Exposition of the Festival Epistles and Gospels, Explication of epistles and gospels 1 · Part 10
The Gospell.
IOHN 21.19.
Iesus said vntounto Peter, Follow thou me, &c.
THis Scripture containeth a
Correction of
Peters curiositie, What is that to thee? Follow thou mee.
The disciples error touching the death of Iohn, yet Iesus said not vntounto him, he shall not die, &c.
Commendation of Iohn in respect of his
Grace with Christ, the Disciple whom Iesus loued, which also learned on his breast at supper, &c.
Place in the Church, as being an Apostle that testified of these things, & an Euangelist who wrote these things.
Conclusion of the Gospell, intimating that so much is written as is necessarie to saluation, and other things omitted, and those many: for that if they should bee written eueryevery one, the world could not containe the bookes that should bee written.
Our blessed Sauiour in the words immediately going afore, shewed Peter in what vocation hee should liue, Feed my sheepe: as also by what death he should die, When thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thine hands, and another shall gend thee, and leade the… whither thou wouldest not: And when hee had spoken thus, alluding to lTheoph…lact… ….both, especially to the mA… sir…. L…m. Caluin.latter, he said vntounto Peter, follow me: that is, be thou such a Pastor in feeding my sheepe, and such a Pastor in suffering for my sheepe, as I hauehave giuen example, Christ said vntounto Peter in the 13. chapter of this Gospell, at the 36. verse, Whither I goe thou caust not follow me now: but thou shalt follow me afterwards. VntoUnto whom Peter answered, Lord, why can I not follow thee now? I will lay downe my life for thy sake. Iesus replied, wilt thou lay downe thy life for mysake? Verily, v…rily I say vntounto thee, the Cocke shall out crow… thou hauehave deared me thrice.
Now Iesus remembring this conflict and conference with his Disciple, said vntounto him in the words a little before our tex. W… thou wast rou… thou girdeast thy selfe, and walke li… who here … &. nP…p…t & M…nat. …That is, when thou wast a y… angling in faith, and diddest gird thy selfe with thine owne strength, it was thy follie to thinke that thou couldest … me whither I went: and therefore by denying me thrice, thou diddest proue my words to be true, We…ther I …e thou canst not sodow me now: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thine hands, and another shall gird thee, &c. that is, when thou shalt feele thine owne weaknesse, and grow strong in the Lord, my other saying also shall be found true: Thou shalt follow …ce afterwards. I therefore now command thee Peter againe and againe, follow mee whither I ….
But Peter (as it may seene) neglecting this charge concerning himselfe. but of a curious humour enquites after the doing and dying of other, saying vntounto Iesus, Lord, what shall we here … ? to whom his matter answered. And … hauehave him to … I come, what is that to …. o….Teaching vsus hereby to follow him in the same calling, and in the same way that hee doth appoint. p….It is not said, examine others imploiment: but q…. Cor. 1.2….see your owne calling, … r1. Cor. 7.20.let eueryevery man abide in the some calling wherein he was called, tEphes. 4.1.walking in his vocation worthily, studying to be quiet and to meddle with his owne businesse, 1 Thess. 4.11. The which apostolicall apophthegme being a parallel vntounto the words of Christ here (what is that to thee. follow thou mee) may serue to direct vsus in all matters of this life.
Whether they be Theologicall, Concerning God.
Whether they be Ecclesiasticall, Concerning The Church.
Whether they be Politicall, Concerning Common-weale.
Whether they be Morall, Concerning Our neighbours & friends.
Whether they be Occonomicall, Concerning Our priuate familie.
Whether they be Monasticall, Concerning Our single selues.
In matters appertayning to God, it teacheth vsus not bee curious inquisitors after the secrets of his will vnknowne, for what is that to thee? but to keepe the words of his Law, doing his will which is knowne, for of this onelyonly Christ speakes here, follow thou mee. The uDeut. 29.29secret things belong to the Lord our God; but the things reuealed belong to vsus and to our children for euer.
In affaires of the Church, it sheweth, how the xIohn 10.11good sheepheard should spend his life for the benefit of the flocke committed vntounto his charge, Peter follow mee, forbidding y2. Sam. 6.7.Vzzab to put his hand to the arke of God, recalling the Lacke not onelyonly from incroaching vponupon the Clergie mans benefice; but also from intruding into the Clergie mans office; for what is that to thee?
In businesse of the Common-wealth, it correcteth o…ercurious Euesdroppers of State for what is that to thee? Teaching vsus to giuegive the things of zMat. 22.21.Casar vntounto Caesar, aRom 137.honour, to whom honour: custome, to whom custome: tribute, to whom tribute: though (as Christ Mat. 17.27.) wee fish for money; for in performing this office like wise Iesus, said vntounto Peter, follow thou mee. The soole (saith bP…. 20.3.Salomon) will euer be medling, but hee that iwise will not walke cPsal. 131.2.in magris & mirabilibus, in great affaires and such as are too high and huge for him: hee plots not how to dispose of the Scepter, but possessing his soule in patience, desires the Scepter should rightly dispose of him, as being assured that Princes are the dRom. 13.4.ministers of God, euen fingers of that great hand that gouerns all the world.
In morall offices or duties of charity between neighbour and neighbour, it inhibits thee to be a busie body, or (as e1 Pet. 4.…5.Peter speakes) a busie Bishop in another mans diocesse, for what is that to thee? aduising on the contrarie to fGal… 6.10.doe good vntounto all, vntounto such as are of the houshold of faith especially. For in this respect Christ Iesus our great patrone and patterne speakes vntounto all, as to Peter here, follow me. gMat. 11 29.Learne of me to be humble and meeke, hEphes. 5 2.walking in louelove euen as I hauehave loued you, giuing my selfe for you to bean offering, and a sacrifice of a sweet smelling sauour to God: in all other businesse appertayning either to the priuate house, or single selfe, the counsell is wholesome, res … age, plough in thine owne ground, fish in thine owne boat, looke to thy selfe, ouerlooke not other: vnlesse they bee such as are committed vntounto thy proper charge. For in this exempt case Christ expects not of Pete… a…tendance to the former clause, what is that to thee? but obedience to the latter onelyonly, follow thou mee.
Then went this saying among the brethren, that that Disciple should not … ] iH…ing.Hence wee may lea…ne to take good heede how …ereid and heare holy Scripture. For by misconthing the words of our Sauiour many false rumours are spread among the brethren. kA…us P…n.If the Disciples easily were deceiued, how much more wee? Let vsus imbrace therefore those things which are cleare, and such things as are spoken darkly, let vsus conferre with p…ainer places, alway calling vponupon God to giuegive vsus the key of true knowledge, that wee may d…scerne the thing… of his spirit. The Disciples here made that an absolute affirmatiue, which indeed is but a lA…us.conditionall proposition. If I will hauehave him to tarry, &c. not I will hauehave him to tarry. For wee may not reade (as the vulgar Latine mIansen. cencord. cap. 148 Id…m Erasnius & Mald nat. in loc. quippe m…la similitud… inter iar & foreign.corruptly) sic cum volo manere: but si cum volo manere. Againe, Iesus said not, hee shall not die: but if I will that hee tarry till I come, what is that to thee? In this correction of the Disciples errour, obserue, first S. Iohns nAretius.ingenuitie, who would not suffer a false report to be spread among the brethren though it were for his honour. Secondly, that it is not alway safe to follow the most in all things, one Iohn here is opposite to the rest of his companie; one Lot opposite to the rest of his Citie; one Luther opposite to the rest of his country; one Noah opposite to the whole world. Thirdly, wee may learne by this example to bee diligent and patient in reuoking all such things as hauehave been mistaken either in our words or writings. Augustine hath his retractations, *Parimpar.Bellarmine his recognitions, oAnnal. Tom. 9. fol. 863. Tom. 10. fol. 939. Tom. 11. fol. 723.Baronius his Emendanda, the Disciples here their Errata, sic corrige. This saying went among the brethren, &c. yet Iesus said not, hee shall not die, &c.
The Disciple whom Iesus loued] The word, pIohn 1.3.by whom all things were made, qWisd 11.21.loues all that he made. rAug. …10. in l…an.Yet men more then vnreasonable creatures, and his Saints more then other men, and his chosen Apostle more then other Saints, and Iohn more then other of his Apostle. He loued all his Disciple, as the Father hath loued mee. … hauehave I loued you: continue in my louelove. Iohn 15.9 But h… louelove to Iohn, (as the sT…m part 1. …ua…i 20 art. 3schoole speakes) was greater …xtensiue, though not intensiue: shewing more signes of familiaritie to Iohn then to the rest of his company. For whereas tMat. 3.11.Iohn the Baptist held himselfe not worthy to beare the shooes of Christ, and uIohn 12.3.Mary thought herselfe blessed in annoynting the feet of Christ, and xIohn 20.25.Thomas only desired to touch the side of Christ: o…r Apostle Iohn is said here to hauehave leaned on his breast at supper, as being best acquainted with the secrets of his Sauiour. For when yIohn 13.24. …d. Pet. a… palu. l. s…r. in loc.Peter and all other his fellowes were silent▪ onelyonly he d…rst aske, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? When the Eagle broodes (as zA… … n. in….Plutarch reports) the chicke that comes of the egge lying nearest her heart is best beloued of her: and so S. Iohn leaning on that breast (in which are a… 2.3.h…d all the treasures of wi…edome and knowledge) is the beloued Disciple, so much honoured, that Christ his Sauiour which had not in the world bMat. 8.10.whereon to re…t his head; did notwithstanding cEp… 3.17dwell in his heart by faith, and leane (saith dSer. 18.Ambrose) in his bosome, Si… in quo Christ … equi sei…, erat tripl… … in E…an…lista leanne sides, i… paire …, in Maria matre virginitas.
It is said Ephes. 4 11 that Christ ascending vp on high, gaue some to …e Apostl…s, and some Prophets, and …ome Euangel…, and some Pastors and Doctors, e1 Cor. 12.11.according to his will distributing to eueryevery man a seuerall gift. fD…z C…n. 2. in … Eua…g.Peter was an Apostle, but not an Euangelist: Marke an Euangelist, but not an Apostle: Matthew both an Euangelist and Apostle, yet not a Prophet: Augustine a Doctor, but not a Martyr: L…urence a Martyr, but not a Doctor. But behold the beloued Disciple was gT…ria …. & De… de …a…de. … supra.all these: In his Epistles an Apostle, in his Apocalyps a Prophet, in his Gospell an Euangelist, in his faith a Confessor, in his preaching a Doctor, in his chasli…ie a Virgin, in his readinesse to suffer for the truth a very Martyr, yea the hI…an. Os… in ….protomartyr suffering for Christ vnderunder the crosse, when hee saw Christ suffer on the crosse; a… …ns quippe plus … amato quam in seip… patitur: all which are so many reasons why wee should praise God in this holy Saint. but especially because the same Di…ciple is hee that testifieth of these things, and wrote these things. I say for that hee penned this heauenly Gospell, iI…. 20.31.that wee might beleeue that … Christ is the sonne of God, and that in beleeuing, wee might hauehave life through his name. For as kMe…a. lib. 1. cap. 1.Aristotle said, it timotheus had not been, we had not had so much sweet musicke: but it … (timotheus his master) had not been, we had not had timotheus. Euen so (beloued) if S. Iohn had not beene, wee might hauehave wanted happily such an Euangelicall harmonie: but if Iesus the master of Iohn had not beene gratious vntounto the Church, it should not hauehave had such a Iohn.
It is an argument of S. Iohns lMarl…rat.humilitie, that hee tearmeth himselfe not a master in Israel, or a Doctor; but a Disciple, and that fiue times in this one Gospell, as cap. 13.23. cap. 19.26. cap. 20.2. cap. 21.7. & 20. mCyril.yet it winnes honour to his historie, for that the beloued Disciple penned it, euen hee who leaned on his masters bosome restifi…th of these thn…gs. nDiez. vbi supra.Among all his honourable titles hee mentioneth in the first place that hee was beloued of Iesus, acknowledging it onelyonly to be the fountaine from which all other his grace, originally were deriued. For hee was not beloued of Iesus for that hee leaned on his breast. or for that hee durst aske himany question, or for that he was the penman of this historie: but on the contrarie, he therefore leaned on his masters bosome, and was acquainted with his secrets, and testifieth of these thing…, for that he was the Disciple whom Iesus loued. It is Christs grace, by which alone we are whatsoeuer we are, 1. Cor. 15.20.
There are also many other things which Iesus did.] EueryEvery thing that Iesus did is not recorded in the Gospels historie, but only so much as is necessarie for vsus to know; namely, that wee might beleeue that Iesus Christ is the sonne of God, and that (in beleeuing) wee might hauehave life through his name: for so S. Iohn expounds himselfe, chap. 20. at the last verse. The Scripture then is written principally for this end, that wee might vnderstand the mysterie of our saluation consisting in oVide Caiet. Marlorat. Aret. in I…an. 20.31.two points especially. First, in beleeuing that Iesus is the Christ, that is, the Messia▪ promised vntounto the Father… euer since the world began. Secondly, that this Messias albeit hee were the seed of Dauid, is not a meere Terence Iesus, but the sonne of God: and so being both God and man, he is our onelyonly Mediator, through whose name we must be saued. The Gospell hath abundantly both affirmed and confirmed these points, and therefore we need not any pPiscat….further reuelations of the spirit in the businesse of our saluation. Men talke much of the Philosophers stone, that it turneth copper into gold; of Cornu-copia, that it had all things necessarie for food in it; of Panaces the hearbe, that it was good for all diseases; of Catholicon the drug, that it is instead of all purges; of Vulcans armour, that it was an armour of proofe against all thrusts and blowes, &c. qSeepref…te to the re…der before the translation of our new English Bible.Well, that which they did attribute vainly to these things for bodily good, we may with ful measure ascribe iustly to the Scripture for spirituall. It is not an armour onelyonly, but an whole armorie of weapons as well offensiue as defensiue, whereby we may saue our selues, and put the enemie to flight. It is not an hearbe, but a tree, or rather a complete paradise of trees of life, which bring forth fruit rApocal. 22.2eueryevery monethmonth, and the fruit thereof is for meat, and the leaues for medicine. In a word, it is a panarie of wholesome food, against fenowed traditions; a physitians shop of preseruatiues, against poisoned heresies; a pandect of profitable lawes, against rebellious spirits; a treasurie of most costly iewels, against beggerly rudiments. EueryEvery thing indeed that Iesus did is not set downe, yet so much is written as is sufficient for our learning, so much as may serue for a sPsa 19.105.lanterne to our feet, and a light vntounto our paths, able to teach, improue, correct, instruct in righteousnesse, that the man of God may be perfect, thorowly furnished vntounto all good workes, 2. Tim. 3.16. I will end this obseruation in the words of tSer 139. de Te….Augustine: Tanta facta sunt, quantatun… furs deb…erunt: tanta scripta sunt, quanta nune legi debuerunt. uA…g…sti…. epist. …bi….His salubriter▪ & pra… corriguntur, & parua nutriuntur, & magna ob…ct intur in …ni…. Nay (saith hee) the Scriptures are so fit and full. V… …eis quotidie proficerem, sicas solas abincunte pue…tia … que ad d…repitam s…necturem maximo otio, summo studi… m…reingeni… co…arer ad discere.
The whi…h if they should be written eueryevery one, I suppose that the world could not containe the bookes that should bee written] I finde three diuers constructions of this one verse. The first is metaphoricall, the second hyperbolicall, and the third literall. xTract. 124. in I…an.Augustine, yIn loc.Theophylact, Beda, Rupert metaphorically, or metonymically; vnderstanding by the world men of the world. Mundus non capit, idest, non intel…git, the world cannot comprehend, that is, apprehend the bookes that should be written. A very lanke conceit, for the world in this sense cannot vnderstand so much as one line of the Gospell; according to that of z1 Cor. 2.14.Paul, The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God.
aEuthym. Caluin. Ar…. Pis…ater.Other take these words as spoken hyperbolically, for the spirit of God (accommodating it selfe to the rudenesse of men) vseth elsewhere this kind of figure. Deut. 1.28. The Cities of the Canaanites are said to hauehave been walled vp to heauen, Exod. 3.17. The land of the same Canaanites is tearmed a soyle flowing with milke and honie. Psal. 107. The men who goe downe into the sea in ships, and occupie their businesse in great waters; are so tossed in the deepe by the stormie winds and waues, as that Dauid saith in the 26 vers. They mount vp to the heauen, and are carried downe againe to the depths. And so S. Iohn in auowing the world could not containe, &c. doth intimate, that if all the things which Iesus did should bee written eueryevery one, the number of the bookes in folio would be without number. As high walles, and huge waues are said to reach heauen: euen so these bookes hyperbolically to be greater then all the world.
bIs…dot. Pelus. lib. 2 epist. 99. Di…n…s. Alex. epist pr…ri aduers. Heres. Samosaten. E…ron. annal. Tom. …. ad an. 34. fol. 214.Other construe this verse literally, Iesus is that eternall word in the beginning, by whom all things were made, Iohn 1.3. and by whose mighty word all things are sustained. Heb. 1.3. working from the foundation of the world hitherto. Iohn 5.17. So that if eueryevery thing which Iesus did as God, both afore the world, and in the world should be registred: all this huge vniuerse (though it be Gods faire library) could not containe the bookes that should be written. And thus (as you see) the conclusion of this Gospell is answerable to the beginning, both intimating Christs incomprehensible diuinitie. Hee made the whole world at the first, and hee gouernes all things in the world euer lithens; and therefore most impossible that all his words, and works, and wonders should bee recorded in bookes: albeit eueryevery plant were a pen, eueryevery drop of water inke, eueryevery foot of land paper, and eueryevery liuing creature a ready writer. The Disciplethen who wrote these things (as Horace said of Homer) hath so fitly disposed of his whole storie,