Commentary on the Epistles and Revelation of John, Commentary 2 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Verſe 1. As is not ſo much as named]
TO wit, Without deteſtation. The Apoſtle ſeems to allude to Antiochus Soter, who married his ſtep-mother Stratonice, being firſt like to die for love of her, as Eraſistratus the Phyſitian told his Father.Aelian. Of this inceſtuous marriage came Antiochus Theos, or Antiochus the god, ſo called of the Mileſians, becauſe he did put down their tyrant Timark. This god was poiſoned by his wife Laodice.
Among the Gentiles] In Mexico and thoſe parts, whoredome, Sodomy, Sir Fra Drake his World encompaſ. 58.and inceſt (thoſe Spaniſh vertues, as one calleth them) are common without reproof: the Popes pardons being more ri…e in thoſe parts, then in any part of Europe for theſe abominable filthineſſes, whereout he ſucketh no ſmall advantage. Notwithſtanding the Indians abhor this moſt lothſome living: ſhewing themſelves in reſpect of the Spaniards, as the Scythians did in reſpect of the Grecians, whom they ſo farre excelled in life and behaviour, as they were ſhort of them in learning and knowledge. Who hath not heard of the abhorred inceſt of the houſe of Auſtria? Spec. Europ.King Philip 2. could call Arch-duke Albert, both brother, couſin, nephew and ſon. For all this was he to him either by bloud or affinity: being uncle to himſelf, couſin germane to his father, husband to his ſiſter, and father to his wife; and all this by papall diſpenſation. The Papiſts themſelves write with deteſtation, that in Rome a Jewiſh maid might not be admitted into the Stews of whoredome,Eſpenc de continen. l. 3. cap. 4. unleſſe ſhe would be firſt baptized.
That one ſhould have his father wiſe] Ethelbald King of Weſt-Saxons, with great infamy marrying his fathers widdow Judith, enjoy'd his kingdom but two years and a half.Daniel hiſt of Ergl 1 2.
Verſe 2. And ye are puffed up] And yet ye are puffed up (ſo Piſcator reads it) viz. with your ſpirituall gifts, and your brave teachers: whereas you have more cauſe to be caſt down for your other mens ſins now made yours, becauſe unlamented by you.
And have not rather mourned] That any of you ſhould incur the cenſure of excommunication: at which time they did anciently faſt and lament.
Verſe 3.Have judged already, &c.] q. d. I by mine Apoſtolicall authority do excommunicate him. And yet how fiercely doth learned Erassus contend with Calvin and Beza about Excommunication, denying the Church any ſuch power?
Verſe 4. With the power of our Lord] Promiſed, Matth. 18.18 19, 20. This makes it to be a heavy caſe to be rightly excommunicated. Indeed it may fall out that Jonas ſhall be caſt out of the ſhip, when Cham ſhall be reſerved in the Ark. Your brethren that hated you, that caſt you out for my names ſake, ſaid (for a pretence) let the Lord be glorified: but he ſhall appear to your joy, and they ſhall be aſhamed, Iſa. 66.5. When the ſentence of Excommunication began with, In …omine Domini, to be read againſt a certain Martyr, he cried out, as well he might, You begin in a wrong name. And another of them,Act. and Mon. ſol 1862. together with his five fellow-ſufferers, did formally excommunicate their perſecutours.
Verſe 5. To deliver ſuch an one to Satan] That he may learn not to blaſpheme, that is, not to cauſe others to blaſpheme or ſpeak evil of the good way of God, for his ſtagitious courſes.
Verſe 6. Your glorying is not good] It is the height of wickedneſſe to glory in wickedneſſe, as Lamech Gen 4. and Alexander Pheraeus, who conſecrated the Javelin,Plato. wherewith he had ſlain Polyphron. Protagoras boaſted that he had ſpent fourty years in corrupting of youth. Mark Antony vomited out a book concerning his own ability to eat and drink much. Joannes a Caſa, Act. and Mon. 1517.Dean of the Popes chamber, wrote a Poem in commendation of his own beaſtly ſin of Sodomy. And Stokeſly Biſhop of London in King Henry 8. time, lying at point of death, rejoyced,Ibid. …025. boaſting that in his life time he had burned fifty heretikes, that is, good Chriſtians.
A little leaven leaveneth, &c.] One ſpoonfull of vinegar will ſoon tart a great deal of ſweet milk: but a great deal of milk will not ſo ſoon ſweeten one ſpoonfull of vinegar.
Verſe 7. As ye are unleavened] viz In part ſanctified. Every new man is two men. Many a one that is merry in company, hath a ſhrew at home; ſo have the beſt their inward troubles. The comfort is, that God overlooks our involuntary infirmities, and accounts us unleavened, when yet there is much ſtill to be purged out. The leper, when his leproſie began but to heal, was pronounced clean; becauſe then he went on ſtill to heal, and his leproſie to ſhale off.
Verſe 8. Let us keep the feaſt] The benefits we receive by Chriſt ſhould crown the Kalendar or our lives with continuall feaſtivals: Yea, make us everlaſtingly merry at our convivium juge of a good conſcience. Diogenes could ſay,Plut. That a good man keeps every day holy-day. And the Jews were bound to rejoyce at all their feaſts, Eat therefore thy meat with joy, and drinke thy wine with gladneſſe, ſith God now accepteth thy works, Eccleſ. 9.7.
Verſe 9. Not to company with fornicatours] Dion Chriſostome ſaith,foreign. That Corinthus was the moſt luxurious and laſcivious City in the world.Lib. 8. Strabo ſaith, that Venus had a moſt ſtately Temple there, that was kept by above a thouſand beautifull curtiſans. Another ſaith, that it was the brothel-houſe of Greece, and a moſt filthy Mart-town of abominable luſts.Molin. Anat. Ar…inianiſ.
Verſe 10. Yet not altogether, &c.] Here he lets them know that in that former Epiſtle (not extant now) he meant not that they ſhould wholly ſever themſelves from thoſe wicked that are yet without the Church (for that they cannot do) but from profligate profeſſours, diſcinct Chriſtians, that they may be aſhamed.
Verſe 11. Not to keep company] Gr. Not to be mingled with them. foreignThe rivers of Peru, after they have run into the main ſea, yea ſome write 20. or 30. miles, they keep themſelves unmixed the ſalt water: ſo that a very great way within the ſea, men may take up as freſh water,Abbots Geog. 331. Blunts voy. p. 10. as if they were near the land. So, at Belgrade in Hungary where the Danuby and Sava (two great rivers) meet, their waters mingle no more then water and oil, &c. We muſt ſo converſe with the wicked, as that we commingle not, by holding any needleſſe ſociety with ſuch, no not with him that is called a brother, but belies his profeſſion. Yet ſtill muſt we perform to ſuch, though excommunicated, offices of charity, naturall and civill duties, as thoſe of parents toward their children, of children toward their parents, and the like.
Verſe 12. Them alſo that are without] Theſe come not under the verge of Church-cenſures, Revel. 22.15.
Verſe 13.foreign. Therefore put away] Gr. Ye will put away, q. d. I hope you will, though hitherto ye have not. Soft words and hard arguments do ſooneſt prevail: Eſpecially when we reprove or admoniſh not in our own, but in Gods words, as here the Apoſtle doth out of Deut. 13. Some warmth muſt be in a reproof, but it muſt not be ſcalding hot. Aegros, quos potus fortis non curavit, ad ſalutem pristinam aqua tepens revocavit, ſaith Gregory. They that could not be cured with ſtrong potions, have been recovered with warm water.