Verse 38. The field is the world]
The Christian world, the Church, not the Roman-Catholike Church only, the Popes terri∣tories, as he would have it. The Roatian Hereticks would needs have made the world believe, that they were the only Catholicks. The Anabaptists have the same conceit of themselves. Muncer their Chieftain in his booke written against Luther and dedicated to Christ the most Illustrious Prince (as he stileth him) inviegh∣eth bitterly at him as one that was meerly carnall, and utterly void of the spirit of Revelation. And Parcus upon this text tells us that in a conference at Frankendal the Anabaptists thus argu∣ed. The field is the world, therefore not the Church: that by the same reason they might deny, that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 breed in the Church. But tares are and will be in the visible Church, as our Saviour pur∣posely teacheth by this parable.
So called part∣ly in respect of their serpentine nature, those corrupt qualities, whereby they resemble the devil: And partly because they creep into the Church by Satans subtilety, being his agents and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ries. Agnosco te primogenitum diaboli said St Iohn of that Here∣tike* 1.1 Cerinthus. And Hypocrites are his sonnes and heires, the