The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
Ver. 41. All things that offend] Gr. All scandals (σκανδαλα), pests, botches, blocks to others in the way to heaven. Scandalum est rei non bonae sed malae exemplum, aedificans ad delietum, saith Tertullian. Such were those proud, contentious, covetous prelates in the primitive Church, that Ammianus Marcellinus stumbled and stormed at. a Such were those loose and ungirt Christians of whom Lactantius b complaineth in his time, that they dishonoured their profession, to the scandal of the weak and the scorn of the wicked. Such was Pope Clement V, who so ill governed the Church, that Frederick, King of Sicily, began to call the truth of Christian religion into question, and had fallen utterly off from it, had he not been settled aud satisfied by Arnoldus de Villa Nova, a learned man of those times. Forasmuch as Christians (the Papists he meant) do eat the God whom they adore, sit anima mea cum philosophis, said Averroes the Mahometan, let my soul be with the philosophers rather. Nothing more stumbleth that poor people the Jews, and hindereth their conversion, than the idolatry of Papists, and blasphemies of Protestants. Oh that God would once cut off the names of those idols, and cause the unclean spirit to pass out of the land, according to his promise, Zechariah 13:2. Fiat. Fiat. Do it, Do it.
a Marcell. Episcoporum furores, luxum regio maiorem, astum in captandis matronarum oblatiouibus, &c., taxavit.
b Nunc male audiunt castiganturque Christiani, quod aliter quam sapientibus convenit vivant, el vitia sub obtentu nominis celent. Lactant. de Opific. Dei praeem. Jac. Revius, Hist. Pontiff Rom.