A harmony upon the the three Evangelists, Matthew, Mark and Luke with the commentary…A harmonie vpon the the three Euangelists, Matthew, Mark and Luke with the commentarie…

23 But the hour cometh and now is. The latter member concerning the abrogation of the legal worship followeth. When he saith, that the hour cometh or shall come, he teacheth that the order delivered by Moses shall not be perpetual. Heb. 9. 10. When he saith, that the hour is now, he maketh an end of the ceremonies: and so he telleth her that the time of reformation is fulfilled. In the mean while he alloweth the Temple, the Priesthood and all rites annexed thereunto, as touching the use of the time past.

23 But the houre commeth and now is. The latter member concerning the abrogation of the legall worship followeth. VVhen he saith, that the houre commeth or shall come, he teacheth that the order deliuered by Moses shall not be perpetuall. Heb. 9. 10. VVhen he saith, that the houre is nowe, he maketh an end of the ceremonies: and so he telleth her that the time of reformation is fulfilled. In the meane while he alloweth the Temple, the Priesthood and all rites annexed thereunto, as touching the vse of the time past.

Furthermore, to the end he may declare that God will neither be worshipped at Jerusalem, nor in mount Garizin, he taketh unto himself a deeper principle: namely, that the true worship of him consisteth in the spirit. For thereupon it followeth that he is rightly called upon every where. Yet first of all here may a question be asked, why and in what sense the worship of God is called spiritual? To the end we may understand this, we must note the opposition between the spirit and the external figures, as between the shadows and the truth. Therefore the worship of God is said to consist in the spirit, because it is nothing else but the inward faith of the heart, which bringeth forth invocation: secondly, the purity of conscience, the denial of our selves, that being given to obey God, we may be unto him as holy sacrifices. Hereupon ariseth another question: whether the fathers did worship him spiritually under the law or no? I answer, seeing that God is always like to himself, he allowed no other worship from the beginning of the world, save the spiritual worship, which was agreeable unto his nature. Which thing Moses doth sufficiently testify, who doth in many places declare, that the end of the law did tend to no other end, but that the people should cleave unto God, with faith and a pure conscience. And the prophets do more clearly express the same, when as they sharply inveigh against the hypocrisy of the people: because they thought they had satisfied God, after they had offered their sacrifices, and executed that external pomp. It is no need to infer many testimonies here which are common every where, yet are there most notable places before all other in the fifty Psalm, the second of Isayas, verse the fifty eight, and threescore and sixth, Micah the fifth, Amos the seventh. But the worship of God was in such sort spiritual under the law, that yet notwithstanding being entangled in so many external ceremonies, it did seem to smell of some carnal and earthly thing. Therefore Paul calleth the ceremonies the flesh, and the beggarly elements of the world. In like sort the Author to the Hebrews saith,