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The New Testament

Gospel According to St. Matthew Gospel According to St. Mark Gospel According to St. Luke Gospel According to St. John Acts of the Apostles Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians Second Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians Epistle of St. Paul to the Ephesians Epistle of St. Paul to the Philippians Epistle of St. Paul to the Colossians First Epistle of St. Paul to the Thessalonians Second Epistle of St. Paul to the Thessalonians First Epistle of St. Paul to Timothy Second Epistle of St. Paul to Timothy Epistle of St. Paul to Titus Epistle of St. Paul to Philemon Epistle of St. Paul to the Hebrews Catholic Epistle of St. James the Apostle First Epistle of St. Peter the Apostle Second Epistle of St. Peter the Apostle First Epistle of St. John the Apostle Second Epistle of St. John the Apostle Third Epistle of St. John the Apostle Catholic Epistle of St. Jude the Apostle Apocalypse of St. John the Apostle

Appendices

The Catholike Epistle of Iude the Apostle

The Preface to the Reader Hard Vvordes Explicated

THE HOLY GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST ACCORDING TO SAINT MATTHEW

Saint Matthew, one of the twelve Apostles, who from being a publican, that is, a taxgatherer, was called by our Saviour to the Apostleship: in that profession his name is Levi. He was the first of the Evangelists that wrote the Gospel, and that in Hebrew or Syro-Chaldaic which the Jews in Palestine spoke at that time. The original is not now extant; but it was translated in the time of the Apostles into Greek, that version was of equal authority. He wrote about six years after the Lord's Ascension.

The genealogy of Christ: he is conceived and born of a virgin.

The husband of Mary. . .The Evangelist gives us rather the pedigree of St. Joseph, than that of the blessed Virgin, to conform to the custom of the Hebrews, who in their genealogies took no notice of women; but as they were near akin, the pedigree of the one sheweth that of the other.

Till she brought forth her firstborn son. . .From these words Helvidius and other heretics most impiously inferred that the blessed Virgin Mary had other children besides Christ; but St. Jerome shews, by divers examples, that this expression of the Evangelist was a manner of speaking usual among the Hebrews, to denote by the word until, only what is done, without any regard to the future. Thus it is said, Genesis 8. 6 and 7, that Noe sent forth a raven, which went forth, and did not return till the waters were dried up on the earth. That is, did not return any more. Also Isaias 46. 4, God says: I am till you grow old. Who dare infer that God should then cease to be: Also in the first book of Machabees 5. 54, And they went up to mount Sion with joy and gladness, and offered holocausts, because not one of them was slain till they had returned in peace. That is, not one was slain before or after they had returned. God saith to his divine Son: Sit on my right hand till I make thy enemies thy footstool. Shall he sit no longer after his enemies are subdued? Yea and for all eternity. St. Jerome also proves by Scripture examples, that an only begotten son, was also called firstborn, or first begotten: because according to the law, the firstborn males were to be consecrated to God; Sanctify unto me, saith the Lord, every firstborn that openeth the womb among the children of Israel, etc. Ex. 13. 2.

The offerings of the wise men: the flight into Egypt: the massacre of the Innocents.

The preaching of John: Christ is baptized.

Do penance. . .Paenitentiam agite. Which word, according to the use of the scriptures and the holy fathers, does not only signify repentance and amendment of life, but also punishing past sins by fasting, and such like penitential exercises.

Pharisees and Sadducees. . .These were two sects among the Jews: of which the former were for the most part notorious hypocrites; the latter, a kind of freethinkers in matters of religion.

Christ's fast of forty days: He is tempted. He begins to preach, to call disciples to him, and to work miracles.

Shewed him, etc. . .That is, pointed out to him where each kingdom lay; and set forth in words what was most glorious and admirable in each of them. Or also set before his eyes, as it were in a large map, a lively representation of all those kingdoms.

Christ's sermon upon the mount. The eight beatitudes.

The poor in spirit. . .That is, the humble; and they whose spirit is not set upon riches.

Amen. . .That is, assuredly of a truth. . .This Hebrew word, amen, is here retained by the example and authority of all the four Evangelists. It is used by our Lord as a strong asseveration, and affirmation of the truth.

The scribes and Pharisees. . .The scribes were the doctors of the law of Moses: the Pharisees were a precise set of men, making profession of a more exact observance of the law: and upon that account greatly esteemed among the people.

Shall be in danger of the judgment. . .That is, shall deserve to be punished by that lesser tribunal among the Jews, called the Judgment, which took cognizance of such crimes.

Raca. . .A word expressing great indignation or contempt. Shall be in danger of the council. . .That is, shall deserve to be punished by the highest court of judicature, called the Council, or Sanhedrim, consisting of seventy-two persons, where the highest causes were tried and judged, which was at Jerusalem. Thou fool. . .This was then looked upon as a heinous injury, when uttered with contempt, spite, or malice: and therefore is here so severely condemned. Shall be in danger of hell fire. . .literally, according to the Greek, shall deserve to be cast into the Gehenna of fire. Which words our Saviour made use of to express the fire and punishments of hell.

Not to swear at all. . .It is not forbid to swear in truth, justice and judgment; to the honour of God, or our own or neighbour's just defence: but only to swear rashly, or profanely, in common discourse, and without necessity.

Not to resist evil, etc. . .What is here commanded, is a Christian patience under injuries and affronts, and to be willing even to suffer still more, rather than to indulge the desire of revenge: but what is further added does not strictly oblige according to the letter, for neither did Christ nor St. Paul turn the other cheek. St. John 18., and Acts 23.

The publicans. . .These were the gatherers of the public taxes: a set of men, odious and infamous among the Jews, for their extortions and injustice.

A continuation of the sermon on the mount.

Your justice. . .that is, works of justice; viz., fasting, prayer, and almsdeeds; which ought to be performed not out of ostentation, or a view to please men, but solely to please God.

Supersubstantial bread. . .In St. Luke the same word is rendered daily bread. It is understood of the bread of life, which we receive in the Blessed Sacrament.

Lead us not into temptation. . .That is, suffer us not to be overcome by temptation.

Mammon. . .That is, riches, worldly interest.

The third part of the sermon on the mount.

Christ cleanses the leper, heals the centurion's servant, Peter's mother-in-law, and many others: he stills the storm at sea, drives the devils out of two men possessed, and suffers them to go into the swine.

Christ heals one sick of palsy: calls Matthew: cures the issue of blood: raises to life the daughter of Jairus: gives sight to two blind men: and heals a dumb man possessed by the devil.

Can the children of the bridegroom. . .This, by a Hebraism, signifies the friends or companions of the bridegroom.

Christ sends out his twelve apostles, with the power of miracles. The lessons he gives them.

Simple. . .That is, harmless, plain, sincere, and without guile.

I came to set a man at variance, etc. . .Not that this was the end or design of the coming of our Saviour; but that his coming and his doctrine would have this effect, by reason of the obstinate resistance that many would make, and of their persecuting all such as should adhere to him.

John sends his disciples to Christ, who upbraids the Jews for their incredulity, and calls to him such as are sensible of their burdens.

Scandalized in me. . .That is, who shall not take occasion of scandal or offence from my humility, and the disgraceful death of the cross which I shall endure.

Suffereth violence, etc. . .It is not to be obtained but by main force, by using violence upon ourselves, by mortification and penance, and resisting our perverse inclinations.

He is Elias, etc. . .Not in person, but in spirit. St. Luke 1. 17.

Christ reproves the blindness of the Pharisees, and confutes their attributing his miracles to Satan.

The loaves of proposition. . .So were called the twelve loaves which were placed before the sanctuary in the temple of God.

The blasphemy of the Spirit. . .The sin here spoken of is that blasphemy, by which the Pharisees attributed the miracles of Christ, wrought by the Spirit of God, to Beelzebub the prince of devils. Now this kind of sin is usually accompanied with so much obstinacy, and such wilful opposing the Spirit of God, and the known truth, that men who are guilty of it, are seldom or never converted: and therefore are never forgiven, because they will not repent. Otherwise there is no sin, which God cannot or will not forgive to such as sincerely repent, and have recourse to the keys of the church.

Nor in the world to come. . .From these words St. Augustine and St. Gregory gather, that some sins may be remitted in the world to come; and, consequently, that there is a purgatory or a middle place.

Every idle word. . .This shews there must be a place of temporal punishment hereafter where these slighter faults shall be punished.

A sign. . .That is, a miracle from heaven. St. Luke 11. 16.

Three days, etc. . .Not complete days and nights; but part of three days, and three nights taken according to the way that the Hebrews counted their days and nights, viz., from evening to evening.

Who is my mother?. . .This was not spoken by way of slighting his mother, but to shew that we are never to suffer ourselves to be taken from the service of God, by any inordinate affection to our earthly parents: and that which our Lord chiefly regarded in his mother, was her doing the will of his Father in heaven. It may also further allude to the reprobation of the Jews, his carnal kindred, and the election of the Gentiles.

The parables of the sower and the cockle: of the mustardseed, etc.

His brethren. . .These were the children of Mary the wife of Cleophas, sister to our Blessed Lady, and therefore, according to the usual style of the Scripture, they were called brethren, that is, near relations to our Saviour.

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