command from Augustus Caesar Augustus was the proper name of this King but the name Caesar was a common name for every King who was set over the Romans was called Caesar even unto this as the King of the Egyptians was called Pharaoh and of the Persians Kosro and this Caesar governed the Romans the Egyptians the Hebrews and the Assyrians The Command went out That the inhabited World should be Taxed because he was desirous to know the number of men within his Jurisdiction according as David sent Joab and numbred the people Others say because he was willing to send every one into his own City and Countrey but these opinions are not the likeliest to be true but that which is most probable is That he was willing to raise Pole-money which is manifest from that which Gamaliel said in the Acts of the Apostles That Judah of Galilee arose in the dayes when men were taxed for Pole-money and there was not another tax neither before nor after that And St. Ephraim in his Exposition testifieth as much and Christ was born in the time of this Tax and he excited this King thereunto though he were unworthy as he did unto Balaam and the Wise men that Joseph and Mary coming up from Nazareth to Bethlehem might there be Taxed and our Lord be born there to fulfill the word of Micah Thou Bethlehem c. And that the Jewes might not contend and say That he was not Christ neither of the Lineage of David therefore he ascended thither and he was born in the Forty third year of Augustus and the Thirty third of Herod Augustus is expounded an arising brightness and splendor and Christ is the splendor of the Father and did arise from on high Augustus had not yet governed Sixteen years and Christ unto whom he was Type hath no end of his Kingdom And if Caesar Taxed them for Pole-money Christ also said Give unto Caesar that which is Caesars And if it were to know how many men were within the compass of his Jurisdiction Christ also in regard of the Providence he hath over us said The hairs of your heads are numbred and if it were for the return of every one into his own Countrey or Region Christ also brought forth Souls out of Hell and caused them to return unto their former place And it came to pass in those dayes Not in those wherein John was Nursed up until the day of his Proclamation in those dayes Christ was Thirty years old Neither in the dayes that Elizabeth brought forth for then Mary had conceived Three Months but dayes he calls in this place the dayes after Elizabeth brought forth FINIS The ARMENIAN CREED Translated out of that Language by D.L. J.U.D. WE profess and believe with a sincere heart God the Father not made nor begotten and without beginning the Begetter of the Son and Fountain of the Holy Ghost We believe God the Word not made but begotten and having a beginning from the Father before the world being not after nor younger than the Father the Father being Father onely and the Son Son onely We believe the Holy Ghost not made eternal not begotten but proceeding coessential with the Father and equal in glory with the Son We believe the Holy Trinity One Nature One Godhead not Three Gods but One God One Will One Kingdom One Authority Creator of all things visible and invisible We believe the Holy Church the remission of sins the communion of Saints We believe that One of the Three Persons the Word God begotten of the Father before the world descending in time took of the blood of the Virgin Mary the Mother of God and united it unto his Godhead was Nine moneths contain'd in the Womb of an uncorrupted Virgin and that he was perfect God and perfect man with soul mind and body One Soul and One Person compos'd in One Subsistence God was made Man without mutation without confusion without seed of Conception of incorrupt Nativity There is no beginning of his Divinity nor end of his Humanity for Jesus Christ yesterday and to day and for ever We believe our Lord Jesus Christ convers'd on earth and that after Thirty Years conversation here He was Baptized the Father testifying This is my well-beloved Son and the Holy Ghost descending as a Dove That He was tempted of Satan and that he assiduously preached Salvation unto men That He laboured in Body and suffered in weariness That he was hungry and thirsty That He afterward voluntarily came among his enemies That he was Crucified and Dyed in his Body but lived in the Divinity He preached unto souls and took Hell captive and free'd the Spirits After Three dayes he arose from the Dead and appeared to the Disciples I believe our Lord Jesus Christ is with the self same Body ascended into Heaven and that he sits on the Right Hand of the Father Moreover That He is with the same Body and with the glory of the Father to judge the living and the dead at the Resurrection of all men I believe also a retribution of Works eternal life for the Just and eternal torment for Sinners FINIS INTRODUCTIO DIONYSIISYRI IN EXPOSITIONEM SUAM QUATUOR EVANGELISTARUM Per DUDLEIUM LOFYUSIUM J. U. D. in Linguam Latinam versa DVBLINII Et prostant venales apud Josophum Wilde M. D C. LXXII Virtute quidem auxilio sanctae Trinitatis in essentia aequalis Patris Filii ac Spiritus sancti unius veri Dei exorsi sumus scribere explicationem Evangelii colendi sancti è quatuor sanctis Evangelistis Matthaeo Marco Luca Johanne collecti quam edidit sanctus Dominus Dionysius viz. Jacobus filius Crucis qui secernens eam quasi in Sectiones ab omnibus libris Expositorum ad instar flabelliferi divenit Caput primum ipsius Sancti praenominati ABsolutâ explicatione Legis antiquae Prophetarum Frater noster prout expedire visum est breviter stiloque quem potui adhibere simpliciore novam aggressisumus i.e. Evangelium Actus Apostolorum necnon Pauli Epistolas ea mente ut eandem simili modo tractemus de propriis tamen nostris nihil dicturi sed Expositorum innitentes fundamento aedificium spirituale animae proficiens struximus Cum autem intuiti fuerimus exploraverimus explicationem Evangelii quam ediderunt ipsi quorum nomina sum recitaturus viz. Dominus Ephraim Dominus Johannes Cyrillus insuper etiam Moses Bar Cepha Johannes de Dara cum non modica aliorum Doctorum Caterva nobis videatur omnino impossibile omnes eorum Expositiones in uno libro coacervare nè ita ultra justam produceretur mensuram hujusmodi Tractatus ut ei non sufficeret librorum Schedarum multitudo Nobis visum est omnium istorum Expositorum sensum in Compendium deducere nec non longitudinem latitudinem verborum quibus usi sunt in quantum poterimus contrahere haec est instituti nostri ratio
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on the Four Gospels Page 101 Mark chap. I. The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ Luke chap. I. Page 137 Johannis chap. I. The Word was made flesh and dwelt in us Page 149 The Syriack Scholiast his Reconciliation of St. Paul and James touching Justification Page 159 The Genealogy of Melchizedeck Page 160 The Position of the Syriack Scholiast dogmatically declaring That the sin of a High Priest is greater than a sin of the same kind committed either by Prince or people by him expressed in the Fourth chapter of Levit ver 3. Page 161 The Opinion of Gregorius Syrus concerning the Suns going retrograde ten degrees Page 162 Gregorius Syrus his Explication of the nature of Jephthah's Vow Page 163 Gregorius Syrus concerning Gideon's souldiers lapping the Water Page 164 The Letter of Abgarus King of Edessa to our Saviour Christ Page 165 The Answer of Christ to the Letter of Abgarus ibid. Pilate to Tiberius Caesar concerning Christ Page 166 Lentulus President of Jerusalem to the Senate and people of Rome Greeting Page 168 Dionysius Syrus his Opinion concerning the Nature of the sin against the Holy Ghost Page 169 Dionysius Syrus concerning Free-will in his Exposition on the Eighteenth chapter of Matthew ver 7. Page 172 Dionysius Syrus concerning the Woman that had six husbands John 4. Page 175 Dionysius Syrus concerning Herod's taking his Brothers Wife Page 177 Dionysius Syrus his Exposition on the withering of the Fig-tree Page 180 Dionysius Syrus his Exposition declaring sundry opinions concerning John the Baptists eating of Locusts and Honey Page 183 Dionysius Syrus concerning the darkness over the earth when our Saviour was crucified mentioned Matthew 27 Page 185 Dionysius concerning the Majesty of Christ Page 187 Dionysius Syrus his Description of the Roman Government in Judea Page 189 Dionysius Syrus his Evposition concerning the Tax made by Augustus Page 191 Introductio Dionysii Syri in Expositionem suam Quatuor Evangelistarum Page 193 ERRATA Page 68. line 28. Land for Lord. Page 158. line 2. deference for difference Page 182. line 2. branches for pranches CHAP. I. SInce that we have finished our Treatise upon Matthew the Apostle at large and therein have gathered together in Writing much of the meaning of the rest of his Fellow Evangelists In such passages whetein they agree we are to proceed to the Exposition of St. Mark and such Expositions as you shall not find on him you may be furnisht with out of what we have written on St. Matthew Let us therefore apply our selves to the occasion of the Book having confidence in God who is gracious and his mercies endure for eve◠and is also able to furnish us with strength and words that we shall be able to finish this Enterprize THE EXPOSITION OF Dionysius Syrus alias Jacobus Exiguus UPON THE Gospel of St. Mark TRANSLATED BY DUDLEY LOFTUS J.U.D. Through Confidence in God the Lord of all the World assisting and strengthning us We proceed to render the sense and meaning of the Evangelist St. Mark THE EXPOSITION OF Dionysius Syrus alias Jacobus Exiguus UPON THE Gospel of St. Mark TRANSLATED BY DUDLEY LOFTUS J.V.D. Through Confidence in God the Lord of all the World assisting and strengthning us We proceed to render the sense and meaning of the Evangelist Saint Mark. CHAP. I. SInce that we have finished our Treatise upon Matthew the Apostle at large and therein have gathered together in Writing much of the meaning of the rest of his Fellow Evangelists In such passages wherein they agree we are to proceed to the Exposition of St. Mark and such Expositions as you shall not find on him you may be furnisht with out of what we have written on St. Matthew Let us therefore apply our selves to the occasion of the Book having confidence in God who is gracious and his mercies endure for ever and is also able to furnish us with strength and words that we shall be able to finish this Enterprize CHAP. II. The proper Occasion of the Book BLessed Mark was he of whom it is written in the Acts of the Apostles John who was sirnamed Mark It was he who once adhered unto Paul and Barnabas when they Preached unto the Gentiles He was of the Colledge of the Seventy two and a Disciple of St. Peter He wrote his Gospel in the Roman Tongue at Rome he wrote it briefly not but that he had enough to have written at large but that he had two Reasons to contract himself First He knew that the Romans were desirous to have received the Gospel from St. Peter The second Reason was That he might imitate his Master St. Peter who wrote his Epistles concisely in few and apt words for the Romans besought St. Peter That he would deliver in Writing the Gospel which he had Preached by word of mouth concerning those things which our Lord had done and he gave command unto Mark his Disciple to commit the same to Writing and the occasion of the Narrative was thus Because Shimeon had detected Simon the Sorcerer in Samaria he betook himself by flight unto Rome in the dayes of Claudius Caesar and by means of Sorcerie and some appearances of Fancy which he presented he became famous amongst the Romans insomuch that they erected an Image for him as if he had been a God on the brink of the River which is called Tyber because King Tyberinus was drowned therein and another for his Curtezan whose name was Sahelina and in former times had been a common Strumpet in Tyre When Shimeon had heard of this Seduction he went to Rome to detect Simon on a certain day Simon by his Sorcerie made shew of raising a dead man which was only by delusion of the fancy but Peter restored him to life in very deed in the Name of Christ The Romans then seeing the matter to be thus rose up against Simon with intention to stone him Whereupon he being enraged with anger said unto them Since that you have not approved of me I will go to my Father who is in Heaven and by his Sorcery made shew as if a fiery Chariot had snatched him up aloft And after he had mounted higher than all the sublime Buildings of Rome Peter then took courage and interdicted the Devils who bore him up and made the sign of the Cross in their sight and immediately they forsook him and fled and he fell on the earth and dyed Which being observed by the Romans they glorified God and straightway gathered up a heap of stones against Simon And Peter instructed them and built a Church which he governed for a long time and when the Romans understood that Peter was disposed to depart thence and to Preach the Gospel elsewhere they used persuasions to him That he should write a Gospel for them which he did not do for two Reasons First Because he could not attend it for he was the prime Preacher and desired to Preach unto the Jews and Gentiles Secondly
death was not yet come At the Third hour he was Crucified and at the Ninth hour he dyed and from the Third to the Ninth are but six hours for it was thought that one who had been Crucified but six hours would not have dyed and when he heard that he was dead he wondred And this Testifieth for Christ That he dyed of his own Will and not by constraint for that he dyed truly as to his Body we say but that he admitted death of his own Will and not by constraint as we the Thieves were not dead but he because of his own accord he permitted death to approach unto him therefore he dyed at the Ninth hour Again He marvailed as at something that was not customary for every one that is Crucified remains a day or two but he failed in the Ninth hour of the day and whatsoever was done there was a miracle CHAP. XVI AND when the Sabbath was past Mary Magdalene and the other Mary bought sweet spices that they might anoint him That is to say according to the custom of Women who on the Sabbath or the Third day of the Week or on Friday and on Festivals went in honour of the dead to the Sepulchre with perfumes and sweet oyntments And they saw a young man sitting on the right hand They called the Angel Gabriel a young man because he appeared in the likeness of a young man That he might signifie that he who was risen did restore our nature to its Youth And that he appeared on the right hand sheweth That he was to Preach glorious and prosperous Things unto the Women But go tell his Disciples and Cephas He distinguished and singled out Cephas as him who had carried himself defectively in respect of Faith for Behold he came twice to the Sepulchre And that he might fill him with consolation inasmuch as he was terrified and confounded with shame by reason of his denial and that he might know that his repentance was complete And he calls him Peter to shew the strength of his love though he was somewhat lyable to humane failing and that he was restored by Repentance to his former Honour so as to be the foundation of the Church And in the morning the first day of the week he arose and appeared In the Greek Copy and the Harkalian it is thus written When he arose in the morning of the first of the week he appeared first of all to Mary Magdalene This sense is apt and it is apparent That first he said when he arose and then made a distinction by interposing a point and afterwards added the other words viz. in the morning of the first of the week he appeared to Mary Magdalene Whence we understand That our Saviour first arose at a time unknown to any but the Father and the Holy Ghost for no Creature knew it for if we do not know our own Resurrection at what hour or time it shall be so no man knoweth at what time Christ arose That he arose truly we know but at what time or hour of the night we know not but whil'st it was the time of the morning of the first of the week he appeared to Mary Magdalene as John hath said and written Again The words morning and appeared are annexed to Mary and not to the time when he arose yet here the word arose is interposed though in congruity of sense it goes before the word morning because he spoke briefly of the Resurrection and in what manner he appeared to Mary he rendred the sense confused St. Severus saith That there are many Copies of the Gospel of Mark which want from the morning of the first day of the week he arose unto the end of the Book so that the Gospel ends with these words Neither said they any thing to any man for they were afraid Afterwards he appeared to the eleven That is to say He laid before them their want of Faith and hardness of Heart saying That they did not give credit unto them who had seen that he was risen He that believeth and shall be baptized shall be saved That is to say He who believes in the Father and in the Son and in the Holy Ghost Three persons and one God and shall be baptized in the Name of these three persons shall be saved from sin which is the death of the foul Moreover He shall live a life Immortal whereunto shall be joined inseparably joyes which shall never fail He that believeth He sheweth That first a man gets Faith and then worketh Miracles according to this If ye have Faith ye shall remove Mountains As these signs have been wrought amongst them so if Faith shall be found in them they shall work Miracles according to what is said He who hath Faith can do every thing He that doth not believe That is to say Unbelievers shall have a life mixed with torments without end In my name shall they cast out Devils That is to say the Apostles and Disciples cast out many Devils and spoke the Languages of the Nations They shall take up Serpents There are two kinds of Serpents the one proceeds from the earth the other from Devils and neither kind saith he shall be able to hurt the faithful who keeps his Commandments And if they shall drink any deadly poyson They say That the Gentiles made one of the Seventy two Disciples to drink deadly poyson and he did not dye therewith and that they cast poyson into the Cup of the Mysteries wherein was the blood of Redemption and made a Saint drink thereof and he did not thereof dye and many others there were who drank poyson and it hurt them not And they shall lay hands on the sick This we have seen done even to this day by many Priests But the Heathens object If these words of Christ are true wherefore do not they cast out Devils and take hold of Serpents c We answer according to the judgment of Philoxenus That Christ doth not use the word by way of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is to say for a determinal and universal term but an indefinite for he doth not say That these Things shall belong to every one that believeth in him but to those who believe in him for he did not use the word all or every of them in his Proposition Therefore it is not said of every one of them but that there are many who shall be attended with these signs as Apostles and Saints He ascended into Heaven and sate on the right hand For the right hand denotes Honour According to this He shall place the sheep on his right hand That is to say He shall associate them with himself in glory for the Father is not corporeal that he should have a right and left hand neither have the Angels a right and left hand for this belongs to Bodies but the right hand of God the Father signifieth equality of Session of Majesty with him for there is but
eschew the pleasures of the world and continually lament fearing lest their vertue should decay Severus calls Mourning the patient Longanimity in severities of Suffering and a Monastick life and the removal from worldly desires Moreover Mourning is a sad affection of the soul which is placed in the deprivation of those sins which are delightful Again Mourners he calls those who are sad in respect of the fear of future enjoyments For they shall be comforted When they shall be revealed and that Fear shall be taken from them which they had of what they possest III. Blessed are the meek Since that of the poor in spirit is like unto that of the meek wherefore doth he reiterate it The first of the poor in spirit is spiritual and is of those who are perfect in mind who totally cast off all worldly Things out of their mind but this second is bodily of those who are eminent in descent or otherwise it is fit that they should possess meekness for meekness is the term of perfection and it sheweth it self two manner of wayes either in gravity and quality and plainness of behaviour or in a separation made for God and here he giveth the blessing to that which is made by separation and therefore the meek is he who being vertuous is satisfied with moderation though he hath but little Again He calls him meek who is zealous in the practice of good things and patient in the toleration of evil For they shall inherit the earth Earth is the Fruit of the blessed not this which begets Thorns to those who dwell thereon nor the Lord of Paradise or of the Centre but that which is above the Heavens viz. the Firmament which is not susceptible of passion but is made for the life and delight of the Just concerning which David saith I believe that I shall see the blessings of the Lord in the Land of the Living And after the general Resurrection the Just shall ascend to the earth that is to say above the Firmament which is seen of us and there they shall be comforted without end but the Wicked perish on this Earth and shall be tormented immortally And wherefore doth he call Earth the Firmament That he might illustrate the Things which are hidden for those which are revealed IV. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst Hunger and Thirst are taken three manner of ways either by reason of want of Victuals or by reason of Righteousness as in long Fasting or for that whereby one coveteth the knowledge of God and his Doctrine according to that He was hungry not for Bread but for the hearing of the Word of God And here he doth not give the blessing to those who are affected with bodily Hunger and Thirst but to those who have an hungring and thirsting after the knowledge of God and the Doctrine of Salvation Righteousness They call that Righteousness which is of them who without a worthy mind divide unto every man that which is equal as a Judge who justifies the Just and condemns the guilty but Matthew doth not call this Justice but that which is opposed to Fraud and Oppression Moreover The keeping of the Commandments is called Righteousness Again All Vertue in general is called Righteousness Our Saviour also is called Righteousness according to that which Paul said That he was made for us Righteousness and Holiness For they shall be filled That is to say with unspeakable pleasures in the Kingdom V. Blessed are the merciful for they shall c. Mercy is taken in three several senses Bodily as if a man should give Alms and should aid the Weak and fill the Hungry Mental as if a man should love him who wrongs him and should forgive the injuries of his Enemies Spiritual as if a man should love those who are erroneous and should convert them from the errour of their wayes and should instruct the ignorant and bring them to the Lord and this is like the mercy of God who alwayes loves the Creatures Here he gives the blessing not only to those who shew mercy in deeds but to those also who in the cogitations of their minds possess mercy Merciful So he calls them who have mercy on the poor and strangers and on offenders and the guilty and those who have a good will to shew mercy though it be not in their power to perform it and those who have mercy on themselves and are restrained from sin lest they should enter into Torment Again Those who have compassion with those who suffer and are grieved for those who grieve And it is certain That these are merciful because the trouble of mind which ariseth from the evil which afflicteth strangers is the extremity of mercy Moreover That Will abounds with Love which suffereth with those who suffer for those things which afflict them Moreover Mercy is principal among the Vertues of the Soul and deriveth it's name from God himself who is truly merciful Moreover To have mercy on the good is the perfection of Righteousness natural and legal VI. Blessed are the pure in heart i. e. In their Souls Consciences and Hearts because they are freed from all kinds of evil and bitterness and rust of sin and he is pure of mind and pureness of body is to be cleansed with water and to be washed from Turpitude and this also is commendable And it is fitting that men should be washed from filth but the blessing doth not appertain to this but unto that of the Soul because the Saints and those which are pure appear so in Soul and Body by the proper pureness and cleanness of the Soul For they shall see God But how said he unto Moses No man can see me and live And John also No man saw God at any time And Paul No man ever saw him We say That they said so concerning the natural and hidden Vision of God for the Nature of God such as it is personally transcends the comprehension of humane understandings and therefore they said That he is neither seen nor comprehended Therefore this That they shall see God hath this meaning That he who is pure in heart participateth of Divine Revelations and gaineth life uncorruptible and a Kingdom for joy without ceasing and the light of Truth are called the Vision of God therefore he calleth Vision a Communion according to that The wicked shall be taken away and shall not see glory which is That they shall not participate of Glory Moreover God created us after his Image as the Wax according to the likeness of the Seal wherewith it is impressed and breareth its Effigies but we by our wickedness have covered it as Rust obscureth Iron for he whose heart is pure from Passions seeth in himself the image of Divine nature as Iron when it is polished from its dross yieldeth splendor and brightness especially if it be brought to a clear Sun shine Let us therefore be pure in heart that we may be worthy of the blessing
an horn for us He calls Christ an horn according to that then I will raise an horn unto David Psal 132.17 An horn is taken from the similitude of wiâ—d Beasts which fight and help themselves with their horns In the house of David his servant For in respect to him were the promises made That of the seed of David Christ should arise Severus de Gebulo God is the horn of the Righteous and Saints wherefore is he called an horn as an horn is one of the integral parts of the body and hath nothing like the body for it is not flesh specifically nor bones nor nerves nor veins nor any of the entralls though it be of the body So Christ though he be of men yet hath he not in him any thing like unto men of those things which are of sin As he spake by the mouth of the Holy Prophets That Christ should arise from the seed of David That he might redeem us from our Enemies That is to say from the Devil and his ministers and from sin and death And hath remembred his Covenant That he remembred is as much as to say he performed viz. The agreement which he made with Abraham this day hath he performed for Covenants are the Agreements which he made with Abraham swearing That of his seed one should arise in whom all Nations should be blessed By my self have I sworn said the Lord because thou hast done this thing and hast not with-held thy Son from me c. And the Oath which he sware That is to say That which I sware by my self saith the Lord of lords He calls his seed which sojourned in the Land of his Enemies the children of Israel and the seed wherein all Nations were to be blessed he calls Christ And that they might serve him without fear He therefore delivered us that we might worship him and not Idols without being afraid of the Devil In Justice and Righteousness That is to say in Holiness and not in Sacrifices of dumb Beasts Thou Childe the Prophet of the Highest That is to say If Christ be the Highest he hath Prophets also as hath his Father It is manifest That the Word is the most high from that which John said That he who came from on high is above all therefore it was the most High God who was incarnated and his Prophet was John not far off but neer at hand for he said Behold there cometh one after me For thou shalt go before the face That is to say To prepare the way before him in the minds of men who are sunk in sins Again He went before his Face for he said Behold there cometh after me one who is more powerful than I. That he might give knowledge of salvation to his people To give unto the Faithful knowledge of salvation by remission of sins he calls his people those who believe in him that he might give them the knowledge of God the Father who is the true God and that they might lead their lives as Christ said This is life that they may know thee the true God By the tender mercies of God That is to say By the mercies and favour of God He sent unto us from on high a branch According to that Behold a man and his name was a branch Others call the Star which declared unto the Wise men a branch which came from on High and preached unto the Wise men who sate in sin To give light unto them who are in darkness He calls sin darkness and the shadow of death for to this end he came from on High that he might expiate our sins and iniquities which are darkness and death because he is the light of the World To guide our feet in the way Feet and the way he calls Conversation and Actings In the way of peace That is in the way of the Gospel according to that Your feet shod with the blessing of the Gospel And he made peace between us and his Father THE EXPOSITON OF DIONYSIVS SYRVS ON THE MAGNIFICAT Translated by D. L. MY Soul doth magnifie the Lord. That is to say My Soul gives Thanks and glorifies him who hath magnified me and made me the Mother of his Son It is a Query Whether the Lord magnified Mary or whether Mary magnified the Lord And it is certain That the Lord magnified Mary Again Magnifie here is like that of the Scripture which saith Give Majesty unto God And my Spirit hath rejoyced in God Because he hath sent down his Son unto me and hath preserved me from that Curse In sorrow shalt thou conceive Regarded the lowliness of thy Hand-maiden That is to say He hath beheld my Humility and hath exalted me and made me the Mother of his Son Moses also by reason of his Humility was made a Prince And he saw that she obscured her self in the low condition of a Maid-servant though she was to be the Mother of his Son Behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed That is to say From this time that she conceived the Word of God And this she spoke by Prophesie For behold all generations of the earth called her blessed according as she said Hath done great things to me That is to say That she conceived him without the Society of Man and bare him with the Conservation of Virginity He that is mighty and holy is his Name Because he is Mighty and Omnipotent he hath done great things for me And his mercy is to generations Because he poureth forth his mercies upon those who are of a righteous and vertuous Conversation And she took of those Things which were her own and conferr'd them upon others i. e. because she feared God he multiplied his mercy on her in Virginity He hath gotten the victory with his arm i. e. his Dominion and Kingdom he calleth Victory In time past the Victory the Arm and Dominion of the Lord was seen in the Wonders which he wrought by the Prophets but in this time forward by the Revelation of his Son He hath scattered the proud In time past the Proud and Vain glorious but in the time to come the Crucifiers He hath put down the mighty i. e. In times past the Kings who rose up against the Hebrews but at this time the Gentiles and the Jewes and the Hereticks who have risen against the Church And exalted the humble i. e. In the time of Abraham and Isaac and afterward the Apostles and Faithful The hungry he hath filled with good things i. e. Really he satisfied and will satisfie and spiritually he satisfieth and will satisfie those who hunger after vertue and in the world to come will fill them with good Things and Rewards The rich he dismist i. e. Those who gloried in their Riches he vomited out and drove away from him He hath holpen his servant Israel i. e. In Egypt and in the Wilderness and in that he gave him the Land of Promise and freed him from his Enemies He hath
remembred his mercy i. e. Mary doth not insinuate as if he had forgotten what he had said but by the words he remembred is to be understood That he fulfilled his mercy and his promise which he made unto Abraham that Christ should rise of his seed Moreover That which God promised by his mercy unto Abraham That in his seed the Nations should be blessed did he fulfill by the Twelve Apostles and by the multitude of Jewes who believed as also the Promises of Palesti were performed by Joshuah the Son of Nun and Caleb DIONYSIVS his EXPOSITION ON SIMEON 's Nunc Dimittas His Benediction and his Prophesie Translated by D. L. DIsmiss now thy servant He begs a Dismiss from Christ though he was not detained by him but by the Spirit for he knew that there was one Nature of the Father and of the Son and of the Spirit and that they have one Will which he had learned by the Spirit By these words Dismiss thou thy servant He prayes to be dismissed out of this life According to thy Word It is likely that he had formerly heard from him somewhat concerning this and therefore he put him in mind of what he had said unto him In peace That is to say Without pain and passion He begged a quiet departure and that very day he was dismissed this life though others say the day after Mine eyes have seen thy mercy His Incarnation or Incorporation he calls mercy whereby he redeemed all Nations Which thou preparedst in the sight That is to say In his clemency he was gracious to sinners and propitious unto them A light for revelation of the Gentiles When Christ was revealed in person he was a light to the Gentiles who sate in darkness and they discerned and distinguished between the false gods and the true God and worshipped him And the glory of thy people He was glory to the Israelites because he was incarnated of their Nation and chose from amongst them Twelve Apostles and Seventy two Evangelists and although there was amongst them one wicked man yet the rest of them believed as said the Apostle And Simeon blessed them The Virgin because she was worthy to be the Mother of him who was begotten of the Father eternally and Joseph because he was an assistant to the Virgin and they were both Ministers in this mystery Behold he is set for the fall That is to say Of the Scribes and Pharisees and Priests who did not believe And rising of many That is to say Of Publicans and Harlots who believed in him and arose and of all the sons of Adam who believed Is set Here is fulfilled that which was spoken by the person of the Father Behold I am to set up in Sion a stone of offence and it was well said I am to set up And Simeon said is set up by reason he was placed in the midst of those who believing arose and of those who denying fell In Israel He said so for that as yet they had liberty of choice and the fall and rising were not from Jesus but from proper freedom and power of those who believe or deny And for a sign of Contention For all Tongues spoke against him and were all overcome by him according to that I came not to bring Peace For a sign Because that as a sign doth not only shew it self but other things also so Jesus doth not onely reveal himself but also the Father and the Spirit Of Contention For the Jewes of that time were divided in opinion concerning him Some of them called him a Prophet and others of them a Deceiver As also the Christians of this time some of them call him God made Man others Man made God and two natures after the union And some of them call him Creator others call him a Creature And a Spear shall pass thorow thy soul He calls a Spear the defect of Faith in Mary concerning him at that time and also at the time of his Passion He did not say That a Spear shall stick in thee but it shall pass thorow thy soul That he might shew that her defect of Faith was not permanent with her because she received from the Apostles correction when the Spirit came down into the upper Room and instructed her concerning the Majesty of him whom she had born Moreover He calls a Spear the Contumely and Reproach which the Jewes cast upon her which as a Spear were to transfix her Again He calls a Spear that which transfixed her Son on the Cross which having passed thorow our Saviour he said that it passed thorow Mary for it was the Custom that they who were Crucified did end their life not with a Sword but with a Spear when therefore the Son receiveth a wound the Mother also is likewise wounded especially when she is neer at hand and seeth it for although as God he was by nature the Son of the Father yet inasmuch as he was made Man he was naturally the Son of Mary In the Greek instead of a Spear it is written a Sword Others Through thy soul That is to say Through thy Son shall pass a Spear and the sting of the Serpent of Paradise by reason of the Transgression of the Commandment hitherto and she calls her soul her Son That thoughts of many might be revealed That is to say this Spear to wit doubting and scandal which passeth thy soul doth reveal the Thoughts of many hearts whether they raise doubts concerning him out of infirmity or out of an evil mind receive Correction from the Spirit as Mary did and as many others at that time and as the Faithful afterwards DIONYSIVS SYRVS HIS EXPOSITION ON THE AVE MARIA Translated by D. L. AND the Angel came to her i. e. The Angel declared his message unto her being alone for as he had done unto Zacharias and Joseph speaking unto them he did not so declare unto Joseph for without the communication of Joseph in the conception she conceived by the Holy Ghost but he denounced the matter unto Zachary because he communicated in the conception of John Peace unto thee full of grace He commenceth his Discourse from Peace for this Child was to destroy the Hostility which was between earthly and heavenly Things between the Nation of the Jewes and the Gentiles and between the Soul and the Body and also his Administration was to be accomplished according to what Isaiah said He shall speak Peace with his people Who filled her with Peace The Father And what was this Grace It was this That she conceived God in the flesh Our Lord is with thee He doth not say My Lord onely but also of all the Hosts which is known from hence That it was God who was conceived for he was not onely Lord of the Angels but he was God also And why did he say God We say That he observed the custom of servants who do not call their Masters by their name Blessed amongst women That is to
I Will have mercy and not sacrifice That is to say If the Sabbath were broken by sacrifice how much rather might it be broken by mercy which is more pleasing to God than sacrifice Behold my servant in whom I am well pleased For as much as he assumed the likeness of a servant to wit his humane nature he is called a servant by the Prophet Esay Neither shall he cry That is to say Furiously or in wrath for otherwayes he did constantly cry and preach as saith St. John In the last day of the Feast he stood up Every idle word That is to say Every lying word An evil and adulterous generation That is to say A people which followeth after Idols But the sign of the Prophet Jonas That is to say Of my Sepulchre and Resurrection So shall the Son of man be in the heart of the earth three dayes and three nights Some compute from part of the whole dayes of the Friday Saturday and of the first day of the Week and so reckon three dayes and it is clear that there were not so three dayes and three nights but peradventure we may say That the first day was that wherein he was Crucified and the night thereof was those hours wherein the Sun was darkned and the second day was the remainder of Friday and the night thereof was the whole night until Saturday morning and the third day was the whole Saturday and the night thereof was part of the night before the morning of the first day of the Week for it is not known at what hour our Lord arose CHAP. XIII TO him that hath That is to say A good Will and Diligence It shall be given That is to say The understanding of the Gospel And to him that hath not That is to say Much. Even that That is to say That little which he hath Shall be taken from him That is to say It shall be lost through his negligence Every Scribe That is to say Who interprets the two Testaments and knows the sense of Holy Scripture The Son of the Carpenter That is of Joseph Mark saith Was not this the Carpenter the Son of Mary And it is possible That they saw him in some such like action CHAP. XIV HErod the Tetrarch heard That is to say One of the Four Potentates who govern'd in the Land of Israel The first was this Herod who Ruled in Galilee and this was he who cut off the Head of John the Baptist and he was the son of Herod who slew the Children and the Son of Herod who was sirnamed Agrippus who is mentioned in the Acts. The second was Philip who governed in Ituria and he also was the son of Herod who put the Children to death The third was Pontius Pilate who governed in Judaea The fourth was Lysinius who governed in Abilene These four governed after the rejection of Archelaus Grandchilde of Herod who put the Children to death Told Jesus That is to say Herod thinks that thou art John risen from the dead and therefore he departed thence into the Wilderness When Jesus heard of it viz. what Herod said CHAP. XV. WHich my Father who is in Heaven hath not planted shall be rooted out viz. The Traditions of the Elders which God hath not set down are to be rooted out CHAP. XVI AND upon this Rock That is upon thee Will I build my Church That is the Congregation of the Faithful And he began to rebuke him That is He said unto our Lord if thou shalt suffer and shalt be slain our Preaching will cease For whosoever will save his life That is in the World to come Shall lose it viz. In this World There are some standing here viz. Peter James and John Who shall not taste of death until they shall see the Son of man That is to say in Mount Tabor Coming in his Kingdom That is cloathed in glory and majesty CHAP. XVII AND after six dayes viz. After he promised and said That they should see his glory Luke saith After eight dayes reckoning the day wherein he discoursed of these things with his Disciples and the day wherein he ascended to Mount Tabor with the six intermediate dayes And led Peter Because he was chief of the Apostles And there appeared unto them Moses That is to say From the dead And Elias viz. From among the living and they appeared not bodily but by representation Ye shall say to this mountain He calls Satan by the name of mountain according to what the Prophet Zachary said What art thou great mountain before Zarubabel Faith as a grain of mustard-seed That is which doth not doubt at all and it is certain that such a Faith as this is not found in every man Take and give for me and thee Hence it appears that Simon also was a first-born Son for every first-born son was to pay yearly two Didrachma's or Souzes to the High-priests and whether this piece of money were newly created or whether the Fish had found it and swallowed it God onely knows CHAP. XVIII AND Jesus called a little Boy It hath been said That Ignatius the fiery was this Boy But woe to the man by whom scandals shall come Some say that this is meant concerning Judas Iscariot But if thy hand or thy foot That is thy servant or thy wife Doth not leave the Ninety and Nine That is to say the Angels In the Mountain That is in Heaven above Wherefore That is to say because it is fit to forgive much CHAP. XIX AN Eunuch for the Kingdom of Heaven He praiseth those who cut off their lascivious thoughts and not those who abscind their prolifick members for this is forbidden by the Apostles Canons Every one is not sufficient for this thing Every one cannot conserve Virginity Easier for a Camel St. Cyrell expounds this of a thick Cable but Moses Bar Cepha takes it for a great Animal The Master of the House That is God CHAP. XX. VVHO went out early in the Morning That is to say in the beginning of the Creation he was careful of this that the house of Adam should do good things And he went out the third hour That is when the Children of Israel went out of Egypt And he went out the sixth and the ninth hour That is in the time of the Judges and Kings of Israel And about the eleventh hour That is the later times when the Gospel of our Lord began to be Preached Who have born the burthen of the day That is to say Persecution in Egypt Tribulation in the Wilderness and Captivities and Banishments CHAP. XXI HE came to Bethphage The Greek reads it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is a place where that bituminous matter groweth wherewith Women paint the hands and feet of themselves and their Children Others say That Phagi is interpreted over against Others A place where several wayes meet Others A wild Fig-tree Phagi in the Greek Tongue is expounded Lintels And sitting on a Foal This signifieth
absolved of its holiness And St. Philoxenus saith That he did not at all partake thereof forasmuch as Satan had entred into him wherefore we do not communicate unto those who are possessed And David Caenobita the son of Paul saith That he did partake thereof not being unholied but he for want of faith did eat it as meer bread When they had sung In some of the Syriack copies it is in the singular number without the letter vau as if Jesus onely had sung but it ought to be in the plural number with the said letter and to refer to the Disciples as it is in all Greek Copies This night before the Cock crow thou shalt deny me thrice Mark saith Before the Cock crow twice thou shalt deny me thrice Both agree in the same sense but Mark declares this That the Cock at one time or uno impetu did double its voice Twelve Legions A Legion is Ten thousand I am able to destroy the Temple of God and to build it up in three dayes He did not say so but destroy this Temple to wit Ye wherefore those Witnesses were reputed false Witnesses CHAP. XXVII AND he went and hanged himself Luke in the Acts doth not say That he hanged himself but that he burst asunder in the midst and all his bowels gushed out and it might have been that after he was hanged he burst asunder A famous prisoner called Baraba His name was Jesus and that no errour might arise from the Identity of name he was named from his Father Scourged Jesus with whips Cords that were pleated for it was the custom of the Romans to scourge him first whom they would crucifie They plated a Crown of Boughs That is to say of Thorn having white blossoms They came to a place which was called Golgotha They say That Shem the son of Noah did there bury the head of Adam and this was the Court of Aran the Jebusite And they gave him to drink vineger In some of the Greek copies it is written Wine The cause of his death in writing In the Greek it is His accusation which was written Luke and John say That they wrote in three Languages in Hebrew Latin and Greek The reason was that these three Nations were then celebrated in Jerusalem more than the Syrians and the Arabians and the rest which much less esteemed them And they crucified with him two Thieves He who was on his right hand had the name of Titus and he on the left hand was named Domcus for so it is to be found in the Book of St. Aretus the Disciple of Paul Also the Thieves who were crucified with him reviled him It is probable that both of them did at first blaspheme but afterwards he on the right hand when he saw the darkness which hapned took it into consideration and confessed and the other though he saw what hapned did not consider it And there was darkness over the whole earth This darkness was not only upon the Land of Jerusalem but it was also observed to extend unto Athens as Dionysius the Areopagite declares in his Discourse against Apoloponis the Sophister and this was an Eclipse of the Sun not by the Moon as are all natural Eclipses thereof but it was contrary to custom by the body of some thick cloud or some other thing which by Gods Providence arose in the face of the Sun and darkned it and it is demonst able from hence That it was not in the Newness of the Moon but about the full Moon to wit on the 14th day thereof Vntil the ninth hour Matthew and Luke do not set forth at what hour our Lord was crucified but Mark saith it was the Third hour when they crucified him And John saith it was about the Sixth hour when Pilate sate upon the Tribunal and said unto the Jewes Shall I Crucifie your King And some desirous to shew the Truth of both sayings say That Pilate sate in Judgment upon our Lord from the Third hour to the Sixth and at the Sixth hour delivered him up to be crucified as St. John saith But Mark forasmuch as from the Third hour wherein they began to judge him they were resolved in their minds to crucifie him he said That they crucified him the Third hour And we say That this might have been probable if before the compelling of Simon of Cyrene and the coming to Golgotha and the drinking of imbittered Wine and the dividing of his garments Mark had said this That it was about the Third hour when they crucified him But behold it was not so Others say That this in St. John is an errour not of the Evangelist God forbid but of the first Scribe who instead of Three which he would have written wrote Six But without undervaluing the insufficiency of these two Answers I say That Mark reckoned from the hours which were from the beginning of the day until the hour wherein our Lord was crucified and they were three but John computeth the hour from the time when the Jewish Sergeants apprehended our Lord and bound him at night before the Cock crowed until the hour wherein they crucified him and it was the sixth hour three of the night of the preparation and three of the day And many bodies of the Saints He calls those Saints who believed in our Lord and departed this life a few dayes before And after his Resurrection they came into the holy City That is to say Jerusalem It hath been said That they remained therein onely Three dayes preaching and afterwards returned to their Sepulchres Neither did they appear unto all men but to their Kindred onely and some say That he doth not here call this earthly Jerusalem the holy City but the heavenly one One of them was Mary Magdalen Eusebius faith That there were two Magdalens and each of them was called Mary The one of them was this which Matthew speaks of and it is likely she was the daughter of Simon the Leper and sister of Lazarus The other was she out of whom he cast seven Devils whereof Luke speaks And they rolled a great stone and cast it to In all the Syriack copies these verbs are written in the plural number but in the Greek the singular number is used and that is congruous for this story concerns Joseph of Arimathea onely wherefore it is said He took it and rolled it and put it to CHAP. XXVIII AND for fear of him i.e. because he was an Angel For I know that ye seek Jesus who was crucified The Greek hath it The Nazarite who was crucified And take notice That in three Greek copies and in one Syriack the name Nazarite is not found All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth The word given he takes for revealed to wit my power which was hidden henceforward is revealed Amen That is in Truth MARK CHAP. I. The Beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ THat Baptism was the Beginning of the Gospel according to the order
toward the West before it comes to the place which it left Gregorius Syrus his explication of the nature of Jephthah's Vow Translated out of the Syriack Language by D.L. J U.D. JEphthah was not commended for his Vow because he vow'd without distinction Whatsoever cometh forth to meet me from the gate of my house I will offer it up for a burnt offering For what would he have done if an Ass or a Dog had come forth Nor is he discommended for that he confirmed his Vow and had a greater honour for the love of God than for natural propensions of mercy nor was he forbidden as Abraham was that men might be restrain'd from the like indefinite vows Gregorius Syrus concerning Gideon's Souldiers lapping the Water Translated out of the Syriack Language by D. L. J. U. D. AND the Lord said unto Gideon every one who lappeth water with his tongue as a Dog lappeth set them together i.e. With those Three hundred who by reason of their infirmity were so wearied that they could not kneel and drink but moistned their tongues with their hands God separated them because oftentimes he sheweth his strength by the weak And some men are of Opinion That by reason of their diligence they made no stay to drink but hastily lapped and past by And as others will have it Every one of them had but one hand and therefore they could not lap But this sense is not to be admitted of because a little after it is said concerning them They took Lamps in their left hand and Trumpets in their right hand to sound and they cryed The Sword of the Lord and of Gideon And according to our Opinion hereby are signified the Saints who make use of their appetites onely in necessity The Letter of Abgarus King of Edessa to our Saviour Christ Translated out of the Persian Language by D. L. J. U. D. I Have heard of thy Holy Life and of the Miracles which Thou hast wrought and how the Jewes are treacherously bent against Thee and that they have a purpose to put Thee to death I shall know my own felicity if Thou art minded to come into this Land and I promise to give Thee a moyety of my Kingdom and I shall conform my life unto Thee if thou wilt honour this Territory The Answer of CHRIST to the Letter of Abgarus I Give thee Thanks for the desire thou hast to see Me it is not convenient that I should go thither I came for the sheep which are lost of Israel it behoveth Me to remain with them and to teach them and to fulfill what the Prophets have written concerning Me and when I shall ascend into Heaven I will send one of my own Disciples who shall teach thee the way of peace and shall cure thee of the disease which thou hast in my Name Let God be Keeper PILATE to TIBERIUS CAESAR concerning CHRIST Translated out of the Greek by D. L. SInce that the wonderful Resurrection and Assumption of our Saviour into Heaven have been taken notice of by many and for that it hath been the ancient custom of Nations to signifie new Occurrences unto those who are chief in Authority lest they should remain ignorant of any thing which happened therefore it is That Pilate hath communicated unto King Tiberius those things which have been publish't concerning the Resurrection of our Saviour from the dead through all Palestine with the addition of some portentous things which he heard concerning him and how that after he arose from the dead he was by many believed to be God It is said That Tiberius referr'd this matter to the Senate and that the Senate rejected the same because they had not first approved of it for according to the ancient Custom No man could obtain Divine honour but by the Sentence and Deeree of the Senate and that was done truly for this cause for that the salutary Doctrine of the Gospel had no need of humane approbation or commendation But this matter concerning our Seviour being rejected by the Roman Senate after it was referred unto them Tiberius keeping his former Opinion entertain'd no absurd Thoughts concerning Christ These things Tertullian a man well exercised in the Roman Laws and celebrated among the most illustrious of Rome sets down after this manner verbatim in his Apology for the Christians which he wrote in the Roman Tongue but Translated into the Greek But that we may discourse how these Laws were made it was an ancient Decree That none should be Consecrated for a God by a King before he should be approved of by the Senate And this was for our sake That the Divinity should be given you by a humane Decree That unless God should please man he should not be God therefore it behoves man according to this Decree to be propitious unto God for which reason Tiberius under whom the name of Christians came into the World when this Doctrine was related unto him from Palestine where it began communicated the same unto the Senate and withall declared That he was well pleased therewith but the Senate rejected it forasmuch as it had not been first approved of by them yet he remained stedfast in his Opinion Threatning death unto those who should accuse the Christians This perswasion possest his mind by the dispensation of Divine Providence and thereby the Doctrine of the Gospel being interrupted by no impediments ran through the World Lentulus President of Jerusalem to the Senate and People of Rome Greeting THere appeared in our time and yet remains a Man of great Renown called JESUS CHRIST who is called by the Nations a Prophet of Truth whom his Disciples call the Son of God raising the dead and curing Diseases A Man of a tall stature comely having a venerable Countenance whom the beholders may both love and fear The hair of his Head crisped and curled somewhat brown and shining falling upon the shoulders parted in the midst according to the manner of the Nazarens having a smooth and clear Forehead and a Face without wrinkle or spot adorn'd with a moderate ruddiness no fault can be found with his Nose or Mouth having a thick Beard and somewhat reddish inclining to the colour of the hair of his Head not long but divided into two parts His Eyes are lively and clear Terrible he is in reproving pleasing and lovely in admonition Chearful with reservation of Gravity who was never seen to laugh but to weep often such is his composition of Body having Hands and Members delightful to be seen In Speech he is grave of few words and modest beautiful among the sons of men Farewell Dionysius Syrus his Opinion concerning the Nature of the Sin against the Holy Ghost MATTH 12.31 All manner of Sin and Blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men but the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost c. PEradventure he terrified them to the end they might be corrected with many words ye have blasphemed me ye have called me a Deceiver a Devil