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The Virtue of Alms after Death.

687

XIV.

her disposition being still rather imperfect, and they doubting MATT. about her; to revive her He said these things. For in 34-36. proof that for her comfort He said it, He added, Why trouble ye the woman? And with regard to our having Matt. Him really always with us, He saith, Lo, I am with you 26, 10. alway, even unto the end of the world. From all which Matt. it is evident, that for no other object was this said, but that the rebuke of the disciples might not wither the faith of the woman, just then budding.

2

28, 28.

Let us not then bring forward these things now, which were uttered because of some œconomy, but let us read all the laws, those in the New and those in the Old Testament, that are set down about almsgiving, and let us be very earnest about this matter. For this cleanses from sin. For give alms, and all things will be clean unto you. This is a Luke greater thing than sacrifice. For I will have mercy, and not sacrifice. This opens the heavens. For thy prayers and Hosea thine alms are come up for a memorial before God5. This is Matt. 9, more indispensable than virginity: for thus were those 18. virgins cast out of the bridechamber; thus were the others 10, 4. brought in.

All which things let us consider, and sow liberally, that we may reap in more ample abundance, and attain unto the good things to come, by the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory for ever. Amen.

11, 41.

6, 6.

5 Acts

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Then came to Jesus Scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do Thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But He answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say,

Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; and honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

THEN; When? when He had wrought His countless miracles; when He had healed the infirm by the touch of the hem of His garment. For even with this intent doth the Evangelist mark the time, that He might signify their unspeakable wickedness, by nothing repressed.

But what means, The Scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem? In every one of the tribes were they scattered abroad, and divided into twelve parts; but they who occupied the chief city were worse than the others, as both enjoying more honour, and having contracted much haughti

ness.

On the Charge of not washing before Meals. 689

XV.

-6.

But mark, I pray thee, how even by the question itself MATT. they are convicted; in not saying, Why do they transgress the law of Moses, but, the tradition of the elders. Whence it is evident that the priests were inventing many novelties, although Moses, with much terror and with much threatening, had enjoined neither to add nor take away.

For ye

shall not add, saith he, unto the word which I command you this day, and ye shall not take away from it 1.

But not the less were they innovating; as in this instance, that one ought not to eat with unwashen hands, that we must wash cups and brasen vessels, that we must wash also ourselves. Thus, when men were henceforth, as time advanced, to be freed from their observances, at that very time they bound them with the same in more and more instances, fearing lest any one should take away their power, and wishing to strike more dread, as though they were themselves also lawgivers. The thing in fact proceeded so far in enormity, that while their own commandments were kept, those of God were transgressed; and they so far prevailed, that the matter had actually become a ground of accusation. Which was a twofold charge against them, in that they both invented novelties, and were so strict exactors on their own account, while of God they made no reckoning.

1 Deut.

4, 2.

And omitting to speak of the other things, the pots and the brasen vessels, (for it was too ridiculous,) what seemed more reasonable than the rest, that they bring forward, wishing, as seems at least to me, in that way to provoke Him to anger. Wherefore also they made mention of the elders, in order that He, as setting them at nought, might give occasion against Himself.

But it were meet first to enquire, why the disciples ate with unwashen hands. Wherefore then did they so eat? Not as making a point of it, but as overlooking henceforth the things that are superfluous, and attending to such as are necessary; having no law to wash or not to wash, but doing either as it happened. For they that despised even their own necessary food, how were they to hold these things worth much consideration? This then having often happened unintentionally, for instance, when they ate in the wilder

LI.

690

Our Lord's Retort on the Pharisees.

HOMIL. ness, when they plucked the ears of corn,-is now put forward 1,2. as a charge by these persons, who are always transgressing in the great things, and making much account of the superfluous.

[2.] What then saith Christ? He did not set Himself against it, neither made He any defence, but straightway blames them again, plucking down their confidence, and signifying that he who commits great sins ought not to be strict with others concerning small matters. "What? when you ought to be blamed," saith He, "do ye even blame?" But do thou observe, how when it is His will to set aside any of the things enjoined by the Law, He does it in the form of an apology; and so He did in that case. For by no means doth He proceed at once to transgress it, nor doth He say, "It is nothing;" for surely He would have made them more audacious; but first He clean cuts away their boldness, bringing forward the far heavier charge, and directing it upon their head. And He neither saith," they do well in transgressing it," lest He should give them a hold on Him; nor doth He speak ill of their proceeding, lest He should confirm the law nor again, on the other hand, doth He blame the elders, as lawless and unholy men; for doubtless they would have shunned Him as a reviler and injurious: but all these things He gives up, and proceeds another way. And He seems indeed to be rebuking the persons themselves who had come to Him, but He is reprehending them that enacted these laws; no where indeed making mention of the elders, but by His charge against the Scribes casting down them also, and signifying that their sin is twofold, first in disobeying God, next in doing so on men's account; as though He had said, "Why this, this hath ruined you, your obeying the elders in all things."

Yet He saith not so, but this is just what He intimates, by answering them as follows:

Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever

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He reproves a Tradition contrary to the Law. thou mightest be profited by me, and honour not his father or MATT. his mother. And ye have made void the commandment of 1-6. God by your tradition.

And He said not, "the elders' tradition," but "your own." And, ye say; again He said not, the elders say: in order to make His speech less galling. That is, because they wanted to prove the disciples transgressors of the law, He signifies that they themselves are doing so, but that these are free from blame. For of course that is not a law, which is enjoined by men, (wherefore also He calls it a tradition,) and especially by men that are transgressors of the law.

XV.

And since this had no shade of contrariety to the Law, to command men to wash their hands, He brings forward another tradition, which is opposed to the Law. And what He saith is like this. "They taught the young, under the garb of piety, to despise their fathers." How, and in what way? "If one of their parents said to his child, Give me this sheep that thou hast, or this calf, or any such thing, they used to say, 'This is a gift to God, whereby thou wouldest be profited by me, and thou canst not have it.' And two evils hence arose: on the one hand they did not bring them to God, on the other they defrauded their parents under the name of the offering, alike insulting their parents for God's sake, and God for their parents' sake." But He doth not say this at once, but first rehearses the law, by which He signifies His earnest desire that parents should be honoured. For, honour, saith He, thy father and thy mother, that thou mayest live long upon the earth'. again, He that curseth father or mother, let him die death 2. But He, omitting the first, the reward appointed for them 'Exod. that honour their parents, states that which is more aweful, the 21, 17. punishment, I mean, threatened to such as dishonour them; desiring both to dismay them, and to conciliate such as have understanding; and He implies them to be for this worthy of death. For if he who dishonours them in word is punished, much more ye, who do so in deed, and who not only dishonour, but also teach it to others. "Ye then who ought not so much as to live, how find ye fault with the disciples ?"

And1 Exod.

20.12.

the See also

Ephes. 6, 1. 2.

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