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ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XI.
3. Art thou he] Iohn him self doubted not, for he baptized him and gaue great testimonie of him before: Io. 1. But because his disciples knewe him not, nor esteemed of him so much as of Iohn their owne Maister, therfore did he send them vnto Christ, that by occasion of Christes answer he might the better instruct them what he was, and so make them Christes disciples, pro∣ferring them to a better Maister.
7. What went you out.]* 1.1 High commendation of Iohns holinesse, as wel for his fasting, rough attire, solitary life, and constancie, as for the dignitie of his function.
7. Into the desert.] The faythful people in al ages resorted of deuotion into wildernes to see men of special and rare holynes, Prophets, Eremites, Anchorites &c. to haue their prayers or ghostly counsel. See S. Hierom de vitae Hilarionis.
14. Elias.)* 1.2 As Elias shal be the messenger of Christes later coming, so was Iohn his messen∣ger and Praecursor at his former coming: and therfore is he called Elias, because of his like office and like spirit. Luc. 1. Grego. ho. 7. in Euang.
18. Eating and drinking.] The wicked quarrellers of the world misconstre easely al the actes and life of good men. If they be great fasters and austere liuers, they are blasphemed and counted hypocrites; if they conuerse with other men in ordinary maner, then they be counted dissolute.
21. Penance in sackcloth.]* 1.3 By this sackcloth and ashes added here and in other places, wee see euidently that Penance is not only leauing of former sinnes, and chaunge or amendement of life past, no nor bare sorowfulnes or recounting of our offenses already committed, but requiteth pu∣nishement and chastisemēt of our persons by these and such other meanes as the Scriptures do els where set forth, and therfore concerning the worde also, it is rather to be called Penance, as in our translation: then (as the Aduersaries of purpose auoyding the word) Repentance or Amende∣ment of life:* 1.4 and that according to the very vsual signification of the * Greeke word in the most ancient Ecclesiastical Greeke writers: who for Poenitentès (which in the Primitiue Churche did pu∣blike penance) say,* 1.5 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, Men that are doing penance. And concerning that part of penance which is Cōfession, the Ecclesiastical historie calleth it by the same Greeke word, and the penitents comming to confession, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Sozom. li. 7 c. 16. Socrat. li. 5 c. 19.
25. Litle ones.) These litle ones doe not signifie here only the vnlearned, as though Coblers and weauers and wemen and girles had this reuelation, and therfore do vnderstand al Scriptures and are able to expound them: but here are signified the humble, whether they be learned or vn∣learned:* 1.6 as when he sayth, Vnles you become as litle ones, you shal not enter into the Kingdom of heauen. And so also the greatest Doctors (who as they were most learned, so most humbled them selues to the iudgement of the Catholike Churche) are these litle ones: and Heretikes, who although vnlearned, yet vaunt their knowledge and their spirit of vnderstanding aboue al ancient fathers and the whole Churche, can not be of these litle and humble ones.
30. Yoke sweete.]* 1.7 What is this light burden and sweete yoke, but his commaundements, of which S. Iohn sayth 1. Ep. 5. His commaundements are not heauy? cleane contrary to the Aduersaries that say, they are vnpossible to be kept.