The Autumn Part from the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity, Gospel 6
The Gospell.
MATH 22. 34.
When the Pharisies had heard that Iesus had put the Sadduces to silence, &c.
THis text is an dH…ing. Ferus. Ponta…. in locu….abridgement of the whole Scripture, to wit, of all the doctrine contained in the Gospell and in the Law: for the pi…h of all the Gospell is to beleeue that Christ is God and man, as it is said heere, the Lord of Dauid, and the sonne of Dauid: and the e1. Tim. 1. 5.end of al the Law is to louelove God with all thine heart, and thy neighbour as thy selfe: for on these two Commandements (as our text telleth) hung all the Law and the Prophets, fPiscator.Interpreters of the Law.
When the Pharisies had heard that Iesus had put the Sadduces to silence] The Sadduces, Herodians and Pharisies were sectaries of diuers and gIoseph. antiquit. lib. 18. cap. 2.aduerse factions, all differing one from other, and yet (as we read in this present Chapter) all these ioyne together in confuting Christ: yea hLuke 23. 12.Pilat and Herod mortall enemies are made friends, and agree together in confounding Christ: according to that of the Prophet in the second Psalme, The Kings of the Earth stand vp, and the Rulers take counsell together against the Lord and against his anointed. And therefore when as we shal see Turke against Iew, Iew against Turke, Pope against both, and all of them against Gods Israel: or when we behold the Seminary Priest against the Iesuit, and the Iesuit against the Seminary Priest, and both against the Protestant: or when as happily wee feele the brethren of diuision against the brethren of separation, and the brethren of separation against the brethren of diuision, and both against Englands conformable Clergie: let vsus remember our Sauiours lot heere, and lesson iMatt. 10. 24.elsewhere, The Disciple is not aboue his Master, nor the seruant aboue his Lord. It is enough for the Disciple to be as his Master is, and the seruant as his Lord is. If they hauehave called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more them of the houshold? And let all true Christians kEphes. 4. 3.endeuour to keepe the vnitie of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Tha… as there is a combination of Pharisies, a society of Iesuits, a congregation of Separists, a brother-hood of Schismatikes; euen so to confront all these, let there be a communion of Saints and a perpetuall holy league in truth of orthodoxall Catholikes.
They came together] It is a true saying, lB. Latimer.bonum est Concilium, sed bonorum, a Councell is good, if it consist of such men as are good: otherwise the councell of the wicked mPsal. 22. 16.lay siege against the godly, when Pharisies are met in a conuocation they nPsal. 7. 15.trauell with mischiefe, and bring forth vngodlinesse. Truth, and many good men for the truth hath beene condemned in Councels, as oSee Doctor Fulke in Tit. 3.Chrysostom, in a Councell holden at Chalcedon, Athanasius in a Councell holden at Antioche, Iohn Husse in a Councell holden at Constance. The Councels of Ariminium and Nicomedia decreed for the Arrians against Christs Diuinity: the second Councell of Ephesus for Eutyches and Dioscorus against the truth of Christs humanity: the Councell of Trent against many sound doctrines of Gods holy word, in so much as the Papists of France protested against it in the daies of Francis the first, openly deliuering in print, pIesuits Cat. lib. 2. cap. 1.that it is to be refused touching discipline as well Ecclesiasticall as Ciuill.
And one of them] qCaluin.Elected of the rest as the mouth of the company, being of a more ready wit and accurate iudgement, asked him a question, tempting him: rArdens.not as God tempted Abraham for his triall, or as a Schoolemaster doth his scholler for instruction, but as Sathan a Christian to delude him. Our blessed Sauiour therefore being Wisdome it selfe, doth answer the Doctor of the Law out of the sDeut. 6. 5.bookes and bowels of the Law, Thou shalt louelove the Lord thy God with all thine heart, &c. As if hee should say, though other gods are contented with tPontan.outward and eye-seruice; the Lord thy God is a uIoh. 4. 24.Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit: xPr…. 23. 2….sonne giuegive me thine heart: not a piece nor a part, but all thine heart, all thy soule, all thy minde. See the further exposition of this and that other Commandement touching louelove toward our neighbours, Gospell on the 13. Sunday after Trinity.
This is the first, and the greatest Commandement] yAnse…me. Ardens. Aretius.First in order, and greatest in honour. First in respect of the zGranat. Con 1. in loc.Law giuers intention, who wrote all Scriptures and made all creatures especially for this end, that he might be loued aboue all things. And first in the Law-writers pen, as being aHeming.first set downe: and first in it owne nature, for asmuch as the true feare and louelove of God is the bPsal. 111. 10 Ecclesiasticus 25. 13.beginning of all wisdome, without which it is impossible to louelove what wee should, as we should, for we cannot louelove our neighbours as our selues, except first we louelove God more then our selues. And the first as cMarlorat. Idem Rabanus apud Aquin. in loc.comprehending in it all the Commandements of the first table, virtualiter continens reliqua, for he that loues God with all his heart, soule, minde: will neither commit idolatry, nor blaspheme his name, nord Caietan. prophane his Sabbath.
And this Commandement is greatest, as hauing the greatest eHeming.Obiect: for fEcclesiastes 5. 7.God is higher then the highest, a great King gPsalm. 95. 3.aboue all gods: and greatest, as requiring the greatest hAretius.perfection of louelove, to wit, all our heart, all our soule, all our minde: and greatest, in that iGranat.all other great Commandements are subordinate to it: and greatest, as kCoster.endurig the greatest time, for though that prophecying be abolished, or knowledge vanish, or the tongues cease, l1. Cor. 13. 8.yet louelove neuer falleth away. To conclude with Aretius in one line, Maximum est obiecto, Iure, dignitate, difficultate, perpetuitate, fine. From hence we may know which are our greatest iniquities, Idolatry, Witchcraft, Heresie, prophaning of the Sabbath, outragious swearing, in a word, eueryevery trespasse against the first Table, being committed in the same measure of malice, is a greater sinne then any transgression of the second Table: because to louelove God with all our heart, soule, minde, is the first and greatest Commandement, and so by consequent, optimi corruptio pessima, the breach of the greatest ordinance is the greatest offence.
And the second is like vntounto it] mHeming.Not like in obiect, but in subiect, nIansen. Con. cap. 118.as being both precepts of louelove: or like in respect of their oCoster.bond, as tying all alike: or like pEuthym.because these two mutually depend each on other, for hee that loues God with all his heart, will also louelove his neighbour as himselfe; and whosoeuer loueth his neighbour as himselfe, loueth him assuredly for Gods sake, qAugust. Confess. lib. 4. c. 9.amicum in Domino, inimicum propter Dominum. Or like, rAretius. Heming.because we must louelove both God and our neighbour vnfainedly, s1 Iohn 3. 18.not in word and in tongue only, but in truth and in deed. Ordinarily men vse their louers as tDiez. Con. 2. in loc.ladders, only to climbe by, the ladder is laid on our shoulders, and embraced with both hands in our bosome so long as wee stand in any neede of it, but afterward it is cast into some corner, or hanged vp by the walles: euen so when neighbours hauehave serued once the turnes of ambitious and couetous wretches either for their profit or preferment, instantly they be forgotten: for it is an infallible position (as uSee Cominaeus hist. l. 3. c. 12.Cominaeus obserueth) among states-men in eminent place, to louelove those least vntounto whom heretofore they were bound most. Or like, xMarlorat.for that as the first is the fountaine of all duty required in the first Table: so this second Commandement of all offices enioyned in the second Table; for he that loueth another hath fulfilled the Law, Rom. 13. 8.
On these two Commandements hang all the Law and the Prophets] As being their principall argument and a…me, yEuthym. in Matth. 7. Iansen Pontan. Coster. in loc.for whatsoeuer is recorded in Moses, or in the Prophets, or in the Psalmes, or in any Scripture else, may be reduced vntounto them: and is written especially for this end, that wee may louelove God aboue all things, and our neighbours as our selues. And therefore let not poore men obiect that they cannot purchase Gods booke, nor ignorant people complaine that they cannot vnderstand and remember the contents of holy Scripture: for behold, Christ hath heere prouided a little Bible for thee, which thou mayest easily get, and euer keepe in memory; LoueLove the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and thy neighbour as thy selfe.
While the Pharisies were gathered together, Iesus asked them] One Pharisie did assault Christ, that if he were conquered, his shame might seeme the lesse; if conqueror, his victory might appeare the greater: but Christ opposeth a whole Councell of Pharisies, and so confoundeth them all in asking one question onelyonly, that no man afterward durst aske him any moe questions. Why this question was asked, and how it may be well answered: see Galatin: de Arcanis lib: 8. cap: 24. Iansen: con: cap: 119. Maldonat, Caluin, Genebrard in Psalm. dixit Dominus domino. Marlorat. Aretius, Panigarol, in loc. I conclude with zI… Psa. 109.Augustines glosse, Quomod… nos diceremus, nisi à te disceremus? nunc ergo quia didicimus, dicimus. In principio eras verbum, & verbum eras apud Deum, & Deus eras verbum, omnia per te facta sunt, ecce Dominus Dauid, sed nos propter infirmitatem nostram, quia caro desperata iacebamus, verbum caro factus es, vt habitares in nobis, ecce filius Dauid. Certê tu in forma Dei cùm esses, non rapinam arbitratus es esse aequalis Deo: Ideo Dominus Dauid. Sed teipsum exinanîsti formam serui accipiens, inde filius Dauid. Deni que & in ipsa interrogatione tua dicens, quomodo filius eius est, non te filium eius negâsti, sed modum in quo id fieret inquisisti.