might gather the children of God together that were
dispersed throughout the world.
Origen hath obserued, That Caiphas prophesied,
but that he was no Prophet.
First, Because one action of a Prophet doth not make the habit or
denomina∣tion of a Prophet.
Secondly, because he did not attaine vnto the sence and meaning of
the Ho∣ly-Ghost, the knowledge whereof in point of prophesie is necessarie.
S. Ambrose saith, That Caiphas pretended one
thing, & vttered another, & there∣fore that he sin'd in the sentence
which he pronounced, because hisintent was bad & vniust; as it was with
Balaam, who as he was a Prophet could not curse the peo∣ple of
Israell, but as they were particular persons, they did sinne and erre: so that
the Holy-Ghost seruing himselfe with the tongue of Caiphas, as the
instrument, the High-Priest did but determine that which the Holy-Ghost had
before decreed.
Whence we may take occasion to weigh
and consider the good and the ill of an intention, since that one and the selfe
same words are so good and so ill. Saint Augustine pondereth vpon
those words of Saint Paul, Qui filio proprio suo non pe∣percit, sed pro
nobis omnibus tradidit illum, Who spared not his owne sonne, but gaue him for
vs all to death. This word Tradidit, is verified both of the
Father, and of the Sonne, Tradidit semetipsum pro me, He deliuered vp
himselfe for me. As also of Iu∣das, Qui autem tradidit cum, dedit
& signum, He gaue them a signe that was to betray him. And of
Pilat, Tradidit voluntati eorum, He deliuered him vp to their will.
The deliuering of him vp, was all one and the same: but the Father and the
Sonne did this out of their mercy and loue to the world; but Iudas and
Pilat, out of hatred, treason, and iniustice. Saint Ambrose saith, That that murmuring
about the oynt∣ment [Vt quid perditio ista vnguenti facta est? What needed
this waste?] was vttered by Iudas, and the Disciples, in one and
the same words: But in them they procee∣ded out of a good mind; but in
Iudas, out of auarice: for the Disciples had there∣in a respect to the
poore; For this oyntment (muttered they) might haue beene sold for much, and
beene giuen to the poore. But Iudas out of the profit that he might
haue made thereby vnto himselfe, by filching some of it away, if he had come to
the fingring of it. Saint Hilary expounding that saying of our Sauiour
Christ, Pater maior me est, My Father is greater than I, saith, That
it being heard from Arrius his mouth, it sauoured like gall; but from our Sauiours mouth, like hony. In
Corinth, certaine Exorcists, sonnes of the Prince of the Priests, would take
vpon them to cast out an euill spirit, Pessimum, the Text stiles him.
Who did demand of them, Who gaue you licence to execute this Office? Vos
au∣tem qui estis? What are ye? Iesus I acknowledge, and Paul I
know, but who are ye? And the man in whom the euill spirit was, ranne on them,
and preuailed a∣gainst them, so that they fled out of that house naked and
wounded. Saint Paul did cast out diuels in the name of the Lord Iesus
Christ, and these men likewise did vse the name of the Lord Iesus Christ: How
comes it then to passe, that the successe was so contrary? I answer, The
intention was different. Their words were the same, but not their intent.
It is expedient for vs that one man dye. The naturall
consideration of this place, is the conueniencie of Christs death: It was
expedient for heauen, earth, an∣gels, men, as wel the liuing as the dead.
Wherof I haue treated at large elswhere.
This spake he not of himselfe. Saint Augustine, Hoc
in eo egit propheticum Chris∣ma, &c. The gift of prophesie, made him to
prophesie his owne euill life, and that hee did prophesie ignorantly and
foolishly. Saint Chrysostome, Vide, quanta si•• &c. The grace of prophesie, toucht the high Priests
mouth, but not his heart. Whence Saint Chrysostome