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.

And then shalt thou see clearly, &c.]

There is in every godly man an holy bashfulnesse, an ingenuous modesty, that he would be foully ashamed to charge others with those crimes, which 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 allow in himself. Not so every profligate 〈◊〉〈◊〉,

frontlesse Pharisee, censorious hypocrite. These think, belike, to binde 〈◊〉〈◊〉 their own bleeding souls with a palliate cure, as they call it, by goring very bloudily into other mens consciences, whereas they never yet purged their own. Thus dealt the Priests* 1.1 and Elders with our Saviour, the false Apostles with Paul, Por∣phyry* 1.2 (and others of the same brain) with the Primitive Chri∣stians, and the Papists with the Waldensis; whose freedom of speech, in blaming and reproving the dissolute manners, and acti∣ons of the Clergy, Effecit, ut plures 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 iis 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a quibus 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 alieni, saith 〈◊〉〈◊〉, was the cause that they were reported to be Manichees, Catharists, what not? And yet a certain Dominican was forced to confesse, that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 were good in their lives, true in their speeches, full of brotherly love one towards another, but their faith, saith he, is incorrigi∣ble, and as bad as may be. And why? but because they main∣tained, that the Pope was Antichrist, that the Court of Rome was intolerably corrupted, the Clergy debauched, &c. Novum 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Caie Caesar, &c. S. Paul was become the Galathians 〈◊〉〈◊〉, because he told them the truth, and so were these, the 〈◊〉〈◊〉. There was found a certain Postiller, that meeting with* 1.3 this 〈◊〉〈◊〉 passage in S. Augustine. The whole life of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉〈◊〉; neither is there any thing good without the chiefest good; 〈◊〉〈◊〉 est 〈◊〉〈◊〉 sententia, said he, This is a cruell sentence. This was a sinfull censure, say I, passed by a man that was never truly* 1.4 humbled with the sight and sense of his own wicked and wretch∣ed 〈◊〉〈◊〉 by nature and practice; a stranger to himself, and there∣fore so uncharitable to another. It is not evil to marry, saith one, but good to be wary. So, it is not 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to reprove an 〈◊〉〈◊〉, but let a man take heed he hear not; Phisitian healthy self. 〈◊〉〈◊〉,* 1.5 first pull the beam out of thine own eye. The Apostle after he had given rules for reproving, Ephes. 5. 11, 12, 13. 〈◊〉〈◊〉, 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 15. See that ye walk circumspectly, or exactly, that none may 〈◊〉〈◊〉 blame or blemish you, with any foul fault. Infirmities are 〈◊〉〈◊〉* 1.6 in the best, and will be, till they come to be the spirits of just men made perfect, Heb. 12. 23. And this is a means to make them warn the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 with more feeling experience and compassion, Heb. 2. 17. But say they be 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of grosse sinnes (as these 〈◊〉〈◊〉) though they should begin at home, and first cast out the beam of their own eye, yet if they speak according to Gods Word, and the thing be so indeed, hear them hardly, Matth. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 2, 3. 〈◊〉〈◊〉

by them. An Angel may speak in an 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and God by Balaam. The words doe but passe thorow him (as when* 1.7 a man speaks 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a trunke) they are not polluted by him, be∣cause not his.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉.
• * 1.2

  Iisdem 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 & 〈◊◊◊◊〉〈◊◊◊◊〉. Arch. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in gravis. ques. In 〈◊〉〈◊〉 & vita sunt boni veraces in ser∣mone, in 〈◊◊◊〉〈◊◊◊〉: sed 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 est 〈◊〉〈◊〉 & 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Jacob. Lie∣lensten. 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.3

  Omnis vita 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 est, & ni∣hil bonum 〈◊〉〈◊〉 summo 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.4

  Aug. de vera innocen. cap. 56.
• * 1.5

  Nihil 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉, 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉, 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉.
• * 1.6

  〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 o 〈◊◊◊◊〉〈◊◊◊◊〉, qui 〈◊◊◊◊◊〉〈◊◊◊◊◊〉.
• * 1.7

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. 13. 〈◊〉〈◊〉.