But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
Ver. 34. But one of the soldiers with a spear] What an odd conceit is that of the Papists, that from the Greek word λογχη, have made this soldier's name Longinus! a and to make up the tale, they tell the people, that whereas before he had been blind, by the anointing of his eyes with the watery blood that came out of Christ's side, he received his sight, became a Christian, a martyr, a canonized saint, and that his relics were afterwards worshipped. The lance and nails that tormented Christ were graced with a holy day by Pope Innocent VI, and this eulogy, Ave ferrum triumphale, intrans pectus tu vitale caeli pandis ostia, &c. b
There came out blood and water] The pericardium being pierced, which nature hath filled with water to cool the heat of the heart. Hereto St John alludes, when he saith,1 John 5:6, that "Christ came by water and blood," to teach us, that he justifieth none by his merit but when he sanctifieth by his Spirit. Possumus etiam hinc asseverare ex latere Christi fluxisse nostra sacramenta, saith Calvin, We may safely say that our sacraments issued out of Christ's side.
a Notetur turpis pontificiorum lapsus in Longino, et inscitia Graecae linguae. Cartw.
b In Deorum numerum relatus ut de Francis. Bembus. Hist. Ven.