Matthew — Chapter 17

2. Transfigured.) Christ can exhibit his body vnder what forme he list. Mark in this Transfiguration many maruelous points: as, that he made not only his owne body, which then was mortal, but also the bodies of Moyses & Elias, the one dead, the other to die, for the time as it were immortal; therby to represent the state and glorie of his body and his Saints in Heauen. By which maruelous transfiguring of his body, you may the lesse maruel that he can exhibit his body vnder the forme of bread and wine, or otherwise as he list.

3. Appeared Moyses.) Saints after their death deale with, and for the liuing. By this that Moyses personally appeared and was present with Christ, it is plaine that the Saints departed may in Person be present at the affaires of the liuing. August. de cura pro mort. c. 15. 16. For euen as Angels els where, so here the Saints also serued our Sauiour; and therfore as Angels both in the old Testament & the new, were present often at the affaires of men, so may Saints.

9. Mount.) Holy Places. This mount (commonly esteemed and named of the ancient Fathers Thabor) S. Peter calleth *the holy Mount because of this wonderful vision, like as in the old Testament, **where God appeared to Moyses in the bush, and els where to others, he calleth the place of such Apparitions, holy ground. Deuotion and Pilgrimage to the same. Wherby it is euident that by such Apparitions, places are sanctified, and thervpon groweth a religion and deuotion in the Faithful toward such places, and namely to this Mount Thabor (called in S. Hierom Itabirium Ep. 17.) there was great Pilgrimage in the Primitiue Church, as vnto al those places which our Sauiour had sanctified with his presence and miracles: and therfore to the whole land of promise, for that cause called the holy Land. The holy land See S. Hiero. in Epitap. Paulæ. & ep. 17. & 18 ad Mercellam. *2 Peter 1,18. **Exo. 3,5.

11. Elias shal come.) Elias. He distinguisheth here plainly between Elias in Person, who is yet to come before the iudgement; and Elias in name, to wit, John the Baptist, who is come already in the spirit and vertue of Elias. *So that it is not Iohn Baptist only, nor principally of whom Malachie prophecieth (as our Aduersaries say) but Elias also himself in Person. *Luke 1,17. Mal. 4,5.

19. Why could not we.) True miracles only in the Cath. Church. No maruel if the Exorcists of the Catholike Church which have power to cast out Diuels, yet doe it not alwayes when they wil, and many times with much adoe; wheras the Apostles having receaued this power *before over vncleane Spirits, yet here cannot cast them out. But as for Heretikes, they can neuer doe it, nor any other true miracle, to confirme their false faith. *Mat. 10.

20. Faith as a mustard seed.) This is the Catholike faith, by which only al miracles are wrought: yet not of euery one that hath the Catholike faith, but of such as haue a great and forcible faith, and withal the gift of miracles. Gregorius Thaumaturgus. These are able, as here we see by Christes warrant, not only to doe other wonderful miracles here signified by this one, but also this very same, that is, to moue mountaines indeed as *S. Paul also presupposeth, and **S. Hierom affirmeth, and Ecclesiastical histories namely telleth of ***Gregorius Neocæsariensis, that he moued a mountaine to make roome for the foundation of a Church; called therfore, and for other his wonderful miracles, Thaumaturgus. And yet faithlesse Heretikes laugh at al such things and beleeue them not. *1 Corinth. 13. **Hiero in vita S. Hilarionis. Niceph. l. 6, 17. ***Greg. Niss. de vit. Gregory.

21. Prayer and fasting.) Prayer & Fasting. The force of fasting and praying; whereby also we may see that the holy Church in Exorcismes doth according to the Scriptures, when she vseth beside the name of Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ, many prayers, and much fasting, to driue out Diuels, because these also are here required beside faith.

26. The Children free.) The priuileges & exemptions of the Clergie. Though Christ to auoid scandal, payed tribute, yet indeed he sheweth that both him self ought to be free from such payments (as being the Kings Sonne, as wel by his eternal birth of God the Father, as temporal of Dauid) and also his Apostles, as being of his familie, and in them their successours the whole Clergie, who are called in Scripture the lot and portion of our Lord. Which exemption and privilege being grounded vpon the very law of nature itself, and therfore practised euen among the Heathen (Gen. 42,27.) good Christian Princes haue confirmed and ratified by their lawes, in the honour of Christ, whose ministers they are, and as it were the Kings Sonnes, as S. Hierom declareth plainly in these words: We for his honour pay not tributes, and as the Kings sonnes, are free from such payments. Hiero. vpon this place.

27. Me and thee.) A great mysterie in that he payed not only for himself, but for Peter bearing the Person of the Church, and in whom as the cheefe, the rest were contained. Aug. q. ex. no. Test. q. 75. to. 4.