21. To Cæsar.) Temporal duties and payments exacted by worldly Princes must be payd, so that God be not defrauded of his more soveraigne dutie. And therfore Princes have to take heed how they exact, and others, how they give to Cæsar, that is, to their Prince, the things that are due to God, that is, to his Ecclesiastical ministers. Neither must temporal Princes exact, nor their Subjects give unto them, Ecclesiastical jurisdiction.Whereupon S. Athanasius reciteth these goodly wordes out of an epistle of the ancient and famous Confessour Hosius Cordubensis to Constantius the Arian Emperour: Cease I beseech thee and remember that thou art mortal, feare the day of judgement, intermedle not with Ecclesiastical matters, neither doe thou command us in this kind, but rather learne them of us. To thee God hath committed the Empire, to us he hath committed the things that belong to the Church. And as he that with malicious eyes carpeth thine Empire, gainesaieth the ordinance of God: so doe thou also beware, lest in drawing unto thee Ecclesiastical matters, thou be made guilty of a great crime. It is written: Give ye the things that are Cæsars, to Cæsar; and the things that are Gods, to God. Therfore neither is it lawful for us in earth to hold the Empire, neither hast thou (O Emperour) power over incense and sacred things. Athan. Ep. ad Solit. vitam agentes. And S. Ambrose to Valentinian the Emperour (who by the il counsel of his mother Justina an Arian, required of S. Ambrose to have one Church in Millan deputed to the Arian Heretikes) saith: We pay that which is Cæsars, to Cæsar; and that which is Gods, to God. Tribute is Cæsars, it is not denied: the Church is Gods, it may not verily be yealded to Cæsar: because the Temple of God can not be Cæsars right. Which no man can denie but it is spoken with the honour of the Emperour, for what is more honorable then that the Emperour be said to be the sonne of the Church? For a good Emperour is within the Church, not above the Church. Ambr. l. 5. Epist. Orat. de Basil. trad.
The Saints heare our prayers.30. As Angels.) As Christ proveth here, that in Heaven they neither marie nor are maried, because there they shal be as Angels: by the very same reason, is proved, that Saints may heare our prayers and help us, be they neer or farre of; because the Angels do so, and in every moment are present where they list, and need not to be neer us, when they heare, or helpe us.
Religious single life, Angelical.30. As Angels.) Not to marie nor be maried, is to be like to Angels: therfore is the state of Religious men, and women, and Priests, for not marying, worthily called of the Fathers an Angelical life. Cyp. lib. 2. de discipl. & hab. Virg. sub finem.
32. Of the dead.) S. Hierom by this place disproveth the Heretike Vigilantius, and in him these of our time, which to diminish the honour of Saints, cal them of purpose, dead men.
Not only faith.40. On these two.) Hereby it is evident that al dependeth not upon faith only, but much more upon charitie (though faith be the first) which is the love of God and of our neighbour, which is the summe of al the law and the Prophets: because he that hath this double charitie expressed here by these two principal commandements, fulfilleth and accomplisheth al that is commanded in the Law and the Prophets.
Chap. XXIII.
The Ghospel upon Tuesday the 2. weeke in Lent.THEN Jesus spake to the multitudes and to his Disciples, 2saying: Upon ″ the chaire of Moyses have sitten the Scribes & the Pharisees. 3Al things therfore ″ whatsoever they shal say to you, observe ye and doe ye: but according to their workes doe ye not, for they say and doe not. 4For Lu. 11, 46.
Act. 15, 10.* they binde heavie burdens & importable: & put them upon mens shoulders:
