Matthew — Chapter 22

2. Mariage.) Then did God the Father make this mariage, when by the mysterie of the Incarnation he ioyned to his Sonne our Lord, the holy Church for his spouse.

3. Seruants.) The first seruants here sent to inuite, were the Prophets, the second, were the Apostles, and al that afterward conuerted Countries, or that haue and doe reconcile men to the Church.

5. One to his farme.) Worldly excuse against reconciliation. Such as refuse to be reconciled to Christes Church, alleage often vaine impediments and worldly excuses, which at the day of iudgement wil not serue them.

11. A man not attyred.) The Church consisteth of good and bad. It profiteth not much to be within the Church and to be a Catholike, except a man be of good life, for such an one shal be damned, because with faith he hath not good workes: as is euident by the example of this man, who was within, & at the feast as the rest, but lacked the garment of charitie & good workes. And by this man are represented al the bad that are called. And therfore they also are in the Church as this man was at the feast: but because he was called, and yet none of the elect, it is euident that the Church doth not consist of the elect only, contrarie to our Aduersaries.

21. To Cæsar.) Neither must temporal Princes exact, nor their Subjects giue vnto them, Ecclesiastical iurisdiction. Temporal duties and payments exacted by worldly Princes must be payd, so that God be not defrauded of his more soueraigne dutie. And therfore Princes haue to take heed how they exact, and others, how they giue to Cæsar, that is, to their Prince, the things that are due to God, that is, to his Ecclesiastical ministers. Wherevpon S. Athanasius reciteth these goodly wordes out of an epistle of the ancient and famous Confessour Hosius Cordubensis to Constantius the Arian Emperour: Cease I beseech thee and remember that thou art mortal, feare the day of iudgement, intermedle not with Ecclesiastical matters, neither doe thou command vs in this kind, but rather learne them of vs. To thee God hath committed the Empire, to vs he hath committed the things that belong to the Church. And as he that with malicious eyes carpeth thine Empire, gainesaieth the ordinance of God: so doe thou also beware, lest in drawing vnto thee Ecclesiastical matters, thou be made guilty of a great crime. It is written: Giue ye the things that are Cæsars, to Cæsar; and the things that are Gods, to God. Therfore neither is it lawful for vs in earth to hold the Empire, neither hast thou (O Emperour) power ouer incense and sacred things. Athan. Ep. ad Solit. vitam agentes. And S. Ambrose to Valentinian the Emperour (who by the il counsel of his mother Iustina an Arian, required of S. Ambrose to haue one Church in Millan deputed to the Arian Heretikes) saith: We pay that which is Cæsars, to Cæsar; and that which is Gods, to God. Tribute is Cæsars, it is not denied: the Church is Gods, it may not verily be yealded to Cæsar: because the Temple of God can not be Cæsars right. Which no man can denie but it is spoken with the honour of the Emperour, for what is more honorable then that the Emperour be said to be the sonne of the Church? For a good Emperour is within the Church, not aboue the Church. Ambr. l. 5. Epist. Orat. de Basil. trad.

30. As Angels.) The Saints heare our prayers. As Christ proueth here, that in Heauen they neither marie nor are maried, because there they shal be as Angels: by the very same reason, is proued, that Saints may heare our prayers and help vs, be they neer or farre of; because the Angels do so, and in euery moment are present where they list, and need not to be neer vs, when they heare, or helpe vs.

32. Of the dead.) S. Hierom by this place disproueth the Heretike Vigilantius, and in him these of our time, which to diminish the honour of Saints, cal them of purpose, dead men.

40. On these two.) Not only faith. Hereby it is euident that al dependeth not vpon faith only, but much more vpon charitie (though faith be the first) which is the loue of God and of our neighbour, which is the summe of al the law and the Prophets: because he that hath this double charitie expressed here by these two principal commandements, fulfilleth and accomplisheth al that is commanded in the Law and the Prophets.