Page:Bible (Douay Rheims NT, 1582).djvu/44

18 few there are that find it!

Take ye great heed of false Prophets, which come to you in the ″ clothing of sheep, but inwardly are rauening wolues ″ By their fruits you shal know them. Do men gather grapes of thornes, or figs of thistels? Euen so euery good tree yealdeth good fruits, and the euil tree yealdeth euil fruits. A good tree can not yeald euil fruits, neither an euil tree yeald good fruits. Euery tree that yealdeth not good fruit, shal be cut downe, and shal be cast into fire. Therfore by their fruits you shal know them.

Not euery one that sayth to me, ″ Lord, Lord, shal enter into the Kingdom of Heauen: but he that doth the wil of my Father which is in Heauen, he shal enter into the Kingdom of Heauen. Many shal say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, haue not we prophecied in thy name, and in thy name cast out Diuels, and in thy name wrought many miracles? And then I wil confesse vnto them, That I neuer knew you: depart from me you that worke iniquitie. Euery one therfore that heareth these my words, and doth them, shal be likned to a wise man that built his house vpon a rock, and the rayne fel, and the fluddes came, and the windes blew, and they beat agaynst that house, and it fel not, for it was founded vpon a rock. And euery one that heareth these my words, and doth them not, shal be like a foolish man that built his house vpon the sand, and the rayne fel, and the fluddes came, and the winds blew, and they beat against that house, and it fel, and the fal therof was great.

And it came to passe, when had fully ended these wordes, the multitude were in admiration vpon his doctrine. For he was teaching them as hauing power, and not as their Scribes and Pharisees.

ANNOTATIONS . VII.

1. Iudge not.) It is not Christian part to iudge il of mens actes, which be in themselues good, and may proceed of good meaning, or of mans inward meanings, and intentions, which we can not see; of which fault they must beware, that are too suspicious, and giuen to deeme alwayes the worst of other men. But to say, that Iudas, or an Heretike euidently known to die obstinatly in heresie, is damned, and in al other playne and manifest cases to iudge, is not forbidden.

6. Holy to dogs.) No holy Sacrament, and specially that of our Sauiours Blessed Body, must be giuen wittingly to the vnworthie, that is, to them that haue not by confession of al mortal sinnes examined and proued themselues. See the Annot. 1. Cor. 11, 27. 28. 29.

8. Euery one that asketh.) Al things that we aske necessarie to saluation with humilitie, attention, continuance, and other due circunstances, God wil vndoubtedly grant when it is best for vs.

15. Clothing of sheepe.] Extraordinarie apparance of zeale and holines, is the sheeps cote, in some Heretikes: but these of this time we are not that garment much, being men of vnsatiable sinne. This is rather their garment, common to them with al other Heretikes, to crak much of the word of the Lord, and by pretensed allegations & sweet words