A Catholicon, Part 1 · Subpart 9
The ninth lecture.
v. 10. Woe vntounto them, &c.] The Apostle In what sense the Apostle crieth Woe.now amplifieth and enlargeth the former part, wherein he had described the great sinnes and corruptions of these deceiuers & false hypocrites, both by examples in this verse, of Cam, Balaam, Core, and by similitudes and comparisons, in the two verses following. v. 12, 13.
This verse hath two parts: the denouncing of a woe, & the ground therof, which is the imitation of Cams enuie, Balaams couetousnes, Core his rebelliō & schisme, which did arise of pride.
But it will be here obiected, how the Apostle hauing before made mention of Michael, that he would giuegive no rayling sentence against the deuil, so soone forgetteth himselfe, and pronounceth a curse against these men. Ans. There is great difference, when one out of his priuate corrupt affection raileth or curseth, as Shemei did Dauid, 2. Sam. 16. and when one in the name of the Lord pronounceth a curse: which is no imprecation of euill, but a prediction of their iust punishmēt: as the Prophets eueryevery where, and our Sauiour often doe crie woe against the wicked hypocrites. Whereof there are two reasons yeilded: one by Ambrose▪ Non maledicit propheta, in psal. 119.sed quasimedicus vult illos sanare, vt de proprijs flagitijs erubescant. The prophet curseth not, but as a physitian he would heale thē, that they may be ashamed of their sinnes. Hierome giueth an other reason, answering vntounto a cauill of wicked Porphirie, who obiected, that Peter did curse Ananias and Saphira to death: Not so (saith he) sed dei iudicium spiritu annuntiat vt poena duorum Ad Dem… tr…ada.hominum sit doctrina multorum. But he with a propheticall spirit doth declare Gods iudgement, that the punishing of two might be a warning to many. And so doth the Apostle here, prophesie and foretell the fearefull ende of these wicked men, and testifie Gods iust iudgement against them.
The doctrine here is, that it is no idle speech or word of course, where we Doctr. 1.finde Woe, in Scripture; but it is an euident demonstration of Gods iudgement sure to follow, if no amendment goe before.
So the Lord saith by the prophet Isa. 14. 24. Surely as I hauehave purposed, it shall come to passe, and as I hauehave consulted it shall stand.
For like as an ouerflowing streame can not be kept backe, so the decree of God shall ouerflow, Isa. 10. 22. and Gods arrowes are as of a strong man, that is expert: none shall returne in vaine. Ier. 50. 9.
Thus the woe of Christ propounded ouer Corazin and Bethsaida two vnthākfull citties of Iudea, vndoubtedly was accordingly accomplished, Matth. 11. and those eight woes thundred out by our Sauiour against the Scribes and Pharises, Math. 23. answerable to those eight beatitudes, Mat. 5. had their effect accordingly, for both the countrie, pollicie, and priesthood of the Iewes, was within 42. yeares destroyed.
The reason is giuen, Isay, 45. 23. I hauehave sworne by my selfe, the worde is giuen out of my mouth in righteousnesse and shall not returne. The certentie then of Gods iudgements dependeth both vponupon the iustnesse of them, and the strength of the oath of God, which is immutable.
First then, we are here put in great comfort, Error. 30. Babylonish Rome beginneth to fall. Rome Babylon.if all the woes of Gods booke shal be fulfilled, that the destruction of Antichrist & his false Church shall certainly come to passe, and that it cannot be farre off: as it is euident in the prophesie of the Reuelation, c. 16. 19. Babylon is come in remembrance before God, to giuegive vntounto her the cup of the wine of the fiercenesse of his wrath: and 17. 16. The tenne hornes (which are tenne kings) shall hate the whore and make her desolate and naked: for God hath put it into their hearts to fulfill his will: this we see in part fulfilled alreadie, that God hath turned the hearts of some Christian princes that before were slaues to the whore of Rome, now to hate her: and other princes must followe, and had plaied their parts ere this, but that our diffident, faint, and distrustfull hearts, are an hinderance. Againe, let all couetous persons, & oppressours, all that are mightie to drinke wine, and to poure in strong drinke, all that are wise in their owne conceipt, that is, which doe despise instruction, take heed vntounto themselues, and all other against. whome the scripture declareth any word, as it doth against these, Isay, 5. 8. against oppressours, against drunkards. Isay, 5. 11. 22. against the proud and wise in their owne …ies, v. 22. for certainely howe secure soeuer they are, these wordes shall come to passe.
For they hauehave followed the way of Caine] Caines way was to hate his brother because Doct. 2.his workes were good, and his owne euill: 1. Ioh. 3. 12. so then it is a grieuous sinne to hate, or enuie any man for his goodnesse. This the preacher well obserued, that the perfectiō of a worke is the cause of the enuie of a man against his neighbour, Eccles. 4. 4.
As Ioseph was enuied of his brethren, because of that excellent gift of diuination and expounding of dreames, Gen. 37. 8. and Iosua enuied E…dad and Medad because they prophesied, whome Moses therefore reprooued, Numb. 11. 29. Esau hated Iacob because of the blessing, Gen. 27. 41.
Therefore the Patriarkes, that hated Ioseph are cōpared to archers, that shoote Gen. 49. ….at a marke or white; so the wicked doe aime at the vertue and innocencie of the righteous. The cause of enuie in some is the corruption of nature, because as Saint Peter saith, the spirit and the flesh doe one lust against another, and are contrarie each to other, Gal. 5. 17. In some vaine glorie breedeth enuie, because it grieueth them to be exceeded and excelled of others, as the Apostle saith: let vsus not be desirous of vaine glorie, prouoking one another, enuying one another.
First then we see, why the Church of God is persecuted of the Antichristian synagogue, Error. 31. Why Antichrist persecuteth the gospell.because they enuie the profession of the true faith: they are persecuted for their righteousnesse, Math. 5. 10.
Againe, let all wordly and carnall men take heede that they hate not any for their righteous and honest life, as he that sweareth, stealeth, committeth adulterie, hateth him that is not like minded: so Ahab hated the prophet Micaiah: so Caine hated Abel: but woe is vntounto them that followe the waie of Caine.
And are cast away with the deceipt of Balaams wages:] the worde signifieth to be Doctr. 3.poured out, foreign, that is, hauehave giuen themselues ouer for lusts sake to followe the errour of Balaam. who for reward sake was hired by Balaack against his conscience Balaams wages.to curse Israel, and shifted from place to place, from Baal to Sedesophim, from thence to Peor to fetch diuinations: & perceiuing that God would not suffer him to curse, Num. 24. 1. then he gaue wicked counsell to cause Balaack to set a stūbling blocke before the Israelites, to entice them to commit fornication & cōmit idolatrie.…. 2. 14.
Doctr. We are taught, what an abhomination it is for lucre sake to follow euill, or to be perswaded vntounto it. So Moses saith, that a gift blindeth the wise or seeing, Exod. 23. 8. which while some hauehave lusted after, they hauehave erred frō the faith, 1. Tim. 6. 10.
Thus Iudas was corrupted with money to betray Christ: Saint Peter calleth it the reward of iniquitie, Act. 1. 18. and as he receiued money, so Haman offered great summes to destroy the innocēt Iewes; Est. 3. 9.
These are like to Esau that sold his birthright for a messe of pottage, so they make shipwracke of their conscience for lucre: or as Adam, that for greedinesse of an apple lost paradise.
The reason Saint Paul sheweth, 1. Tim. 6. 9. They that will be rich fall into tentations and snares: that is, Sathan seeing the corruption of the heart, layeth a fit baite for him, and so intangleth him in his snares.
First then this text may be better applied against the papists, and with much greater right, then they force it against Error. 2….protestants, as the Rhemists in their annotation vponupon this place: for couetousnes is the very ground of poperie: their doctrine of purgatorie, merits, pilgrimages, indulgences, the Popes supremacie, are all builded vponupon this foundation: yea it is notoriously knowne howe with great summes he hath corrupted diuerse to betray and murther their princes.
Secondly, let eueryevery man take heed how like vntounto Balaam he corrupt his consciēce for desire of gain: the marchāt, buier, seller, executor, iurie men, and all other: but let them embrace the sentence of the wise mā, Prou 23. 23. Buy the trueth but sell it not.
And perish in the gainesaying of Core.] that is, they despise gouernment, and resist Doctr. 4.those, which are in authoritie, as Core, Dathan, and Abiram, whome the earth swallowed vp, Numb. 16.
Doctrin. That God will not suffer them to goe vnpunished that doe make a rent We must t…ke heed of schisme.or schisme in the Church in resisting lawfull authoritie.
So the wise man saith, Feare God and the king, and meddle not with the seditious, for their destruction shall rise suddenly, Prouerb. 24 21.
Absoloms example sheweth this for the ciuill state, who for his rebellion was hanged, and Shemaiah for the ecclesiasticall, who for his seditious letters against Ieremie was worthely punished, with the vtter ruine of his posteritie, Ierem. 29. 25, 32.
As he that kindleth a fire, shall be compassed about with the sparkes thereof, Isay, 50. 11. Like as Nadab and Abihu were consumed of fire, censing with straunge fire before the Lord, Leuitic. 10. 1.
The reason Saint Paul rendreth; they shall receiue to themselues iudgement, because they resist the ordinance of God, Rom. 13. 2.
First then not the protestants, as the Rhemists falsely charge our Church, are Error. ….like vntounto Core, because they are departed from the obedience of the pope: no more then Christ and his Apostles could be charged with schisme, because they forsooke the corrupt doctrine of the Scribes and Pharises, and high priests: but they are the followers of Core, which hauehave practised against the Lords annointed, our Moses, and seditiously labour to peruert the subiects from the right faith.
Secondly, brethren let vsus take heede of schismes, seditions, mutinies, neither obstinately to resist the ciuill state, nor wilfully to forsake the felloweship of the Saints, as the manner of some is, as the Apostle speaketh, Heb. 10. 25. but to yeeld our selues in all obedience to our superiours; that it may be said of vsus, as of the Israelites: Thou didst lead thy people like sheepe by the hand of Moses and Aaron. Psal. 77. 20.