Scorning,a Vicepeculiar tothe Iewes. Ftatteüè, Cm Rh hated äf hruci. Vpon theWednefday after themildeneffeofthisLambe,fliould be turned into the furieofa Lyon,and that he faydvnto them, Gencrátiomals,c. SaintChryfoflome fayes, That theywent about to flatter him, as they haddone at other times, when theyfpakevnto him by the famename;Aswhen they Paid, Magill r,lieet cenfumdareCafäri ? Magifler r , quad ell mandatum magnum inLege Magifler, quid faciendo,vitsmaternampoßidebo ? Meier ,isit lawful! togiue tribute vetoCafar ? Mafler,which is thegreat Commandementin the Law ? Mafier,What find Idoe to inheriteternalllife ? And that our Sauiour being offended,that they fliould flatter him with their mouths, whomthey abhorred intheir hearts (beeinglike unto thofelewd women,whothe lighter theyare,rhe fullerofflatterie) hegrew fomewhat hotand angriewith them. But I conceiue the fault of thefe ScribesandPharifees wasmore foule than fo : For flatterie vfually carryeth with it a delire to pleafe,andis full ofcourtefe, which thefekindof Peopleneuer expreffed towards our Sauiour. And this my fufpition is themore augmentedby that miracleof thatblind man, whom the Scribes (as fupreame Iudges) fo ftrit llyexamined ; asking him fo often,Who is he that bath healed thee Towhom heanfwered, My Mailers , I haue toldyee alreadie,Whyareyee fo importunate withme c Are ye purpofed peraduenture tobeehis Difciples c This made my Gentlemen verie angrie ; infomuch that theyfaid,7u:Difcipulus illirisfs,Weewith theeno worfe plague , than that thou maift behis Difciple. So that holding this akind ofcurie and maledi6tion,and yet toHe himwith thenameof Matter, muff bea ftuffethat is made ofa cour- fer shred than Flatterie. Befides, mocking andfcorningwas a proper and pecu- liar vice annexed to the Iewes. And Saint Chryfßome doth not terme it onely flatterie,butadulation,and irrifion ; Yerba(inquit) fientplena adulation irrifione. And that Text ofSaint Lukefauoureth this opinion, 1%tentantes eum,fagnum de cedequarebartt, otherstempting him, required,:fägnefrom heauen. Where this word Tentantes implieth-rnuchmore. And the Author of theimpeded Worke faith, That thefeScribes andPharifeesvfed double dealingherein, defiring nothing more, thanbythis theirfoothing with him, todifcredit our SauiourChrift; al- ledging, That thofemiracles were notfo fure and cerraine,as toenforce beliefe, ortomerit theirvndoubtedcredence : And that theybeing(as it were)theSuns of that Commonwealth , whom thepeople didcredit and refpeét next under God,theydid labourtowinne themfelues credit inhis prefence, bydifgracing thofe miracles which our Sauiour had wrought. But our Sauiour hauingre- courfe to thehonour of his Father, and hisowne reputation,could not hold,be- ing fo iuftly incerafedagainft them,but mutt needs breake out into thefe termes with then, taiwickedgeneration, &c. God complainedby his Prophets, That the finnes ofhis people had quite alteredhis naturali condition, Let Samaria pe- rifh (faith ofee) becaufefleehashprouokedher God. Andanonafterhe faith thefame, ofEphraim ; Godsheart beingfomild, fogentle,fo louing,andfo full of corn- paffon; thefumes ofSamaria and ofEphraimhad prouokedit tobitternesjere- mie inhis Lamentationscomplaineth, Replexitmeamaritudinibas, inebriauit me abfynthio, Hehathfilledmewithbittern, hebathmade me drunkenwith Wormwood. Ezechielftilesthepeople, Domue exa4erans, AHoule which dothexafperate Godsnature, being fonoble,fo free, fo pittifull. Of luda«Saint Luke faith, Su- f enfua crepuit media«,Heburilafunder in the midff, andallhis bowelsgufhedout.And thiswas not without fome great myfterie, Thathis vitall fpiritfhould not goe outat his rhroat,being ftreightned with thehalter; northrough his mouth, for thattherewith (though treacheroufly) hehad kilt his Sauiour; but out ofthe verle
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