Exposition of Marys Magnificat, Exposition 1 · Part 8 – Part 9
The thyrde worke is to ſubdue the proude.
He putteth dovvne the myghty from the ſeate.
Thys worke wyth the other followynge maye eaſely be perceaued by the two workes aboue rehearſed. For lyke as he deſtroyeth the wyſe and ſuttyll in theyr imaginacions and good meanynges: (where vntounto they ſticke, and vſe theyr pryde agaynſte ſuche as feare God, whiche muſt ſuffre wronge, and theyr wytte and ryghteouſneſſe muſt be cō demned, the whiche all is chefely done for ye louelove of Gods worde.) Euen ſo he deſtroyeth and putteth downe the myghty & great men wyth all theyr power and dominion, where vponupon they leanynge, vſed theyr crueltye and pryde vponupon theyre inferiours, and on the good lowlyones, the whiche muſt ſuffre punyſhmente, death and all euell of them. And as he comforteth thē that muſt ſuffre wrōge and ſhame for ryghteouſneſſe, the truth, and hys wordes ſake, euen ſo ſtrengtheth he thē, that ſuffre hurte and wronge: but the more he cōforteth thoſe that muſt ſuffre wronge, ſo much the more frayeth he the other. But thys all muſte be perceaued and loked for in fayth. For he deſtroyeth not the myghty, as ſoone as they hauehave deſerued it, ſufferyng them ſometyme vntyl theyr power or authorite be fyniſſhed: for than doth God kepe thē nomore, nother can they kepe themſelues, but do vanyſhe & fayde of theyr owne ſwyng wythout ony rumoure or ſedicion: and than ſuch as are oppreſſed comeforth and reioyce without ony vprour or noyſe. For the power of God is in them, which only abydeth.
Marke that ſhe ſayeth not, he deſtoyeth the ſyes or trones, but he putteth the myghty dovvne out of the ſeates: nother ſayeth ſhe, that he leaueth the oppreſſed vnderunder foote, but ſetteth them vp. For as longe as thys worlde doth endure, ſo longe muſte Superiorite, Rule, Power & the Trones continue. But that they are euell vſed, contrary to the wyll of God, in doynge iniurye and wronge vntounto ſuch as are good, and that they do alſo delyte therin, and exalte themſelues therein, and vſe it not with the feare of God, to his prayſe, and defence of iuſtice: that can he not ſuffre longe. As experience here of maye be ſene in all ſtoryes, how that God ſetteth vp one kyngdome and putteth downe another: howe he rayſeth one prouince, and putteth downe another howe he multiplyeth one nacion, and deſtroyeth another: as maye be ſene in the Aſſyrians, Babylonians, Perſes, Grekes and Romanes, which neuertheleſſe imagined theyr raygnes to endure euer. Euen ſo lykewyſe doth he not deſtroye reaſon, wyſedome and lawes, for they muſte be had, yf ye worlde ſhalbe mayntayned: but pryde, & the hyghmynded, which ſerue themſelues wt theſe gyftes, feare not God, perſecute ye good and gods lawe, & abuſe ſuch bewtyful giftes of god againſt hī.
Gods buſyneſſe is in that caſe now, that the wyſe and proude meaners, (yf I maye ſo call them) do mooſte communely ioyne themſelues with mē of authorite, and ſteare them agaynſt the truthe, as Dauid wytneſſeth in the .ii. Pſalme, ſayenge: The kynges of the earth ſtande vp, & the rulers are come together, agaynſt the LORDE and agaynſt hys anoynted. Becauſe the lawe and ryght hauehave alwaye the wyſe, myghty and ryche agaynſte them, that is: the worlde, wyth hys greate and valeaunt powers: therfore doth the holy gooſte conforte them by the mouth of hys mother, that they be not abaſſhed nor doute, but let theſe wyſe, myghty and ryche alone, ſeynge they ſhall not longe endure. Yf the holyones and learned, takynge to thē the myghty, wyſe, rulers, gouernours and ye rych ſhulde all not ſtande agaynſt the truth, but be of hyr ſyde, where ſhulde vnryghteouſnes remayne? who ſhuld ſuffre wrōge or euel? Not ſo. For the holyones, myghty, ſuperious, the ryche and the beſte of the worlde, muſte fyghte agaynſt God and hys ryghteouſneſſe, and be the Deuels darlynges, as wytneſſeth the prophet Abacuc in the fyrſte chapter, ſayenge: Hys meate is pycked and deynty. That is: the wycked ſprete hath a denty touth, he loueth to eate of the ſweteſt, mooſt deyntyeſte and coſtlyeſt dyſhes, as ye Beer alſo doth hony. Therfore are the learned, the holy phariſes, the Herodes and the rych euen the deuels deynties. Agayn what ſo euer the worlde doth refuſe, as the poore, lowly, ſymple, vyle, and deſpyſed, that dothe God choſe, (as wytneſſeth S. Paule .i. Cor. i.) that he maye ſuffre the vyleſt of ye worlde to be myſhādled of the beſt of the ſame: that ſo it be euidently knowen, that our ſaluaciō doth not ſtande in mans power, but only in the power & handes of God, as Paule doth alſo teſtify. Hereof cōmeth that theſe by wordes are cōmunely vſed: They that be learned, are peruerted. And a ruler is venyſon in heauen. And here rych, there poore. For the learned alaye not theyr hartes pryde: the myghty theyr oppreſſynge: nother do the rych deſpyſe theyr pleaſures, and fynally is it done that maye be done.
The fourth worke, is to exalte thē of lowe degre.
And exalteth them of lovve degre.
They of lovve degre are not to be taken here for thoſe that be lowly, but ſuch as be vnderlynges, and of no reputacyon befor the worlde. For it is euen the ſame worde ye ſhe ment, whan ſhe ſayd: For he hath loked vponupon the lowe degre of hys handmayden. Neuertheleſſe, they that of theyr fre wyl are nought & abiecte of harte, not ſekyng hyghe thynges, they are lowly in dede. Moreouer thys exaltynge is not to be vnderſtande, as that he ſhulde ſet them in the thrones & places of them that be putte downe, as he doth not ſet them that feare hym in the rowme of the learned that is proude, another whā he ſheweth mercy vponupon them: but he geueth thē ſuch gyftes as do farre paſſe thoſe, namely: yt they beyng exalted in God ſpiritually, are ſet as iudges aboue all thrones, powers and knowlege, both here in thys worlde, and in the worlde to come: for they are better learned than al the learned and rulers. But how thys commeth to paſſe hauehave I ſhewed aboue in the fyrſt worke of God, nother nedeth it to be rehearſed here. But it is al ſaid to the comforte of them that ſuffre, and to ye frayenge of the tyraūtes, yf we had ſo much fayth as to conſyder it well.