The Autumn Part from the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity, Gospel 11
The Gospell.
MATTH. 22. 15.
Then the Pharisies went out, and tooke counsell how they might entangle him in his words, &c.
CHrist in this Gospell answereth a captious question of his aduersaries after such a sort, that he bIob. 5. 13.caught the wise in their craftinesse, and as the cPsal. 9. 15.Psalmist, in the same net which they hid priuily, themselues are taken.
In the question these dAretius.six circumstances are to be discussed especially, the
Time when. So soone as Christ had deliuered his Parable concerning the mariage dinner of the Kings sonne, then the Pharisies went out.
End why: to tangle him in his words.
Manner how: tooke counsell how.
Questionists,
Pharisies, as chiefe authors.
Their disciples with Herods seruants, as actors or subordinate instruments.
Proeme: Master, wee know that thou art true, &c.
Probleme: Is it lawfull that tribute be giuen to Caesar, or no?
In Christs answer two points are remarkable, to wit, his
Conflict in
Confounding his aduersaries, Iesus perceiuing their wickednesse.
Confuting, shew mee the tribute money.
Concluding, giuegive therefore to Caesar, &c.
Conquest, When they heard these words, they maruelled, and left him, and went their way.
Then the Pharisies] eKilius.Euen at that time when Christ in his doctrine sought their eternall saluation, they conspire to worke his vtter destruction. At that instant fChrysost.when they should hauehave beleeued in him (gIerem. 5. 3. hauing faces harder then a stone) they went out from him. And I pray whither? into the hPsal. 1. 1.counsell of the vngodly, iHeming.for counsell is the foundation to worke vponupon. Wherefore? to entangle him. And for that heretofore they could not intrap him in his kArdens.morals, or in his miracles: here they take counsell how to catch him in his words. A fit and (as they thought) a fecible plot. It was exceeding fit, in that Christ had often intangled them in their words, and therefore seeing they could not at any time finde an hole in his coat, they went about to discouer a botch in his doctrine, that, as it is in the by-word, they might lPontan.crie quit. Againe, they conceiued it to be very fecible, for that the tongue is glib, according to that of Saint mCap. 3. …. 2.Iames, if any man offend not in word, he is a perfect man, and able to bridle all the body.
Their disciples with Herods seruants] Executing their malice by deputies, as being nCaluin. Lud…lphus ex Chrysost.…sse knowen, and so lesse suspected of trechery. But these disciples as apt schollers, were oAnselm.peeres in mischiefe, though vnderunder-lings in age to their masters. And with these were ioyned the Herodians also, that is (as pIn loc.Theophylact and qIn Matt. 12.Euthymius) such as thought Herod to be Christ. rHicron. & Chrysost.Other affirme that they were souldiers of Herod, or as our translation heere, seruants of Herod, sIansen. Con. cord. ca. 1. 6not of Herod the Tetrarch, but of Herod the King. tMaldonat. in loc.Factors in his Court for the Romane tribute; for Herod fauoured the taxes of Caesar, and they flattered Herod. A sect altogether opposite to the Pharisies in the question about uIoseph. antiquit. …ib. 18. c. 2.tribute: for whereas the Pharisies alway pretended the good of Gods Temple, the Herodians on the contrarie contended for the benefit of Caesars exchequer; and yet both agreed and tooke counsell together against the Lord and against his annoynted, Psal. 2. 2. See Gospell Sunday 18. after Trinitie.
Master, we know that thou art true] xThom. & Pontan in loc.That a man may speake freely the truth, hee must hauehave knowledge, zeale, boldnesse. All which our Sauious aduersaries ascribe to him here. Knowledge of the truth, in that hee was a master and taught the way of God. Zeale and louelove to the truth, in that he was true, teaching truly. Boldnesse, in that he respected not the person of any. Where by the way yArdens. Caluin. Vega.Diuines obserue the commendable parts of a good Pastour: First, he must be for his learning a master, able to teach, z1. Tim. 3. 2.apt to teach, a aRom. 2. 19.guide to the blinde, a light to them that are in darknesse. Secondly, he must be true, which Ardens applieth to purenesse of life: but bIn loc.Marlorat is of opinion that the words, and teachest truly the way of God, expound the clause, thou art true. Thirdly, cKilius.he must not vtter his owne dreames, or the dIere. 23. 16.vision of his owne heart, but teach the way of God. e1. Pet. 4. 11.If any man speake, let him talke as the words of God. Fourthly, he must hauehave fHeming.certaintie of doctrine, teaching the truth aright, or truly. For so saith the Lord, He that hath my word, let him speake my word faithfully, Ierem. 23. 28. And Rom. 12. 6. If any man hauehave the gift of prophecie, let him hauehave it according to the proportion of faith. Fifthly, he must be stout in deliuering Gods ambassage, not caring for any man, &c. Ezech. 2. 6. Sonne of man, feare them not, gEsay 58. 1.cry aloud, spare not, lift vp thy voyce like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and to the house of Iacob their sinnes.
Now the Pharisies vttered all this proem out of hEuthym.impudent flatterie: iPsal. 55. 22.Their words were softer then butter, hauing warre in their hearts, and smoother then oyle, yet were they very swords; calling Christ master, and yet scorning to bee his schollers: Ioh. 9. 28. Be thou his disciple (say they to the blind) wee bee Moses disciples. Affirming here that he was true: but kIohn 7. 12.elsewhere that he deceiueth the people; saying vponupon this occasion that hee taught the way of God: but at another time quite contrarie, lIohn 9. 16.this man is not of God. Highly commending his vndanted spirit, that they might heereby prouoke him either to speake treasonable words against Caesar, or insupportable words against the people.
Is it lawfull that tribute be giuen to Caesar, or no?] God ordained in his mExod. 30 13 14. &c.law that eueryevery man of twentie yeeres old and aboue should yeerely giuegive halfe a shekell, as an offering to the Lord, toward the reparation of his house and other pious vses. And this collection, as nCommen, in Matth. 22.Melancthon coniecturally, did amount eueryevery yeere to three tunne of gold. Now when the Romanes had conquered the Iewes, and made them, as we read Luke 2. tributarie; this money giuen vntounto the Temple, was paied into oMelanct. vbi sup. & Zepper. con. 1. in loc.Caesars Exchequer. Herevpon there did arise first a great disputation among the chiefe Priests and Pharisies, whether it was lawfull to pay this tribute vntounto Caesar, or no. Then after ward insued open rebellion among the people, Iudas of Galile being their Captaine, as S. Luke mentiotioneth, Acts 5. 37. For this pIoseph. Antiquit. lib 18. c. 1.Iudas Galileus conspiring with one Sadducus a Pharisie, drew away much people with him openly maintaining against the faction of Herod, that this exaction of the Romane Emperour was intolerable, contrarie to the lawes of God and immunities of the Iewes his free people. By which it doth appeare that the quaere concerning Caesars tribute was exceeding captious, and a meere Dilemma. qArdens.For if Christ had answered, it is lawfull, the Pharisies had accused him vntounto the chiefe Priests, as being all for the Temple: but if hee should hauehave said, it is vnlawfull, the seruants of Herod would hauehave rLuke 20. 20.deliuered him vntounto the secular power of the Gouernour, as a seditious fellow peruerting the people, and forbidding to pay tribute to Caesar, Luke 23. 2. sLuther. Heming.If he should hauehave disputed against the tribute, he had offended Caesar: if for the tribute, displeased the people, who did beare this burthen against their wils. And so the Pharisies might hauehave had a gap opened to destroy him if the people did abandon him. In both appeared imminent danger, if not death. Hitherto concerning the Pharisies question, hearken now to Christs answer.
But Iesus perceiuing their wickednesse] Or as S. tCap. 12. 15.Marke, their hypocrisie: or as S. uCap. 20. 23.Luke, their craftinesse. For xProu. 21. 30.there is no wisedome neither vnderstanding nor counsell against the Lord. Wherefore Christ yAretius.as God seeing their hypocriticall humour, and vnderstanding their trecherous intent, accommodates his answer, zIacob. de Vorag.non ad eorum verba blanda, sed ad eorum corda praua, to the foule malice of their minde, and not to the faire words of their mouth. Obiecting against them aPontan.foure faults especially: first, folly, noted in the word why? For if I am (as you say) true, then I am God, because bRom. 3. 4.eueryevery man is a liar, and only God ture, yea truth it selfe, Iohn 14. 6. and if I be the sonne of God, I can easily make your wisedome cIob 5. 13.foolishnesse. Secondly, trechery, why tempt ye? Thirdly, ingratitude, why tempt yee me, who teach vntounto you the way of God truely, dMatt. 23 37.desiring often to gather your children together, euen as the Hen gathereth hir Chickens vnderunder hir wings, and yee would not. Fourthly, Dissimulation, yee hypocrites. Hauing thus in a trice confounded them, hee proceedes in the next clause to confute them, euen by their eMusculus. Aretius.owne words and deeds, as the souldiers of f2. Mac. 12. 22.Tymotheus were wounded with the points of their owne swords. For, saith he, shew me the tribute money: and they tooke him a penny, and he said vntounto them, whese is this image and superscription? They said vntounto him, Caesars. Then hee said vntounto them, GiueGive therefore to Caesar, &c. gLuther. Culman. Caluin.As if hee should say, your selues hauehave let in the Romanes, acknowledging hIoh. 19. 15.no King but Caesar. And in token of your homage, you say that the currant coyne among you beares his image and superscription: and therefore seeing Caesar by conquest hath made himself Lord ouer you, giuegive to Caesar the th…ngs which are Caesars, and vntounto God the things which are Gods.
In which one sentence we may note many profitable lessons, as first, iMusculus.that it is our duty to giuegive eueryevery one his owne: kRom. 13. 7.tribute, to whom tribute: custome, to whom custome: feare, to whom feare: honour, to whom honour. lArdens.Deo religionem, sibimunditiam, parentibus honorem, familtaribus prouidentiam, fi…ijs correctionem, fratribus amorem, dominis subiectionem, subiectis benignitatem, omnibus aequitatem. VntoUnto God the things of God, vntounto men the things appertayning to men, and vntounto the mEuthym, in loc.diuell himselfe that which is his due, charging him with all our sinne and iniquity. Secondly, from hence we learne that the spirituall kingdome of the Church, and the ciuill kingdome of Caesar are nHeming. Culman.distinct and separate, (that albeit they be both of God) oBarelatus de authoritate Papae cap. 2.each of them being included in his bonds, may not enter vponupon the borders of the other. A pAnglican. Confess. art. 37. explained in the conclusion of Queene Eliz. Iniunctions. I lem D•. Fulke in loc.Prince may not minister the Sacrament, nor a Priest manage the scepter. Thirdly, qZepper. Aretius. Aquin. 22. quaest. 10. 4. art. 6.this scripture sheweth euidently that the kingdome of Christ abrogates not the kingdome of Caesar, but that the Gospell is a good friende vntounto Common-weales, in teaching Princes how to gouerne, and the people how to be subiect vntounto the higher powers. It is not Christ and his word, but Antichrist and the Pope, who deny to Caesar the things which are Caesars, absoluing the subiect from his allegiance to the Soueraigne, rElienfis ad apolog. B…llar, respon. cap. 2. pag. 71.Caesari sublata nonreddit, & (quod caput est inturiae) defendit non reddenda, tollere ea potuissese, posse etiam iam, cum volet, quoties volet, atque apudse detinere, ad se enim non ad Caesarem pertinere. This intrusion vponupon the things of Caesar is thought vniust and vncouth, euen by the Sorbon and Parliament of Paris in France, by the Common-wealth of Uenice, by the Seminarie Priests in England; in a word, distasted of all Pope-lings in the world, except the serpentine brood hatched of the Spanish egge Ignatius Loiala. Read the bookes of Watson, especially Quodlibet 8. art. 7. 8. Barclai of the authoritie of the Pope: Roge. Widdrington apolog. pro iure principum: Sheldons generall reasons proouing the lawfulnesse of the Oath of Alleigance. The ready pens of our accurately learned Caesar and his judicious Diuines hauehave so foyled in this argument the Popes bul-begger Cardinall Bellarmine, that it may be said of him aptly, which once sCatalog. glor. mundi, part. 5 considerat. 28Cassanaeus of the whole Romane Empire, nihil in principio fortius, nihil in fine debilius.
GiueGive therefore to Caesar the things which are Caesars] tEuthym. Iansen.He saith not date: but reddite, because tribute is due debt vntounto Caesar. And if we must pay tribute to Caesar a Panim Emperour: uBuflinger, Beza.much more to Christian Kings and Queenes xEsay 49. 23.which are nursing fathers, and nursing mothers vntounto the Church. If we denie this dutie we are no better (if father ySerm at Stamf…rd.Latymer be iudge) then theeues. Alway prouided that we reserue to God such things as are Gods, and giuegive to Caesar onelyonly such things as are Caesars: for zFerus serm 2. in loc.it is not said here, reddite Caesariquae petit: sed quae sunt illius. Now the things of Caesar are principally aMelanct. Com. in loc. Idem Zepper. & Culrian.three: Honor, obedience, tribute. We must honour them as the bRom. 13. 4.Ministers and c2 Sam. 14. 17angels of God, as the dN…mb. 27 17sheepheards and ePsal. 47. 9.shields of his people, vnderunder whose fEzech. 31. 3. 6shadowing boughes our nests are built, and our yong brought forth. And in this respect also we must obey Caesar in such things as are Caesars: but if Caesar intrude vponupon the things of God, and coyne a new Creed, or broch another Gospell, it is better to obey God then man, Act. 4. 19. The lawes gMelanct. Com. in loc. Idem Erasmus in para.order requiring that first we giuegive to God the things which are Gods and then vntounto men the things of men. See Epistle 4. Sunday after Epiphanie.
As for the tributes of Caesar, if they be iust and reasonable wee must pay them as his wages: if vniust and vnreasonable, we must hLuther. Zepper. Melanct. postil in loc.be are them as our punishment. We may refell his arguments in parliament, and repell his oppression according to courses of law: but we may not in any case rebel with the sword. And yet (as Melancthon and other vponupon this text) Caesar himselfe is bound to keep the commandement, Thou shalt not steale, remembring alway that almighty God hath made him a sheapheard, and not a wolfe; a nursing father, and not a cursing tyrant; a i2. King. 13. 5.deliuerer, and not a de…ourer of his people. kAugust. de ciuit. l. 4. c. 4.Remota iustitia quid sunt regna nisi magna latrocinia? quoniam & ipsalatrocinia quid sunt nisi paruaregna? Saint lSerm. 4.Ambrose notably to the same purpose, Quod Caesar praecipit ferundum est, quod imperator indicit tolerandum est: sed fit intolerabile dum illud praeda exactionis accumulat. The gratious Apothegme of mBasil. Dor. li. 2. pag. 99.our noble Soueraigne to his dearest son Henry the Prince is worthy to be written in letters of gold, Inrich not your selfe with exactions vponupon your subiects: but thinke the riches of your people your best treasure.
Unto God those things which are Gods] nMelanct. Zepper.As if he should say: Ye Pharisies are careful for the money of the Temple, but in the meane while yee neglect the diuine worship and word of God▪ oErasmus annot. in loc.Ye giuegive to Caesar the penny that hath his inscription and image: why then, I pray, confecrate ye not to God your soule, wherein is imprinted Gods image and superscription? How Christians are Gods penie, hauing his image by creation, and inscription in holy baptisme, whereby Christ pApoca. 22. 4.writeth his name in their foreheads, and so markes them as it were for the children of God and inheritours of the kingdome of heauen: See Ludolphus de vita Christipart. 2. cap. 35. Ardens, Musculus, Pontan, Ferus in loc.
If we now conforme our selues according to Christs image, hee shall hereafter (as it is in this daies Epistle) transforme our vile body, that it may be like his glorious body, q1. Cor. 15. 49.for as wee hauehave borne the image of the earthly, so shall wee beare the image of the heauenly. Take heede therefore that Sathan imprint not his stampe in you, because Christ at the rLudolphus.last day will say to thy soule, as hee did to the Pharisies here: whose is this image and inscription? If thou be branded with the sApocal. 23.markes of Sathan and Antichrist, hell is thy portion; if tEphes. 4. 30.sealed by the holy spirit of God vntounto the day of redemption, heauen is thine inheritance. GiueGive then vntounto Caesar the things which are Caesars, uAmbros. in Luc. cap. 20.leaue to the world the things of the world, that thou maiest the better giuegive to God the things of God. xOrigen apud Thom. in loc.Or giuegive to thy body such things as are necessary tribute, and to thy soule such things as are conuenient and profitable for thy soule. Or giuegive to thy Pastor such things as are the Pastors, and vntounto the Prince such things as appertaine to thy Prince, y1. Tim. 2. 2.that thou maiest leade a quiet and a peaceable life in all godlines and honesty. Remember the prouerbe, He that eates the Kings Goose, shall hauehave the feathers sticke in his throat seuen yeeres after: and obserue the Commandement, Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy daies may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giueth thee.
When they heard these words, they marueiled, and left him, and went their way] This happy conquest of Christ is full of zLuther. Zepper.consolation, in that his spirit aRom. 8. 9.dwelleth in vsus, and bMatt. 10. 20.speaketh in vsus, helping our infirmities, and inabling vsus in our disputations afore Kings and Councels to plead the Gospels cause so powerfully, that he cPsal. 2. 4.who dwelleth in heauen shall laugh his enemies to scorne, yea the Lord shall hauehave them in derision. When the dActs 6. 9. 10.Libertines and Cyrenians disputed with Saint Stephen, they were not able to resist the wisedome and the spirit by which he spake. So the godly learned, and truely stout Martyr of Iesus Christ Master Iohn Philpot, at a eExamination 11. as Mr. Fox in his martyrdome.conference holden in Bishop Boners house, told Doctour Morgane plainely, Thou art not able to answer that spirit of truth which speakes in mee, for the defence of Christs true religion. I am able by the might thereof to driue thee round about this Gallery before mee. So silly women and yoong boyes endued and strengthened by the spirit, in the quarrell of Christ argued so peremptorily, so profoundly, that Boner as being too wicked to dismisse them, and too weake to conuince them, ordinarily for saking all his Logick and Rhetoricke, fMr. Fox in the martyrdome of Ioane Hornes.knocke them downe with the butcherly axe of his sentence. So we read in gHist. lib. 10. cap. 3. cited in part 1. Church hom. for Whitsunday.Eusebius, of a subtile Philosopher, who being an extreame aduersarie to Christ and his doctrine, could by no kind of learning bee converted vntounto the faith: but was able to withstand all arguments that could be brought against him, euen with little or no labour. At length there started vp a poore simple man of smal wit, and lesse knowledge, one that was reputed among the learned as an idiot: and hee on Gods name would needs take in hand to dispute with this proud Philosopher. The Bishops and other Diuines standing by, were much abashed at the matter, as fearing that they should bee brought to shame by his doings, he notwithstanding goeth on, and beginning in the name of the Lord Iesus, brought the Philosopher to such a point in the end, that he could not chuse but acknowledge the power of God in his words, and to giuegive place to the truth.