A commentary or exposition upon the four Evangelists, and the Acts of the Apostles: wherein the text is explained, some controversies are discussed, divers common places are handled, and many remarkable matters hinted, that had by former interpreters been pretermitted. Besides, divers other texts of Scripture which occasionally occur are fully opened, and the whole so intermixed with pertinent histories, as will yeeld both pleasure and profit to the judicious reader. / By John Trapp M. A. Pastour of Weston upon Avon in Gloucestershire.

Verse 22. But I say unto you.]

This is his teaching with au∣thority, and not as the Scribes. To their false glosses he 〈◊〉〈◊〉 his own sole and single authority. He delivers himself like a Law∣giver: but I say unto you, and you shall take it on my bare word,* 1.1 without any further pawn or pledge. He that is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, is like∣wise* 1.2 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. The Pharisees Phylacteries were not so broad, but their expositions of the Law were as narrow; which therefore our* 1.3 Saviour letteth out and rectifieth.* 1.4

That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause]

Rashly giving way to unruly passion, and not taking reason into* 1.5 counsel, as the word here signifieth. This is a degree of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 dreamt not of, and a mortall sin, though the Pa∣pists conclude it veniall from this very text, because not threatned (as calling fool) with hell-fire. But judgement, counsel, and Gehen∣na,* 1.6 note not here different punishments, but only divers degrees of the damnation of hell, which is the just hire of the least sin. There is a lawfull anger, as that of our Saviour, Mar. 3. 5. & Mat. 16. 22.* 1.7 And we are bid be 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and sin not. Now he that would be angry and not sin, must (for the matter) be angry at nothing but at sin, and that, not so much as it is an injury to us, as an offence to God.* 1.8 Next, for the measure, he must not be so transported with anger, as to be unfitted and indisposed thereby, either for prayer to God, or pity to men. Moses was very angry at the fight of the golden* 1.9 Calfe, yet could pray. Our Saviour was heartily angry at the Phari∣sees,* 1.10 but withall grieved at the hardnesse of their hearts. Jonas on* 1.11 the other side, through anger, thought to have prayed, but fell into* 1.12 a brawle with God, quarrel'd him for his kindnesse; and had little pity on so many poor Ninevites; though afterwards he yeelded to better reason, and shewed his submission, by laying his hand upon* 1.13

his mouth, and saying no more. Anger is a tender vertue (saith one) and such as, by reason of our unskilfullnesse, may be easily corrupted and made dangerous. The wrath of man (usually) worketh not* 1.14 the righteousnesse of God: nay it lets in the devil, that old 〈◊〉〈◊〉,* 1.15 and is the murderer of the heart (as here) making way to the murder of the tongue and hand. It is the match to receive the fire of contention, and the bellows to blow it up, Prov. 15. 18. Now where strife is, there is confusion, and every evil worke, not murder* 1.16 excepted.

And whosoever shall say unto his brother, Racha]

Anger (as fire)* 1.17 if smothered, will languish, but let out, will flame into further mis∣chief. Cease from anger, saith David, for else thou wilt fret thy* 1.18 self to do evil. And if thou hast done evil (or plaid the fool, as 〈◊〉〈◊〉* 1.19 read it) saith Agur, in lifting up thy self (and puffing against* 1.20 thy 〈◊〉〈◊〉, against whom in thine anger thou hast devised some* 1.21 mischief) if thou hast thought evil against him, yet lay thy hand upon thy mouth: say not so much as Racha, utter not any so much as an inarticulate voice, snuffe not, snort not, spet not, as he, Deut. 25 9. stamp not with clapping of the hands, as Balac, say not so* 1.22 much as fie, to thine offending brother, saith Theophylact; thou* 1.23 him not, saith Chrysostome, call him not silly or shallow, one that* 1.24 wants brains, saith Irenaeus, qui expuit 〈◊〉〈◊〉, as the word sig∣nifieth,* 1.25 if it signifie any thing. Surely (saith Agur, setting forth the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of his former precept by a double similitude) the churn∣ing* 1.26 of milke brinketh forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth bloud: so the forcing of wrath (the giving it its forth and full scope, and not suppressing it when it first begins to boile in a mans brest) bringeth forth strife. Let therefore the first heat of passion settle, and that darknesse passe, that hath clouded the minde. Ut fragilis glacies, occidat ira morâ. Walke into the gar∣den with Ahashuerosh, into the field with Jonathan, when his fa∣ther* 1.27 had provoked him to wrath: (against the Apostles precept.)* 1.28 Divert to some other company, place, businesse, about something thou canst be most earnest at. Give not place to wrath, no not a lit∣tle:* 1.29 〈◊〉〈◊〉 God before thy tumultuating passions, and so silence them; 〈◊〉〈◊〉 worse will follow.

But whosoever shall say, Thou Fool, &c.]

How much more, Rogue, Bastard, Devil, and other such foul and opprobrious tearms, not fit to be mentioned among Saints, yet common with many 〈◊〉〈◊〉 as would be counted so. What makest thou here, thou arch∣devil

troubling our City? said the Bishop of Geneva to Farellus, seeking to set up the Reformed Religion. And a Spanish 〈◊〉〈◊〉 disputing with us about the Eucharist (saith Beza) called us vul∣pes, serpentes & simias, foxes, serpents and jackanapeses. Contra∣rily,* 1.30 it is observed of Archbishop Cranmer, that he never raged so far with any of his houshold-servants, as once to call the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of them varlet or knave in anger; much lesse to reprove a stranger* 1.31 with any reproachfull word; least of all did he deal blows among them, as B. Bonner: who in his visitation, because the bells rung not at his coming into Hadham, nor the Church was dressed up as it should, called D^r Bricket knave and heretick: And there with∣all, whether thrusting or striking at him, so it was, that he gave S^r Thomas Josselin Knight (who then stood next to the Bishop) a good flewet upon the upper part of the neck, even under his ear: whereat he was somewhat astonied at the suddennesse of the quar∣rell for that time. At last he spake and said, What meaneth your Lordship? Have you been trained up in Will Sommers his school, to strike him who standeth next you? The Bishop, still in a rage, either heard not, or would not hear. When M^r Fecknam would have excused him by his long imprisonment in the Marshalley, whereby he was grown testy, &c. he replied merrily, So it seems, M^r Fecknam; for now that he is come forth of the Marsh 〈◊〉〈◊〉,* 1.32 he is ready to go to Bedlam. Our Saviour here threatneth a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 place, tormenting Tophet, the Gehenna of fire, to that unruly evil, the tongue, that being set on fire of hell, fercheth words as far as hell, to set on fire the whole course of nature.* 1.33

Shall be in danger of hell fire]

Gehenna, or the valley of Hin∣nom, was reputed a contemptible place, without the City, in the which they burnt (by means of a fire continually kept there) the carcases, filth and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉〈◊〉, so that by the fire of Gehen∣na here is intimated both the restlesse 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of hell (sc. by the* 1.34 bitter 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and ejulations of poor infants there burnt to 〈◊〉〈◊〉,)* 1.35 and also the perpetuity and endlessenesse of them. The Idol 〈◊〉〈◊〉 or Saturn, was represented by a man-like brazen body with the head of a Calfe. The children 〈◊〉〈◊〉, were 〈◊〉〈◊〉 within the arms of this Idol: and as the fire increased about it, the sacrifice with the noise of drums and other instruments filled the air, that the pitifull cries of the children might not be heard.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. lib 17.
• * 1.2

  Lud. Rab. part. 2. de marty∣ribus.
• * 1.3

  〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.4

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 365. sect. 2.
• * 1.5

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, cedo: 〈◊〉〈◊〉 cedit affectibus, a leo ut 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 non 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.6

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. in Rom. 13. 4.
• * 1.7

  Ephes. 4. 26.
• * 1.8

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. 3. 19.
• * 1.9

  Exod. 32. 19 — 31.
• * 1.10

  Mar. 3. 5.
• * 1.11

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.12

  Ionas 4. 1.
• * 1.13

  vers. 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.14

  Iam. 1.
• * 1.15

  Ephel. 4. 16.
• * 1.16

  Iam. 3. 16.
• * 1.17

  〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 le 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.18

  psal 37. 8.
• * 1.19

  Pro. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 32, 33.
• * 1.20

  expounded.
• * 1.21

  〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.22

  Numb. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 10.
• * 1.23

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.24

  〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉. 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• * 1.25

  〈◊◊◊◊◊〉〈◊◊◊◊◊〉 pro 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.26

  〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.27

  1 Sam. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 24.
• * 1.28

  Eph. 6. 4.
• * 1.29

  Quid 〈◊〉〈◊〉, dia∣bole nequissime, ad 〈◊〉〈◊〉 civita∣tem perturban∣dam accessisti? dicit 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 Gul. Farello.
• * 1.30

  in Epist. ad Calvin.
• * 1.31

  Act. and 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉. 1692.
• * 1.32

  Ibid 1340.
• * 1.33

  James 3. 6.
• * 1.34

  〈◊〉〈◊〉
• * 1.35

  〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉. out of R. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 27. 13.