The Harmony Chronicle and Order of the New Testament, Part 1 · Section 35 – Section 38

The Harmony Chronicle and Order of the New Testament · Part 1 · Section 35 – Section 38

p. 29SECTION XXXV. MATTH. Chap. XII. from Ver. 22, to Ver. 46. MARK Chap. III. from the last clause of Ver. 19. And they went into an house: to Ver. 31. A Devil cast out: Christ called Belzebub: Blasphemy against the holy Ghost.

THe series and consequence of this Section will require some cleering. 1. The reader here seeth that Mark hath nor mentioned any thing from the ordaining of the twelve Apostles unto this place: for the holy Ghost that held all their pens, did so dispose them, that sometimes one should speak the story, sometimes another, and sometimes more or all of them together. Now though the first clause of this Section in Mark, And they went into an house, be joyned so close to the Apostles ordaining, as if that were the next p. 30thing done; yet the current of the story in the rest of the Evangelists, doth shew that it is not to be taken in, at that instant: and indeed the progresse of the story even in Mark himself, doth shew that this is the proper place of it, as will appear to him that shall precisely observe it. 2. Matthew hath laid this story of casting out a Devil, &c. next after two stories that occurred before the Sermon in the Mount, as hath appeared in its place: the reason of which may be supposed to be, because he would take up the exceptions of the Scribes and Pharisees together: That this story in Matthew lieth in juncture to these next succeeding will readily appear in them. 3. There is a story in Luk. 11. so like this, that one would think it were the very same; for there is mention of the same miracle, casting out a Devil, and the same cavill of the Pharisees, and the same answer to Christ: and yet the progresse of the history of Luke thither, and especially the coming off from that story, do perswade that it was another story. For Luke chaineth such following passages to it, that cannot possibly be brought in concurrent with the current of these Evangelists now before us. And we shall observe hereafter, that Christ in his latter time did repeat over again very many of those things that he had spoken a good while before: as Moses his Deuteronomy was but a rehearsall of things that had been acted and spoken in his former time. The same devilishnesse was in the Scribes and Pharisees in all places, and it was accordingly to be met withall by Christ in more places then one: They had taken up a consent to beat down the dignity and authority of his miracles, by asserting that whatsoever he did, he did by the power of Magick, and this corrupt blood ran up in their veins every where wheresoever he met them, and therefore it is no wonder if the same words be in their mouthes here and there, when the same rotten principle was every where in their hearts. Observe how scornfully they require a sign from Heaven, when they had but newly seen a most heavenly sign.

The word Beelzebul was taken up for the more detestation, as importing, The god of a dunghill, and the sacrificing to Idols they called dunging to an Idoll, R. Jose, ben R. Ben saith, foreign He that seeth them dunging to an Idoll, must say, He that sacrificeth to other gods must be destroyed. Talm. Jerus. Baracoth, fol. 12. col. 2.

What Christ speaketh about the unpardonablenesse of blasphemy against the holy Ghost, is in direct facing of their Tenet; which held, that blasphemy was attoned for by death though by nothing else. He [say they] by whom the name of Heaven is blasphemed, repentance hath no power to save him from punishment, nor the day of expiation to attone for him, nor chastisements of the Iudges to acquit him. But repentance and the day of expiation attone for a third part, and chastisements a third part, and death a third part. And of such it is said, If this iniquity be purged till you die: Behold we learn that death acquitteth. Talm. Jerus. Sanhed. fol. 27. col. 3.

The Jews defamed the miracles done by Christ as done by Magick, as appeareth not only by this and other places in the Gospel, but even in Talm. Bab. Schabb. fol. 104. col. 2. R. Eliezer said to the wise men, Did not Ben Sarda [this is a blasphemous name they give to Iesus of Nazareth, as was said a little before] bring inchantments out of Egypt in incisions in his flesh?

But when they saw they were not able to contradict and decry the credit of the great miracles that he did, and they saw that this would not serve their turn, to say he did them by the power of the Devill; the Devill taught them to betake themselves to another shift clean contrary, and that was, to say and maintain, that when Messias came, he should do no miracles at all: which they assert in Sanhedr. per Helek. and Maym. in Melachim. per. ult.

SECTION XXXVI.

CHRISTS Mother and Brethren seek him, &c.

THe Order is cleered by the transition of Matthew, While he yet talked, &c. Luke hath set the coming of Christs mother and brethren, after the Parable of the Sower [whereas the other two Evangelists have set it before and that in its proper place] thereby intimating the end and prosecution of the errand they came upon, which was to take him up from preaching▪ with which intention and importunity they follow him from place to place. Here is an evidence of the Virgin Maries sinfullnesse, as well as other p. 31womens, if going about to stop Christs Ministry were a sinne, as certainly it was, proceed that intention from what pretence soever. Mark 3.21. His friends went to lay hold on him, for they said foreign: signifie that word what it will, whether he is beside himself, or he is faint, or he is in a rapture, &c. their errand and intention was to take him off from the course he was in: which he knew well enough, and therefore he gives so smart an answer, Who is my Mother, &c? Compare Deut. 33.9.

SECTION XXXVII.

The Parable of the Sower: and divers other Parables.

MATTHEWS transition doth again cleer the order here. The same day went Iesus, &c. The same day that his Mother and brethren came to him, as is apparent in the twelfth Chapter. So that this consideration helpeth to methodize the order of Luke: for whereas the other two have set the coming of Christs mother and brethren before his uttering of the Parable of the Sower, &c. he hath set it after; and that without contrariety though with diversity. For both the occurrences were on the same day: and he hath by this order shewed how the mother and friends of Christ having once found him, went along with him, whether to prosecute the intention they came upon, or better convinced to attend him and his doctrine.

CHRISTS speaking of Parables, which he doth so exceeding much through the Gospel, was according to the stile and manner of that Nation, which were exceedingly accustomed to this manner of Rhetorick. The Talmuds are abundantly full of this kinde of oratory, and so are generally all their ancient writers: and they commonly enter upon their Parables with this preface foreign: A Parable: To what is the thing like? which stile he also useth not seldom. And sometime they enter upon it more abruptly with such an entrance as this foreign or foreign To a man, or To a King of flesh and blood, &c. meaning, It is like to a man or like to a King, &c. I beleeve there are very many in the world, that have not been further acquainted with the writings of the Jews then what they have seen quoted by other writers, and yet are ready to censure them of lies and falshoods [which indeed they are not free from] meerly upon want of acquaintance with their stile of Parables and hyperboles.

Very good use may be made of the Talmudish treatises, Peah, Demai and Kilaim, which treats intentionally concerning sowing and seeds, for illustration of these Parables. In Kilaim, they dispute of sowing foreign upon rocks and upon stones, and of mingling foreign, wheat and tares, &c. cap. 1. In Peah in Tal. Ierus. fol. 20. they speak of a tree of mustardseed, that one might climbe into like other trees, &c. And in divers other passages in these Parables, some light may be fetched from those tracts: seeing Christ all along speaketh of things usuall and most particularly usuall among that Nation.

SECTION XXXVIII.

A Scribe will follow CHRIST, &c.

THe story of CHRISTS preparing to go over the water, is evidenced by Mark, to come in here in its proper place; for he saith, The same day at even, &c. Matthews laying it where he hath done, may seem to be because of its neernesse to Matthews or Levies feast, as will appear in the following current of the story; which feast he hath laid at Matthews call, and so hath accordingly brought here divers stories together, though farre distinct in time; as some being neer the time of his call, some neer the time of his feast. But a greater scruple ariseth, namely, Whether this story in Matthew, of two that would follow Christ, and that in Luk. 9.57, &c. of three that would do so, be one and the same story, or two occurrences at severall times? It is well the matter is of no more chronologicall import, for it is hard to resolve which way to take it. The words of the p. 32persons to Christ, and his answer to them, are so much the same, that it is hard to think two severall stories should run so parallel in all circumstances: And yet Lukes laying it so far out of its place, might perswade that it is not the same story. It would be more tiresome then profitable to dispute the matter at large; therefore to make sure and quick work, both the stories may be taken in at both places. I should rather hold them to be two stories: In both of them where it is said, by those that should follow Christ, Let me first go and bury my father, It argues not that their father was dead or very sick; but that they thought themselves bound not to leave their father whilest he was living.