He continueth his talk to the Pharisees, showing that they and all other that will not enter in by him, are wolves: and that they which hear them, are not the true sheep. (11) But that himself is the good Pastor, and therefore to save the sheep from these wolves, he will yield his life, which otherwise no might of theirs could take from him, foretelling also his Resurrection, and vocation of the Gentiles. (22) Again another time, he telleth these Jews openly, that they are not of his sheep, and that no might of theirs shall take from him his true sheep, because he is God, even as his Father is God. (31) Which by his miracles and by Scripture he showeth to be no blasphemy: and they in vain seeking to stone and to apprehend him, (40) he goeth out to the place where John Baptist had given open witness of him.
AMEN, amen I say to you, he that entereth not by the door into the fold of the sheep, but • climbeth up another way; he is [a] a thief and a robber. 2But he that entereth by the door, is the Pastor of the sheep. 3To this man the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them forth. 4And when he hath let forth his own sheep, he [b] goeth before them; and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice. 5But a stranger they follow not, but flee from him because they know not the voice of strangers. 6This proverb Jesus said to them. But they knew not what he spoke to them.
7Jesus therefore said to them again: Amen, amen I say to you, that I am the door of the sheep. 8And how many soever have come, are thieves and robbers; but the sheep heard them not. 9I am the door. By me if any enter, he shall be saved; and he shall go in and shall go out, and shall find pastures. 10The thief cometh not but to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have more aboundantly. 11I am the good Pastour. • 12The good Pastor giveth his life for his sheep. But the hireling and he that is not the Pastor, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf raveneth, and disperseth the sheep. 13And the hireling • fleeth because he is a hireling; and he hath no care of the sheep. 14I am the good Pastor; and I know mine, and mine know me. 15As the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father: and [c] I yield my life for my sheep. 16And [d] other sheep I have that are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be made * one fold and one Pastor. 17Therefore the Father loveth me: because I yield my life, that I may take it again. 18No man taketh it away from me: but * I yield it of myself. And I have power to yield it: and I have power to take it again. This commandment I received of my Father.
19A dissension rose again among the Jews for these words. 20And many of them said: He hath a Devil and is mad; why hear you him? 21Others said: These are not the words of one that hath a Devil. Can a Devil open the eyes of blind men?
22 * And • the Dedication was in Hierusalem: and it was winter. 23And Jesus walked in the Temple, in Salomon’s porch. 24The Jews therefore compassed him round about, and said to him: How long doest thou hold our soul in suspense? If thou be Christ, tell us openly. 25Jesus answered them: I speak to you; and you believe not; the works that I do in the name of my Father, they give testimony of me. 26But you do not believe, because you are not of my sheep. 27My sheep hear my voice; and I know them, and they follow me. 28And I give them life everlasting; and they shall not perish for ever, and no man shall pluck them out of my hand. 29My father, • that which he hath given me, is greater than all: and no man can pluck them out of the hand of my Father. 30I and the Father are* one.
31The Jews took up stones, to stone him. 32Jesus answered them: Many good works I have showed you from my Father, for which of those works do you stone me? 33The Jews answered him: For a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy, and because thou being a man, makest thyself God. 34Jesus answered them: Is it not written in your law, that I said, you are Gods? 35If he called them Gods, to whom the word of God was made, and the scripture can not be broken; 36whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world, say you, That thou blasphemest, because I said I am the Son of God? 37If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. 38But if I do, and if you will not believe me, believe the works; that you may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in the Father. 39They sought therefore to apprehend him; and he went forth out of their hands.
40And he went again beyond Jordan into that place where John was baptizing first; and he tarried there. 41And many came to him, and they said: That John indeed did no sign. But all things whatsoever John said of this man, were true. 42And many believed in him.
Footnotes
- ↑ The thief, is the Heretic specially, and any other that unlawfully break in upon the sheep to kill and destroy them by false doctrine and otherwise.
- ↑ That is the fashion of Jewry and other countries, signifying that the shepherd or Pastor must teach the sheep, and not they him.
- ↑ Christ’s death was so necessary for the flock, that when he might have escaped, he voluntarily offered himself to death for his flock.
- ↑ He meaneth the Church of the Gentiles.
ANNOTATIONS. CHAP. X.
↑ 1. Climbeth another way.) Whosoever taketh upon him to preach without lawful sending, to minister Sacraments, and is not Canonically ordered of a true Catholic Bishop, to be a Curate of souls, Person, Bishop, or what other spiritual Pastor so ever, and cometh not in by lawful election and holy Church’s ordinance to that dignity, but breaketh in against order by force or favour of men, and by human laws, he is a thief and a murderer. So came in Arius, Calvin, Luther, and all Heretics: and all that succeed them in room and doctrine. And generally every one that descendeth not by Lawful succession in the known ordinary line of Catholic Bishops and Pastors that have been in all Countries since their conversions. And according to this rule St. Irenaeus lib. 3. ch. 3. useth the true shepherds from the thieves and Heretics. So do Tertul. de Praeser. nu. 11. St. Cypr. de unit. Ec. nu. 7. St. August. ep. 165. and cont. ep. Manich. ch. 4. and Livinensis.
↑ 11. Good Pastor.) The good Pastor, is he whose special care is not of his own advantage, but of the safety of the flock. The hireling, is he that respecteth not the profit and good of the flock, but his own lucre. The wolf, is the Heretic, or any persecutor of the Church, which is Christ’s flock.
↑ 13. Fleeth.) Every Bishop and Pastor is bound to abide with his flock in times of danger and persecution even to death, except himself be personally sought for, rather than the flock, or the flock itself forsake him. For in such cases the Pastor may flee, as the Apostles did, and St. Athanasius, and others. St. Athan. Apol. de sua fuga. St. August. ep. 180.
↑ 22. The dedication.) This is the feast of Dedication instituted by Judas Machabaeus lib. 1 Mach. ch. 4. Christ vouchsafed to honour and keep that feast instituted by him: and our Heretics vouchsafe not to pray and sacrifice for the dead, * used and approved by him. The Dedication also of Christian Churches is warranted thereby, with the annual memories thereof. And it proveth that such things may be instituted without any express commandment in Scripture.
↑ 29. That which he gave me.) Thus read also diverse of the Fathers, namely St. Hilar. Trin. lib. 7. post medium. St. Ambr. de Sp. S. lib. 3. ch. 18. St. August. in Jo. tract. 48. St. Cyril. lib. 7. in Jo ch. 10. and use it to prove that Christ had his essence and nature of the Father. And therefore some Heretics of our time wickedly accuse the Council of Lateran for falsifying this place and applying it to the same purpose. Which they less can abide, for that it is against Calvin’s Autotheism, holding that Christ took his person of the Father, but not his substance. See the 2 Annot. in 1 Joh. v. 1.
Margin Notes
- 1–10. The Ghospel upon Tuesday on Whitsun-week.
- 11. The Ghospel upon the 2. Sunday after Easter, and for St. Thomas of Canterbury. Decemb. 29. And in his Translation. July. 7.
- 22–38. The Ghospel upon Wednesday in Passion week.
- 29. Another reading is, My Father that hath given me &c.
- annot. 1. climbeth another way. Arch-heretics specially, are the thieves that climb in another way, not by the door.
- annot. 13. flieth. When the Pastor must tarry, or may flee.
- annot. 21. the dedication.
- Judas Machabeus.
- Dedication of Churches.
- annot. 29. that which he gave me.
- Christ’s essence and divine nature of the Father.
- Calvin’s autotheism.
Margin References
- 10. Esa. 40, 11. Eze. 34, 23.
- 16. Eze. 37, 24.
- 18. Esa. 53, 7.
- 22. 1. Mac. 4, 56. 59.
- 30. * unum
- 34. Ps. 81, 6.
- annot. 21. the dedication. * 2. Machae. 12.
