Matthew — Chapter 13

8. One an hundred.) Differences of merits and rewards. This difference of fruits is the difference of merites in this life, and rewards for them in the next life, according to the diuersities of states, or other differences. Of states, as that the hundred-fold agreeth to virgins professed, threescore-fold to religious widowes, thirtie-fold to the maried. Aug. li. de. S. Virginit. c. 44 & seq. Which truth the old Heretike Iouinian denied (as ours doe at this day) affirming that there is no difference of merites or rewards. Hier. li. 2 adu. Iouin. Ambros. ep. 82. Aug. her. 82.

11. To you it is giuen.) To the Apostles and such as haue the guiding and teaching of others, deeper knowledge of Gods Word and mysteries is giuen, then to the common People. As also to Christians generally, that which was not giuen to the obstinate Iewes.

15. They haue shut.) God is not the authour of euil. In saying that they shut their owne eyes, which S. Paul also repeateth Act. 28. he teacheth vs the true vnderstanding of al other places, where it might seeme by the bare words that God is the very author and worker of this induration, & blindnes, and of other sinnes *which was an old condemned blasphemie, & is now the Heresie of Caluin: whereas our Sauiour here teacheth vs, that they shut their owne eyes, and are the cause of their owne sinne and damnation, God not doing, but permitting it, and suffering them to fall further because of their former sinnes, as S. Paul declareth of the reprobate Gentiles. Ro. 1. *Iren. apud. Euseb. li. 5 c. 19. Calu. l. 2 Instit. c. 4.

25. Ouersowed.) First by Christ and his Apostles was planted the truth, and falshood came afterward, and was ouersowed by the enemy the Diuel, and not by Christ, who is not the authour of euil. Tertul. de præscript.

29. Lest perhaps.) The good must tolerate the euil, when it is so strong that it can not be redressed without danger and disturbance of the whole Church; and commit the matter to Gods iudgement in the later day. Otherwise where il men (be they Heretikes or other malefactours) may be punished or suppressed without disturbance and hazard of the good, they may and ought by publike authority either Spiritual or temporal to be chastised or executed.

30. Suffer both to grow.) Good and euil in the Church. The good and bad (we see here) are mingled together in the Church. Which maketh against certaine Heretikes and Schismatikes, which seuered themselues of old from the rest of the whole world, vnder pretence that themselues only were pure, and al others, both Priests and People sinners: and against some Heretikes of this time also, which say that euil men are not of, or in the Church.

32. The least of al seeds.) The Church of Christ had a smal beginning, but afterward became the most glorious and known Common-welth in earth: the greatest powers and the most wise of the world putting themselues into the same.

al kind of fi{ hes. 48 t Which,vvhen it vvas filled, dravving it forth, and fitting by the fhore, they chofe out the** good into veflels, but the Gre eas 49 bad they did caft out. tSo hal it bein the confummation 2td bad in the ofthe vwvorld. The Angels fhal goe forth, and fhal feparate Chub. so theeuil fromamongtheiuft, tandfhal caft them into the furnace of fire.there {hal be vveeping and gnafhing of teeth, st t Haue ye vnderftoodeal thefe things? T hey fay to him, Yea. s2 tHe faid vntothem, Therfore euery Scribe inftructed in the kingdom of heauen, is like toa man that isan houfholder, vwvhich bringeth forth out of his treafure nevv things and old.4 §3 +And itcameto paffe: vvhen I zs vs had ended thefe pa- Mr. 6,1. 54 rables,he pafled from thence, + And* coming into his ovvne tHe 4 countrie, he raught chem in their fynagogues, fo thar they ° marueled, and faid, Hovv came this fellovv by this vvifedom sg and vertues? +1snot this the’ carpenters fonne? Is not his mother called M 4 R1e, and his brethren,lames and Iofeph, s6 and Simon and Iude: tand his fitters , are they notal vvith §7 vs?Whence therefore hath he al thefe things? tAnd they vvere {candalized in him. Bur Lesvs faidto them, There is nota Prophet vvithout honour but in his ovvne countrie, andin §8 his ovvne houfe. tAnd he vvrought not many miracles there becaufe of their incredulity.

55. Carpenters Sonne.) Herevpon Iulian the Apostata and his flatterer Libanius tooke their scoffe against our Sauiour, saying (at his going against the Persians) to the Christians, what doth the Carpenters Sonne now? and threatning that after his returne, the Carpenters Sonne should not be able to saue them from his furie. Wherevnto a godly man answered, by the Spirit of Prophecie, He whom Iulian calleth the Carpenters Sonne, is making a wodden coffin for him against his death. And indeed not long after, there came newes, that in that bataile he died miserably. Sozo. li. 6 c. 2. Theodo. lib. 3 ch. 18. The very like scoffe vse Heretikes that cal the body of Christ in the B. Sacrament, bakers bread. It seemeth indeed to the senses to be so, as Christ seemed to be Iosephs natural Sonne, but faith telleth vs the contrarie, as wel in the one, as in the other.