Ambrose - BT200 A42 1658

58z Book IV. Part~3· Leoking unt1 fefm. Chap.~.Se4t.I ------------------------------------------------- ftition and groffe hypocrifie is here ! they are curious ofa ceremony, but make no {heine to fhed innocent blood; they are precife about fmall matters, but for the weightier matters oftbe law, as mercy, judgement, fiddity, and tbe love of God, they let them paffe; they honour the figurative Paffeover, but the true Pa1feover they feaze upon with bloody and facrilegious hands. . 3. The matter of which they accufe him , 1. That he feduced the people. 2. That he forbade to pay tribute to Cef~r. 3· That be faid he wasa King. How gre~t? but withal how falfe were thefe their accufations ? for the fidl: Chrift was fo far from ftirring up feditions, that he ftrove and endt!avoured to M1t.23 37· gather the people into one, 0 Jerufalem, 'fm1[alem, how ofsen would I have ga thered thy children together, even M a hen gathers her chickfns under her wings and 7e would not ? For the fecond, in ftead ofdenying to pay tribute to Cefar, he payed it in his own Manh.r7 17. particular; tak.!; twenty pence oat of the fiflm meMh ( faid he to Luk.:c:i.15. Peter) andgive it unto them for me, 1md thee: and give Nnto Cefar thethingsthlltllreCefars (f~idheto the people) undtoGod the things that are Godf· For the third, in ftead of making himfelfe a King, he profeffeth that hio Kingdome u not of t hio world; and Joh. t8.J6. when they would have made him a King, inftead of flattering them, he fiyeth from them, and that into the wilderne1fe; or Joh.6.xs, into " mountaine himfelfe alone.--Thus much of the accufation. 2. For his examination, Pil11te was aothing moved with any . ·of die accufations fave only the third; and therefore letting all Joh.t8. 33 • 3 6. the reft p3ffe, he asked him only art theu the King of the 'few-s? to whom Jefus anfwered, my Ki;rgdome u not of rhu world, &c. he faith nor, my Kingdome is not in thiJ world, bpt my Kingdome is not of thiJ world; by which Pilate knew well that Cbrift was no enemy unto Cefar; Chrifis Kingdome is fpiritual,hisgover:nment is in the very hearts and confciences ofmen, and what is this to Cefdr ?-hence Pilate ufeth a policy to fa.ve Jefus Chrifi; they tell him that Chrift was of Galilee, and therefore he takes occafion to fend him to Hmd, who was Governour ofG11iilee. :But of that anon. How many le1fons may we learne from hence .? I. Chrift V[e wasaccufed, whocan be free? the chiefe Priefisand Eldersof the

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