Luke — Chapter 1

3. Hauing diligently atteind.) Sacred Writers & holy Councels. Hereby we see, that though the Holy Ghost ruled the penne of holy Writers that they might not erre, yet did they vse humane meanes to search out and find the truth of the things they wrote of. Euen so doe Councels, and the President of them, Gods Vicar, discusse and examine al causes by humane meanes, the assistance of the Holy Ghost concurring and directing them into al truth, according to Christes promise Io. 16,13: as in the very first Councel of the Apostles them selues at Hierusalem is manifest. Act. 15,7. & 28. Againe here we have a familiar preface of the Authour as to his friend or to euery godly Reader (signified by Theophilus) concerning the cause and purpose & manner of his writing, and yet the very same is confessed Scripture, with the whole booke folowing. The second booke of Machabees. Maruel not then if the Authour of the second booke of the Machabees *vse the like humane speaches both at the beginning and in the later end; neither doe thou therfore reiect the booke for no Scripture, as our Heretikes doe; or not thinke him a sacred Writer. *2. Mac. 2. & 15.

6. Iust before God.) Against the Heretikes of this time, here it is euident that holy men be iust, not only by the estimation of men, but in deed and before God.

14. Ioy and exultation.] This was fulfilled, not only when he was borne, but now also through the whole Church for euer, in ioyful celebrating of his Natiuitie.

21. He departed.] The continencie of Priests. In the old Law (saith S. Hierom) they that offered Hostes for the People, were not only not in their houses, but were purified for the time, being separated from their wiues, and they dranke neither wine nor any strong drinke, which are wont to prouoke concupiscence. Much more the Priests of the new Law that must alwayes offer Sacrifices, must alwayes be free from matrimonie. Li. 1. c. 6. 19. adu. Iouin. and ep. 50. c. 3. See S. Ambrose in 1. Tim. 3. And therfore if there were any religion in Caluins Communion, they would at the least giue as much reuerence in this point, as they in the old Law did to their Sacrifices, and to the loaues of proposition, 1 King. 21.

28. Haile ful of grace.] Often saying of the Aue Marie. Holy Church and al true Christian men doe much and often vse these wordes brought from Heauen by the Archangel, as wel to the honour of Christ and our B. Ladie, as also for that they were the wordes of the first glad tidings of Christs Incarnation & our Saluation by the same; and be the very abridgement and summe of the whole Ghospel. *In so much that the Greeke Church vsed it daily in the Masse. *Liturg. S. Iacobi & Chrys.

of feare and tumult, almigurie God appearing, was ‘filled with ioy.and gladnes. 31. And then certaine of the freinds of Heliodorus forthwith defired Onias, that he would inuocate the higheftto giue him life, who was at the very laft gafpe. 32. Andthe hrigh-Pri¢ft confidering leaft perhaps the King might fulpect fome ma- dice onthe ewes part donc about Heliodorus, offered for the health -of the man an healthful hoft. 33. And when the high-Prieft by prayer -obteyned , the felfe fame yong men , clothed with the fame garments , {tanding by Heliodorus, fayd : Giue thanks to Onias the Prieft: for him hath our Lord giuen thee life. 3.4. But thou being {courged of God, de- clare vnto al men the great workes and the powre of God. And thefe 4 things being fayd , they appeared no more, 35, And Heliodorus hauing offered an hoft to God, and hauing promifed great vowes to him, that granted him to liue , and giuing thankes to Onias , taking his. armie againe returned to the King, 36.And he teftified to al men thofe works of the great God , which he had {een before his owne eyes, 37. And when the King had asked Heliodorus ; who was meete to be fent yet once more to Jerufalem, he fayd ; 38, 1f thou haneanie enemie, or trai- tour to thy Kingdome , fend him thither, and thou fhalt receiue him againe fcourged , if yet he efcape.: becaufe there is vndoubtedly in the place a certaine powre of God. 39, For he that hath his dwelling in the { heauens, isthe vifiter, and helper of that place , and them that come to doe cui), he ftriketh, and deftroyeth. 40, Therefore concerning Helio- dorus,and the keeping of the treafurie fo the matter ftandeth, CHAP. * Ustse, Lv. at. OF MACHABEES, 909

34. I know not man.] Our B. Lady vowed virginitie. These words declare (saith S. Augustine) that she had now vowed virginitie to God. For otherwise neither would she say, How shal this be done? nor haue added, because I know not man. Yea if she had said only the first words, How shal this be done; it is euident that she would not haue asked such a question, how a woman should beare a sonne promised her, if she had maried meaning to haue carnal copulation c. 4 de Virg. As if he should say, If she might haue knowen a man and so haue had a child, she would neuer have asked, How shal this be done; but because that ordinarie way was excluded by her vow of virginitie, therfore she asketh, How? And in asking, How? she plainly declareth that she might not haue a child by knowing man, because of her vow. See S. Grego. Nyssene de sancta Christi Natiuitate.

36. Elizabeth thy cosin.) Christ came of both Tribes, Iuda and Leui. By this that Elizabeth and our Lady were cosins, the one of the Tribe of Leui, the other of Iuda, is gathered that Christ came of both Tribes, Iuda and Leui, of the Kings and the Priests himself both a King & a Priest, and the Anointed (to wit) by grace spiritually, as they were with oile materially and corporally. August. li. 2 de Consens. Euang. c. 1.

42. Blessed art thou.) The Blessed Virgin Marie. At the very hearing of our Ladies voice, the infant and She were replenished with the Holy Ghost, and she sang praises not only to Christ, but for his sake to our B. Lady, calling her Blessed and her fruit Blessed, as the Church doeth also by her words and example in the AVE MARIE.

43. Mother of my Lord.) Her excellencie. Elizabeth being an exceeding iust and Blessed woman, yet the worthines of Gods mother doth so far excel her and al other women, as the great light the litle starres. Hiero. Præf. in Sophon.

48. Shal cal me Blessed.) Her honour in al the world. This Prophecie is fulfilled, when the Church keepeth her Festiual dayes, & when the Faithful in al Generations say the Aue Marie, and other holy Anthems of our Lady. And therfore the Caluinistes are not among those Generations which cal our Lady Blessed.

63. Iohn is his name.) Mysterie and signification in names. We see that names are of signification and importance, God him self changing or giuing names in both Testaments; as, Abraham, Israel, Peter, and the principal of al others, Iesus; and here Iohn, which signifieth, Gods grace or mercie, or, God wil haue mercie. For he was the Precursor and Prophet of the mercie and grace that ensued by Christ Iesus. Note also that as then in Circumcision, so now in Baptisme (which answereth therevnto) names are giuen. What names to be giuen in Baptisme. And as we see here & in al the old Testament, great respect was had of names: so we must beware of strange, profane, & secular names (now a dayes too common) & rather according to the *Catechisme of the holy Councel of Trent, take names of Saints and holy men, that may put vs in mind of their vertues. *c. de Bap. in fine.

75. Iustice before him.) True iustice, not imputatiue. Here also we see that we may haue true iustice, not only in the sight of men, or by the imputation of God, but indeed before him and in his sight and that the comming of Christ was to giue men such iustice.

78. The Orient.) The Heretikes controle both Greeke and Latin text. Maruel not if Heretikes controle the old authentical translation, as though it differed from the Greeke; wheras here they make much a doe to controle not only al the Greeke Interpreters of the old Testament, but also S. Luke him self, for the word ἀνατολὴ, as differing from the Hebrew. Beza