Matthew — Chapter 9

3. He blasphemeth.] When the Iewes heard Christ remit sinnes, they charged him with blasphemie, as Heretikes now charge his Priests of the new Testament, for that they remit sinnes; to whom he said, Whose sinnes you shal forgiue, they are forgiuen &c. Jo. 20.

5. Whether is easier.) Men haue power to forgiue sinnes. The faithlesse Iewes thought (as Heretikes now a daies) that to forgiue sinnes was so proper to God, that it could not be communicated vnto man; but Christ sheweth, that as to worke miracles is otherwise proper to God only, and yet this power is communicated to men, so also to forgiue sinnes.

6. The Sonne of man in earth.] Christ had power to remit sinnes, and often executed the same, not only as he was God, but also as he was a man, because he was head of the Church, and our cheefe Bishop & Priest according to his manhood, in respect wherof al power was giuen him in Heauen and earth. Mat. 28 v. 18.

miracles, knoWing that that Which God commitreth to men, is not to his dero- gation, burro hisglorie. him feif only being {til the principal worker of that eff. , men being only his minilters,iubititures, and working vnder him and by his comm'ifion and authoritie.

13. Not Sacrifice.] External Sacrifice. These are the wordes of the Prophet, who spake them euen then when sacrifices where offered by Gods commandment; so that it maketh not against sacrifice. But he saith that sacrifice only without mercie, and charitie, and generally with mortal sinne, is not acceptable. The Jewes offered their sacrifices dewly, but in the meane time they had no pitie nor mercie on their brethren; that is it, which God misliketh.

14. Fast often.) Fasting. By the often fasting of S. Johns Disciples, we may gather that he appointed them a prescript manner of fasting: as it is certaine he taught them a forme of prayer. Luke 5 & 11.

17. New wine.) By this new wine, he doth plainly here signifie fasting, and the strait kind of life: by the old bottels, them that can not away therewith.

19. Twelue yeares.) This woman a Gentil, had her disease twelue yeares, and the Gouerners daughter a Jewe (which is here raysed to life) was twelue yeares old, Luke 8. Mark then the Allegorie hereof in the Jewes & Gentils. As that woman fel sick when the wench was borne, so the Gentils went their owne wayes into idolatrie, when the Jewes in Abraham beleeued. Againe, as Christ here went to raise the wench, and by the way the woman was first healed, and then the wenche reuiued: so Christ came to the Jewes, but the Gentils beleeued first, and were saued; and in the end the Iewes shal beleeue also. Hiero. in Mat.

21. Touch only.] Relikes and Images. Not only Christes wordes, but his garment and touch thereof, or any thing to him belonging, might doe, & did miracles, force proceeding from his holy Person to them. Yea this woman returning home *set vp an Image of Christ, for memorie of this benefit, and the hemme of the same Image did also miracles. This Image Iulian the Apostate threw downe, and set vp his owne in steed thereof, which was immediatly destroyed by fire from Heauen. But the image of Christ broken in peeces by the Heathen, the Christians afterward gathering the peeces togeather placed it in the Church: where it was, as Sozomenus writeth, vnto his time. *Euseb. li. 7 c. 14 hist. Li. 5 c. 20.

28. Do you beleeue that I can?] We see here that to the corporal healing of these men he requireth only this faith, that he is able; which faith is not sufficient to iustifie them. How then doe the Heretikes by this and the like places plead for their only iustifying faith? See the Annot. Mark 5,36.

38. Pray therfore.) Therfore doth the Church pray and fast in the Ember dayes, when holy Orders are giuen, that is, when workmen are prepared to be sent into the haruest. See Act. 13,2.