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ANNOTATIONS. IX.

6. Made clay.) Christ that could have cured this man by his only wil or word, yet used certaine creatures as his instruments in working, and divers circumstances and ceremonies, clay, water, anoynting, washing, &c. No marvel then that he and his Church use such diversities of Sacraments and ceremonies external in curing our soules.

22. Put out of the Synagogue.) The Heretikes untruly translate here (& v. 35.) Excommunicate: to make the simple conceave the Churches Excommunication to be no other, or no better, or no more rightly used against them, then this casting out of the Synagogue of such as confessed our Saviour. They might as wel have Translated for Synagogue, Church: for the old Testament, the new: for Law, grace: for flesh, spirit: for Moyses, Christ. For no lesse difference is there between casting out of the Synagogue, and Excommunication. Besides that, not every one which was not of the Jewes Synagogue, was therfore out of the communion of the Faithful, many true beleevers being in other partes of the world not subject to the Jewes Synagogue, Law, nor Sacraments. And therfore it was not al one to be out of the Synagogue, and to be excommunicated, as now, whosoever is out of the Churches communion, either by his owne wil, or for his just deserts thrust out of it by the spiritual Magistrate, he is quite abandoned out of al the societie of Saints in Heaven and earth, so long as he so continueth.

As for the cause of thrusting this poore man and such other out of the Synagogue, and excommunicating Heretikes, there is as great oddes as betwixt Heaven and hel: he being used so for folowing Christ and his Church these for forsaking Christ and his Church. Some more agreement there is between that corrupt sentence of the Jewes against the followers of Christ, and the pretended excommunication executed against Catholike men by our Heretikes: although in truth there is no great resemblance. For, the Jewes though they abused their power sometimes, yet had they authoritie indeed by Gods law so to punish contemners of their Law, and therfore it was feared and respected even of good men. But the excommunication used by heretikes against Catholikes or any offenders, is not to be respected at al, being no more but a ridiculous usurpation of the Churches right and fashion of the same. For, out of their Synagogues al faithful men ought to flye, and not tarie to be thrust out: according to the warning given against Core and Dathan: Be ye separated from their tabernacles, lest you be wrapped in their sinnes.

X.

MEN, amen I say to you, he that entreth not by the doore into the fold of the sheep, but ″ climeth up another way; he is a theefe and a robber. But he that entreth by the doore, is the Pastour of the sheep. To this man the porter openeth; and the Rh