The Third Part from John Baptists Nativity, Part 6 – Part 7
The Gospell.
MAT. 20. 20.
Then came to him the mother of Zebedeus children with her sonnes, &c.
THere be two parts of this Scripture
1. An indiscreet petition, in which obserue the
Mouer of the suite, a woman and a mother.
Manner of suing, she came worshipping him & saying, &c.
Suite it selfe, grant that these my two sonnes, &c.
2. A discreet answere to the same containing a
Correction in particular, addressed especially to the mother and her sonnes, ye wot not what ye aske, &c.
Direction in generall, vntounto the rest of his Disciples and in them vntounto all Christians, yee know that the princes, &c.
Then came to him the mother of Zebedeus children This woman (as it is apparant by comparing Mat. 27. 56. with Marke 15. 40.) Was Solome, the sister (as oAretius in loc. vide Thom. Aquin. in Galat. 1. lect. 5.some thinke) of Ioseph, husband vntounto the blessed Virgine mother of Christ. Her sonnes were pMat. 10. 2.Iames and Iohn, Iames the greater, so called qAquin vbi sup.for that he was elected an Apostle before Iames the sonne of Alpheus, otherwise stiled Iames the rMarke 15. 40.lesse. sRaulin. ser. 2. de Iacob maio.Or Iames the greater, because he was more familiar and great with his master Christ then that other Iames, (for as we read in the Gospels history) Iesus suffered none of his Apostles to see his tMat. 17. 1.transfiguration, or the raising of uLuke 8. 51.Iairus daughter from the dead, save Peter and Iames, and Iohn: or Iames the greater, xDidac. de yanguas con. de S. Iacob.for that hee was endued with great courage to drinke first of Christs cup, and to become the first Martyr of all the 12. Apostles: his brother Iohn was yIohn. 21. 20.the Disciple whom Iesus loued, who leaned on his masters breast at supper, vntounto whose care Iesus on the crosse commended his mother, Iohn 19. 27. These two moue their mother, to moue their master for their aduancement, it was she who came worshipping Christ and desiring, &c: but it was by the zAugustin, Ardens, Anselm.suggestion and instigation of her ambitious children. And aHierom. in loc.therefore Christ in his answere said not, thou knowest not what thou doest aske, but ye know not, addressing his speech vntounto the sonnes, so well as to the mother: and indeed Saint bCap. 10. 37.Marke reports expresly that they came to Christ in their owne name to make this suite, they did vse the mediation of their mother happily cPaludensis ser. de S. Iacob….that if Christ in any sort misliked the request, it might be thought a fond womans errour; if approued, then it might be granted easily to a mother earnestly suing for her sonnes. Now (saith our text) when the ten heard this, they disdained at the two brethren: all the twelue were faulty, two sinned in ambition, and tenne in enuie. Isti (quoth dIn loc.Anselm) ambitiosi, illi inuidiosi, vtri que tamen nobis profuerunt. Iames and Iohn were carnall in their pride, the rest as carnall in their malice: yet we may reape benefit by them all. For eMelancthon. Marlorat, Mollerus.here we may see that euen the best men hauehave their infirmities, and they be recorded in holy Bible for our fRom. 15. 4.learning, that we might neither presume, because the chiefe Saints hauehave had their slippes: nor yet despaire, because Christ himselfe forgiues them, & inioyneth other also to strengthen them. gGalat. 6. 1.If a man be ouertaken in a fault, ye which are spirituall restore such an one in the spirit of meekenes, considering thy selfe least thou also be tempted.
In the manner of Solomes suing, obserue the time when, and how she sued: then came the mother of Zebedeus children, &c. hHierom. Anselm, Caietan.That is, after Iesus had tooke his Disciples apart in the way to Hierusalem, and had said vntounto them (as you may read in the words a little before this text) Behold we goe vp to Hierusalem, and the sonne of man shall be deliuered vntounto the chiefe Priests, and vntounto the Scribes, and they shall condemne him to death, and shall deliuer him vntounto the Gentiles to mocke, & to scourge, and to crucifie, but the third day shall he rise againe. When the sonnes of Zebedeus heard this, instantly they conceiued, that Christ after his resurrection would iActs 1. 6.restore the kingdome of Israel, and so reigne as a Monarch in this present world. Wherefore they thought it a fit time now to make some motion for their promotion in his kingdome, namely, that one might sit at his right hand, and the other on his left in glory. For the better effecting whereof their mother Solome commeth vntounto Christ, and worshippeth him, and desireth, &c. Ambitious wretches (as S. Iude speaketh in his Epistle) hauehave the persons of men in admiration for aduantage, kEccles. 29. 5.till they receiue, they kisse their hands, and humble their voyce. So long as they be mendicant, they be Fryers obseruant, what will they not say, what will they not doe, to serue their owne turnes: the mother here comes worshipping and fawning, and her sonnes flattering and lying, for in the iudgement of lChrysost. Theophylact, Euthym.many learned Doctors they did answere rashly, we are able. Christ himselfe was afraid to drinke of this cup, mMat. 26. 39.O my father, if it be possible, let this cup passe from me: neuerthelesse not as I will, but as thou wilt. It is enough for the Disciple to be as his master is, and the seruant as his Lord, Mat. 10. 25. If Iames and Iohn had aduisedly considered of the businesse, they would not hauehave giuen a peremptory possumus, but hauehave rather answered in the words of n2. Cor. 3. 5.Paul, of our selues we are not sufficient, all our sufficiency is of God, oPhilip. 4. 13.able to doe all things thorough the helpe of Christ who strengtheneth vsus. Ambition is charities ape, for as p1. Cor. 13. 7.louelove for verity, so ambition for vanity, suffreth all things, beleeueth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. An ingenious man assuredly makes a parenthesis of his good nature, whilest he runneth ambitious courses, he seldome or neuer returnes to himselfe and true sense, till his suites end. For he must (if hee will vnderstand his trade) turne qMagdeburg. epist. praefix. cent. 7.Gnatho pleasing eueryevery mans humor, as a reed shaken with eueryevery winde, blowing hot and cold out of the same mouth, holding dissimulationrBudaeus lib. 5. de asse. and impudence commendable vertues, in a word making preferment his God, and Mammon his mediatour.
Grant that these my two sonnes] Solome sPaludensis.seemes here to beg of Christ for her children especially three things. Ease, riches, honour: Ease, that they may sit: Riches, in thy kingdome; Honour, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, tIansenius, Didac. de yanguas.that is, next vntounto thy selfe, and before the rest of their fellowes, on uCaietan.each hand first: it is ordinarily seene that mothers are more fond in their louelove, and more solicitous in their care for their children then fathers are, xEsay 49. 15.can a woman forget her child, and not hauehave compassion on the sonne of her wombe? the reason hereof (as yEthic. lib. 9. cap. 7.Aristotle teacheth vsus) is twofold. 1. Because mothers are best assured that their children are their owne: 2. Because mothers endure more paines then fathers in breeding in bearing, and in bringing vp of their babes; honour thy father that begat thee, (said zProuerb. 23. 22.Solomon) and thy mother that bare thee▪: that bare thee nine moneths in her wombe, twelue moneths in her armes, many yeares in her heart. aHierom. epist. de suso…cto contubernio.Illa te diu portauit in vter…, diu aluit, & difficiliores infantiae mores blanda pietate sustinuit, lauit pannorum sordes, & immund… saepe foedata est stercore, &c. Wherefore though a father in respect of his dignity (being bThomas 22…. quaest. 26. art. 10.principium generationis nostrae per modum agontis) is to be loued more then our mother, as being rather principium per modum patientis & materiae; yet our mother (as cEpist. 19.Phalaris aduiseth) is to be reuerenced so much, if not more then our sire, for her affectionate tender care. S. dConfess. lib. 5. cap. 9.Augustine writes of his mother. Monica, maiori solicitudine me parturiebat spiritu quàm carne, and in eConfess. lib. 9. cap. 9.another place, ita pro nobis omnibus curam g…ssit quasi omnes genuisset, ita seruiuit quasi ab omnibus genita fuisset.
Ye wot not what ye aske] for either ye erre very much in the matter, or else in the manner; in the fMarlorat, Mollerus, Kilius.matter, if ye thinke that my kingdome is of gIohn 8. 36.this world: in the manner, if ye desire to sit in my kingdome, before ye hauehave drunken of my cup: I must (as ye shall one day further vnderstand) first hLuke 24. 26.suffer, and then enter into glory. iMat. 16. 24.If any man will be my Disciple, let him forsake himselfe, and take vp his crosse, and follow me; you must enter into my kingdome thorough many tribulations, Acts 14. 22. They that sowe in teares shall reape in ioy, Psal. 126. 6. He that will hauehave wages at night, must labour first about the Lords vineyard in the day, Mat. 20. 8. None receiue the price before they runne, 1. Cor. 9. 24. And if any man also striue for a mastery, yet is he not crowned except he striue as he ought to doe, 2. Tim. 2. 5. Well then (I tell you the truth) if ye seeke to sit on my right hand and on my left in my kingdome, ye must first drinke of the cup that I shall drinke of, and bee baptized with the baptisme that I am baptized with, kTheophylact, Euthym, Ardens.that is, ye must of necessity beare the crosse, before ye can weare the crowne. lApocalip. 3, 21.To him that ouercommeth wil I grant to sit with me in my throne, euen as I ouer came, and sit with my father in his throne, when holy Moses Exod. 33. said vntounto the Lord, I beseech thee shew me thy glory; the Lord answered, thou canst not see my face, but thou shalt see my backe parts. mDidat. de yanguas con. de S. Iacob.Insinuating hereby that we can not enter into Christs glory, vnlesse we follow him, and see his hinder parts in this world; why Christ called his sufferings a cup, and baptisme: see Iansen. concord. cap. 104. Theophylact, Aretius, Marlorat, Maldonat, in loc.
Ye shall drinke indeed of my cup] nOrigin. apud Aquin. caten. in loc.he said not ye can, as being able by their owne vertue: but ye shall, as being made able by grace: but how did they drinke both of Christs cup seeing Iohn is said in Ecclesiasticall history to hauehave dyed in his bed peaceably? oApud Paludens. in loc.Remigius answereth in one word, bibit Iacobus in passione, Ioannes in persecutione. Iames dranke of Christs cup in his martyrdome being slaine with the sword by cruell Herod, as our Epistle this day witnesseth, and Iohn tasted of Christs cup, as being banished pApocalyp. 1. 9.into the Isle Pathmos for the word of God, and for the witnes of Iesus Christ. Iohn dranke of the cup of qHierom.confession as the three children in the fiery furnace, though he were not actually martyred, actually I say, for in his rMissu… in feruentis olci dolium siue solium illaesus exijt. Baron. ad an. 99readines to suffer he was a very martyr, yea the s10. Os…rius in Euang. fest. 10. Euang.Proto-martyr, suffring for Christ vnderunder the crosse when he saw Christ suffer on the crosse.
But to sit on my right hand, or on my left is not mine to giuegive] Christ saith in this Gospell Chap. 11. verse 27. All things are giuen vntounto me of my father, and chap. 28. 18. All power is giuen vntounto me both inheauen and in earth, and Iohn 14. 2. In my fathers house are many mansions, and I goe to prepare a place for you, and Luke 22. 29. I appoint vntounto you a kingdome, &c. How then is it true to sit on my right hand, and on my left is not mine to giuegive? S. tLib. 1. de trinit. cap. 12.Augustine, uEpist. 141. … Caesarianos.Basile, xApud Paludens▪ in loc.Remigius, and yAmbros. lib. 5. de fide cap. 3.other answere thus, it is not mine to giuegive as I am a man, and allyed vntounto you: but as I am God, equall to my father and heire of all things. Or as zHom. in loc.Ardens it is not mine to giuegive you now, namely before ye hauehave drunke of my cup. aMusculus, Iansenius.Or it is not in my power to giuegive as you conceiue, to wit in respect of kindred & alliance. bArdens, Di…at. de yanguas.By which example Bishops may learne not to prefer their nephewes on their right hand & on their left hand in their diocesse, except they be men of merit. For God saith expresly, non afcendes per gradus ad altare meum, Exod. 20. 26. And Melchisedeck the first Priest is said, Heb. 7. 3. To hauehave hin without father, without mother, without kindred, hereby signifying that we must ascend to dignities in the Church of God not by degrees of Consanguinitie, but by steps of vertue: or it is not mine to giuegive to cEpiphan. heres. 69. Idem Hierom. Chrysost. Maldonat in loc.such as you are now, namely to proude & ambitious men, according to that in the 101. Psalme, verse 7. Who so hath a proude looke and an hie stomacke, I will not suffer him in mine house, so that (as dVbi sup.Ambrose notes) Asserit non sibi potestatem deesse, sed meritum Creaturis; or as Christ here construeth himselfe, it is not mine to giuegive, but it shall be giuen vntounto those for whom it is prepared of my father. eIohn 10. 30.I and my father are one, and therefore most fAretius, Musculus.vnfit either for you to request, or for me to grant any thing contrarie to the determination of my father. His kingdome is an inheritance gMat. 25. 34.prepared before the foundations of the world, hRom. 8. 30.Whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also iustified: and whom he iustified, them he also glorified. Concerning Christs direction here following addressed vntounto all his Apostles, and in them vntounto all Christians: see Gospell on S. Bartholomewes day.
The Epistle.
ACTS 5. 12.
By the hands of the Apostles were many signes and wonders shewed among the people, &c.
SOme thing in this Epistle concernes more specially the Pastors, by the hands of the Apostles were many signes and wonders shewed; some thing more specially the people, the people magnified them, and the number of them that beleeued in the Lord both of men and women grew more and more; some thing generally both Pastors and people, they were all together with one accord in Solomons porch, iCaluin. in loc.insinuating that it was their ordinarie custome to meete in that holy place not onelyonly to preach and pray; but also to consult about the proceedings of the Gospell and busines of the Church. From which assembly no conuert absented himselfe either vponupon any proud opinion of his owne priuat conceits, or vnderunder pretence kAretius.that the Temple was now superstitiously prophaned, or for feare of the common enemie the lIustus Ionas in loc.Pharisies especially: but all, foreign, according, concording, ioyned together for the good of the publike weale. Wherein obserue not onelyonly their vnanimitie, but also their magnanimitie, not onelyonly their louing carriage one toward another, but also their resolution and zeale for the Gospell, exposing themselues vntounto very much danger in a place of such sort and resort. The chiefe poynt is the working of miracles by the hands of the Apostles, and that is nothing else but an execution of Christs promise, Mark. 16. 17. 18. In my name they shall cast out diuels, and they shall lay their hands on the sicke, and they shall recouer, &c. of which I hauehave sufficiently spoken in my notes vponupon the Gospell on Ascension day.