Exposition of the Festival Epistles and Gospels, Explication of epistles and gospels 1 · Part 4
The Gospell
IOHN 20.24.
Thomas one of the twelue, which is called Didymus, was not with them when Iesus came, &c.
THis Scripture consists of a
Dialogue, Thomas one of the twelue, &c.
Epilogue, Many other signes truly did Iesus, &c.
The Dialogue is between a weake sinner, and a meeke Sauiour. And according to these two principall persons, it hath also two principall parts: one concerning Thomas, and another touching Christ.
In Thomas obserue his
Faults, which are two:
1. His absence from the meeting of the other Apostles.
2. His incredulitie, not beleeuing the resurrection of Christ, occasioned by that absence.
Faith, My Lord and my God.
That other part concerning Christ, is a relation of his second appearing vntounto the blessed Apostles after his rising againe from the dead.
And heerein is set down
1. What he did: After eight daies he came againe, &c.
2. What he said,
1. To the whole companie: Peace be to you.
2. To Thomas in particular: Bring thy finger hither, &c.
3. In conclusion, to him, and them, and vsus, and al; Blessed are they that hauehave not seen, and yet hauehave beleeued
In that our Euangelist hath set downe the fall of qCap. 18. vers. 25 27.Peter, and fault of Thomas, wee may learne that euen the most holy men are but imperfectly perfect in this life. The Pontificians are true Donatists, and as it were the very spawne of the rVi…e A…gustin…eres 33. & Epiph…. …eres. 59.Cathari. For is any man so great a Puritan as the Papist, highly conceiting that he can obserue all the commandements of God, and sBe…armia. de … lib. 4 cap. 13. & Altein, …. ex. …. perer…gat.more then euer he commanded, as the precepts of the Church, and Euangelicall counsels, and so do works of supererogation? or is any so great a Puritan as the Pope, who maketh himselfe a God in greatnesse, and a God in goodnesse? a God in greatnesse, in that his vnlimited authoritie doth dispence with the lawes of God in this world, and alter his iudgements in another, hauing power terrestriall, in vsurping the tHarding con…ut. shewel A. … cap. 3.whole world for his Diocesse; vsupern…d, extended to heauen in canonizing Saints: infernall, extended to hell in freeing soules out of Purgatorie: a God in goodnesse, for he cannot as Pope, uBellarmin de Rom p…n. lib. 4. cap. 3.quate…us Papa, erre in doctrine, and hee may not be told of his errors in manners: his holinesse is holy xIacob Gre…ser, respon. ad Theses. Hu…. pag. 147.si non sanctit…ate propria. sanctus tamen sanctitate officij. yH…us apu… Iewel pr…f. desen. apol. g.Whether the Pope be Iudas, or Peter, or Paul, thereof God neuer bade vsus be carefull: onelyonly this, that he sitteth in Peters Chaire, shall be sufficient for vsus. z1. Iohn 18.If wee say wee hauehave no sinne, wee deceiue our selues, and truth is not in vsus. Euen the aPro…. 14.16.iust fa…leth often, and the godly Fathers euermore complained of the corruptions in their age. bAp…d. Iewel in apud. Il…m. Hieron. … Celant. Tom. 1. f. l. 109.Tertu…in said, O not miseros, qui Christiani dicimur loc tempore, gentes agimus sub nomine Christi. cApud Iewel …apilog part. 3. cap. 7.Gregorie Nazianz…ne speaketh thus of the pitifull estate of his owne time: Wee that are Christians, are hated of the Heathen for our owne vices sake, we are now become a wonder not onelyonly to men and Angels, but euen to all the wicked and vngodly. More lately Gueuara: The Philosophers beleeued as Paganes, but liued as Christians: whereas we (quoth he) beleeue like Christians, but liue like Paganes. Honoured dCon. ad Cler. Cantabrig.Whitaker, examining the dissolutenesse of al degrees in England, cried out in exceeding great passion, Aut hoc non est euangelium, aut nos non sumus euangelici. The reuerend eDoctor E…des s…r. difference betweene good and cu….Deane of Worcester, as yet more fully, The fatall miserie of these latter daies, hath made nothing good but in shew, nothing true b…t in opinion; when for iustice betweene kingdome and kingdome, the longer sword hath eaten vp the law of nations; and for iustice betweene subiects vnderunder the same gouernment, lawes are lost in the cases of the law; and for the preseruer of all both truth and iustice, religion it selfe is in a manner lost in the questions of religion. Of all men Christians are the best, of all Christians vndoubtedly the primitiue professors, of all the primitiue professors Christs owne Disciple, of all the Disciples his chosen Apostles, and yet these men were but men, subiect to manifold sinnes, albeit they were Saints, and their infirmities are recorded in holy Bible, partly for the glorie of God, and partly for our good. For fPontan.Gods honour, that his gPsal. 67.2.sauing health might be knowne vponupon earth, and the riches of his merciemercy shewed in pardoning offences: according to that of hPsal. 51.4.Dauid, Against thee (my God) hauehave I sinned, and done this euill in thy sight, that thou mightest be iustified in thy saying. In what saying, I pray, but in this, and the like, iRom. 5.20.where sinne abounded, there grace superabounded. Againe, the sinnes of the blessed Apostles are registred in the Gospels historie for our good, kMelanc…hon. Culman.that wee might neither presume, nor yet despaire: not presume, for we may feare falles, if these had their slips: not despaire, because Christ forgot and forgaue Peters blasphemie, the proud ambition of the sonnes of Zebed…us, and heere Thomas his incredulitie, speaking so mildly, working so mercifully with him, as that his sore was made his salue, his vnbeleeuing at the first occasioning greater faith in him afterward.
lP…trarche de remedijs lib. 1. d. aleg. 8.Memento peccati, vt dole as:
Memento mortis, vt desinas:
Memento diuin… iustitiae, vt time as:
Memento miscricordiae, ne desperes.
Hitherto concerning the sinnes of godly men in generall. I come now to Thomas his faults in particular, and they be principally two. First, his absence from the meeting of the Disciples, according to the tenour of our Text, Thomas one of the twelve, was not with them when Iesus came. Christ had mMat. 10.17 M…r… 10.32. Luke 18.31.often foretold his Apostles, that he should be put to death, and that he should rise againe the third day from the dead: and therefore a little before his passion he made promise to them, nMat. 26.32.…fter I am risen againe, I will goe before you into Galile. Now then according to this word (as wee read in the former part of this Chapter) euen the same day wherein hee rose againe, hee came when the doores were shut into the place where the Disciples were gath…red together, and stood in the middes, and said to them, peace be vntounto you: But Thomas, either vponupon supine negligence, or oMaldonat.cowardly feare, being absent from their assembly, lost the sight of his Sauiour. Wherefore let vsus (I beseech you) be diligent in frequenting the pC…l…n, ….congregation of the faithfull, especially on the Lords day, qMat. 18.20.for where two or three are gathered together in Christs name, there Christ is in the mids of them, and faith as here, peace be vntounto you. rExo. 16.27.They who gathered Manna alone, lost their labour, and found nothing. Falleris sancte Thoma, falleris, si videre dominum …peras ab apostolorum Collegio separatus, non …mat veritas angulos, sed stat in medi…, &c. saith sDe as…ens. …. 6.Bernard. Thou art deceiued Thomas, exceedingly deceiued, if thou thinke to see Christ out of the Church and Colledge of Apostles. He lurkes not in the dennes of the wicked, but stands in the mids of the godly, appearing in t… Exod. 3.5.holy ground, found in the u… ….46.Temple, seen among the Disciples.
The second fault of Thomas arising from the x….former, is incredulitie, for his absence from the Disciples assembly, was the cause hee saw not Christ, his not seeing of Christ occasioned vnbeliefe, and then his vnbeleeuing heart breakes forth into malapert words, except I see in his hands the print of the nailes, &c. I finde that some Writers hauehave much excused this fact of Didymus, as yApud Maldonat. in loc.Cyril, who thought he spake not thus out of incredulitie, but out of a sudden passion, as being extremely greeued for that he lost the sight of his Sauiour, and almost out of hope that hee should euer see him againe, because Christ had said, zIoh. 16.16.a little while and ye shall not see me, for I goe to my Father. And aSer. 156. de temp.S. Augustine saith also, that these words of Thomas argue not a denying, but a doubting only: Vox inquirentis est, non negantis; dum hoc dicit, docerivoluit, confirmar… desiderauit. And bLib. 10. in Luc. cap. 24.S. Ambrose most expresly, that Thomas doubted not of Christs resurrection, but of the manner of his resurrection onelyonly: Non de resurrectione Domini, sed de resurrectionis qualitate videtur dubitasse. This I confesse is a charitable construction of those holy Fathers, extenuating rather then aggrauating the sinnes of others, especially the godly. But Christ himselfe, being truth it selfe, reprehends in our Text Thomas incredulitie, be not faithlesse, but faithfull: and therefore cEcclesiastes 1.15.that which is crooked can none make strait. This fact then of Thomas is a fault, and it is amplified heere by three circumstances especially.
1. That he was one of the twelue. Not to beleeue the resurrection of Christ is a sinne in an ordinary Christian, in a Disciple yet greater, but in an Apostle dPontan.so well instructed, and so well beloued, it was greatest of all.
2. For that hee gaue no credit to the report of his fellow Disciples, although his Master had often said, eLuk 10.16.hee that despiseth you, despiseth mee. Moreouer, they were the fIansen.greater part of the companie, tenne against one, and each of those tenne had receiued afore the Holy Ghost, Ver. 22. and concerning the present businesse, had heard and seene more then he, Ver. 20.21.
3. For that hee did vent his incredulous thought in such a bold and peremptorie stile; except I see in his hands the print of the n…il…s, nay that is not enough, except I feele the print, except I put my finger into the print of the nailes, eueryevery one being so bigge as my finger: except I thrust mine hand into his side, and search his wound so great as mine hand: except with hand and finger I gMald. nat.measure both, and finde by due proportion that they are the same, I cannot beleeue; nay the truth is, I will not beleeue. From hence then obserue, that the h1 Cor. 2.14naturall man (if Christ once leaue him) is not able to discerne the things of God, especially that hard article concerning the resurrection: it seemeth as a iLuk 24.11.fained thing to such as with their senses only seeke their Sauiour.
Thus much of the fault. I proceed now to the faith of Thomas. And heere the Doctors hauehave moued a double doubt.
1. Whether Thomas did touch the wounds of Christ or no.
2. Whether his speech, my Lord and my God, were an exclamation, or an acclamation.
For the first, it is thought by kEub…m. sus…b. Emisen… … in lit.some, that hee did not touch the wounds of Christ, and that for these two reasons especially: First, because Christ saith in the 29, verse, Thom is, because thou hast seene me, thou hast beleeued: and not, because thou hast touched me. Secondly, for that it is probable that Thomas hearing his masters voice, and seeing his countenance was abundantly satisfied without any further enquirie. But these obiections in the iudgement of the most lAugustin ser 146.155.161. …e…em. Ans. 12, …a Luc. ….10 cap 24 … gel … 16. B…rmar.…. 2. …eheat …rg. …dm Christ…, Ga…de …. … M. ld. …at. 11 les.ancient and best learned expositors are very weake, because Christ in the 27. verse saith expresly, put thy finger hither, and see mine hands, &c. What (as Augustine disputes in 121. tract. in Ioan.) had Thomas h…s eies in his fingers? if not, then seeing in that text is nothing else but touching, put thy finger and see. For seeing is attributed to all the senses: Audi & vide qu…m bene sonet: Heare and see how trimly the bels ring. Olfac & vide qu…m bene cleat: Smell and see how sweet the flower is Gusta & vide qu…m bene sapiat: Taste and see the pleasantnesse of the fruit. And so Tange & vi…e, touch and see, reach hither thine hand, and christ it into my side.
For the second arguments, albeit happily Thomas at the very sight of his master instantly became satisfied in himselfe: yet that eueryevery scruple might be remoued out of his and our minde, our blessed Sauiour suffered his glorious bodie to be touched, as S. Iohn in his mCa. 1.ver. 1.first Epistle, That which was from the beginning, which wee hauehave heard, which we hauehave seene with our eies, which we hauehave looked vponupon, and our hands hauehave handled of the word of life.
Yea but Christ said in this Chapter at the 17. verse to Mary Magdalene, Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father: is it likely that Thomas obtained more fauour then Mary so dearely beloued of the Lord? Diuines answer this obiection diuersly: First, our Sauiour did not forbid all touching simply, but nCaluin.immoderate embracing only: for Mary Magdalene and other holy women with her touched his feet, Matth 28.9. They tooke him by the feet, and worshipped him. It is plaine then that Mary was suffered to touch and onelyonly forbidden when she did it too much. Secondly, Mary beleeued the resurrection of Christ, and oMarlorat.therefore had no such need to touch him as Thomas had. Thirdly, Christ did intimate that his body being now glorified, he was not any longer to be respected carnally, but onelyonly to be touched pAretius.spiritually with the finger of faith; according to that of qColoss. 3.1.Paul, If ye be risen with Christ, set your affections on things which are aboue, not on things which are on the earth. And lastly, there is an euasion in the text, Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father, but goe to my brethren, and say to them, &c. rBectarmin. de sacr…ment. Eucharist. lib. 1. c…p. 14 § addi …st al…a. I…. mannota. M ldor. t. in Mat. …8.9.As if Christ should say, you need not be so fond and forward in touching mee nowfor I meane not as yet to depart from you, but goe tell my brethren that I am risen againe from the dead, and then both they and you shall further handle and see me. For so we finde, Luk. 24.39. Behold mine hands and my feet, for it is I my selfe; handle me and see: palpet: & videte, see with your fingers that it is I. This expos…tion is proper and pertinent and therfore notwithstanding the former obiections, I conclude, if not demonstratiuely, yet probably, that Thomas did actually touch Christs wounds according to Christs words, bring thy finger hither, and see mine hands, and reach hither thine hand, and thrust it into my side.
The next q…ere to be discussed, is whether the words of Thomas (my Lord and my God) are an exclamation, or an acclamation. Arius and his brood, who denie Christ to be very God of very God, make them an exclamation, as if Thomas should hauehave said; O Lord God, what is it that I touch and see I not an acclamation or acknowledgement that Christ is the Lord God. Answere is made: first, that the text hath not any note of exclamation, it is …, not …, which is prefixed to the two Greeke words. Secondly, Thomas acknowledged something which he did not afore beleeue, but he knew before th… the Father was God: and therefore this speech of his concerned God …he Sonne. Lastly, Christ commended his faith in confessing the sonne to be the Lord, Thomas, because thou h…st seene me, thou hast beleeued: hee did reprehend Thomas for the manner, but yet approoue him for the matter of hi… beleefe. So that the words (my Lord and my God) are a plaine confession of Didymus his faith touching Iesus Christ the Sauiour of the world. He saith not, thou art my Lord and my God: but, as if he had not time enough to put in Creed enough, hee brake foorth into this abrupt and impe…fect speech, as being of sCal.…a. Meld…at.greater force, my Lord and my God. And it is so sweet as it is short, v… …, sie … conf…ssio…, quoth tApud Mer….r… …. & Iesus.Bullinger, a very briefe, yet a most absolute Creed.
For the further examination whereof, obserue first his knowledge, then his application, the which are the two principall parts, of faith. As for his knowledge, Thomas confessed here not only that Christ is a Lord and a God, for there be u1. Cor. 8.5.many Gods and many Lords in xEuthym, in Psal. 49.opinion, analogie, title yC…. us & Le…ti…s apud Mall.…, i… ….But to distinguish Christ from all these kindes of Lords and Gods, he doth affirme that he is foreign, the Lord and the God, that is, the Lord of Lords, and God of Gods, Psal. 50.1. Here then is a pregnant text against vnbeleeuing Iewes, and misbeleeuing Arians. If Christ had not been very God of very God, euen one substance with the Father, he would hauehave condemned, and not commended this confession of Thomas. If any shall aske why Thomas is not content with one word, but vseth two, Lord and God: and why first hee calls Christ Lord, and then God? zFerus ser. 1. in lot.Answere may be, that he called him Lord, in that he conquered hell and death: and God, in that hee knew the very secrets of his heart. For when Christ had said, put thy finger hither, and see mine hands, and reach foorth thine hand, and put it into my side; Thomas instantly remembring what hee had fondly thought, and foolishly said, confesseth his fault in confessing his faith, my Lord and my God. The Disciples vsually termed him Lord in his life, to signifie therefore that it was the same Christ, hee first according to his accustomed manner calleth him Lord, and then after hee proceedes further then he was wont, and calleth him also God. In the word aTheophylact. in loc.Lord acknowledging his humanitie, in the word God his diuinitie. Faiths obiect is the reuealed will and word of God, and the summe of his word is the new Testament, and the summe of the new Testament is Iesus Christ God and man. In that therfore Thomas confessed his Lord to be crucified, dead, and buried, as a man; and that he did againe raise himselfe and loose the bonds of death as God: hee did vtter that in two words, which is the contents of the two Testaments, and summe of all summe of faith and holy beliefe.
Now for application, hee saith my Lord, and my God; bBullinger.Not onelyonly God in generall, but my God in particular, mine by promise, mine by stipulation, mine by oath, mine by free gift, mine by purchase, mine by participation of grace; my Emmanuel, my Shilo, my Iesus. Of this particular faith cCap. 24.16. Consul… Vatablum in loc.Isaiah the Prophet spake, whē he said, Secretum meum mihi, secretum meum mihi: My secret to my selfe, my secret to my selfe. The Papists indeed terme this personall and particular assurance presumption: but the children of God in all ages hauehave thus applied the medicine to the maladie, saying with dPsal. 63.1.Dauid, O God, thou art my God: and with Mary, my Sauiour. For as their owne eFerus vbisup.Frier notes vponupon my text, it is not sufficient to beleeue that he is the Lord, except thou beleeue likewise that he is thy Lord; as Didymus here not only once, but twice, my Lord, my God: doubling as it were his faith, as he had before doubted his fall. O the deepnesse of the riches of Gods merciemercy! Who would hauehave thought that Thomas who beleeued least, and last of all his fellowes, vponupon so short a conference, should thus equall, if not excell them all in his abrupt yet absolute confession? And therefore let not any man either discomfort himselfe, or fMatth. 7.1.condemne his brother g1.Cor. 4.5.afore the time: for no man hath so weake a faith, or so wicked a life, but that one day Christ out of his infinite goodnesse may call him, and heale him, as he did S. Thomas, making him who did not beleeue so soone as the rest, to become notwithstanding in his beleefe so sound as the rest, apprehending and applying the merits of his Sauiour to his soule, my Lord, my God.
After eight daies againe his Disciples were within, and Thomas with them, then came Iesus.] Hee came hCalelan.before hee was vp sought, and that to seeke iC…rys…ft, apud Th…mone lost sheepe only. Teaching vsus heereby to k….recall such as are in errours, and to lRom. 15.1.beare the infirmities of the weake. But hee deferred his comming a whole weeke, that Thomas in the meanewhile might be better mI …sen. Concord…ep 147. Idem Theoph. & Euthym. … loc.instructed, and induced to beleeue the resurrection. Or happily for the greater manifestation of his goodnesse, in tolerating such incredulitie so long. Or as nAretius.other, to trie the faith of the rest, and to shew that humane reason is not able to perswade this article.
The translation of Gods holy day from the Saturday to the Sunday, is not by patent in the Bible, but only by paterne, because the blessed Apostles vsually met together oAct. 20.7. 1.Cor. 16.2. Ap…cal. 1.10.on this day. The which assuredly they did by the direction of Gods holy spirit, and as it may seeme heere by Christs pMaldonat. in loc.approbation at the least, if not qSee Ded, exposit. Com. 4.institution, againe and againe manifesting himselfe to be risen on the eighth day. So that albeit happily some will grant that the Church assembled in a generall Councell, hath authoritie to constitute another day for the Sabbath, as the second or third of the weeke; yet I am sure wee can neuer hauehave so good a patterne, nor yet so great a reason for altering this our day, as was heere for the changing of that other day. The patterne is Christ and his Apostles, and the reason is the resurrection of Christ, euen that exceeding wonderfull worke of our redemption. Againe, Christs appearing on the eighth day is not without a rAretius.mysterie: wee labour six daies in this life, the seuenth is the sabbath of our death, in which we sApoc. 14.13.rest from our labours, and then being raised from the dead on the eighth day, Christ in his owne body, the very same body that was crucified, dead, and buried, shall reward eueryevery man tApoc. 20.13.according to his worke.
When the doores were shut.] uRhom. in loc.Papists vrge this place to prooue the carnall and grosse presence of Christ in the Sacrament, extremely condemning our incredulitie, who will not beleeue that Christs body and blood is vnderunder the formes of bread and wine; seeing his whole body heere perfect in all his lineaments, length, bredth, and thicknes, distinct and diuers from the substance and corpulence of the wood, was in the same proper place the wood was in, and passed thorow the same. To this obiection our Diuines answer diuersly; xBeza.some, that the doore opened of it selfe to let him in: yApud Mar…rat. in loc.other, that the doore was vnbarred by some of the house within vnknowne to the Disciples: zAretius.other, that to come in the doores being shut, is no more but that hee came in late in the euening, at what time men vse to shut their doores: but most acknowledge that he came in miraculously, not thorow the wood and iron of the doores, as the Papists absurdly conceiue: but through his aC…ril. …thym. Marl…r. in l…c. Idem C…l…in. Iustus. lib. 4. cap. 17.§.29.omnipotent and al-commanding power the doo…es were opened to him, a… they were to Peter, Acts 12 9. and to some other Apostles, Acts 5.19. Creatur acessit Creators, Hieron epist. ad Pammac. tom. 1. fol. 178. bD. Falke in loc.Or as Malchus eare was so soone healed, that an incredulous lew would not beleeue that Peters sword euer went betweene it and his head: so the place thorow which his body passed, might be shut and whole before and after he passed, but not in the instant of his passing, because that is contrary to the nature of a true body, such as his was. I know God can doe whatsoeuer he will, but his word is his reuealed will, and that telleth vsus expresly, that Christs body was like our body in cHeb. 1.17.all things, only dHeb. 4.15.sinne excepted. And if it be like our body, then it cannot be without distance of space and place: for (saith eEpist. …7.Augustine) That is no body, which is no where. Lastly, the plaine text is against them, for it doth not say that Christ came thorow the boords and barres of the doore, but only that he came and stood in the midst, after or when the doore was shut; not determining the manner how he came, but only reporting the matter that he came, and the time when he came. So that hauing so many and those so manifest euasions otherwise, we need not say that Christ came in at the window: that is a Popish forgerie crept into the Rhemists annotations thorow the wicket of our aduersaries owne mouth.
For the conclusion it selfe: fAnglican. Confess. art 28. & Com. Cat.…it. Sacrament.wee teach, as the Scriptures and holy Fathers, that the sacrament all bread and wine are signes and seales of Christs body and blood, and we receiue them in thankfull remembrance he died for vsus. As for his crucified body, it is now in heauen a glorified body, gAct. 3.21.where it shall remaine till hee come in the last day to iudge and end this and all other controuersies. In the meane while, wee must as hChurch h…m. of the Sacrament & art. ….Eagles flie to the place where the dead body lieth, ascending vponupon the wings of faith vntounto it, and not expecting that it should locally descend vntounto vsus. See Sursum corda in the Liturgie.
And stood in the middest.] We reade in the Gospels historie, that Christ was often in the midst. In the midst of the iLuk. 2.46.Doctors, in the midst of his Apostles, in the midst on the Crosse betweene two kLuk. 23.33.theeues, and shall at the last day be likewise in the midst lMath. 25.33.betweene the sheepe and the goats. In his natiuitie, life, death, resurrection, and comming to iudgement in the midst. mAretius.Heereby signifiing that he is our Messias and medius, like nPs. 106.23.Moses standing in the gap betweene God and vsus. Hee stood in the midst here, that oEuthymall might the better heare him and see him, as the pVide postil. Pontan. & Veg. Dem. 1. post Paseh.Sunne in the midst of the firmament, and the heart in the midst of the members, affoording his comfort indifferently to the whole company: for hee came not only for the benefit of Thomas, but for the common good of other. And this may teach all Pastors and parents, to seeke the good of all that are committed vntounto their charge.
Christ standing in the midst of his Apostles, openly rebuked Thomas for two causes especially: first, qMusculus. Maldonat.that as Thomas had offended afore them, hee might also be reprehended afore them all. A priuate fault is to be censured priuatly, but a publike scandall openly: r1. tim. 5.20.them that sinne rebuke publikely, that the rest also may feare. Secondly, sAretius.that Thomas his vnbeleefe might strengthen others faith, & that his doubt might put all other out of doubt. So infinite is God in greatnes and goodnes, that he can bring light out of darknes, and vse the weaknes, yea the wickednes of other for our good, and his glorie. Vnius interrogatio, vniuersitatis instructio, saith tSerm. 156. de tem.Augustine, Ones ignorance was all others instruction: for except Thomas had doubted so much, other should neuer hauehave knowne so much, and seene so many demonstrations of Christ his resurrection, as the Church in the Collect: Almightie God, which for the more confirmation of the faith, didst suffer for the holy Apostle Thomas to be doubtfull in thy Sonnes resurrection, &c.
Peace be vntounto you.] This salutation was vsuall among the Iewes, and at this instant of all other vndoubtedly most uMaldonat.fit. For x…erus ser. 1. in loc.hereby Christ did insinuate, that howsoeuer in the world they had trouble, yet hee had made their yEphes. 2.14. 15.peace with God: as also that they need in their troubled estate to pray for peace of Church, O zPsal. 112.6pray for the peace of Hierusalem; and peace of conscience, for that is a aProu. 15.15.continuall feast. Or happily, bTheophylact. Euthym. Bullinger.that they might the better know him after his resurrection, heespeakes vntounto them as a little before his death, cIoh. 14.27.I leaue peace with you, my peace I giuegive vntounto you, let not your hearts be troubled, nor feare. Christ is our peace, preaching peace in his life, making peace in his death, assuring peace in his resurrection, and consummating our peace in his comming againe to iudge the quicke and the dead, when he shall say to the sonnes of peace, dMatt. 25.21Well done good seruants, and faithfull, enter into your masters ioy. Now the Lord of e2. Thes. 3.16.peace giuegive you peace alwaies by all meanes.
Bring thy finger hither.] After Christ had saluted the whole Colledge of Apostles in generall, he turnes himselfe to Thomas in particular, repeating eueryevery word Thomas had vttered in his absence. Teaching fAretius.him hereby, that he was risen againe through his omnipotencie, for the dead hauehave no sense, much lesse reason, and least of all vnderstanding the secrets of anothers heart. And teaching gKilius.vsus hereby, not to commit any sinne though it may be done neuer so closely, for he seeth all our workes, heareth all our words, and knoweth all our thoughts, hLipsius de Conf….lib. 2. cap. 16.& aperta & operta. Remember the speech of God vntounto Dauid, i2. Sam. 12.12.Thou didst it secretly: but I will doe this thing before all Israel, and before the Sunne.
Our Sauiour did neither reiect Thomas finally, nor yet correct him fiercely for his incredulitie: but kC…lm. Co…. 1. in loc. & Perkins exposit. Creed, art. resurrect. of Christ.accommodating himselfe to Thomas infirmitie, seeks to winne him, and to bring him home to his sheepfold. O Thomas, thou hast thy faith at thy fingers end, seeing, that thou wilt beleeue no more then thou feelest, I pray thee therefore bring thy finger hither, and see my hands, &c. Heere then is a paterne whereby lRom. 15.1.Paul might giuegive his precept, We that are strong ought to beare the infirma…es of the weake, that we may make them, as Christ did Thomas, of faithlesse faithfull.
And this supporting is mCaietanin Rom. 14.by
Patience, nColoss. 3.13.for bearing them.
Pitie, oRom. 12.15.weeping with them that weepe.
Pietie, relieuing them as well with our counsell if they want wit, as with our almes if they want wealth.
Thomas, because thou hast seene me, thou hast beleeued] Faith is an pHeb. 11.1.euidence of things not seene; how then did hee beleeue that which he saw? can you touch God as the wicked Arians obiect, and feele him with a finger? Answere is made by the qGregor. hom. 26. in euangel. B…da. Maxentius apud M…ld …tin loc.Fathers, that Thomas touched one thing, and beleeued another. Videbat hominem, confitehatur Deum, as rTract. 121. in loan.Augustine vponupon my text. He touched Christ as man, but beleeued in him as God; saying, my Lord and my God: acknowledging the diuinitie which he did not see, by the wounds he did see. So that Christ here commends the faith of Thomas, in saying thou hast beleeued: and reprehends only his sAr…tius. Mar…r…at.slacknesse of faith in adding because thou hast seene me. First handling the wounds of Christ, afore hee would credit the words of his Apostle…. tA…g…stin. tract 40. in loanQuid enim est fides nisi credere quod non vides? uMallonat.eo plus habit merui, quo nanus argumenti. Thomas in beleeuing after he saw Christ, is a type of the xRupert. in loc.Iewes: and the rest of the Disciples in beleeuing afore they saw Christ, a figure of the Gentiles. Augustin. tract. 121. in Ioan circa sin.
Blessed are they that hauehave not seene, and yet hauehave beleeued] yThe…phylact. Muscu…us. Culman.He denieth not Thomas to be blessed in this sentence, but only preferreth other Apostles, and zAretius. Ferus. Maldonat.all other Christians afore him, in that they hauehave not seene, and y…t hauehave beleeued. For aRom. 10.9.if thou knowledge with thy mouth that Iesus is the Lord, and beleeue in thine heart that God hath raised him vp from the dead: O bPsal. 128.2.well is thee, and happie shall thou be. So blessed as Iohn, whose head lay neere his Masters heart: so blessed as Ioseph of Arimathea, who buried his bodie: so blessed as old Simeon, who lulled his Sauiour in his armes: yea so blessed as the Virgin her selfe, that bare him in her wombe: for thee was more blessed in being the daughter, then in being the mother of Christ. Here the Gospel and Epistle meet, all they that hauehave not seene, and yet hauehave beleeued, are fellow citizens with the Saints, and of Gods house, built vponupon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles, Iesus Christ himselfe, being the head corner stone, in whom they grow to be an holy temple of God, c1 Tim: 4.8.hauing the promises of the life present, and of that which is to come. See Gospell, Sunday 13. after Trinitie.
By this it doth appeare, that the resurrection of Christ is the chiefe obiect of a blessed faith, as also the maine subiect of all this out present Gospell. And it is exceeding profitable for confutation, and instruction. As first it doth ouerthrow the wicked error of dEpiphan. …res. 28.Corinthus, who taught Christ should not rise againe till the generall resurrection; of whom Epiphanius worthily, Stol…dus est, & stolidorum magister. Secondly, eIdem Epiphan. …aeres. 44.Apelles heresie, who said Christ rose againe, but not in his owne flesh, or (as fHaeres. 23. Idem Alp…n…. decaste… …it. de Chris…re… 12.Augustine reports his opinion) without any flesh. Thirdly, that of gIdem alph…s…d. …t. haer…s 2.Cerdon, and the Passionists, affirming that Christ ascended into heauen in soule only. Fourthly, that assertion of hB…an…c. …m…ie …resurrect Christ q. …. 23.Eutychian heretikes, holding that Christs humane nature was dei…ied after his resurrection, and made not glorious only, but meerely diuine also.
Againe, the doctrine of Christs rising againe from the dead, serues for instruction in matters of holy faith and good manners. In articles of be…iefe concerning Christ, and our se…ues. First touching Christ: whereas he did abide among the dead at i…. exp …. 5. of the Creed.least thirtie three, or thirtie foure houres: as he continued among the liuing thirtie three, or thirtie foure yeeres; I say whereas Christ being starke dead, raised himselfe to life by his owne power: it is a manifest demonstration of his Godhead, as Paul disputes, Rom. 1.4. and God said in the second Psalme, Thou art my sonne, this day hauehave I begotten thee. The which text ought to be construed not so much of Christs eternall generation afore all worlds, as of the manifestation therof in time. This day, kCaluin, in Psal 2 & Suares. Tim 2. in 3. Thom. disput. 45 sect. 8.that is, at the time of thine incarnation, but at the day of thy resurrection especially, hauehave I begotten thee: that is, I hauehave made knowne vntounto the world, that thou art my sonne, as Paul expounds it, Acts 13.33. for none euer raised another from the dead, but by God: none euer raised himselfe from the dead but God.
Secondly, this doctrine lPerkins on the Creed, art. Christs resurrection.proues euidently, that Christ was a perfect Priest, and that his passion was an omnisufficient sacrifice for the sinnes of the whole world. For if hee had not fully satisfied for them all, if there had remained one little sinne only, for which he had made no satisfaction, he could not hauehave risen againe: for death and the graue, which came into the world by sinne, and are daily strengthened by sinne, would hauehave held him in bondage. To this purpose m1. Cor. 15.17Paul saith, If Christ be not risen againe, your faith is vaine, and you are yet in your sinnes. That is, Christ had not answered fully for your sins, or at least you could not possibly know that hee had made satisfaction for any of them, if he had not risen againe.
As for points of faith appertaining to thy selfe more neerely, the resurrection of Christ is a demonstration of our resurrection, according to that of Paul, If it be preached that Christ is risen againe from the dead, how say some among you, that there is no resurrection of the dead? 1. Cor. 15.12. Behold, saith the nDeut. 32.39Lord, I kill, and giuegive life: I wound, and I make whole: that is, as oLib de caruis resurrect.Tertullian aptly, killing by death, and giuing life by resurrection. If a man be cast into the sea, though all his bodie sinke vnderunder the water, yet there is hope of recoue…ie so long as his head is aboue the waues: in like manner, if wee beleeue that Christ our head is the first fruits of those that sleepe, let vsus not doubt, but vnfainedly beleeue, that we which are his members, in our due time shall be raised out of the dust also. Moreouer, the resurrection of Christ is a proofe of our iustification before God, pRom. 4.25.he was deliuered for our offences, and raised againe for our iustification. As in his death he stood in our place, qEsay 53 5.wounded for our transgressing, and broken for our iniquities, and r1. Pet. 2.25.bearing our sinnes in his body on the tree: so likewise in his resurrection, he is not to be considered as a priuate, but as a publike person representing the whole Church, making his righteousnesse a cloke to couer all our vnrighteousnesse. If death could not keepe Christ fettered in his prison, it is euident that his power was ouercome. Now then if death be conquered, it followeth necessarily, that sinne the sRom. 6.23.wages of death is also destroied. If death and sinne be vanquished, then the tyrannous kingdome of Satan is subdued, who had the power of death, and was author of sinne, and ruler of hell. So that eueryevery true Christian may reioice with Paul; O death, where is thy sting? O graue, where is thy victorie? the sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law: but thankes be to God, which hath giuen vsus victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ. And lastly, concerning matters of honest and holy conuersation; this doctrine teacheth vsus to tColoss. 3.1.seeke those things which are aboue, where Christ sitteth as the right hand of God, and to rise from dead workes vntounto uRom. 6.4.newnesse of life. See Epistle on Easter day, and Epistle Sunday 6. after Trinitie. Touching our Euangelists epilogue, see Gospell on S. Iohns day.