Priests, and elders il life; and great damnation is to the guides of the People, whether they be temporal or spiritual, but specially to the spiritual, if by their il example and scandelous life the People be scandalized.
8. Hand, foote, eye.) By these parts of the body so necessarie and profitable for a man, is signified, that whatsoever is neerest and deerest to us, wife, children, friendes, riches, al are to be contemned and forsaken for to save our soule.
Protection of Angels.10. Their Angels.) A great dignitie and a marvelous benefit, that every one hath from his Nativitie an Angel for his custodie and patronage, against the wicked, before the face of God. Hier. upon this place. And the thing is so plaine, that Calvin dare not deny it, and yet he wil needes doubt of it. lib. 1. Inst. c. 14. sect. 7.
Disobedience to the Church.17. Not heare the Church.) Not only Heretikes, but any other obstinate offender that wil not be judged nor ruled by the Church, may be excommunicated, & so made as an Heathen or Publican was to the Jewes, by the discipline of the same, casting him out of the felowship of Catholikes. Excommunication.Which Excommunication is a greater punishment, then if he were executed by sword, fire, & wild beastes. Aug. cont. Adv. leg. li. 1. c. 17. And againe he saith: Man is more sharply & pitifully bound by the Churches Keyes, then with any iron or adamantine manicles or fetters, in the world. Aug. ibidem.
17. Heathen.) Heretikes therfore because they wil not heare the Church, be no better nor no otherwise to be esteemed of Catholikes, then Heathen men and Publicans were esteemed among the Jewes.
Mt. 16, 19.Power to bind and loose.18. You shal bind.) As before he gave this power of binding and loosing over the whole, first of al and principally to Peter, upon whom he builded his Church: so here not only to Peter, and in him to his successours, but also to the other Apostles, & in them to their successours, every one in their charge. Hierom. lib. 1. c. 14. advers. Jovin. and Epist. ad Heliod. Cyprian. de unit. Eccl. nu. 3.
Li. 1. de. pœnit. c. 2.18. Shal loose.) Our Lord giveth no lesse right and authoritie to the Church to loose, then to binde, as S. Ambrose writeth against the Novatians, who confessed that the Priests had power to bind, but not to loose.
Catholike Assemblies.20. In the middes of them.) Not al assemblies may chalenge the presence of Christ; but only such as be gathered togeather in the unity of the Church, and therfore no conventicles of Heretikes directly gathering against the Church, are warranted by this place. Cypr. de unit. Eccles. nu. 7. 8.
22. Seaventie times seaven.) There must be no end of forgiving them that be penitent, either in the Sacrament by absolution, or one man an other their offenses.
Chap. XIX
The fourth part of this Ghospel, Christs comming into Jurie toward his Passion.
Mr. 10, 1.The Ghospel for Mariage. And upon S. Agath’s day. Feb. 5.AND it came to passe, when Jesus had ended these wordes, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coastes of Jurie beyond Jordan, 2and great multitudes folowed him; and he cured them there.
3And there came to him the Pharisees tempting him, and saying: Is it lawful for a man to dimisse his wife for every cause? 4Who answering, said to them: Have ye not read, that he which did ‘make man’ Gen. 1, 7.‘make’ from the beginning, made them male & female? And he said: 5For this cause, man shal leave father & mother, & shal cleave to his wife,
