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and destroyedthose murderers, and burned up their city. 8 Then saith he to his servants, ...... by the right of supreme dominion, demands of you as His creatures,  ...
THE GREAT COMMENTARY OF

CORNELIUS

LAPIDE(

A

TRANSLATED BY

THOMAS

W.

MOSSMAN,

B.A.,

RECTOR OF TORRINGTON, LINCOLNSHIRE,

Assisted by Various Scholars.

S.

MATTHEWS GOSPEL. CHAPS. XXII. TO COMPLETE. S. MARK S GOSPEL.

XXVIII,

(ZBnition.

JOHN HODGES, AGAR STREET, CHARING 1891.

CROSS, LONDON.

13

1Q53

ADVERTISEMENT TO THE THIRD VOLUME.

nr^HIS

^

third

on

Volume

the

Gospels,

of the Translation of Cornelius a Lapide

comprises

Matthew, and the whole of

S.

For the the

3ist

S.

and

for

the

last

of

chapters

Mark.

translation of the 26th

verse,

seven

the

of

chapter

whole of

the,

Matthew from

S.

2yth

chapter,

I

am

*

indebted to the Divine,

the Rev.

eminent

kindness of

an

James

so well

Bliss,

known

connection with the Anglo- Catholic Library the I

Fathers.

am

For the translation of the

indebted

to

another friend.

patristic

For

,

for

Scholar and

his

labours in

and the Library of

28th the

of

S.

Matthew,

remainder,

I

am

responsible myself.

T.

W. M.

THE

HOLY GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST, ACCORDING TO

S.

CHAPTER 2 77ie marriage of the king

II

s son.

tribute.

23

MATTHEW.

XXII.

TTie

Of the

wedding garment.

AND Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables,

**

2

The kingdom

of heaven

is

Of paying

15

resurrection.

like unto

and

said,

a certain king, which

made a

marriage for his son, 3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding : and they would not come. 4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner my oxen and my failings are killed, and all :

come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one

things are ready 5

to his

6

:

merchandise

And

to his farm,

and another

:

the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew

them.

and he sent forth his armies, 7 But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 9 Go ye, therefore, into the highways ; and as many as ye shall find, bid to :

the marriage. as

10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all, many as they found, both bad and good and the wedding was furnished with :

guests. 1 1

And when

the king

came

in to see the guests,

had not on a wedding garment 12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how wedding garment ? And he was speechless.

he saw there a

man which

:

13

Then VOL.

said the king to the servants, III.

earnest thou in hither, not having a

Bind him hand and

foot,

and take him

A

2

S.

MATTHEW,

away, and cast him into outer darkness

XXII.

C.

there shall be weeping and gnashing of

;

teeth.

14 For

many

are called, but few are chosen.

15 IF Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel in his talk.

how

they might entangle

him

1 6 And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man ; for thou regardest not the person of men.

17 Tell us therefore, Caesar, or not 1

What

8 But Jesus perceived

hypocrites

19

thinkest thou?

Is

it

lawful to give tribute unto

?

wickedness, and said,

their

Why

tempt ye me, ye

?

Shew me

And he

the tribute money.

And

they brought unto him a penny.

Whose is this image and superscription ? Then saith he unto them, Render therefore 21 They say unto him, Caesar s. unto Caesar the things which are Caesar s, and unto God the things that are God s. 20

22 their

23

When

saith unto them,

they had heard these words, they marvelled, and

left

him, and went

way.

The same day came

If

to

him

the Sadducees, which say that there

is

no

and asked him, 24 Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. 25 Now there were with us seven brethren and the first, when he had married

resurrection,

:

a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother. 26 Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh.

27 And last of all the woman died also. 28 Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they

all

had

her.

29 Jesus answered and said unto them, nor the power of God.

Ye do

err,

not knowing the scriptures,

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

was spoken unto you by God, saying, 32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of

God

not the

Isaac,

and the God of Jacob ?

God

of the dead, but of the living. 33 And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine. 34 IT But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to is

were gathered together. 35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,

silence, they

36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with

all thy heart, thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. 41 H While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,

and with

all

THE WEDDING FEAST. 42 Saying,

What

think ye of Christ

whose son

?

3

he ?

is

They

say unto him,

The son of David. 43

He

How

saith unto them,

44 The LORD said unto enemies thy footstool. 45 If David then

my

then doth David in

Lord, Sit thou on

him Lord, how

call

is

he

spirit call

my

Church

is

is

it

:

the same in the

militant here

For

his son, &c.

directly

saying, thins

make

I

neither durst any

;

man

from

answered, &c., refuting the incredulity of the Scribes.

The meaning the

till

his son ?

46 And no man was able to answer him a word that day forth ask him any more questions.

And Jesus

him Lord ?

right hand,

on

kingdom of Heaven,

in

made a marriage for kingdom of Heaven is not

earth, as if a king

in other respects the

and precisely

i.e.,

like a king,

but a kingdom.

S.

Gregory

treats

of this parable at length (Horn. 38, in Evang.}.

The

similar to that

is

parable

Maldonatus thinks

it is

the

which Luke records

same with

that,

and

With more reason

not here observed the historical order.

(xiv.

16).

Matthew has

that

S.

Augus Thomas, Jansen, and others think that this is a different parable from that in Luke ; or if the same, that they were uttered upon two occasions, and in different words. It is clear on comparison that they have numerous differences. tine

(/.

2,

de consens. Evang.

c.

71), S.

Luke

For, not to speak of other things,

spoken it

in

the

house of a Pharisee.

was spoken publicly

Again,

And

Luke

calls this

in the temple.

says that the parable was

Matthew here This

is

asserts that

plain from

ver. 23.

marriage feast a supper ; Matthew, a dinner.

For marriage, the Syriac version has

sent his servants, &c.

throughout feast, meaning marriage feast.

The whole

parable may be expounded and applied as follows The king is God the Father the son of the king, the bridegroom, God s Incarnate Son, Jesus Christ, whose spouse is the Church, :

i st. is

;

whose nuptials were begun Christ espoused

Church, that

by grace. with glory.

is,

But

human all

in

Incarnation of Christ, for in

Heaven

So Origen,

it

nature to Himself, hypostatically, and the

faithful people,

Wherefore, tropologically, "the

in the

SS.

mystically, to

be His Spouse

consummated

these nuptials shall be

Hilary, Jerome, Gregory,

"by

marriage,

understand,"

union of Christ with the soul; and by

offspring,

and

others.

says Origen,

good

works."

4

MATTHEW,

S.

2d.

God

the Father

He

To

this nuptial feast the

Jews were invited by God, through God, both before and

as the servants of

the incarnation of Christ, that they might believe

after

in

believing

Christ,

they might obtain justice

and failings have only

4th. Bulls

that

first

had taken place; that repenting and seeking grace from Him, and salvation.

was about to take place, and then that

so,

especially the Sacra

of the Eucharist.

Moses and the prophets,

it

since in

for Christ,

hath, through Christ, spread a

and sacraments,

table of evangelical doctrine

3d.

XXII.

made a marriage feast

Judea, and in the whole world,

ment

C.

the general signification of rich

They denote

provision for a banquet.

it

the grandeur of the doctrines

Jerome, and of the Sacraments. Moreover, failings (altilia, Vulg.) do not mean winged creatures, birds and fowls, but bulls and calves, and other creatures which of the Gospel, says

Altilia

are fed up.

For

been

killed,

of Christ, which

is

rtfyafva,

i.e.,

Cross.

is

calves

have been

weddings were wont to be were kept with

feasts

also the marriage feast

here parabolically described, took of the

sacrifice

in sacrifice.

and my

translates,

Gr.

and marriage So

sacrifice,

and offered

victims slain

The Greek

ale, to nourish.

in olden time, as now,

inaugurated by a

from the

derived from

and have

noiv fed,

immolated.

is

Wherefore the Arabic

ctriard, failings.

are

S.

Symbolically,

its

beginning

bulls

by

(Vulg.)

Gregory understands the Fathers of the Old Covenant, who, by

S.

the permission of the Law, smote their enemies with the horn of

But the

corporeal strength. the

New

earth

Testament, raised by contemplation from the things of

to

Prophets bulls

things ;

bulls,

above.

those

S.

were with

word

Chrysostom

says,

"failings

are

Priests."

As

who were both Prophets and

Hilary says, the bulls are martyrs, who, like victims,

have been immolated.

its

But

are leaders of the herd, so are Priests the princes of the

people.

it

failings, saith he, are the Fathers of

of

The

spiritual bread.

God.

failings are spiritual persons, filled as Lastly,

Origen

says, the

dinner

Bulls signify the strong meat of the word

sweeter portions.

;

is

the

failings

The field,

5th.

THE SPIRITUAL BANQUET.

5

who were

invited went away,

the/tfr;;/,

whither those

despising the invitation, signify temporal good things, which drew

away the Jews from the faith of Christ, and from heavenly good things ; and which led them to slay the servants of God, yea, even Christ

God

Himself.

Wherefore,

murderers,

and burnt up

who

sent Titus,

their

slew the Jews as being

city, namely, their capital, Jerusalem.

Christ in this parable has an allusion to Isa. xxv.

6,

Lord of hosts make unto

all

mountain

this

of

feast

xxx.

of wines

things, a feast

fat

on the

lees, of

marrow, of wines on the lees well refined

of

full

the

shall

23,

24,

"Then

he

shall

give the

of

rain

"And

people a fat

things

and

Isa.

seed,

that

"

;

thy

in

thou shalt sow the ground withal; and bread of the increase of the earth, and

shall

it

feed

thy cattle

in

fat

:

ground

shall eat clean provender,

large

asses that ear the

young

and plenteous in that day shall The oxen likewise and the pastures.

be

hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the

Learn from

Church a

hence that Christ always

rich

of

banquet

spiritual

sets

us in the

before

doctrine

holy

which

fan."

and

grace,

abundantly seasoned with sacred lections, sermons, exhortations,

and with innumerable examples

kind of

in every

virtue, of Apostles,

Martyrs, Confessors, Virgins, with frequent receiving of the Sacra

ments, especially the Eucharist, which

and the wine that maketh

virgins,"

is

"the

corn of the

as Zechariah saith

(ix.

17)

elect, ;

with

the Sacrifice of the Mass, with such great adornment of the sacred ministers, altars,

and temples, and with the heavenly harmony of

music and organs, and many other things which of the

inebriate the souls

pious one continual Ixvi.

23,

"The

to another,

faithful,

banquet,

feast of the

and from sabbath

to

according

new moon to

feed,

so that Christianity

shall

the

delight,

to the

is

words

in

Isa.

be from one month

sabbath."

Lastly, Christ Himself, Incarnate,

is

the perennial food and joy

For He, through the Incarnation, really communi them not only all the gifts of His grace, but Himself, in His fulness, and therefore His very Deity itself. And this He

of the

faithful.

cates to all

gives

them

to taste

3

to eat, to enjoy, as

it

is

said in S.

John

vi.

51,

6 "

MATTHEW,

S.

am

I

reason

who came down from

the Living Bread,

ever shall eat of this

why

Bread, shall live

when

Isaiah,

XXII.

C.

happiness which were

to

cially Priests

their souls;

declaring

beforehand the delights and the

to

and

new Church from

exults,

may

by and by

will

begin that

saith

ii.

Him

of beatitude with

life

This

&c.

he,

parable of the guests.

Then, that

meaning the Jews, refused

invited,

See chaps,

vii.

;

chaps.

now, which

be perfected and consummated in Heaven.

Then

8.

Christ

invites all Christians

Let Christians therefore, and espe

&c.

Ixii.,

and

and Religions, take care to feed in these feasts in and serve Christ in righteousness and holiness, that

thus they

Ver.

Ixi.,

the

is

come

Incarnate, everywhere rejoices

lx.,

This

eternally."

evermore to rejoice and exult with him. xxx., xxxv.,

Whoso

heaven.

to

second part of the

the

is

to say,

is

come

when

who were

these

to the nuptial table of

the evangelical doctrine of Christ, because they were not worthy of it,

because they despised

His

Go ye dovg

then saith the King, that

it

is

God, to

servants, the Apostles into the

highways

the passages,

oduiv,

Traverse and run through

and bendings of the

Do

traverse.

all

roads.

O

ye,

;

Vulg. the ends of the

the outlets

of

the ways.

ways;

Gr. 3/eo-

The meaning

ye Apostles, travel over the whole world

into all the countries of the nations, that ye

of Christ to them, and invite

all

men

to

it.

may preach

He

Wherefore

And

his servants

went

preach the Gospel in according to the all

lands,

and

out,

all

&c.

nations

words in Ps.

their

He

who

go

also bids the is

the

adds

The

Apostles were to go and

unto the ends of the earth, "

xix.,

Their sound

words unto the end of the

the servants are angels

;

the faith

Apostles to transfer the Gospel from the invited guests, that Jews, to all nations.

is,

the ways, and the turnings, and corners, Let there be no nook which you do not

preside

is

world."

gone out into Mystically

:

over the conversion of the

Gentiles, says Origen.

Symbolically: errors

and

the

highways are the various and contradictory

sects of the

So Remigius.

2d. S.

Gentiles, which

Chrysostom

says,

the

Apostles destroyed.

The ways are the various

THE WEDDING GARMENT. men

professions of

arms, &c. shall

the world, as the profession of philosophy,

in

therefore

Christ

be invited to believe.

time of the world. the past actions

is

to

bids 3d.

men

that

S.

of every profession

The way

"

Hilary says,

the

is

are bidden to go out to the end, because

They

forgiven

/

S.

4th.

all."

Gregory

The ways are

says,

their terminations (exitus) are defects.

:

They gathered together

This

&c.

a!/,

of the parable, and only signifies that

an ornament (emblema)

is

men, without any

all

dis

tinction whatsoever, are invited to the faith of Christ.

And

the

copious multitude of

When

all

came

the king

The Church

&c.

wedding,

&c,

that

judgment at the end of the world, all mankind. So Origen, &c.

And

with

filled

a

nations. in,

This shall take place when

them.

been

has

he might survey and examine

God

come

shall

to judge,

to the general

and reward or punish

saw The wedding garment ; Syr. a festal garment. the that which one is is, for clean, garment wedding, precious, he

.

and splendid, at

this

feast

A

life.

woven of

not

faith, as

Therefore

pure and holy

virtues

the heretics say.

For

all

who were

Church, indeed, could not have entered in

of the

faith.

except by of

is

.

.

this life

is

garment

is

charity,

like a clean

and holiness

and splendid robe,

and good works, which are a glorious adornment

So SS. Jerome, Hilary, Tertullian, and others. S. Gregory explains the not having a wedding garment to mean faith without works of charity, by which the Lord comes to unite the man.

of a

Church

in marriage with Himself.

Faust,

c.

Lord

glory.

s

19) explains

of the Holy

But

it

to

But

S.

Augustine

mean one who

(lib.

Hilary says, the wedding garment is the grace and the brightness of heavenly conversation,

S.

Spirit,

which being received by the good answer of confession, served spotless for the celestial company.

which are

fulfilled

contra

2,

seeks his own, not the

out of the

Law and

S.

Jerome

is

says,

pre

works

the Gospel, form the garment

of the new man.

Many

in

the

be found without

day of judgment who believed this

in

Christ

shall

robe of charity and sanctity; yet one only

8

MATTHEW,

S.

is

XXII.

C.

mentioned, because

this matter is spoken of, as it were, by For the direct object of Christ in this parable was to de that when the unbelieving Jews were rejected, the Gentiles

the way. clare

This one, however, denotes

were called to Christ. like

Him.

who

all

are

one wicked person can

signifies that not even

It also

lie

hid in the day of judgment, or go away unpunished.

And

said to him. Friend (Syr.

God to condemn

signifies that

friend

hatred, or a desire

from zeal of

justice.

he was invited to the wedding

Whence

a wedding garment.

how he

plainly,

friend by

But

God

shall there

make

and

i.

yet rejects

marvellous

It is It

him."

as though

is

friend by faith, but not

"bring

manifest will

"I

to light

the

search

no place the hidden things

counsels

of

the

Jerusalem with

heart,"

candles"

12).

Then said the king xiii.

And

39.

to his servants, his angels, as

unto

thousand stood before

Him."

This

him, &c.

is

as Daniel saith concerning them,

thousands ministered

cannot

says,

manner without

For, says S. Jerome, that was

speechless.

according to the words,

Bind

Gregory

and not friend;

"Friend,

he was

darkness,

Matt.

a rude

in

"

S.

because

works"

of denial; for

(Zeph.

and

Trim friend,

calls

he said

of

came

calls \\imfriend,

Therefore he rebukes him

feast.

impudence, because he

for his

them, but in a friendly manner,

Jerome adds, he

S.

The word

comrade), &c.

my

speak thus to the wicked, not out of

will

is

Him, and

ten

thousand

plain from "Thousand

times

an emblem, signifying that the

ten

damned

the sentence of God, nor from thenceforth do any

resist

good thing; altogether as if they had their hands and feet, their mouth and souls, their will and judgment bound. For as S. Augustine says a

chain."

bonds to

(lib.

And

S.

sin, shall

u,

de Trin.),

binding of an

evil will is

They who now are their will, be bound

willingly in

"The "

Gregory

says,

then, against

in punish

ment."

Cast him

.

.

gluttony, says S.

.

teeth.

Gregory.

These are the

And

teeth

which delighted

again the same

S.

in

Gregory says

MANY CALLED

Many

inner darkness

"The

appositely,

outer darkness

is

come were

would not believe

in

who

garment, Christ it

represents

who

by naming

the way, to signify that not

who adorn

but those only is,

this

one, all

good works,

For inasmuch

these,

believe in Christ shall be saved, that

wedding garment,

This saying of Christ ought to raise

make

his calling

and

elect

by means

to strive,

named

of these was

first

She

Tharsilla.

of

election sure.

The

Gregory gives the example of his three paternal aunts.

S.

as

should refer to that matter by

Every one therefore ought

to

even of those who

For no one knoweth whether he be

and awe.

or reprobate.

who

bears special

not having a wedding

in,

their faith with a

with love and holy works.

great fear

who

the Jews,

specially to refer to

place

He

and

parable

rejected,

entered

all

say,

this

invited

first

wicked Christians.

all

not intend in

did

sufficed that

to

is

whom

one was

were called, and did come,

who were

all

that

Christ, to

Besides these,

reference.

damnation."

Because

rejected,

9

the darkness of the heart; the

is

the night of eternal

are called, &c.

refused to

FEW CHOSEN.

:

lived in holy virginity,

and

was called away to Heaven by her grandfather, who was already

among

the blessed, in these words,

into this

mansion of

and cried aloud, delivered sister,

up her

light."

"

Then

Come,

that I

may

receive thee

beheld Jesus,

she, looking up,

"

Depart ye, depart

soul to

Him

ye, Jesus

cometh,"

The second

to be eternally blessed.

Heaven by

Emiliana, was called away to

and so

Tharsilla herself

on the Feast of the Epiphany; and being anxious about her Gordiana, she answered,

sister

shall I leave "

ing,

Come,

Gordiana ? for

"

"And

if

I

come

Again she heard her

Gordiana hath chosen her

alone, to

third

whom

sister s voice say

lot

with the

world."

For, shortly afterwards, Gordiana, forgetful of her consecration to virginity,

married her

bailiff.

Ver. 15. Then ivent the Pharisees the Greek has

And

Kuyidtuffuaiv,

i.e.,

.

.

.

For entangle,

entangle, &c.

ensnare;

for

ray/3f

so the Syriac has prepare gins like bird-catchers.

are snares.

The

Pharisees

put captious questions to Christ with the design that whatever

He

might answer,

He

should incur blame

;

and

way

that so they might,

10 as

MATTHEW,

S.

Him

were, entrap

it

"They (/.

its

a plot by

contra Crescen.

i,

c.

He

His answer, and that

in

to the charge of treason against either laid

XXII.

C.

means of

a

human

or Divine Majesty. says S.

dilemma,"

He

17), that whichever

might be open

Augustine

should choose of

He might be caught. If He answered that would be a traitor to the people of God ; but

two horns,

lawful,

He

said

was not

it

lawful,

He

would be punished

as an

it

if

enemy

was

He to

Caesar.

With

Herodians ;

the

Syr.

with those who were of the house of

Herod.

The Herodians were Caesar,

a Jewish

Roman

tribute to him. They were named Herod of Ascalon, the infanticide, who was entirely Caesar, inasmuch as he had been made king of Judea by

first

devoted to

Roman

Augustus Caesar and the others.

cont.

the

and the payment of

from the

and

who favoured

sect,

S.

Epiphanius

i,

(lib.

So

Senate.

S.

and

hares. 20)

Jerome, Origen,

S.

Jerome (Dialogo

Luriferanos) add that these Herodians were Jewish sectaries,

who

or heretics,

held that

Herod of Ascalon was

the Messiah or

Christ promised by the prophets, because they saw that in sceptre

had

flatterers.

Herod

from Judah.

failed

And

the reason

eagerly encouraged these

why he slew the infants

was that he might

kill

accounted Christ.

For the same reason, he

Christ, that

him the

at

Bethlehem

no one but himself might be built a most magnifi

cent temple for the Jews, vieing with that of Solomon, as Josephus

shows (Lib. Ant.

15,

c.

rating the Jewish sects,

Listen to

14). "

I say

who, before the coming of Christ, to them.

S.

Jerome

briefly

enume

nothing about the Jewish heretics,

made

light of the

law delivered

There was Dositheus, prince of the Samaritans, who There were the Sadducees, sprung from his

rejected the prophets. root,

who went on

to

deny the resurrection of the

flesh.

There were

the Pharisees, divided from the rest of the Jews on account of certain superfluous observances.

took Herod for

their

king

There were the Herodians, who

instead

of

Christ."

Theophylact,

Euthymius, and Philastrius say the same, with the exception, that for Herod of Ascalon, they substituted his son, Herod Antipas, who

THE CRAFTINESS OF THE

SCRIBES.

But they are mistaken

put John the Baptist to death.

II in their asser

Herod Antipas was ever regarded by the Jews as Messiah. Pharisees, therefore, who took the opposite side, namely, that

tion that

The

the Messiah, and that tribute ought not to be paid

Herod was not to the

Roman

Csesar,

who put themselves forward

the law of Moses and of Jewish liberty,

as vindicators of

suborned these Herodians

go together with their own disciples to Jesus, as to a prophet teacher, and proposed this question to Him concerning giving

to

and

This they did with the crafty design that

tribute to Caesar.

should assert that tribute ought to be given to Caesar, incur the hostility of the Jewish populace

;

He

He

should say that

it

was not to be paid,

if

He

Christ

would

on the other hand,

if,

might

fall

under the

Romans, who would condemn Him

anger of Caesar and the

to

death as being guilty of sedition.

Rabbi means not only a doctor of the are the Rabbins, but a potentate and a prince^ endowed

Master ; Heb. Rabbi. law, such as

with authority.

We know is

the

way of God, i.e., the law of God. For the law way by which we go to God, and to His grace and glory. .

.

the

.

For the law teaches what do, that

And

we may be

is

justified

carest not, &c.

He

pleasing to God, what

wills us to

and blessed by Him.

Thou

fearest neither the anger of

Herod

nor the power of Caesar, so as to be afraid to give a true answer,

and deliver your opinion

in behalf of

your countrymen, even though

you should expose yourself to the hostility of Herod and Caesar; even as John the Baptist, when he rebuked Herod not shrink from incurring his anger.

s

adultery, did

For they trusted that Christ

would pronounce in favour of the Jews, as being faithful against So S. Chrysostom, "By means of flattery Caesar, an unbeliever. they hope to urge thing

against

"that

things;"

charge of

existing

He

to boldness, that institutions,

might come

into

He

and the collision

might say some existing state of

with Caesar on a

rebellion."

For Thou whether

the

Him on

it

To look regardest not the person ; Syr. the face, &c. be the face of a rich man and a prince, or a poor man

12

MATTHEW,

S.

C.

XXTI.

and a plebeian, so that Thou shouldest flatter and defend a prince, and condemn a poor man. Rather wilt Thou, as it were, shut Thine

eyes,

and give sentence

My

say, Caesar is

in favour of truth

friend, but truth

.

.

tribute ; Syr.

.

head or each person was assessed.

that

Master, to

it

was not lawful

and pay him

as their lord,

whom

as follows. it

for

tribute

The

Gr.

capitation-tax,

because each

The

God s faithful And many of

Jews, as

them

to

;

acknowledge Caesar

God

because

they paid tithes and tribute.

Caesar, the successor of Augustus,

The occasion

and

friend."

people, held aloof from the Gentiles, as idolaters.

them thought

justice,

and face.

xotcuxov signifies both person

Tell us therefore

a greater

is

and

By

alone was their Caesar, Tiberius

meant.

is

of this question being propounded to Christ, was

About

was not lawful

this

time one Judas, of Galilee, had taught that

for the

Jews to be

in subjection to the

Romans, and pay them taxes. Now Christ and the Apostles were regarded as Galilaeans ; and the Jews professed to look upon them as upholders of this teaching of Judas the Galilaean, as being their countryman.

And Hear

reason they frequently repudiated this error of

for this S.

Jerome

ad

(in cap. 3,

Tit. ver. i),

"I

think,"

says he,

theirs. "this

precept was given by the Apostle, because at that time the teaching of Judas the Galilaean was

Among

still

in vogue,

their other tenets, they held

it

and had many

probable that, according to

the law, no one ought to be called lord, except

those

who

Caesar.

paid tithes to the

followers.

Temple ought

God

only

;

and

that

not to render tribute to

This sect increased to so great an extent as to influence a

great part of the Pharisees as well as the rest of the people, so that

they referred this question about the lawfulness of paying tribute to Caesar to our Lord,

&c.

S.

Paul

s

who answered is

teaching

in

prudently and cautiously, Render,

agreement with

bids believers be in subjection to princes and

When Jesus to be friends,

knew, &c.

It is as

and to desire

he

powers."

He

"

said,

You

pretend

to maintain a

you may know what you ought according to the law of

though

this answer, in that

to

God, when

do all

in

good conscience, that this case truly and justly,

the while you are

My enemies,

CESAR S DUES. and are

in

Jerome,

who

My

thirsting for "

asks the

prime

"The

blood."

one who gives an answer

is

know

to

mind of him

That

the coin of the census.

Show me

is,

Him

Show Me

the figure of the denarius.

You

a denarius.

will

And

the

The Arabic

coin which Caesar exacts as a tax from each person. has,

says S.

virtue,"

the

question."

Show Me

Ver. 19.

13

they brought unto

say that, according to chap.

xvii.

1 7,

it

appears that the Jews paid a capitation-tax of a didrachma, or a half-shekel.

Roman

But the

denarius was only worth about half a

My

didrachma, or ninepence.

answer

is,

for the sake of convenience, divided into

individual paid two denarii,

Maldonatus.

didrachma.

So Jansen and

would appear that Tiberius and the other

it

Lastly,

or one

that the didrachma was,

two denarii, and that each

emperors ordered a denariiis of this value to be struck coin they required to be paid by the Jews in the

way

Romans were

Baronius shows from Lampridius, the

off,

which

of tribute.

As

in the habit of

such weight and value as they required to be

striking off coins of

paid in the way of tribute, and of greater or less value, according to the necessity of times and requirements.

And Jesus

saith

.

.

.

superscription ; Gr. iviyfafa

for

which the

Vulg. in

Mark

with the

name and image of the prince who coins them. and inscription is this?

For coins are wont

has inscription.

be stamped

to

Hence

the Arab, has, Whose figure

They say unto Him, Casar s, reigned.

Christ already

knew

Tiberius Caesar

i.e.,

but

this,

He

s,

who then

put the question that

might draw from their own mouth a reply which He could turn The cognomen Caesar was first against them and convict them.

He

given to Julius Caesar, from

whom

it

passed to the

succeeding

Servius and Spartianus, and from them Charles Sigonius emperors. (lib. de Nomin. Rom.}, say that Caesar was called originally from the slaughter of an elephant.

Punic tongue.

I

For Caesar

have seen on some

signifies elephant in the

silver coins,

on one

side

an

elephant, with the inscription Caesar; on the reverse, instruments

by means of which the Romans were wont to slay elephants.

Then saith He, &c.

As though

He

said,

"Since

ye,

O

ye Jews,

are

MATTHEW,

S.

14

now

do ye not so much give him the denarius which is due to him

and use

subject to Caesar,

as render or restore (rcddite) to

But

as tribute.

So

God

nor

shall

it

his coins,

is to say, spiritual things, that

For

give ye (date) to God. due.

XXII.

C.

come

God

this

worship and piety,

exacts as what

is

rightly

His

to pass that ye will offend neither against

Caesar."

Observe

that Christ

:

here unwilling to enter into the question

is

whether the Jews were justly or unjustly subjects and tributaries of

Romans.

For

Q\ prima facie^ was a doubtful question. the negative, that they were not justly subject, would seem the more For Pompey, who first reduced the Jews under the Roman correct.

the

this

yoke, was only called in by Hyrcanus and Aristobulus, the grandsons

of Simon the high priest, to decide between them which of the two

was to succeed

what

to the

right then did

Jewish sovereignty and high-priesthood.

Pompey

pass

them

over,

and

By

transfer the sove

power over Judea to the Romans ? For this is Turkish justice. For when the Turk is called in to aid them by Christian princes

reign

upon and enslaves both. And yet, if we examine what happened more carefully, we shall perceive that the contrary proposition is the more probable, namely, quarrelling between themselves, he seizes

that

Pompey

seized

when Pompey had

upon Judea by the

For

right of a just war.

decided in favour of Hyrcanus, as being

justly

the elder, his younger brother, Aristobulus, atacked Jerusalem, and filled

it

with his soldiers,

Hyrcanus.

who

fought against both

Then Pompey took Jerusalem by

subject, with the consent of Hyrcanus, to the

canus being unable to keep

it

storm,

Roman

by himself, delivered

it

Pompey and and made it yoke. to

with the consent of the elders and nobles of the Jews, ferred to be subject to the

Romans

rather than to

Hyr

Pompey,

who

pre

Hyrcanus and

For they saw that without the Romans, the Jewish would be annihilated by schisms and seditions. See the rela

Aristobulus. state

tion in Josephus

(lib.

24,

c.

5,

&c.).

Lastly, prescription was on the side of the Romans,

been

in peaceful possession of

Judea

for

for they

had

about a hundred years,

with at least the tacit assent of the Jewish people.

And

without

WHAT BELONGS TO doubt the position of the possessor the Pharisees wished to deprive the

is

GOD.

1

the stronger.

Romans

Wherefore,

unjustly.

the

this,

Romans

charge, the accused

is

his

In this case the accusers were

absolved.

Romans, whom

the Pharisees, the accused the

it

rightly

For when the accuser does not prove

retained possession.

if

of this possession, the

onus probandi lay upon them of showing that they had acquired Since they were not able to do

5

the accusers wished

Christ therefore, in this place, does

to deprive of their possession.

not choose to enter into the question whether the

Roman dominion

over Judea, and their imposition of tribute, was just or unjust: but

He

takes for granted that, as a matter of

strengthened and confirmed by the various

For the Pharisees,

which was

that

fact,

specified

above

this question

about

titles

was

just.

the

payment of tribute to the Romans, did not put forward the plea

of justice, but of religion lawful nor

becoming

in

propounding

and piety ;

that

to say, that

is

who were

that they,

was neither

it

the alone people of God,

should pay tribute to Caesar, a Gentile and a heathen. not ask,

"

Are we bound

to

pay

tribute to Caesar ?

They do

"

"

but,

Is

it

law

? And they imply that to do so was contempt of God, a disgrace to the Jews, and an injury to their reli Christ answers, on the contrary, that it was not an injury to gion.

ful to

pay tribute to Caesar

"

God and the faith, nor an indignity to a faithful of God were subject to Caesar, a Gentile and

nation,

;

selves

if

might both profitably and honourably obey both

Gentile prince,

if

they would but render

to both their

the people

Jews them

that the

God and

a

and

if

due

;

they would do this with prudence, so as to arouse against them neither

God

nor Caesar, and so destroy their whole nation, as they

did not long afterwards. life

it is

better to pay

money than

to lose

and everything.

Render he

For

therefore,

&c.

That

is,

give to Caesar the didrachma, which

rightly exacts from you to sustain the burdens of the state,

and

especially to maintain soldiers to defend

enemies.

But give

God

also

you against the attacks of the didrachma tithes, oblations, victims,

Jerome says, such as are prescribed in Leviticus, which He, by the right of supreme dominion, demands of you as His creatures,

as S.

1

6

MATTHEW,

S.

and

as faithful to

Him.

"

"

says Origen,

Because,"

what belongs to Caesar, God what belongs to

to Caesar

rendering to

it

The

renders

rights

which belong

;

neither

is

Political

religion adverse

Wherefore, since Tiberius Caesar reigns over

you, and you are his subjects, which clearly

has the right of coining money,

and value

man

not a hindrance to him in

is

God."

obligations are not adverse to religion "

a

from those which belong to God.

to Caesar are different

to political duties.

XXII.

C.

I

mean

is

the case, because he

the denarius of such a weight

seems good to him; and inasmuch as you yourselves, by receiving the coin of the census from Tiberius, as your prince, as

acknowledge that you are therefore by "

u

What

He

to

pay his taxes,

very fact you are under obligation to

this

Christ spoke with His

was careful to

and bound

his subjects,

fulfil

pay."

Bernard (Epist.

S.

says

mouth,"

42),

This Creator of Caesar delayed not

in act.

pay tribute to Caesar." Hear Tertullian (lib. de idololat. c. 15), Render to Ccesar the things of Catsar, and to God the things of God

to "

y

the image of Caesar, which

i.e.,

image of God, which

money

in

is

God

to Caesar, to

is

in

money,

man, to God

so that thou mayest give

;

And

thyself."

Caesar; and the

to

S.

Chrysostom,

"When

thou hearest that the things of Caesar must be rendered to Caesar,

doubt not that those things only are spoken of which do no harm to piety

and

opposed devil"

religion to

And

S.

him

that

which

is

is

faith,

no

done

for

;

which

is

and revenue of the

"If

his."

Which

is

as though Christ said,

ye wish to be exempt from tribute, renounce apostles have

tribute, or toll,

the tribute

we have nothing in our possession then we are free from the obligation of

Hilary says,

which belongs to Caesar, giving

For the

pay them.

to virtue or the

where there

is

all

things, as I

"

If

and the

nothing, there Cassar hath

right"

Politically that,

:

Christ here tacitly admonishes Caesars and sovereigns

being contented with what belongs to them, they must not

intermeddle with the

affairs

of

God and

the Church.

piously did Constantine the Great, as Eusebius testifies stant, iv. 24), say to the prelates

within the Church

;

I

of the Church,

have been appointed by

"

God

You

Wisely and (

Vita Con

are bishops

a bishop without

ON VOWS. the

And

Church."

am

me, who

for

When

his

(as

God

;

for

"

:

Do

yourself; but

up

it is

this."

not

burden

O

yourself,

emperor,

you desire a long

if

To

God

to

God, the things

the emperor pertain palaces, but churches

You have authority And Hosius of Cordova

over fortifications, not sacred said to the Arian

emperor Con-

not intermeddle with matters ecclesiastical, neither

"Do

To

us.

things of the

ad

by

Do

be subject to

reign,

give us orders with respect to such things, but rather learn

from

his

Arian, to ask for a church from S.

to the priest.

stantius,

not lawful

Younger, was instigated by

the

Give the things of

written,

of Caesar to Caesar.

buildings."

is

you have any imperial rights over things divine.

thinking that lift

It

he himself relates, Epist. 33, ad Marcellinani), he heard

the following reply

not

"

a layman, to interfere in such matters as

who was an

mother, Justina,

Ambrose

Valentinian the Elder said,

Valentinian

son,

I/

God

thee

And Theodosius

Church."

Cone. Ephesin.\

them

has entrusted the imperial power, to us the the

Younger

said (Epist.

wickedness for one who has not been

is

"It

enrolled in the catalogue of the holy bishops to thrust himself into

and

ecclesiastical affairs

Tropologically

God

S.

deliberations."

Hilary says,

"We

are

bound

the things of God, our body, soul, and will

Caesar is

:

is

man,

which

in gold, in

in

whom

is

image

the image of God.

is

Caesar, but keep for

his

to render ;

engraven

unto

for the coin of

but

God

s

coin

Give your money then to

God the consciousness of your innocence." And To God must be given Christian love, to kings

"

S.

Augustine says,

human

And

fear."

on the Lord

s

S.

Bernard, or whoever was the author of the book "

Passion, says (cap. 3),

which has Caesar

s

image

;

render unto

Render unto Caesar the penny

God the

soul which

He created

His own image and

likeness, and ye shall be righteous." Symbolically: the author of the sermon to the Brethren

after

wilderness (apud S. Angus,

torn.

sum. 7) says,

10,

when we pay to them and we give

render to Caesar the things of Caesar, the reverence (dulid) which

of

God

(latria}

VOL.

to

due

to

God, when we render unto

which III.

is

is

due

to

Him

"Then

;

Him

in the

do we

the Saints

the things

that Divine worship

alone."

B

1

8

MATTHEW,

S.

S.

Lastly:

Augustine

(in

XXII.

C.

Sent.

Sententiis,

15)

and those who make vows.

thinks well of what he

may vow

him vow and render Let Caesar

This

is

himself.

"

bring presents

Ver.

God, and what vowing pay, let This is required, and this is due.

God

what the Psalmist commands when he

God

pay unto the Lord your

all

;

ye who

image to God.

s

*

says,

Vow, and

are round about

Him

(Ps. Ixxvi. 1 2).

And

22.

Whosoever

"

to

image be rendered to Caesar,

s

applies

rightly

these words to vows,

wheti

heard,

they

who

thus

They

c.

marvelled,

they

marvelled at the wisdom of Christ,

easily extricated

Himself from the snare which to the Pharisees seemed so im

and twisted

possible of escape,

had

laid

it,

net which they laid privily

There

said (Prov. xxi. 30),

counsel against the Ver. 23.

round

it

their

own

according to the words of the Psalm,

Then

their foot

is is

taken."

"

necks,

In their

And

again

suading

to

The Sadducees had

came unto Him, &c.

repentance and a holy

in order that they

life.

seemed

to

it

them unanswerable,

if

He

strife,

i.e.,

still

another.

son, as the

of the dead,

This law

5.

should say the

more than

a

to survive in him.

this

woman

question to confound Christ.

was the wife of one of the men,

incite the other brothers to wrath,

since there was

Him.

name

posterity,

called after the

dead man might seem

found in Deut. xxv.

would

Seed,

who should be

The Sadducees expected by For

per

Him

might confute and overthrow Christ and His

Ver. 24. Saying, Master, &c.

is

it

They oppose

doctrine by the absurdities in which they thought to involve

that so the

is

Lord."

there

therefore with this question, which

Syriac translates,

own it

neither wisdom, nor prudence, nor

heard Christ teaching the Resurrection, and by means of

men

who

and envy, and perpetual

no reason why she should be given to one For the first husband, who might seem to

have had the best right to her,

lost his right

by death.

other hand, Christ had said that she was the wife in the seven, they would have accused doctrine and public incest.

It

was

Him as

If,

on the

common

of

all

as a teacher of shameful

though they

said,

"Such

THE RESURRECTION.

ig

are the absurdities which follow from the doctrine of the Resurrec

Thou

tion.

your

Christ,

spider

s

Christ, ought not to assert in their stupidity, that

by a word, brushes aside

web, and shows them

And

it.

you

are

their fallacy, as

thus

wise."

were a

it

by adding what these

their ignorance,

with their crass and carnal minds never took into considera

come

namely, that in the world to

tion,

one

O

followers imagine,

silly

Then

men

therefore,

wife at

s

Know

this

widow would be no

all.

not the Scriptures, which clearly declare the Resurrection,

Job xix. 25 2 Mace. vii. 9 et seq. and xii. 44; and Ixvi. 14; Ezek. xxxvii. i, 9; Dan. xii. 12, &c. as

;

The power of God ; Gr.

God

He

Mvatfus.

means,

omnipotent, and therefore can raise to

is

He

which have been reduced to dust, even as

"Ye

life

Isa.

know

xxvi.

19

not that

again the bodies

created them out of

For greater power is required to create a thing out of nothing than to raise it from the dead." Christ here nothing at the beginning.

The

touches upon the double root of the Sadducean error.

first

was

ignorance of the Scriptures, which clearly teach the Resurrection.

The

other was ignorance,

tion

treat of the

from vice to

In

Resurrection as referring to a mystical resurrec

virtue.

the Resurrection,

celestial

Nor

bliss.

i.e.,

in the world to

are given

in

husbands by

But

come,

marriage ; for

good and modest do not choose husbands given to

in

Heaven, and

women who

for themselves,

they shall be as the angels, &c.

food;

;

2,

3,

by

spiritual

life,

The

for they live

blessed in

for

race is

by

by incorruption and immortality;

glory, in which, like the angels,

Wherefore there

are

but are

their parents.

Heaven

the Resurrection shall be like the angels, not by nature, but, purity

omni

This caused them to interpret the Scriptures

potence of God.

which

or want of consideration, of the

they

will

after i,

by

spiritual not corporeal 4,

by happiness and

continue for

all

eternity.

be no need then of marriage and generation these things have been instituted for the perpetuation of the

and the

will

individual,

;

by means of children.

Because the father

mortal, therefore he begets a son, that after death he

may

live

20

MATTHEW,

S.

and continue and they

But

in his son.

XXII.

Heaven

in

shall live for ever.

C.

there shall be no death,

Marriage, therefore,

of children would be without an object there.

adds S.

Neither can they die any more.

35),

(xx.

and procreation

Wherefore

Augustine (Qutzst. Evang. in Luc. xx. 35),

S.

Luke

Appositely says

"Marriage

is

for the

sake of children, children for the sake of succession, succession on

account of death. S.

Luke

And

adds,

therefore, death

is

not, marriage

;

not."

they shall be like

both in body and soul; for they shall be

God

immortal, and eternal as

spiritual,

glorious,

forasmuch as they are born the

is,

born again to a blessed and

sons of the Resurrection, and are endless

is

they are the sons of God, being the sons of the

Blessed are they that rise again

Resurrection.

God

Where,

wherefore they shall neither need nor delight in the

life,

procreation of children.

From

this

passage Auctor Lnperfecti teaches that chastity

most angelic of

all

the meaning of

is

And

Wherefore

S. Basil (de

desire

to

rewarded with

"How

and

makes us great

makes a

and

God

its

purity of incorporeal

yea, that virgins anticipate here,

there,

perfection

corruptible

man most

God

saith he,

thing,"

unto

like

in

angels

Heaven, and

by constant

S. Basil

victory over the flesh here.

receive the similitude of

from

;

like not only to the angels,

glorious a

not by experience

79) teaches that virginity

that future likeness with the

be

struggling with chastity

and the

Virginit.

the seed of future incorruption

and begin

know

angels

the

Cyril of Jerusalem (Cat. 12) calls

S.

the conversation of angels

"virginity nature."

The

the virtues.

lust.

is

but to "is

God

adds that Himself.

virginity,

which

God, that he should

in himself, as in a

most clear mirror,

Himself, with His favours flowing unto him after the

manner of a most sweet ray (of light) Elegantly and piously saith S. Bernard, "

!

"What is

more

beautiful

than chastity, which makes clean what hath been conceived unclean,

which makes a servant of an enemy, and, in

man ?

For a chaste man

in virtue.

differs

short,

from an angel only in

Although the chastity of the one has

the chastity of the other

is

an angel of a

stronger.

Chastity

felicity,

not

more happiness, stands

alone

in

ARE THERE THE SEXES IN HEAVEN? and time of mortality

that in the place

this

In the midst of marriage

of immortality.

customs of that blessed country,

Arian.\

"

until

we

all

come ...

that after the Resurrection, in as there

is

none and

into males,

that

many

But

on earth some experience of

Jerome

again in the male sex.

rise

own day

in this passage

existed

in

and Tertullian

to

created a man.

be

Now,

"the

were in clear

of

lest

sex has

Augustine

testifies

So does

S.

de Resurrect.}, also

(lib.

in

priori reason

is,

Paradise.

For Eve was

all

as

living,"

in the Resurrection the

much

one whatsoever to

do.

different individuals,

this life,

sex,

be changed

(de Civit. xxii. 19).

The a

mother of

again altogether in every

difference

upon

to assert

not a defect (vitium\ but a natural condition.

is

a state of innocence

God

created by

remain,

S.

13),

be no female

will

Augustine himself teaches the contrary.

S.

that the female sex

rise

man,"

iv.

seem

in the angels, so that all females will

Jerome and the Scholastics, passim.

It

Eph.

(in

to a perfect

Heaven, there

held this opinion in his

Chrysostom S.

alone asserts the

Hilary, S. Athanasius (Serm. 3, cont.

this place S.

Basil (in Ps. cxiv.), S.

S.

the words,

it

rites,

converse."

from

Lastly,

represents the state

it

which they neither marry nor

in

are given in marriage, affording here that celestial

21

should seem to

Sex,

;

Adam

same nature and with

therefore,

was shall

this the

shall

then

men from what they The same thing is again.

different rise

They neither marry nor are given neither They marry, spoken of males, nor are given in

from the words of Christ.

in marriage.

marriage, of females.

Christ, therefore,

supposes that there will then be females

;

so far from denying, pre

but in such manner that

sex will not be used for the purposes of marriage and generation.

And

this is

above

what

cited,

Vers.

31,

is

to

be understood as the meaning of the Fathers

who seem 32.

But

at first to

hold a different opinion.

concerning the resurrection of the dead, &c.

Christ, not satisfied with having refuted the Sadducean objection

to the Resurrection, proceeds to prove

God

to Moses,

/ am

the

God

it

to

them by the words of

of Abraham, &c.

Although Christ

might have cited clearer proofs of the Resurrection from Job,

22

MATTHEW,

S.

He

Isaiah, &c.,

did

preferred this from the Pentateuch, because

Sadducees receive.

the

Origen, Bede, and others.

They

Law

as

not to

opposed,

and

traditions (Ant. 18. 2),

to be

is

only

So

Prophets.

Josephus says of the Sadducees,

Law

it

"

They

observed."

Josephus may be more properly taken as

in that passage

speaking of the

the

rejected

that nothing besides the

are of opinion

Although

XXII.

C.

the

Prophets,

but to

under the Law.

to include the Prophets

For otherwise they would have been manifest heretics, and would have been disavowed as such by all the rest of the Jews. Where fore a better reason for this quotation would seem to be, that the

Moses was of

authority of

The

of the Prophets.

and Jacob,

Isaac,

greater weight with the Jews than that

highest veneration was given to

as

their

Abraham,

whom

forefathers,

great

also

they

regarded not as dead, but as living with God, and taking care of the

their posterity.

Hebrews,

to assert that they

I am

had ceased

God of Abraham.

the

God, who boast of Abraham, prophets and

friends

And

this,

And

continually ask of Me.

they were

and also

in ;

days,

forasmuch as

alive,

the Giver of

They

life.

consequence

and

though

and Jacob

Isaac,

were

I

shall

as of

See

S.

Here observe

rise

Matt

that

My

"I

am

faithful

is,

to their descendants.

of the Fathers, they

should not glory in them unless

I

am

especially the living

God, and

therefore themselves live as to the soul,

shall live in the Resurrection as to the

and

also from the dead,

said,

into covenant with them,

Limbus

in the

I

it

that too in a very short time, even as

when

Heaven."

First, as

to them, that

Me

dwelling with

dare openly

to exist.

and who entered

;

Canaan

to give the land of

Whence no one would

from death. shall carry

Then

them with

it

body

were in a few

shall

I

Me

in

raise

them

triumph to

xxvii. 52.

the Sadducees

and Epicurean philosophers

denied the Resurrection, because they denied the immortality of the soul.

The two

immortal, since

things are closely connected. it

pendeaf) of which

should

rise again.

For

if

the soul

is

naturally has an interpendence with that (proit

is

the form,

it

verily

behoves that the body

Otherwise the soul would continue always in an

THE GREAT COMMANDMENT.

23

unnatural condition, and would only possess, as

were, a semi-

it

existence. 2d.

S.

Irenaeus

Chrysostom,

4,

(/.

n)

c.

say that

Abraham,

Isaac, and Jacob do not signify the souls only of those Patriarchs, but the entire men. They therefore, though they be dead to men,

God.

are living unto

They

-are,

awake them out of

shortly

as

it

were, asleep

;

and God

and

sleep, to a blessed

shall

eternal

life.

Thus Luke adds, by way of explanation, For all live unto Him. But when the Pharisees had heard, &c. They wished to humble

Him,

Him

as imagining

be puffed up with His victory over the

to

Sadducees, and to hurl back upon Himself the charge of ignorance

He

had brought against the Sadducees. But these foolish men only kicked against the pricks. For Christ is the eternal Truth and Wisdom, who reveals to all men the dark of the Scriptures which

ness of their ignorance.

And

This was one of the

a certain laivyer asked Him, &c.

Pharisees,

who

put himself forward to propose a most

question to Jesus, in order to try whether or not the

Law and

as

was the question of the Sadducees, but

in the Scriptures

The word

likewise.

For

He

was

difficult

skilful in

not only in speculative matters, such

;

matters

in practical

tempting means the same

as trying,

making

man, although he pretended, in the presence of the Pharisees, that he wished to catch and entrap Jesus, yet in his

proof.

this

heart desired to hear what Jesus would reply to this most difficult question, about which

he himself hung

heard Jesus answer, that love of of the

greatest

commandments,

approval by saying,

And Jesus from

the

Mark

among

when he is

he immediately expressed

the his

the truth, &c.

Thou hast answered wisely : thou art not far

kingdom of God.

Master, which (in

So,

our neighbour

Master, Thou hast said

Well,

said to him,

in doubt.

God and

c.

is

the first

12) that this

commandment

that the chief

commandment

to

Law ?

Bede

says

was a much debated point of controversy

the Jews in the time of Christ.

and victims

in the

be offered to

of the

God

Many

Law was

of them thought

concerning sacrifices

according to the Levitical

Law,

24

S.

God

because by these

And

MATTHEW,

XXII.

C.

Lord above

properly worshipped as

is

all.

was why the Pharisees told children to say to their This, too, shows why the lawyer, when he heard

this

parents, corban.

Christ

as one s

(Mark

and one s neighbour whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices

answer, said accordingly, To love (God),

s

more than

is

self,

xii.

all

33).

Moses, in Deut.

Ver. 37. Jesus saith to him, &c.

Mark and Luke

thence

Hebrew meodecha Observe,

love the

which

Lord

the same thing will,

namely,

here spoken

is

to say,

all thy heart,

Thou

and

God.

be the

object

of

all

Him

manner

nothing

What

is

sages

an

much worth

here spoken of as the whole heart,

and

Hence

perfect heart.

repeated, His heart was perfect with God.

This "

is

what

The measure Ver.

38.

charity is

is

God

is,

to love

God

You may add

and

first

i

(See

with

all

as

God,

Him

is,

in

such

thy

will,

in all things.

Kings

xiv. 8,

measure."

For the

commandment. charity

worship

Wherefore

(religione).

For

the heart than to offer

charity, like

&c.)

on the love of God

all virtues, is

religious

that

;

Last

the expression so often

to love without

and the queen of

to

called in other pas

is

in his Treatise

the greatest

more noble than

more noble

sacrifices.

of loving

This

greatest virtue, is

Bernard says

S.

Good and

whole heart, that

His precepts, and to be obedient to

entire

God

3d. Appreciatively, that thou

as of so

that thou shouldst apply thy

to fulfil all

contrary

and thy love

actions,

as thy chief

things whatsoever.

all

shouldst esteem

is

thou shouldst wish

thoughts,

thy

and that thou shouldst choose End, before

is

Comparatively, that thou shalt give no portion

ist.

2d. Finally, that altogether final

but

with thy whole

of thy love to an idol, or to anything whatsoever that to

s

shalt

and mind,

soul,

God

shalt love

of,

Thou

understood comparatively.

God with

as

not that which

is

to be

is

thy

one

in every

is

For the complete and highest love of

power as possible to keep. God, in its utmost extent, that only

Persian

of Deuteronomy.

against Calvin, that this precept

as

The

This answers to the

mind.

with the utmost power of thy

has,

and from

vi. 5,

add, with all thy strength.

a queen,

it

Him

commands

LOVE OF OUR NEIGHBOUR. and

sacrifices

Lastly, love

other acts of religion.

all

noble affection and act (of the soul), and

honour, and

fear,

The second

all

is like,

and men, and

all

and

and

affection,

more

far

is

and

is

be loved than

to

to be loved

But above

and

in the duties

Second

not

perfection, although far

creatures whatsoever.

creatures, our neighbour

love

excellent than

&c., as thyself ; Syr. as thy soul.

For God

first.

more

is

the most

is

others.

in order of legislation, but of dignity

below the

25

after all

all

angels

God, among Like, in

things.

which spring from

offices

them.

For

Christ here omits love of ourselves.

and a natural property, For he who

Whence it,

as

it

said,

;

this is innate with

such wise, that

in

will

first

as

Christ,

In the

Wherefore

thyself. "

c.

27),

Love of

first

thyself

place, then,

God

is

to

signify equality,

thyself.

he be good

"

?

xix.

own

where

I

self.

Thirdly,

For we ought

desire

is

what

closely united to us, and, as for

creation, ;

is it

one

s

But the Vulgate

here meant,

is

to love our

our neighbour.

for

The Hebrew

translates neigh

bour, in order to give a great stimulus of love to every

every man, which

de

it is

same things which

yet the

have expounded the law.)

JH properly signifies companion.

i,

omitted, for

thyself, the word as does not

but similarity of love.

18,

not here

is

(lib.

11

s

;

(See Lev.

Augustine says

thyself.

more than our neighbour but we desire for ourselves we ought to

selves

one ; because

very near,

were, our brother.

This

and most is

both by

mankind have been created by the same God the by re-creation, because we have been regenerated

as also

by the same Father,

Body

to

be loved with the whole heart

one

Secondly,

In the expression, as

neighbour.

S.

neighbour as

shalt love thy

everything.

Father

all,

thou hast

were, the ideal and the measure of love to our neighbour,

Thou

above

whom

bad to himself, to

is

it

if

Christ here presupposes that love of oneself, yea, appoints

saying love Doct.

were

it

towards others, thou shouldst exercise

charity "

as

a*id

Blood

Christ,

in

baptism

;

and we are fed by His

in the Eucharist.

He commands,

therefore, that

God

shall

be loved with the whole

26

MATTHEW,

S.

heart

XXII.

C.

and our neighbour, not with the whole heart, but as ourselves. ist. That thou shouldst love thyself only,

;

This does not mean

and neglect thy neighbour, which nature corrupted by

thy

sin,

suggests

what

is

self-love, arising

but that thou shouldst extend to

;

neighbour the love wherewith thou lovest thyself.

2d.

as thou dost not love thyself frigidly, nor feignedly, but

and

sincerely

This

bour.

so,

;

men

1

6),

He

"

said,

Whatsoever

commanded

dying,

to

"

another."

says S.

Augustine (de Vera Religion,

which a

man

come

wishes to

And

his neighbour.

For

this

is

the law of

46), that the

c.

to himself,

iv.

good things

he should wish likewise for

them

to

happen

thou wish that thy property, thy honour, thy

Do

taken from thyself?

to

wife, thy

him."

life

not take them from others.

these two,

them

&c.

Do

thou

for others.

Law and

All the precepts of the

commandments

these two

Dost

should be

Dost thou

wish that they should be given and preserved to thyself? likewise preserve

love,"

the evils which he wishes not to happen to

himself, he should be unwilling for

On

them."

his son (Tob.

thou hatest that another should do unto thee, take

heed that thou do not

rest

ardently

should do unto you, do likewise unto

Tobias, when he was

"What

That

manner, shouldst thou love thy neigh

like

what Christ sanctioned when

is

ye would that

And what

in

from a

the Prophets

of love.

Indeed, they spring upon and grow out of them, just as many branches spring from one tree and one root. Wherefore in these two precepts all are contained, as in their principles

and premisses.

included in the Decalogue. else except precepts of love to

For

commandments

all

are

And the Decalogue contains nothing God and our neighbour. The three

commandments

of the

commandments

of the second Table deal with love to our neighbour,

as S. Augustine says

says

Thou

(Rom.

witness,

ment,

xiii.

shalt not

Thou

it is

(lib.

9),

kill,

Table deal with love

first

8,

"For

Thou

de Trin. this,

briefly

7).

Thou

;

and

comprehended thyself."

if

there be

all

The seven

not commit adultery,

Thou

shalt not bear false

any other

in this saying,

For

God.

Wherefore the Apostle

shalt

shalt not steal,

shalt not covet

love thy neighbour as

c.

to

command

namely, Thou

shalt

the precepts of mercy, and

THE DIVINE SONSHIP. of

2/

the other virtues, natural and supernatural, have to

all

these two

commandments

The

are contained in them.

and of

God and

of love to

precepts of

do with

our neighbour, and hope, and charity,

faith,

The

religious worship, are included in love to God.

precepts

of justice, truth, fidelity, friendship, mercy, gratitude, are included in love to

our neighbour.

direct their

whole

Ver. 41.

When

was

Christ, therefore, signifies that these

be always

precepts ought to

every one

in

were gathered

the Pharisees

xii.

of this occasion of the Pharisees tempting

concerning the Person

how

to return

good

and

for evil,

He

of instruction.

heart,

two

and ought

to

life.

Temple, as appears from Mark

in the

s

together,

Christ

35.

Him

This

&c.

made use them

to instruct

dignity of Messiah, that

He

might teach

and turn a temptation

into

an occasion

taught them

that Messiah, or the Christ,

not a mere man, as they supposed, but the

He

not wonder, therefore, that

God-Man.

was

They must

asserted Himself to be the

Son of

God.

Whose Son

Ver. 42.

have

They

ought to

God

Christ, as

;

They say unto Him, David s.

Christ?

is

said, that Christ, as

man,

will

will

God,

But as to the

be the son of David.

made

But even from

the second reply.

When

proves the former.

Peter was

Christ to be, being inspired by

God he

Christ draws and

it

asked,

whom

he thought

answered, Thou art the

But the Pharisees were devoid

Christ the Son of the Living God.

of the Divine inspiration, wherefore they savoured only of things,

and believed Christ

Observe ferently;

but

the

apparent

Christ, in

said, "

?"

first

They

"that

How

calls

the

He

relate

discrepancy

his

is

things to

somewhat

asked the Pharisees,

was the son of

Lord ?

"

David."

is

dif

be reconciled by

"Whose

is,

Then

that

son was

replied that the Scribes, or Doctors of the

say the Scribes that Christ

Him

these

meaning of the two former Evangelists place,

human

be only a man.

Luke and Mark

:

considering that the

Christ

to

first,

Wherefore they

the Pharisees were either ignorant or unbelieving.

only

be the Son of

Law,

Christ rejoined,

the son of David,

when David

28

MATTHEW,

S.

David

in

Spirit,

Therefore

it

endued him with

to David,

was not so much David in

the Spirit in David, which thus spake. Calleth Him lord, for the son is less than

the father as

not wont to

is

common

is

passage

noth Psalm understood

with the

their

as

Spirit,

Wherefore

his father.

the son his lord, but the son his father,

and other

Italians

are

From

this

who expound

this

nations.

confuted,

not of Messiah, or Christ, but of Abraham, or David,

and

For the Scribes

Hezekiah.

or

call

modern Rabbins

the

For the

being inspired by the Holy Ghost.

Holy Ghost dictated the Psalms living sense.

XXII.

C.

Pharisees

of Christ, and regarded

it

as a

it

of Christ

s

time

prophecy of

Him.

For had they not done so, they would have replied that Christ wrongly applied the Psalm to Messiah, when it ought to be under stood of

Abraham

That

or David, &c.

does apply to Christ

it

evident from the 4th verse of the same Psalm, beginning (secum principium, Vulg.), the headship,

of the Heb.

^^7?>

nedabot,

and the Gr.

strength, in the splendours of the saints (Jay-star,

I

Lastly, Jonathan, the Chaldee,

and the ancient Rabbins take

Ver. 44.

The Lord

Saying,

clearly proves that the

believed, but that

The meaning

it

said,

He

therefore

was David is

as

if

above

all

powers and

next to Himself in Heaven, that

for

phetically, decreed

fore

"

said,

something

said

is

^^, neum,

created i.e.,

God

up,

will set

and

Him

with the most perfect things."

pronounced, spoken pro

DavM s

certain, immutable.

For neum

the same as Amen, or sure and faithful. "

and

by the Lord concerning

fixed,

Him

will raise

principalities,

all

his Lord.

The Lord God hath

right hand, in that after

He may reign

happiness, glory, and authority over

The Heb.

verse Christ

this

God, and therefore

s

David

He

Him

no one

Rabbi Barachias, R.

From

&c.

Death and Resurrection of Christ

exalt

before the

refer to

Messiah was not a mere man, as the Pharisees

My

my

womb,

day of thy

as referring only to Christ.

Lord, even Christ, Sit on

said to

the

from

the

the

is

the force

is

in the

de%fi t

This can

have begotten Thee (Vulg.).

save Christ. Levi,

:

With Thee which

is

And

Lord, and there is,

by metathesis,

the meaning

is,

that

the Father from eternity hath firmly and inviolably decreed

CHRIST

ENEMIES HIS FOOTSTOOL.

S

He

concerning Christ His Son, not as

became Incarnate and was made man Heb.

He

that

God, but

is

(for this

29 in

that

He

the force of the

is

by virtue both of the Hypostatic

Adoni\ Union and of the Redemption which He accomplished on the He hath said, Cross, of all men, and therefore of David, the Lord." ?n&$,

interiorly in

His own mind, from

the sense that

He

But

all eternity.

He

said also, in

will say at the time of the Ascension of Christ

triumph into Heaven,

in

is,

"

Come and

on

sit

My

right

hand ;

reign

and triumph in the glory of My majesty." So S. Jerome, Theodoret, and others. For this noth Psalm celebrates the most "glorious

Heaven and

of Christ both in

earth

that

kingdom in which Christ, after His Ascension, began from Zion and Jerusalem to reign over all nations, and by His Apostles to bring them to His

Kingdom

faith all

and worship,

Thy footstool. all

until

He

shall

put

down

the wicked, under His feet in the day of

This means, reign with

made

mount upon

the back of the emperor, as

The

it

is

said that Sapor,

whom

he had

his horse, placing his foot

a kind of footstool.

upon

expression until here does not signify end or conclusion,

but continuation and amplification of

sitting

and

reigning.

even in the time which seems contrary and opposed to

dom, even when Thine enemies Thee.

is,

make

in glory, until I

use of the Emperor Aurelian,

taken captive in battle, to

upon

His enemies, that

judgment."

Me

Thus

Thine enemies subject unto Thee.

king of Persia,

all

shall

seem

Reign

Thy King

to reign rather than

Reign even in the midst of crosses, persecutions, and the

tumults of Satan and his ministers.

And no

one

was

able to

answer

a reason; because, as

I

a mere man.

were

"They

smitten with a mortal tine,

"to

have

said,

silent," "

blow."

be broken to pieces

than to be instructed by lowly

Him

a word ;

Syr.

to give

Him

they believed Messiah to be says

They

S.

Chrysostom,

preferred,"

says S.

"being

Augus

in their swelling taciturnity, rather

confession."

CHAPTER The

I

Scribes

XXIII.

and Pharisees good doctrine^ but

evil examples of life.

34 7^he

destruction ofJerusalem foretold.

TMIEN ^

spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,

2 Saying,

The

scribes

and the Pharisees

sit

in

Moses

seat

:

3 All, therefore, whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do ; but do not ye after their works 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 move them with one of their :

fingers.

works they do for to be seen of men they make broad their and enlarge the borders of their garments, 6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. 8 But be not ye called Rabbi for one is your Master, even Christ ; and all But

5

all their

:

phylacteries,

:

ye are brethren.

And

9 is

call

no

man

your Father upon the earth

:

for

one

is

your Father, which

in heaven.

10 Neither be ye called masters I 1

But he that

12

And

:

for

one

your Master, even Christ.

is

greatest among you shall be your servant. whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased ; is

humble himself shall be

and he

that shall

exalted.

1 3 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. 14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites for ye devour widows therefore ye shall receive the houses, and for a pretence make long prayer !

:

!

:

greater damnation. 1

5

Woe

land to

unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites

make one

proselyte

;

and when he

the child of hell than yourselves. 1 6 Woe unto you, ye blind guides

temple, it is nothing is a debtor.

;

!

is

which

for ye compass sea and made, ye make him twofold more

say,

!

Whosoever

shall

swear by the

but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he

THE HOLY GOSPEL OF Ye fools and blind

17

whether

for

!

S.

MATTHEW.

31

greater, the gold, or the temple that

is

sanctifieth the gold ? 1 8 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that 19 Ye fools and blind !

sanctifieth the gift ?

20 Whoso, therefore, shall swear by the things thereon. 21 And whoso shall swear

altar,

sweareth by

by the temple, sweareth by

it,

it,

and by

all

and by him that

dwelleth therein.

And he

22

him

that shall swear

by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by

that sitteth thereon.

23

and

Woe anise,

unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites for ye pay tithe of mint, and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, !

judgment, mercy, and other undone.

faith

:

these ought ye to have done, and not to leave

tjie

24 Ye blind guides which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and !

25

!

excess.

cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, them may be clean also. for ye are like unto 27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full s bones, and of all uncleanness. of dead 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. because ye build the 29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, 30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. 31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.

26 Thou blind Pharisee

!

that the outside of

!

1

men"

!

32.

33

Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers how can ye escape the damnation of !

hell?

34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes and some of them ye shall kill and crucify ; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city the earth, 35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon :

:

from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. stonest them Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not !

36 Verily 37

O

38 Behold, your house is 39 For I say unto you, blessed

is

he that cometh

left

Ye

in the

unto you desolate. shall not see me henceforth,

name

of the Lord.

till

ye shall say,

-

S.

MATTHEW,

C.

XXIII.

spake, &c.

Then, that

is

to say,

32 Then Jesus

He

wise answers and reasonings,

Scribes and Pharisees, and had proved that

He

when, by His most

had confounded the

He

errors of the

was the Messiah,

rebuke their persistent effrontery by this powerful and pathetic speech, by which He uncovered their feigned then, I say,

put to

appearance of sanctity, and showed their lurking dishonesty, so that the people might avoid

Saying, &c.

it.

seat

By

we here understand the honour,

and

dignity,

and commanding, which Moses had with the which the Scribes had succeeded. We gather from

authority of teaching

Jews, and to S.

Luke

iv.

when they

For otherwise no Pontiff ever which

and

is

S.

Peter

shown

sat,

but

it

now

sits is

Roman

Peter

communion

Hence to

all

the faithful

Pontiffs succeed S. Peter.

in that actual

wooden

on the Feast of

when he

chair

S.

Jerome

said to

your blessedness, that

defines anything ex cathedra, that

authority concerning the faith, he cannot

err,

is,

Peter

S.

Damasus,

is,

by

"

s

am

I

to the chair of

For although as a private man the Pontiff may

Peter."

used to

is

religiously preserved in his basilica,

to the people every year

Chair, to be venerated.

united in

S.

and authority of teaching and ruling

throughout the world, in which the

in

but sometimes stood

sat,

In like manner, the chair of

taught.

^^ power

signify

the Scribes not only

16, that

his

yet

err,

Pontifical

because he

is

assisted

by the Holy Ghost. Observe, Levites,

many

of the

whose duty

it

Christ did not wish to

and Pharisees were

Scribes

was to teach the people (Mai.

name

the Priests, because

He

priests

ii.

7).

or

But

would not

derogate from the sacerdotal honour.

All things

therefore whatsoever,

He

&c.

things not contrary to Moses and the Law. Scribes,

when they taught men

contrary to the

Law,

was contrary to the

as Christ

Law

of

means, of course,

to say corban to their parents,

showed

Moses

(xv.

all

For the doctrine of the

4).

was

In like manner,

it

to teach, as the Scribes did, that

Jesus was not the Messiah, or the Christ.

For Jesus showed those

very signs and miracles which Moses and the Prophets had foretold Messiah would perform. In such things, therefore, the people

LIMITS OF OBEDIENCE. Scribes, nor

must not follow the doctrine of the

them; but

Law

their teaching

was

it

be obedient to

obey them.

dogmas of the

other

the

all

was generally

their duty to

which were not repugnant to the

Scribes,

were vain and

foolish,

be obligatory,

should

law, even though they and therefore not binding (for that a law it must command something honest and

and Theologians teach

as Civilians

useful,

of Moses,

here teaches that

therefore

Christ

which

in other things, in

conformable to the

33

D. Thomas,

laws, also

i.

2,

quc&st.

in their treatises

95, art.

3),

upon

such as were the

frequent washings of the hands and other parts of the body, might

and simple obedience, and

yet serve for the merit of blind

So Jansen, Franc. Lucas, and word all to such commands

reverence of the sacerdotal order.

But Maldonatus

others.

restricts the

alone as are contained in the

what Christ chiefly referred

For they well,

say,

but they live

their subjects

of Moses.

by

For

as

one hath

ports itself according to the king s

Teacher

do

to

Christ

words.

Gr.

Christians

"

said,

incite

them

likewise

The whole world com

example,"

we may add, of

the

credit to deeds than they

ought to bear

mind

in

see certain Bishops, Pastors,

these words of

and Magistrates not

accordance with the law of Christ.

they bind

.

defffievovffi, i.e.,

This

heaps.

and scandalise

the law,

and thus

For men give more

likewise.

when they

living in

For

s

They teach and order

not.

They both break

ill.

Certainly these were

to.

their evil example,

break the law.

to

Law

command, and do

i.e.,

for

.

.

upon merfs shoulders ; Arab, upon their necks ;

they bind and, as

signifies

it

were, gather them together in

both the multitude and the heavy weight of

the precepts with which they burden the people.

Unbearable ; Vulg. Gr. dvafidaraxra, as English version, to be borne,

rather than impossible.

Such were the numerous

beyond what the Law required, concerning fruits,

&c.

difficult

precepts,

oblations, tithes,

first-

Consider only the vigorous observance of the Sabbath,

which they enjoined, so that they would not allow Christ to heal the sick

on

that day, nor suffer

His

disciples to satisfy their

by plucking ears of corn. VOL.

III.

C

hunger

Move them; S.

MATTHEW,

S.

34 Vulg.

Chrysostom

ness,

says,

XXIII.

and English Version, touch them. As theirs was a double wicked

Syr. "

C.

He

shows that

both because they wish the multitude to

possible manner, without the least indulgence,

live in the strictest

and because, indulg

Which they assume great licence. of in what is required a good prince. things are the very opposite For such a one permits himself no indulgence, but is mild towards ing themselves inordinately,

his subjects,

and ready

to

bestow

All things that they may be

He

pardon."

seen ; Gr.

OeuOwott,

be

i.e.,

a

spectacle.

notes their vain ostentation of sanctity in praying in the public

streets,

Christ here touches

&c.

upon the

root of the incredulity

of the Scribes, that they would not believe in

sought

after vainglory

possible,"

of

men

Him, because they and the applause of men. "For it is im "

says S. Chrysostom,

that he

who

covets the earthly glory

should believe in Christ preaching heavenly

They make large

things."

Vulg. They prolong the fringes

their fringes ;

of their cloaks; Syr. They, the Jews, interpreted too

words of Deut.

God,

for a sign

before thine their

"

vi.

8,

upon

Thou

thine hands,

Whence

arms and foreheads.

frontlets.

They

and they

i.e.,

shall

literally

the

the precepts of

be moved (Vulg.)

bore certain pieces of parchment about

They

eyes."

shalt bind them,

they were called armlets and

did this that they might strike against their eyes

and foreheads, and admonish them to meditate upon and keep the

The words

Divine Law. "

were,

Hear,

shalt love the

and with

all

(fruXdrru,

to

O

upon the pieces of parchment Thou Lord our God is one Lord."

inscribed

Israel, the

"

Lord thy God with thy

strength."

guard,

to

all

thy heart, and with

keep,

and

blue or dark blue colour, as

men who

heavenly

xxii.

12, the

Lord

the Jews to wear fringes, threads depending from the

lowest skirt of their garments,

life

thy soul,

because they put them in constant

remembrance of observing the law. For a similar reason, in Num. xv. 38 and Deut.

commanded

all

They were called phylacteries, from

by keeping the law.

that they should be of a light

S.

professed and lived the

Jerome adds

that the

more

devout Jews were wont to insert very sharp thorns in these fringes,

PHYLACTERIES. them

that being pricked by

as they walked, they might be always

reminded of the Divine Law.

All these things the Pharisees wore

and broader than other

larger

to

be

it

in their minds.

people,, that they

stricter observers of the law, "

Not

35

might appear to

made but

although they says

understanding,"

little "

S.

Jerome,

all

of

that

these things should be carried in the heart, not in the body, for

bookcases and chests have books, but have not therefore the know ledge of stands

Chrysostom, by phylacteries, under

S.

Moreover,

God."

amulets worn to preserve

such

for

health,

esteemed the pieces of parchment described above. way, some Christians wear the Gospel of

charm

as a kind of

And

says,

regards time, that

the body, that place, that

love

"They

we should

we should

the voice, that

we should

the

lowest

the

salute

cry out,

we should bow

first

them

necks

in

Rabbi

public."

first

S.

forum.

but also as regards

first,

Hail,

of lions, and not the head

tail

their

not only as

salutations,

Always be the

"

in the

Vulg.

;

and as regards

;

the head to them;

them

salute

Matthies in Pirke Avoth,

Be

John about

S.

Scribes

to preserve health.

salutations in the market-places

Chrysostom

the

In the same

and

as regards

Wisely saith R.

to salute every one. is,

be the

chief

among

of foxes; that

among good and honourable men, not

the

deceitful, proud, and impious ones." Rabbi, from m, i.e., much or great, because a great man, such

a Rabbi, or Doctor of the Law, was equivalent to excelling others in learning in

Pirke Avoth,

"

Who

and

*

He who

man ?

as

persons, as

Well saith R. Benzoma

authority.

a wise

is

many

willingly learns of

had more understanding than the all, Who is the mighty aged, because I sought Thy commandments. man ? He who rules over anger, and his own spirit, according to according to the words,

the saying,

Better

the patient

is

the rich

(Ps. is

?

cxxviii.),

thee,

He

that

Thou

and happy

honoureth others,

man

he that taketh a

ruleth his spirit than is

I

shalt it

eat the labour of thine

thou be. is

written,

Who Him

Who

(Prov. xvi. 32).

city

it

is

said

hands;

O

well

contented with his own, as

is

shalt

as

than the strong, and he that

is

honoured?

He that Me I

that honoureth

MATTHEW,

S.

36 will

and

honour,

and Pharisees,

Rabbi above

who

Christ, yea,

lawful to desire a doctor

by

it

He

ye called Rabbi, &c.

be not

Scribes

Me

despise

be

shall

lightly

"

esteemed.

But

that

they

XXIII.

C.

we may obtain and by

this

the Council of Trent

be honoured and called

But

even to the exclusion of Christ.

and preach, and have influence with

means gain the

(sess.

it is

degree, as a testimony of learning, that

s

authority,

the people,

forbids the ambition of the

desired to

24,

Wherefore

fruit.

greater

12) orders that

c.

and

all dignities,

at

of canonries in cathedral and collegiate churches,

least the half

should be conferred only upon masters and doctors, or at least licentiates in theology or

but do not be

canon

Christ does not say, do not

law.

called,

Christ does not forbid the doctor tion

be,

Rabbi.

of the name, that by

ambi

degree, but the proud

man

a

it

s

should please himself and

despise others, as though he had his knowledge and learning from himself,

and not from

He

Therefore

which was what the Scribes

Christ,

adds the reason, for one

He

means, there

are

the

your

one chief Rabbi over

is

disciples,

is

and

are

all

brethren,

all,

did.

Master, even Christ. of

whom

all

others

equal one to another.

Therefore

let

none of them proudly

and wish

to

be called Rabbi, as though he were of himself a

doctor and master of others, for this

who

alone has

Doctor of

all,

all

wisdom

himself above the

lift

is

a wrong done to Christ,

Himself, and

in

who indeed makes them

lower sense Paul himself, as

S.

rest,

is

the only supreme

And

doctors.

in this

Jerome says, with modesty calls

himself the doctor of the Gentiles.

He means

Call no one your father upon earth, &c.

in the sense

and the preserver of all things, as though ye entirely depended upon any but God. This was what the Gentiles and Atheists did, and others who trusted in men rather of the prime author of

That

than in God.

which

He is

is

subjoins, for one

whole family therefore

.this

life

in

Heaven and

the meaning, is

is

plain

your Father, &c.

earth

the only real Father of

is

named

all,

from the reason "

Of whom

"

(Eph.

forasmuch as

iii.

He

15).

the

God

only gives

AGAINST VAINGLORY. soul

and

and

creates,

life,

37

In comparison of Him, says

preserves.

and

S. Jerome, earthly fathers are only so in a figurative sense,

command

ought not therefore insolently to

their

the chief Father of

Neither be ye Vulg.

One

life,

that

13,

Gr.

Himself, in the

way of

All others teach as they have been

first

tinkling

first

Syr.

Chrysostom

by Himself

virtue to heavenly glory.

says,

their "it

Him.

outward

in the

cymbal; but Christ makes known For, as S.

place,

taught by

others only teach in words that sound

to the mind.

moderators;

Ruler and Orderer, Gr. xa^fjrjfc, of your

He

Christ.

or governors,

xa^Tjra/,

the

is

not ambitious of being called masters;

teaches us, and leads us by the

all

God,

all.

called, i.e., be

magistri ;

rulers ; for

but

children,

ought to submit themselves together with their children to

is

Secondly, ears, like

a

meaning inwardly not

man who

gives

man

understanding by teaching, but exercises by means of admoni

tion

what has been ordained by

God."

Thirdly,

all

others only

show what the law commands and what God requires ; but Christ gives grace to the will, that we, to

be done,

may indeed

He

is

that

the

when we hear

constantly

fulfil

greater of you,

the things which ought

the same.

&c.

He

"

Chrysostom,

And

says

S.

rid of

by

teaches,"

must be got

that the disease of vainglory

"

any one ministers the divine Origen says, humility." is that it who Christ words, knowing produces fruit by His means, "If

he by no means holds himself forth

Whence Himself,

it

follows,

who

and well does

that

is

as a master, but a

the greatest,

c.,

minister."

because even Christ

the true Master, hath professed Himself to be a

is

minister, in that

He

He saith, I am among you as he that ministereth He add after the whole saying, He that exalteth ;

himself shall be abased ; but he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

These words Remigius. the proud.

those

are

as

applied

For both God and men "

and

Blessed Peter

it.

God

will raise

Damian

will

God and men,

both to

says

humble and depress from it, and flees from

exalt the

Glory follows them that

who pursue

lofty height,

true

bring

flee

down

insolent pride from

up humility to glory," says S. gives a memorable example

its

Hilary. (Epist.

15).

MATTHEW,

S.

38

There was, he

became in

a certain bold and warlike clergyman,

says,

by means of

great

a

consequence

XXIII.

C.

and

his pride

about

quarrel

And

his arms.

certain

estates

who

he had another

with

powerful man, which he determined to decide by the fortune of

and the troops of both were drawn up in battle array. The clergyman before the battle went into a church and heard Mass. war,

It

chanced that the words of the Gospel were read,

When

himself shall be abased.

He

that exalteth

he heard them he said insolently, or words are

in

for if

rather blasphemously,

"These

had humbled myself

should never have become as great as

By and

I

falsified

me,

I

by, in the heat of battle, his horse being very thirsty,

some water

contrary to his wish, to

horse with his shield, in order to cause

when, behold, an enemy

He

was near.

that

it

I

am."

ran,

struck his

to return into the battle,

sword transfixed that blaspheming mouth

s

of his like a thunderbolt, and slew him, humbling his pride and

him down

casting

to the ground, showing that the words of Christ

are indeed true.

Woe

Ver. 13.

Observe

unto you, Scribes, &c.

enumerated eight beatitudes, repeating the word Matt,

in S.

v.,

He

so does

that,

as

Christ

blessed eight times

here bestow eight maledictions upon

the impious Scribes, eight several times repeating the word woe. Christ the

promises with as

new Lawgiver

many

many

imitates Moses, the ancient lawgiver,

who keep the law, and who break it. Thus Origen.

blessings to those

curses those

Moreover, the word woe

is

who

threatens

partly prophetic of the grave punish

ment which should partly "

says,

fall upon the wickedness of the Scribes, and is and Whence Basil condoling pitying in its signification. This word woe, which is prefixed to intolerable pain, applies

to those

who were soon

punishments."

for

it

be destroyed by dreadful

therefore presupposes a deadly fault,

threatens the punishment of hell, as Christ explains in ver. 33.

For ye

shut, &c.

"

I

for I preach, repent ye, this

afterwards to

The word woe

for

the

kingdom has been shut

Adam s

sin.

I,

kingdom of Heaven ; Heaven is at hand. For kingdom of

indeed open to

for

expiating that sin

all

four

by

My

the

thousand years, through death, will

now open

it,

THE SCRIBES SHUT UP HEAVEN. whoso believeth

that

Me

in

and followeth

My

life,

39

may

enter into

Wherefore many of the Jews, being aroused by But you, O ye Scribes, turn preaching, are striving to enter in.

the open kingdom.

My

them away, and shut Heaven against them by your vain and per verse

which ye

traditions,

"

Chrysostom door

says,

into their

instil

The kingdom

of

minds."

Heaven

is

Holy Scripture

the understanding of Scripture, or Christ

is

keys are the Scribes and Priests the opening of the door

is

;

the key

evil

the

;

the bearers of the

;

the word of knowledge

is

Ye

interpretation.

your wickedness and

offend by

as S.

For,

example

men

also cause

;

to

and because ye

;

calumniate and persecute Me, and draw them away from believing in

Me, which

Me

by

the road to Heaven.

is

alone there

entrance into

is

shut

they

Tropologically,

up

For

says

Chrysostom,

who draws

he

those

is

it

who

is

a grievous

are going is

on

safely into error

a pestilence

whom

For

sin.

if,

is

altogether

Wherefore such a

itself.

doctor deserves, and brings upon himself as of souls

who

kingdom of Heaven

the

the part of a doctor to recall the erring,

a son of perdition, yea, he

number

the door, because

Heaven."

excommunicate any one without cause. For ye enter not in yourselves, &c. This S.

am

I

many

as the

hells

he corrupts and destroys, because he

is

not

a teacher and promoter of salvation, but a betrayer. Ver. 14.

Woe

Because ye devour, that

unto you, &c.

the substance of widows, in extracting

them under a feigned appearance of prayers.

Gr.

This

vpo^oiff-t

is

why He adds

puKta

sanctity

in explanation,

exhaust, selling

your long public

making long prayers.

praying at length as a pretext.