The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

§ Do violence to no man, &c.

The Baptist in his answer tyeth both hand, tongue and heart, deed, word, and thought from the injury of another, their profession especially tending so much toward inju∣riousness.

First, he forbiddeth them to open violence in act, whether by blows, ravishing, plun∣der, firing, or such like mischiefs as attend the wars, and go with Souldiers.

Secondly, secret underminings, by false accusing, abusing the power of the Superiour to the wrong of another, when their own could not reach, and sewing the Foxes skin to, when the Lyons was too short. And,

Thirdly, discontentation and repining at their wages, which indeed was the cause and original of both the other. And so is that a main argument used by Percennius, which moved the great mutinie of the three legions in Pannonia, in the very entry of the Reign of Tiberius, Denis in diem assibus corpus & animam aestimari: How poor a thing it was that their lives and bodies were rated and set to sale but at ten farthings a days Tacit. An∣nal. lib. 1.

It is observable in both the answers of the Baptist, to the Publicans and to the Soul∣diers, that he gainsayeth not their professions, but their abuse of them: to the one he forbiddeth not to gather tribute, but to exact more: and to the other not to exercise Souldiery, but practice violenc.

Ver. 15. As the people were in expectation, &c.

Divers things there were that concurred, to make the Jews to think of Christ, when they saw the Baptist, and to muse in heart whether he were he or not.

First, the first and the prime one was the agreement of the time. For they had learned by divers pregnant evidences both in the Law and in the Prophts that this was the time when Christ should come: for now was the Scepter departed from Juda, now was the Law∣giver or Sanhedrin slain by Herod, now were the Romans Lords of their Nation, and now were Daniels seventies expired, by which they knew that this was the time, and now they looked that the Kingdom of Heaven should appear, Luke 19. 11. and they gather together from all Nations to Jerusalem to see its appearing, Act. 2. as was hinted before.

When therefore, secondly, in this time of their great expectation, they behold the ex∣cellent sanctity, piety, and zeal; the admirable strictness, austerity and Spirit; And,

Thirdly, The strange, unusual and powerful manner of the preaching of the Baptist, it is no wonder if they entertained a doubtful and musing thought of him, whether he were the Christ or no. And,

Fourthly, Their longing desire and earnest wishing after Messias his coming, might something forward such a conceit, for facile credimus quod volumus; and the Greek word doth import a desire joyned with their expectation. So Christ in Gen. 49. 10. is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in the LXX, the expectation of the Nations; and their desire, Hag. 2. 7. It is not un∣like but the coming of the wise men, the words of Simeon and Anna, and other testimo∣nies of Christ then come, were dispersed among very many, and notice taken of them, and this might be a strengthening and helping forward of this surmise: but that the strangeness of the Baptists birth, and of what befel his Father about it, should be any in∣duction or seconding thereunto, as some do hold, is hard to be believed, unless we can think that either this people had forgot to look after the Tribe of Judah for the Messias, or that Elizabeths alliance to that Tribe, for she was cousin to the Virgin Mary, Luke 1. 36. did satisfie them if they looked after it.

Ver. 16. Iohn answered.

Whereas some hold that John knew the thoughts of their hearts, by the Revelation of the Spirit, for it is said only before that they mused of the matter in their heart, and put it not to question, it is far more probable, that John came to know this their thought, by some outward expression of their own. For among so great a multitude, when they were all in the same doubt and hesitation, it was impossible, but there would break out some whisperings, questions, arguings, or other token of the general conceit, that even a slow and dull apprehension might in short time have found it out.