John Baptist by his Eremite's life by his preaching and Baptism, calleth all men to penance, to prepare them to Christ. 7. He preacheth to the Pharisees and Sadducees, threatening to them (unless they truly do penance) reprobation here, and damnation hereafter; and for salvation sendeth them to Christ and his Baptism. Which being far more excellent then John's, yet Christ himself among those penitents vouchsafeth to come unto John's Baptism. Where he hath testimony from Heaven also.Iohn Baptist by his Eremites life by his preaching and Baptisme, calleth al men to pennance, to prepare them to Christ. 7. He preacheth to the Pharisees and Sadduces, threatening to them (vnles they truly doe pennance) reprobation here, and damnation hereafter; and for saluation sendeth them to Christ and his Baptisme. Which being far more excellent then Iohns, yet Christ himself among those penitents vouchsafeth to come vnto Iohns Baptisme. Where he hath testimonie from Heauen also.
The second part of this Gospel: of the Preparation that was made to the manifestation of Christ.THE SECOND part of this Ghospel, Of the Preparation that was made to the manifestation of Christ.
And in those days cometh John the Baptist preaching in the desertum: a wild uninhabited region, not specifically an arid sandy one of Jewry, and saying:AND in those dayes * cometh Iohn the Baptist preaching in the desert of Iewrie, and saying:In diebus autem illis venit Joannes Baptista prædicans in deserto Judææ,
2Do poenitentiam agite: do penance: penitential satisfaction; the doing of penance, not merely inward repentance: for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.Doe pennance: for the Kingdom of Heauen is at hand.et dicens : Pœnitentiam agite : appropinquavit enim regnum cælorum.
3For this is he that was spoken of by Isaias the Prophet, saying: a voice of one crying in the desert, prepare ye the way of our Lord, make straight his paths.For this is he that was spoken of by Esay the Prophet, saying: *a voyce of one crying in the desert, prepare ye the way of our Lord, make straight his pathes.*Hic est enim, qui dictus est per Isaiam prophetam dicentem : Vox clamantis in deserto : Parate viam Domini ; rectas facite semitas ejus.
4And the said John had his garment of camel's hair, and a girdle of a skin about his loins, and his esca: food in general, not specifically flesh was locusts and wild honey.And the said Iohn had his garment of Camels heare, and a girdle of a skinne about his loynes, and his meate was locustes & wilde honie.Ipse autem Joannes habebat vestimentum de pilis camelorum, et zonam pelliceam circa lumbos suos : esca autem ejus erat locustæ, et mel silvestre.
5Then went forth to him Jerusalem and all Jewry, and all the country about Jordan;Then went forth to him Hierusalem and al Iewrie, and al the countrey about Iordan;Tunc exibat ad eum Jerosolyma, et omnis Judæa, et omnis regio circa Jordanem ;
6and were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.and were baptized of him in Iordan, confessing their sinnes.et baptizabantur ab eo in Jordane, confitentes peccata sua.
7And seeing many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his Baptism, he said to them: Ye vipers' brood, who hath shewed you to flee from the wrath to come?And seeing many of the Pharisees and Sadduces coming to his Baptisme, he said to them: Ye vipers brood, who hath shewed you to flee from the wrath to come?Videns autem multos pharisæorum, et sadducæorum, venientes ad baptismum suum, dixit eis : Progenies viperarum, quis demonstravit vobis fugere a ventura ira ?
8Yield therefore fruit worthy of penance.Yeald therfore fruit worthie of pennance.Facite ergo fructum dignum pœnitentiæ.
9And delight not to say within yourselves, we have Abraham to our father. For I tell you that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham.And delight not to say within your selues, we haue Abraham to our father. For I tel you that God is able of these stones to raise vp children to Abraham.Et ne velitis dicere intra vos : Patrem habemus Abraham. Dico enim vobis quoniam potens est Deus de lapidibus istis suscitare filios Abrahæ.
10For now the axe is put to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that doth not yield good fruit, shall be cut down, and cast into the fire.For now the axe is put to the roote of the trees. Euery tree therfore that doth not yeald good fruit, shal be cut downe, & cast into the fire.Jam enim securis ad radicem arborum posita est. Omnis ergo arbor, quæ non facit fructum bonum, excidetur, et in ignem mittetur.
11I indeed baptize you in water unto penance, but he that shall come after me, is stronger than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear; he shall baptize you in the Holy Ghost, and fire.* I indeed baptize you in water vnto pennance, but he that shal come after me, is stronger then I, whose shoes I am not worthy to beare; he shal baptize you in the Holy Ghost, & fire.Ego quidem baptizo vos in aqua in pœnitentiam : qui autem post me venturus est, fortior me est, cujus non sum dignus calceamenta portare : ipse vos baptizabit in Spiritu Sancto, et igni.
12Whose ventilabrum: a winnowing fan, the shovel for tossing grain to part it from the chaff, not a cooling fan is in his hand, and he shall clean purge his area: the threshing floor: and he will gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.Whose fanne is in his hand, and he shal cleane purge his floore: and he wil gather his wheate into the barne, but the chaffe he wil burne with vnquenchable fire.Cujus ventilabrum in manu sua : et permundabit aream suam : et congregabit triticum suum in horreum, paleas autem comburet igni inextinguibili.
13Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan, unto John, to be baptized of him.Then cometh IESVS from Galilee to Iordan, vnto Iohn, to be baptized of him.Tunc venit Jesus a Galilæa in Jordanem ad Joannem, ut baptizaretur ab eo.
14But John stayed him, saying: I ought to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?But Iohn stayed him, saying: I ought to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?Joannes autem prohibebat eum, dicens : Ego a te debeo baptizari, et tu venis ad me ?
15And Jesus answering, said to him: Suffer me for this time. For so it becometh us to fulfil all justice. Then he suffered him.And IESVS answering, sayd to him: Suffer me for this time. For so it becommeth vs to fulfil al iustice. Then he suffered him.Respondens autem Jesus, dixit ei : Sine modo : sic enim decet nos implere omnem justitiam. Tunc dimisit eum.
16And Jesus being baptized, forthwith came out of the water: and lo the Heavens were opened to him: and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him.And IESVS being baptized, forthwith came out of the water: and loe the Heauens were opened to him: & he saw the Spirit of God descending as a doue, & coming vpon him.Baptizatus autem Jesus, confestim ascendit de aqua, et ecce aperti sunt ei cæli : et vidit Spiritum Dei descendentem sicut columbam, et venientem super se.
17And behold a voice from Heaven saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.And behold a voice from Heauen saying: This is my beloued Sonne, in whom I am wel pleased.Et ecce vox de cælis dicens : Hic est Filius meus dilectus, in quo mihi complacui.
Annotations
1Desert. Of this word desert (in Greek eremus) cometh the name Eremitages and Eremites, that live a religious and austere life in deserts and solitary places, by the example of St. John Baptist; whom the holy Doctors therefore call the Prince and as it were the author of such profession. St. Chrysostom hom. 1. in Marcum, and hom. de loco Baptistae. St. Jerome ad Eustoch. de custod. virg. Isidore l. 1. c. 13. de divi. off. St. Bernard de excel. Ia. bap. Wherewith the Protestants are so offended that they say, St. Chrysostom spake rashly, and untruly. And no marvel, for whereas the Evangelist himself in this place maketh him a perfect patron of penance, and Eremitical life, for defence of wilderness, for his rough and rude apparel, for abstaining from all delicate meats (according to our Saviour's testimony also of him Matt. 11, and Luke 7. 33) they are not ashamed to pervert all with this strange commentary, that it was a desert full of towns and villages, his garment was chamlet, his meat such as the country gave, and the people there used: to make him thereby but a common man like to the rest, in his manner of life: clean against Scriptures, Fathers, and reason.
2Do penance. So is the Latin, word for word, so readeth all antiquity, namely St. Cyprian ep. 52. often, and St. Augustine l. 13. Confess. c. 12. and it is a very usual speech in the New Testament, specially in the preaching of St. John Baptist, Christ himself, and the Apostles; to signify perfect repentance, which hath not only confession and amendment, but contrition, or sorrow for the offence, and painful satisfaction: such as St. Cyprian speaketh of in all the foresaid epistle. But the Adversaries of purpose (as namely Beza protesteth) mislike that interpretation because it favoureth Satisfaction for sin, which they cannot abide. Where if they pretend the Greek word, we send them to these places Matt. 11, 21. Luke 10, 13. 1 Cor. 7, 9. Where it must needs signify, sorrowful, painful, and satisfactory repentance. We tell them also that St. Basil a Greek Doctor calleth the Ninivites' repentance with fasting, and haircloth, and ashes, by the same Greek word μετάνοια. And more we will tell them in other places.
6Confessing their sins. John did prepare the way to Christ and his Sacraments, not only by his Baptism, but by inducing the people to Confession of their sins. Which is not to acknowledge themselves in general to be sinners, but also to utter every man his sin.
8Fruit worthy. He preacheth Satisfaction by doing worthy fruits or works of penance, which are (as St. Jerome saith in 1. Joel) fasting, praying, alms, and the like.
10The axe. Here Preachers are taught to dehort from doing evil for fear of Hell, and to exhort to do good in hope of Heaven: which kind of preaching our Adversaries do condemn.
11In water. John's Baptism did not remit sins, nor was comparable to Christ's Baptism, as here it is plain, and in many other places, St. Jerome adv. Lucifer. St. Augustine de Bap. cont. Donat. l. 5. c. 9. 10. 11. Yet it is an article of our Adversaries that the one is no better than the other; which they say not to extol John's, but to derogate from Christ's baptism, so far, that they make it of no more value or efficacy for remission of sins, and grace and justification, than was John's: thereby to maintain their manifold heresies, that Baptism taketh not away sins; that a man is no cleaner nor juster by the Sacrament of Baptism than before; that it is not necessary for children unto salvation, but it is enough to be born of Christian parents; and such like erroneous positions well known among the Calvinists.
12Floor. This floor is his Church militant here in earth, wherein are both good and bad (here signified by corn and chaff) till the separation be made in the day of judgement: contrary to the doctrine of the Heretics, that hold, the Church to consist only of the good.
16Opened. To signify that Heaven was shut in the old Law, till Christ by his Passion opened it, and so by his Ascension was the first that entered into it; contrary to the doctrine of the Heretics. See Heb. 9, 8. and 11, 40.