabbi, and receive froln Him mild answer. And
Jeslls said unto /liut, Friend, u"lierefore art thou cO'J7ze? He
says, Friend, upbraiding his hypocrisy; for in Scripture we
never find this ternl of address used to any of the good, but
as above, Friend, /low canlest t/tOll 'in /tithe1"? and, F1'iend, IIUatt.
do thee no W'J.Ollg. AUG. He says, TVlterefore a1"t tllOll come? ii
t

'
as 111uch as to say, Thy kiss is a snare for l\Ie; I kno\v 20, 13.
,vherefore thou art come; thou feignest thyself
Iy friend,
o
g
c('.
being indeed l\Iy betrayer. REl\I1G. Or, after Friend, /01"
wllat thOli art C01Jle, that do, is understood. Then ca1ne
tIley, and laid theil' hands on Jeslls, and held hÍ1n. Then,
that is, \vhen He suffered them, for ofttimes they would have
done it, but \vere not able. PSEUDO-A.uG. Exult, Christian, Ps
udo-
you have gained by this bargain of your enen1ies; what Aug.
Serm. de
Judas sold, and what the Jews bought, belongs to you. Syrnb.
ad Ca-
tech. 6.

51. And, behold, one of them which were with
Jesus stretched out his hand, and dre\v his sword,
and struck a servant of the I-ligh Priest's, and smote
off his ear.
52. Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy
swdor into his place: for all they that take the s\vord
shall perish \vith the s\vord.

918

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

CHAP. XXVI.

53. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my
Father, and he shall presently give me more than
t,velye legions of angels?
54. But how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled,
that thus it lTIUst be ?

ChrYH. CHRYS. So Luke relates, the Lord had said to His dis-
?:;::;
. ciples at supper, He t!tat Itatlt a pu,rse, let ltÍ1n take it, and
l..uke22,liketrise !tis scrip; and he t/tat hath '110 sword, let It int sell
36. his gar'J7lellt and buy one; and the disciples answered, Lo,
here are two swo1'ds. It ,vas natural that there should be
swords there for the paschal lanlb which they had been
eating. Hearing then that the pursuers \vere coming to
apprehend Christ, when they went out from supper they took
these swords, as though to fight in defence of their l\Iaster
John 18, against His pursuers. J EROl\IE; In another Gospel, Peter
10. is represented as ha'Ting done this, and with his usual hastiness;
and that the seryant's nanle ,vas l\lalchus, and that the
ear was the right ear. In passing we Inay say, that J\Ialchus,
i. e. one ,vho should have been king of the Jews, was
111ade the slave of the ungodliness and the greediness of
the Priests, and lost his right ear so that he might hear
only the worthlessness of the letter in his left. ORIGEN ;
For though they seem e,"en no\v to hear the La\v, yet is
it only with the Jefl car that they hear the shado\v of a
tradition concerning the Law, and not the truth. The people
of the Gentiles is signified by Peter; for by believing in
Christ, the)T become the cause of cutting off the Jews' right
ear. RABAN. Or, Peter does not take a""ay the sense of
understanding fi'oIn them that hear, but opens to the careless
that which hy a divine sentence was taken away from them;
but this saIne right ear is restored to its original function
in those who out of this nation believed. HILARY; Other-
wise; The ear of the High Priest's servant is cut off by the
Apostle, that is, Christ's disciple cuts off the disobedient
hearing of a people which \\Tere the slaves of the Priesthood,
the ear \vhich had refused to hear is cut off so that it is no
Leo, longer capable of hearing. LEO; The Lord of the zealous
Serm.
22.

VER.51-54.

ST. l\IATTHE\V.

919

Apostle will 110t suffer his pious feeling to proceed further,
Then sai/It Jesus unto IIÙJl, Put up again thy sword into Ids
place. For it was contrary to the sacralnent of our redemp-
tion that He, \vho had come to die for all, should refuse
to be apprehended. lIe gi,.es therefore licence to their fury
against Hit11, lest by putting off the triumph of His glorious
Cross, the don1inion of the Devil should be made longer, and
the captivity of men more enduring. RABAN. It behoved
also that the Author of grace should teach the faithful
patience by His own example, and should rather train them
to endure adversity with fortitude, than incite them to self-
defence. CHRYS. To move the disciple to this, He adds
a threat, saying, All they t!tat lake tIle su'ofJ'd, shall perislt
by tlte slt"ord. AUG. That is, everyone who uses the sword. Aug.
And he uses the s".ord, \v ho, without the command or sanction
o::
t.
of any superior, or legitinlate authority, arms himself against xxii. 7?
nlan's Jife. For truly the Lord had given commandment to
His disciples to take the sword, but not to smite with the
s\vord. 'Vas it then at an unbeseeming that Peter after this
sin should' become ruler of the Church, as l\{oses after
smiting" the Egyptian Vfas Inade ruler and chief of the Syna-
gogue ? For both transgressed the rule not through hard-
ened ferocity, but through a warmth of spirit capable of
good; both through hatred of the injustice of others; both
sinned through lo\'e, the one for his brother, the other for
his Lord, though a carnal love. HILARY; But all who use
the s\vord do not perish by the s\vord; of those who have
used the s\vord either judicially, or in self-defence against
robbers, fever or accident carries off the greater part. Though
if according to this everyone who uses the s\vord shall
perish by the sword, justly was the s\vord now drawn against
those who \vere using" the same for the prolllotion of crime.
JEROME; "
ith \,"hat s\vord then shall he perish, that takes
the sword? By that fiery sword which \yaves before the gate
of paradise, and that sword of the Spirit which is described
in the annanr of God. HILARY; The Lord then bids hiln
return his sword into its sheath, because lIe \\.ould destroy
theln by no weapon of Ulan, but by the sword of His ulouth.
IlEl\lIG. Otherwise; E\'ery one who uses the s\vord to put
luan to death perishes first by the sworù of his own \vicked-

920

GOSl'EL ACCOHDING TO

CHAP. XXVI.

ness. CHRYS. He not only soothed I-lis disciples, by this
declaration of punishlnent against llis enemies, but con-
vinced them that it ,vas voluntarily that lIe suffered, Tldnkest
tl,ou tlzat I cannot p1.ay to 1]l!! Father,
.c. Because He had
shewn many qualities of human infirmity, He would have
seemed to say \vhat \vas incredible, if He had said that He
had po\ver to destroy theIn, therefore He says, Thinkest
tl,OU, tllat I cannot nou; pray to 'lllY Fatller? J EROl\IE ;
That is to say, I need not the aid of the Apostles, though
all the t\velve sholùd fight for me, seeing I could have twelve
legions of the Angelic army. The complen1ent of a legion
among the ancients ,vas six thousand n1en; tw'elve legions
then are seventy-two thousand Angels, being as many as
the divisions of the human race and language t. ORIGEN;
This shews that the armies of heaven have divisions into
legions like ealthly armies, in the ,varfare of the Angels
against the legions of the dæmons. This He said not as
though lIe needed the aid of the Angels, but speaking in
accordance \,
ith the supposition of Peter, \vho sought to give
Him assistance. Truly the Angels have more need of the
help of the Only-begotten Son of God, than He of theirs.
REMIG. "\tVe might also understand by the Angels the ROlDan
annies, for with Titus and "\r espasian all languages had risen
Wisd.5, against J udæa, and that was fulfilled, Tile whole 'lc01.ld shall
21. fight for hÍ1n against those Jòolislt 1Jlen. CHRYS. And He
quiets their fears not thus only, but by reference to Scripture,
HOlD tlien shall the SC1.iptures be fulfilled t!tat tllli,f) it 'lnust
be ? J EROl\IE; This speech she\vs a mind willing to suffer;
vainly would the Prophets ha,-e prophesied truly, unless the
J-iord asserts thcir truth by His suffering.

ss. In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes,
Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and
staves for to take me? I sat daily with you in the
temple, and ye laid no hold on me.

t It was generally supposed that in that is the number of the heads of
the dispersion at Babel, mankind was families enumerated in the genealogy,
divided into seventy-two nations, each in Gen. xi. See Aug. de Civ. Dei, xvi.
.-.:peaking a different language. For 6.

VEH. 55-58.

ST. 1\L\TTHE\V.

921

56. But all this \vas done, that the Scriptures of
the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples
forsook him, and fled.
57. And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him
a,vay to Caiaphas the High Priest, ,vhere the Scribes
and the elders lvere assembled.
58. But Peter foUo\ved him afar off unto the High
Priest's palace, and ,vent in, and sat with the servants,
to see the en d.

ORIGEN; Having commanded Peter to put up his sword,
which ,vas an instance of patience, and having (as another Luke
Evangelist writes) healed the ear that ,,,,as cut off, which was 22,51.
an instance of the greatest mercy, and of Divine power, it
now follows, In that /tour said JeSllS to tlte multitudes, (to
the end that if they could not relnember His past goodness,
they Inight at least confess His present,) Are ye C01ne out as
against a thief 'll"it/t slC01.ds and staves for to take rne?
RE:
nG. As much as to say, Robbers assault and study con-
cealnlent; I have injured no one, but have healed Inany, and
ha\Te ever taught in your synagogues. JERO)IE; It is folly
then to seek with swords and staves Him who offers Him-
self to your hands, and ,yith a traitor to hunt out, as though
lurking under cover of night, one who is daily teaching in
the temple. CHRYS. They did not lay hands on Him in the
temple because they feared the multitude, therefore also the
Lord went forth that He lnight give them place and oppor-
tunity to take Hiln. This then teaches them, that if He had
not suffered theln of His o,vn free choice, they ,vould never
have had strength to take Him. 'loen the Evangelist assigns
the reason why the Lord "-as ,villing to be taken, adding,
All tltis 1lYlS done that the Scriptures of the p'J.op!zets might
be fulfilled. JEROME; They pierced my h.ands and my Ps. 22,
feet; and in another l)lace, He is led as a sheep to the 16.
slaughter; and, By the iniquities of 'JJlY people 'U.:as He led to
:.8
3,
death. RE1\IIG. For because all the Prophets had foretold
Christ's Pa:ssion, he does not cite any particular place, but
says generally that the prophecies of all the Prophets were
being fulfilled. CHRYS. 1.
hc disciples ,vIlo had relnailled

922

GOSPEL ACCOUDING TO

CHAP. XXVI.

w hen the Lord was apprehended, fled when lie spoke these
things to the Inultitudes, Then all tlte disciples .forsoo!c kiln
alldfled; for they then understood that He could not escape
but rather ga\'e IIimself up voluntarily. REl\IIG. In this
act is she\vn the Apostles' frailty; in the first ardour of their
fai th they had prolnised to die with HÍIn, hut in their fear
they forgot their promise and fled. The same we lnay see
in those who undertake to do great things for the love of
God, but fail to fulfil what they undertal{e; they ought not
to despair, but to rise again \vith the Apostles, and recover
themsehres by penitence. RABAN. l\Iystically, As .Peter,
"yho by tears .washed away the sin of his denial, figures the
reco\rery of those who lapse in tiIne of Inartyrdom; so the
flight of the other disciples suggests the precaution of flight
Aug. de to such as feel themselves unfit to endure torments. AUG.

ii. They tltat Itad laid llold on Jeslls led .Him alL"ay to CaiapliQs
6. tlte High Priest. But He was first taken to Annas, father-
in-law to Caiaphas, as John relates. . And I-Ie ,vas taken
bound, there being \"ith that multitude a tribune and cohort
,
John18, as John also records. .JEROME; But Josephus \vrites u, that
12. this Caiaphas had purchased the priesthood of a single year,
notwithstanding that 1\loses, at God's cOlnlnand, had directed
that IIigh Priests should succeed hereditarily, and that in thè
Priests like\vise succession by birth should be fol1owed up.
No wonder then that an unrighteous Ilig-h J>riest should
judge unrighteously. RABAN. And the action suits his
nalne; Caiaphas, i. e. ' contriving,' or, , politic,' to execute
his villainy; or ' vOlniting froln his Blouth,' because of his
audacity in uttering a lie, and bringing about the lnluder.
They took Jesus thither, that they 111ight do all advisedly; as
it follo\vs, rf7iere the Scribes and f Ite Elders n'pre asselJ1hled.
ORIGEN; 'Vhere Caiaphas the IIigh Priest is, there are
1 literati assembled the Scribes, that is, the lnen of the letter I , who
preside O\Ter the letter that killeth; and Elders, not in truth,
but ill the obsolete ancientness of the letter. I t follo"'
s,
Peter jollou:ed Hhn afar o./f, II e would neither keep close to
IIhn, nor altogether leave I-I inl, but folloloed (
lar qff.

u " Josephus (Ant. xviii. 3 and 4,) but we do not find that he purchased
twice mentions this Caiaphas as the the High Priesthood of Herod." Va/-
successor of Simon the son of Camithcs, /m'si.

VEil. 59-68.

ST. .l\1ATTHE\V.

923

CHRYS. Great was the zeal of Peter, who fled not when He
saw the others fly, but relnaÍlled, and entered in. For
tbough J o)ln also went in, yet he was known to the Chief
PIi.est. lIe .follou:ed a..far off, because he was about to deny
his Lord. REl\UG. For had he kept close to his Lord's side,
he could neyer have denied HÏ1n. Thi
also shews that
Peter should follow his Lord's Passion, that is, ÏIllitate it.
AUG. And also that tIle Church should follo\v, i. e. Ï1nitate, Aug.
1 P . b . h 1 . Jr. F 1 Quæs t.
the Lor('s aSSIon, ut WIt great (lllerence. or t 1e E\". i.
Church suffers for it
clf, but Christ for the Church. J EROl\IE; 46.
lIe 'lcent Ù" either out of the attacluuent of a disciple, or
natural curiosity, seeking to know \vhat sentence tbe IIigh
Priest \vould pass, whether death, or scourging.

59. N O\V the Chief Priests, and elders, and all the
council, sought fal
e witness against Jesus, to put hinl
to death;
GO. But found none: yea., though lTIany false wit-
nesses Cé.Hne, yet found they nonc. .At the last canle
t\VO false \vitnesses,
61. And said, This fello\v said, I am able to
destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three
da ys.
62. And the High Priest arose, and said unto hilll,
Ans\verest thou nothing? what is it \vhich these \vitness
against thee?
63. But Jesus held his peace. And the High
Priest ans\yered and said unt
him-, I adjure thee by
the living God, that thou tell us \vhcther thou be the
Chrlst, the Son of God.
6-1. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: never-
theless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son
of n1an sitting on the right hand of power, and
conlÏng in the clouds of hea\Ten.
65. Then the High Priest rent his clothes, saying,
He hath spoken blaspheluy; \vhat further need have

924

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

CHAP. XXVI.

\ve of \vitnesses
behold, now ye llave heard his
blasphemy.
66. 'Vhat think ye? They answered and said, He
is guilty of death.
67. Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted
hinl; and others smote him with the palms of their
hands,
68. Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, "Tho
is he that Slllote thee?

John 2,
19.

CHRYS. 'Vhen the Chief Priests were thus asselllbled, this
conventicle of ruffians sought to give their conspiraey the
character of a legal trial. But it \vas entirely a scene of
confusion and uproar, as \vhat follo","s shews, Though lnallY
..false witnesses ca1ne, yet found they none. ORIGEN; False
witnesses have place \vhen there is any good colour for their
tcstinlony. But no pretext \vas found \vhich could further
their falsehoods against Jesus; not\vithstanding there \vere
In any desirous to do a favour to the Chief Priests. 'rhis
then is a great testimony in favour of Jesus, that He had
lived and taught so irreproachably, that though they \vere
Hlany, and crafty, and \yicked, they could find no semblance
of fault in Hiln. J ERO:l\IE; At last caIne tu;o false 'lrilJlesses.
110,," are they false witnesses, ,vhen they l'epeat only what ,,"e
read that the Lord spoke? ....\ false \vitness is one \vho takes
what is said in a different sense froin that in \vhich it was
said. Now this the Lord had spoken of the telnple of His
Body, and they cavil at His expressions, and by a slight
change and addition produce a plausible charge. The Lord's
words \vere, Destroy this tenlple; this they make into, I can
desl roy tile TeiJlp/e ql God. He said, De/droy, not ' I win
destroy,' because it is unlawful to lay hands on ourselves.
Also they phrased it, And build it allain, Inaking it apply to
the teulple of the J e\"s; but the Lord had said, Aud 1 u'ill
'raise it up again, thus clearly pointing out a liying and
breathing tenlple. For to build again, and to raise again, are
two different things. CHRYS. ',","hy did they not bring forward
no\v His breaking the Sabbath? Because lIe had so often

VER. 59-68.

ST. M.-\TTHE".

925

confuted them on this point. J ERO:\fE; IIeadlong aud uu-
controlled rage, unable to find even a false accusation, tTIoves
the High Priest from his throne, the motion of his body
she\ving the ell1otion of his Inind. And the High Priest
arose, and said 'Unto 'tÙn, AnSll"erest tholt nothing to the
things which these \\Titness against Thee? CHRYS. lIe said
this with a design to draw from Hill1 SOine inrlefensible ans'Wer
\vhich Inight be Inade a snare for Hinl. But Jesus held" i.')
peace, for defence had availed nothing when none would
listen to it. For here was only a ll10cliery of justice, it was
in truth nothing lnore than the anarchy of a den of robbers.
ORIGEN; This place teaches us to contelnn the clanl01us of
slanderers and false witnesses, and not to consider those who
speak unbeseeming things of us worthy of an ans\ver; but
then, above all, when it is greater to be manfully and reso-
lutely silent, than to plead our cause in vain. JERO
IE; For
as God, He knew that whateyer He said would be twisted
into an accusation against Hin1. But at this His silence before
false witnesses and ungodly Priests, the High Priest ,vas
exasperated, and SU111nl0nF. Him to answer, that fron1 any thing
He says he 111ay raise a charge against Hin). ORIGEN; Under
the Law, \ye do inòeed find many instances of this adjluation; Kurnb.
but I judge that a luan \yho would live according to the 5, l
.
G h 1 d . h r' f . 1 Kmg:'!
ospel soule not a Jure anot er; lor I \Ye are not perulltted 22, 16.
to s\vear, surely not to ae'jure. But he that regards Jesus
cOllllnanding the dæmons, and giving His disciples pow'er
over thenl, will say, that to address the dæmons by the power
given by the Saviour, is not to adjure thein. But the High
Priest did sin in laying a snare for Jesus; iInitating his father,
who twice asked the Saviour, If t!tOll be Ghrist the Son Qf1l[att.4.
God. Hence one might rightly 8ay, that to doubt concerning
the Son of God, whether Christ be He, is the work of the
Ðe,-iI. It was not fit that the Lord should answer the High
Priest's adjuration as though under cOll1pulsion, wherefore He
neither denied nor confessed Hinlself to be the Son of God.
For he 'vas not worthy to be the object of Christ's teaching,
therefore He does not instruct hi m, but taking up his o\Vn
words retorts theln npon him. This sitting of the Son of ßlan
seelns to Ine to denote a certain regal security; by the power of
God, '\
ho is the only po\Yer, is He securely seated to 'Vholl1

H2tj

GOSIJEL ACCORDING TO

CHAP. XXVI.

is giren by His Father all po,ver in heaven as in earth.
And there will COllIe a tÍ1ne when the enelnies shall see this
cstablish1l1ent. I ndeed this has begun to be fulfilled fro1l1
the earliest tilne of the dispensation; for the disciplcs saw
Hiu1 rising fro1l1 the dead, and thereby saw IIÎln seated on
the right hand of power. Or, In respect of that etcrnity of
duration which is \vith God, fro1l1 the beginning of the \yorld
to the end of it is but one day; it is therefore 110 wonder that
the Saviour here says, Sltorll.lJ, signifying that there is but
short tinle before the end COlne. lIe prophesies lnoreover,
that they should not only see lIiln .sitting at tlte 'right hand
qf power, but also c01l1ing in the clouds qf hea
.en. These
clouds are the Prophets and Apostles, whom lIe cOlnmands
to rain when it is required, they are the clouds that pass not
1 Cor. a""ay, but bearing the Ùnage oj' the heavenly, are worthy to be

.98, the throne of God, as heirs q,f God, and joint-heirs UJith
17. Christ. JEROl\IE; The saIne fury \vhich drew the High
Priest from his seat, impels him now to rend his clothes; for
so it was custolnary \vith the Jews to do \vhcneyer they heard
any blasphemy, or any thing against God. CHRYS. This He
did to give weight to the accusation, and to confir1l1 by deeds
what He taught in \\'or<18. JEROME; And by this rending his
garments, he shews that the Je\vs ha\e lost the priestly glory,
and that their High Priest's throne \vas vacant. For by
rending his gannent he rent the veil of the La"T \vhich
co'.ered hitn. CHRYS. Then, after rending his gannent, he
did not gÍ\Te Rel1tence of hÎ1nself
but asked of others, saying,
IVhat lliink ye? As was always done in undcniable cases of
sin, and Inanifest blasphelny, and as by force dri,'ing then1 to
a ccrtain opinion, he anticipates the answer, JVlIat need 'lce
any ,further witnesses? Behold, 'JluW ye luu'e heard his
blaspllel1lY. ''''''hat \vas this blasphelllY? For before He
had interpreted to then1 as they ".ere gathered together that
Matt. text, The Lo'rd ,<;aid unto 'IllY Lord, Sif 11,0u 011 1ny fright
22, 44 hand, and they had held their peace, and had not contradicted
IIinl. Ho"r then do they call what lIe now says blasphemy?
TIley ansu.e'l'ed and said, He is guilty of dealll, the san1e
persons at once accusers, exalniners, and sentencers. ORIGEN;
Ho\v great their error! to pronounc(' the principle of all
111elJ'S life to be guilty of death, and not to acl
no\vledge by

VElt.69-75.

ST. :\fATTHF.'V.

927

the testin10ny of the resurrection of so Inany, the Fount of
life, fron1 "Tholn life flows to all that rise again. CHRYS. As Chrp:.
" h h ' b ' . 11 Horn.
hunters who ha\Te started theIr game, so t ey ex 1 It a WI ( lxxxv.
and drunken exultation. JERO)IE; Tiley spit in his face,
and buffeted hinl, to fulfil the prophecy of Esaias, I ga
'e }JiY Isa. 50,
cl,eek to the sJ11iters, and turned not flU,"ay 1JlY ..face .froul 6.
shrune and spitting. GLOSS. Prophesy unto us is said in Gloss.
ridicule of His claim to be held as a Prophet by the people. ord .
JERO:\IE; But it would ha\Te been foolish to have answered
them that snlote HilU, and to have declared the sn1Ïter,
seeing that in their luadness they seem to ha\Tc struck Hin1
openly. CHRYS. Observe ho\y circumstantially the E\Tangelist
recounts all those particulars e\Ten which seetn HIOst disgrace-
fhl, hiding or extenuating nothing, but thinking it the highest
glory that the Lord of the earth should endure such things
for us. This let us read continually, let ns iluprint in our
l1Iinds, and in these things let us boast. AUG. That, they Aug.
did SjJit ill !tis ..face, signifies those \vho reject His proffered

4.
grace. They like\yise buffet Hitn who prefer their O\\Tn
honour to IIilll; and they s111ite Hin1 on the face, who, blinded
with unbelief, affinn that lIe is not yet conle, disowning and
rejecting His person.

69. No,v Peter sat ,vithout in the palace: and â
danlsel caIne unto him, saying, Thou also ,vast ,vith
Jesus of Galilee.
70. But he denied before thelTI all, saying, I kno,v
not what thou sayest.
71. And \vhen he ,vas gone out into the porch,
another nlaid sa,v hÏ1n, and said unto thenl that were
there, This fello,v \vas also ,,,ith Jesus of N azaretn.
72. And again he denied with an oath, I do not
kno\y the nlan.
73. And after a while CalTIe unto hilTI they that
stood by, anò said to Peter, Surely thou also art one
of them; for thy speech be,vrayeth thee.
74. Then began he to curse and to swear, saying,

928

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

CHAP. XXVI.

I know not the man. And imn1ediately the cock
crew.
75. And Peter ren1embered the word of Jesus,
\vhich said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou
shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept
bitterly.

Aug. de AUG. Among the other insults offered to our Lord was the

i
i.6. threefold denial of Peter, which the several E vange lists relate
in different order. Luke puts Peter's trial first, and the ill-
usage of the Lord after that; l\iatthewand Mark reverse the
order. J EROl\IE; Peter sat without, that he might see the
event, and not excite suspicion by any approach to Jesus.
CHRYS. And he, who, when he saw his l\laster laid hands on,
drew his sword and cut off the ear, no\\' when he sees IIiIn
enduring such insults becomes a denier, and cannot with-
stand the taunts of a mean servant girl. A dal1lsel ca17le
'ltnto ltirll, sayin.fJ, Thou, also
(jast ?vith Jeslls of Galilee.
RABAN. ,,-rhat means this, that a handmaid is the first to tax
him, when men \vould be more likely to recognise hiIn,
except that this sex might seeln to sin sOinewhat in the
Lord's death, that they might be redeemed by IIis passion?
He denied before tltelFl all, because he \vas afraid to
reveal himself; that he said, I know not, shews that he
Leo, was not yet \villing to die for the Saviour. LEO; For this
Serm. reason it should seenl he was pennitted to waver, that
60, 4.
the remedy of penitence might be exhibited in the hearl
of the Church, and that none should daré to trust in
his own strength, when even the blessed Peter could not escape
the danger of frailty. CHRYS. But not once, but twice and
Aug. thrice did he deny \vithin a short tilne. AUG. 'Ve understand
ubi sup. that having gone out after his first denial, the cock cro\ved
the first time as l\iark relates. CHRYS. To she\v that the
sound did not keep hin1 froin denial, nor bring his pronlÍse
A
g. to mind. AUG. The
econd denial was not outside the door,
UbI sup. but after he had returned to the fire; for. the second Inaid
did not see him after he had gone out, but as he was going
out; his getting up to go out drew her attention, and site
said to tlleln that we're tlte1'e, that is, to those that were

VEu.69-75.

sT.
L\TTHE'V.

H2n

standing round the fire in the hal], This j'ellVIl" also fl'GS 1ritlt
Jesus of ...'Tazaretlt. lIe ,vho had gone out, ha,'ing heard this
returned, that he ll1Íght by denial vindicate himself. Or, as
is lnore likely, he did not hear \vhat \yas said of hiln as he
,vent out, but it was after he came back that the maid, and
the other Ulan WhOlll Luke 111elltions, said to hiln, And thou
also art one of thelJl. J EROl\IE; And again lie denied 'l.Ðitl,
an oatI" I do not knou' tile 'Inan. I kno\v that SOlne out
of a feeling of piety towards the Apostle Peter ha,-e inter-
preted this place to signify that Peter denied the )Ian and
not the God, as though he meant, , I do not know the
I an,
because I know the God 'It.' But the intelligent reader \vill
see that this is trifling, for if he denied not, the Lord spoke
falsely 'when He said, Thole shalt deny 1ne thrice. A:\:1BROSE ; Amb. in
d Luc.22
I had rather that Peter deny, than that the Lord be ma e 57. '
out false. RABAN. In this denial of Peter we affirm that
Christ is denied not only by him \vho denies that He is
Christ, but who denies himself to be a Christian.
A UG. Let us now come to the third denial; And afte1- Aug.
a u,lâle canle tltey that stood hy, and said to Peter, Surely ubi sup.
tholt also a'rt one of tllenl, (Luke's ,,'ords are., About lite Luke
space of one hour qfte1-,) f01- tlty speech hew'ragetlt t/tee. 22, 59

JERO)IE; Not that Peter was of a different speech or nation

but a IIebrew' as his accusers were; but e'
ery province and
every district has its peculiarities, and he could not disguise
his natÏ\re pronunciation. RE
I1G. Observe how' baneful
are cOlnlllunications with evil men; they even drove Peter
to deny the IJord whom he had before confessed to be the
Son of God. RABAN. Observe, that he said the first time,
I know 1I0t 'lL.!-tat thou sayest; the second time, He denied
with an oath; the third time, He began to curse and to
swea1. that he knew not lite man. For to persevere in
sinning increases sinfulness, and he ,vho disregards light
sins, falls into greater.
RE:\IIG. Spiritually; By Peter's denial before the cock-

x e. g. S. Ambrose (in Luc.) says, yet seeing through infirmity of the flesh,
" He well denied him as man, for he he had at least doubted, he therefore
knew him as God." And S. Hilary, wept bitterly when he remembered that
(in loc.) " Almost without sin did he he had not been able, even after warn-
now deny the man, who had been the ing. to avoid the sin of that fearful.
first to acknowledge him as Son of God; ness."
VOL. I. 3 0

930

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHE'\V.

CHAP. XXVI.

crow, are denoted those who before Christ's resurrection did
not believe IIilu to be God, being perplexed by His death.
In his denial after the :first cock-crow, are denoted those who
are in error concerning both Christ's natures, His human
and divine. By the :first handluaid is signified desire; by thp
second, carnal delight; by them that stood by, the dæmons;
for by theln men are led to a denial of Christ. ORI
EN;
Or, By the first handmaid is understood the Synagogue of
the Jews, \vhich oft con1pelled the faithful to deny; by the
second, the congregations of the Gentiles, who even perse-
cuted the Christians; they that stood in the han signify
the ministers of divers heresies, who also compel Inen to
Aug. deny the truth of Christ. AUG. Also Peter thrice denied,
Quæst. b h . 1 . Ch . . 1 . . 1 h
Ev. i.45. ecause eretIca en.or concernIng rIst IS llulte( to tree
kinds; they are in eITor respecting His divinity, His hu-
manity, or both. RABAN. After the third denial comes the
cock-crow; by \vhich we may understand a Doctor of the
Church who with chiding rouses the slulllbering, saying,
I Cor. A'lvake, ye 1"igltteolt.r.;, and sill 'lIot. Thus Holy Scripture uses
1 15, l
. to denote the merit of di\Ters cases 1 b y fixed P eriods, as Peter
men-
tumcau-sinned at lllidnight and repented at cock-crow. JERO:\IE;
sarum. In another Gospel we read, that after Peter's denial and the
Luke cock-crow, the Saviour looked 'Upon Pete}., and by His look
22, 61. called forth those bitter tears; for it n1Ïght not be that he on
whon1 the Light of the world had looked should continue in
the darkness of denial, u-herefore, he 'loent out, and 1.Dept
bitte1 0 Zy. For he could not do penitence sitting in Caiaphas'
hall, but w'ent forth from the assenlbly of the wicked, that he
might wash a,vay in bitter tears the pollution of his tiInid
Leo, denial. LEO; Blessed tears, 0 holy Apostle, which had the
Serm. virtue of holy Baptis111 in washing off the sin of thy denial.
60. 4.
The right hand of the Lord Jesus Christ was ,yith thee to
hold thee up before thou \vast quite thrown down, and in
the luidst of thy perilous faU, thou receivedst strength to stand.
The Rock quickly returned to its stability, recovering so great
fortitude, that he \vho in Christ's passion had quailed, should
endure his o\vn subsequent suffering ,vith fear]essness and
constancy.

CHAP. XXVII.

1. "Then the morning was come, all the Chief
Priests and elders of the people took counsel against
Jesus to put him to death:
2. And when they had bound him, they led him
away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the
governor.
3. Then Judas, \vhich had beÚ-ayed him, when he
sa\v that he ,vas condemned, repented himself, and
brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the Chief
Priests and elders,
4. Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed
the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to
us 1 see thou to that.
5. And he cast do\vn the pieces of silver in the
temple, and departed, and \vent and hanged hÎ1nself.

ArG. The E,"angelist had above brought do\vn his history, Aug. de
of ,,'hat \vas done to the Lord as far as early 1110n1Ïng;

fÚ"7.
he thcn tunIed back to relate Peter's denial, after which he
retluned to the Inorning to continue the course of e\7cnts,
If/Ilen lite 11loruing u'as come, !JJc. OnIGE
; They supposcd
that hr His death they should crush His doctrine, and the
bC'lief in Hill1 of those ,yho belic\'ed IIim to be the Son of
God. "Tith such purpose against Hilll they hound J csns, vid. Isa.
"Tho looses then1 that are bound. J ERO:\IE; Observe the evil 6], l.
zeal of the Chief Priests; they \vatcllcd the whole night with
a view' to this Inurder. And they ga\rc HiIn up to Pilate
bound, for such was their practice to send bound to the
judge any \VhOn1 they had sentenced to death. RABAN.
302

932

Gú
l'EL

CCORDI
G TO

CHAIJ. XXVII.

Though it should he ohsenTed that they did not now first
bind Ilin1, but before, when they first laid hands upon Hiln
John 18, in the garden, a
.John relates. CURY8. They did 110t put

hrys. IJill1 to death ill secret, because they sought to destroy llis
HolO: reputation, and the ,,"onder with \vhich He was regal"ded by
IXXXIV.. .
lnany. For tIus reason they ,,'ere Inindcrl to put 111m to
death openly before aU, and therefore they led I-lill1 to the
governor. J.EHO
IE; Judas, ,yhCll he saw that tl1e J
ord was
condelnned to death, returned the 1I10ney to the Priests, as
though it had been in his po""er to change the minds of His
persecutors. ORIGEN; Let the propounders of those fables
concerning intrinsically e,-il natures a answer lne here, ,,-hence
Judas caIne to the acl{nowledgment of his sin, I hare sinned
ill Illat I lLa
'e betrayed 1.iglzteollS blood, except through the
good 111ind originally iInplanted in him, and that seed of
virtue \vhich is SO\\'11 in every rational soul? nut Judas did
not cherish this, and so fell into this sin. But if ever any
man was luade of a nature that "Tas to perish, Judas ,vas yet
Inore of such a nature. If indeed he had done this after
Christ's resurrection, it might have been said, that the po\ver
of the resurrection brought hilll to repentance. But he
repented \\-'hen he sa\v Christ delivered up to Pilate, perhaps
remelubering the things Jesus had so often spoken of His
John 13, resurrection. Or, perhaps Satan who had enle1"ed info lIi111
27. continued with hitn till Jesus was given up to Pilate, and
then, having accolnplished his purpose, departed froln him;
whereupon he repented. But ho\v could Judas kno\v that
lIe was condeu1ned, for He had not yet been examined by
Pilate? One may perhaps say, that he foreboded the event
in his own Inind front the very first, "Then he saw Him
delivered up. Another Inay explain the ,yords, 'l.t'lten he saw
tllat lie was condelllned, of Judas hin1self, that he then per-
cei\.ed his e,
il case, and saw that he hÍ1nself was condelnned.
Leo; LF.O; 'Vhen he says, I !lave sinned, 'in that [haee betrayed
Serm. innocent blood, he persists in his wicked treachery, seeing
ð2,5. d
that an1Íd the last struggles of death he believe not Jesus to
be the Son of God, but luere]y nlan of our rank; for had he
not thus denied His omnipotence, he "rould haye obtained
His lIlercy. CHRYS. Observe that he repents only when his
U vid. S. Basil. Reg. Brev. 84.

VER. 1-5.

ST. l\L\TTHE\V.

933

sin is finished and complete; for so the Devil suffers not
those who are not watchful to see the e,"il before they bring
it to an end. IlE:\IIG. But they said, JT7ICli is that to us?
that is to say, "That is it to us that lIe is righteous? See
thou to if, i. e. to thy own deed what will come of it.
Though some would read these in one 1, 'Vhat nlllst we think I Quid
of "Ton , when \'on confess that the l11an \vhol11 yourself have t ad
o d s
J 0/ 01 U VI e-
betrayed is innocent? ORIGEN; But \vhen the Devil leaves ris?
anyone, he watches his tilue for return, and having taken it, he
leads hilll into a second sin, and then \vatches for opportunity
for a third deceit. So the man \vho had Inarried his father's I Cor. 5,
wife after\vards repented hin1 of this sin, but again the Devil!.
resoh-ed so to augment this \
ery son'ow of repentance, that
his SOITO\V being 111ade too abundant Blight swallo,Y up the
SOlTO\Ver. Something like this took place in Judas, who after
his repentance_did not preserve his own heart, but recei\
ed
that luore abundant sorro"" supplied to hit11 by the Devil,
who sought to s\\
allow hiIll up, as it follo\ys, And lie lcent
0ILI, and hanged ltÙllself. But had he desired and looked for
place and tÎ1ne for repentance, he would perhaps have found
Him who has said, I have /If) pleasure in tlte death of the Ezek.
u.ic/t'ed. Or, perhaps, he desired to die before his :i\laster on 33, II.
His w"ay to death, and to meet Him \vith a disetnbodied
spirit, that by confession and deprecation he might obtain
lllercy; and did not see that it is not fitting that a servant of
God should disilliss himself fronl life, but should \vait God's
sentence. RAHAX. lIe hung ltÙIl.!)e?f, to she\v that he \vas
hateful to both heaven and earth. PSEUDO-ArGo
ince the Hil.
Chief Priests were employed about the lllurder of the Lord

l:tSt.
fro111 the 1110rning to the ninth hour, ho\v is this proyed that Test. q.
before the crucifixion Judas returned thelll the money he had 94.
received, and said to them in the tell1ple, I lia
'e sinned, in
tliat I hal'e betrayed innocent blood? "Thereas it is manifest
that the Chief Priests and Elders were neyer in the temple
before the Lord's crucifixion, seeing that when He \\"as
hanging on the Cross they \\
ere there to insult Hill1. Nor
indeed can this be pro\ed hence, because it is related before
the Lord's Passion, for Inany things which were manifest1y
done before, are related after, that, and the reverSe. It n1Ïght
have been done after the ninth honr, \vhen Judas, seeing the

934

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

CHAI). XXVII.

Saviour dead and the veil of the telnple rent, the earthquake,
the bursting of the rocks, and the elelnents terrified, was
seized with fear and sorrow thereupon. But after the ninth
hour the Chief Priests and Elders were occupied, as I
suppose, in the celebration of the Passover; and on the
Sabbath, the Law would not have allo\ved him to bring
Inoney. Therefore it is to me as yet unproved on what day
or at \vhat time Judas ended his life by hanging.

6. And the Chief Priests took the silver pieces,
and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the
treasury, because it is the price of blood.
7. And they took counsel, and bought with them
the potter's field, to bury strangers in.
8. Wherefore that field was called, The field of
blood, unto this day.
9. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by
Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty
pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued,
,vhom they of the children of Israel did value;
10. And gave them for the potter's field, as the
Lord appointed me.

CHRYS. 'The Chief Priests knowing that they had purchased
a murder were condemned by their own conscience; they
said, It is the price of blood. J EROl\IE; Truly straining out
the gnat, and swallowing the camel; for if they would not
put the money into the treasury, because it was the price of
blood, \vhy did they 8hed the blood at all? ORIGEN; They
thought it meet to spend upon the dead that money which
was the price of blood. But as there are differences even in
burial places, they used the price of Jesus' blood in the
purchase of some potter's field, where foreigners might be
buried, not as they desired in the sepulchres of their fathers.
Aug. AUG. It \vas brought about, I conceive, by God's providence,

Æ.
. that the Saviour's price should not minister means of excess
80. 1. to sinners, but repose to foreigners, that thence Christ might
both redeen1 the living by the shedding of IIis blood, and

VER. 6-10.

ST.
IATTHE'V.

Ðà5

harbour the dead by the price of His passion. Therefore
\vith the price of the Lord's blood the poUer's field is
purchased. 'Ve read in Scripture that the salvation of the
whole human race has been purchased by the Saviour's
blood. This field then is the ,,-hole \vorld. The potter who
is the Lord of the soil, is He who has formed of clay the
vessels of our bodies. This potter's field then was purchased
by Christ's blood, and to strangers ,vho without country or
home wander over the \vhole world, repose is provided by
Christ's blood. These foreigners are the more deyout Chris-
tians, who have renounced the world, and have no possession
in it, and so repose in Christ's blood; for the burial of Christ
is nothing but the repose of a Christian; for as the Apostle
says, 11 7 e are buried witlt him by baptis1Jl into death. 'Ve Rom. 6,
are in this life then as foreigners. J ERO::\IE; Also we, who 4.
were strangers to the Law and the Prophets, have profited
by the pen
erse temper of the Jews to obtain salvation for
ourselves. OR!GEN; Or, the .foreigners are they \vho to the
end are aliens n'olu God, for the righteous are buried with
Christ in a new tOlnb hewn out in the rock. But they who
are aliens from God, even to the end, are buried in the field
of a potter, a worker in clay, which being bought by the
price of blood, is called the field of blood. GLOSS. To lIds GJoss.
day means to the time when the Evangelist was then ,vriting. non occ.
He then confinlls the event by the testimony of the Prophet;
Then was fulfilled tlìat u-kicll was spoken by Je1"eJJlY tlte
Prophet, &-c. J EROl\fE; This is not found at all in Hierelnias;
but in Zacharias, who is the last but one of the twelye Pro- Zech.
phets, s01l1ethillg like it is told, and though the sense is not 11, 13.
very different, yet the arrangement and the words are different.
AUG. But if anyone thinks this 10\\ ers the historian's credit, Aug. de
first let hÏ1n know' that not all the copies of the Gospels have

fÚ.7.
the name Hieren1Ïas, but some simply by the Prophet. But
I do not like this defence, because the more, and the more
ancient, copies have Hieremias, and there could be no reason
for adding the nalue, and thus Inaking an error. But its
erasure is well accounted for by the hardihood of ignorance
having heard the foregoing objection luged. It Inight be
then, that the name Hiercmias occurred to the mind of
l\iatthew as he wrote, instead of the name Zacharias, as so

936

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

CHAP. XXVII.,

often happens; and that he ,vould have straightway corrected
it, when pointed out to him by such as read this while he yet
Jived in the flesh, had he not thought that his memory, being
guided by the Holy Spirit, would not thus have caned up to
hiIn one name instead of another, had not the Lord detennined
that it should thus be written. And why He should have so
determined, the first reason is, that it "rould convey the
\vonderful consent of the Prophets, who all spake by one
Spirit, \vhich is much greater than if all the ,vords of aU the
Prophets had been uttered through the mouth of one man;
so that we receive "i.thout donbt \vhatever the Holy Spirit
spake through them, each word belongs to aU in common,
and the ,,"hole is the utterance of each. Suppose it to
happen at this day, that in repeating another's ,vords one
should mention not the speaker's name, but that of SOlne
other person, ,,,ho ho,vever \vas the other's greater friend,
and then iU1mediately recollecting himself should correct
hinlself, he ulight yet add, ì'" et am I right, if you only think
of the close unanimity that exists between the two. Ho\v
luuch lIlore is this to be observed of the holy Prophets!
tThere is a second reason why the name Hieremias should
be suffered to relnain in this quotation fr01n Zacharias, or
rather \vhy it should ha\re been suggested by tbe Holy
Jer.32, Spirit. It is said in Hieremias, that he bought a field of
9. his brother's son, and gave hinl silver for it, though not
indeed the SU1ll stated in Zacharias, thirty pieces of silver.
That the Evangelist has here adapted the thirty pieces of
silycr in Zacharias to this transaction in tbe Lord
s history,
is plain; but he mar also ,,,ish to convey that n
hat IIiere-
mias speaks of the field is lllystically alluded to here, and
therefore he puts not the na1ne of Zacharias \vho spoke of
the thirty pieces of silver, but of Hiereillias \vho spoke of
ihe purchase of the field. So that in I'eading the Gospel
and finding the name of I-lieremias, but not finding there
the passage respecting the thirty pieces of silver, but the
account of the purchase of the field, the reader might be
induced to compare the two together, and so extract from
thelll the sense of the prophecy, ho\v far it refers to what
was no,," acc01nplished in the Lord. For \vhat l\Iatthe\v
Rdds to the prophecy, Tf17lo1n they of the children qf Israel

VER. 11-]..1.

ST. )IATTHE\V.

937

did raZue, and gare t!tern jòr tlte potter's .field, as lite Lo'rd
appointed llie, tbis, as tlte Lord appointed me, is found
neither in Zacharias nor l1ieremias. It nlust then be taken
in the person of the Evangelist as inserted \vith a nlJstic
n1eaning, that he had leanled by re,.elation that the prophecy
referred to this Inatter of the price for ,,'hich Christ ".as
betrayed. JERO:\IE; Far be it then from a follower of Christ Hieron.
to suppose hinl guilty of falsehood, whereas his business was

;
.
not to pry into \vords and syllables, but to lay down the 7.
staple of doctrine. ID. I have lately read in a Hebrew book Hieron.
given Ine by a Hebrew of the
azarcne sect, an apocryphal in loco
Hieremias, in which I find the very words here quoted. _\fter
all, I am rather inclined to think that the passage \vas taken
by )Iatthew out of Zacharias, in the usual Inanner of the
Apostles and Evangelists when they quote from the Old
Testalnent, neglecting the "Tords, and attending only to the
sense.

11. And Jesus stood before the governor: and the
governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of
the Je\vs? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest.
12. And \vhen he was accused of the Chief Priests
and elders, he ans\vered nothing.
13. Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not
ho\v ITIany things they ,vitness against thee?
14. And he ans\vered him to never a word; Inso-
much that the governor marvelled greatly.

ArG. l\Iatthe\v, having finished his digression concen1Ïng Aug. de
the traitor Judas, returns to the course of his narrati\yc, E Co

: 7
V.lll. .
saying, Jesus stood before tlte gOL'eruor. ORIGEN; l\lark
ho\v He that is ordained by IIis Father to be the Judge of
the whole creation, hUlubled Hitllsclf, and was content to
stand before the judge of the land of Judæa, and to be
a
ked by Pilate either in mockery or doubt, ...1rt t!lOlil tlte
King qf the JeIL's? CHRY8. Pilate asked Christ that \yhich Chrys.
His enelnies were continualh. casting in His teeth, for I Hom..
.! XXXVI.
because th
y kne\\y that Pilate cared not for Inatters of their

938

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

CHAP. XXVII.

Law, they had recourse to a public charge. ORIGEN; Or,
Pilate spoke this affirmatively, as he afterwards wrote in the
inscription, Th.e Kin.q of tile Jeu's. By answering to the
Chief Priest, Tllolf, llast said, He indirectly reproved his
doubts, but now He turns Pilate's speech into an affirmative,
JeSltS saitlt unto Itim, TItOli sayest it. CHRYS. lIe ackno\v-
ledges Himself to be a King, but a heavenly one, as it is
Jolm18, more expressly said in another Gospel, illy kingdorn is not of
86. tltis world, so that neither the Jews nor Pilate were excusable
for insisting on this accusation. HILARY; Or, ,vhen asked
by the High Priest whether He were Jesus the Christ, He
answered, Thou hast said, because He had ever maintained
out of the Law that Christ should come, but to Pilate ,vho
was ignorant of the Law, and asks if He \vere the King of the
Jews, He answers, Tllolt sayest, because the salvation of the
Gentiles is through faith of that present confession. J ERO:l\IE ;
But observe, that to Pilate who asked the question un\yillingly
He did answer somewhat; but to the Chief Priests and
Priests He refused to answer, judging thell1 unworthy of a
word; And when lte was accused by tlte Cltief Priests and
A c u g . de Elders, he ansu:ered 'nothing. AUG. Luke explains what
ODS.
Ev.iii.8. were the accusations alleged against HÍ1n, And they began

k;. to acc.use ltÏ1n, saying, We found litis .fellow. per/"verting tlte
nation, and forbidding to give t'rib,tle to Cæsar, saying that
he himself is Christ a King. But it is of no consequence to
the truth in \\"hat order they relate the history, or that one
oUlits what another inserts. ORIGEN; N either then nor
now did Jesus make any reply to their accusations, for the
word of God was not sent to thelu, as it was formerly to the
Prophets. Neither was Pilate \vorthy of an answer, as he
had no fixed or abiding opinion of Christ, but veered about
to contradictory suppositions. Hearest tltOlt not how 1nallY
tllings they u.itlless against t/tee ? JEROME; Thus though it
is a Gentile who sentences Jesus, he lays the cause of His
condemnation upon the Jews. CHRYS. He said this out of
a wish to release Him, if He should justify Himself in His
answer. But the Jews, though they had so many practical
proofs of His power, His meekness and hunlbleness, were
yet enraged against Him, and urged on by a perverted judg-
ment. \Vherefore He answers nothing, or if He makes any

VER. 1:>-26.

ST. MATTHE'V.

939

ans\\Pcr He says little, that total silence might not be construed
into obstinacy. JEROME; Or, Jesus would not make any
answer, lest if He cleared HÏIuself the governor should have
let lIiln go, and the benefit of His cross should have been
deferred. ORIGEX; TILe gorernor ma1"velled at His en-
durance, as kno\ving that he had power to condemn Him,
lIe yet continued in a peaceful, placid, and immovable
prudence and gravity. He marvelled greatly, for it seemed
to hÍ1n a great Iniracle that Christ, produced before a criminal
tribunal, stood thus fearless of death, which all men think so
terrible.

15. Now at that feast the governor was wont to
release unto the people a prisoner, whom they
would.
16. And they had then a notable prisoner, called
Barabbas.
17. Therefore when they were gathered together,
Pilate said unto theIn, Whom will ye that I release
unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?
18. For he knew that for envy they had delivered
him.
19. 'Vhen he was set down on the judgment seat,
his ,vife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to
do with that just man: for I have suffered many things
this day in a dream because of him.
20. But the Chief Priests and elders persuaded
the multitude that they should ask Barabbas" and
destroy Jesus.
21. The governor ans\vered and said unto them,
Whether of the twain \vill ye that I release unto you?
They said, Barabbas.
22. Pilate saith unto them, \Vhat shall I do then
with Jesus \vhich is called Christ? They all say unto
him, Let him be crucified.
23. And the governor said, \Vhy, what evil hath

HJO

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

CHAP. XXVII.

he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let
hint be crucified.
24. 'Vhen Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing,
but that rather a tUlnult ,vas made, he took ,vater,
and ,vashed his. hands before the Inllltitude, saying,
I an1 innocent of the blood of this just person; see
ye to it.
25. 'fhen answered all the people, and said, His
blood be on us, and on our children.
26. '"fhen released he Barabbas unto them: and
,vhen he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be
crucified.

1 Sam.
14.

CHRYS. Because Christ had answered nothing to the
accusations of the Jews, by \vhich Pilate could acquit Hitn
of what \'
as aUeged against Him, he contri \
es other lneans
of saving Ilim. NOll) on tlte feast day tlte governor u;as
wont to release 'Unto tile people a prisoner 'lrIl01Jl tlley 'lcoliid.
ORIGEN; Thus do the Gentiles shew favours to those \VhOnl
they sul
ject to thenlselves, until their yoke is riveted. Yet
did this practice obtain also anlong the Jews, Saul did not
put Jonathan to death, because an the people sought his life.
CHRYS. Aud he sought to rescue Christ by means of this
practice, that the Jews lnight not ha\
e the shadow of an
excuse left theln. A convicted lluuderer is put in cOll1parison
with Christ, Barabbas, wholu he calls not merely a robber,
but a notable one, that is, renowned for crilne. J EROl\IE ;
In the Gospel entitled' according to the Hebrews,' Darabbas
is interpreted, , The son of their master,' \vho had been con-
demned for sedition and lllurder. Pilate gives theln the
choice behveen Jesus and tlle robber, not doubting but that
Jesus \vould be the rather chosen. CHRYS. fVholll will ye
that I 'release unto you?
.c. As luuch as to say, If ye
\vill not let IIitn go as innocent, at least, yicld Him, as
convicted, to this holy day. For if you \yould haye released
one of whose guilt there was no doubt, much Inore should
you do so in doubtful cases. Observe how circlunstances
are reversed. It is the populace who are wont to petition

VEH. 15-
6.

ST. :MATTHE".

9-11

for the conden1ned, and the prince to grant, but here it
is the reverse, the prince asks of the people, and renders
thelll thereby lllore ,-iolenl. GLOSS. The E,'angelist alids Gloss.
the reason ,vhy Pilate sought to deliver Christ, For he kneu' non occ.
tlull .fur e/li"Y 'hey had delirered hÙn. RE:\IIG. John
explains what their Cll".Y "'as, ,,,hen he saysj Behold, the John
u'orld is gone after hÙn; and, If 'Ire let lthn t/lliS alone, all

h
9.
11lCn 'lpilt belicre on hÙIl. Obsen'e also that in place of what ll, 48.
l\Iatthew says, JeSllS, '!clto is called Chrisl, )Iark says, TTTill,l\Iark
ye thai I release unto you tIle King 0/ tile Jell's? For the 15, 9.
kings of the Jews alone were anointed, and fron1 that anointing
were called Christs. CHRYS. Then is added sOlnething else
\vhich alone was enough to deter all froin putting Him to
death; TT/71en lie 'leas set on tile judgnlen/ seal, his 'lr
fe sent
unto ltÏ1n, saying, Hare Iltolllloihing to do 'leith tluti just 1Jl0l1.
For joined wit.h the proof afforded by the events themselves,
a drealn was no light confinnation. RABAX. It is to be
noted, that the bench (tribunal) is the seat of the judge, the
throne (soliun1) of the king, the chair (cathedra) of the
master. In visions and dreams the wife of a Gentile under-
stood what the Jews when awake \vould neither belie,-e nor
understand. J ERO:
IE; Observe also that ,-isions are often
vouchsafed by God to the Gentiles, and that the confession
of Pilate and his wife that the Lord was innocent is a testi-
mony of the Gentile people. CHRYS. But why did Pilate
hinlself not see this vision? Because his \vife was more
worthy; or because if Pilate had seen it, he ,vould not ha,'e
had equal credit, or perhaps would 110t ha\Te told it; where-
fore it is provided by God that his ,vife :;;hould see it, and
thus it be Inade manifest to all. And she not lnerely sees it,
but suffers lJlany things becau.st- qf hÙn, so that sYlnpathy
with his wife ,vould Inake the husband Inore slack to put
HÏ1n to death. \nd the titne agreed well, for it \vas the
saIne night that she saw it. ID. Thus then the judge is Chrys.
terrified through his wife, and that he nlight not consent in
om.iii.
the judgment to the accusation of the J e\vs, hÍ1nseIf endured
o
n.
judglnent in the afHiction of his "9ife; the judge is judged,
and tortured before he tortures. RABAN. Or otherwise; The
de,"il no\\' at last understanding that he should lose his
trophies through Christ, as he had at the first brought in

9.12

GOSPFL ACCORDING TO

CHAP. XXVII.

death by a woman, so by a woman he \vould deliver Christ
out of the hands of His enemies, lest through His death he
should lose the sovereignty of death. CHRYS. But none of the
foregoing things moved Christ's enemies, because envy had
altogether b1inded them, and of their own wickedness they
corrupt the people, for they persuaded the people that they
should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. ORIGEN; Thus it is
plainly seen how the Jewish people is moved by its elders and
the doctors of the Jewish system, and stirred up against Jesus
Gloss. to destroy Him. GLOSS. Pilate is said to mal{e this ans\Yer,
non occ. Whether of the twain u'ill ye that I 'release unto YOM?
either to the message of his wife, or the petition of the
people, \vith \vhom it was a custom to ask such release on
the feast-day. ORIGEN; But the populace, like wild beasts
that rage the open plains, \vould have Barabhas released to
them. For this people had seditions, murders, robberies,
practised by some of their own nation in act, and nourished
by all of them who believe not in Jesus, in\vardly in their
mind. 'Vhere Jesus is not, there are strifes and fight-
ings; where He is, there is peace and all good things. All
those who are like the Je\vs either in doctrine or life desire
Barabbas to be loosed to them; for whoso does evil, Barabbas
is loosed in his body, and Jesus bound; but he that does
good has Christ loosed, and Barabbas bound. Pilate sought
to strike them 'with sharne for so great injustice, What shall
I do tit en with Jeslls that is called Christ? And not that
only, but desiring to fill up the IIleasure of their guilt. But
neither do they blush that Pilate confessed Jesus to be the
Christ, nor set any bounds to their ÏInpiety, They all say
unto hÙn, Let ltirn be c'1.ltcified. Thus they InlIltiplied the
sum of their wickedness, not only asking the life of a Intuderer,
but the death of a righteous Inan, and that the shalneful death
of the cross. RABAN. Those \vho were crucified being sus-
pended on a cross, by nails driven into the \yood through
their hands and feet, perished by a lingering death, and
Ii \7ed long on the cross, not that they sought longer life,
but that death was deferred to prolong their sufferings. The
J e\vs indeed contrived this as the \vorst of deaths, but it had
been chosen by the Lord without their privity, thereafter to
place upon the foreheads of the faithful the san1e cross as a

VEIl. 15-26.

ST. :\IATTHE'V.

9.13

trophy of Ilis 'Tictory over the Devil. JEROME ; Yet even
after this ans\ver of theirs, Pilate did not at once assent, but
in accordance with his wife's suggestion, Have tllOle 1l0tllÌll.q
to do with t/tat just man, he answ'ered, TVlIy, wlzat evilltath
he done? TIus speech of Pilate's acquits Jesus. But tlley
cried out the 1nore, saying, Let him be crucified; that it
might be fulfilled ,vhich is said in the Psalm, llIaJlY dogs Ps. 22,
I,ave c01Jlpassed 1Jle, the congregation of tlte wicked hatlt 16.
inclosed }}le; and also that of Hieremias, llIine lleritage ,is J"er. 12,
unto 1Jle as a lion in tIle .forest, they llal:e given forth their 8.
voice against 'lite. AUG. Pilate many times pleaded with the Aug. de
J e\vs, desiring that Jesus might be released, \vhich l\Iatthew

i.8.
witnesses in very few words, when he says, Pilate seeing
tllat he could prevail nothing, but that 'rathe'l" a tzunuZi wa,ç
'1nade. He would not ha\'e spoken thus, if Pilate had not
stn yen luuch, though how many efforts he made to release
Jesus he does not mention. REl\IIG. It was customary among
the ancients, when one would refuse to participate in any
crime, to take \vater and wash his hands before the people.
JERO
IE; Pilate took water in accordance \vith that, I 'lcUl Ps. 26,
u'aslt '1Jty hands in in Jlocency, in a manner testifying and 6.
saying, I indeed have sought to deliver this innocent man,
but since a tumult is rising, and the chal.ge of treason to
Cresar is urged against me, I am innocent of the blood of
this just man. The judge then ,vho is thus cOlnpeUed to give
sentence against the Lord, does not convict the accused,
but the accusers, pronouncing innocent Him who is to be
crucified. See ye to it, as though he had said, I am the
law's minister, it is your voice that has shed this blood.
Then answered all tlte people llnd said, His blood be on 'liS and
on Ollr children. This ilnprecation rests at the present day
upon the J e\Ys, the Lord's blood is not removed fì'om them.
CHRYS. ObsenTe here the infatuation of the Jews; their head-
long haste, and destructive passions \viH not let them see
what they ought to see, and they curse thelnselyes, saying,
His blood be upon liS, and e\'en entail the curse upon their
children. Yet a merciful God did not }"atify this sentence,
but accepted such of theln and of their children as repented;
for Paul was of them, and 11lany thousands of those \"ho in
J erusalelll bcli
\Yed. LEO; The ilnpiety of the J eW8 then L s eo,
erm.
59. 2.

944

GOSPEl. ACCORDIXG To

CHAP. XXVII.

cxceeded the fault of Pilate; but he \vas not guiltless, seeing
he resigned his own jurisdiction, and acquiesced in the
injustice of odIcr:;. J EROl\IE; It should be kno\'\"n that Pilate
administered the llolnan law, which enacted that e'"ery one
who was crucified should first be scourged. Jesus then is
gi,"eu up to the soldiers to be beatpn, and they tore with
\yhips that n10st holy body and capacious boson} of God.
Chry
. CHRYS. See the Lord is lnade ready for the scourge, see

now it descends upon Him! That sacred skin is torn by the
Dom. fury of the rods; the cruel rnight of repeated blows lacerates
His shoulders. Ah n1e! God is stretched out before Inan,
and lIe, in \vhom not one trace of sin can be discerned,
suffers punishlnent as a malefactor. JEROME; This was
done that \ve n1Ïght be delivered from those stripes of ,,"hich
PS.32, it is said, lJIany stripes shall be to tI,e wicked. Also in the
10. \vashing of Pilate's hands aU the works of the Gentiles are
cleansed, and \ye are acquitted of all share in the ilnpiety of
the Jews.
HILARY; At the desire of the Priests the populace chose
Barabbas, which is interpreted 'the son of a Father,'
thus shado\\"ing forth the unbelief to COllie \vhen A.ntichrist
the son of sin should be prefen'ed to Christ. RARAN.
Barabbas also, \vho headed a sedition among the people, is
released to the .Jews, that is the Devil, \\'ho to this day reigns
among them, so that they cannot have peace.

27. Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus
into the common hall, and gathered unto him the
whole band of soldiers.
28. And they stripped hÎ1n, and put on him a
scarlet robe.
29. And when they had platted a crown of thorns,
they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right
hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and
mocked hinI, saying, IIai], king of the Je\vs!
30. And they spit upon him, and took the reed,
and smote him on the head.

Aug. de AUG. After the Lord's trial comes His Passion, \vhich
Cons.
Ev. iii.
9.

VER. 27--30.

T.
IA TTHE\\P.

9J!.>

!\Iatthen" thus begins, Tlle/l tlte soldiers of tlte gOI}erJ/O'r took
Jes-us into tile C0l1l11l0Jl, hall,
c. J ERO
IE; He had been
styled King of the Jews, and the Scribes and Priests had
brought this charge against Hiln, that He claimed sovereignty
over the Jewish nation; hence this. 1110ckery of the soldiers,
taking away His o'vn garments, they put on IIiIn a scarlet
cloak to represent that purple fringe which kings of old used
to wear, for the diadeIll they put on HiIn a cro\vn of thorns,
and for the regal sceptre give Him a reed, and perform
adoI'ation to Hill1 as to a king. A L"G. Hence we understand Aug.
\vhat
Iark lueans by clothed lti1ll 'lrith purple; instead of

:
lp.
the royal purple, this scarlet cloak was used in 1110ckery; and 15, 17.
there is a shade of purple which is very like scarlet. Or it
Inay be, that l\Iark spoke of the purple which the cloak
contained, though its colour ,vas scarlet. CHRYS. 'Vhat Cbrys.
should \ve henceforth care if anyone insults us, after Christ f:

ii.
has thus suffered? The ubnost that cruel outrage could do
,,'as put in practice against Christ; and not one Inember
only, but His 'whole body suffered injuries; His head from
the crown, the reed, and the bufletings; IIis face \vhich was
spit upon; His cheeks which they smote with the palIns of
their hands; His ,vhole body frolH the scourging, the 8trip-
ping to put on the cloak, and the Inockery of homage; His
hands froln the reed ".hich they put into thenl in milnicry of
a sceptre; as though they were afraid of olnitting aught of
indignity. ArG. But :\Iatthel'" seeU1S to introduce this here as Aug.
recollected from abo,"e, not that it ,vas done at the time Pilate ubi !jup.
gave Him up for crucifixion. For John puts it before He is
given up by Pilate.
JERO)IE; All these things ,ve 11lay understand Blystically.
For as Caiaphas said that it is e::t'pedient that one 1Jlan should Johnll,
die for the people, not knowing ,,,hat he said, so these, 50.
in all they did, furnished sacrall1ents to us ,,"ho believe,
though they did then1 ,vith other intention. In the scarlet
robe He bears the bloody works of the G'entiles; by the
crown of thorns lIe takes away the ancient curse; with
the reed He destroys poisonous animals; or He held the reed
in IIis hand wherewith to ,,'rite down the sacrilege of the
Jews. HILARY; Or otherwise; The Lord ha,"ing taken upon
JIiu1 all the infinnities of our body, is then co'"ered ,,,,ith the
YOLo ]. 3 p

HJ6

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

CHAP. XXVII.

scarlet coloured blood of all the martyrs, to ,vhorn is due the
kingdorl1 with Hin); He is cro\vned with thorns, that is, ".itb
the sins of the Gentiles 'v ho once pierced IIirn, for there is a
prick in thorns of \\yhich is ,vo,yen the crown of victory for
Christ. In the reed, He takes into IIis hand and supports
the \veakness and frailty of the Gentiles; and His head is
sn1Ïtten therewith that the "yeakness of the Gentiles sus-
tained by Christ's hand nlay rest on God the Father, ".})O is
His bead. ORIGEN; Or, The reed ,vas a lnystery signifying
tbat before ,ve believed we trusted in that reed of Egypt, or
Babylon, or of sonle other kingdoln opposed to God, \vhich lIe
took that He lnight triulnph over it ,\'ith the ,vood of the cross.
'Vith this reed they sn1Ïte the head of Christ, because this king-
dorn ever beats against God the Father, who is the head of the
Saviour. REl\IIG. Or otherwise, By the scarlet robe is denoted
the Lord's flesh, which is spoken of as red by reason of shedding
of His blood; by the crown of thorns His taking upon Hiln
Rom. 8, our sins, because lIe appeared Ùl, tlie likeness q{ sÍJ!.fuljlesll.
3. RABA
. They sn1Ïte the head of Christ with a reed, who speak
against His di'Tinity, and endeavour to lnaintaill their error hy
the authority of lloly Scripture, ,yhich is "Tritten by a reed.
They spit upon His face ,vho I"eject in abolninable ,vords the
presence of His grace, and deny that Jesus is COlne in the
flesh. .And they mock Hinl with adoration ,vho believe on
Aug. HiIn, but despise I-Jim ,vith perverse "Torks. AUG. That they
Quæst. took from off the Lord in His passion His o\vn garment, and
Ev. ii.
in fin. put on IIiIn a coloured robe, denotes those heretics who said
that He had a shadowy, and not a real body.

31. ...
nd after that they had mocked him, they
took the robe off from hin1, and put his o\vn raiment
on him, and led him away to crucify him.
32. And as they came out, they found a Inan of
Cyrene, SÏ1non by name: him they cOlnpelled to bear
his cross.
33. And ,vhen they were COlne unto a place called
Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skuH,
34. They gave hÎ1n vinegar to drink mingled ,vith gall :
and ,vhen he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.

VEn. 31-
-t.

ST. )I.\TTIIE'V.

947

GLOS
. After the E\
angelist had narrate(l what concerned Gloss.
1 k . f ..... 1 . 1 d II ' . fi . A Don occ.
t lP lnoc 'lng 0 C lrIst, 1e procee s to IS crucI Xion. UU. Aug. de
This is to be understood to ha,ye been done at the end of an, C E on.
: 9
V.IlI. .
\vhen lIe "-as led off'to crucifixion after Pilate had delivered
Hilll up to the .Je\\ys. JERO:\lE; It is to be noted, that when
Jesus is scourged and spit upon, lIe has not on Ilis own
gannent
, but those which lIe took for our sins; but when
He is crucified, and the show of His mockery is cOlllpleted,
then lIe takes again Ilis fonner garments, and His own
dre
s, and Ï1nluediately tlle elenlents are shaken, and the
creature gi,yes testimony to the Creator. ORIGE
; Of the
cloak it is luentioned that they took it off IIin1, but of the
crown of thorns the E\yangelists ha\'e not spoken, so that
there are now no longer those ancient thorns of ours, since
J esns has taken thenl froln us npon Ilis revered head. CHRYS. Chrys.
The Lord would not suffer under a roof, or in the J e,,-ish
ro
: de
Tenlple, that you should not suppose that He \vas offered
.t Lat.
for that people alone; but ,,-ithout the city, \vithout the walls, 11.
that you n1Íght kno\v that the sacrifice was COlnnlon, that it was
the offering of the whole eartb, that the purification was general.
JEUOME; Let none think that J ohu's narrative contradicts
this place of the Eyangelist. John says that the Lord \vent
forth froin the prætoriunl bearing II is cross; l\Iatthe\v tells,
that they found a Ulan of Cyrene upon WhOlll they laid Jesus'
cross. "r e lnust suppose that as Jesus went out of the
prætoritun, He "-as bearing Ilis cross, and that afterwards
they met SiInon, \"hOnl ther compelled to bear it. ORIGEX;
Or, as they \vent out, they laid hold of SÌInon, but when they
dre\y near to the place in which they would crucif) HiIn, ther
laid the cross upon HiIll that He ll1Íght bear it. Sinlon oh-
tained not this office by chance, but \\'as brought to the spot by
God's providence, that he ll1ight be found worthy of Inention in
the Scriptures of the Gos}lel, and of the lllinistry of the cross
of Christ. And it was not only meet that the Saviour should
carry His cross, but llleet also that we should take part therein,
fining a carriage so beneficial to us. ,.,.. et would it not ha\
e so IX) '}'a-
profited us to take it on u
, as ,,'e ha\'e profited by IIis talá ng l!,ía.
it upon HiInself.
J ERO:\lE; Figurati ,-ely, the nations take up the cross, and the
foreigner by obedience hears tIle ignolniny of the Sariour.
3p2

948

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

CHAP. XXVII.

HILARY; For a Jew was not ,,,"orthy to bear Christ's cross, but
it ,vas resenred for the faith of the Gentiles both to take the
cross, and to suffer ,,,ith Him. RE:\IIG. For this Simon was
not a Ulan of Jerusaleln, but a foreigner, and denizen, being a
Cyrenean; Cyrene is a to\vn of Lybia. Simon is interpreted
, obedient,' and a Cyrenean' an heir;' whence he well denotes
the people of the Gentiles, \vhich ,vas strange to the testa-
Inents of God, but by belie,"ing becalne a fellow-citizen of
Greg. the saints, of the household, and an heir of God. GREG. Or

;.m.in. otherwise; By Silllon \vho bears the burden of the Lord's
xxxii. 3. cross are dcnoted those who are abstinent and proud; these
by their abstinence afflict their flesh, but seek not within the
fruit of abstinence. Thus SinIon bears the cross, but does
not die thereon, as these afflict the body, but in desire of
vain-glory live to the world.
RABA
. Golgotha is a Syriac word, and is interpreted
Calvary. JEROME; I have heard Calrary expounded b as the
spot in which Adaln \",as buried, as though it had been so
called froln the head of the old luan being buried there. A
plausible interpretation, and agreeable to the ears of the
people, yet not a true one. 'Vithout the city outside the
gate are the places where crin1Ïnals are executed, and these
have got the nalllP of Cahrary, that is, of the beheaded. And
Jesus ,vas crucified there, that where the plot of criminals
had been, there might be set up the flag of Inartyrdo111. But
Adam was buried near Ebron and Arbee, as \ve read in the
VOlnl1le of Jesus the son of Na'''e c . HILARY; Such is the
place of the cross, set up in the centre of the earth, that it
Inight be equally free to all nations to attain the knowledge
Aug. de of God. AUG. And they gave ltÙn to drink wille 11zillgled
C E on
: l ' 11Jith gall. l\iark says, nlingled with 'lnyrrlt. l\Iatthew put
v. 11 .
11. gall to express bitterness, but \vine Iningled with I1lyrrh is

3. very bitter; though indeed it might be, that gall together

b He probably refers to an anony-
mous disputant, of whom he speaks
more at length in his Commentary on
Ephesians 5, 14; but a tradition to the
same effect is mentioned by Origen,
.whose words, as preserved in a MS.
Catena quoted by Ruæus, are, "A
tradition has come down to us, preserved
by the Hebrews, that the nocly of A clam

is buried in Calvary, so that as in
Adam all die, so in Christ may all be
made alive." . And to the same effect
Epiphanius cont. Tatian, and the
Pseudo-Cyprian. ' De Resur. Cbristi.'
c Josh. 14, 15. in tbe Vulgate,
'Adam maximus ibi inter Enacim
situs est;' departing from both the
Hen. and LXX.

VEIL 35-38.

ST. }\L\TTllEW.

!J-J D

,vith lllyrrh ,,"ould lllake the lllost bitter. J ERO
IE; l'hc
bitter vine makes bitter wine; this they gave the Lord Jesus
to drink, that that nlight be fulfilled which ,,-as written,
Tiley gaL'e 11le also gall for IllY JJleat. And God addresses Ps. 69,
J erusalenl, I !lad planted ihel"C a true l:ine, hOlC art tholl

. 2,
turned into tlte bitterness of a strange z"ille? .AuG.
lnd21.

, A ug.
tt'hen he /tad lasted tlIPreQ/, lie lcol/Ill not drinh". 'I hat ubi
up.
l\lark says, But lie 1'ecei
'ed it 110t, we understand to 111ean
that I-Ie \vould not recci '"e it to drink thereof. For that lIe
tasted it
Iatthew bears witness; so that l\fatthew's, He could
not drink tlie1'ef1(, means exactly the saIne as l\Iark's, He
f'eceived it not j only )Iark does not mention His tasting it.
That He tasted but would not drink of it, signifies that He
tasted the bitterness of death for us, but rose again the third
day. HILARY; Or, lIe therefore refused the 'lcinc 1ni1lgled
tlJUll gall, because the bitterness of sin i
not mingled with th

incorruption of eternal glory.

35. And they crucified him
and parted his gar-
ments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled \vhich
was spoken by the prophet, They parted n1Y gar-
Inents among them, and upon my vesture did they
cast lots.
36. And sitting do,vn they ,vatched him there;
37. And set up over his head his accusation ,vritten,
THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JE'VS.
38. Then were there t,vo thieves crucified \"ith
him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.

GLOSS. Having described ho,v Christ was led to the scene Glos3.
of IIis Passion, the E, angelist proceeds to the Passion itself, non Dec.
describing the kind of death; ...lnd they crucified Ii Ùn. .A ('"G. Aug.
The 'Visdonl of God took upon Ililn 111 an, to gi ,.c us an

s

.
exalnple ho\v \ye n1Íght live rightly. It pertains to right life q. 25.
not to fear things that are not to be feared. But seHnc Incn
who do not fear death in itself, Jet dread S01l1e kinds of death.
That no sort of death is to be feared by the 111an ,,"ho li,"es
aright, 'vas to be shewn by this !\!an's cross. For of all the

H50

GOSPEL ACCORDI
G TO

CHAP. XX\
II.

Inodes of death none \vas 1110re horrible and fearful than this.
Aug. in _\UG. Let your holiness consider of ,vhat might is the

('. power of the cross. AdaIll set at nought the cOH1111andlllent,
taking the apple froIll the tree; but all that Adaln lost, Christ
found upon the cross. The ark of wood saved the human
race froll1 the deluge of waters; \vhcn God's people caIne out
of Egypt, l\Ioses divided the sea \vith his rod, overwhelnled
Pharaoh, and redeelned God's people. The same l'tIoses
changed the bitter \vater into s\veet by casting wood into it.
By the rod the refreshing streaUl was drawn out of the rock;
that _\.lnalech n1Ïght be OYerCOlne, .i\Ioses' outstretched hands
\vere supported upon his rod; the La\v of God is entrusted to
the "'ooden ark of the covenant, that thus, by these steps we
Chrys. Inay conle at last to the \vood of the cross. C HRYS. lIe
H e om.de t suffered on a lofty ('ross, and not under a roof, to the end
ruc. e ..
Lat. ii. that the nature of the air lnight be purified; the earth also
partool\: a like benefit, h
ing cleaused by the blood that
Gloss. dropped fron1 Jlis side. GLOSS. The shape of the cross
1
selm. seelns also to signify the Church spread through the four
qU3.rters of the earth. RABAN. Or, according to the practical
exposition, the cross in respect of its broad transverse piece
signifies the joy of him that \vorks, for sorro\v produces
straitness; for the broad part of the cross is in the trans\'"erse
bealn to which the hands are fastened, and by the hands ,ye
understand works. By the upper part to which the head is
fastened is denoted our looking for retribution froll1 the
suprenle righteousness of God. 'rhe perpendicular part on
which the body is stretched denotes endurance, whence the
longa- patient are called' long-suffering.' The point that is fixed
mines into the ground shado\vs forth the in,.isible part of a sacra-
ment. HILARY; Thus on the tree of life the salvation and
life of all is suspended.
.Aug. de AUG. J\Iatthc\v shortly says, They parted Ids !lannenls,

1ii. casting lots,. but John explains lnore fully ho\v it was done.
12. The soldiers, lclten tltey had cr ltcijied ItÙn, took Itis ga1"Juents,
John d l . d . d 1 .
In, 23. an 'lllllC, e jour parts, to e
'er.IJ sol. ler a part; an also Il'lS
coat; nOlV tlte coat UJas zrithonl Sea1Jl. CHRYS. It is to be
noted, that this is no sinall degradation of Christ. :For they
did this as to one utterly aqject and \\
orthless, yet for the
thieves they did not the saIne. For they share the gannents

VEU. 35-38.

ST. :\L\1' 1'11 E'" .

951

only in the case of condemned persons 80 Ineall and poor
as to possess nothing nlore. J ERO)!!:; This which was now
done to Christ had been prophesied in the Psahn, Tlte!! P
. 2
,
]8
parted my gannents among tlteln, and cast lots upon lny .
vesture. It proceeds, And sitting down, they 'lratched I,Ùn
ill ere. This ,vatchftùness of the soldiers and of the Priests
has pro\Ted of use to us in making the power of His resurrec-
tion greater and Inore notorious. And t!ley set up ot'er 'Iis
llead !tis accllsation u'ritten, 17tis is Jeslls, tlte King ql tlie
Jeu's. I cannot sufficiently wonder at the enonnity of the
thing, that having purchased false witnesses, and having
stin-ed up the unhappy people to riot and uproar, they found
110 other plea for putting Hinl to death, than that He was
King of the Jews; and this perhaps they set up in luockery.
RE:\IIG. It 'vas divinely pro,'ided that this title bhoulù be set
up o,-er His head, that the Jews Illight learn that not eYcn by
putting Hinl to death could they avoid ha,'ing Hinl for tlleir
J{ing; for in the very il1stnuuent of His death lIe not only
did not lose, but rather confinned IIis sovereignty. OnIGEN;
The IIigh Priest also in obedience to the letter of the La\",
wore on his head the writing, ' IIoliness to the Lord,' but the
true High Priest and King, Jesus, bears on His cross the title,
This is tIle King of lhe Jeu's j when ascending to His Father,
instead of His o\\rn nanle \"ith its proper letters, He has the
Father Hi 111 self. RABAX. For because He is at once I(ing
and Priest, when He "'ould ofter the sacrifice of His flesh
on the altar of the cross, His title set forth IIis regal dignity.
And it is set over and not beneath the cross, because though
lIe
uflered for us on the cross with the \veakness of Ulan,
the 11lajesty of the I{ing was conspicuous above the cross;
and this He did not lose, but rather confil'lned, by the cross.
J ERO
IE; .As Christ was lllade for us a curse of the cross, Hieron.
so for the salvation of all lIe is cnlcified as guilty al1l0ng the non oec.
guilty. LEO; Tlco iltietes 'were crucified 'U"/llt ltÙJl, one on Leo;
the right hand and 01U: Oil lite left, that in the figure
:nn l '
:JóJ, .
of His cross Inight be represented that separation of all ll1au-
kind \vhich shall be luade in His judgll1ellt. The Passion
then of Christ contains a sacranlcnt of our sah-ation, and of
that instrulnent \"hich the wickedness of the Jews provided
for IIis punishulent, the power of the Redeell1er luade a step

952

GOSPEJ
ACCORDING TO

CHAP. XXYII

to glory. IIILARY; Or otherwise; Two thiev'es are set up
on His right and left hand, to signify that the entire hUlnan
race is called to the Sacrament of the Lord's Passion; but
because there shaH be a division of belie\7ers to the right, and
unbelievers to the left, one of the two \vho is set on IIis right
Rcmig. hand is saved by the justification of faith. RE:
nG. Or, by
dl
ss. the t\\'O thieves are denoted all those who strive after the
ord. continence of a st.rict life. They who do this \vith a single
intention of pleasing God, are denoted by hiln \"ho was
cnlcified on the right hand; they who do it out of desire of
human praise or any less worthy motive, are signified by hÜn
\vho ".as crucified on the left.

39. And they that passed by reviled hiln, wagging
their heads,
40. And saying, T40u that destroyest the temple,
and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou
be the Son of God, come do\vn from the cross.
41. Likewise also the Chief Priests mocking him,
with the Scribes and elders, said,
42. He saved others; himself he cannot save. If
he be the King of Israel, let him no\v come down
from the cross, and we ,viII believe hiln.
43. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now,
if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of
God.
44. '-rhe thieves also, ,,'hich \vere crucified with
him, cast the same in his teeth.

CHRYS. Having stripped and crucified Christ, they go yet
further, and seeing Hin1 on the cross re,Tile Him. JEROME;
They ret'ile ltÏ1n because they passed by that way, and would
not \valk in the true w"ay of the Scriptures. They wa.qged
Iltei'J. heads, because they had just before shifted their feet,
and stood not upon a rock. The foolish rabble cast the saIne
taunt against Ifiul that the false \vitnesses had invented, Aha.'
thOlt that des/royest tile te1Jlple of God and 1'ebltildest it in
t!tree day.". RE)IIG. Alza! is an inteIjection of taunt and

VEH. 3U--l--L

ST. :\IATTll E"'.

953

Il1ockcrv. IIII..-\.H.Y; "
hat forgÏ\.eness then for then), \vhen by
the resl;n't'ction of II is body they shall see the tenlple of God
reùuilt ,,"ithin three days? CHllYS. .And as beginning to exte-
nuate Ilis f01'1ner lniracles, they add, Sal'e 'hyse{f; if Ihou
be tile SOli f!.l God, COlne down ji'OIlI the cross. ID. But

.
I-Ie, on the contrary, does not COB1C down frOlll the cross, de Cruc.
. d r II h i'. h et Latr.
becau:-}e l-Ie IS the Son of Go ; lor e t erelo1'e caIne t at Ïi.
He nlight be crucified for us. J ERO:\IE; Even the Scribes
and Pharisees reluctantly confess that He saved others.
Your o\vn j udgu1ent then condemns you, for in that lIe
sayed others, I-Ie '
ould if If C \vould have sa,-ed HÏ1nself.
PSEUDO-CHRYS. d But attend to this speech of these children
of the De\-il, how they inlitate their father's speech. The
Dcvil said, I..l t/tOll be tlte Son qf God, cast thyself down; and

att. 4,
they say no\\Y, If t!tOli. be the Son of God, C071le down fro11t
the cross. LEO; Froln what source of en'or, 0 Jews, have ye L s eo,
errn.
sucked in the poison of such blasphenÚes? 'Vhat teacher 55. 2.
delivered it to you? "That learning Inoved you to think that
the true I(ing of Israel, that the \-eritable Son of God, w'ould
be lIe who would not suffer IIiInsp]f to be crucified, and
would set free J-lis body fr0111 tbe fastenings of the nails?
K ot the hidden Ineanillg of the Law, not the lllouths of the
Prophets. IIad ye indeerl ever read, lltid not '1nyface fr011l

. 50,
tile s!tan1é of spitting; or that again, They pierced l1lY hands Ps. 22,
and '1ny Lfeet, they told all 'IllY bones. "There have ye e,-er 16.
read that the Lord came down froln the cross? But ye ba,-e
read, Tile Lord luttlt 1'ei.qnedfrol'll tlie tree e. R_\BX
'. Had He
then heen lu'c\-ailed on by their taunts to leaye the cross, He
would not have pro,.ed to us the power of endurance; but He
\vaited enduring their Inockery; and He who would not come
down fronl the cross, rose again frolH the tOinb. J ERO:ME ;
But unworthy of credit is that prolnise, And 'lee 'll'ill believe
liÙn. For \"hich is greater, to COlne do\\.n ,,
hile yet ali,-e
frol11 the cross, or to rise froll1 the tOInb wIlen dead? \- et this
He did, and ye belie'
ed not; therefore neither would ye ha,
e
belie,-ed if lIe had COlne do\vn fron1 the cross. I t seems to
Ine that this was a suggestion of the dæl11ons. For ÌInlne-
d Horn. de Cruce et Latr. in the ligno,' in the old Italic Version; and
Latin Chrys. (ed. Paris. 1588.) vol. iii. so Tertullian adv. l\larc. iii. The
p. j50. V lllg. follows the Heb.
e Ps. 96, 10.' Dominus regnavit a

954

GOS1'EL i\.CCORDING TO

ell:\.p. XXVII.

diately when the Lord was crucified they felt the po\ver of
the cross, and perceived that their strength ,vas broken, and
therefore contri\Tc this to move IIim to COlne down from the
cross. But the Lord, aware of the designs of IIis foes, remains
on the cross that He may destroy the De\Ti1. CHRYS. He
trusted in God, let lti1n now deliver lli1n, if he u'ill. 0 lnost
foul
'V ere they therefore not Prophets or righteous men,
because God did not deliver them out of their perils? But if
He \vonld not oppose their glory, \vhich accrued to thenl out
of the perils \vhich you brought upon theIn, lnuch Inore in this
nlan ought you not to be offended because of what lIe suffers;
\vhat I-le has ever said ought to reIllove any snch suspicion.
'Vhen they add, Because he said, I al1l tlte SOll q( God, they
desire to intinlate that He suffered as an Ï1npostor and se-
ducer, and as making high and false pretences. And not only
the Jews and the soldiers frolll below, but froln abo\-e likewise.
Tile tkieves, '1L o lLiclt were crucified u'itll IlÙn, cast lite sallie ill
Aug. de !tis teetlt. AUG. It lnay seem that Luke contradicts this,

ii. when he describes one of the robbers as reviling IIilll, and as
16. therefore rebuked by the other. But \ye may suppose that
l\Iatthew, shortly alluding to the circulllstance, has used the
plural for the singular, as in the Epistle to the IIebre\vs \ve
Heb.ll, have, Hace slopped the 1}lOnt!ts of lion.
, when Daniel onl y is
33 .
. spoken of. And what more COlnlllon \vay of speaking than
for one to say, See the country people insult l11e, when it is
one only who has done so. If indeed J\Iatthew had said that
both the thie\Tes had reviled the Lord, there \\Tonld be sonle
discrepancy; but \vhen he says n1erely, TILe thieves, without
adding 'both,' \ve must consider it as that common form of
speech in \vhich the singular is signified by the plural.
J ERO
IE; Or it may be said that at first both reviled Him;
but when the sun had \vithdra\\Tn, the earth \vas shaken, the
rocks were rent, and the darkness increased, one belie\Ted on
Jesus, and repaired his fornler denial by a subsequent
confession. CHRYS. At first both reviled Him, but afterwards
not so. For that you should not suppose that the thing was
arranged by any collusion, and that the thief \vas not a thief,
he shew's you by his 'wanton loeproaches, that e\'en after he
\vas crucified he "'as a thief and a foe, but was afterwards
totally changed.

VER. -1.
-5().

ST. 'IATTHE\V.

955

IIIL.\UY; That both the thieves cast in His teeth the luanner
of His Passion,
he\\.s that the cross should be an offence to
all Inankind, even to the faithful. J ERO)IE; Or, in the two
thie'
es both nations, Jews and Gentiles, at first blasphemed
the Lord; afterwards the latter terrified by thl' multitude of
signs dirl penitence, and thus rebukes the Jews, who blas-
phenle to this day. ORIGEN; 'The thief who was saved Inay
be a sign of those who after Inal1Y
ins haye belie\
ed on
Christ.

45. N O\V from the sixth hour there \vas darkness
over all the land unto the ninth hour.
4G. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried \"ith a
loud ,"oice, saying, l
li, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is
to say, :\Iy God, nlY God, \vhy hast thou forsaken me?
47. SOl1le of theln that stood there, \vhen they
heard that, said, This man cal1eth for E1ias.
48. And straight,vay one of thetn ran
and took a
spunge, and filled it ,,,ith vinegar, and put it on a
reed, and gave hinl to drink.
49. The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias
will COlne to save him.
50. Jesus, \vhen he had cried again with a loud
voice, yielded up the ghost.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. Creation could not bear the ontrage offered Pseudo-
to the Creator; ,,"hence the
un withdre\\
his bealns, that he
W:
.
n1Ïght not look upon the crilne of these iInpious InCll. ORIGEN; deCruce
S I . fj 1 . " 1 ' et Latr.
DIlle ta \:e occasIon rOlll t us text to ca\'1 agaInst the truth ubi sup.
of the Gospel. For indeed froln the beginning eclipses of
the sun ha\-e happened in their proper seasons; but such an
eclipse as ,,"ould be brought about by the ordinary course of
the seasons could only be at such tilne as the snu and Inoon
cOlne together, when the l1100n passing beneath intercepts
th(' sun's rays. But at the tilne of Christ's passion it is
clear that this was not the case, because it \\7as the pas-
chal feast, which it \vas custolnary to celebrate \vhen the
11100n \\?as fhll. SOlne believers, desiring to produce sOlne

956

G08PEL ACCOnDING TO

CHAP. XXVII.

ans\ver to this objection, have said, that this eclipse in accord-
ance with the other prodigies was an exception to the
Diony!!. established la\vs of nature. DIO
YS. "Then \ve \vere together
ad Poly- at Heliopolis, \ve both observed such an interference of the
carp. . h 1 . 11 r' . 1
Ep. 7. moon WIt t Ie sun quIte unexpectec y, lor It was not t Ie sea-
son of their conjunction; and then froln the ninth hour until
evening, beyond the pow'er of nature, continuing in a direct
line between us and the sun. And this obscuration we saw
begin from the east, and so pass to the extreme of the sun's
orb, and again return back the same way, being tbus the
Chrys. very reverse of an ordinary eclipse. 'CHRYS. This darkness
Horn.... lasted three hours, whereas an eclipse is transient, and not
lxxxvm.. h k d .
endunng, as t ey now "rho have stu led the nlatter.
ORIGEX; Against this the children of this world urge,
Ho"," is it that of the Greeks and Barbarians, who have
made observations of these things, not one has recorded so
relnarkable a phenoluenon as this? Phlegon indeed has re-
corded such an event as happening in the tin1e of Tiberius
Cæsar, but he has not luentioned that it \vas at the full
moon. I think therefore that, like the other miracles \vhich
took place at the Passion, the rending of the yeil, and the
earthquake, this also \vas confined to Jerusaleln. Or, if any
one chooses, it may be extended to the ,,,hole of Judæa; as
1 Kings in the book of Kings, Abdias said to Elias, As the Lord tlly
18, 10. God liveth, there is no nation or l..-ingdo]J't u.ltillter 'IllY lord
liat11 not ,f;ent to seek tllee, Ineaning that he hall been sought
in the countries round about J udæa. Accordingly ,ve luight
suppose many and dense clouds to have been brought
together over Jerusalem anù Judæa, enough to produce thick
darkness from the sixth to the ninth hour. For \ve under-
stand that there \vere two creatures created on the sixth day,
the beasts before the sixth hour, man on the sixth; and thel"e-
fore it was fitting that He who died for the salvation of luan
should be crucified at the sixth hour, and for this cause that
darluless should be over the \vhole earth from the sixth to the
ninth hour. And as by l\Ioses stretching out his hands to-
\vards hea'"en darkness \vas brought upon the Egyptians who
held th<: servants of God in bondage, so like,vise \vhen at the
sixth hour Christ stretched out his hands on the cross to
lleaven, darkness caIne over all the people who had cried out,

VER. 4
-50.

ST. :\IATTHE'V.

H57

Crucify JJim, and they were deprived of all light as a sign of the
darkness that should come, and that should envelop the whole
people of the Jew's. Further, under 1\1:oses there was dark-
ness o'
er the land of Egypt three days, but all the children
of Israel had light; so under Christ there \\Tas darkness over
all Jl1dæa for three hours, because for their sins they \vere
depriveil of the light of God the Fathet", the splendour of
Christ, and the illulnination of the Holy Spirit. But over
the rest of the earth there is light, which every \vhere illu-
mines the Church of God in Christ. .And if to the ninth
hour there was darkness o\
er J l1dæa, it is lnanifest that light
returned to thelTI again after that; so, when the .{1I1ness of Rom.
tile Gentiles shall have entered in, then all Israel shall be 11, 25.
.ç{ll
ed. CHRYS. Or otherwise; The wonder \vas in this, that
the darkness was o'
er the whole earth, \vhich had never come
to pass before, save only in Egypt what tilne the Passover
\vas celebrated; for the things done then were a type of these.
A.nd consider the tÏ1ne when this is done; at Inid-dar, \vhilp
over the "Thole \vorld it ,vas day, that all the d,veUers on the
earth Inight perceive it. This is the sign He prolnised to
thenl tllat as1\:ed Hiln, All evil and adulterous generation l\Iatt.
seekellt a si,qn, and there shall no sign be given it sa
'e fIle 12, 39.
sign if Jonas tile Prophet, an uding to IIis cross and resur-
rection. And it ,vas a much greater Inaryel that this sholùd
COlne to pass 'when He was fastened to the cross, than \vhen
He was \valking at large on the earth. Surel r here was
enough to convert theIn, not by the greatness of the n1Ïracle
alone, but because it was done not till after all these instances of
their frenzy, when their passion was past, when they had
uttered all that they \vould, and were satiated \vith taunts and
gibes. But how' did they not all maryel and conclude Him
to be God? Because the hlunan race was at that thne plunged
in exceeding sluggishness and vice, and this wonder \vas
but one, and quickly past away, and none cared to search out
its cause, or perhaps they attributed it to eclipse, or 80111e other
physical consequence. .A.l1d on this account He shortly after-
wards lifts up His voice to shew that lIe yet li\Tes, and
Himself wrought this miracle; And about flie ninth 1,{)Ur
Je."tus cried l1"it" a loud l:oice,
'C" JEROME; He e111ployed
the beginning of the twenty-first Psalm. That clause in the Ps. 22,
1. Vulg.

958

GOSPEL ACCon DING TO

CH.\P. XXYIT.

middle of the verse, Lool, I.tP01' 'lllt, is superfluous; for the
Hebrew has only' Eli, Eli, lalna sabachthani,' that is, ilIy God,
'illY God, 1.011.11 !last t/tOll forsaken ute? It is iInpiety therefore
to think that this Psahn ,vas spoken in the character of Dayid
or Esther or 1\lardocheus, \vhen passages taken out of it by
the Evangelist are understood of the Saviour; as, Tiley parted
Iny garJJzents aJJlong tlieJJI, and, Tiley pierced JJlY lIand.
.
CHUYS. lIe uttered this ,vord of prophecy, that He n1ight
bear \vitness to the yery last hour to the Old Testalnent, and
that they Inight see that lIe honours the Father, and is not
against God. And therefore too, 1-1e used the Hebre,v
tongue, that what He said Inight be intelligible to theul.
ORTGEN; But it must be asked, 'Vhat means this, that Christ
is forsaken of God? SOlne, unable to explain how Christ
could be forsaken of God, say that this ,vas spoken out of
hun1ilìty. But you will be able clearly to cOluprehelld 1lis
meaning if you make a cOl1lparison of the glory which He
had with the Father with the shame which He despised ,vhen
Ril. de He endured the cross. I-IILARY; Froln these words heretical
;
i
.c
' spirits contend either that God the 'V ord was entirely ahsorbed
into the soul at the tillle it dise-harged the function of a soul
in quickening the body; or that Christ could not have been
born man, because the Divine "r ord dwelt in Hill1 after
the manner of a prophetical spirit. As though Jesus Christ
was a Ulan of ordinal'y soul and body, having I1is beginning
then \vhen He began to be man, and thus no\v deserted upon
the \vithdrawal of the protection of God's word cries out,
lJIy God, 'J1l.1/ God, 'lDlty liast tholt .forsaken ute? Or at least
that the nature of the \V ord being translllutcd into soul,
Christ, who had depended in all things upon His Father's
SUPPOlt, 1l0\V deserted and left to death, nlourns 0\7er this
desertiou, and plearl
with IIiln departing. But amidst these
impious and feeble opinions, the faith of the Church ilnbued
\vith Apostolic teaching does not se\rer Christ that He should
be considered as Son of God and not as Son of l\Ian. The
cOlnplaint of Ilis being deserted is the \vcaknes.s of the dying
nlan; the prolllise of Paradise is the kingdoln of the living
God. 1:7" ou ha \re Him cOlnplaining that He is left to death,
and thus He is
Ian; you have HÍ1n as He is dying declaring
that He reigns in Paratlifõ:e; and thus He if-' God. \Vonder

YETI. j 5-30.

T. :\1.\ TTHE"'.

959

not then at the hun1ility of these ,vords, ,vhen you kno,v the
form of a servant, and see the offence of the cross. GLOSS. Gloss.
d . d 1 r H .. d 1 b H non occ.
Go IS sai to laVe lorsaken 1m In eat 1 ecause e ex-
posed I-lin1 tu the power of His persecutors; He withdrew
His protection, but did not break the union. ORIGEN;
'Vhen lIe saw darkness over the \"hole land of Judæa He
said this, Father, 'lolly ha.st t!tOll jor.r;aken 1ne? meaning,
'Vhy hast thou gÏ\
en :\Ie o\'er exhausted to such sufferings?
that the people who ,vere honoured by Thee 111ay receive
the things that they have dared against :ï\Ie, and should be
deprived of the light of Thy countenance. Also, Thou hast
forsaken l\Ie for the sahration of the Gentiles. But \vhat
good have they of the Gentiles who ha\
e believed done, that
I should deli\'er then1 from the evil one by shedding l\Iy
precious blood on the ground for them? Or will they, for
",honl I suffer these things, ever do aught "
orthy of them?
Or foreseeing the sins of those for WhOlll lIe suffered, lIe said,
1Vhy hast t!toll,forsaken 1J1e? that I should becolne as one tllat l\Iie.9,
gatlleret!t stubble in tlie lialTest, aut! gleanings in tlie 'l'in/age. 1.
But you nlust not ÏInagine that the Saviour said this after
the l1lanner of Inen by reason of the mis8ry \vhich encom-
passed flilll on the cross; for if you take it so you will not
hear IIis loud 'l:oice and n1ightr ,,'ords \vhich point to some-
thing great hidùen. R
\BAX. Or, The Saviour said this as
bearing about with Him our feelings, who when placed in
dangers think ourselves forsaken by God. H1.unan nature was
forsaken by God because of its sins, and the Son of God
becon1Íng our .Ad,-ocate lanlents the misery of thû
e ,vhose
guilt lIe took upon Hitn {; therein she\\ring ho"r they \"ho sin
ought to 11louru, ,,-hen He \\'ho ne'"er sinned did thus Inonru.
J ERO:\IE; It follows, SOJJle qf theJJl t!tat stood by,
.c.; S01ne,
110t all; \vholn I suppose to ha\re been ROlllan soldiers,
ignorant of IIehrew, hut fro111 the words Eli, Eli, thought that
He called upon Elias. But if we prefer to suppose theln
Jews, they do it after their USUalll1anner, that they Inay accuse
the Lord of weakness in thus in,-oking Elias. PSEUDO-CHRYS. Pseudo-
Thus the Source of li \'ing water is IlJade to drink vine g ar ChrJs..
, Horn.,"}.
f " These words He tittered as re- the overlookEd; whence He said this in r8;

.
prel'enting the pen
on of men, For He as representing us." Damase. Fid. (vo . 1l1.
was never forsaken by His Divine Orth. iii. 24. and so Theophylact. p. 733.)
nature; but we 'Wpre the forsaken, and

960

GOSPEL ACCOUDIXG TO

t'H.\ P. XX'lI.

the Givel' of honey is fèd with gall; Forgiveness is scourged,
Acquittance is condeluned, )Iajesty is Inocked, '
irtue
ridiculed, the Bestower of showers is repaid \yith spitting.
HILARY; "'Illcgar is wine, \vhich has turned sour either from
neglect, or the fault of the vessel. 'Vine is the honour of
imu10rtality, or yirtue. "
hen this then had been turned
sour in Adam, He took and drunk it at the hands of the
Gentiles. It is offered to IJim on a reed and a spunge;
that is, He took from the bodies of the Gentiles inl1nortality
spoiled and corrupted, and transfused in JIÍ1nself into a l11ix-
ture of in11nortality that in us which \vas spoiled. REMIG.
Or otherwise; The J e\vs as degenerating fron1 the wine of
the Patriarchs and Prophets ,vere vinegar; they had deceitful
hearts, like to the \vinding holes and hol1ows in spunge.
By the reed, Sacred Scripture is denoted, \vhich was fulfilled
in this action; for as \ve ca1J that ,,'hich the tongue utters,
the Hebre\v tongue, or the Greek tongne, for exalnple; so
the \vriting, or letters \vhich the seed produces, \Ye l11ay call
a reed. ORIGEN; And perhaps all \vho kno\v the ecclesias-
tical doctrine, but liye alniss, have giyen them to drink ,,-ine
lllingled \vith gaB; but they \vho attribute to Christ untrue
opinions, these filling a sponge with ,-inegar, put it upon
the reed of Scripture, and put it to His lllouth. R:\.BAN.
The soldiers misunderstanding the sound of the Lord's \vords,
foolishly looked for the cOIning of Elias. But God, \vhom
the Saviour thus inyoked in the IIebre\v tongue, lIe had
Aug. in ev.er inseparably with IIim. ....\UG. ""'hen no\v nought of
Serm. suffering relnains to be endured, death still lingers, kno\ying
nan acc.
that it has nothing there. The ancient foe suspected SOlne-
what unusual. This Inan, first and only, he found haying
no sin, free frOin guilt, o\ving nothing to the laws of his
jurisdiction. But leagued with .Jewish Inadness, Death
comes again to the assault, and desperately in\yadcs the
Life-gÏ,'er. And Jesus, 'lv!ien he had cried again 'lDitlt a
loud 'Voice, yielded up tlte ghost. 'Vherefore should we
be offended that Christ came fron1 the boson} of the Father
to take upon IIiln our bondage, that lIe Inight confer on us
His freedolTI; to take upon Ililn our death, that "-e l11ight
be set free by IIis death; by despising death He exalted us
lnortals into God
, counted them of earth \yorthy of things

VER. 45-50.

T. )L\TTHE\\
.

HHI

in heaven? For seeing the Divine po\\'er shinc
forth 80
hriUiant in the contenlplation of its \yorks, it is an arglll11ent
of boundless love, that it suffers for its subjects, dies for its
bondslllcn. This then ,vas the first cause of the Lord's
Passion, that lIe would ha\
e it kno\\'n ho\\
great God's lo\-e
to l11an, 'Yho desired rather to be lo\
ed than feared. The
second was that He lHight abolish with yet lllore justice the
sentence of death which lIe had with justice passed. For
as the first Jnan had by guilt incurred death through God's sen-
tence, and handed down the same to his posterity, the second

Ian, \\"ho knew no sin, came from heaven that death n1Ïght
be condeulned, \\
hich, when cOl1unissioned to seize the
guilty, had presHlned to touch the Author of sinlessness.
And it is no wonder if for us lIe laid down what He had
taken of us, IIis life, nanlely, ,vhen I-Ie has done other so
great things for us, and bestowed so DIuch on us. PSEUDO-ACG. Vigil.
Far be froln the faithful an y sus p icion that Christ ex p erienced C F on l
.'
C JC] a-
our death in such sort that life (as far as it can) ceased to num.14.
live. IIad this been so, how could aught have been said to
live during that three days, if the Fountain of Life itself ,vas
dried up ? Therefore Christ's Godhead experienced death
through its partaking of hUlnanity or of human feeling, \vhich
it had voluntarily taken on it; but it lost not the properties
of its nature by \yhich it gÏ\res life to all things. For when
we die, \vithout doubt the loss of lifp by the bod.v is not the
destruction of the soul, but the soul quitting the body loses
not its own properties, but only lets go ,vhat it had quickened,
and as far as in it lays produces the death of SOn1e\\ hat else,
but itself defies death. To speak no\v of the Sa\-iour's soul;
it luight depart without being itself destroJed fronl His body
for this three days" space, e\-en by the comrnon la\ys of death,
and without taking into account thp indwelling Godhead,
and IIis singular righteousness. For I belie,"e that the Son
of God died not in punishment of unrighteousness which
Hp had not at al1, but according to the law of that nature
\vhich He took upon HÏ1n for the reden1ption of the human
I.ace. DA:\IASC. _\lthongh He died as lnan, and His hoh. D d
.J am. e
soul was separated from His unstained body, yet His God- J'id. ...
head rClì1ained inseparate ii.onI either body or soul. "Yet
;.th.l1J.
was not the one Person dÏ\
ided into t".o; for as both
vor
. I. 3 t.l

962

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

CHAP. XX, II.

body and soul had froln the beginning an cxi
tE'nce in the
Person of the 'V ord, so also had they in death. For
neither soul nor body had ever a Person of their own, besides
the Person of the "\V ord. JEno
IE; It "ras a mark of
Divine po\yer in IIiIn thus to dismiss the Spirit as HÍ1nself
John 10, had said, No 1Jlan can talLe 'IllY lije ji-oln '/ne, lul I lay it
18. dOlen and take it again. For by tlte ghost in this place we
understand the soul; so called either because it is that which
makes the body quick or spiritual, or because the substance
of the soul itself is spirit, according to that which is written,
Pa. 104, Thou takest away tllei1" breath, and they die. CHRYS. A.lso
29. for this reason He cried out with a loud voice to shew that
this is done by His O\Vn power. For by crying out with a
loud voice when dying, He shewed incontestably that He ,vas
the true Go 1; because a man in dying can scarcely utter
Aug. de even a feeble sound. ACG. Luke mentions the words which

siii. He thus cries out, Fatller, into llt!1 hands I cOl1l1llelld 1ny
18. ISpirit. HILARY; Or, He gave up the ghost \vith a loud voice,
in grief that He "ras not carrying the sins of a111nen.
51. And, behold, the veil of the temple \vas rent
in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth
did quake, and the rocks rent;
52. And the graves were opened; and many bodies
of the saints which slept arose,
53. And came out of the graves after his resurrec-
tion, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto
many.
54. Now when the centurion, and they that were
with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and
those things that \vere done, they feared greatly,
saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
55. And many ,vornen were there beholding afar
off, which follo,veq Jesus from Galilee, ministering
unto him:
56. Among which was l\fary Magdalene, and Mary
the Inother of James and Joses, and the mother of
Zebedee's children.

\fER. 51-56.

ST. .M:\.TTHF.'V.

g():

ORIGEN; Great things were done at the Jl101nent that Jesus
cried with a great voice.
-\UtT. The wording sufficiently shews Aug. de
that the veil \vas rent J . ust when lIe ga,-e up the ghost. If E C
ns:. I .
\.11.
he had not added, And, lo! but hadluerely said, And tILe reill9.
qltlle ten/pie U"a.f) rent, it would have been uncertain whether
.l\Iatthen- and l\lark had npt inserted it here out of its place
as they recoHected, and Luke had observed the right order,
who having said, And 'lte sun leas darkened, adds, And tile Luke
veil of' tI,e telJzple was rent Ùt tu:ain; or, on the contrary, 23, 46.
Luke had returned to what they had inserted in its place.
ORIGEX; It is understood that there were two yeils; one
veiling the floly of Holies, the other, the outer part of the
tabernacle or telnple. In the Passion then of our Lord and
Saviour, it \vas the outer veil which ,,-as rent froll1 the top to
the botton1, that by the rending of the yeil froln the beginning
to the end of the \vorld, the Inysteries ll1Ïght be published
which had been hid \vith good reason until the Lord's
coming. Bilt wlten
hat lvlliclt is perfect is couze, then the 1 Cor.
second veil also shall be taken anray, that we 111aJ see the 13, 10.
things that are hidden within, to \vit, the true _-\rk of the
Testall1ent, and behold the Cherubin1 and the rest in their
real nature. I-IILARY; Or, The \yeil of the teillple is rent,
because from this tilne the nation was dispersed, and the
honour of the ,-eil is taken a\vay with the guardianship of the
protecting .Angel. LEO; The sudden cOllllnotion in the e]e-' Leo, in
Inents is a sufficient sig"n in witness of IIis venerable Passion , P Serm;de
'- ass.
Tile eartlt quaked, and tile rock.,; rrent, and tile grat'es u'ere non occ.
opened. J ERO
IE; It is not doubtful to any what these great
signs signify according to the letter, nalnely, that hea'
en and
earth and all things should ùear \vitness to their crucified
Lord. HILARY; The ear'h quaked, because it was unequal
to contain such a body; tlte rocks 'rent, for the "r ord of God
that pierces all strong and lnighty things, and the ,yirtne of the
eten1al PO\\Ter had penetrated then]; tI,e grllres 'were opened,
for the bands of death \\yere loosed. .And 1/1any bodies of tlu'
saints which slept arose, for illumining the darkness of death,
and shedding light upon the gl00111 of Hades, He robbed the
spirits of death. CHRYS. 'Vhen He remained on the cross
they had said tauntingly, He sa
.ed others, himself he cannot
sare. But \vhat lIe would not do for HÜnself, that He did
3Q2

96.4

c;OSPEL ACCORDIXG TO

CHAP. XX"I1.

and Inore than that for the bodies of the Saints. For if it wa

a great thing to raise Lazarus after four days, lnnc h lnore was
it that they \vho had long slept should now shew' thell1Seh-es
ali,-e; this is indeed a proof of the resurrection to COlne.
But that it 111ight not bc thought that that which ,vas done
\vas an appearance 111erely, the Eyangelist adds, And Cll1ne
out 0/. tile grares (!ftel' Iris 'resurrectio1l, and wenl 'into tl1P
holy city, and appeared 'Unto 'Jnall.lJ. JEROl\IE; As Lazarus
rose from the dead, so also did many bodies of the Saints rise
again to shew forth the Lord's resurrection; yet notwi thstand-
iug that the graves were opened, they did not rise again before
the Lord rose, that He Inight be the first-born of the resurrection
froll1 the dead. The holy city in which they \vere seen after
they had risen 1nay be unrlerstood to n1ean either the heavenly
Jerusalem, or this earthly, ,,,hich once had been holy. For
the city of Jerusalem was called Holy on account of the
Tenlple and the Holy of Holies, and to distinguish it fronl
other cities in ,vhich idols ""ere \vorshipped. 'Vhen it is
said, And appea'J.ed unto lnany, it is signified that this \vas
not a general resun"ection "yhich all should see, but special,
seen only by such as ,vere worthy to see it. RE:\IIG. But
sonle one will ask, \vhat became of those who rose again when
the Lord rose. \\r e 111USt belic\ye that they rose again to be
witnesses of the Lord's resurrection. Sorne ha\'e said that
they died again, and 'were turned to dust, as Lazarus and the
rest ,,'h0111 tlle Lord raised. But we must by no means give
credit to these men's sayings, since if they ,vere to die again,
it ".oulcl be greater tOrInent to thenl, than if they had not
risen again. \Ve ought therefore to believe without hesitation
that they who rose froln the dead at the Lord's resurrection,
ascended also into heaven together with Him.
ORIGEN; These saIne n1ighty \vorks are still done every day;
the veil of the temple is rent for the Saints, in order to reveal
the things that are contained within. The earth quakes, that is,
all flesh because of the ne\v ,vord and ne\\" things of the N e\V
Testanlcnt. r.fhe rocks are rent, i. c. the lllystery of the Pro-
phets, that ,,'e lnay see the spiritual mysteries hid in their
depths. The gra'''es are the bodies of sinful souls, that is,
souls dead to God; but when by God's grace these souls ha\ye
been raised, their bodies which before ,,,ere grayes, becoJue

\'ER. 51-56.

ST. 'IATTHE'V.

Hö5

bodies of Saints, and appear to go out of thenlselves, and
follo,," HÜn who rose again, and walk with Him in ne\vness
of life; and such as are worthy to ha,re their con\rersation in
heaven enter into the lIol.r City at dhrers tiules, and appear
unto Inany \vho see their good \vorks.
AUG. It is no contradiction here that )Iatthe\v says, that Aug. de
The centurion and they that were wit It Itint, u:atcltiJl.q Jesus,

1ii.
..feared lrhen tlte.1f saw tile earthquake, aJl(l the things t/tat 20.
'UJere done; while Luke says, that he \vondered at the giving
up the ghost ,,"ith a loud voice. For \vhen l\latthew adds,
the things tltal u:ere dOlle, this gives full scope for Luke's
expression, that he wondered at the Lord's death, for this
alllong the rest \vas \vonderful. JEROl\JE; Observe, that in the
very lllidst of the offence of His passion the Centurion
ackno\vledges the Son of God, \vhile Arius in the Church
proclaillls HilD a creature. RABAN. 'Vhence with good
reason by the Centurion is denoted the faith of the Church,
\vhich, when the ,.eil of heavenly nlysteries had been rent by
the Lord's death, iuunediately asserts Jesus to be both very
:àlau, and truly Son of God, while the Synagogue held its
peace. LEO; FraIn this exanlple then of the Centurion let Leo,
the substance of the earth trelnble in the punishnlent of its

:
Redeelller, let the rocks of unbelieving luinds be rent, and
those who were pent up in these sepulchres of nlortality
leap forth, bursting the bonds that would detain them; and
let theln she\v thelnsehres in the Holy City, i. e. the Church
of God, as signs of the Resurrection to cOlne; and thus let
that take place in the heart, which we nlust belipve takes
place in the body.
J ERO)IE; It was a Jewish custonl, and held no disgrace,
according to the Inanners of the people of old, for ,vornen to
minister of their substance, food, and clothing to their
teachers. rrhis Paul says, that he refused, because it might
occasion scandal alllong the Gentiles. They ministered to
the Lord of their substance, that He might reap their carnal
things, of WhOUl they reaped spiritual things.
ot that the
Lord ueeded food of the creature, but that He Inight set an
example for the teacher, that lIe should be content to receive
food and clothing frolll His disciples. But let us see what
sort of attendants He had; A11l0Jlg fohom 1L"aS Mary JIagda-

96()

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

CHAP. XXVII.

lene, and JIary tlte 'inoiller q( James and Joseplt, and tlte
1nothe'r q/ Zebedee's children. ORIGE:X; In l\Iark the third
is called Salolne.. CHRYS. These 'VOlnen thus watching the
things that are done are the 1110st coulpassionate, the 1110st
sorrowful. They had follo,,'ed HÍ111 lninistering, and re-
lnained by HÍln in danger, she\ving the highest courage, for
Rieron. when the disciples fled they relnained. JERO::\IE;' See,' says
;:
.vid. Helvidius, C Jacob and Joseph are the sons of l\lary the Lord's
1\lark 6, Blother, WhOIl1 the J e\VS can the brethren of Christ. He is also
3. called J al11es the less, to distinguish hin} fronl James the
greater, who was the son of Zebedee.' ....\nd he urges that' it
\vcre inlpious to suppose that His lnother l\lary would be
absent, when the other 'VOluen were there; or that we should
haye to invent SOI11e other third unkno\vn person of the name
of
lary J and that too when John's Gospel witnesses that
His nlother ,vas present.' 0 blind folly! 0 nlÏnd penrelted
to its own clestnlction! Hear what the E,.angelist John says ::
John 19, There stood by the cross ql Jeslls, his 'JJlolher, and !lis
25. lJlotller',ç
'ister; lJIary lhe wife qf Gleo]Jltas, and llIa'1'll
JIagdalelle. No one can doubt tl1at there \vere hvo Apostles
called J alnes; the son of Zebedee, and the son of Alpheus.
This unkno\,"11 J anles the less, ,vhou\ Scripture Inentions as
the son of l\lary, if he is an Apostle, is the son of .c\lpheus;
if he is not an
..\postle, but a third unknown James, how can
he be supposed to be the Lord's brot11er, and why should he
be styled' The Less,' to distinguish hiln fronl' The Greater?'
For The Greater and The Less are epithets which distinguish
two persons, but not three. And that tIte J alnes, the Lord's
Gal. 1, brother, \vas an L\post1e, is pro,red by Paul, OtlLer qj. the
19. Apostles saw I none, save Ja1l1eS lhe Lord's broiller. But
that you should not suppose this J alnes to be the son of
Acts 12, Zebedee, read the Acts, \vhere he was put to death by Herod.

id. sup. The conclusion then rel11ains, that this l\Iary, who is described
13, 55. as the nlother of J anles the less, \vas \vife of Alpheus, and
sister of
Iary the Lord's Iuother, called by John,
larr the
,,,ife of Cleophas. But should you iucline to think thenl
two different persons, because in one place she is called
)Iary the 1110ther of J aITIeS the less, and in another place
3Iary the wife of Cleophas, JOU will learu the Scriptnre
C\1stonl of caning the same Inan hy different names; as

VER.57-61.

81'. )IATTHE\V.

967

Raguel
Ioses' father-in-Ia\v is called Jethro. In like luanner
then,
Iary the \vife of Cleophas is called the ,vife of Alpheus,
and the ulother of J anles the less. For if she had been the
Lord's 1110ther, the Evangelist would here, as in all other
places, ba,'e caned her so, and not described her as the
1110ther of J alnes, when he Inean t to designate the Inother of
the Lord. But e,.en if
J arr the ,,,ife of Cleophas, and
Iary
the mother of J alnes and J oses, were different persons, it is still
certain, that
lary the 1110ther of J anies and Joses was not the
LOl"d'smother. AUG. 'Vemighthayesupposed that some of the Aug.
WOlTIen stooda.lar off, as three Evangelists say, and others near ubi sup.
lite cross, as John says, had not l\latthew and l\Iark reckoned
l\Iary :\Iagdalen among those that stood afar off, \V'hile John
puts her alTIOng those that stood near. This is reconciled if
,ve understand the distance at \vhich they ""ere to be such
that they Inight be said to be near, because they were in His
sight; but far off in coniparison of the crowd who stood
nearer ,vith the centurion and soldiers. "r e lnight also
suppose that they \vho \vere there together \vith the Lord's
lTIother, began to depart after He had commended her to the
disciple, that they lllight extricate themselves from the cro\vd,
and looked on froln a distance at the other things \vhich
were done, so that the E\Tangelists, ,vho speak of thelll after
the Lord's death, speak of thelTI as standing afar off.

57. 'Vhen the even was come, there came a rich
man of Arimathea, nanied Joseph, who also himself
was Jesus' disciple:
58. He ,vent to Pilate, and begged the body of
Jesus. Then Pilate comrnanded the body to be
delivered.
59. And ,vhen Joseph had taken the body, he
,vrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
60. And laid it in his o,vn ne\v tomb, which he
had he\vn out in the rock: and he rolled a great
stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.
61. And there \vas l\Iary :\Iagdalene, and the other
rvlary, sitting over against the sepulchre.

968

GOSPEL ACCORDIXG TO

CHAP. XXVII.

Gloss. GLOSS. 'Vhell the Evangelist had finished the order of the
non occ. L01.d's Passion and death, he treats of Ilis burial. R.EMIG.
Arilllathea is the saIne as Ramatha., the city of H elcana and
Sanulel, . and is situated ill the Chananitic country near
Diospolis. 'fhis Joseph ,yas a Ulan of great dignity in
res.pect of ,vorldly station, but has the praise of }}luch higher
merit in God's sight, seeing he is described as righteous.
Indeed he that should ha,'e the burial of the Lord's body
ought to have been such, th<.l,t he might be deserving of that
office by righteous luerit. J EROl\IE; He is described as rich,
not out of anr alllbition on the part of the writer to represent
so noble and rich a man as Jesus' disciple, but to shew ho\v
he \vas able to obtain the body of Jesus froln Pilate. For
poor and unkno\vn individuals would not have dared to
appl'oach Pilate, the representative of ROlnan po\\'er, and ask
the body of a crucified Inalefactor. In another Gospel this
Joseph is called a counsellor; and it is supposed that the
Ps. 1, 1. first Psalm has reference to hin], Blessed i.'S the nUlll that
'lL'alketh not in tlie counsel (!l the ungodly. CHRYS. Consider
this nlan's courage; he risked his life, and took upon hilll
many enn1Íties in order to r
nder this service; and not only
dares to ask f01" Christ's body, but also to bury it. JEROl\lE;
By this simple burial of the Lord is conc1elnued the ostenta...
tiun of the rich, \\'ho cannot dispense with lavish expense
even in their tOlnbs. But ""e Inay also consider in a spiritual
sense, that the Lord's body ,vas wrapped not in gold, jewels,
or silk, hut in clean linen; and that he '" ho wrapped it,
is he \"ho Clnbraces Jesus ,,'ith a pure heart. REl\lIG. Or,
otherwise; 1.-'he linen is gro\\"n out of tbe ground, and is
bleached to \vhitencss with great labour, and thus this sig-
nifies that Iris body which was taken of the eal.th, that is of
a Vïrgin, through the toil of passion caIne to the whiteness of
immortality. RABAN. From this also has pre\'ailed iu the
Church the custom of celebrating the sacrifice of the altar
110t in 8ilk, or in coloured robes, but in linen gro""n fron)
the earth, as ,vc read, ,vas ordered by the Holy Pope Sil-
Pseudo- "ester. PSEUDO-AuG. The Saviour \vas laid ìn a tomb

e

. belonging to another Inan, because He died for the salvation
App. of others. For why should He ,vho in HiInself had no
248. 4. . d ' H . b ' 0 H h 1
death, ha,'e been lal In IS own ton} t r e \Y ose pace

VER. 57-ül.

sr. )1 -\ TT HE \\ .

969

""as resen'ed for IIiul in heaven, ha,"e had a DlonUIllent upon
ealih? lIe who renlaincd but three days space in the tOInh,
not as dead, but as resting on IIis bed? A tomb is the neces-
sary abode of dcath; Christ then, \vho is our life, could not
have an abode of death; He that e'"er Ii vcth had no need of
the d\\
elJing of the departed. J ERO)IE; lIe is laid in a new
tOl111>, lest after His resurrection it should be pretended that
it ,vas some other who had risen ,
{hen they saw the other
bodies there remaining-. The new tomb Ina}" also signify
the virgin \vonlb of
Iary. And lIe ""as laiù in a tomb
hewn out of the rock, lest had it been one raise(l of many
stones, it 111ight have been said that He ,vas stolen a\vay by
undennining the foundations of the pile. PSEUDO-AuG. Had' Aug',in
the tOlnb been in the earth, it might ha,
e been said they

;l
'CC.
undennined the plr,ce, and so carried Hinloff. Had a slnall
stone been laid thereon, they might have said, They can"ied
Hiln off ,vhile "
e slept. J ERO)IE; That a great stone was
rolled there, shews that the tOInb could not ba'-e been re-
opened without the united strength of In any. IIILARY ;
)Jystically, Joseph affords a figure of the Apostles. lIe
wraps the body in a clean ]in en cloth, in which sanle linen
sheet were let down to Peter out of heaven all manner of
Ii \'ing creatures; ,y hence "-e understand, that under the
representation of this linen cloth the Church is buried
together with Christ. The Lord's body Inoreo'
er i
laid
in a chalnber hewp out of rock, elnpty and new; that is,
by the teaching of the Apostles, Chri5-t is conveyed into the
hard breast of the Gentiles he\vn out by the toil of teaching,
rude and new, hitherto unprnetrated by an) fear of God.
And for that besides Hitn ought nothing to enter our breasts,
a stone is rolled to the 11louth, tha.t as before IIÎ1n ,ve had
rccei\-ed no author of divine knowledge, so after Him we
should admit none. ORIGE:\'"; This is no casua11nention of
the circun1stances that the body was wrapped in clean linen,
and laid in a new' tomb, and a great stone rolled to the
Inouth, but that every thing touching the body of J esns
is clean, and new, and very great. REMIt;. "Then the Lord's
body was buried, and the rest returned to their own places,
the WOHlen alone, who had lo,'cd Him l110re attachedlr
adhered to I-liln, and with anxious care nuted the place

970

GOSPEL ACCO RDI:NG TO

CHAP. XXVII.

:Matt.
10, 22.

where the Lord's body ,vas laid, that at fit time they 11light
pcrtorn1 the service of their devotion to him. ORIGEN; The
l11othe1' of the sons of Zebedee is not Inentioned as haying
sat o\?er against the sepulchre. And perhaps she was able
to endure as far as the cross only, but these as stronger in
love "
ere not absent even froll1 the things that \vere afterwards
done. JERO)Ib:; Or, when the rest left the Lord, the WOluen
continued in their attendance, looking for what Jesus had
pron1Ïsed; and therefore they deserved to be the first to see
the resurrection, because he that endure' It to I he end shall
be sa
.ed. REl\IIG. And to this day the holy \yornen, that
is, the lowly souls of the saints, do the like in this present
,vorld, and ,vith pious assiduity \vait while Christ's passion
is being completed.

62. No\v the next day, that follo,ved the day of
the preparation, the Chief Priests and Pharisees
came together unto Pilate,
63. Saying, Sir, we ren1ember that that deceiver
said, while he \vas yet alive, .After three days I will
. .
rIse agaIn.
64. COlTImand therefore that the sepulchre be Inade
sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by
night, and steal him a,vay, and say unto the people,
He is risen frolll the dead: so the last error shall be
\vorse than the first.
65 Pilate said unto them, Ye have a \vatch: go
your ,yay, make it as sure as ye can.
66 So they ,vent and made the sepulchre sure,
sealing the stone, and setting a watch.

J EROM E; It was not enough for the Chief Priests to have
crucified the Lord the Saviour, if they did not guard the
sepulchre, and do their uÌ1nost to 1ay hands on Him as He
rose from the dead. RABAN. By the Parasceve is meant
, preparation;' and they ga,-e this name to the sixth day of
the \veek, on \\?hich they 111ade ready the things needed for

VER. ö2-6ö.

ST. MATTHE\\'.

971

the Sabbath, as was con1manded respecting the lnanna, Oil Exod.
1 . 1 I 1 1 1 . 1 II 16, 22.
l"e Sl.rt'l (. flY flleY gatllerec. tll"ICe as HlllCII. ecause on
the sixth day lnan wa
lllade, and on the se\
enth God
rested; therefore on the sixth day Jesus died for lnan, and
rested the Sahbath day in the tonlb. The Chief Priests
although in putting the Lord to death they had cOlllmitted
a heinous crinle, yet \yere they not satisfied unless e\ycn after
His death they carried on the venOlU of their lllalice once
begun, traducing Ilis character, and calling one, ,,,horn they
knew to be guileless, a deceÙ'er. But as Caiaphas prophe- John 11,
sieJ without knowing it, that it is e.xpedienf that Due 'Juan 49.
should diefoJ' the people, so now, Christ was a decei\yer 1 , not 1 seduc-
froln truth into error, but leading Hlen fro1n error to truth, tor
fronl \Tices to vÌ1iue, frolD death to life. REl\IIG. They say
that He had declared, _
rier t/tree days I u'ill rise again, in
consequence of that He said abo\ye, As Jonas u.as tllree days :Matt.
{lnd three nights ill tlte 'zrllale's belly,
'c. But let us see in 12, 40.
what way He can be said to have risen again after t!tree
clay.
. Some \\yould have the three hours of darkness under-
stood as one night, and the light succeeding the darkness as
a day, but these do not know the force of figurative language.
The sixth day of the week on "yhich He suffered C0111pre-
hellded the foregoing night; then follows the night of the
Sabbath with its own day, and the night of the Lorrt's day
includes also its own day; and hence it is true that He rose
again after three days. ACG. 11 e rose again after three days" Aug. in
to signifY the consent of the ,vhole Trinity in the passion ofSerm.'
h
1 1 d ' . rl fi . 1 b nOll occ.
t c
::Jon; t Ie t lree ays space IS rea guratl\.e y, ecause
the Trinity which in the beginning nlade 1uan, the saIne in
the end restores lnan by the passion of Christ.
RABAX. COJ1l1llalld iherqfore lId'l the sepulcltre be 11lade
,,,'ure UI1/ it the third day. For Christ's disciples \vere
spiritually thie\-es; stealing fr01n the unthankful Jews the
writings of the X ew anù Old Testalnent, they bestowed
thenl to be u
ed by the Church; and while they slept, that
is, while the Jews \yere sunk in the lethargy of unbelief, they
carried off the promised Sa\-iour, and ga\re Hin} to be belie\Ted
on hy the Gentiles. HILARY; Their fear lest the body should
be stolen, thp setting a watch on the tOIl1b, and sealing it,
are 111arks of folly and unbelief, that they should have sought

972 GOSIJ.EL ACCORDING TO ST. l\lATTl-nnv. CHAP. XXVII.

to seal up the t0111b of One at ,,,hose bidding they had seen a
dead Ulan raised from the tOlub. RABAN. 'Vhen they say,
And lite last error u'ill he ,/()orse tlian the first, they utter a
truth unwittingly, for their contempt of penitence was 'Yorse
H Chrys. for the Jews than ,vas their PITor of ignorancc. Cll RYS.
om.
lxxxix. OhsenTe how against their ,,,ill they concert to dCll10nstrate
the truth, for by their precautions irrefragable demonstration
of the resurrection was attained. The sepulchre was watched,
and so no fraud could have been practised; and if there was
110 col1usion, it is certain that the Lord rose again. RABAN.
Pilate's al1s\ver to their request is as llluch as to say, Be it
enough for you that ye ha \Te conspired the death of an
innocent Iuan, henceforth let your error relnain "rith you.
CHRYS. Pilate will not suffer that the soldiers alone should
seal. But as though he had leanlt the truth concerning
Christ, he \\?as no longer willing to be partner in their acts,
and says, Seal it as ye ,viII yourselves, that ye Inay not be
able to accuse others. For had the soldiers alone sealed,
they might have said that the soldiers had suffered the dis-
ciples to steal the body, and so gi,ren the disciples a handle
to forge a tale concerning the resurrection; but this could
they not say now, ,vhen they thelnSeh?cs had sealed the
sepulchre.

CHAP. XXVIII.

1. In the end of the sabbath, as it began to da,vn
to,vard the first day of the \veek, came l\Iary l\Iag-
dalene and the other l\Iary to see the sepulchre.
2. And, behold, there \vas a great earthquake: for
the angel of the Lord descended fron1 heaven, and
caIne and roBed back the stone from the door, and
sat upon it.
3. His countenance \vas like lightning, and his
raiment \vhite as snow:
4. And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and
became as dead men.
5. .A.nd the angel ans,vered and said unto the
,vomen, Fear not ye: for I kno\v that ye seek Jesus,
\vhich ,vas crucified.
6. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said.
Conle, see the place ,vhere the Lord lay.
7. And go quickly and tell his disciples that he is
risen frOln the dead; and, behold, he goeth before
you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: 10, I have
told you.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. After the 11lockings and scourgings, after the Pseudo-
n1Ïngled draughts of ,"inegal' and gall, the pains of the cross,

de
and the wounds, and finally after death itself and Hades,
esur.
there rose again fi.-om the grave a renewed flesh, there re- 111.
turned froBl obstruction a hidden life, health chained up in
death broke forth, with fresh beauty froln its ruin. ArG. Aug. de
Concerning the hour \v hen the \vornen can1e to the se l nllchre E Con
:.
v. 111.
24.

)74

GOSPEl.. ACCOHDING TO

CHAP. XXVIII.

there arises a question not to be o\yerlooked. l\Iatthew hen

says, On the eveniu.q of the Sabbath. 'Vhat then Ineans that
Mark of l\Iark, TTery ellrl.1J in the rJl01 o niug, tltefirsi day oj'tlle week?
16, 2. Truly l\latthew, hy Barning the first part of the night, to wit,
the evening, denotes the whole night in the end of which
they COlne to the sepulchre. But seeing the Sabbath hindered
theln frOln doing this before, he designates the \\yhole night
by the earliest portion of it in \\yhich it becalne la\\yfnl for
theln to do whate\rer, during sonle period of the night, they
designed to do. Thus, On tile evening q{ tlte sabbatlt, is
just the saIne as if he had said, On the night of the sabbath,
i. e. the night \vhich follows the day of the sabbath, "Thich is
sufficiently vrovecl by the words \yhich foHow, As it bel/all to
dawn towards lite .first day oj'llte lree!.... This could not be
if we understood only the first portion of the night, its be-
ginning, to be conveyed by the \\Tord, evening. For the
evening or beginning of the night does not begin to dau'll
towards the .first day of the 'week, but only the night which
is concluded by the da\vn. And this is the usual 1110de of
speaking in Holy Scripture, to express the whole by a part.
By evening therefore he ÏInplied the night, in the e11<1 of
Beda in which they caIne to the sepulchre. BEDE; Otherwise; It
loco lnay be understood that they began to come in the evening,
but that it ,vas the da\vn of the first day of the \veek \vhen
they reached the sepulchre; that is, that they prepared the
spices for anointing the Lord's body in the c'
cning, but that
they took theln to the sepulchre in the Il10rning. This has
been so shortly described by l\latthe\\?, that it is not quite
clear in his account, but the other Evangelists give the order
Inore distinctly. The Lord was buried on the sixth day of
the \veek, and the \\Y0111en returning froll} the sepulchre
prepared spices and ointments as long as it ,,'as lawful to
work; on the sabbath they rested, according to the command-
ment, as Luke plainly declares; and when the Sabbath \vas
past and the evening \vas COlne, and the season of labour
returned, with zealous de,.otion they proceeded to purchase
such spices as they yet lacked, (this is implied in Ivlark's
\vords, lvhen the sabbath u)as past, that they might go and
anoint Jesus, for which purpose they come early in the
n10rning to the sepulchre. .J EROl\IE; Or, otherwise; This

VF.R. 1-7.

ST. !\fA TTHE\V.

975

apparent discrcpancy in the Evangelists as to the tinlcs of
their visits is no Inark of falsehood, as \\'icked Inen urge, but
shews the sed.ulous duty and attention of the "'Olnen, often
going and con1Ïng, and not enduring to be long absent from
the sepulchre of their Lord.
RE1\IIC. It is to be kno,,'n that l\Iatthew designs to hint
to us a 111ystical meaning, of ho\v great \vorthiness this most
holy night dre\v frollI the nohle conquest of death, and the
Resurrection of Our Lord. 'Vith this purpose he says, Oil
tIle erening of the Sabbath. For whereas according to the
\vonted succession of the hours of the day, evening does not
dawn tow'ards day, but on the contrary darkens towards
night, these words she\v that the Lord shed, by the light of
His resurrection joy and brilJiance over the whole of t.his
night. BEDE; For from the beginning of the creation of the Beda,
world until no\v, the course of time has fol1o\\
ed this arrange-

.i.
ment, that the day should go before the night, because Ulan,
fallen by sin from the light of paradise, has sunk into the
darkness and misery of this ,,'orId. But no\v must fitly
night goes before day, when, through faith in the resurrection,
\ye are brought hack from the darkness of sin and the shado\y
of death to the light of life, by the bounty of Christ. CHRY- Chrys.
SOLOGUS g . Because the sabbath is illun1Ínated, not taken

m.
away, by Christ, 'Vho said, I llnz not C017le to des/Toy the Matt. 5,
Law, but to fit/jit it. It is illun1Ínated that it 1na.r lighten 17.
into the Lord's day, and shine forth in the Church, \vhen it
had hitherto burnt diul, and been obscured by the Je\\'s in
the Synagogue.
It follows, Canle J.1fary IJ,[agdalen, and the oiller JIa1'y,

.c. Late runs WOlnan for pardon, \vho had run early to sin;
in paradise she had taken up unhelief, fronI the sepulchre
she hastes to take up faith; she now hastens to snatch
life from death, \vho had before snatched death from life.
And it is not, They COllle, but cauze, (in the singular,) for in
111ystery and not by accident, the t\VO caIne under one nanle.
She came, but altered; a \voman, changed in life, not in name;
in virtue, not in sex. The women go before the Apostles,
bearing to the Lord's sepulchre a type of the Churches; the

g The Sermons of S. Peter of quoted in the Catena undE'I the name
Ravenna, surnamed Chrysologus, are Severianus.

976

Gû:-\PI.:L ACCüUDI:\G TO

CHAl'. XXVIII.

two
laTY8, to wit. For )'Iary is the nalne of Christ's lnother;
and one name is twice repeated for t\VO \VOIUen, ùecause
herein is figured the Church cc)}uing ont of the two nations,
the G-entiles and the Je\vs, and being yet one. l\Iary canle
to the sepulchre, as to the womb of the resurrection, that
Christ luight be the second tiu1e born out of the sepulchre of
fait.h, who after the flesh had been born of her wOlnb; and
that as a virgin had borne Hiln into this life present, so a
sealed sepulchre n1Ïght bring Him forth into life eternal. It
is proof of Deity to have left a \volub \yirgin after birth, and
no. less to have COlne forth in the body froln a closed sepul-
chre. JERO:\IE; And, behold, tllere
f)a8 (l great earlliquake.
Our Lord, Son at once of God and man, according to Ilis two-
fold nature of Godhead and of flesh, gi\
es a sign one \vhile of
His greatness, another \vhile of His lowliness. Thus, though
now it ,vas man who ,vas crucified, and man who was buried,
yet the things that \vere done around she\v the Son of God.
HIL. The earthquake is the luight of the resurrection, \yhen
the sting of death being blunted, and its darkness illun1Ïnated,
there is stirred up a qualáng of the powers beneath, as the
Lord of the hea\renly powers rises again. CHRYS. Or the
earthquake \vas to rouse and \vaken the WOlnen, who had
COlne to anoint the body; and as all these things were done
in the night-tilne, it was probable that SOUle of theln had
Beda, fanen asleep. BEDE; The eart.hquake at the Resurrection, as
ubi sup. also at the Crucifixion, signifies that worldly hearts HUlst be
first nloyed to penitence by a health-giving fear through
Chrysol. beliefin l-lis Passion andR,esurrection. CHTIVSOL. Ifthe earth

7::74. thus quaked \vhen the Lord rose again to the pardon of the
Saints, how will it quake \vhen He shall rise again to the
Ps. ï6, punishnlent of the \vicked? As the Prophet speaks, TIle
8. ea1"tlt trelnbled 'll,'/ien tlte Lord J'ose a.fJain to jlld"qJ1
ent. ...
ncl
ho\v ,vill it endure the Lord's presence, \vhen it was unable to
endure the presence of His Angel? And tIle Angel of tIle
Lord descendedfr011"t hea
'ell. For ,vhen Christ arose, death
'was destroyed, comnlerce with heaven is restored to things
on the earth; and woman, who had of old held 'comnlunicatioll
to death \vith the Devil, no\\" holds communication to life
with tbe Angel. HIL. This is an instance of the mercy of
God the Father, to snpply the Ininistry of heavenly power to

VER. 1-7.

ST. MA TTH:EW.

977

the Son on IIis resurrection from the grave; and he is thel'e-
fore the pro claimer of this first resun'ection, that it may be
heralded by some attendant token of the Father's good plea-
sure. BE DE ; Foraslnuch as Christ is both God and Beda
man, therefore there lack not amidst the acts of His ubi sup.
humanity the ministrations of Angels, due to Hin1 as God.
And came and rolled back tlte stone; not to open the door
for the Lord to come forth, but to give evidence to lnen that
He \vas already come forth. For lIe who as mortal had
power to enter the \vorlel through the closed \vomb of a
'Virgin, He \vhen become iunnortal, was able to depart out
of the ,vorld by rising froln a sealed sepulchre. REl\UG.
The rolling back of the stone signifies the opening of Christ's
sacraments, which ,yere covered by the letter of the La\v.
For the Law ha,'ing been writen on stones, is he!e denoted
by the stone. CHRYSOL. He said not' rolled,' but rolled back; Chr}'s.
because the rolling to of the stone was a proof of death;
:
m.
the rolling it back asserted the resurrection. The order
of things is changed; The Tomb de,'ours death, and
not the dead; the house of death becomes the mansion of
life; a new' law is imposed upon it, it receÏ\Tcs a dead, and
renders up a liying, man. It follo\vs, And 8at thereoJl. He
sat down, ,,'ho was incapable of \veariness; but sat as a
teacher of the faith, a luaster of the Resurrection; upon
the stone, that the firn1ness of his seat might assure the sted-
fastness of t11e be1ievers; the .A.ngel rested the foundations
of the Faith upon that rock, on \vhi,ch Christ "'as to found
His Church. Or, by the stone of the sepulchre may be
denoted death, under ,vhich \ve all lay; and by the Angel
sitting thereon, is she\vn that Christ hath by His Inight sub-
dued death. BEDE; And rightly did the Angel appear Be.da
standing, \vho proclainled the Lord's coming into the ,vorId, UbI "up.
to shew that the Lord should come to vanquish the prince of
this \vorId. But the Herald of the Resurrection is re]ated to have
been seated, to shew that now He had overcome him that had
the power of death, He had lnounted the throne of the everlast-
ing kingdom. He sate upon the stone, now' roned back, ,,,here-
with the mouth of the sepulchre had been closed, to teach
that He by His Inight had hurst the bonds of the tonlb. A
.
AUG. It may disquiet SOIne, ho\v it is that according to :\Iat-
e\.. ?ï

\TOL. I. 3 R 24.

)78

GOSPEL A('COnDI
G TO

CHAP. XXVIII.

the\v the Angel sate upon the stone after it had been rolled
back froln the sepulchre, ,vhereas l\lark says that the WOlnen
having gone into the sepulchre, sa\v a young man sitting on
the right hand. Either we may suppose that they sa\v two,
and tl1at l\latthew has not n1entioned him whom they saw
within, nor l\Iark hiln ,vholn they sa\v \vithout the sepulchre;
but that they heard froin each severally what the Angels said
l\Iark concerning Jesus. Or the \vords, entering into tlte sepulcltre,
16, 5. n1ay mean entering into SOlne enclosed place, \vhich pro-
bably there might be in front of the rock out of \vhich
the sepulchre was hewn; and thus it might be the saIne
Angel \vhom they sa\V sitting on the right hand, whon1
l\Iatthew describes as sitting on the stone which he had rolled
Chrysol. back. CHRYSOL. The splendour of his countenance is distinct

m. from the shining of his raiment; his countenance is cOlnpared
to lightning, his rainlent to snow; for the lightning is in
Ps. 148, heaven, SllO\V on the earth; as the Prophet saith, Praise
7. tlie Lordfro1Jl 'tile earth; .fire and hail, snou' and vapou'J"s.
Thus in the Angel's countenance is preserved the splendour
of his heavenly nature; in his rainlent is shewn the grace
of human comnlunion. For the appearance of the Angel
tbat talked \vith them is so ordered, that eyes of flesh might
endure the still splendour of his robes, and by reason of his
shining countenance they might tremble before the messenger
Chrysol. of their l\Iaker. ID. But \vhat means this raiment where

7:m. there is no need of a covering? The Angel figures our dress,
our shape, our likeness in the Resurrection, \vhen man is
sufficiently clothed by the splendour of his own body.
J EROl\IE; The Angel in white rain1ellt signifies the glory
Greg.. of His triunlph. GREG. Or otherwise; Lightning inspires
E Hom.. i
ten"or; SIlOW is an emblem of equity; and as the Aln1ighty
v. XXI. .
4. God is terrible to sinners and mild to the righteous, so thIS
Angel is lightly a witness of His resurrection, and is exhibited
with a countenance as lightning, and with l"aÏlnent as snO\'T,
that by His presence I-Ie might tenify the \"icked, and
con1fort the good; and so it follows, And f01' jèar 0/ hint
the keepers did sliake. RABAN. These who had not the
làith of loye were shaken with a panic fear; and they \v ho
would not believe the truth of the resuITection becol1le them-
Chrysol. seh
es as dead rnen. CHRYSOL. For they kept w'atch
:::;erm.75.

VER. 1-7.

ST. MATTHEl'''.

n7U

over I-lin1 with a purpose} of cruelty, not with the solicitude
of affection. And no luan can stand \vho is forsaken by
his own conscience, or troubled with a sense of guilt. Hence
the Angel confounds the \vicked, and c0111forts the good.
J ERO:\IE; The guards lay like dead nlen in a trance of telTor,
but the Angel
peaks comfort not to then1, but to the women,
saying, Fear not ye; as much as to say, Let them fear with
whom unbelief abides; but do Je who seek the crucified
Jesus hear that He has l"isen again, and has accomplished
".hat lIe promised. CHRYSOL. For their faith had been Chr:ys.
bowed by the cruel storm of His Passion, so that they

rm.
sought Him yet as crucified and dead; I h' now t llat ye seek ,.
Jeslls u;hiclt 'lÐaS cl'ucified; the ".eight of the trial had bent
theln to look for the Lord of heaven in the tomb, but, He
is not here. RABA
. IIis fleshly presence, that is; for Hi

spiritual presence is absent from no place. He is 'risen, as
he said. CHRYS. As Inuch as to say, [f ye believe Ine not,
remember IIis own words. And then follows further proof,
when he adds, Come, see tI,e place 'lc/tere lite 'Lord lay.
J ERO
IE; That if lllY \vords fail to cOln.ince you, the empty
tomb mar. CHRYSOL. Thus the Angel first announces His Chrys.
nan1e, declares His Cross, and confesses His Pa
siol1; but
6 erm.
, .
straight\vay prociaillls IIiul risen and their Lord. An Angel
after such sufferings, after the grave acknowledges HÎln Lord;
how then shall 111 an judge that the Godhead was diminished
by the flesh, or that His l\Iight failed in IIis Passion. lIe
says, JVhiclt 'lras crucified, and points out the place where
the Lord was laid, that they should not think that it ,vas
another, and not the same, ,,-ho had risen from the dead.
And if the Lord reappears in the same flesh, and gives
evidence of His resurrection, ,,,hy should man suppose that
he hiu1self shall reappear in other flesh? Or why should
a slave disdain his own flesh, seeing the Lord did not
change ours? RABAN. And this glad tiding is given not
to you alone for the secret comfort of rour o\,"n hearts, but
ye must extend it to all who love HÎ1n; Go quicldy, and
tell !tis disciples. CHRYSOL. As llluch as to say, "T" oman, Chrys.
no\v thou art healed, return to the man, and persuade hÏ1n
7
m.
to faith, Wh0111 thou didst once persuade to treachery. Carry
to man the proof of the Resurrection, to whom thou didst
3R2

HSO

GOSPEL At'CORDI
G TO

CHAP.
XYIII.

once carry counsel of destruction. CHRYS. And, behold, lie
shall go bl!fo1"e you, that is, to save you froll1 danger, lest
fear should prevail oYer faith.
J ERO:\JE; l\Iystically; He shall go hl!.fol"e you inlo Galilee,
I voluta- that is, into the "
allowing stye 1 of the Gentiles, where before was
brum. wandering and stumbling, and the foot had no firm and steady
Beda, resting-place. BEDE; The Lord i
I'ightly seen by IIis

p" disciples in Galilee, foraslnuch as I-Ie had already passed
from death to life, fron1 corruption to incorruption; for such
is the interpI"etation of Galilee, 'Transn1Ïgration.' IIappy
women! \vho Inerited to announce to the ,vorld the triulnph
of the Resun"ection! l\Iore happy souls, who in the day of
judgment, when the reprobate are slnitten ,vith terror, shall
have merited to enter the joy of the blessed resurrection!

8. And they departed quickly frOITI the sepulchre
with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his
disciples "\vord.
9. And as they ,vent to tell his disciples, behold,
Jesus Illet theIn, saying, All hail. And they came
and held hin1 by the feet, and worshipped hinl.
10. Then said Jesus unto then1, Be not afraid:
go tell In y brethren that they go into Galilee, and
there shall they see me.

I-IILARY; The W0111en ha\'ing been cou1forted by the Angel,
are straightway Inet by the Lord, that \vhen they should
proclailn His re
nrrection to the disciples, they should speal{
Aug. de rather froln Christ's own mouth than fronl an ...\U gel' s. .AUG.
C E on
:" 171ey departed forth of tile lO1Jlb, that is, from that spot of
V. 111.
23. the garden which was before the tOInb he\Vll iu the rock.
JER01IE; A hvofold feeling possessed the lninds of the ',"OIneD,
fear and joy; fear, at the greatness of the Iniracle; joy, in
their desire of Him that was risen; but both added speed
to their \vomen's steps, as it fol1o\vs, And did 'run to briug
!tis disciples 'lDord. They \vent to the Apostles, that through
them Inight be spread abroad the seed of the faith. They
,,,bo thu!' desired, and \vho thus ran, merited to have their

\'ER.
-lO.

ST. :\IATTH E\\..

81

l"isiug Lord 'COlue to Ineet thenl; whence it follows, ,;.llld,
hellold, Jesu.ro; 111et tI,e/it, saying, ...lll hail. RAB.\
. Hereby
lIe shewed that He wil1 Ineet with IIis help all those ". ho
begin the "'ays of ,yirtue, and enable thenl to attain to
everlasting sah'ation. J ERO:\fE; l.'he "'omen ought first
to hear this Hail, that the cnrse of the WOlnall Eye Inay be
rernoyed in these \YOnlen.
CHRYSOL. That in these \V01l1Cn is contained a full figure Chrysol.
of the Church is shewn hereby, that Christ convinces II is

m.
disciples when in doubt concerning the Resurrection, and
confirms thenl \vhen in fear; and "'hen He Ineets them lIe
does not terrify them by His power, but prevents theln \vith
the ardour of 10,'e. And Christ in IIis Church salutes
IIimHelt
for He has taken it into His own Body. _-\..rG. Al
g.
'Ve conclude that they had speech of Angels twice at the ubi sup.
sepulchre; \vhen they saw one Angel, of 'whom l\latthe\v
an d 3Iark speak; and again when they sa \v two Angels, as
Luke and John relate. A.nd t\vice in like n1anner of the
Lord; once at that tiIne when :àlary supposed IIil}} to be the John
gardener, and no'\,," again when lIe Inet thenl in the way 20, 15.
to confinn them by repetition, and to restore thell1 fronl their
faintness. CHRYSOL. Then .:\Iary \\'as not suffered to touch C
r'ysot
Hilll; no\v she has pel"lllission not only to touch, but to hold ubl sup.
IIÍ1n altogether; they caine and held him by the feel, (Iud
worshipped hi1n. R
\HAX. It was told aboye how lIe rose
\vhen the sepulchre 'vas closed, to she\v that that body
,yhich had been shut up therein dead, ,vas no\v beco1l1P
iuul1ortal. He now offers IIis feet to be held by the WOlnel),
to shew that He had real flesh, wlùch call be touched by
Inortal cI
eatures. C HRYSOL. They hold Christ's feet, who ChrJ801.
in the Church present the type of }:,-angelic preaching, and ubi sup.
luerit this privilege by their running to Hin1; and by faith
so detain their Saviour's footsteps, that they 111aJ COlne
to the honour of IIis perfect Godhead. She is deser\-edly
bid to tOllch 171e not, who Ulourns her Lord upon earth,
and so seeks Hin1 dead in the tOlnb, as not to know
that lIe reigns in hcayen with the Father. This, that
the saIne 3lary, one while exalted to the SU111111it of faith,
touches Christ, and holds IIiu1 \vith entire and holy alIec-
tion; and again, cast down in weaknes
of flesh, and

982

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

CH.\P. XXVIII.

womanly infirmity, doubts, undeserving to touch her Lord,
causes us no difficulty. For that is of 111ystery, this of her
sex; that is of divine grace, this of hUlnan nature. And
so also we, \vhen \ve have kno"Tledge of divine things, live
unto God; \vhen we are wise in human things, we are blinded
Chryso1. by our ow'n selves. ID. They held His feet to shew that the

:m. head of Christ is the man, but that the WOlnan is in Christ's
feet, and that it \vas given to them through Christ, not to go
before, but to foHow the Dlan. Christ also repeats what the
Angel had said, that what an Angel had lnade sure, Christ
might Inake yet lnore sure. It follo\vs, Then saillt Jeslls unto
tbern, Fear not. JEROl\IE; rrhis Inay be always observed, both
in the Old and New Testament, that when there is an
appearance of any majestic person, the first thing done is to
banish fear, that the mind being tranquil1ized may receive
the things that are said. HILARY; The saine order as of
old now followed in the reversal of our woe, that \vhereas
death began from the female sex, the same should no\v first
see the glory of the Resurrection, and be made the messenger
thereof. "ihence the Lord adds, Go tell lllY brelll1'en t!tat
Chrysol. tlley go into Galilee, there shall they see me. CHRYSOL.
ubi sup. lIe caBs them brethren whom He has rnade akin to His
own body; brethren whom the generous IIeir has made
His co-heirs; brethren, whom He has adopted to be sons
Aug. de of llis own Father. AUG. That the Lord, both by His

'ii. own mouth, and by the _\ngel, directs them to seek for Him,
ult. not in that place in which lIe \vas to she"r IIirnself first,
but in Galilee, Inakes every believer anxious to understand
in what mystery it is spoken. Galilee is interpreted' trans-
Inigration,' or ' revelation 8.' And according to the first inter-
pretation what Ineaning offers itselt
saye this, that the grace
of Christ \vas to pass froln the people of Israel to the Gentiles,
who would not belie\Te \vhell the Apostles should preach
the Gospel to them, unless the Lord IIÏ1nself should first
Inake ready their \vay in the hearts of men. This is t11C
signification of that, lIe shall go ùe.lore yvu into Galilee.
Tlte1.e shall ye see hhn, means, there shaH ye find His

;\ Aecording to the two different senses coming from the primitive notion of
of the Hebrew root i1
J 'migrating 'making bare.'
from a coun try,' or ' revealing,' both

VER. 11-15.

ST.
L-\TTHE\V.

!JH3

luembers, there shall ye perceive His living Body in such
as shall receive you. According to the other interpretation,
, revelation,' it is to be understood, ye shall see hi1n no longer
in the form of a servant, but in that in which lIe is equal
,vith the Father. That re,-elation will be the true Galilee,
\vhcn 'we sliall be like liÙn, and .f)hall see !tilJt as he is. That I John
. 3, 2.
,v ill be the ùlessed passing froln this ,,'orld to that eternIty.

11. N O\V when they \vere going, behold, some of
the \vatch came into the city, and she\ved unto the
Chief Priests all the things that \vere done.
12. And when they \vere assenl bled \vith the elders,
and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto
the soldiers,
13. Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night,
and stole him a\vay \vhile ,ve slept.
14. And if this come to the governor's ears, \ve
,viII persuade him, and secure you.
15. So they took the money, and did as they \vere
taught: and this saying is commonly reported among
the Jews until this day.

CHRYS. Of the signs \vhich \\'ere shewn around Christ, Chrys.
some ,vere common to the ,,,hole world, as the darkness; SOlne Hom.
xc.
peculiar to the w.atch, as the \yonderful apparition of _1ngels,
and the earthquake, which ,,,ere ,vrought for the soldiers'
sake, that they n1Ïght be stunned
'ith aIlla.lenlent, and bear
testimony to the truth. For when truth is proclaiuled by its
adversaries, it adds to its brightness. "Thich befel now;
SOlne of tlte 'lcatch cal1le into tlie city, aud slteu'ed linto tlie
Chief Priests all tlte tllings that'li'e1"e done. RABAN. Simple
minds, and unlearned country-folk, often make nlanifest
,vithout guile the truth of a nlatter, as the thing is; but on
the othel" hand, a crafty \vickedness studies ho\v to recom-
Inend falsehood by glosing words. J ERO:
IE; Thus the Chief
Priests, who ought to ha\ e been by this turned to penitence,
and to seek Jesus risen, persevere in their wickedness, and
cou,yert the money which was given for the use of the Temple

984

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

CHAP. XXVIII.

to the purchase of a lie, as before they had given thirty pieces
Chrys. of silver to the traitor Judas. CHRYSOL. Not content to have
ubi sup.
put the l\laster to death, they plot ho\v they may destroy
the disciples, and make the l\laster's pow.er matter of charge
against His disciples. The soldiers indeed lost IIinl, the
Jews lllissed Him, but the disciples can"ied Him away, not
by theft, but by faith; by virtue, and not by fraud; by
holiness, and not by \vickedness; alive, and not dead. CHRYS.
How should the disciples can'y Him away by stealth, men
poor, and of no station, and who scarcely dared to shew
thelllselves? They fled \vhen afterwards they saw Christ
alive, ho\v, when He was dead, \vould they not have feared
so great a Intlltitude of soldiers? Ho\v were they to relllove
the door of the sepulchre? One might have done it unper-
ceived by the guard. But a large stone ,yas rolled to the
lllOttth requiring many hands. And was not the seal thereon?
And why did they not attempt it the first night, when there
was none at the sepulchre? For it was on the Sabbath
that they begged the body of J esns. l\Ioreover, what mean
these napkins which Peter sees laid here? Had the disciples
stolen the Body, they would neyer have stripped it, both
because it n1Ïght so recei\
e hurt, and cause unnecessary
delay to thelnselves, and so expose thelTI to be taken by the
\vatch; especially since the Body and clothes were covered
\vith lll)Trh, a glutinous spice, ,,,hich ,,,ould cause thelTI
to adhere. The allegation of the theft then is ÏInprobable.
So that their endea\Tours to conceal the Resurrection do but
lllake it n10re manifest. For when they say, His disciples
stole the body, they confess that it is not in the sepulchre.
.A.nd as they thus confess that they had not the Body, and
as the walch, the sealing, and the fears of the disciples, make
the theft improbable, there is seen evidence of the Resur-
rection not to be gainsaid. RE:
IIG. But if the guards
slept, ho\v saw they the theft? ..c\.lld if they sa\v it not, how
could they \vitness thereto? So that what they desire to she\v,
G10;o;s. they cannot shew. GLOSS. That the fear of the Governor
non occ'l11Íght not restrain theln fro1l1 this lie, they proillise them
impunity. CHRYS. See how all are corrupted; Pilate per-
suaded; the peoplf\ stirred up; the soldiers bribed; as it
follow
, Aud t!ley look tI,e 1/l0ney, and did as the.v tl'ere

VEU. 16-20.

ST. :\IATTHKW.

985

iusl ).llcled. If 111011ey prevailed with a disciple so far as to
lnake him become the betrayer of his l\Iaster, ,vl1at wonder
tbat the soldiers are o\"erCOlne by it. HILARY; The con-
cealu1ent of the Resurrection, and the false allegation of
tbeft, is purchased by money; because by the honour of this
world, \vbich consists in money and desire, Cbrist's glory
is denied" RABAN. But as the guilt of His blood, which
tbey ilnprecated upon thelnsehres and their children, presses
them do\vn \vitb a heavy "eight of sin, 80 the purchase of
the lie, by whicb they deny the truth of the Resun"ection,
cbarges this guilt upon theln for ever; as it follows, And
this saying is cOlll1llollly repo1"ted al1lo11g the Jews until tlds
day. CHRYSOL. Al11011g tile Jell"S, not among the Cbristians; CbrysoI.
,,,hat in Judæa tbe Je\," concealed by his gold, is by faith ubi sup.
blazed abroad throughout the world.
J ERO)IE; _\.ll who abuse to other purposes the money of
the Temple, and tbe contributions for tbe use of the Church,
purchasing with then} their own pleasur
, aTe like the Scribes
and Priests ,vho bought this lie, and the blood of the Saviour.

16. Then the eleven disciples \vent. a\vay into
Galilee, into a lllountain \vhere Jesus had appointed
thenl.
17. And when they saw him, they \vorshipped
hÏ1n: but some doubted.
18. And Jesus canle and spake unto them, saying,
An po\ver is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, bap-
tizing theln in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20. Teaching thenl to observe all things \vhatso-
e\yer I have conlmanded you: and, 10, I am with you
ahvay, even unto the end of the \vorld. Alnen.

BEDE; 'Yhen Saint l\Iatthew bas vindicated the Lord's' Beda
. ,
H.8surrection as declared by the Angel, he relates the vision mHom.'
. . non occ.
of the Lord whIch the dIsciples had, Then tile ele'ren disci-
ples frent ill-if) Galilee into a 'JJlOllJltain ttllere Jesus !lad

986

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

CHAP. XXVIII.

appointed lh,eln. For when c01l1ing to His Passion the Lord
Matt. had said to His disciples, After I am risen I will go blffore
26, 32. you into Galilee; and the Angel said the same to the women.
Therefore the disciples obey the command of their Master.
Eleven only go, for one had already perished. JEROl\IE;
After His Resurrection, Jesus is seen and worshipped in the
mountain in Galilee; though some doubt, their doubting
confirms our faith. REMIG. This is more fully told by Luke;
how when the Lord after the Resun"ection appeared to the dis-
Beda, ciples, in their t.error they thought they sa\v a spirit. BEDE b.

.in The Lord appeared to them in the mountain to signify, that
Fer. ,'i. His Body which at His Birth He had taken of the common
Pasch. dust of the hUlnan race, He had by His Resurrection exalted
above all earthly things; and to teach the faithful that if they
desire there to see the height of His Resurrection, they must
endeavour here to pass from lo\\r pleasures to high desires.
And He goes before His disciples into. Galilee, because
J Cor. Christ is 'risen/rom lIte dead, thefirstfruits <ift/te1Jt tliat slept.
15,20. And they that are Christ's follow Him, and pass in their order
from death to life, contemplating Him as He appears with His
proper Divinity. And it agrees with this that Galilee is inter-
Au
. preted' revelation.' AUG. But it is to be considered, ho\v the
d E eC?I?s. Lord could be seen bodily in Galilee. For that it was not
v. 111. .
25. the day of the ResurrectIon is manifest; for He was seen that
day in Jerusalem in the beginning of the night, as Luke and
John evidently agree. N or was it in the eight follo\ving
days, after which John says that the Lord appeared to IIis
disciples, and when Tholnas first saw Hiln, who had not
seen Him on the day of the Resurrection. For if within these
eight days the eleven had seen Him on a mountain in Galilee,
Thomas, who was one of the eleven, could not have seen Him
first after the eight days. Unless it be said, that the eleven
there spoken of were eleven out of the general body of the
disciples, and not the eleven Apostles. But there is another
difficulty . John having related that the Lord was seen not
in the mountain, but at the sea of Tiberias, by seven who
John were fishing, adds, This is now fIle third tÙJle t/tat Jesus
21, 14. sheu'ed ltimse!f to his disciples ajZer he was risen jl"01n the

b This Homily of Bede (tom. vii. the Commentary of Rabanu
on this
p. 12.) is word for word, the same with part of S. I\-latthew.

YElL I (j-
Oo

ST. MATTHE\V.

987

dead.
o that if we understand the Lord to have been seen
\vithin those eight days by eleven of the disciples, this mani-
festation at the sea of Tiberias will be the fourth, and Dot the
third, appearance. Indeed, to understand John's account at
all it lnust be observed, that he cornputes not each appear-
ance, hut each day on \vhich Jesus appeared, though lIe lnay
l1av.e appeared more than once on the same day; as He did
three times on the day of His Resurrection. 'Ve are then
obliged to understand that this appearance to the eleven dis-
ciples on the lllountain in Galilee took place last of all. In
the four E\yangelists we find in all ten distinct appearances of
Our Lord after [lis Resun'ection. 1. At the sepulchre to
the women. 2. To the salne ,vomen on their \vay back from
the sepulchre. 3. To Peter. 4. To hvo disciples as they
went into the country. ð. To many together in J ernsalem;
6. \"hen Thomas was not with them. 7. At the sea of Tibe-
rias. 8. At the Illountain in Galilee, according to 1\Iatthe\\'.
9. To the eleven as they sat at 11leat, because they sholÙd not :\fark
again eat with Hitn upon earth, related by l\Iark. 10. On the 16, 14.
day of I-lis Ascension, no longer on the earth, but raised aloft
in a cloud, as related by both
Iark and Luke. But all is not
\vritten, as John confesses, for He had much conversation
with thel11 during forty days before His ascension, being seen Acts I,
of theIn, all(l speaking unto tlteln of tlte things pertaining to s.
tlie k-ingdoJJl o..f God.
RE
nG. The disciples then, when they saw Him, knew
the Lord; and worshipped Him, bowing their faces to the
ground. And fIe their affectionate and merciful J\Iaster, that
He Inight take a\vaJ all doubtfulness froin their hearts,
cOBling to then), strengthened them in their belief; as it
fullows, .J.lnd Jesus carne and spa/;,e to tlu:rn, saying, All
pOlL'er is giren unto '1ne in lteat
en and in earill. JEROl\JE;
Power is given to Him, 'Yho but a little before was cnlcified,
'\'"ho was buried, but "Tho afterwards rose again. BEDE ; B
da,
This I I e speaks not fron1 the Deit
- coeteJï1al \vith the Father, ubI sup.
hut frOll} the IIu111anitr which He took upon Him, according
to which He UOliS '{/lade a little lou'lr tl,an lite Angels. Heb. 2,
CllRYSOLo The Son of God conveyed to the
on of the Virgin,
.h s.
tlH' God to t.he .!.\Iall, the Deity to the f1'lesh, that which He Ser?:t.
had c\rel" together with the Father. J EROl\IE; Power is given 80.

988

GOSPEL ACCORDI
O TO

CHAP. ÀXVIII.

in heaven and in earth, that He \vho before reigned in beaven,
should now reign on earth by the faith of the believ"ers.
REl\fIG. 'Vhat the Psalmist says of the Lord at IIis rising
P8. 8,6. again, TltOIt '/71adest hÙn to lUlfe dOl1Zinioll ore'r the 'lcorks of
tlly lULJzds, this the Lord no\\'" says ofHÌ1Dself, All pou"er is given
unto me in !leaven and in eartlt. And here it is to be noted,
that even before His resun"ection the Angels knew that they
were subjected to the man Christ. Christ then desiring that
it should be also kno\vn to Inen that all po\ver was cOlnmitted
to Him in heaven and in earth, sent preachers to make knO\Yll
the word of life to aU nations; whence it fonows, Go ye Illere-
'Beda;f01"e, and teach all nations. BEDE; lIe who before His

:

: Passion had said, Go not into the u'ayof tlte Gentiles, no\v,
:Matt. when rising froln the dead, says, Go and teach all /lations.
10, 5. Hereby let the J e\ys be put to silence, who say that Christ's
coming is to be for their salvation only. Let the Donatists
also blush, who, desiring to confine Christ to one place, have
said that He is in Africa only, and not in other countries.
J EROl\IE; They first then teach aU nations, and when
taught dip t11f
m in \vater. For it may not be that the body
receive the sacralnent of Raptis111, ullless the soul first receive
the truth of the Faith. In lite Ilanze q{the Father, tlte SOli,
a1ld lite Holy Ghost, that they ",hose Godhead is one should
be conferred at once, to name this Trinity, being to name
Chr)"sol. One God. CHRYSOL. Thus all nations are created a second

m. time to salvation by that one and the sallle Po\ver, which
Didymi created them to being. J EROl\IE; And though some one

:
;l;. there lllay be of so ayerse a spirit as to undertake to baptize
Sanet. in such sort as to omit one of these nalnes, therein con-
tradicting Christ \Vho ordained this for a lan T , his baptisIll
will effect nothing; those \vho are baptized by hinl will not
be at all de1h'ered fronl their sins. Fron1 these words we
gather how undiyided is the substance of the Trinity, that
the Father is yerily the Father of the Son, and the Son \rerily
the Son of the Father, and the Holy Spirit the Spirit of both
the Father and the Son, and also the Spirit of wisdoIll and of
truth, that is, of the Son of God. This then is the sal \'aLion
of them that believe, and in this Trinity is wrought the
HiJ. de perfect cOllnllunication of ecclesiastical discipline. IIILARY;
ri
.. ii. For \vhat part of the salvation of 111cn is there that is not

"ER. IO-
o.

ST. M.-\TTHE',,-.

H8tJ

contained in this Sacraluellt? All things are full and perfect, as
proceeding from Hinl who is full and perfect. The nature of
I-lis relation is expressed in the title Father; but 11 e is nothing
but Father; for not after tbe manner of men does He derive
froln some\vhat else that He is Father, being Himself Unbe-
gotten, Eternal, and having the source of His being in IIiulself,
kno\yn to none, save the Son. The Son is the OfHspring of the
Unbegotten, One of the One, True of the True, Living of the
Living, Perfect of the Perfect, Strength of Strength, 'Visdolu
of \Visdom, Glory of Glory; the linage of the Unseen God,
the Fonn of the U nbegotten Father. K either can the floly
Spirit be separated fron} the confession of the Father and the
Son. And this consolation of our longing desires is absent
from no place. He is the pledge of our hope in the effects
of His gifts, He is the light of our 111inds, He shines in our
souls. These things as the heretics cannot change, they
introduce into then1 their human explanations. As Sabellius
who identifies the Father \vith the Son, thinking the distinc-
tion to be made rather in name than in person, and setting
forth one and the saIne Person as both Father and Son. ..As
Bbion, who deriving the beginning of IIis existence fr01n

Iary, 111akes HiIn not .J..\Ian of God, but God of luan. As
the Arians, \vho derive the fonn, the po\Yer, and the \visdonl
of God out of nothing, and in tÍ1ne. "That ,yonder then that
1uen should ha\
e diverse opinions about the Holy Spirit, who
thus rashly after their own pleasure create and change the
Son, by \"hOlll that Spirit is bestowed?
JEROME; Obsen?e tbe order of these inj unctions. He bids
the Apostles first to teacb all nations, then to wa.sh theln
with the sacrament of faith, and after faith and baptis1l1 then
to teach the1n ,vhat things they ought to obser\re; Teaching
theln to observe all thing,f; u'hatsoever I lUll
e C01111JU1Jlded
you. RABA
. For a.f) tlte body witltout the spirit is dead, James
so faith withoul "l(,:orks is dead also. CHRYS. And because 2,26.
what lIe had laid upon thell1 ,"as great, therefo];c to exalt
their spirits lIe adds, And, 10, I {on with you altray, et'en 'Unto
tlte end o./Ihe 'lcorld. As llluch as to say, Tell
Ie not of
the difficulty of these things, seeing I am \vith you, "Tho can
make all things easy. A like promise f1 e often Inade to the
Prophets in the Old Testament, to Jeremiah \vho pleaded his

990 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHE\V. CIJ.\P. XXVIII.

youth, to 1\Ioses, and to Ezekiel, \vhen thcy would have
shunned the office iUlposed upon then1. And not \vith thet11
only does He say that He will be, but with all ,vho shall
believe after them. For the Apostles \vere not to continue
till the end of the world, but He says this to the faithful as
to one body. RABAN. lIence \ve understand that to the end
of the world shall not be wanting those \vho shall be \vorthy
of the Divine indwelling. CHRYS. He brings before thcnl
the end of the world, that He may the more dra\v them on,
and that they may not look merely to present inconveniences,
but to the infinite goods to COlne. As much as to say, The
grievous things which you shall undergo, tOI'minate \vith this
present life, seeing that cven this world shall COlne to all end,
but the good things \vhich ye shall enjoy endure for cver.

Beda , BE DE ; It is made a question ho\v He says here, I a1n '/L'itlt

.Y01t, when we read else\vhere that He said, I go unto lÛnt
:
h
. tltat sent '/ne. 'Vhat is said of His hUlnan nature is distinct
, from \vhat is said of His divine nature. lIe is going to
His Father in Ilis hUI11an nature, He abides ,,,ith IIis
disciples in that form in \vhich He is equal with the Fathcl"
When He says, to tlze end of tlte u'orld, He expresses the
infinite by the finite; for He \vho relnail1s in this present
world with His elect, protecting them, the saIne will con-
tinue with them after the end, re\yarding them. J EROl\IE ;
He then who prolnises that He \vill be with Ilis disciples
to the end of the \vorld, shews both that they shall
live for ever, and that He will ne\
er depart frotn those
Leo, that believe. LEO; For by ascending into heaven lIe
Serm. does not desert His adopted; but froin above strengthens
72. 3.
to endurance, those whon1 He invites up\\Tards to glOlY.
Of \v hich glory may Christ make us partakers,
\Vho is the King of g101'Y,
God blessed f01" eve,,",
AMEN.

.

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NEW ARCHÆOLOGIOAL WORKS.

9

DOlIESDA Y BOOK, or the Great Survey of England of William tho
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DOMESDAY BOOK, or the Great Survey of England of 'Villi am the
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PROFESSOR WILLIS.
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I. LAssus and QUICHERAT. Translated and Edited, with many
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10

.4. NEW SERIES OF HISTORIOAL TALES.

HISTORIOAL TALES, illustrating the chief events in Eccle-
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Ab'eady published.

No. I.-THE CAVE IN THE HILLS.
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No. 5.-WILD SCENES AMONGST THE
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1ASSA-
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No. 25.-THE CATECHUMENS OF THE
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IANDEL COAST.
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1A.RTIN.
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lINNIE.
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11

TEN MONTHS IN THE FIJI ISLANDS. Ey MRS. SMYTHE.
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CLI
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12

SINGLE SERMONS.

The Lord J3ishop of Oxford.
Fellowsll'lp in Joy and Sorrow. A
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the Sunday preceding the 1\farriage of
H. R. H. the PRINCE OF WALES,
:March 8, 1863. (Published by Her
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Times of Succession Times of Re-
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ter Abbey, on the Feast of the
Purification, Feb. 2, 1863, at the Con-
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the Orange River Free State. (Pub-
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Oommemorat'ions of the lJeparted.
A Sermon preached at the Consecration
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July 16, 1863. 8vo., 6d.

TIle Unjust Steward and the Great
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Very Rev. the Dean of Westminster.
Human Oorrupt
'on. A Sermon
preached before the University of Ox-
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1863. 8vo., Is.

Great Opportun'lïies. A Farewell
Sermon preached before the Universit:y
of Oxford, in Christ Church Cathedral,
on Advent Sunday, Nov. 29, 1863.
8vo., Is.

A Reasonaòle, Holy, and Livz'ng
Sacrifice. A Sermon preached by
ARTHUR PENRHYN STANLEY, D.D.,
Dean of \Vestminster, in "r estminster
A bbey, on Jan. 10, ] 864, being the
day following his Installation. 8vo., Is.

Very Rev. the Dean of Lincoln.
Was Paul Orucifil'd for YOlt? A
Sermon on the Satisfaction made by
the Lord Jesus Christ. Preached be-
fore the University of Oxford, 011 Sun-
day, Dec. 6, 1863. 8vo., Is.

Rev. T. L. Claughton.
Prayers for those in Âutho'r,/'t!!.
"},.[arriage. Two Sermons preached in
the Parish Church of Kidderminster,
on the occasion of the Rejoicings for
the Marriage of tbe Prince of Wales.
8vo., Is.

Rev. John Keble.
Women laòouring ,/'n the Lord. A
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Mary l\Iagdalen's Day, July 22, 1863.
(Published by request.) Fcap.8vo., 6d.

Rev. Dr. Moberly.
The Unity of the Sa'/.nts the E'Ci-
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before the U lliversity of Oxford, on
All Saints' Day, 1863. 8vo., Is.

Rev. .E. T. Espin.
Our Want of Olergy:
ïs Oauses,
and Suggestions for its Cure. A Ser-
mon preached before the University of
Oxford, on the Second Sunday in Lent,
March 1, 1863. (Published by re-
quest.) 8vo., Is.

Rev. J. W. Murray.
Tlze Doctrine of the Incarnation as
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and the COllfidence of "},./an in God. A
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versity of Oxford, on the Fourth Sun-
day in Advent, 1863. 8vo., 6d.

Rev. G. W. Kitchin.
On a Rigllt Judgment. A Sermon
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Rev. D. P. Chase.
Is all Holy Scripture equally (that
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cision, 186<1. 8 v 0., 1 s.

Rev. J. M. Chapman.
.A. Sermon preached at the Oonse-
cl'ation of the Church of St. John the
Evang-elist, Colchester,
ov. 10, ]863.
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NEW AND STANDARD EDUOATIONAL WORKS. 13

THE FIFTH BOOK OF EUCLID.-The Propositions of the Fifth
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H KAI
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P ...\.88 A1\T]) CLASS. An Oxford Guide-Book through the Courses
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14

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U The notes contain sufficient information, I years ago, we had put into our hands a portly
without affording the pupil so much assistance 8vo. volume, containing Porson's four Plays,
as to supersede all exertion on his part."- without one word of English in thE' shape of
Athenæum, Jan. 27, 1855. notes; and we have no doubt the book cost
"Be all this as it may, it is a real benefit to I nearer twenty than ten shillings, and after all
public schoolboys to be able to purchase any was nothing near so useful as these neat little
Greek Play they want for One Shilling. When copies at One Shilling each." -.Educational
we were introduced to Greek Plays, about forty Times.

16

PERIODIOALS.

Pub1ished Monthly, Fcap. 8vo., in wrapper, price Is.
TRACTS FOI
THE CHRISTIAN SEASONS: being Readings for
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All ComlJlU7zications to be addressed to !tIre URBAJ.V, 377, STRL11fÐ, TfT.C.

THE PENNY POST. A Church of England Illustrated l\Iagazine,
issued Monthly. Price One Penny.
ENLARGE'IENT OF THE PENNY POST.
Each number consists of Thirty-two Pages, containing Tales, Stories, Al1e-
gories, with numerous Illustrations; Notes on Religious Events of the Day;
Essays, Doctrinal and Practical. The object is to combine amusement with
instruction; to provide llealthy and i'l1teresting reading aðapted for the Village as
well as the Town. A part of each number is devoted to the "Children's Corner.:

The Editor's Box is continued.
1IONTHLY-ONE PENNY.
Subscribers' names received by all Booksellers and Newsmen.

P.A_RKER'S CHURCH CALENDAR FOR 1864, price 6d., being
the Ninth Year of Issue.
CONTENTS :-THE CALENDAR, with the Daily Lessons.-THE CHURCH: Statistics of the
Church in England, Ireland, Scotland, the Colonies, &c. COXVOCATIO
: Province of Canter-
bury; Province of York. The Archbishops and Bishops of EKGLAND; Deans; Archdeacons;
}>roctors of Convocation; Benefices; Church and other Sittings, &c. The Archbif'hops and
Bishops in IRhLAND, SCOTLAND, anò the COLO
UFS; and other information. The Bishops in
AMERICA, with Statistics of the Dioceses, Extent, Population, Clergy, &c., &c. ; First Bishops of
the American Church; Statil"tical SUIDmaries.-THE UNIVERSITIES, &c.: The University of
OXFORD; the l'"niversity of CAMBRIDGE ; and other Universities. Theolog-ical ColJeg('s; Training
Institutions; Public Schools. Societies and Institutions; Church Unions; Colleges.-THE
STATE, &c.: The State and Royal Family. :\I('mbers of the House of Peers and Commons. 'l'he
Kings and Queens of England. Statistics of the Population. Postal RegulatioDs, and a variety
of other information.

Crown 8vo., price Is.; 140 pages of close type, in wrapper,
THE OXFOltD DIOCESAN CALEXDAR, AND CLERGY LIST
for 1864. Issued under the sanction of the Lord Bi
hop of the Diocese.
Also,
THE LONDON DIOCESAN CALENDAR, AND CLERGY LIST
for 1864.

A Diary is also printed, uniform 'with the Calendar.
Tlte two together, bound in roan, 38.
Oxforl1 and London: J. H. and J. PARI(ER.

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AUTHOR

Thomas Aquinas, St.

TITLE

Catena Aurea.

DATE DUE

BQ
6ö56 -
.C3

vo .
part 3.

BORROWER'S NAME

. as St.
Themas Aqulll ,

Catena Aurea.

p,",
.....,

6856
.C3
vol. 1.
part 3.

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