1861. Vae vobis, scribae et Pharisaei hypocritae, qui circuitis mare et aridam, ut faciatis unum proselytum. Et hoc dupliciter exponitur, ut referatur ad tempus post Christum, et ante Christum. 1861. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you go round about the sea and the land to make one proselyte. And this is explained in two ways, according as it is referred to the time after Christ or to the time before Christ. Si ad tempus post, sic loquitur futura et praesentia. Praevidit enim quod per totum mundum Iudaei essent dispergendi, et quod converterent ad legem suam, et perverterent a Christo quos possent. Et ideo dicitur circuitis mare et aridam et cetera. Dicuntur proselyti qui convertuntur a gentibus ad fidem eorum, vel a Christianis; et quia praevidebat istos aliquos ad fidem suam conversuros de Christianis, ideo hoc dicit. Et dicit unum quia paucissimi conversi sunt. Ideo intrarunt illam maledictionem, quae habetur Os. IX, 10: quasi uvas in deserto inveni Israel. Et cum factus fuerit, scilicet Iudaeus, facitis eum filium gehennae duplo quam vos: quia est primo gentilis et post Iudaeus, et tunc habet duplicia peccata, scilicet gentilitatis et Iudaeorum, quia cum sit Iudaeus, fit particeps occisionis Christi; si autem fuerit Christianus, et post Iudaeus, efficitur in duplo peior, quia maculat donum Spiritus Sancti, quod acceperat in sacramentis. Item particeps fit peccatorum Iudaeorum; Io. VIII, 44: vos ex patre diabolo estis. If to the time after, in this way he speaks of future things as present things. For he foresaw that the Jews would be scattered through the whole world, and that they would convert others to their law, and would turn aside from Christ those whom they could. And for this reason it says, you go round about the sea and the land. Those are called proselytes who are converted to their faith from the gentiles or from Christians; and since he foresaw that they would convert some from Christians to their own faith, he says this. And he says, one, because only a very few were converted. So they enter that curse which is found in Hosea, I found Israel like grapes in the desert (Hos 9:10). And when he is made a Jew you make him the child of hell twofold more than yourselves: for he is first a gentile and then a Jew, and then he has a double sin, namely that of the gentiles and that of the Jews, for since he is a Jew, he becomes a partaker in the killing of Christ; but if he is a Christian and then a Jew, he is made worse twice over, for he dishonors the gift of the Holy Spirit, which he had received in the sacraments. Likewise, he becomes a partaker in the sins of the Jews; you are of your father the devil (John 8:44). 1862. Potest etiam referri ad tempus ante Christum, quia ante Christum convertebant aliquos ad fidem suam. Et hoc patet, quia quilibet diligit magis se quam alium; ergo si converterent alios propter salutem animae, magis deberent de sui ipsius salute curare, sed non curabant. Sed hoc faciebant totum propter quaestum, quia volebant quod oblationes augmentarentur; unde futilis erat doctrina eorum. Et cum factus fuerit, facitis eum filium gehennae duplo quam vos; quia primo convertebatur ad Iudaismum et scandalizabatur, et sic post iterato convertebatur. Unde II Petr. II, 21: melius est viam iustitiae non agnoscere, quam post agnitam regredi. Item aliter. Antequam esset Iudaeus, abstinebat a malis, saltem propter laudem hominum, sed post, non: unde ad Rom. II, v. 14: cum enim gentes, quae legem non habent, naturaliter ea quae legis sunt faciunt, eiusmodi legem non habentes ipsi sibi sunt lex. Unde accipiebant exemplum a malis. 1862. It can also be referred to the time before Christ, because before Christ they were converting some men to their faith. And this is clear, because any man loves himself more than another; therefore if they converted others for the sake of saving a soul, all the more should they have taken care for the salvation of their own, but they did not take care. But they did this whole thing for profit, because they wanted to increase the offerings; hence their teaching was futile. And when he is made, you make him the child of hell twofold more than yourselves; for first he was converted to Judaism and then was scandalized, and thus afterward was converted again. Hence, for it had been better for them not to have known the way of justice, than after they have known it, to turn back (2 Pet 2:21). Similarly, in another way. Before he was a Jew he refrained from evil things, at least for the sake of the praise of men, but not afterwards: hence, for when the gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature those things that are of the law; these not having the law are a law to themselves (Rom 2:14). Hence they took example from the evil. 1863. Vae vobis, duces caeci. In hoc ostendit quomodo sunt simulatores sanctitatis in his quae praelatis debentur. Et 1863. Woe to you, blind guides. In this he shows how they are pretenders of sanctity in those things which are owed to prelates: primo de oblationibus; first, concerning offerings; secundo de decimis, ibi vae vobis . . . qui decimatis mentham et cetera. second, concerning the tithe, at woe to you . . . you tithe mint. Videte: primo ponit traditionem eorum; secundo arguit tribus rationibus. Observe: first, he sets out their tradition; second, he convicts them with three arguments. Prima pars, ubi ponitur traditio cum ratione, habet duas partes. Secunda ibi et quicumque iuraverit in altari et cetera. The first part, where the tradition is set out with an argument, has two parts. The second is at and whoever will swear by the altar. Isti totam religionem trahebant ad quaestum, ut traherent homines ad offerendum. In templo erat multum aurum positum: unde dicebant quod si aliquis iuraret per templum, nihil debebat; sed qui iurabat per aurum, obligabat se ad tantum pro quo iurabat. These men turned the whole of religion to profit, to draw men in to make offerings. There was much gold placed in the temple: hence they said that if someone swore by the temple, he owed nothing; but whoever swore by the gold obligated himself to as much as he swore. Item secunda traditio erat, quod erat ibi altare et offerebantur multa super altare; unde dicebant quod qui iurabat per altare, nihil solvebat, qui autem per oblationem, obligabat se ad valorem oblationis. Et quare? Ut lucrarentur ex poenis, et ut elevarent per sanctitatem oblationem, et ut incitarentur homines ad magis offerendum. Likewise there was a second tradition, for there was an altar there and many things were offered on the altar. Hence they said that whoever swore by the altar paid nothing, but whoever swore by the offering, bound himself to the fulfillment of the offering. And why? That they might profit by the penalties, and that they might elevate the offerings by sanctity, and that men might be urged on to offering more. Et primo ponit primam partem; secundo secundam. And first, he sets out the first part; second, the second. Circa primum duo facit. Concerning the first, he does two things: Primo proponit traditionem; first, he sets forth the tradition; secundo improbationem, ibi stulti et caeci et cetera. second, a refutation, at you foolish and blind. 1864. Dicit ergo vae vobis, duces caeci et cetera. Idem habetur supra XV, 14: caeci sunt et duces caecorum; Is. LVI, 10: speculatores eius caeci omnes. Qui dicitis, quicumque iuraverit per templum Dei, nihil est, quia impossibile est quod iste aliud templum faciat; qui autem iuraverit in auro templi, idest per aurum, debitor est, scilicet illius auri. 1864. He says therefore, woe to you, blind guides. The same thing is said above, they are blind, and leaders of the blind (Matt 15:14); his watchmen are all blind (Isa 56:10). Who say: whoever will swear by the temple, it is nothing, because it is impossible that this man build another temple; but he who will swear by the gold of the temple, i.e., by gold, is a debtor, namely of that gold. 1865. Consequenter ponit improbationem stulti et caeci; quid enim maius est, aurum, an templum quod sanctificat aurum? Constat quod illud quod est in templo, ratione templi sanctum est, unde qui aliquid in templo furatur, sacrilegium committit: unde maius est iurare per templum, quam per aurum. Chrysostomus: contra quosdam qui dicunt quod iurare per Deum, nihil est. Unde qui iurant per Deum, credunt nihil iurare; sed cum iurant per sancta Dei Evangelia, credunt magnum esse. Unde potest eis dici: quid maius est, Deus vel Evangelium? Constat quod Deus. Et hoc verum est simpliciter; secus cum aliqua circumstantia additur, quae aggravat peccatum. Quia qui iurat per sancta Evangelia Dei, iuravit cum quadam deliberatione et solemnitate, et ideo gravius peccat. 1865. Next he sets out a refutation: you foolish and blind; for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold? It is agreed that what is in the temple is holy by reason of the temple, hence someone who steals something in the temple commits a sacrilege: hence it is greater to swear by the temple than by the gold. Chrysostom: against certain men who say that to swear by God is nothing. Hence those who swear by God believe that they swear nothing; but when they swear by the holy Gospel of God, they think it a great thing. Hence it can be said to them: which is greater, God or the Gospel? It is agreed that God is greater. And this is true simply speaking; it is otherwise when some circumstance is added, which aggravates the sin. For he who swears by the holy Gospel of God swears with a certain deliberation and solemnity, and so sins more seriously. 1866. Deinde ponit secundam partem traditionis et quicumque iuraverit in altari, nihil est: qui autem iuraverit in dono quod est super illud, debet. 1866. Hence he sets out the second part of the tradition: and whoever will swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever will swear by the gift that is upon it, is a debtor. 1867. Tunc ponit reprobationem caeci, quid maius est, donum an altare quod sanctificat donum? Non enim sanctificatur donum nisi per altare. 1867. Next he sets out a condemnation: you blind: for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift? For the gift is only made holy by the altar. Qui ergo iuraverit in altari, iurat in eo et in omnibus quae super illud sunt. Hic ponit aliam rationem. Templum continet aurum, et non e converso: similiter altare continet donum, et non e converso. Unde qui iurat per templum, iurat per aurum quod est in templo: et qui iurat in altari, idest per altare, iurat per id quod est in eo. He therefore who swears by the altar, swears by it, and by all things that are upon it. Here he sets out another argument. The temple contains the gold, and not the other way around: similarly, the altar contains the gift, and not the other way around. Hence he who swears by the temple, swears by the gold which is in the temple; and he who swears on the altar, swears by that which is on it. Item sequitur alia ratio et qui iuraverit in templo, iurat in illo et in eo qui habitat in ipso. Isti dicebant: qui iurat in templo, nihil iurat. Sed ipse vult ostendere quod qui iurat per templum, iurat per Deum, quia non iurat per templum nisi sanctificatum, et non est sanctificatum nisi Deo. Ergo qui iurat per templum, iurat per Deum. And there follows another argument: and whoever will swear by the temple, swears by it, and by him who dwells in it. These men said, whoever will swear by the temple, it is nothing. But he wishes to show that he who swears by the temple, swears by God, because he only swears by the temple as it is sanctified, and it is only sanctified by God. Therefore he who swears by the temple, swears by God. Deinde ponitur alia ratio et qui iurat in caelo, idest per caelum, non iurat per eum, nisi quia thronus Dei, et quia manifestatur ibi potentia Dei; unde qui in caelo iurat, iurat in throno Dei, et in eo qui sedet super eum. Ps. X, 5: Deus in templo sancto suo, Dominus in caelo sedes eius. Et istud inducitur ibi secundum similitudinem. Then another argument is set out: and he who swears by heaven, only swears by it because it is the throne of God, and because God’s power is manifested there; hence, and he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him who is seated there. The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven (Ps 10:5). And this is introduced by way of likeness. 1868. Sed mystice, secundum Origenem, facit mentionem de templo, de auro et de altari, in quibus significatur vita contemplativa et gloriosa. Per aurum contemplativa significatur, per quod significatur subtilis sensus excogitatus ipsius Scripturae: quia quantumcumque videatur rationabilis, nihil est nisi sit in templo, idest nisi confirmetur in Sacra Scriptura. Per altare signatur cor, in quo debet esse ignis devotionis; Lev. VI, 12: ignis in altari meo non deficiet. Per oblationes servitia et oblationes, quae nisi a corde sancto, vel ab altari sancto exeant, non possunt valere; Sup. VI, 22: si oculus tuus fuerit simplex, totum corpus tuum lucidum erit. Per thronum vita gloriosa signatur: ibi Deus est qui est excedens universa. 1868. But mystically, according to Origen, he mentions the temple, the gold, and the altar, which things signify the contemplative and the glorious life. The contemplative is signified by the gold, which signifies the subtle thought-out sense of Scripture itself: for however reasonable it may seem, it is nothing unless it is in the temple, i.e., unless it is confirmed in Sacred Scripture. The altar signifies the heart, which should have in it the fire of devotion; this is the perpetual fire which will never go out on the altar (Lev 6:13). The offerings signify services and offerings which cannot do any good unless they proceed from a holy heart, or from a holy altar; above, if your eye be sound, your whole body will be lightsome (Matt 6:22). The glorious life is signified by the throne: God is there, who exceeds the universe. Vel per altare et templum intelligimus Christum: ipse enim se nominat templum; Io. II, v. 19: solvite templum hoc, et in tribus diebus reaedificabo illud. Item dicitur altare; ad Hebr. ult., 10: habemus altare, de quo edere non habent potestatem qui in tabernaculo deserviunt. Unde quicquid boni facimus, nisi sit in templo hoc, idest Christo, sanctificatum, non valet; unde totum contemptibile est nisi referatur ad Christum. Or, by the altar and the temple we understand Christ: for he called himself the temple; destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up (John 2:19). Likewise, he is called the altar; we have an altar, whereof they have no power to eat who serve the tabernacle (Heb 13:10). Hence whatever good we do, unless it is sanctified in this temple, i.e., Christ, it does no good; hence the whole thing is contemptible unless it is referred to Christ. 1869. Vae vobis, scribae et Pharisaei hypocritae, qui decimatis mentham, et anethum, et cyminum. Hic reprehendit eos de decimis; et tria facit. 1869. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you tithe mint, and anise, and cummin. Here he reproaches them about the tithe; and he does three things: Primo ponitur eorum consuetudinem; first, their custom is set out; secundo inducit doctrinam; second, he introduces a teaching; tertio ponit quamdam similitudinem. third, he sets out a certain likeness. Secunda ibi haec oportuit facere; tertia ibi duces caeci excolantes culicem et cetera. The second is at these things you ought to have done; the third, at blind guides, who strain out a gnat. 1870. Unde dicit vae vobis, scribae et Pharisaei, et superaddit hypocritae, quia principalis intentio erat simulatio, qui decimatis mentham, anethum et cyminum. Potest intelligi, vel decimas datis, vel qui decimas exigitis; unde plurimi erant sacerdotes et Levitae, ad quos pertinebant decimas exigere quae eis debebantur, ut habetur Num. XVIII, v. 21 et Deut. XIV, 22, ideo diligentissimi erant ad exigendum, ideo usque ad minima exigebant, ut de cymino et anetho. 1870. Hence he says, woe to you scribes and Pharisees, and he adds, hypocrites, because their principal intention was pretense, because you tithe mint, and anise, and cummin. It can either be understood as you give tithes or as you who weigh tithes; many were priests and Levites, to whom it pertained to weigh the tithes which were owed to them (Num 18:21: Deut 14:22), so they were most diligent at weighing, even down to the least things, like cummin and anise. Et reliquistis quae graviora sunt legis, iudicium, misericordiam et fidem. Quaedam enim debebantur sacerdotibus propter se, ut decimae ex quibus debebant vivere; ad quaedam vero tenebantur propter Deum, ut facere iudicium et misericordiam; unde Dominus ab eis ista requirebat, scilicet iudicium et misericordiam; Ps. c, 1: misericordiam et iudicium cantabo tibi, Domine. Item vult fidem propter gloriam suam. Unde illa ad quae tenebantur propter Deum, non curabant, unde dicit: et reliquistis quae graviora sunt legis, iudicium, et misericordiam, et fidem. And have left the weightier things of the law: judgment, and mercy, and faith. For some things were owed to the priests for their sake, as the tithes from which they were to live; but to some things they were bound for God’s sake, as to render judgment and mercy; hence the Lord requires these things of them, namely judgment and mercy: mercy and judgment I will sing to you, O Lord (Ps 100:1). Likewise, he wills faith for the sake of his own glory. Hence they took no care for those things to which they were bound for God’s sake, so he says, and have left the weightier things of the law: judgment, and mercy, and faith. Sed de decimis, ad quae tenebantur propter se, bene curabant, secundum illud Phil. c. II, 21: omnes quaerunt quae sua sunt, non Dei. E contrario facit caritas, quae non quaerit quae sua sunt, sed quae Iesu Christi, I Cor. XIII, 5. But they cared well for the tithe, to which they were bound for their own sakes, in accordance with, for all seek the things that are their own; not the things that are Jesus Christ’s (Phil 2:21). To the contrary is charity, which seeks not her own (1 Cor 13:5), but what is Jesus Christ’s. Item potest dici vae vobis, qui decimas datis, quia datis de minimis, de mentha, et cymino, et huiusmodi, et hoc ut appareatis religiosi; sed de interioribus non curatis, quia nec misericordiam, nec iudicium, nec fidem diligitis; supra XII, 7: si sciretis quid est, ‘misericordiam volo, et non sacrificium,’ numquam condemnassetis innocentes. Similarly it can be said, woe to you who give tithes, because you give of the least things, of mint, and cummin, and suchlike, and you do this to appear religious; but you take no care of interior things, for you love neither mercy, nor judgment, nor faith; above, and if you knew what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would never have condemned the innocent (Matt 12:7). Origenes dicit quod per mentham et cyminum etc. possunt quaedam intelligi, quae ad honestatem religionis pertinent. Unde misericordia, iudicium et fides sunt sicut cibi, alia vero minima sunt sicut condimentum. Unde sicut faciebant maiorem vim in condimento suo in parando cibum, quam in cibo, sic et isti magis faciebant vim in hoc quod flecteretur genu coram eis, quam in eis quae ad Deum pertinebant. Origen says that mint and cummin and so on can be taken to mean certain things which pertain to the honor of religion. Hence mercy, judgment, and faith are like food, while the others are least, like spices. Hence, just as they put greater stress on their spice in preparing food than on the food, so also these men put a greater stress on the knee being bent before them than on those things which pertain to God. 1871. Haec oportuit facere, et illa non omittere. Quia dixerat, vae vobis, qui decimatis, posset aliquis dicere quod prohiberet Dominus dare decimas, ideo dicit quod immo, cum dicit haec oportuit facere, et illa non omittere; quasi dicat: non peccatis in istis, sed in omittendo ea ad quae magis tenemini. Ideo et haec oportuit facere, idest decimas exigere, et illa, scilicet iudicium, iustitiam et fidem, non omittere. 1871. These things you ought to have done, and not to leave those undone. Since he had said, woe to you . . . because you tithe, someone could say that the Lord forbade the giving of tithes; for this reason he speaks to the contrary, when he says, these things you ought to have done, and not to leave those undone, as though to say, you do not sin in these things, but in omitting those things to which you are more bound. So, these things you ought to have done, i.e., to exact the tithes, and not to leave those, namely judgment, justice, and faith, undone. 1872. Sed hic potest esse quaestio de decimis. Videtur Dominus ponere necessitatem solvendi decimas; unde in toto Novo Testamento non ita expresse fit mentio sicut hic. Sed numquid ex praecepto legis habetur? Non: quia in lege quaedam moralia continentur, quaedam caeremonialia, quaedam iudicialia. Moralia per omne tempus servanda sunt, et ab omnibus; caeremonialia a certis hominibus, et certis temporibus, ut circumcisio, et haec erant solum in figura; item quaedam iudicialia, ut si quis furaretur ovem, reddat quadruplum. Ideo quaeritur de decimis, utrum decimae sint praeceptum morale. Et videtur quod non, quia moralia sunt de lege naturali. Illud autem solum est de lege naturali, quod ratio naturalis suadet. Sed non plus suadet dare decimam, quam nonam vel undecimam et cetera. Ergo non est de iure naturali. Item, si decimae sint caerimoniales, ergo peccant qui solvunt eas. 1872. But here there is a question about the tithe. The Lord seems to lay down the necessity of paying tithes; hence in the whole New Testament it is not mentioned so expressly as here. But is this gotten from a precept of the law? No: for the law contains some things pertaining to morality, some ceremonial things, and some judicial things. Those things pertaining to morality should be kept for all time, and by all; the ceremonial things should be kept by certain men, and at certain times, such as circumcision, and these were only in figure; likewise certain judicial things, such as if someone steals a sheep, he shall repay fourfold. So one may ask about the tithe whether tithes are a moral precept. And it seems not, because the things pertaining to morality are from the natural law. But only that which natural reason suggests is from the natural law. But reason does not suggest giving a tenth more than a ninth or an eleventh, etc. Therefore it is not of the natural law. Likewise, if the tithes were ceremonial, then those who pay them sin. Ad hoc dixerunt, qui ante nos fuerunt, quod quaedam sunt pure moralia, quaedam pure caeremonialia, quaedam habent aliquid de morali et aliquid de caerimoniali. Non occides, pure morale est. Similiter, Dominum Deum tuum adorabis et cetera. Si dicas: quartadecima luna ad vesperam offeres agnum, istud pure caerimoniale est. Sed si dicitur: memento quod diem Sabbati sanctifices, aliquid habet naturale, vel morale, et aliquid caerimoniale. Morale, scilicet quod ratio naturalis suggerit, scilicet quod habeat aliquod tempus, ad quod vacat, vel in quo vacet ad orandum Deum. Sed quod die Sabbati, vel Dominico etc., iudiciale est. Unde dicunt quod praeceptum de decimis partim caerimoniale est, partim morale. Sunt enim ad sustentationem pauperum et eorum qui vacant servitio Dei, vel praedicationi: qui enim servit communitati, convenit ei de communitate vivere, et hoc est de iure naturali; sed quod decimam partem, hoc est caeremoniale. To this question those who were before us have said that some things are purely moral, some purely ceremonial, and some have something of the moral and something of the ceremonial. You shall not kill is purely moral. Similarly, the Lord your God you shall adore. If you say, on the fourteenth day of the month, in the evening, you shall offer a lamb, this is purely ceremonial. But if it is said: mind that you keep holy the Sabbath day, it has something natural, or moral, and something ceremonial. The moral, namely what natural reason suggests, that one have a certain time for which he is free, or in which he is free, for praying to God. But that it is the Sabbath day, or the Lord’s day, is judicial. Hence they say that the commandment about tithes is partially ceremonial, partially moral. For they are for the support of the poor and of those who are free for the service of God, or for preaching: for it is fitting that he who serves a community live from the community, and this is from the natural law; but that it is a tenth part, this is ceremonial.