First, (3) he promiseth rewards, (13) and he layeth before the Apostles their offices. (17) Secondly, he protesteth unto us that we must keep the commandments, and that more exactly than the Scribes and Pharisees, whose justice was counted most perfect; but yet that it was insufficient, he showeth in the precepts of (21) Murder, (27) Advoutry, (31) Divorce, (33) Swearing, (38) Revenge, (42) Usury, (43) Enemies.
AND seeing the multitudes, he * went up into a mountain, and when he was set, his Disciples came unto him 2and opening his mouth he taught them, saying:
3Blessed are the poor in Spirit; for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. 4Blessed are the meek; for they shall possess the land. 5Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted. 6Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice; for they shall have their fill. 7Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy. 8Blessed are the clean of heart; for they shall see God. 9Blessed are the peace-makers; for they shall be called the children of God. 10Blessed are they that suffer persecution • for justice; for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. 11Blessed are ye when they shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak all that naught is against you, untruly, for my sake; 12be glad and rejoice, for your • reward is very great in Heaven. For so they persecuted the Prophets, that were before you.
13You are the * salt of the earth. 14But if the salt lose his virtue, wherewith shall it be salted? It is good for nothing any more but to be cast forth, and to be trodden of men. 15You are the • light of the world. A city cannot be hid, situated on a mountain. 16Neither do men light a * candle and put it under a bushel, but upon a candlestick, that it may shine to all that are in the house. 17So let • your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.
18Do not think that I am come to break the Law or the Prophets. I am not come to break, but to fulfil. 19For assuredly I say unto you, * till Heaven and earth pass, one jot, or one tittle shall not pass of the Law, till all be fulfilled. 20He therefore that shall * break • one of these least commandments, and shall so teach men, shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But he that shall do and teach, he shall be called great in the Kingdom of heaven. 21For I tell you, that unless • your justice abound more than that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
22You have heard that it was said to them of old, * You shall not kill. And whoso killeth, shall be in danger of judgement. 23But I say to you, that whosoever is angry with his brother, shall be in danger of judgement. And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of a council. And whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be guilty of the • Hell of fire. 24If therefore thou offer thy • gift at the Altar, and there thou remember that thy brother has ought against thee; 25leave there thy offering before the Altar, and go first to be reconciled to thy brother; and then coming thou shalt offer thy gift. 26Be * at agreement with thy adversary betimes, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest perhaps the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into [a] prison. 27Amen I say to thee, thou shalt not go out from thence till thou repay the last farthing.
28You have heard that it was said to them of old, * Thou shall not commit advoutry. 29But I say to you, that whosoever shall see a woman to lust after her, hath already committed advoutry with her in his heart. 30And if thy right eye scandalise thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee. For it is expedient for thee that one of thy limbs perish, rather than thy whole body be cast into Hell. 31And if thy right hand scandalise thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee; for it is expedient for thee that one of your limbs perish, rather than that thy whole body go into Hell.
32It was said also, * whosoever shall dismiss his wife, let him give her a bill of divorcement. 33But I say to you, whosoever shall dismiss his wife, • excepting the cause of fornication, maketh her to commit advoutry: And he that shall marry her that is dismissed, • committeth advoutry.
34Again you have heard that it was said to them of old, * Thou shalt not commit perjury; but thou shalt perform thy oaths to our Lord. 35But I say to you • not to swear at all; neither by heaven, because it is the throne of God; neither by the earth, because it is the foot-stool of his feet; neither by Hierusalem, because it is the city of the great King. 36Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. 37Let your talk be, yea, yea; no, no; and that which is over and above these, is of evil.
38You have heard that it was said, * An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. 39But I say to you • not to resist evil; but if one strike thee on thy right cheek, turn to him also the other:; 40and to him that will contend with thee in judgement, and take away thy coat, let go thy cloak also unto him, 41and whosoever will force thee one mile, go with him other twain. 42He that asketh of thee, give to him; and * to him that would borrow of thee, turn not away.
43You have heard that it was said, * Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and [b] hate thine enemy. 44But I say to you, love your enemies, do good to them that hate you; and pray for them that persecute and abuse you; 45that you may be the children of your father which is in heaven, who maketh his sun to rise upon good and bad, and raineth upon just and [c] unjust. 46For if you love them that love you, what reward shall you have, do not also the Publicans this? 47And if you salute your brethren only, what do you more, do not also the Heathen this? 48Be you perfect therefore, as also your heavenly Father is perfect.
Footnotes
ANNOTATIONS. CHAP. V.
↑ 10. For justice.) Heretiks and other malefactors sometime suffer willingly and stoutly: but they are not blessed, because they suffer not for justice. For (saith St. Aug.) they can not suffer for justice, that have divided the Church, and, where sound faith or charity is not, there cannot be justice. Cont. ep. Parm. lib. 1 ch. 9 Ep. 50 Psal. 34 Conc. 2. And so by this scripture are excluded all false Martyrs, as St. Augustine often declareth, and St. Cypr. de Unit. Eccl. nu. 8.
↑ 12. Reward.) In Latin and Greek the word signifieth very wages, and hire due for works, and so presupposeth a meritorious deed.
↑ 15. The light.) This light of the world, and city on a mountain, and candle upon a candlestick, signify the Clergy, and the whole Church, so built upon Christ the mountain, that it must needs be visible, and cannot be hid nor unknown. Aug. cont. Fulg. Donat. ch. 18, Lib. 16. cont. Faust. ch. 17. And therefore, the Church being a candle not under a bushel, but shining to all in the house (that is) in the world, what shall I say more (saith St. Augustine) than that they are blind which shut their eyes against the candle that is set on the candlestick? Tract. 2. in ep. Joh.
↑ 17. Your light.) The good life of the Clergy edifieth much, and is God’s great honour: whereas the contrary dishonoureth him.
↑ 20. One of these.) Behold how necessary it is, not only to believe, but to keep all the commandments, even the very least.
↑ 21. Your Justice.) It is our justice, when it is given us of God. Aug. in Ps. 30 Conc. li. De Sp. & lit. ch. 9. So that Christians are truly just, and have in themselves inherent justice, by doing God’s commandments, without which justice of works no man of age can be saved. Aug. de fid. & oper. ch. 16. Whereby we see salvation, justice, and justification, not to come of only faith, or imputation of Christ’s justice.
↑ 23. Hell of fire.) Here is a plain difference of sins, some mortal, that bring to Hell, some less, and less punished, called venial.
↑ 24. Gift at the altar.) Beware of coming to the holy altar or any Sacrament out of charity. But be first reconciled to your brother, and much more to the Catholik Church, which is the whole brotherhood of Christian men, Heb. 13:1.
↑ 33. Excepting the cause of fornication.) This exception is only to show, that for this one cause a man may put away his wife forever: but not that he may marry another as it is most plain in St. Mark and St. Luke, who leave out this exception, saying: * Whosoever dismisseth his wife and marrieth another, committeth advoutry. See the Annot. Luc. 19:9. But if both parties be in one and the same fault, then can neither of them not so much as divorce or put away the other.
↑ 33. Committeth advoutry.) The knot of Marriage is a thing of so great a Sacrament, that not by separation itself of the parties it can be loosed, being not lawful neither for the one party nor the other, to marry again upon divorce. Aug. de bo. Conjug. ch. 7.
↑ 35. Not to swear.) The Anabaptists here not following the Church’s judgement, but the bare letter (as other Heretiks in other cases) hold that there is no oath lawful, no not before a judge, whereas Christ speaketh against rash and usual swearing in common talk, when there is no cause.
↑ 39. Not to Resist evil.) Here also the Anabaptists gather of the letter, that it is not lawful to go to law for our right; as Luther also upon this place held, that Christians might not resist the Turk. Whereas by this, as by that which followeth, patience only is signified, and a will to suffer more, rather than to revenge. For neither did Christ nor St. Paul follow the letter, by turning the other cheek. Joh. 18. Act. 23.
Margin Notes
- The Sermon of Christ upon the Mount; containing the pattern of a Christian life, in these three chapters following whereof St. Augustine hath two goodly books to 4.
- 1–12. The Eight Beatitudes; which are a part of the Catechism.
- 1–12. The Ghospel upon All-hollows day, and upon the Feasts of many Martyr.
- 13–20. The Ghospel on the feasts of Doctors.
- 20–24. The Ghospel upon the fifth Sunday after Pentecost.
- 43–48. The Ghospel upon the Friday after Ash Wednesday.
- annot. 10. False Martyrs
- annot. 12. Merces. μισθος
- annot. 15. The Church visible.
- annot. 20. True inherent justice.
- annot. 23. Venial sins.
- annot. 33. Marriage a Sacrament and is not dissolved by divorce.
Margin References
- 1. Luc. 6, 20.
- 13. Mar. 9, 50. Luc. 14, 34.
- 16. Mar. 4, 21. Luc. 8, 16. 11, 33.
- 19. Luc. 16, 17.
- 20. Jac. 2, 10.
- 22. Exo. 20, 58. Deut. 5, 17.
- 26. Luc. 12, 58.
- 28. Exo. 20, 14.
- 32. Deu. 24, 1. Mar. 19, 6.
- 34. Exo. 20, 7.
- 35. Lev. 19, 11.
- 38. Exo. 21, 24.
- 42. Deu. 15, 7.
- 43. Lev. 19, 18.
- annot. 33. Mar. 10, 11, Luc. 16, 18.
